sweet release.

{source}

the idea of letting go and release has been on my mind and heart lately. and it's shown up in "secret messages" in quite a few places. {i love that}.

she shared an incredible art journal page with this caption, "in the release you became."
and one of the prompts for the art journaler was "i'm letting go of..." and "i'm embracing..."
then there was this post, some of the most powerful, raw & incredible poetic stanzas i've ever read on fear, freedom and redemption.
and i've seen the quote in the image above too many places to count. 

so i started taking notice.

{source}

i sat in my "studio" on friday night and thought to myself, i can't imagine my life without art journaling. what took me so long? it's one thing to have thoughts & even conversations about your life, your emotions, things that piss you off, make you cry, cause you to jump up and down. but there's something so tangible & satisfying about writing it down. putting it on the page. it brings my thoughts to reality, gives them a shape and a color. i've found such a sweet release in "getting it out."

so on that note, here's my response to the art journaler prompt:

{if you are new to style of a songbird, i art journal in a method called "altered books." i buy old books at goodwill & use them for my art journal. it's so fun to incorporate some of the phrases from the book into the page.} 

some of the key phrases:

i'm letting go of...

are we there yet? {needing to know exactly where i am on the journey and what's around the next corner}

voice of opposition {could be others or my own voice}

i just wonder if i'm enough {i think every woman faces this. in so many aspects of our lives} 

must-do {as much as i love making lists, they can be so daunting and guilt ridden}

too late {it's a lie}

skin perfection {may sound incredibly vain, but my moods have been determined by the blemishes on my face.} i'm letting it go...

the words incorporated into my page from the original book: 

don't go too far

worry

storm blowing 

dry season

go to sleep

shut up

quite black

i'm embracing...

the freedom to be vulnerable {admitting the "letting go's" is a good place to start}

yes {three powerful letters spell one life altering word}

paths less traveled {may be lonely, but i'm never alone}

mystery {this takes incredible bravery}

breathe {a deep inhale & slow exhale can make all the difference}

unlimited {taking the limits off of myself, my expectations, and my dreams}

the words from the original book: 

one of the gang {it feels so good to belong}

laughed so much

my life was worth

she sat smiling

flowers in her hair

it was romantic

this past week has been a time of  reevaluating. knowing what's mine to carry and what i don't have to accept merely out of habit. 

what are you letting go of? embracing? {i'd love to know}.

with so much love,