sperlygirl

grateful for...

i am grateful for much in my world, but one gift in particular is this exchange between these three incredible women. each one has shared not only a sweet friendship and creative inspiration, but rallies along the sidelines cheering on and offering up wisdom, encouragement, and laughter.

we exchange mail and whenever i find a package from one of them in the box, well, it feels a bit like the holidays! talk about feeding the creative spirit and nourishing the soul - that's exactly what it feels like i am unwrapping. above is just a sampling of their magic (and tammy makes the most beautiful glass snowmen, sadly mine had a bit of a melt down in transit, but trust me, they are incredible!)

with a grateful heart ~ xo

readjusting my vision...

well, my vision board had been inspiring me so, but it was time to change it up a bit (seriously, i made it in october...ummmm). time to shift the energy, the season, and the colors. this new one feels like summer whispering nearby and i am so looking forward to greeting her. layered with quotes, cards and crystals from friends, and all sorts of snippets of inspiration. 

finished recently...

recently, i finished a new painting. i found a lot of inspiration from regina's wonderful ecourse and wanted to try and work with color in a more freeing way, for me. the colors seem to be those i collect in memory from our travels and along with them came words that lately seem to need to find them home among my canvas. i really enjoyed the journey she took me on to finish.

"her words escaped her thoughts as she allowed the colors of her travels to wash over her,

find residence in her heart.

her thoughts seems to find meaning among the stars as they blanketed the dark night.

the air was heavy with possibility and promise

and her heart felt free." ssperl (may2013)

 

 

the impact of gratitude...

i am so very honored to be included in Hailey and Andrew Bartholomew's sweet book ~ a collection of shared experiences of gratitude.

flipping through the pages, i am humbled by the collective thread of gratitude and how the practice of acknowledging it can be so transformational. our stories, whether grand and extraordinary or subtle and equally as meaningful - speak, reach, spark, and encourage others.

and gratitude is just that, a practice, something we return to often to begin to realize the power and potential. it is not always easy but it does create a shift. 

my own gratitude practice is organic and free, yet always present. some evenings i feel moved to write down a handful of daily moments of things i am grateful for in a special journal dedicated to just this. i also have a small journal for each pirate to record their items too. sometimes, i email a dear one and share what i feel most grateful for at the moment. and each morning upon waking, as the to do list writes my dreams from memory and while my eyes are still blurry from sleep; i inhale deeply and think of several things i am most grateful for, to set the tone for the day. gratitude... it's a small word that contains a world of potential. 

*the book is available here, here, and here (i am told)

 

on a canvas...

so after months of passing by, i finally finished this piece. this was a new process and new large canvas size for me. i had no plan, no idea where or what would evolve. and while i wished the whole process came quickly and easily for me, it did not. i worked in spurts and fits of time and created a piece that feels like an abstract memory to me. 

it's how i recall things...where j could tell you every detail of where we were or when it was. i hardly remember those things, but i could describe to you how it looked (the detail of it), or the scents that were there, or how it felt. fractions of moments stitched together. sometimes not the most prominent moments but rather the subtle, quieter ones - those are the ones that imprint on my heart. bits of poems, splashes of color, flashes of shapes ~ a sensory collection of ordinary to hold dear and treasure. and that's what seemed to evolve here...

a fresh vision...

i am always inspired by her beautiful vision boards and how they blend into reality in magical ways. while i don't seem to change mine out but once in a blue moon (well now, maybe that's the problem!), i love passing by my newest one and rereading the bits and pieces that are inspiring me lately. 

 

 

leading her...

"flowers hung in the air like an evening constellation. bouquets of dreams filled her head while stems of poems unfurled upon her thoughts. it was her heart that led her here."

~ssperl, 2012 

introducing a small intention...

my hands have been busy lately and my heart full and it is with deep gratitude to stacy for her teaching, nudge, encouragement, for what is evolving from this. thank you.

i strongly believe in the power of intentions and use them regularly in my life - for big dreams, day to day, my yoga practice, my creative journey, etc. Intentions help to guide us along our journey, sometimes redirecting us from what we originally planned, but present in our thoughts and hearts as a subtle reminder, a silent but powerful foundation from which to build our dreams upon. 

i created these necklaces as a small reminder of the intention for those who wear it. the pendants are small, about the size of a penny, and each is uniquely stamped by hand. the whole necklace is lightly oxidized to create a slight aged patina. accompanying each pendant, is a small collection of natural materials (various gemstone chips, freshwater pearl, and a tiny shell found on the shore of the ligurian sea) to provide a connection to the environment.

what is the inspiration? it is inspired by those who stop to pick up a lucky penny along their path, or flip one over heads up for the next passerby, or who carry one with them - like my grandfather who would wear a penny in his shoe daily. i am inspired by those who seek, who look around and discover, who notice the details and believe in the magic of the everyday.

a selection of necklaces can be found in my etsy

             

in print...

while stateside, i was so excited to page through my article on creating teeny tiny treasure totes in the current issue of Sommerset Studio Gallery. with so many things going digital nowadays, i don't think i'll ever tire of flipping through beautiful magazines. i am pleased and honored to be included with so many talented ones in this publication - there is such a wealth of inspiration within the pages.

grazie mille, sommerset!

reworked...

i took down this painting from my little etsy shop window recently. something about her felt amiss. her poem needed new words as they were not clearly expressing what my heart was feeling. so we spent some time together, she and i, last week. and i listened and reworked.

i was reminded the other day, how each day is a fresh start bringing potential and possibility. a new chance for growth and change and a new opportunity to uncover beauty and goodness in the world. and so my words now reflect this, as does she.