Last weekend I spent time cleaning my office/studio. Five days later I declared a painting complete for the first time since June 2014.

That's no coincidence.

For a while I'd been wanting to shift something in my creative space, so this past Saturday morning I queued up some Jazz, tuned in for guidance from my Higher Power and started sifting through my art supplies.

As I sorted through unfinished projects, bits of paper, and supplies I have no intention of ever using again, I held the vision of how I wanted to use my space in the coming year - how could it support who I want to become?

I moved my print and card-making supplies out of the closet and made them easily accessible. I replaced the old vinyl tablecloth on my art table with a piece of clear plastic that didn't look so bulky and awkward. I set up a tripod with D.'s DSLR camera in the corner of the room as a reminder of my intention to learn how to use it this year.

Creating intentional spaces. I'm a believer.

I'm also a believer that purging, re-organizing and creating white space are powerful ways to shift energy that's become stagnant - both physically and metaphorically.

Add a healthy dose of intention and intuition to the mix and those shifts become even more potent.

first completed piece since June 2014: Man With Cap (Homme à casquette)© 2016 Stephanie Guimond, 12"x12", acrylics on canvas — first completed piece since June 2014: Man With Cap (Homme à casquette)
© 2016 Stephanie Guimond, 12"x12", acrylics on canvas

But don't take my word for it.

Is there an area in your life where things feel stagnant at the moment? Are there any related physical spaces - an art supply cupboard, kitchen pantry, office filing cabinet - that could be sifted through or spruced up? On the flip side, do you feel an urge to purge but you're not sure why?

Either way there may be something good waiting for you on the other side of cleaning.

Why don't you give it a try and see what comes? At the very least you'll have a neater space to show for it and that's bound to make you feel better!

~~~

It's been a quiet month. The type of month that seemed unassuming and ho-hum from the outside, but on the inside, unfolded into a series of insights and delights.

For my end of month recapitulating and your reading pleasure voici, an update of the mish-mashy kind. Settle in.

.:.

Discovering Beatrix Potter (or, Heed the Hunches)

Earlier this month, for no rhyme or reason, Beatrix Potter came to mind. I'd never read any of her stories nor did I know much about her other than she's a famed children's writer and illustrator.

Shortly after she popped into my head I stumbled upon a biography of hers at the library. Seeing this as a twist of synchronicity I picked it up. Since then I've slowly been delighting in getting to know both her and her tales, reading them for the first time, even gleaning a few insights along the way.

The moral of this story?

Sometimes the smallest weirdest hunches may lead to surprising and enjoyable discoveries. Heed them.

.:.

Spending With A Clear Conscience: A Satisfying Experience

Early last year I stated a desire for a new laptop.

I was hesitant to spend the money so I tried using my 10-year old Mac instead. No go. Then I tried using a combination of my iPad and a Bluetooth keyboard. That didn't cut it either. As I tried to find a solution, I kept putting my pennies away until finally, I realized that I had enough put aside to treat myself with a clear conscience. So I did.

"So what?", you might say.

So satisfying.

I don't buy big ticket items often, I guess you could say I'm a bit of a penny-pincher that way. But this time I saved the money and spent it intentionally on a purchase that feels right.

So satisfying.

.:.

More Book-related Synchronicity (or, Continue Heeding the Hunches)

Though I read many non-fiction books, it's been a while since I've found one that captured me such as Soul Shifts, by Dr. Barbara De Angelis.

I used to own a plethora of books you could slot into the "self-help" or "spiritual" categories, but during these past several years I've purged my collection considerably. This month I stumbled upon this book during another one of my walk-through-the-aisles-at-the-library-and-see-what-calls-me expeditions (the same way I found the Beatrix Potter biography) and felt drawn to it, so I picked it up. Whoa!

It grabbed me from the very first few pages. I've already renewed it a few times, slowly taking in its words and insights, mulling them over, letting them percolate, putting them into practice.

The moral of this story?

Sometimes the smallest weirdest hunches may lead to reflection and revelation. Heed them.

.:.

History, Farming, Domesticity

I couldn't offer a mish-mash of January happenings without mentioning my quasi-obsession with farm-related historical documentaries. Yes, you read that right. Throughout the month I've been soaking in episode after episode of BBC's Tudor Monastery Farm and my latest obsession, Wartime Farm, in which the running of a WWII farm is reenacted close to Southampton, in the UK.

I am absolutely fascinated by the everyday lives of farmers throughout these different eras - fascinated! What did they eat? How did they live? How did they use and leverage the resources at hand to survive, or even thrive? I could go on.

I've been watching the documentaries via TV Ontario's website, but I believe they're also available on Youtube and I'm guessing, via BBC's website. You might also be able to find them on DVD at your local library. If you're into history, farming and/or domesticity across the ages, I highly recommend it. But be forewarned, you might get hooked.

.:.

10 Years Blogging

Finally, this past Monday marked 10 years of blogging. It passed without fanfare or grandiosity, but it was proudly acknowledged and even touted a little at the office.

I am very proud of this accomplishment. Ten years is a long time persisting, however imperfectly at times, and it's worth celebrating. I haven't figured out what I want to do about it here yet so I'm holding off. I trust the right idea will come along eventually. Stay tuned.

In the meantime if you're interested in reading my very first post you can find it on my very first blog called Urban Living Experiment (scroll to the bottom of the page). Without knowing what I was getting into, this post kicked off ten years of writing online - so far - and one tremendous journey of transformation. I am grateful.

.:.

Many quiet days, many insights, delights, and even a few quiet celebrations. Such was the nature of this January.

Here's to that.

On Purging, Shifting, and Creating Intentional Spaces