“Ewe Are Pawesome”
Time spent on drawing: 36:44
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Every day we strive to be the best we can be. We are our own harsh critics. Dealing with Postpartum Depression means truly struggling to see myself in a light that others near and dear to me see me in.
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Spend 15 minutes thinking about all the ways you are proud of yourself. Write them down. If that’s too difficult at the moment, list 5 things that you are thankful for in your life and focus on those.
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Keep on shining. Those who know and love you think EWE are PAWESOME.
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020 #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #instaart #ewearepawesome #eweareenough #youareenough #thankful #awesome #5things
Just Leap
“Just Leap”
Time spent on drawing: 41:26
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Yesterday, my musing was about being stuck in a pit of despair, unable to climb out. I’ve been in that pit a few times in my life. 🕳️What’s incredible is that each time I find myself in that position, I begin to emerge from it only by taking positive actions and displaying huge leaps of faith. After all, the only thing you can truly control in life is YOU.
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The craziest, most rewarding experiences I’ve had in life were completely based on taking giant leaps of faith. There was that one time when I’d booked a 2-week trip to LA for a conference, not knowing where I was going to stay, just knowing that I wanted to spend extra time there to get out of the NY grind. A month before my trip, I ran into a friend who had recently moved to LA. He offered to let me crash on his and his roommate’s futon, solving my problem of where to stay.
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The night before my flight, I remember bawling my eyes out to my recently-engaged girlfriend on the phone. I had been doing a lot of solo traveling for work at the time, and was very tired of traveling alone. I felt beyond ready to find a partner, a companion to travel with in future excursions. I vividly remember my friend saying that maybe I’d find a guy in LA. My heart was definitely open to it.
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The friend who let me crash on his futon? He’s now my husband. That trip provided us the time to bond and realize we had a lot in common. I took a leap of faith and was rewarded with a life-altering answer.
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This is just one example. I have many other similar experiences. I’m thinking of them now, reminding myself that each miracle that happened to me was a result of me putting out what may seem to be a ridiculous thought into the universe that somehow manifests into reality.
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I remember another story where in my heart of hearts I wanted to get out of the country after a truly terrible year post-college graduation. I was desperate to find a 6-week program that would fly me abroad for free to Israel to work on my art. I wanted a program that would help me build a business plan but also allow me to visit my many family members there.
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How ridiculous does that sound? What kind of nerve did I have to ask for a 6-week FREE program including housing, airfare, food, and classes? It was oddly specific.
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All it took was a fairly quick google search to find that exact program I described. I applied, and a few months later I found myself in Israel as a member of an entrepreneurial fellowship program that fit the exact bill. It lifted me up during another very bleak time in my life, and I am forever grateful for it.
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What would your leap of faith be? I highly recommend taking 15 minutes to think about your hopes and dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. If you think of something, send out extra good vibes into the world towards that goal. Close your eyes and picture it happening. Put your heart into it, and don’t be afraid to lean in to it, mind, body and soul. Let the universe know that you want it.
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Take the leap. It’s amazing to see how the net appears exactly when you need it most.
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #leapoffaith #manifest #leap
The No-End Nadir
“Nadir”
Time spent on drawing: 24:30
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I sketched the idea for this picture when I was in the thick of my postpartum depression. I can’t explain how deep the pain was when I felt exhausted, ignored, overwhelmed, and like there was no way out.
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I’ve been using my 15 minute increments to start climbing my way out, bit by bit. It’s been less overwhelming. I still haven’t reached the top yet, but I’m at least on my way up.
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I felt like releasing this on a Monday was an appropriate spot. It’s a long week ahead, especially after a shortened President’s week last week. But the good news about it being Monday is that at least there is, in fact, an end in sight. :-)
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I’m going to spend 15 minutes being outdoors today. How about you? How do you climb out of the Monday morning blues?
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TGIFIFD (Thank G-d It’s Friday in Four Days!)
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020 #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #instaart #nadir #onlywaytogoisup #lookingup #climbout
Weekend Recharge
“Baby Recharge”
Time spent on drawing: 41:26
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During the week it’s just grind and go go go. The weekend is a time to fully recharge.
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With a full time schedule I barely get to see my little baby during the week, so I try to spend a few extra minutes snuggling with her to absorb her yummy energy and carry it with me for the rest of the day. The weekend means EXTRA snuggles!!
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Take 15 minutes today to do something that makes you feel whole and recharged. A 15 minute power nap? A 15 minute run? 15 minutes at your favorite frozen yogurt shop?
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Share below what makes you feel a little more whole!
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P.S. You guys - this drawing is my first ever gif!! I’ve wanted to do one forever and never realized how easy it was to make them! More to come.
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020 #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #baby #recharge #battery #whole
Chip Away
“Chip Away”
Time spent on drawing: 36 min
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We go about our daily grind, and often feel like we are not making any headway. But everything we do, every mistake we make, every lesson we learn, every leap of faith we take is just a way of chipping away at our life’s journey.
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When life gives you little chips of progress or setbacks, let’s view them as ingredients to ultimately use in our chocolate chip cookie recipe of life!
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My musings are about taking 15 minutes to turn a lesson I learn into a positive piece of art. If you have something weighing on you, spend 15 minutes to think how you can do something positive to offset it. Do you want to volunteer or give charity? Do you want to call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while? Taking charge of a setback is a way to take ownership and move on.
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Drop a cookie in the comments if you want to chip away at making chocolate chip cookies this weekend! (Okay, this is actually making me want to spend 15 minutes baking chocolate chip cookies this weekend!! 😂)
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020 #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #instaart #chocolatechip #chipaway #chocolate
Positive Vibes Only
“Positive Vibes Only”
Time spent on drawing: 35:34
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It’s so easy to focus on the negative. There’s a lot of it, and at times it’s all-consuming.
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In order to get out of my funk, a steady dose of this two-part plan helped and continues to help:
1. Confront and isolate any sources of negativity. Remove them or place them on a temporary hold. (This included both relationships and personal projects that weighed down my spirits.)
2. Surround yourself with things that make you happy. For example, make a musical playlist of songs that put you in a good mood, and listen to it.
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Confronting negative vibes were a lot easier for me when I was able to regain some strength.
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If you’re feeling down or struggling today, spend 15 minutes doing something that makes you truly happy. Eat ice cream with sprinkles. Shake your booty to your favorite childhood song. Remember, it’s a 15 minute positivity zone, no negative thoughts allowed!
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What do you do to lift your spirits?
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#15minutemusings #15minutes #babysteps #selfimprovement #iPad #iPadArt #instaart #selfhelp #digitalart #momlife #art #instagood #justbreathe #follow #2020 #2020vision #2020goals #digitalink #creator #maker #happiness #success #feelgood #digitalcolor #instaart #rules #dance #positivevibes #positivity #music
The Rules of the Game
Time spent on drawing: 29:10
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I like lists. I like rules. Life is chaotic, and having guidelines is a way for me to maintain a sense of organization when so much is out of my control.
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But I’m also trying to organically come up with a set of rules for which I can live my life without feeling overcommitted and overextended. I decided to start off with a few basic rules. If I think of any additional ones or need to amend them over time, so be it.
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The biggest question was whether to limit myself to 15 minutes a day of doing a designated task. But the point of the 15 minutes is to kickstart me into action that I otherwise might spend on an endless “Continue Watching” loop on Netflix. If I’m in a groove, that’s a good thing, so why stop it? I tried it once, and the pressure of finishing something within 15 minutes was counterproductive. I spent too much time looking at the clock to see how much time I had left.
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So let it be written. 15 minutes is just a starting point. How far or how little you take it up to you!
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15 Minute Musings Launch
2019 was rough.
You ever have that feeling when you’re simultaneously drowning and panicking but are too tired to care? That was my 2019. Aside from the one miracle that I gave birth to a happy, healthy, beautiful daughter, the year was plagued with illnesses, stresses, strifes, and that one literal plague when a giant locust-like looking creature jumped on me at my son’s little league game.
I’m determined that 2020 is the year to turn my life around. 20 was my basketball jersey number throughout elementary and high school, and is a number that I personally consider lucky.
I’ve been listening to my friend Cathy Heller’s podcast Don’t Keep Your Day Job, which is a brilliant resource of inspiration for any creative mind. She held a 5-day 2020 Vision Challenge. She gave permission for everyone to be messy. As a perfectionist in my work, I never let my artwork be “messy”, and I’ve never thoroughly given myself the proper opportunity to succeed.
I have a ton of projects on my plate at the moment, so I was thinking of how to get started. I started to feel overwhelmed. It was midnight and I was hopping in the shower to (TMI) put warm water on a stye in my eye that got infected. While the warm water pounded on my swollen eyelid, I had some time to think about what I could do in my limited time to get my work done. I decided I needed to set some time aside every day to work on my projects. But with a full-time job that keeps me out of the apartment from 8:30-7pm daily and three kids including a newborn who keeps me up during the nighttime, time is already very limited.
I asked myself what sounded like a reasonable, non-overwhelming, completely do-able amount of time to set aside everyday to chip away at my mountain of projects. My gut, who always seems to steer me in the right direction, suggested 15 minutes. My mind and my heart both agreed.
I then thought to myself, hey, what if I actually drew a finished drawing in the 15 minutes to put on an Instagram account? By giving myself permission to be messy, I’m allowing myself the challenge of producing content and working on designs I’ve had in mind for years. I suddenly felt a rush of excitement over the potential to execute years of ideas in 15 minute musings. Then I got excited at the name 15 Minute Musings.
I then realized that there’s something magical to the number 15. From 15 minutes of fame to in just 15 minutes saving 15% or more on your car insurance, the number seems like a common number to accomplish a lot. While I pondered this, a commercial came on through the shower radio for How to Learn a Language in 15 Minutes per day for Babbel, providing further proof for both the importance of the number 15 and why I still listen to the radio.
I realized that all my challenges in life don’t seem so bad if I designate 15 minutes to a task. If I choose to do more, so be it, but at least I have an attainable goal to shoot for.
I got out of the shower (15 minutes later on the dot - the amount of time I was recommended to put a warm compress over my stye), and 1.5 hours later I had set up a domain, Instagram account, Facebook page, and Twitter account for @15MinuteMusings, as well as created my first drawing:
I started to feel alive and personally accomplished in a way I had not in a very, very long time.
So here I am. I’m going to be living my 2020, one set of 15 minutes at a time. Let’s see how far I can go.