I Am Restless...

In this late summer season, I am restless. “Why?” you ask.

As you know, Chris and I are doing projects that freshen our house, which has been such a joy to do together and to enjoy our home that much more!

We also have done some travel this year (mostly in Georgia… more on that another day!), but I’ve realized that part of my restlessness is a thirst needs to be quenched by learning some new skills, by stretching myself.

Yes, I make sure to exercise my brain by completing the weekend Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle every week ~so hard! I read my devotions and write in my journal every (well, most every!) morning.

I’ve even planted a little raised bed garden ~ but just a tad too late, and all we’ve gotten so far from the little plants (who are valiantly trying to beat this south Georgia summer) is: one little red pepper. My, was it good, sauteed with our hash brown potatoes a few weeks ago!

 
And I’m certainly getting better at rucking ~ I’m not nearly as out of breath on that long uphill stretch somewhere in the third mile of our 4.5-mile route through the historic district of Thomasville.

And, of course, the day-to-day running of The Hare & The Hart stretches me EVERY day!

But it has been a long time since I sketched the pencil drawings for our toile patterns.

I do love to collaborate with Jenny of Honey Bee Fabrications on new products using our fabrics; I simply haven’t designed new images in a long time!

So… here’s the “aha”: I realize that I’m feeling the desire to CREATE again!

And joy of joys, last month, along with Maddie and Hannah, I had the opportunity to start anew to learn to paint!

Our sweet friend Trellis taught a workshop at Make Art Mondays put on by the St. Peter’s Artisans in Tallahassee, and what a fun evening it was.

This little painting of an orange was the result and it now has pride of place in our refreshed English cottage-style kitchen.

The other result was that once that creative itch was scratched, it started itching again!

So, I leaned into another dear friend who knows a thing or two about creating beautiful art.

This week, after the hurricane passed, Suzanne and I got together in her cozy cottage and sat side by side, bringing to life some new creatures out of acrylics on wood.

This was food for the soul. Her comforting presence and bits of encouraging wisdom were so nourishing!

I am also blessed with other friends who stretch me in new ways that don’t involve paint:

Kim from The Buzz Grove (you probably also know her from her shop, The Polka Dot Press) is so much fun and full of great ideas!

Recently, we got together over coffee, and she helped me with my Canva skills. (Hmmmm… maybe there’s some new stuff coming to The Hare & The Hart?) Kim’s also a whiz at social media marketing ~ you should follow her at The Buzz Grove!

Wendy of Front Porch Lifestyle has been my business mentor and coach for almost 4 years, and in the process has become a dear friend. She “speaks my language” and pushes me to think about things in new ways.

One of my favorite bits of Wendy’s advice that has popped up repeatedly is: “Please stop telling yourself you’re not good at ____. Stop it. Add the word ‘yet’ to that thought and reframe. I’m not good at ____ YET.”

This has been a game-changer for me, and it’s just one of her bits of wisdom that spurs me on.

For sure, the ladies above are not the only people who have shared their creative wisdom with me, but they are key people whom I am leaning into now, in this season, as I expand my horizons.

They are encouragers, mentors, and friends who are meeting me where I am and helping me to get better at things I am not good at…. YET!

Is there a creative outlet or a skill you want to get better at? Who in your circle would be a great person to lean into?

xo,