At this time of year, we are consumed with prepping for Christmas and shopping. What to get your family and friends for Christmas, how much to spend, and what the heck to buy that person who has everything. I have overthought the Christmas buying to the extreme and then over shop trying to make everything equal. Over the last few years, our family has focused more on buying experiences, like music tickets or an outing of some sort. I love this because it also gives us another opportunity to be with the people we love as we usually get tickets for everyone.
This year I have spent more time than ever working on creative projects. I was fortunate to be invited to show my art at The Painted Door on Main in Beaumont by my friend Bonnie Jean McAllister. Bonnie Jean is a wonderful photographer, who has taken her art to a exciting level with creating fashionable wear with her photos on it. Gorgeous capri's, jackets and purses. I am so inspired every time I spend a minute of my time at the Painted Door, all the artists are wonderful and so talented.
I have been painting so much, that I have been having paint dreams, where I paint over and over and over, until I am dizzy and have to get up. Hence the 4:00 am posts on Facebook.
I believe we all have a creative streak, it is just discovering it. The worst thing that we can do, is compare ourselves and stop playing because we are not as good as someone else. A few years ago, I took a weekend paint workshop with a teacher named Brian Simmons in Victoria who shifted my perspective on painting. He taught us paint techniques but he also taught us something else. He took us to a spiritual level and we talked about the spirit of painting. That is came from within us, but was not about us. That every painting should be treated the same, whether is a masterpiece or not, as someone may see something in it we didn’t. I was in awe. He told us to loosen up, to paint what we see, and to never totally finish a painting. Let the patron finish it.
What do you do that you could share this Christmas? Are you an amazing cook or baker? Oh my, nothing I love better than a dinner invite or a box of homemade jam or cookies. This summer, our neighbor offered us plums from a exploding tree. I picked plums until I was plum full and made wonderful jams and a steak and burger sauce. This will be a wonderful gift for friends and hostess gifts.
Take a moment and think about your skills and interests, can you do something special for someone?
With websites like Pinterest and the power of google, you can find something that will have more meaning that a gift from a store. It means more, it costs less and it feels so good.
Here is a great article from Huffington Post from a few years ago with some great ideas.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/18/11-great-gift-ideas-from-free-to-not-too-much.html
Dianna Bowes is the creative director of Fabulous@50 and editor of Be Fabulous! Dianna is also the author of The Fabulous@50 Re-Experience - Refresh your mind, body and spirit.