GOOD is just fine... PAJWLH

I have been sitting on this project for sometime now. I can't really explain why except that for some reason or another...my thoughts or heart were not ready. Today is a great day to share it.


I made this canvas about a year and a half ago while I was on staff at my second Brave Girls Camp. Even as a staffer, I came to camp with the same openness as a camper. I needed to be there. I didn't think that I could love more women after my first camp. I left my first camp with a love, real love for my friends that I had made there. The kind of love that you know, loves you just as much if not more than you love them. The kind of love that gives, takes care of and treasures you. Yup... that kind of love. I was fortunate that both times I attended camp I had made true heart felt connections that I still treasure to this date. I have always had a tough time maintaining friendships with women and this experience made me forget all of that. Well now I am totally off topic, but as you can tell... these ladies mean a lot to me.

Back to my story...

At this camp, I created art from the heart. I chose words and images that were me at the time. This is one of them.

Let me back track to 6 months before I left for camp...

It was the end of summer, I was in transition; leaving a situation that was not good for me. I was letting go of friends, work, art... a whole lot of things that I loved dearly. Deep in my heart I knew that God had brought me to this place and that He would guide my heart through it as well (even as I write this, I CANNOT believe just how good He is to me and just HOW MUCH my heart is full of joy now) but at the time it seemed like a long and bumpy uphill battle.

At this time, a lot of my close friends were calling me up or emailing me to check in on how I was doing. The most common response from them was don't worry...everything will be alright or you are doing the right thing. And it was all true, everything was alright and yes I did do the right thing. One of my friends phone call is what stuck with me still to this day.

One of my friends who called to check in on me was having a really tough time at his job. For him to call me and check in at this time meant a lot to me since I knew that he was going through his own trials. When he first asked me how I was doing, I said. "I'm good I guess". His response to me was... "Well, sometimes good is just fine".

These words hit me to the core. I couldn't shake them, I could not let them leave my mind. They couldn't even if I wanted to.

Up until I heard these words, I had slowly allowed my life to be taken out of my own hands. I had not realized it yet, but my life had become something I didn't even recognize. Hearing these words reminded me that my life didn't have to be exciting, adventurous, over the top amazing. It just needed to be good. And that was just fine. I immediately felt my heart change. I looked at my situation and realized that what I saw as bad, God saw as good. I didn't know it at the time, but God was working His way toward making a better life for me and this was the first step towards that. I needed to change my perspective on what I needed out of life first and in order to do that, I had to hear these words from my friend.

GOOD IS JUST FINE- 6x6 Mixed Media Canvas

 

 This image shows the layers that I placed as the base of my canvas. Dress pattern tissue and music note paper.

Here is the layer I placed on after, Mod Podge mixed with Smooch Spritz with gold glitter. I allowed the tissue paper to remain wrinkle and sealed it with bees wax.

 For extra flair, I used gold foil on select places to create a tarnished patina look.

 

Here is the title, I textured it with Chip Art embossing tools, painted it with gold paint and glitter and distressed it with pen and ink.

This art piece sits in my studio as a reminder that Good is just fine. My life doesn't need to be what I had always dreamed it to be or as adventurous as my friends lives seemed to be. It just needed to be good. I am not exactly sure at what point the words good became not enough for me, but I have a feeling that it involved me being around the wrong people and listening to wrong things. Wrong is never right, as much as it may make sense... wrong is wrong and we have a feeling deep down inside of us that reminds us when we are confronted with wrong. I have for the longest time tried to tell myself that wrong was ok or maybe wrong wasn't too bad. But wrong always has a way of getting to you... luckily for me, God saw that I was surrounded by wrong and paved my exodus from it all. That little voice (feeling) deep inside of me started to speak up, speak louder and soon became loud so loud that I couldn't deny what it had been telling me for so long. I am forever grateful for this. So many lies, fears and insecurities made me feel that wrong was right, that I couldn't do better... but again God knew better and eventually I learned too, but that is another story.

So for this art journal prompt it is simple.

• Creative - Use texture... whether you build up with paper, tissue, foil...whatever, get messy and build up some layers.
• Prompt - What does the word GOOD mean to you. Do you need it to be EXCELLENT all the time like I did, or is good just fine?

I struggle sometimes sharing some of my stories, but I can't help but feel obligated to share my imperfections and insecurities in hopes that others will know they are not alone. I am not a counselor nor a therapist, so this is in no way meant to be therapy... but art has a way of helping us find truth, in ourselves, in our surroundings... in our relationships. It took me almost two years to develop from this beautiful message shared to me, but I can see the difference in me now and fully appreciate it. I pray that open hearts read this and that you find a story that doesn't necessarily speak to you, but that allows you to see that you are not alone.

We are all on our own paths, some ahead of each other, some behind... but our stories are our responsibility to share in the hopes that we can assist those to further their path in peace, love and comfort.  Judgment isn't always something we feel from others, most of the time it is something that we conflict on ourselves. I pray that sooner rather than later these hurts and fears are extinguished and that life can be lived as it was intended too.

I believe it will ♥

If you didn't get a chance to see this weeks My Craft Channel video and this weeks giveaway, check it out here. For the giveaway make sure to use the widget, you may need to refresh the page to use it.

thank you for your visit today :)

~Liz