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I submitted my canvas By your side, Always, to Arts Hub 47 in Lark Lane, Liverpool for their upcoming exhibition in September called Outside Looking In, Inside Looking Out'.
I found out that I have been accepted! I am still pinching myself a little, this is the first piece I have ever put forward. There is a story behind this painting - isn't there always?!! By your side, Always
Materials used: Mixed Media: tissue papers, stamps, acrylics, wax pencils, watercolours, acrylic pens and illustration.
The story
Close friendships have stories to tell.
What we sometimes see from the outside is incorrect and sometimes what we feel from the inside is incorrect. Friendships have many stories to tell. This painting was inspired by a long time friend of mine. We lived in the same road, just houses away from each other and from a young age, we would spend hours riding our bikes, building tents in the garden and singing with gusto. As we got older, we formed a duo and performed at concerts around our community. Me on guitar and her on banjo. She moved to another country when she was 21 and before she went, she wrote me a wonderful letter, which I still hold close to me nearly 20 years later, a photocopy of parts of the letter are included in the painting. In this letter she told me how she truly felt about our friendship. Writing from the heart, she wrote:- "I am incredibly lucky to have you as a friend. You always look forwards and never backwards and tackle new things and I know you can do whatever you set your mind to in your life. It just takes time, so, practice. You've got what it takes, so never doubt your own abilities.”
This painting is my way of honouring our friendship... I know it's a small step but I truly feel very proud to be her friend and to have known her for over 40 years (yikes!)
The exhibition starts on September 5th so if you are near the Liverpool area, why not pop down to Lark Lane, which in its own right is a gorgeous little bohemian street. Maybe I'll see you there!
My Muse Mantra Deck are on sale at Arts Hub 47 and a selection of Muse Mantra Greeting Cards and Illustration Prints.
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Liverpool said goodbye to Cilla Black on Thursday.
I loved Cilla when she was singing in the 60s and part of the Merseybeat crowd so I was inspired to draw her from this time period. As a Liverpool gal, I have grown up watching Blind Date. It was my go-to Saturday night pre going out entertainment! I felt a real pull to draw Cilla and started to scan through images of her over the last 60 years. 
I always love to scan through lots of images to find photos to inspire the initial sketch.
This time I came across some lovely 60s snaps of Cilla and they piqued my interest.
After drawing the illustration, I then begin to fill with colour, using professional markers, pens, wax pencils and I fill the image with Reiki symbols.
When this is finished, I then scan it in and turn to the digital element to create the Muse Mantra. 
The mantra I chose is a song called 'Step inside Love', which was recorded in 1968 and it was written by George Harrison so it seemed the most apt mantra for Cilla's Muse Mantra. I hope you see the essence and reflection of Cilla. I recorded a speeded up video of me doing this illustration : )
I sometimes struggle with putting myself first.
Do you? It seems that if we do, we may be seen as selfish. Funny word that 'selfish'. Self .......... ish The dictionary definition is: lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure. When I look at the Thesaurus alternatives, I'm faced with: Egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, self-centred, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking, self-serving, wrapped up in oneself; inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking, uncaring, uncharitable; mean, miserly, grasping, greedy, mercenary, acquisitive, opportunistic; informal looking after number one. My definition of selfish means 'focused on self' and certainly not all of those above. Sometimes, just sometimes, we have to put ourselves first. I am going to be itsy bitsy selfish this week as I take my holiday at home. That means, saying no and putting myself first. Does that make me selfish? Holidays aren't the only time I want to feel, rested, relaxed, nurtured, off radar. I want to feel this way during the year too. This past two years I have been calling in my core desired feelings - feelings that light me and and fill my boots. Thanks to Danielle LaPorte and The Desire Map (check her out here) Creative, Connected, Affluent, Radiant, Energised, Sensual, Divine. 
Here are my 5 Ways to create your Holiday at Home
1. Make the Decision, find the time and block it out Look at your diary and find at least 5 days clear. You need to plan for this time. Mark it on the calendar, Make Space. Dedicate the time. I can't tell you how huge it is when you block out the time and not plan anything that is work related. 2. Tell Family, Friends, Colleagues, Potential Clients and Those Who Ask ... You're on holiday. When they ask where? You say, 'At Home.' It is very tempting to feel like you have to say yes to an appointment, a commitment or a work opportunity. Imagine you're going away on holiday - you would decline. You have to say the same. "Oh, that week? I'm on holiday, can we reschedule for the week of ______________" Whether you're taking 1 day, 2 or more, believe it, deserve it and let it sink in. Say it. 
3. Create a holiday at home vision page. Somewhere you can see it. (I take a photo and save it as my desktop background and also have it on my phone wallpaper).
I created a page in my vision book called 'Decadence'. I used to do this when I was younger, only those times I'd call them mood books. It nudged me to actually wake up and spend time finding out what I wanted for my holiday at home. How? 1. Think about the feeling you want to feel during your holiday time. Is it relaxed, soothed, energised. Cast your mind to previous holidays away - what feelings did they bring out in you? 2. Spend time with some magazines, scissors and glue stick. Go with your gut instinct, just cut out what appeals and lights you up, even if you have no clue why. Just cut. 3. Spend time placing it on your pages. Really look at these images, what is pulling you? No Art Instinct needed here. Just Gut instinct. This is where it begins. See what your soul is calling for your holiday at home. 4. Write down how the images make you feel. Spend a little time looking at the page you have created. Write down what those images and words mean to you? I wrote mine and here's what I wrote from looking at my vision page:
All of this from my decadent vision page. So go write down your feelings about your pages. What are the images telling you? 5. Choose With Your Heart When you look at your page and you have written out the feelings, you can begin to map out your week. The list has to make you feel excited, energised, relaxed and recharged. What can you weave into your holiday at home? Visit your own city and find out what's on there. I would love to hear what's on your list. 
Did you know I draw people and animals and give them a healing at the same time?
This time last year I was about to embark upon September Muse. 30 days, 30 Muse Mantras - one for every day. I want to draw you. Will you be my September Muse? Great to use in your journals, your meditation spaces, your vision books and on your walls. You'll receive a high resolution image of your MUSE MANTRA. This could be for YOU or as a gift for a family member or friend. As I weave Reiki Healing into all my drawings, whomever is the recipient will get a good dose of Reiki therapy. THE OFFER £35 approx US $55. (payment plan available) For WOMEN and MEN. Do you have a man in your life that I could draw and who needs some Reiki healing - this is a GREAT way for them to get the healing. What healing do you need? Get in touch and say YES. Excited to do this with you and hope to hear from you soon. 
I remember a time, way back when I was 19 and I thought my legs were huge. Maybe they were, or maybe they weren't, this isn't the point.
Sitting here now, I'm wondering how I came to that conclusion and I think it was a mixture of moving through teenage years and being a bit 'plump-ish' and it didn't help that a guy I dated when I was 19 used to comment on my thighs. Should have told him to 'bog off' back then when he started, rather than laughing it off and internalising it. I look back at this now and think, what the hell was I thinking? Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I have always carried this with me. Yet I have worked through it and pummelled it to the surface so it doesn't hold the same power and focus any more. Sometimes have wobbles. To my rational mind, (and maybe yours too) it doesn't make any sense, but over the years, I made sure to avoid certain things; like wearing a pair of shorts, or swimming with friends (bikini's were out!) and always going into changing rooms where there were cubicles, rather than the days where everyone just took their kit off in front of each other! As a counsellor and healer, I have worked on myself a great deal. I have my go-to list of things I do to help me heal, to rebalance. My key's to calm. Today, here are my 3 important steps that you can take today, to love yourself more. 1.) Dig out a photo of yourself that you LOVE. Find one, but if you have more time, find more. Gather them from over the years. Why? Well, often our brains tell us that we were a certain way but when we actually look at the photo, we can see that in fact our brains were misleading us. They're FIBBING. WE Need to UPDATE our Brains and Memories. Annually. I'm not talking about how thin you were back then; we are looking for evidence of when you used to think e.g. that your upper arms were horrendous. Find the time or the outfit that you hated back then and show your current self that in fact :~ You were LOVELY. JUST AS YOU WERE. Be KIND. Treat your self as a FRIEND. Find pictures that totally throw that theory to the wind. I remember recently looking back at a photograph of myself, wearing denim shorts (yes I did brave them) and my adult brain of today, said "You look lovely - there was nothing wrong with you!" Yet, at the time, I distinctly remembering that panic feeling of "I'm not good enough" or "I don't look like the magazines" or "can I possibly wear these and look good?" 2) Stop talking about your body in a negative way Ok, hands up, who is really horrible, nasty and cruel to a certain part of their body? Hands down - don't panic. We all do it. The first very important step to loving yourself more is to stop berating your thighs, upper arms, ears, boobs, bottom, calves, toes * (insert your 'thing'). We would never talk to our best friend this way. If we did, they would cry every day at home. {I know for sure, that I would hate it if I knew my friend was crying every day because of something I said to her.} What you focus on, GROWS BIGGER It's a truth that if you spend time focusing on how massive your arse is (*excuse me but, had to be said) everytime you cast a backwards glance at your BOTTOM in a mirror, in a changing room, it will be HUGE. When in fact it isn't. It's a lie. So stop doing this right now. IT doesn't serve you and it won't help you LOVE yourself MORE. Instead start reminding yourself EVERY DAY how fabulous your TUSH is (or whatever you berate). I used to have a real hang up for my upper arms. I would never wear anything that exposed them but more so, I would give a quick quip when I saw them in the mirror. This is the very worst kind. Quick Quips to the Mirror. OOh girls, we can be so very nasty. Not only that, we have hideous terms for women's body parts - so I want you to STOP doing this today. (I'm not going to even mention any of these names, because I will not give them The Light Of Day). 3) Be LOVING to your SKIN. Exfoliate today and start a weekly massage routine. Some of us are lucky to live in countries where weekly massages are part of the culture and society. Take Sweden, Hungary, Germany for example. Going to have a weekly sauna and massage is part of SELF CARE and necessary to general well being. I have realised in these last 10 years that massage is crucial to loving myself. There is something magical about touch. One that we forget. We think it is based on being in a relationship and the partner doing it 'to' us. In fact, touch, is a very core fundamental requirement for our sense of self - take this important step and seek it out.
Using sweet smelling essential oils with healing benefits, will send positive, loving messages to your heart spirit and soul. Messages that say I LOVE this body. Making time for a weekly massage is Wonderful, but can be tricky to fit in, so Monthly is truly delicious. 
On top of that, once every week, make your own exfoliating scrub before you bathe, shower. It's so much more gorgeous making this yourself than buying it.
In a small cereal bowl mix until you have a nice consistency, not runny and not too thick.
Prepare the ground in the bathroom by adding a towel on the floor, it can be a little messy; run your bath, and start from the feet upwards, include your heels. Now gently begin to add it to each leg, massaging in circles. Move upwards towards the heart. All the way up. Breasts, Back, Buttocks (where you can reach), Upper Arms, Shoulders, Do this all yourself.
Don't exfoliate your face as this mixture can be a little rough. But your front and back neck is a good place if you go a little more gently.
You will by now be smelling really YUMMY. Get into the bath, or shower and watch how smooth, oily and delicious your skin is. This is the 3rd and very important step in loving yourself more today. I don't tend to make stock piles of this exfoliator, I just make it as I use it. It forms part of my ritual. I have no doubt that if GP's prescribed a weekly massage to their patient to help treatment for depression, migraines, anxiety, I am certain there would be a reduction in pharmaceutical drugs and a huge decrease in their drug budget. *just saying*.
I would love to know what you do to love yourself more today.
Let's make a LIST. Love 
"A correct relationship to your self is primary, for from it flow all possible right relationships with others and with the Divine". The Book of Runes.
This week I picked up my Relationship Runes by Ralph Blum and Bronwen Jones. I haven't connected with them in quite a few years and I was drawn to pull them off the shelf. I sat for 10 minutes holding all 25 runes between my palms I just closed my eyes and asked for guidance. These past few months I have been holding on too much - trying to do everything all at once with my creative healing business and while I'm doing that, I'm losing sight of myself.
Then when I picked the Rune "Mannaz", meaning Loving Kindness.
I knew that I was telling myself something. Am I forgetting that I need to look after my self first? For starters, letting go of the critical and unkind voice that pops up if I spend time doing something not related to my business. Forgiving myself for making mistakes. The Runes tell me that loving kindness begins at home {obviously I know that but sometimes we need a little nudge of a reminder don't we?} so instead of being intent on changing or becoming a better person, showing loving kindness for myself is about befriending who I am already! "Ok, I'm listening," I say to myself. I need to truly learn to be gentle and honest with myself, with loving kindness. Self love is not being Selfish (which really just means Self-ish} Often we hear that talked about in the wrong context. So, for me, what do I mean by self love? 1. Eating nourishing plant based foods instead of turning to biscuits, crisps & chocolates. 2. Taking 30 minutes every day to hoop. 3. Having a monthly Reiki/Reflexology/Massage/Shiatsu session. 4. Taking the time to blow dry my hair properly. 5. Sketching Every Day/Writing Every Day/Painting Happy* 6. Allowing myself to feel sensual. 7. Spending time trying on clothes in the shops in stead of a quick one two three (or even not going at all). 8. Really creating a vision of what clothes I want rather than just buying any old thing. 9. Making the effort with what I'm wearing when I'm working from home. 10.Watching movies that really make me smile and laugh. I'm a huge fan of Disney movies from my childhood. It really does all start with us first, doesn't it? As we learn to love ourselves, we also then beam out love to those around us. The Rune of Loving Kindness split in half is the rune of Celebration with it's mirror image, so it's as if the rune is telling me:- JUST ENJOY YOURSELF JULIA, LOVE AND ACCEPT YOURSELF JUST AS YOU ARE AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO NOTICE CHANGES IN ALL LIFE. We don't need Mark Darcy to tell us, do we, we need to tell it to ourselves!
What's on your Loving Kindness List?
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