I hold my breath when I draw....

laughing here....

it is one of those days for me - and by that I mean I have a monstrous neck/headache - that usually means I can't even hope to do anything creative other than drawing in my moleskin sitting quietly with a heating pad on my neck.  I've been to physio this morning so I am hopefully on my way to feeling better in the next day or two. 

so I am sitting here drawing and my head keeps pounding - worse than before I was drawing - and I realise that I hold my breath when I draw.  heh. not exactly the best thing for a headache - so I am attempting to stop that habit.  drawing distracts me from my pain - and it's always good to learn new things.....even if that is learning to breathe while I draw ;)

New Chair - Clean Studio

I saved up my Christmas and birthday money to get myself a new desk chair with upper body support.  With my chronic whiplash it is really difficult to sit in a chair that doesn't have a tall back to rest my shoulders - I had been sitting in a desk chair that had seen better days.  Without warning it would slide me down to the lowest setting - kind of funny - but also kind of jarring and offputting.  I went and picked out a deluxe chair with all kinds of adjustable settings for the seat, back, neckrest etc. 

I am in heaven!!  It is so comfortable for me!  Of course I am sure no one else would appreciate how straightback it is - no one can stand to drive a vehicle after I've set the seat for my liking.  If my chair isn't pretty much straightback then there is too much strain on my neck and I am in pain.  At any rate - it's my chair and I love it!!

Ellen and I cleaned our studio yesterday in honour of the new chair and now there is room for me to do my art and for Elle to sew her leather goods.  We also put up one of my favourite paintings - my angel.  She makes me smile each time I look at her - she is based on an angel above the Doors of the Baptistery of the Duomo in Florence, Italy - my favourite city in the world.  It is so nice to sit and work in my clean studio -

I am sure it won't be clean for long ;)

Honesty.....

      How honest are you in your journaling? Or maybe a better question is - do you let others read your honest entries?

I have chronic whiplash and some days are bad...let's just say it's not pretty.  On those days I can't do much of anything let alone sit at my art table and create.  When I try to create on one of these days - my negativity tends to come out and my journaling usually ends up as more of a bitch session than anything else.

I guess it's as real as it gets.

My journals are essentially open books - I let anyone and everyone read what they would like to.  I am basically quite a private person and anything involving another person I do disguise my writing after getting it out.  Some of my pages have my deep dark thoughts under layers of paint.  Going back months later to try to read them - I find I have forgotten what I've written!!  If that's not good therapy then I don't don't what is!!

A couple of weeks ago I woke with one of my horrible neck/headaches and all I wanted to do was sit at my table and create....this is what I created....

  Journaling is very new to me and I do struggle with pretty much all aspects of it. I would love to hear your thoughts on honesty in journaling....