Yellow Azalea

15 May 2022

I am feeling inspired of late but finding it difficult to find (or make) the time to create. I want to write. I want to journal. I want to play with paint, ink, collage and all of that lovely stuff. But I’m always so tired. More tired than normal, and it may well be in my head, but it’s affecting my ability to get stuff done.

My life revolves around M’s schedule and his good days and bad days effectively rub off on me. Last night M stayed awaked all night (again) and today he has been bouncing off the walls. How does he have this energy when he hasn’t slept? Phil and I took him with us to the supermarket this afternoon, I didn’t want to stay home alone with him, I didn’t want to go to the supermarket either, so we all went together. Felt less daunting that way. M zoomed off in the car park – thankfully no one driving fast nearby. Picture a young man with his headphones on walking on his heels at speed. Then inside he started to spin, holding his plaited wool (thanks Mum – he loves them) and twirling around and around laughing. It’s harmless really, but it makes shopping a challenge. Phil headed off to the meat fridge and Mitch accompanied me on the aisle runs – next thing while I am studying which coffee to buy I see he has made his way to the young lady stacking the shelves and is trying to feel her stomach. The poor teenage girl didn’t know what to do and I had to reign him back in quickly. Hormones and 18 year old boys with autism are difficult to manage.

It’s been a rough day. I got so out of sorts and angry earlier that I stomped off to lie down and try and get over myself. My energy is so low, I have a headache and I just want to rest, but I can’t. Phil has now taken M for his 2nd bath of the day – usually a calming technique, but I can hear a commotion. It’s not going well but I’m not going to look. I have put the fries in the oven and to go with the ribs Phil has been preparing in the slow cooker. I know that today is not going to be a day I can create. But here I am writing, so that is creating too, isn’t it?

This month for One Little Word the prompt is to have a daily practice. So, for my daily practice I chose art journaling. This coincides with the Get Messy season of Mess which has daily-ish prompts and short tutorials for an art journal page. I made a junk journal to work in and so far I have made a few pages.

Day 3 – Happy with Raspberry Blue Sky

Day 7 – Cultivate with Kellee Wynne

Day 8 – Mess with Lizzie la Rock

Plus the Get messy MESS season prompt was with Mixed Media Magpie using tissue paper and an image.

25 May 2022

Day 10 was connection with Joanna Clough and I have been an admirer or her journals for a while, but her vintage vibe is not a total fit with my style and life, so for this one I made a connection using ephemera from a visit to the Mary Quant exhibition and cut out an image for use on the page. I added the words ‘March to the beat of your own drum’ and then decided to do the Day 19 page next to it, which was the topic of LESS, with Sarah Rondon. Her tutorial was on using a black and white background with one block of colour. My choice – yellow of course. The words – go with the flow, were kind of a contrast to the other page. I find myself constantly tossing up whether to go with the flow or march to the beat of my own drum. Both have their merits.

I also did one more page in my OK signature, which is about what we wear (or don’t wear).

So nice to be creating and while these are quick and simple pages, they are fulfilling my need to get my hands dirty and keeping me happy.

Cherie 🙂