Hello everyone! I hope this finds you all doing well!! I have been very busy, as I imagine the rest of you are as well. This presents a challenge when it comes to finding the time and energy to be creative. Here are some general guidelines I find to be helpful for keeping the creativity flowing: -Creativity is reduced when your senses are dulled. Good mental and physical health enhances creativity. I am sending this out as an encouragement for you all to invest in good health! -Eat Well. Eat three nutritious meals and three nutritious snacks everyday. -Cut back on sweets. Sugar is an anti nutrient, it takes more from the body than it gives. A high sugar diet can cause fluctuating blood sugar resulting in symptoms such as depression, fatigue, anxiety and mood swings. -Cut back on caffeine. restricting caffeine can do wonders for your mental state, clearing up anxiety, mood swings, and depression, among other things. -Take vitamin and mineral supplements. -Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!! Water is essential to the integrity of every cell in your body! -Exercise. Exercise is a powerful antidote to the everyday stresses of modern life. Exercise reduces stress and tension and offers immediate benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. -Sleep. A good nights sleep does wonders to reduce stress and tension, while a restless night will affect your ability to concentrate, your mood, and your general outlook on life. -Laughter. Norman Cousins calls laughter "internal exercise....a form of jogging of the innards." Laugh often and much. Tell and listen to jokes. Watch funny movies. Learn how to laugh (gently) at yourself. -Creativity often goes by the wayside unless it is actively nourished. A couple of tips for nourishing our creativity: -Practice. Practice dispels inhibition and builds confidence. Get in the habit of sketching, bring a sketchbook, pencil or pen with you wherever you go! Sketching builds our observational skills as well as our confidence. -Do something creative everyday. Reading an instructional book by your favorite artist, or visiting an art gallery would be some ways to find inspiration for your own creativity. -Experiment. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new, maybe a different subject matter, or different medium altogether! We need to continue to grow and this is one way to do just that! -Don't forget the people!! Artists can spend a lot of time alone in the creative process. Spend time building relationships that are open, honest, and loving. If your relationships are unhealthy, your physical and emotional health will suffer too. So, here's to your health and happiness! May you find yourself being wildly creative in the coming months! I would love to hear what you have found helpful in your own creative process! All my best, Tracy

For the last couple of years I have had words or phrases that seem to occur over and over toward the end of the year. I have learned to pay attention to them because they ring true. The word for Jan. 1, 2018, was “rest”. after a long, long battle with alcoholism, my husband passed away September 18 of 2017. Rest. Rest for him, from his struggle. Rest for me from the worry, turmoil, and uncertainty that this disease brings each and every day. Rest for the battle weary ones who loved him. Rest. Jan. 1, 2019 was “reset” all the dials go back to zero. 2018 was in the books, a new chapter had begun. Time to regroup, refocus, and move forward the best I could. This year I have had a few words that seem to pop up, recommit, revive, renew, restore….a lot of “re” words, oh, and grace, a LOT of grace! I wasn’t compelled to write them down quite yet, so decided to take a walk instead. Passing by the dumpster in the apartment complex I walk through, I always look to see the amazing amounts of junk that people put NEAR, (not in), the bin. Today, there was a hefty stick as tall as me, leaning against the fence. My thought was, “my daughter would love this for hiking”, so I grabbed it and kept walking. Really, really clearly Psalm 23 came to my mind, particularly verse 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your STAFF they comfort me.….He leads me….He restores me. He directs me with His staff. The last decade has been the hardest ever! Fighting battles I never thought I would fight . Losing loved ones, family and close friends, has been all too common in this decade. My life doesn’t even resemble what it was 10 years ago….except for this one thing, this MAIN thing….He is with me. He was with me then, He is with me now, and He goes before me into the years to come. The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; (He makes me rest) He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul (He resets) He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake This year I didn’t get a specific word, what I got was an object. The staff will always serve to remind me that Jesus, my Good Shepherd whose staff comforts me, has walked with me through the last decade and before that, and He will continue to walk with me into the next decade…and beyond that Here’s to 2020 and the next decade Happy New Year!