'Tis the Season... for "Presents"!

When the Christmas tree goes up, that's when the holiday spirit takes me over. I get to dress up my festive snow-dusted faux fir with a monochromatic theme of red and white... speckled with icicles, flora & fauna, and a few of my favorite stuffed animals tucked between the branches. Decorating the tree may seem like a simple tradition, but perfectly placing each ornament — as I thoughtfully ponder where each and every one came from (don't we all) — reminds me of my extended family... our Art & Soul family! At every event, I could walk into any class and find an entire room of students contemplating where to perfectly place their next mark, stitch, stamping, found object, bead, bauble, piece of ephemera, and the like. Just totally immersed in what they are doing.

In that way, our mixed media workshops are very much like decorating the tree. I'm just totally immersed in what I am doing. And the holidays remind me what a great pleasure it is to be in the moment. I guess that's why they call it the "present". It gives me even greater pleasure to be able to give the gift of present moments to our Art & Soul family. With the hurried rush of our everyday lives we all need equally fun and relaxing times to balance it out. To be able to fill them up with creativity is such a blessing.

So this holiday season I'd like to thank you all for daring to experience something greater for yourself. The bravery it took to come along on this creative adventure with me. And the heartfelt connections we have made over art. I am truly blessed to have all of you in my life and I hope that your holiday season is filled with the love of family, friends, and perhaps a few random moments of creativity.

If you would like to share that gift of creativity with someone, we offer gift certificates in any denomination, that can be used toward workshops at any of our Mixed Media Art Retreats. It's a creative way to artfully thank someone this holiday. Simply e-mail Glenny today and she'll get you taken care of right away!

I hope you have an amazing holiday and a new year filled with creative adventures!

Blessings,
Glenny
xoxo

Crafty Holidays & An Artful New Year!

So... it's that time of year again where we get swept up in what the media wants Christmas to be and when I instead turn to home, friends, family and faith to remind me of the reason for the season. Once my Christmas tree is up, the holiday spirit takes me over. My festive faux fir is adorned with touches of red and white, speckled with icicles, flora & fauna, and a few of my favorite mementos tucked between the branches. Decorating the tree may seem like a simple tradition, but perfectly placing each ornament — as I thoughtfully reflect upon where each and every one came from (don't we all?) — reminds me how precious family and loved ones are. How precious life is. And how lucky we are to have extended families... like our Art & Soul family!

Like a winter fire, my extended retreat family truly warms my soul. I think back to my first event — more than a dozen years ago — and some of you are still with me... still by my side. And many of you have become the closest of friends. Some of the Art & Soul attendees I've just met, but it's like we've known each other for years. That's what happens when like-minded people, linked by the most precious of gifts — the ability to let go and be creatively free — meet for the first time. And all of my dear, dear retreat goers and teachers from all the years in between... I just cannot believe how lucky I am to have you all in my life. It reminds me how precious life really is and makes my holiday heart swell with gratitude.

I really consider the holidays a time to remind us that those in-between moments are the ones that count. And to be able to fill them with creativity is such a blessing. We are fortunate to have our art that connects us and make us stronger. A bond that is created in one moment, yet lasts a lifetime. We are a tribe of artists... leaning on each other for support, encouragement and inspiration! It reminds me the importance of friendships, not just around the holidays, but every day.

So this holiday season I'd like to thank you all for daring to experience something greater for yourself in the form of our mixed-media excursions. The bravery it took to come along on this creative adventure with me. And the heartfelt connections we have made over art. I am truly blessed to have all of you in my life and I hope that your holiday season is filled with the love of family, friends, and perhaps a few random moments of creativity.

Blessings,
Glenny
xoxo