Vision board on the back of my journal, April 2016.

As an artist, I have artwork all over my condo and my classroom. I often have several works in progress, at various stages of completion, going on at any one time. So, the idea of taking time out to create a vision board creates mixed feelings for me. I, sometimes, think that I don't need that, as I'm a rather goal oriented person. Then again, there's a feeling of satisfaction when I see it in the midst of busyness or overwhelm. It reminds me that I'm heading in the right direction.

My latest vision board is a collage on the back of my journal. My students see it on my desk and think it's just the "coolest." It spawns conversation about my work as a glass artist. Having those conversations tends to excite both of us, student and teacher. And, motivates me to turn to creating when life seems heavy.

My collage includes one of my favorite pictures of me in the hot glass studio with my father as my assistant. We were at The Chrysler Museum of Glass Hot Shop in Norfolk, VA. The bottom image is of my home studio, where I create my fused glass artwork, outside of Denver, CO.

#FREEDOMmethodChallenge

Creativity comes from a quiet place.

This is one of my favorite sayings that I use in my elementary art classroom. We live in a world full of distractions, busyness, constant chatter, etc. When I moved from Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs to Denver, I was struck with how, even on a hiking trail, no roads in sight, I could still hear traffic. I CRAVE quiet.

Finding that quiet space to hear our own thoughts, is sometimes, hard. With my students, I remind them, that the person or people at their table that chat endlessly, are confident in their ideas, but that doesn't mean they have the best ideas. I try to teach students to look inside themselves and be mindful of the moment. This is a concept that was never really discussed when I was young. Sometimes the quiet people, the introverted, have brilliant thoughts that never get shared.

I find that in recent years, my stamina has changed. I need to soften my expectations for myself. Time management, to-do lists, projects, due dates, etc. can sometimes lead to feeling overwhelmed.

So, I am trying to slow down, extend grace to myself, and recognize that every day, there will be some sort of unexpected event that will distract me. I'm focusing on self-care and finding the quiet space within.

This image is called "Dizzy Spell". It is foil relief. This was created in one of Michael Cellan's summer workshops, years ago.