self-portrait as meditation

Phone in hand, I extend my arm, let my face relax, and focus on one word: here. Then I snap the photo. Usually I take somewhere between two and ten photos. Taking 30 seconds to maybe two minutes depending on the moment.

I am capturing me, here, right now. This moment. The realness of it all. From joy to contentment to just being still. The photos reveal new pieces of me every time: beauty and truth and so many stories.

Somewhere in the last few years, taking self-portraits has become my daily meditation. This is the way I know I'm not disappearing in the midst of whatever the day hands me. This is how I remind myself that I can choose in each moment. 

I know it can seem overwhelming to even begin to turn the camera on yourself. Many of us spend a lot of time in a sometimes intense negative inner dialogue about how we look on the outside. And we fear the camera will show the list of flaws we insist we have.

But here is what I know: Capturing myself through my camera lens is helping me to shed the ways I have been talking to myself since I was about eight years old.

The layers of "wishing I looked like" and "believing I would only be happy if" and "maybe I would have more success if I was skinnier" and so many other stories stacked up since third grade when I needed to wear a bra two years before all the other girls in my class.

Now when I look in the mirror and look at self-portraits, I almost always see myself with softness, with compassion. Even when the circles are heavy under my eyes. Even when I am hitting my limit of what the day holds. Even when I have let myself down. The mirror and the camera help me to feel less alone. They help me find space inside me. They help me find my breath. They help me to trust that I am finding my way. 

***

You can find more juicy self-portrait prompts in my book Inner Excavation: Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry, and Mixed Media. I'm delighted to share that I'm selling copies again, this time at a special discounted price of $18. Read more about the book and order it from me right here.

here

Ellie and I are visiting family for a few days. And I made a huge choice: I didn't bring my laptop. I feel so much lighter. Checking email a handful of times a day and only answering what needs to be dealt with right away. Staying mostly away from Facebook. Yes. Lighter.

And I'm playing in a Smash book again. (Found the black one on clearance at Target.) Needed one when all this space not having the laptop creates began to fill with some brainstorming and thoughts that needed to be caught.

The words above are the ones I'm returning to over here. Thinking about how taking even a little break from the online world helps me to hear my own voice again and to shed layers of comparing and shoulds and why haven't I done or why didn't this happen and how the list goes on. 

Shedding.

Trusting.

Listening.

And just being really present to all the stories this little two year old in my life has to share every minute that she's awake.

Yes.

How are things in your corner? What are you shedding, trusting, listening to?

Blessings,
Liz 

gratitude

 

Last Friday, I felt an urge to give away four of my "You Are Loved" Soul Mantra lockets. When I put up the post on my blog, I decided to ask people to share who they would give the locket to if they won.

Your responses blew my heart wide open.

I was deeply moved by the first few comments that started trickling in. And it didn't take long for me to realize that magic was about to unfold (and that I'd have to give away more than four lockets; I'm sending out eight this week). People coming over from Pinterest, long-time readers of my blog, and others paused to really think about this phrase, "You Are Loved," and who might most need to hear it.

As I read those comments, I kept wondering what might happen if every person who left a comment (or thought about leaving one) shared their words with the person they love. What if they said, "I miss you. I love you." Or wrote letters saying, "I see you. You are the strongest person I know. You are loved." Or stood in front of the mirror breathing through the truth that yes even they are loved.

What would happen if you shared your wisdom, truth, and love with the person who most needs to hear from you today?

I really dare you to take the risk and tell them. 

with gratitude

I truly am so grateful for this gift of being able to create talismans that people carry with them on their journeys. Hammering phrases like "Always trust your cape" or the last words someone's grandmother spoke or "You are never alone" changes my life over here. I am reminded that I am not alone in the desire to feel seen and understood, and there is magic in the energy exchange between us. I feel it and I thank you. 

In that spirit, I'm having a "spring is almost here" sale. Use code ALMOSTSPRING to receive 15% off of your order in my shop today and tomorrow. (To use the code, just click on "Apply coupon code" above the "item total" column when you check out and then enter the code.)

Quick note: My daughter and I are taking an impromptu trip to the midwest next week, so I'll be closing my shop for about two weeks starting this Sunday. In anticipation of being gone, I'm not taking custom orders at this time. They will resume when I return later this month. 

Sending light and love to your corner of the world,
Liz 

you are loved (and a giveaway)

Woke up this morning with a strong need to tell you (yes you) this:

I know sometimes joy might feel far away.

I know sometimes it might feel like people don't get it, don't get you.

I know sometimes the loneliness can feel tangible.

I know sometimes love feels confusing or even a bit lost in the midst of everything else.

I know sometimes the twirling, swirling thoughts take over even when you are trying to find the quiet spaces.

I know because this is my life too sometimes.

Today,
I want to invite you to take five deep breaths
and trust that you
(yes you)
are deeply loved.

***

(locket available in the shop)

This is my favorite soul mantra to hammer into lockets because I know the power of these words, of hearing them, wearing them, of having someone hand you a gift that says these words. So you know. So you trust. So you can hold onto the truth that you are loved.

Today, I'm giving away four of these "You Are Loved" Soul Mantra lockets to four different people.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment sharing who you would give one of these lockets to if you could. Be sure to put your email address in the email address box so that I can contact you. The giveaway closes Sunday evening, and I will announce the winners here in this post Monday morning.

Giveaway Winners:

I decided to giveaway 8 lockets because I was so moved by this entire experience. A new post about all of this coming soon, but here are the winners below:

Steve who wrote about giving it to his wife
Ashley who wrote about giving it to her friend
Alicia who wrote about giving it to her 18-year-old daughter
Missy K who wrote about giving it to her friend
Angie who wrote about giving it to her sister
Anita who wrote about giving it to her niece
BethAnn who wrote about giving it to her daughter
Crystal who wrote about giving it to her best friend

Please check your email as you should have a note waiting from me. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing your light with the world,
Liz

PS Working away on the new ecourse. Here is a peek.

this is me

this is me.

tired, hair needs washing, no make-up can't you tell because of those circles me.

the me who stumbles and thinks she knows and then has to just sit still to really trust me.

the me who seeks more sensuality, more space, more ease, less clutter, less spinning me.

quiet for the first time in days, calmed by her snoring dog, missing my mom so much my heart feels lost, me.

the me who keeps coming back to her own pace, to her own story, to her own way of being

me.

yes.

this is me. 

***

Over here, I'm sitting in the truth again of needing to go at my pace. Of needing to actually find that pace right now and wear it like a favorite decades-old t-shirt. This is nothing new really...this need to remember my pace is the only way. But when you are the CEO (plus every other possible position a business needs) of your own business that is run out of your home, it isn't easy. And no advice or words of wisdom that says differently is of interest to me.

And finding our way and stumbling and reaching out for a hand and hoping someone will be there and realizing that if no one is there we can actually still stand up on our own while we keep moving forward holding our flashlight. And then someone else will appear with a headlamp on and say, "Want to walk the next few steps together?"

And in that moment we find friendship and the reminder that we aren't alone.

Then we keep going and that person stops off to look at something shiny and we keep going and stumble and end up sitting right where we fall next to someone else who says, "I'm not sure what to do." And we give them the gift (but really give ourselves the gift) of saying, "This has worked for me. Want to try it?" And that person nods and we both get up and sit side by side on a bench for awhile and tell one another stories.

And it all repeats again and again in its twisty turny beautiful crazy way.

All of the truth nestled in these words is why I'm taking a few moments each day to stand in front of the mirror in my bathroom and check in. To choose love when I look at myself. To listen to the wisdom waiting in the quiet. This is why I'm taking more self-portraits of the quiet, tender-hearted, yes even super tired faced me.

I'm feeling a longing to be deeply seen for who I am and who I want to be, and I'm coming back to the truth that I'm the only one who can really give myself that gift in the deepest way that I need it.

I've hinted that I'd love for you to come along and join me in this adventure of looking in the mirror each day. Tomorrow, I hope to come back to this space and say, "Hey, this worked for me. Want to try it?" as I share more details about my next ecourse Water Your Soul :: Being Seen, which will be all about the mirror meditation and taking self-portraits in the quiet spaces. And then we can sit down and talk some more...

Today, I'm taking some time to sit in the stillness and go at my pace as I recalibrate after having house guests, an in-progress studio reorganization, a long to-do list, and the flu that has visited our little house. 

Sending light and love to you wherever you are on your path today,
Liz 

PS that necklace you seen in the photo is a little sterling silver sloth. yes, sloth. i found her last week on etsy (you might have spotted her on my adornments pinboard) and bought her as a talisman to remind me to keep going at my pace (even if that pace might seem slow to those looking in).

the beauty in this moment

new rug + timer setting on camera+ app + her joy + these boots over jeans was the beauty of a moment on friday afternoon.

the picture isn't perfect because the lighting was very dim...i might have overprocessed it a wee bit by accident because i sometimes forget how camera+ works...but i didn't want to forget how proud she was to stand still and hold my hand because "the timer is going!" and how her laughter is contagious and how much we both love the new rug and how darn happy these new jeans that fit in my boots make me feel.

getting us both in the photo makes me happy. remembering the laughter and joy is what matters.

yes.

i imagine a lot more photos like this one in our future.

(the boots are two seasons ago of this ecco style. also have the black. love them big time.)

the space between collection

open up and live bracelet

As I move in and out of the roles I play in my life...
teacher, mama, friend, wife, artist, business owner, writer, and how the list goes on...
I try to pause for a few moments
to notice the space found in between these roles
to notice the world around me so I can get out of my head
and back into my heart.

stand in your light necklace

During these moments, I take a deep breath, soak up the world around me, and listen to the words I most need to hear.

i am home necklace

The Space Between Collection is inspired by those words and the colors I see in the in between spaces of my day during this winter season in the Pacific Northwest:

As I look at the window holding my morning cup of coffee
When I walk from the studio to my house
When I notice the changing colors of the sky throughout the day
When I see just a peek of Puget Sound when I pick up my daughter from school
When I walk in the woods and try to just be present to this moment right here...

I'm having so much fun creating with these colors and phrases that have been swirling around my heart for the last couple of months. Like the "Forest to the Sea" collection, creating these pieces felt like a true meditation. And I'm excited to include several pairs of new Soul Mantra earrings in this collection. Almost all the necklaces are one of a kind, but I will be making a handful each of the bracelets and earrings. You can see more of the collection here in my shop.

trust this truth

This morning, I stood in front of my mirror and whispered these words to myself.

Sharing them here in case you need this reminder too...

(If you want to receive stories of my adventures in creative self-care and gentle reminders like this one in today's post, sign up for my [almost] weekly newsletter here.)