My hobbies include painting and crafting. I have always loved art-based projects, even though I have never taken professional art classes. These hobbies are things I love to do; they are not part of my career, but I have incorporated them into my professional work with children and youth whenever possible.
At home, I spend time on these creations and allow myself to escape into a world of colour, paints, textured paper, ribbons,stickers, scissors, stamps and sparkles.
At home, I spend time on these creations and allow myself to escape into a world of colour, paints, textured paper, ribbons,stickers, scissors, stamps and sparkles.
Painting
Painting has been my most recent hobby. It started less than a year ago, in the winter of 2014. I had wanted to paint for a long time, but I always thought I would have trouble choosing paints, brushes and creating a nice product. One day, on our honeymoon in Thailand, my husband Stephen showed me a new beer he had with a beautiful label. It had a pink elephant on it and was called Delirium Tremens. At that moment I thought, "hey, I think I can paint that!"...and so I did, which made me fall in love with paint again, something I loved doing in my childhood. I have completed several pieces of work since that day:
Crafting
Crafting is one of the most fun, messy and exciting things for me to be involved in! To me, it means working with paper, pencil crayons, scissors, glue, stamps and beads, and then...voila! Something special has been created, whether it be a card, a picture frame or a beautifully decorated vase. I craft whenever possible with kids, alone or with friends. When I craft I am very focused on the process and often feed giddy when I see all the fun and shiny materials in front of me. Here are some of the things I have made:
A heart collage for Valentine's Day, made at work with my students
More beautiful cards with Stampin' Up Products |
Birthday cards using Stampin' Up products
*My cards were made through a Stampin' Up workshop. Everything was made with stamps, high quality ink, card stock and paper punchers (for shapes). Visit the Stampin' Up Website if you are interested in learning more! |
These activities are hands on and fun, and they have found a special place in my life. Whether I have completed a painting or made a new card for someone, I feel deep satisfaction and joy.
I also practice something that mentally makes me a more peaceful person: mindfulness.