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Easy Art Journal Project: Jumping into Art Journaling
Today’s easy art journal project is a great way of jumping into art journaling. If you are new to art journaling or not sure where to start, this easy art journal project may be a great place to dive in. Art journaling is a great practice for self-expression. It is a place to express our thoughts and feelings in a safe space. It can also be a great way to try out new techniques and products by practicing on a small surface. Jumping into Art Journaling At first, art journaling may seem intimidating and challenging. There are so many techniques and supplies out there, it can be hard to know…
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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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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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When Things Don’t Go According to Plan
So what happens when things don’t go according to plan? I am having one of those weeks where my well laid plans have not worked out. My Plan I had planned to do a great video and article about Finding Locations for Urban Sketching and things have not worked out as I hoped. It has been a week full of technical issues. A malfunction with my microphone has cost me hours of video. The video card in my computer has died leaving me without access to video editing software. This is just the start of the problems I have been having this week. As a content creator, I try…
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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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How to Choose Your Priorities
Have you ever wondered about how to choose your priorities in a way that leads to an effective and happy life? It’s been on my mind lately as we’re moving into fall and getting back to a more normal routine. How can we choose our priorities in a way that helps us meet our goals? Choosing Our Priorities Wisely Choosing our priorities wisely can make such a difference not only in the pace of our lives but also in the goals we set. So how do we choose these priorities? I was recently reading an article about habits of successful people and my main takeaway is that effective and successful…
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How to Become Unoffendable and Live a Happier Life
Have you ever thought about how to become unoffendable and live a happier life? It’s been on my mind recently. This month as part of my reading plan for 2020 , I finished the book “Unoffendable” by Brant Hansen. This book gave me a lot to think about and has definitely changed my view on how I look at offense. Are We Easily Offended? One of the questions that we all need to ask ourselves is “Are we easily offended?” I would like to think that I am not easily offended, but recently I’ve become aware that I’ve picked up the habit of offense from those around me. Habit of…
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Goal Setting During the Summer
Goal setting during the summer can feel like such a challenge. It is a different season and has a different pace to the rest of the year, making it challenging to stay on track with your goals. I was thinking about my personal goal setting. It has now been 6 months and this time has had many changes and challenges that have come with it. Goal Planning How are you doing with you goal planning so far this year? It is halfway through the year and as I promised, I am doing my mid year review. How has this time been for you? A time of feeling motivated and productive…
The Art of Self-Care
