27 january 202

i am having fun with my drawing challenge.. 27 days in & i find myself enjoying it so much, some days i draw more than one piece.. today was the first sunny day in a LONG time.. i sat on the bed, with the 2 kitties, basking in the sun.. it felt so good.. i drew & wrote in my journal, did an oracle card reading.. enjoyed myself for hours..  and now i'm tired.. it's time for Sequoia to put herself to bed..  g'nite.. 

 

meet LIV

 

this little lovely entered our family a few days ago.. i got a surprise phone call the other day from my neighbour who asked me if i would consider taking her.. like permanently.. the fella & i have spent some time babysitting her in the past & she definitely left a lasting impression on us.. the neighbour only said that their pitbull grabbed a hold of her & she was afraid in her own home.. we talked about it & decided we had the love & energy to take her in.. 

upon picking her up, i became fully aware of her situation.. the pitbull grabbed her by the head & shook her violently.. this happened weeks ago.. they didn't take her to the vets.. the traumatized cat secluded itself in an uninhabited upstairs area.. wounded, fearful & lonely.. her many wounds are still healing.. they have had this sweet girl for 11 years.. and this is how they treat her? damn she deserves a better life.. 

when i would babysit her, i took her over homegrown catnip, scratchy toys, bird feathers, treats.. and every time i would visit her, all the toys would be shoved under the couch, catnip & treats not touched..  [erghhh]

so in just a few days, she has become our LIV.. [as in, she deserves a chance to really LIVE] she is thriving.. she has a complete play area, fresh daily catnip.. she is slowly learning that a dog isn't around every corner.. she is the sweetest girl.. so affectionate.. we LOVE her here.. our other kitty Ava is still a little shy with her, but she's a sweet girl too.. they will be happy sisters soon..

we lost our 2 boy cats over the past year & we talked about getting another cat.. of course everyone wants a kitten.. but i feel that when something is meant to be, it will happen.. so LIV was meant to be ours.. yeah, she's 11 years old & we are happy knowing we are giving her a better life.. 

welcome 2023

something fun i am challenging myself to - is a 365 day art challenge.. meant to stimulate some creative mojo.. no rules, except i need to create something every day for a year.. any medium.. so today i sat in the sun & drew this fish.. i liked using the negative space with a sharp outline to enhance that.. it was fun.. 

as for resolutions.. i like to call them something else.. the word resolute on its own is a powerful word, but it seems to come with a stigma.. when i hear it, i think of it negatively, as in.. failure, shame, defeat.. so i like to call them intentions, as in - i intend to create something, no matter how big or small, everyday for a year.. i have many more things i intend for 2023.. 

i intend to tap into my true authentic self.. what does that mean? to me, it means to acknowledge what is true to me.. what are my personal standards? do i do things that make me feel ashamed? if so, then i am not living up to my true self.. i tend to hide my quirks away and that is not being true to who i am.. i fit myself into pockets of other peoples distractions.. that is so not living an authentic life.. i need to learn balance & diplomacy..  my passions shouldn't be shelved until everyone else is fed, distracted, asleep.. so this is something i am working on.. creating safe spaces to express myself and to do so with balance.. 

so i go into 2023 with intentions of living my most authentic self.. to live as mindfully as i can in comfort, happiness & wellness.. to nurture my creative self & develop a relationship with self-love.. and to everyone that reads this, i wish you this too..