Weekend Highlights #2

Hey everyone,

Hope your weekend enfolds nicely and is as sunny as here in Bordeaux. As every other Saturday, it is time for a little “Weekend Highlights”: blog posts that I came across and which made me stop and think, and appreciate.

Ali Edwards’ yesterday newsletter series “52 Creative Lifts” totally did just that: stopped me and made me think. Yes, she’s right! How much time do I devote to my dreams? She shares the insights of a photographer I like a lot: Tracey Clark.

I dream my dreams a lot, but if we go down to the numbers, my dreams just stay in the realm of dreams because I don’t know why, but I treat them like things that can’t be materialized. I don’t act on them that much. I don’t take special time for them to see what could be done to get closer to them. Weird! It was a useful and much-needed reminder that dreams are accessible things that we should not just keep in our minds and hearts, but concretely deal with step by step to reach them. And when we get there, time for new dreams! Yeah, I know, not rocket science, but I had never seen this from that angle!

Christine Sacks, on the Canadian Huffington Post posted an interesting article on her personal journey towards feeling ENOUGH, “Being, a Coach in Process.” I can relate to what she shares and I’m sure a lot of you will, too.

I’d like to finish with a very moving, raw, but wonderful call from Alana Sheeren, from Life After Benjamin, to own our grief. My grief was of a different kind, but I spent years stifling it under other busy stuff, it always catches up with you wherever you go. The best thing we can do in times like these is just to welcome it and own it. It makes us who we are. I strongly admire Alana for her courage to stand up in defense of owning what might at first look like something that could destroy us. Thanks Alana for showing us the way to open our minds, hearts, and arms to our sometimes bottomless sadness and live with it, with more intention and boldness.

She gave this wonderfully inspiring speech at TedX.

I hope these posts filled you with more force and determination to face what might be coming your way.

If you have posts you'd like to share, please feel like to link them on the comments section.

Alright, I wish all a happy weekend, and a special thought for my American friends who are celebrating Memorial Day this weekend.

Sabrina S.

Little Bliss List #7 & Friday Fill-Ins #6

Bonjour,

Today is one of my favorite days of the week. It’s the last day of the workweek, but also the moment to remember what made the week special thanks to Liv Lane’s Little Bliss List.

Here is my contribution:

1) To begin with, the sun is back and I was inspired to make this scrapbook layout about the advent of spring (it’s been there for a few weeks now), but it also goes with an inner change that promises major advances and adventure, so I wanted to capture that particular moment. I don’t know how the weather is in your part of the world, but in Bordeaux, we had the s****iest weather for more than a month. The water tables are full, for sure!

2) Last Sunday, I wrote like never before. My writing just stretched at some point. I had never felt that free ever with a pen. I started by not being sure where to go, and then, the magic just happen. My pen flew all over the page, leading me to an unexpected place. I had never experienced something like that before. I hope I will again. It’s a wonderful feeling.

3) I have a new physical therapist for my hip and she’s awesome. She uses a very soft method based on deep breathing, stretching, and massages. She spends the whole hour with one patient at a time, so she’s completely focused on you and your body. It’s a change from conventional physical therapy where you can be up to 5 or 6 patients at a time, I tried it last year and it didn’t improve anything. I hope this time, it works.

4) Don’t forget to have an eye on last Saturday’s “Weekend Inspiration” blog post by Belgian artist, Lindsay Drya. Tomorrow, I’ll post my “Weekend Highlights”, some posts that you might find interesting and thought-provoking.


5) I'm taking a blogging class by Liv Lane, Build a Blog You Truly Love. I love the content and it gets me thinking hard. I love the inspiration and I really don't regret taking it. Next time, it's on, don't miss it!

*****

 

On with Janet Friday Finn-Ins: 

1. These three words describe my significant other: funny, smart, one-of-a-kind!

2. Strawberry or rasperry jelly is a delight!

3. Oh, how I adore scrapbooking. Today’s layout made my day. I hadn’t done anything in a while, so it felt refreshing 

4. People can love you if one takes time to be friendly.

5. Inevitably, life goes on. Sometimes, we tend to forget it and get depressed for little things (or big things...).

6. My grandpa is someone who never ceased to encourage me.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to read an awesome book I’ll tell you about next week, tomorrow my plans include writing, blogging, scrapbooking, and watching Matrix Reloaded and Sunday, I want to walk in the sand and feel the coldness of the Ocean on my feet!

See you tomorrow for the bog series! I'll also come back tomorrow to leave comments to my fellow Friday companions (time to hit the pillow here). 

Sabrina S.

Blog Your Heart's back!!

Bonjour,

Stephanie Howell's Blog Your Heart is finally back! Yeah!! Feels good to see it again. Missed it.

For those who don't know Stephanie Howell, she's a "soul" scrapbooker, mother of 4 and military wife and she's well-known in the blogosphere for her honest, mindful, and soul-searching blogging and scrapbooking. If you've never visited her blog, please do, you won't regret it!

Her challenge is simple: 

" 1.Blog whatever is on your heart. It can be serious,silly,angry,happy,blunt,ridiculous. It can be ANYTHING but it has to be authentic (yes,there's that dang buzz word...but to be fair I've been a proponent of authenticity for a long time). The post can be long or short, doesn't matter.

2.No judging. No snarky comments, no making fun, no passive agressive digs. If you are goingto read the blogs linked in the comments, don't be mean.

3. If you play along- link in the comments. I always read and comment on every single blog and alot of you do. I've noticed a cool community of women that grows out of these posts."

Here is my contribution:

1) I’m getting worried. One reason is real, the other, not as much. The real reason to be worried: I had to undergo some medical scans for a pain on the hip and coincidentally, the doctor saw a suspect trace at the top. It doesn’t hurt me or anything, but I need to get an additional, more detailed scan next week. I was either born with this thing and it’s OK, or it’s a metastasis (read: secondary cancer). I try to pretend to everyone around me that it’s OK, I was probably born with it (like in: another quirk among many!), but deep down, I’m a bit nervous. What if... I can’t even think about it.

The other reason I’m worried (sorry but it’s important to have a mundane reason, especially right now!): on June 11, I’m sitting my driving license. Yeah, at 31. I drive well but I already failed because I get super nervous on the day of the exam. Here, in France, the exam is tough. Less than 50% of the people get it. It’s really expensive and it’s usual to fail at least 2 or 3 times before getting it. So, we’ll see. I need to practice deep breathing A LOT in the coming days so I won’t get too nervous and dig my own grave on D-Day. I sense a major difference with when I tried to sit it when I was 18: I have way more experience as a driver, I now love driving, and man, am I sick of people of commenting on my OLD age, and I feel more confident now. Hopefully, I’ll be able to rely on all these positive points when needed. And no, I won’t get a car anytime soon. I can get around Bordeaux by bus and tram for 11€ a month. Why would I want to change that?

2) I truly feel I’m on a tough journey these days. Personally. And in my relationship. We are both in therapy but we’re getting at the point where we’re not always on the same page. I know we’re individually on our own path, but it’s hard sometimes to grant the other the time they need to get things done. There are behaviors I’m getting sick of, but I have to learn to be patient. As well as hopeful. These things might never go and make us part ways, or they can disappear, slowly but surely. My heart still long for the second option. That’s what makes me wait and see. So, that’s positive!

Sabrina S.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Hello,

I’ve not participated in Jamie Ridler’s Wishcasting Wednesday in a while! So, here is today’s prompt and my contribution:

What do you wish to walk away from?

1) I wish to walk away from old habits. You know, the ones that go against your well-being and that are super hard to get rid of as they are the only ones you know. Well, what about establishing NEW habits that are healthy and good for us? Let's favor daring over pseudo-security.

2) In the same spirit, I’d like to cut off those relationships that are going against my well-being. It’s funny how when you start changing, some people resent it. They preferred the old depressed you, you sounded more « fun » then. There are also these « friends » who constantly impose themselves on you and suck all that precious energy from you. Well, newsflash parasites, you’re OUT! I wasn’t aware of these relationship patterns before, so I would get right in them. Now, this is over. And man, does that feel good! Putting some firm boundaries is the best thing I’ve done in a while!

3) Again, in that same spirit, I decided to do whatever I wanted without paying attention to what people might think. I used to live in constant need of reassurance, feedback or validation. Now, I just want to do things. PERIOD. Do I care what Mrs. Jones thinks about it? Not anymore. I made a bunch of decisions about work and my personal life that will break with how I’ve done things in the past few years. It’s truly liberating.

4) Finally, I’d like to walk away from the Old Me, the one who’s paralyzed by fear, who’s never happy and who doesn’t see all the things she could do if she just shifted perspective once in a while. I feel like a snake these days, I got rid of my old skin and I’m finally enjoying what’s coming.

What about you? Come join us at Jamies Ridler's Studios !

Sabrina S.

AYWM#3: Self-Portraiture

Hi everyone,

I'm back with my third installment for A Year With Myself, a year-long program of self-reflection and journaling. In this module we were invited by Sara Blackthorne to investigate the question of self-portraiture and rewriting our beautiful story. 

The prompt was: "Who are the women in your story, the ancestors, who have walked the path of their own true stories? 

How do you find your beautiful reflection in the world?

How do you tend and nurture your core story, as you would tend a tree in the forest?"

When I first looked at the words of the prompt (“tend”, “nurture”, ancestors”...), I thought about my body. Ironically, I should say. It took me a while to get into this module. I felt some strong resistance and a stubborn will to do anything else than deal with the thoughts and feelings that were surfacing. I loved Sara Blackthorne’s story about forests and trees. Strangely enough, trees evoked images of my body that I completely ignored for decades. Could I have done it any other way? Maybe not. The women around me seem to be doing the same.

If I were to be clearer about my problem, I’d say that being asked not to move out of my room and be silent for hours on end for years took its toll on me. I was meant to be transparent, silent, invisible. It was sometimes the hardest thing to do. It made me feel like I was meant to disappear for long periods of time, of being unimportant, I had to suppress all the things a kid normally does (being loud, being messy, running, playing with other kids, being nonsensical and silly, discovering the world…) From an early age, I felt transparent and on constant imposed "mute" mode. I know some people have worse childhoods than that, but forced silence and stasis are extremely violent when it goes against your natural inclination. I had to learn it in my body. It was more than just being asked to understand I had to disappear, I had to internalize the message. Anything connected to the mind looked more important than the body. Moreover, touching is not a family habit. Nurturing (in any form) is a word that is not part of the family vocabulary. Body sensations, touching, nurturing are words I am finally discovering. I’m 31. About time!

I can’t believe all the things I missed. Now that I am opening up to my body being more than something that allows me to go from point A to point B, I’m seeing a whole richness to life I had no idea about. I used to live with 10% of my body. It’s weird to say that, but I only considered it as a biological organism that accomplished a certain number of tasks, everyday. Now, I’m aware that it feels, it breathes, it grieves, it moves, it needs rest, and sometimes, it yearns and craves. I would even go as far as to say “she” instead of “it” (too impersonal). What I’m saying might be like the ABCs for some people, but to me, it was and still is, a true revelation.

In a way, it is through my broken marriage that I was able to look beyond what I was imposing on myself. Spending years with someone who was worse than me in that department and with whom I had no physical connection whatsoever made me realize I had to do something. I could not resurrect two people at the same time, so leaving looked like the best alternative. I was stifling. The day I moved in in my new apartment, I breathed again. Fully. I felt a huge weight off my shoulders, my chest could finally expand and welcome more. There was more room for life in my body. I then decided to practice sports. I registered to a Pilates class and started running. And man, have I run! Each mile was a true victory over depression, stasis, and these years of captivity inside an anesthetized body. I belittled my body, hated her, despised her, undernourished or over-nourished her, filled her with junk, ignored her and allowed other people to hurt her with my consent. Only now am I able to look at the severity of what I did, knowingly or unknowingly, consciously and unconsciously. The harm was deep, the wounds are still open and bleeding. Only now am I able to put words on all of this (self) abuse. One word at a time. Only now am I able to allow my body to feel, discover, and learn. Every new sensation is a new hue to my color palette. Sometimes, there is a lot to take in, my senses are overwhelmed or I’m not always able to understand what’s happening but at least, I’m now able to welcome whatever comes my way with open arms and whole-heartedly. I now favor experience over thought.

Here is my core story. The one that I put my body and self through. To break from this cycle of self-hate, self-neglect and self-ignorance is taking a path most women I grew up around never tried. It’s never too late to start traditions. I want to invite body acceptance, nurturing, and self-love in my daily life. From this day on, I’m on a mission to heal my body and nourish her with the best I can muster. I’ve already reached out to my mum and grandma to share what I’m discovering with them. If only they could see what I saw...

Let’s all create a circle of love and trust in which to celebrate our bodies and ourselves.

Sabrina S.

Weekend Inspiration #2: Lindsay Drya

Hello,

Today is the second installment of Weekend Inspiration and I'm very honored to welcome a blog post from an artist that I discovered a few months ago and that I really love. Lindsay Drya is a Belgian writer, mixed-media artist, and photographer. She's an artist of many talents, each one of her posts is sure to surprise you. You can find writing, photography, painting, drawing, and many other things. You can find her on her blog, Dryada Journals. All the artwork included in this post are hers. Lucky us! 

Daily dream journaling

Hello sweeties,

Today I wanted to talk about my writing experience which I have since 2007: journaling my dreams. I get up, try to remember what I dreamed of and write it down. Now, for some this would not be a daily practice since not everyone can remember their dreams very often, but I do. Even more: my average is 5-6 dreams a night.

The first years it was much fun. I wanted to learn lucid dreaming and remembering dreams is the first practice to reach that goal. Remembering was easy peasy for me but writing… no way! I’ve tried it when I was 14 years old… 16 years old and at my third try, I finally had the discipline to continue with it. How much I love writing, writing dreams was very hard for me. On the other hand, I knew this was important for me, to learn lucid dreaming but also for my inner wisdom: Dreams reveal a lot about yourself, even (No, mostly) things you don’t wish to see or try to hide.

The more I was journaling my dreams, the more my subconscious showed me gratitude. I started to dream about artworks, poetry, photography… I even had precognitive dreams! Like my mind tried to tell me: “Don’t. Stop. Writing. This is way too important!” And so I didn’t.  Instead of quitting (I had a lot of these moments you know) I decided to work with my dreams. 
For example:

~ Poems and images I saw in my dreams, I used in my final project in High school.
~ After many dreams of macro photography, I bought a macro camera.

~ I started art journaling after I saw art journal pages in hypnagogia. (hallucinations before falling asleep)

~ I painted 30 dreams in a row for a painting which was exposed at the art gallery at the International Dream Conference.

Another idea in hypnagogia I’ve used in my art performance last month.

~ I write haiku’s and 6 words stories weekly based on what I’ve dreamed that night.

~ And so on.
I truly believe dreams can not only reveal a lot about yourself but also give you lots of inspiration. Soon or later, muses enter your dreams to show you some juicy stuff to work with.

Did you ever experienced something like this? Did you create art based on dreams? Maybe you had a dream last night you wish to share with us?

******

Lindsay Drya is a writer, photographer and mixed media artist who journal her (night) dreams every day. Besides being a blog addict, she tries to live her life in a creative organic way in which she hope to inspire people with her art. Spirituality is essential in her life for it is her goal to live and love life unconditional.

You can find Lindsay Drya here:

Blog: Dryada Journals

Facebook page

Twitter

Other links you can find at http://about.me/lindsaydrya

A huge thank you Lindsay for this awesome blog post. Have all a very nice weekend.

Sabrina S.

Little Bliss List #6 & Friday Fill-ins #5

Hello everyone,

Today is one of my favorite days of the week. It’s the last day of the workweek, but also the moment to remember what made the week special thanks to Liv Lane’s Little Bliss List.

1) Mine involved reading The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. The book is short and straight to the point, but it really helps you identify what’s wrong, the different vicious ways our creativity gets blocked and the strategies we could implement to get out of our own blocks. I found it very useful and it’s definitely the kind of book you can keep on hand so you can reread some passages from time to time. Surprisingly, I was attracted to his theory of the Muse. Never thought I could start to believe in something like that, but I’m starting to. He also strongly emphasizes the implementation of a strong routine. Work is the only thing that matters and I must say that it’s the conclusion I reached recently. Get the work done, it’s the only way to silence your inner critics and go beyond your blocks. His description of fear is really a must-read.

2) Last weekend, I was invited by some of my students for a barbeque. We had a great time. I’m really grateful for the job I have and the people I get to meet. I like the idea of being around young people who are about to make important choices. They are at the time when anything seems possible. They don’t have yet the impression of being stuck. It’s a refreshing perspective to have for me, once in a while. It makes me question what I do and wonder if I could do things differently.

3) This week has been really tough. I went through a major breakthrough in therapy. I’m finally asking myself major questions, trying to come up with the answers, and making some important choices. This analytical work is definitely the best gift I ever gave myself. It’s one helluva tough road, but it’s worth every single drop of sweat and tears.

4) Tomorrow, we’ll have our second installment of “Weekend Inspiration” with a Belgian artist I really love. “Weekend Inspiration” is a blog series of guests who present us their practice of art and writing. Her blog post is really awesome, I hope you’ll check it out! (If she’s reading these lines, I send her a big hug!)

******

On with Janet Friday Finn-Ins: 

1. When we believe in ourselves, there’s so much we can accomplish!

2. When I walk, I hold my head down. A lot. It’s easier to think while staring at the ground than looking up. Anybody like this?

3. It'll be 11 months since my BF and I started dating in a few days. Can’t wait to celebrate !

4. The Taj Mahal is a place I always wanted to visit, but haven't yet. India is on my TO VISIT BEFORE I DIE list.

5. When I'm sad I cry and try to relax; when I'm happy I have the extra kick to do something that really feels good (like creating something).

6. It’s hard for me to think about my community. It’s a cultural thing. In France, not everyone has a community. However, I want to find one or create one. I really want to create some kind of writing circle someday. I miss this idea of community.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie with my BF, tomorrow my plans include cooking and writing and Sunday, I want to the farmer’s market and get some good, natural stuff!

See you tomorrow for a cool post "Made In Belgium"!

Sabrina S.

Weekend Highlights #1

Hi everyone,

Today is Saturday, so I'm coming back with my other regular blog series, called Weekend Highlights. Every other Saturday, I'll share with you a few blog posts that have made an impression on me over time. They might be recent or not, but when I read them, they stopped me on my course, made me think, and inspired me. I hope they'll have a similar effect on you. So, grab a cup of tea (or coffee…), and chill out! Enjoy your reading!

Since it is Mother's Day this weekend, I thought we could start with "Finding My Mother Again" by Claire Bidwell Smith. Sometimes, a relationship with a mother and a daughter is a real journey. I want to write more and more about it, but finding the right words is really hard. It might take a lifetime to make sense of this relationship. 

To go on with complicated relationships, Nathalie Hardy recently wrote about her impending divorce. Since I've been through the same thing, it definitely struck a chord in me. Not that I want to depress you all with complicated things, but ain't they part of life too? 

To counterbalance with more positivity and happiness, let's turn to Hugh MacLeod's "How To Be Creative". I love the way his creative career emerged. Drawing casually on a business card can lead you to become who you are meant to be.

And to finish, I stumbled upon Patti Digh's Geography of Verbs for Guilford College Commencent Speech. Her book, "Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally" is my next book purchase. Her speech has made my morning. 

Hope this little post will fulfill its purpose.

I wish you a great weekend…

Sabrina S.

AYWM#2: Your Roots

Hi everyone,

I'm back with what I wrote for Module #2 of A Year With Myself: Your Roots. I learned a whole lot from that chapter. I really enjoyed everything about it, the Power Questions, the interviews, and of course, the prompts. Leonie Dawson encouraged us to write a letter to ourselves (our older self) recapping what was seen in the module. Here is my take on it.

Dear S.,

I’m writing these lines as I’m nearing the end of my path. As you are at a major crossroads, I thought you could do with a little note from me. I can’t tell you how old I am today as I would be spilling the beans about your future; all I can say is that you’re definitely at the beginning of a long journey. I hope you packed enough stuff in your backpack because you’ll need to pull out a few useful items from time to time to make it to the end.

You finally understood that taking your own life into your hands and becoming a true agent of your destiny gave you more power and leverage on how things evolve and unfold in your life. It took you forever to figure that one out, but that was the hardest. Now comes the long ascending path to when you want to go. You might not know where to now exactly. Never mind, grab a good pair of hiking shoes and go! Nothing is better than action. You’ll figure the details on the way.

However, before you get going, I’d have a few things to tell you.

First, remember that what matters, really, is not the end, but the journey. You’ll learn more on your way up than on reaching your destination. When you reach an objective, set another one right away. Death is the only end. Before that, you have plenty of time to climb many hills and mountaintops. There’s no age to set your eyes on some goal and act. There’s no end to evolution, discovery, and exploration. Even death might not be the end, but that’s another debate.

Then, keep your eyes wide open on your way up. You never know what wonders are on your way until you stumble upon them. So don’t be too hurried to reach the top. Stop and appreciate where you are, that view that is being offered, and the little beauties on the side of your path. Watch out for the dangers that might hurt you. Beware and protect yourself from unnecessary harm. There will be tears, there will be pain. Still, you can avoid a lot of them by just being aware and cautious.

There will also be times when you’ll lose sight of your destination. The hiking will get tough and painful. You might even feel lost or afraid of where you are. Don’t feel discouraged. It’s all part of the grand plan. Move on. Don’t stay stuck and don’t give up. Fear can make you give up on anything. Even the most important things for you. Scenes and things evolve and change. Nothing is worse than stasis in these cases. Go on. Even if your goal is out of sight, it’s in your heart. Your heart is your compass. So, trust it to lead the way when your eyes can’t. It knows, blindfold, where to go. 

Learn to stop when your body or your soul ache too much. No need to go beyond your limits and burn out; it’s not a horse race. It’s a long-distance journey, so no winners, no losers. Time is your ally. Take the time you need to get there on your terms and on your two feet.

Nurture your body and soul on your way as they are the vehicles of your dreams. They can lead you anywhere you want as long as you tend for them enough. You’re discovering new tools around meditation and soft gym. Let’s just say that they might contain a few keys for you. That’s the only clue I’m willing to give you...

Well, my dear, it’s time for me to go and leave you on your own to continue the journey.

Your older self.

 Sabrina S.

Storytelling Sunday#2: Grandpa's Wedding

Hello Storytellers,

We're the first Sunday of the month and Sian invites us to share a moment to tell a story. I've not done it for a while, so I thought it was high time to be back and keep this blog series going. It's so unique and enjoyable to do it and read other people's stories. Here's mine:

Grandpa's Wedding - The Other Story

Here is a picture of my Grandpa circa 1932, aged 4, surrounded by 3 young ladies at school. Back then, there was no TV or DVD to entertain the kids. Teachers had to wrack their brains to find fun things to do.

On that day, the teacher thought they would play dress up and organize a wedding. Michel, aka Grandpa, thus married Renee. She was the teachers’ daughter and apparently had a miserable life with them. They were known in the village for being very harsh people. Her mother had the reputation of making the wooden floor tremble when she rushed to grab pupil’s cheeks because they were not listening.

Though they got “married” very young, Grandpa and Renee never flirted, nor thought about being more than friends as they grew up. They liked each other very much and were very close, but no line was ever crossed. They went to the movies and dancing together. From what he was able to tell me, she was an extremely kind person, that’s probably something they could share. My grandpa is the kindest person I know.

At the age of 18, Renee left to continue her studies in England and nearly never returned to her home village. She married and had kids.
If you know a Renée Brimont from Aouste, a small village in the North-East of France, please, reach out to me, my grandpa would love to reconnect, if she's still alive.

One the ladies in the background gave this photo to my grandpa a few months ago and it triggered all these memories back to his mind. He had forgotten about that first wedding. He later married my grandma, Suzy, around 1950 for real. But that’s a complete different story…

Hope you liked it as much as I did. I love working with vintage photos. I'm collecting more and more photos from my family and I also need to collect the stories that go with them. Someday, I'll make a big scrapbook with all of them, so we can all enjoy them. 

Alright, I'll grab a cup of tea and read my fellow participants' stories...

Have a nice Sunday!

Sabrina S.