A Map Of Your Heart

If this is your first visit to Wrapped Emotions, it would be helpful for you to read this post. Thanks for visiting.

To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Knowing what you truly love is the key to loving how you live. A simple way to begin to know what you truly love is to gather beautiful images that speak to your soul. So, let's do just that.

Gather scissors, glue, your favorite magazines and your art journal. Place them all together in a basket or other container and keep it by your bed. At night after the kids are asleep, the day's responsibilities are (hopefully) taken care of and you can devote a few minutes of relaxed down time (stop laughing), crawl up on your bed and flip through the magazines. When you see a picture you love, cut it out and paste it in your art journal. Spend several quiet moments doing this. When finished, put your journal away for another night.

I realize that night may not be your relaxing time or your bed may not be your comfy contemplative place, adjust accordingly. Find your spot.

Now listen to me because this part is very important. Do not over think your choices. You do not need to have a reason why an image speaks to you...it simply must speak to you. Also, do not plan or fret over the arrangement of the images on the page, just paste them on a page one at a time. Let your collages happen, evolve.

Now listen to me again. If you begin this one night and the love is not flowing, drop it. You will know if you are forcing the process. Also, do not feel like you must work on this every night.

At the end of two weeks, (yes, do this for two weeks) crawl onto your bed, snuggle up with your art journal and look at the pages you have created. I expect that you will find colors, patterns, themes, styles, things...something...which reveals loves, hopes, passions you've never realized. Your collages will give you directions where your heart wants to go...a map of your heart.

Try it.

Tell me, where does the map of your heart lead?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the specifics of weekly participation:

* Leisurely, happily create your project for the week.
* Post a photo or scan of it on your blog any time, any day Tuesday through Sunday with as many or as few words as you choose to accompany it...no words?...no problem...unless the week's prompt calls for words.
* If you so choose, and I love it when you choose, include the WE button in your post. If you choose not to post the button (and I will still love you), please link back to the current week's post at WE within the text of your post. Thank you. Grab the button code.
* Come to Wrapped Emotions and sign Mr. Linky with the direct link to your WE post for the week. Please don't make visitors scroll and search for your week's contribution by merely linking to your homepage.
* After signing Mr. Linky, please also leave a comment on the Mr. Linky post here at WE.
* Use Mr. Linky to visit the blogs of fellow participants. You have all week to pop in and out to visit. Offer words of observation, sheer delight, support, encouragement or comfort.
* A new prompt will be posted each Tuesday.

Questions or comments about this week's prompt...please let me hear from you on this post.

A Map Of Your Heart ~ Mr. Linky

Bloggers participating in Wrapped Emotions' prompt, A Map Of Your Heart, please sign Mr. Linky below with the direct link to your post. Please note, this prompt is for two weeks.

Comments are always welcome. Thanks for sharing.

Wrapped Emotions Participants

1. Sheila of My Memories 2. Kim @ TheBitterBall 3. 2nd2theright(Mandy) 4. Liv

5. Julie @the Surrendered Scribe 6. Bridge 7. Angie @ Sonflower 8. Mimi/pz5wjj

9. Bonnie @ Simple Beauty 10. EA 11. Michelle Pendergrass

Learn more about Wrapped Emotions here.
View More Wrapped Emotions Participants
Get The Code

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Lucubration

If this is your first visit to Wrapped Emotions, this post will tell you more.

lucubration \loo-kyoo-BRAY-shun; loo-kuh-\ (noun) - 1. The act of studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation. 2 : That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition.

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons the boys and I stop our "formal" homeschooling schedule. We unschool, learning as life leads us. Yesterday was a day full of errands with my boys in tow. We had two doctors appointments and a therapist appointment. We literally ran in and out of several stores exchanging lighted Christmas garlands that failed to work (a yearly haunt for me), clothes that did not fit and picking up a few necessary items. When I awoke Monday morning the day looked like anything but fun or inspiring. How wrong I was.

The hectic day left me full of happiness, love and gratitude. The night found me pondering, meditating over the blessings I had received. I'll share the story along with my Wrapped Emotions project this week.

This week's prompt is "lucubration" with the emphasis being on the following portion of the above definition...

The act of studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation. That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or another religious holiday or no religious holiday at all, you will have to agree that this time of year lends itself to good will, blessings, giving, loving...experiencing miracles small and large...go now and inhale the beauty and gifts of the season. Then one night find your sacred space within your home, light a candle...a hundred candles if you choose...and practice lucubration.

Finally, share your experience with us in whatever creative manner inspires your soul. Don't worry. If you truly slow down and inhale deeply, you will be inspired.

*NOTE: Because I am later in the day than usual posting this week's prompt, you have through midnight EST on Monday, December 3 to share your posted project on Mr. Linky.

~~~~~

Here are the specifics of weekly participation:

* Leisurely, happily create your project for the week.
* Post a photo or scan of it on your blog any time, any day Tuesday through Sunday with as many or as few words as you choose to accompany it...no words?...no problem...unless the week's prompt calls for words.
* If you so choose, and I love it when you choose, include the WE button in your post. If you choose not to post the button (and I will still love you), please link back to the current week's post at WE within the text of your post. Thank you. Grab the button code.
* Come to Wrapped Emotions and sign Mr. Linky with the direct link to your WE post for the week. Please don't make visitors scroll and search for your week's contribution by merely linking to your homepage.
* After signing Mr. Linky, please also leave a comment on the Mr. Linky post here at WE.
* Use Mr. Linky to visit the blogs of fellow participants. You have all week to pop in and out to visit. Offer words of observation, sheer delight and when called for, words of support, encouragement or comfort.
* A new prompt will be posted each Tuesday.

Questions or comments about this week's prompt...please let me hear from you on this post.

Mr. Linky ~ Lucubration

Bloggers participating in Wrapped Emotions' weekly prompt, Lucubration, please sign Mr. Linky below with the direct link to your project post. Remember to also leave a comment on this post so that you will be entered for the weekly giveaway. As always, thanks for sharing.

Wrapped Emotions Participants

1. Kim @ TheBitterBall 2. Stacy 3. Sheila @ My Memories 4. Melody is Slurping Life 5. killlashandra

6. Sara - its not about that anyway 7. WindowsWideOpen 8. EA 9. beingmade 10. Julie @the Surrendered Scribe

11. Sarah @ Real Life 12. PhoenixTheBloggingMama! 13. Bonnie @ Simple Beauty 14. Jenny is Live & in Color 15. Childlife @ In The Life Of A Child

Learn more about Wrapped Emotions here.
View More Wrapped Emotions Participants
Get The Code

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Welcome To Wrapped Emotions

Welcome to Wrapped Emotions, a place to create, connect and express yourself. I'm Melody.

First, at huge thank you to Rebecca of Just a little bit of something extra creations for my blog design. I love it!

Now, why I'm here...

Recently I read an artist's writings, my apologies for not recalling who, and one of her statements resonated with me. "We live in a world where people live without their hearts and don't even miss them."

That statement was powerful to me. She was speaking to the fact that the majority of us do not take time to connect with our emotions on any creative level. She was not talking about making things for others to have and cherish. She was referring to creations meant to connect ourselves to our own emotions. She meant creations that reveal a person to themselves. I don't want to live without my heart and not miss it. I want to be fully connected with my emotions and the creativity housed within me.

So I created this blog to hold myself accountable to spend more time expressing myself creatively...connecting with my heart...creating with emotion. I want to encourage you to do the same. There is no better way to do this than working with your hands, your mind...connecting them with your heart. This blog's purpose is to encourage you and me to do just that and share it with others.

Sitting at home in a not-particularly-good mood one night, I began to play with a paper wrapper. I carefully tore it open, smoothed it flat, grabbed a pencil and began to doodle on the clean white paper of the underside. As I doodled, my mood began to improve...the tension in my shoulders lessened. A smile curved my lips. Being completely focused on the task of doodling, I had released stressed, expressed my emotions and reconnected myself. I was creating mini works of art. It was play, being a kid all over again, and it felt really good. Any artist will tell you this is how they create...with emotion. But most of us would never dare refer to ourselves as artists, and so we deprive ourselves of this gratifying channel of expression. We dare not allow ourselves to create works of art with the wild abandon of a child.

Then I began to think. Seems many of our emotions are linked to wrappers, packages, bindings...whether tangible or metaphoric. Think of the candy bars and bags of chips consumed during the depression of a broken relationship...the ice cream consumed on a day when the kids pushed every button...the three martini happy hour after the boss got in your face just one more time. Foods and drinks come with wrappers, in packages and containers (yes, that vodka comes in a container). Can you remember your emotions while in the throes of consumptions similar to those above? But not only food, any item we purchase or consume in some manner can call forth our emotions. Sometimes simply using an item causes an emotional reaction. Gifts wrapped in pretty paper invoke emotions when we see them and as we tear them open. Our emotions are enveloped by a myriad of wrappers...tangible and metaphoric. How many times have we hesitated to undertake a new venture because we were wrapped with fear? The connections and comparisons are endless.

This blog is my attempt to encourage each of you, including myself, to create...connect...express yourself. The creative ways to use wrappers, or the perception of emotional wrappers, to create and express ourselves through art is limitless. And all the better when we share our creations to encourage and inspire one another. Here is the premise...

Each week I will post a prompt. The prompt will be based on emotion(s) associated with a wrapper, real or perceived. I may post an emotion to pursue and/or instructions to use a specific art form. Some examples are paper, paint, clay, photography, and writing. Sometimes a type of wrapper may be the prompt with you expressing the emotions it brings forth, either presently or from memories. Other times the wrappers may be purely figurative, bindings we feel. The prompts and processes will be varied with the possibilities almost endless. Don't worry, you'll understand better as prompts are presented and as we play each week.

I am not talking expensive art supplies you need to go out and purchase, but rather things you will most likely find around your home or that can be purchased inexpensively. Many of you moms have simple art supplies around the house for the kids which will be great to use. If you are an artist, a crafter or if you scrapbook, you already have tons of fantastic supplies on hand. These creations are not to be high-dollar works of art, but imaginative endeavors to get those creative juices flowing, express and connect with our emotions, then share with others. An art journal is a suggested to house your completed WE projects.

Think of each project as your play time. You can spend as little or as much time as you choose working on each one. If some days you need to entertain the kids while you play, or just want to include them, give them some supplies and allow them to create along side you. But ultimately this is your time, your creation. There is no pressure...this is to be fun, relaxing. It's not as involved or complicated as it may sound. There are no right or wrong results.

Each week the prompts will be posted on Tuesday. You will have through Sunday of each week to participate. Please do not think of this as a chore, but as useful time spent recapturing a playful part of yourself...tapping into your creativity....connecting with your emotions. Everyone is creative...some of you just haven't realized it.

Oh, did I mention that you will have opportunities as guest blogger at Wrapped Emotions? Or that there will be links to your blog? I know we can inspire, encourage and support one another while having a lot of fun...laughing and maybe even crying along the way.

Until then, would you please take moment to leave your thoughts or questions in the comments?