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Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels
If you haven’t tried neurographic art, this is a great self-care exercise for your creative practice. I was recently introduced to neurographic art by a subscriber on my YouTube channel and wanted to show you how to do this easy technique using blendable Pan Pastels. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. If you are new to art journaling or a creative practice, knowing where to start can be half the challenge. The beauty of neurographic art is that you don’t have to have art experience to enjoy this technique. It is…
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Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio
I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I know for many of us 2020 has been a challenging year with many ups and downs, but I hope that it ends on a high note for all of you. Many of us are not able to visit with our families this Christmas. In my city, we are not allowed to meet in groups outside of our family unit for another few weeks. This can make for a challenging time for some of us. If you are having challenges this time of year and need to talk to someone, I have…
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Preparing for a Pandemic Christmas
I have been reflecting on how preparing for a pandemic Christmas does not have to be sad. Christmas is going to feel different this year due to the pandemic. Many of us have felt the effects of this pandemic on our holidays and traditions. So how do we find ways of enjoying the time and perhaps finding joy and happiness despite the disruption? Preparing for Christmas I really enjoy the Christmas holiday season and my preparations usually start around mid- November. Preparing for a pandemic Christmas has been very different. With no work holiday parties, Christmas plays or concerts to attend, it leaves a strange feeling to the season. As…
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How to Use a Dip Pen
As this month is Inktober, I wanted to share with you about how to use a dip pen. Using a dip pen is one of the skills that I have learned this year and it has had a huge impact on how I draw and how I approach drawing. Using a Dip Pen With all the different pens out on the market, many of us think of dip pens as a tool only used in calligraphy. Since I started working with a dip pen, I have started to use it in many art mediums, especially in my art journal. In the video below, I demonstrate how I get good strokes,…
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Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness
With Mental Illness Awareness Week occurring this week and with World Mental Health Day on October 10, I wanted to talk about misconceptions surrounding mental illness. Mental illness is an uncomfortable topic for many people. I find there are usually 3 reactions. The first is avoidance from those who are uncomfortable talking about it. The second is that of understanding about mental illness and these individuals are generally supportive. The last reaction is quietly admitting that they have been struggling with mental health and they want to talk about it more. Why Talk About Mental Illness Why talk about mental illness? My experience over the last few years has come…
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Mental Illness Awareness Week
With Mental Illness Awareness Week coming up next week I wanted to talk a bit about how we can make the most of this time. Perhaps mental illness is something that you don’t struggle with, but many people do. In my city, since the pandemic there have been a lot mental health issues. There have been more suicides, domestic violence and other mental health issues. Mental illness is not an easy thing to talk about. I believe that it is a topic that is avoided in our society, something that should not be discussed. There is a lot of stigma regarding mental health and mental illness. But that does…
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Urban Sketching for Self-Care
We all need activities to help with our self-care practice. I recently took up urban sketching for self-care and I’m finding it’s a great tool for exercising mindfulness. What is Urban Sketching? What is Urban Sketching? If you are not familiar with the practice, it is about drawing on location and sharing the stories of the places you live and travel. I started exploring Urban Sketching just over a year ago when I met the Calgary Urban Sketcher group at a demo at Kensington Art Supply & Instruction in Calgary. At the demo I was able to meet the members of the group, browse their sketchbooks and talk to them…
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The Mindful Magic of Fountain Pens
Do you have objects that encourage your self-care practice and help you achieve mindfulness? One of my favorite objects is the fountain pen. I love to write and journal so the pen is an important part of my self-care practice. I use the fountain pen not just in my journal, but also in creating art, so it is an important and versatile tool for my self-care. Why the Pen? I have a large assortment of pens. The fountain pen is one of my favorites, but there are many other pen styles that I enjoy. I love making pen and ink drawings and having a variety of pens adds variation to…
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Restoration During A Holiday
Happy Canada Day and Independence Day to my readers! Since this week is Canada Day and Independence Day, I wanted to share with you what I do to find restoration during a holiday. Even as things are opening up in Alberta, there is still a need for social distancing that is affecting holiday celebrations. With that in mind, I was thinking about how to celebrate Canada Day in a way that would be fun and restorative. Get Out of the House With my husband and I both working from home, we really wanted to get out of the house for Canada Day. We have been staying pretty close to home…
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4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious
Today I wanted to share with you the 4 lessons I learned from Almost Anxious. If you have been following my reading list for 2020, this is one of the books that I committed to reading to help my personal mental wellness. Why Almost Anxious? Almost Anxious is a book that was recommended to me by a friend. The premise of this book is how to deal with the “almost anxious” moments in our lives. One of the problems with anxiety is that we are often put into one of two boxes: anxious or not anxious. This criterion is not always helpful. Many of us have anxiety that is above…
The Art of Self-Care
