Open: My 2025 One Little Word

My guiding word for 2025 is “open.” It came to me in the final minutes of 2024. Literally at 11:57pm.

All of the other words I was considering felt too constraining. I thought long and hard about “gentle,” but I knew there were some areas of my life where I wanted to be bold and big. I considered “wonder,” but it too felt a bit softer than I wanted. “Explore” seemed too prescriptive. What if there was a day (or month) where I wanted to settle into the here and now and didn’t feel like exploring? I tried five or six more words. Good words. But none of them quite fit the bill.

And then came open.

This word is the very opposite of constraining and prescriptive. It’s big and wide and ready.

All of these words sound so freeing. But, honestly, they make me squirm. I feel like I’m walking into the great unknown with no path and no goal.

Open (with no path and no goal) is very much not my natural posture. It’s uncomfortable. But I think it will be for my good. I’m curious to see if I can relax into it.

So what made this word feel right?

I’ve been deep in prayer about my work life. I think God has something new in store for me and I really have no idea what it is. I have all the ideas (as I do), but I want to be truly open to His will and His plan. In a lot of ways, I am stepping into this new year in my work life in trust. It feels wide open. Rather than fighting it, I’m attempting to embrace it.

Or perhaps I will be surprised and “open” will have a completely different impact on my year. We will see!

Either way, I am stepping out in faith and trusting that God has a plan for my good and His glory.

2024 Favorite Things

Something I want to do in this brand new year: keep an ongoing list of my “favorites.” I think it does me good to notice what is good and what truly lights up my days and weeks.

My 2024 list - not kept in real-time, surely lacking some key things, and not in any particular order - looks like this:

• tanking down a river with Brian, the kids, our sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephew. I know this was not a “favorite” for all involved, but it totally hit all of my key goodness factors - outdoors, sunshine, relaxing, family, and laughing.

• along the same vein was our one and only camping night of the year. I had such high hopes of several smaller camping trips in 2024 and then we somehow got to the end of the year with only one overnight trip. Still, it was a highlight for me and makes me want to try for more again in the new year.

• Friday afternoons and evenings. We almost always have a “Friday Afternoon Club” followed by homemade pizza and a movie. I genuinely look forward to this every week we are home.

• my summer uniform. I found a black tank top (from the boys’ section at Walmart!) that fit me just right. I bought five or six and wore one plus a pair of shorts 90-95% of the days this past spring and summer. I loved that I didn’t have to think about what to wear, but still felt good in what I was wearing.

• strawberries and lettuce! I am still a much better flower gardener than a food gardener - but it was a true joy to step out the front door and grab things that could be added to our meals. Bonus - the strawberries are perennial and require essentially no work.

• our second stay at an airbnb in Kansas. We hit the airbnb jackpot with a house that has lovely modern-ish aesthetics, sunlight, a hot tub, sauna, and weight room. We stayed in the same house in 2022 and loved it - so we went back for round two and it was just as good as we remembered.

• A new (to me) chocolate chip cookie recipe that is just so good. Here’s the link. You should make it too!

• hiking at two nearby state parks. I took the kids by myself a couple of times and we went as a family a few more times.

• rereading The Book Thief and Cutting for Stone. I have a list of about ten books that are my favorite, favorites. These two are among them and rereading was a delight.

• hours upon hours spent playing Ticket to Ride. This game arrived at our house as a Christmas gift at the end of 2023 and was played countless times.

• our air fryer. This was also a 2023 Christmas gift. We bought the biggest one we could that would still allow room for the coffee pot to sit beside it on the pantry shelf. I don’t know how we ate before it arrived. It has truly been a game-changer. (This is the one we have.)

• finally rearranging and decorating the basement. We had our basement finished almost 13 years ago. In all those years, it was very “brown.” As Brian says: it has now been brooke-ified with color and art. And I finally like to be down there.

• road-tripping to the beach in Alabama. We had never taken the kids on such a long road trip and I was a little nervous about how it would go. But it was so much fun. And the beach + family + wedding joy just added to the goodness.

• summer mornings. Almost every morning found Brian and I up around 5am, rucking our way around the neighborhood, and then returning to the back deck to do Bible study and work for an hour or so until the kids were up.

• going on “screentime dates” with Brian. The kids aren’t quite ready to be left alone for more than twenty to thirty minutes. But we’ve discovered we can leave them for a couple of hours on weekend (or summer) afternoons if we leave right when they start their screen time. It feels like a whole new era of life!

• our new church small group. We started meeting weekly in October and it’s been wonderful. We love these extra people we get to make a part of our “family,” and the weekly rhythm has been really good, too.

Wow! That list ended up much longer than I anticipated when I started writing.

I love that it has already informed many of our plans for this new year. And if you noticed an outdoor theme - so did I . I am definitely returning to the “1000 hours outside” project again in 2025!

5 Ways to Use Small Art Prints

Each month, I send a mailer full of colorful small art prints, stickers, notecards, and other paper items into the world. Part devotion, part colorful paper goods collection, each mailer is centered around a Biblical theme.

I also sell small art prints (extra from the mailer) in this section of my shop.

Perhaps you’re curious about what to do with the items in your mailer or other small art prints.

Here are five ways you can put those items to use, so they don’t get lost in a drawer or paper pile.

1.Frame those prints! 

Count It All Joy mailers are FULL of beautiful, framable items. I always include at least one 5x7 print, but even the smaller prints look gorgeous and stand out in a frame.

Hint: adding a mat can make the piece really pop and can give a smaller print more presence.

Pssst.  You can find several of my favorite framing options in my Amazon shop.

2. Prints (can) = postcards!

and postcards (can) = prints!

Did you know you can mail prints as postcards? To ship at USPS postcard pricing, the print must be rectangular, at least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long and no more than 4-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long. Even larger prints (5x7s) can be mailed as postcards, with more postage.

I draw a line roughly down the middle, adding a few more lines for the name and address and voila! 

To look at the equation another way, you can easily use a postcard as a print! Easy peasy.

3. Personal devotions

Every mailer includes a list of verses to encourage you to dig deeper into the monthly topic. Between the art, the verse list, and the extra content that comes in written and video forms, the mailers are designed to encourage you to spend more time in God's Word and to lean into a deeper study of what God says about the topic at hand. 

4. ART JOURNALING

I love adding small art prints and stickers (both of which come in every mailer) to my journals. It adds a pop of color and often acts as a sort of prompt if I'm not sure what I want to write about. 

For me, art journaling is an extension of my personal devotion time. I often write out some of the verses from the monthly verse list as well as my prayers. 

5. SCATTER THROUGH YOUR SPACE

Add color and those reminders of Jesus' love and promises to your bulletin board, refrigerator, mirror, or even a bouquet of flowers. 

(The last one is a great way to share God's love with a friend. What's better than fresh flowers and some encouraging art? All you need is a flower pick! )

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Joyful Art Journaling Printable

I designed this printable to give you a little taste of what's inside the Count It All Joy mailers that I send each month - words of faith and a burst of color ready for your art journal, the margin of your Bible, a photo album, or the front of your refrigerator.

I had so much fun using the four sections of this page in different ways.

They served as inspiration for art journaling, a jumping-off point for some deeper Bible study and faith reflections, and colorful bullet points in both my journaling Bible and my art journal.

Count It All Joy is a monthly mailing of color, encouragement, joy, and Jesus’ love. There are several subscription options, so you can choose the one that works best for you.

The items in the box are intended to walk you through all your moments with a bit of Jesus’ love and are designed with paper-crafters in mind.

Purchasing opens and closes as space is available. Join the waitlist so you can know when it is next open. And in the meantime - download the printable to add some color and joy to your life.

June Subscription Reveal!

The June “Count It All Joy” Subscription Mailer is all about hope + new life (visible in the form of plants and flowers)! We are focusing on and celebrating the hope and new life we have in Jesus.

Here’s what was inside:

This month’s mailer included two 5x7-inch prints - “hope” and “snake plant + fiddle leaf fig.”

There were also two 4x6-inch designs - a “hope pennant” print and a sheet of hope + flower-inspired collage bits.

• 5x7 and 4x6 prints are great for framing, gifting, or sending as postcards. They can also be used in larger-sized art journals.

• The collage sheet can also be cut apart so individual designs from the sheet can be used in your paper crafting projects - two examples below!

Threre were two 3x4 inch mini-prints as well as a 4x4 and a 3x3 mini-print.

These little prints can:

• fit inside a pocket scrapbook page protector

• be used in art journaling

• be added to your bulletin board

• fit nicely inside a card for a friend

• be used as a bookmark

And finally - two die-cut vinyl decal stickers were also included. The design features a “hope and a future” bouquet in two different sizes.

WATCH THE JUNE unboxing VIDEOs

See all the goodies included in this month’s mailer .

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

I love it when you share your favorite piece from a mailer or the way you’ve used something from the mailer. Find me on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me so I can see and reshare.

NOT YET A SUBSCRIBER?

Get on the waitlist now and you will be the first to know when subscription spots are next open.

Haiku and Sketch Challenge

Rather spontaneously, I began writing daily haikus and painting quick daily “sketches” on January 1st. These little moments of pausing to be mindful and create have brought unexpected light into my life.

Each of these projects was intended to stand on its own - and I think they do. The haikus have been written with a desire to express and record a moment or a feeling from each day. The sketches have been painted without much forethought - just painting whatever comes to mind as I sit down to make them.

Two weeks in, I realized that I could add the words to the sketchbook pages and have a richer record of my days. And so, I tried putting them together - adding the words around the images.

Although they weren’t intended to inform each other, they each seem to add to the other. Together, they stand more beautiful and more powerful than they do separately.

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As I search for more light in my days, I want to continue this practice. And I would love to invite YOU into this practice as well.

For the month of February 2023, lets:

• Add an image to a sketchbook each day

  • paint, draw, collage, etc.

• Write a haiku each day

  • a poem with three lines - five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables

• Add the haiku to the layout

• Date the page/layout

• If you feel inclined to share, photograph your layout and share using the hashtag #haikukandsketchchallenge.

That’s it!

Personally, I like to create my sketchbook page and write my haiku at two different points in my day. I like the idea of creating from different headspaces and I don’t like the two to be obviously connected. The “sketch” often takes between five and ten minutes for me to create - from idea to finished product. And the haiku usually takes one to three minutes. All told, I rarely put in more than ten minutes of time on a given day.

For you, this might look different. Perhaps you want to take your time with this project and create very detailed or intentional artwork. Maybe you would like your sketch to be a representation of your haiku. Maybe you want to do this every day (as I will be doing) or perhaps you would like to jump in only a few times during the month. This challenge is up for interpretation and there is no “correct” way to complete it.

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If you participate, please let me know!! I would love to see what you create and to hear how this challenge brings light into your life.

The easiest way to share with me is to use the hashtag #haikuandsketchchallenge on Instagram. I will be checking the hashtag daily. (If you share in stories, be sure to also tag me (@brookepetermann_art) so I can see and share what you create.) If you don’t want to share publicly, that’s okay!

More than anything, I hope you enjoy the same light that this project has brought my way.

Radiant in 2023!

In my little world, a new year calls for a new word.

Over the years, I’ve claimed the words Tomorrow, Build, Voice, Simplify, God’s Word, Strength, Nurture, and more. My words serve as a focus and a theme for my years and every year they are a blessing.

Taking the time to be intentional with a plan for the year is so helpful to me. It keeps me thinking about what it is I truly desire of myself and of my life. It keeps me acting instead of reacting. Regularly taking inventory of how I am doing and what I need, in regards to my annual hopes, is also key.

Some years, I feel like I choose a word to be my theme and focus, and other years, it feels like they choose me. As I was looking forward to 2023, I knew what areas of life I really wanted to prioritize, but didn’t have a word that brought them all together.

Thankfully, God knew just what I needed and gave it to me at just the perfect time.

My word for 2023 is Radiant and it comes from this Bible verse:

“Those who look to him are radiant, their faces are never covered in shame.” Psalm 34:5

The definitions for radiant (that I am using to guide me) are:

1. sending our light, glowing or shining brightly

2. clearly emanating great joy, love or health

I have three main things that I really want to work on this year and I love how “Radiant” shines a light on all of them…

First, I want to continue to look to Jesus. I’ve had some personal struggles in the last year and yet, very little stress, as I continued to look to Jesus and to trust that it is all a part of His plan - for my own good and his glory. It’s the most peace I’ve ever felt through trial. I just keep talking to Him, reading and studying His Word and relying on His promises. In 2023, I want more of this. Not the trials, maybe, but the trust and the faith and the time with Jesus. I want to look to Him and in doing so, to be radiant.

Second, I want to grow my businesses, particularly grace and light papers. I want God’s Word to be sent into more homes and for more little hands to color His promises. I also want this to be a steady stream of income for me and my family. This little baby business feels precious and also full of promise. Growing this business to send out 1,000 coloring posters each month is my “stretch dream” for the year and the part that feels the scariest to share and also to undertake.

Third, I want to work on my physical health. I need to take care of some minor medical issues that I’ve been putting off and I want to feel good in my body again. I want to do the work I need to do to feel confident, healthy, and radiant!

I am in a season of life where I feel safe, content, and ready to be and give a bit more and I am curious about what my life will look like if I really lean into this word and this work. All that feels like a pretty great starting point for 2023 and a radiant year!

Margaret, my six-and-a-half-year-old, made me this bracelet to keep my word close and visible and I LOVE it!

42 things (on my 42nd birthday)

A list of things I’ve loved and felt called to, in the last year.

1. Ruby! Our 9 month old golden retriever has been the biggest and best addition to our family, in the last year. She brings us so much joy and adds a bit of both sweetness and spice to everyday life in our house.

2. Bible memorization. While I am a fairly faithful Bible reader and studier, I let memorization fall off my plate a long while ago. I’ve been back to it, in the last several months and having those words imprinted on both my brain and heart has been such a good thing.

3. Giving myself a “job” this year. My youngest started Kindergarten last fall. I worked a lot in those first few months without any kids at home, but I didn’t have much structure. I gave myself more guidelines and structured projects as the calendar turned to 2022 and it has been really helpful.

4. Paying myself for the first time. My art income has always been very strictly reinvested in my business. Until, this year! I used some of my income to pay for a few activities for the kids and it added a whole new level of joy to my art practice.

5. Paper and pencil budgeting. I’ve always enjoyed tracking our money and doing my best to make wise decisions with what we are given. For the last several years, I’ve done most of our budgeting using various apps - with varying degrees of success. For 2022, I decided to go back to pencil and paper budgeting and tracking and I’m really enjoying it.

6. Beautycounter Overnight Resurfacing Peel. A new red area appeared on the tip of my nose, last summer. The dermatologist told me that it could only be removed by laser. It has not disappeared - and I might still laser it off someday - but within the first week of using this product, the redness was noticably better.

7. Kids being older. No giant bag of all the things to pack for every outing. Fewer meltdowns. No diapers. Time together that often feels easy and fun. I’m really enjoying this stage of motherhood.

8. MY HEALTH! I’ve had both Covid and an appendicitis in the last five months. And since I’ve now recovered from both, it is nice to be aware of how good it is to feel good (and to be able to taste my food!)

9. After school snacks and reading. This is the one part of our daily routine that I try to protect as much as possible. Before I pick up the kids from school, I set out a tray with some snacks and a chapter book or two. When we get home, they eat while I read aloud. It’s a joy and a true highlight of almost every day.

10. Mural painting. This had been on my career wishlist for a long time and it was such a blessing to get to do my first paid mural, this year.

11. Gratitude journaling. A true blessing in and of itself.

12. Jesus Always devotional. Oh, it is so good! The words are written from the perspective of Jesus talking directly to me and that voice is just so powerful.

13. The dog park. What feels like a million years ago (pre-Brian, pre-motherhood) I was a dog park person. I went regularly and often with my pup, Mabel. I had forgotten the joys of it until I started going again with Ruby. I love meeting new people and petting all the dogs.

14. Fierce & Loving - my very favorite nail color by Olive & June.

15. Trying something new (painting objects) for my 100 day project. I am so glad I took a chance on this project.

16. Intermittent fasting. I feel better when I eat this way, most days of the week. I still struggle to make this a very regular thing, but at least I know that it is a good thing for me, when I do make it happen.

17. A regular place for minidates with Brian. We started going to our local bagel shop whenever we have a kid-free hour or two in the mornings. It is so fun to have “a place” and also nice to not have to make a decision about where to go.

18. Doing house work before the kids go to school, so I can have more time for work work while they are at school. A lot like intermittent fasting, this is something that I know is good for me and that I appreciate when I make it happen -but that I struggle to do super regularly.

19. Hiking / new hiking boots. Favorite activity paired with favorite new boots specifically for the activity. This is my happy place.

20.Friday night pizza and movie. This is something I genuinely look forward to, each week.

21. A Bible for 2022. I’m still really enjoying having a Bible meant specifically, and only, for this year - a project I started in January and plan to definitely continue (with a new Bible) next year.

22. Choose FI podcast. Personal finance and intentional/optimized living all rolled up into one lovely podcast.

23. My volunteering “jobs.” I currently do two little volunteering jobs at church and help in Maggie’s kindergarten classroom. They all bring me so much joy.

24. Finding a more balanced reading rhythm. I was on something of a reading frenzy last year. I’m taking it slower this year and that feels nice.

25. Church. I am always and forever thankful for our chruch - it is such a beautiful community and place. I am thankful that this is big part of our family’s life and that my kids get to grow up in this space.

26. Camping trips. Year after year, my favorite days are the days we spend camping.

27. Having a “grocery store” to “shop” in the basement. I started using whatever money was left in my grocery budget at the end of each month to buy extras of the things our family uses regularly. It is so nice to be able to just run downstairs to get a new jar of jelly or salsa when we need them.

28. Glamping. Brian and I took our first glamping trip (we stayed here) last summer and it was the best vacation we’ve had outside of all-inclusive resorts. I missed the booking window for this summer, but we will for sure do this again.

29. Our outdoor spaces at home. We had a large patio poured, last fall, and we have already used it a ton. We also got a new table for the deck that we can all fit around and we continue to spend a lot of time on our (very nicely wind-protected) front porch.

30. Hours outside. My goal for 2021 was to spend 1000 hours outside. I didn’t quite make it, but I did it make it over the 900 mark and that is BY FAR more hours outside than I’d ever spent outdoors in a year. I’m giving it another go this year and enjoying it all over again.

31. Facetime. I am so thankful for this technology that lets me see my sister and her family regularly - even though they live way too far away.

32. Caprese flatbread (aka tortilla, pesto, roma tomato and mozzarella broiled in the oven). This is my go to lunch on the days when I’m home and it never disappoints.

33. Picnics. Food just tastes better when you eat it outside.

34. The idea of evening adventures. We tend to stay home most nights - particularly during the school year, but I would like to do more fun things in the evenings. This is still percolating in my brain, but something I want to think on and try to do more. This podcast episode really inspired me.

35. Painting in collections. I’ve been working in collections, this year. I love the way that painting several pieces in a theme or style helps me to dig deeper into the work.

36. Summer with Brian and the kids. Sometimes I forget just how blessed we are to get to spend our summers all together as a family. This is the big perk of having a husband who is a teacher.

37. Making Art Work. This is the 12-week class I am taking right now about growing my art business and it is excellent.

38. Brian

39. Sam

40. Eli

41. Maggie

42. The hope and peace that come with my faith in Jesus.

A BIBLE FOR A YEAR

In 2022, I want to wear out my Bible!

I bought a new, inexpensive paperback just for this purpose. It is small and light enough to easily carry with me and to fit inside my purse.

I want to mark up this Bible with all the little notes and tidbits that come my way and the ways it changes my heart.

This is not going to be a place for pretty Bible journaling (I have other Bibles and books for that), but for just getting the important things down and marking what I learn.

At the end of the year, I will label the spine with “2022,” place it on the bookshelf and purchase a new Bible to start the process all over again.

I can already imagine my 71 year old self with a long row of thirty Bibles arranged in chronological order, but can hardly imagine all the ways God will work on my heart in that time.

a brief guide to gratitude journaling

Have you ever wanted to slow down time? The days are precious and yet they tend to fly right by in our hurry and ever forward-looking attitudes.

Gratitude journaling is the best thing I’ve found to suspend the ever-moving clock and simultaneously quiet my mind. It’s an easy way to truly be in the moment.

While I know that God is with me in every moment and that everything I have is a gift from Him (down to the breath I am taking in this very moment), in the hubbub of daily living, it is easy to overlook these truths.

Taking a few minutes to acknowledge His gifts to me - to notice all He has given me and to say thank you - is an easy and beautiful way to reset my heart and mind.

Not sure exactly what you are supposed to do?

Here are seven steps to gratitude journaling (plus a bonus bit at the end):

1. Check your heart and adjust your posture. I like to think of gratitude journaling as a form of prayer. When I pause to remember that I want to go into this exercise as a form of prayer, rather than just another item on my to-do list, I go into it differently and also walk away from it with more.

2. Set a target. Challenge yourself to give thanks for a certain number of things or set a timer and see if you can keep your pen moving for the duration. If you push yourself to notice and give thanks for a bit longer than feels natural or comfortable, you might be surprised at the extra goodness you uncover.

3. Grab a pen and paper. A computer and keyboard work too, but they won’t force you to slow down in the same way a pen does.

4. Look around you. Notice what you see. This is often the easiest way to start. As you move into your journaling, you can give thanks for more abstract things. Starting with what is immediately around you is a great way to get your pen moving.

5. Write it down. The smallest thing. The biggest thing. Anything. When you stop to think about it, every single bit of your world is a gift from your Creator and worthy of both notice and thanks.

6. Be specific. Thank God for the way your dog likes to rest on the floor right at your feet. Thank Him for the grass that will return to green in spring, for the neighbor who stopped to say “hello” on their walk, for food in your cabinet and time to write.

7. Do it again tomorrow.

Extra bonus:

One of the beautiful things about intentionally taking the time to write out your gratitudes is how, even after one session, you’ve trained your mind to start looking for the blessings. Over time, seeing God’s gifts and His presence in your every moment becomes the default. You will have the gift of gratitude, the gift of time and the gift of experiencing Jesus with you and for you in your moments.

six things i'm tracking in 2022

Hello, my name is brooke and I like to track things. I’ve always enjoyed spreadsheets and the advent of habit trackers made me do a little inside happy dance. They just fit so well with the way my brain works and the ways I am motivated. I like to feel like I use my time intentionally (even if the intention is simply having fun.

Here are six things I’m tracking in 2022.

1/

Monthly habits. This is classic “habit tracking” and happens inside my regular calendar / planner. Each month, I choose three to five things that I want to make sure happen on a daily (or almost daily) basis. Some months, these habits are meant to improve my personall life and other months, they are more focused on habits that impact my career world.

Examples of habits I have tracked in the past or plan to track this year, include: flossing, refilling my water bottle four times a day, daily painting time, reading aloud to my kids, Bible time, posting to social media and walking 10,000 steps.

2/

Hours outside. This is my second year tracking the hours I spend outside. While I would love to hit the big goal of 1,000 hours outside in 365 days, the real purpose of tracking this metric is just in encouraging and motivating myself to spend more time outdoors.

I feel better when I spend time outside. My favorite days of the year are, inevitably, the days we spend camping. But even on a regular work-from-home-Tuesday, I know that my day will be improved, if I spend some time outside - working, taking a walk, reading a book, eating a meal, tending my flowers - just doing life outside.

Last year, I tracked my outdoor hours, by writing down the time (rounded to nearest 15 minutes) on an index card and manually adding each week. This year, I am trying the 1000 Hours Outside App as a method of tracking.

3/

10,000 Steps. It’s been a couple years since I tracked this goal and I’m ready to do it again. Again, this is something that I know makes me feel good. When I consistently move enough to get 10,000 steps in a day, life feels easier and better.

This is not something that I’m striving to hit every day of the year, but rather just something that I want to track and that I will aim to hit more days than not.

Note: The tracker I use for this is from Elise Joy (image at top of post) and you can get a free download when you sign up for her newsletter.

4 /

Reading aloud to the kids. It’s year two for this tracking project. Last year, our goal was to read aloud 290 days. We met that and I think we might shoot for 300, this year.

Honestly, this project probably doesn’t need to be tracked. I think we’ve established enough of a routine (reading during afternoon snack time and/or before bed) that the tracker and the number goal won’t make a big difference in how often we read. But, I love to have our tracker on the side of the fridge because the kids seem to enjoy seeing our progress and, occasionally, one of them will notice that we’ve missed a few days and will suggest that now is a good time for me to read to them.

5 /

More / Less challenges. This is something new I”m trying in 2022 and something with a very different kind of tracking method. Each month, I will choose something that I want to try increasing or decreasing from my regular routine.

I plan to write a blog post about each challenge just before it starts - sharing my reason why and my expectations - and another blog post at the end of the month - processing how life felt the same or different with more or less of that particular thing.

For January, my challenge is to read (a lot!) less than normal.

I don’t know what all twelve challenges will be, but I have a few ideas. I’m thinking more sweat, more prayer, less phone time and more writing will likely be challenges that I try in future months.

6 /

Books read. I will track this in the goodreads app. I have no set goal of what or how many books I hope to read, but really do enjoy this simple way of being able to look back at what i’ve read over time.

ALSO / JUST FOR FUN:

I am tracking how many reams of paper our family uses, this year. My kids draw and write A LOT and I feel like I buy a new ream of copy paper every month or two. But I don’t actually know how much we use. Since we happened to run out of paper on 12/31, I thought it would be fun (and easy) to keep track of exactly how many reams we buy this calendar year.

less reading: a month long challenge

I’m a reader and I read a lot. The year ends today and I’ve read 79 books this year.

Starting January 1st, I’m going to try something new.

Reading brings me a lot of joy and is a beautiful thing. But, I’ve wondered before and am currently wondering again, what would change in my life if I took a break from reading?

Here’s what I think might happen.

1. I think I might be more productive. I (completely) realize that productivitiy is not the goal of life. Still. Sometimes I let reading take over my time and have trouble getting tasks done until I get to the end. It’s one of those “must finish this chapter!” that turns into “must finish this book!” kind of things.

2. I think I will have to listen to my own thoughts and feel my own feelings more. This one’s harder to admit, but I think that I sometimes read to fill my brain space. It sometimes feels like an easy way out. I’m intrigued with what my brain will find to ponder when it isn’t filled with the information or story that someone else has written.

3. I think not reading will be particularly challenging when we go on a mini vacation mid-month. Reading on vacation is one of my favorite things. I don’t know what I will do instead, but I’m curious to see.

4. I think I will have to find something new to do with my time. Reading is basically my default mode. It’s what I do when I have an extra five minutes or an extra two hours. Beyond that weekend vacation, what will I do with my free time the rest of the month? Beyond painting what will I do that will feel both fun and productive?

Writing that last sentence just made me realize another reason I likely read as much as I do. It feels both fun and productive. This might give you a little insight into my personality. …heaven forbid I do something just for fun.

As I write this, it all sounds like a good idea. But, honestly, it sounds like a good idea for a me that isn’t me. I want to put it off. I’m already thinking of all the books on my holds list that will come available this month and how hard it will be to wait to read them. I’m already thinking about all the books I currently have in process and I want to say, “I’ll start this challenge after I finish this stack.” But, I think tomorrow needs to be the day.

The books will still be here for me to finish later.

It’s time to learn something new about myself and see what my life is like without a seven books a month.

A few parameters / exceptions:

I am allowed to finish the book that I have started / will discuss on January 11th with one of my book clubs.

I am allowed to continue doing read aloud time with my kids. We usually read together after school and / or before their bedtime - approximately 15 to 30 minutes a day.

I will still read my Bible and devotion books - usually 15 to 30 minutes a day.

Wish me luck, friends! Here we go!

god's word: my word for 2022

one little word 2022

One of the best things I do at the end of each year is choosing a focus for the coming year and writing out a list of plans, hopes and projects related to that focus.

For 2022, my theme is “God’s Word.”

The overarching hope for this focus is to spend a lot of time reading my Bible.

I’ve also given myself a few more trackable goals that all lead back to this first one.

In 2022:

I want to wear out my Bible! I bought a new, inexpensive paperback just for this purpose. It is small and light enough to easily carry with me and to fit inside my purse. I want to mark up this Bible with all the little notes and tidbits that come my way and the ways it changes my heart. This is not going to be a place for pretty Bible journaling (I have other Bibles and books for that), but for just getting the important things down and marking what I learn. At the end of the year, I will label the spine with “2022,” place it on the bookshelf and purchase a new Bible to start the process all over again. I can already imagine my 71 year old self with a long row of thirty Bibles arranged in chronological order, but can hardly imagine all the ways God will work on my heart in that time.

I want to read the books of Ephesians, John and Romans each ten times.

I want to completely fill my “God’s Word” notebook with words from Scripture, hymns, the catechism and bits I learn from Bible studies. This IS the place for more “pretty” journaling and a place to bring ideas together with plenty of space to write.

I want to share God’s Word and make his love known. As it fills me, I pray that it will overflow into what I do, how I spend my time and - most importantly - the people in my life.

favorite art supplies: acrylic painting supplies i love

Note: Many (but not all) links on this page are affiliate and I will receive a small commission for purchases made by following the link.

Also note: all recommendations on this page are thing that I use in my own art practice and that I would purchase again.

paint

I do not use one specific brand of paint. I do prefer medium or heavy body acrylics and I definitely have a few favorite colors that I purchase regularly. Although I occasionally purchase a 2 ounce tube, I generally buy the 8 ounce tubes and find that they last a very long time (like years, for most colors) depending, of course, on how much surface area you are covering.

PAINT BRANDS I RECOMMEND

Golden

Winsor & Newton

Utrecht

Blicks’ Artist Acrylics

most used colors

Titan Mars Pale

Yellow Ochre

Medium Magenta

Bone Black

OTHER PAINTING SUPPLIES

brushes

I like to paint with flat edged brushes with a fairly long handle. These are the paint brushes that I use most often.

Before moving to the flat edge, I preferred and used these angled tip brushes.

For detail work, I use this set of tiny brushes.

palette / PALETTE KNIVES

This enamelware palette gets a ton of use in my studio.

I also recommend plastic lids from yogurt / sour cream type containers.

These are the palette knives that I have, use and love, but I really don’t think you can go wrong with any brand or type of knives.

PAINTING SURFACES

Watercolor paper and wood are my preferred work surfaces. I’m not super choosy about what I use, but have found a few sources that work well for me and that I have purchased / used multiple times.

PAINTING SURFACES

Big watercolor paper pad

Wood panels

I also really enjoy painting in old books - with pages still inside or torn out - Little Free Libraries can be a great source!

paint storage containers

These little paint storage containers are a MUST HAVE for my practice.

They save so much paint that would otherwise be wasted and also make it possible for me to work even when there is not sufficiant daylight. …I mix in sunlight and then can trust that I have good colors to use, even when I work early in the morning or on overcast days.

my holy battle cry

Encouraged by a Bible Study I recently completed (Revelation Extravagant Hope by Margaret Feinberg), I wrote out a Holy Battle Cry.

These words are a reminder of who I am whose I am. They remind me, daily, that the battle has been won and that I am victorious through Jesus’ death on the cross.

MY HOLY BATTLE CRY:

Jesus loves me. John 14:21

He made me. Job 33:4

He chose me. John 15:16

He set me apart. John 17:19

I am baptized into Christ. Galatians 3:27

My hope is in him. Psalm 39:7

As his beloved child,

I have his armor to protect me from the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

I have a spirit not of timidity, but of power, love and self discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

In him, I am strong and courageous. Joshua 1:9

Goodness and mercy will follow me and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

mantras for a working artist

These are things I tell myself related to my art practice and art career. They help to ground me and give me motivation to keep on with this practice that has become my career. Perhaps you can use them too.

1 / Make a lot of artwork. Share it with people.

Artists make art. Making more art is the way for you to be who you are - to be an artist. This doesn’t mean you have to stick to one medium or subject matter. It does mean that you need to continue to make.

And then, share. Our world needs more beauty, imagination, hope and joy.

2 / Honor where you stand.

This stage is a beautiful stage. You are learning. You have room to grow. Master this stage and continue to master your craft. Show yourself patience and grace. The next step will come at the right time.

3 / Stay the course.

Consistency matters. Tenacity matters. Be persistent and keep showing up.

4 / Honor your gift.

Make. We each have been given different gifts. If yours is to make, make.

5 / Art doesn’t stand alone.

What you make reflects something of you. When others see your work, something of themselves gets added to the mix. It’s a beautiful thing.

2020 Book Report

Note: Many links in this post are affiliates. If you make a purchase through the link, I may receive a small monetary return.

With just a couple days left in 2020, I’m at 64 books completed and 2 more in-process. It’s been a good year of reading, for me.

I rate my completed books on a scale of 1-5 stars with half points allowed (example: 3.5 stars) and ended the year at a healthy per book average of 4.4 stars. This is skewed heavily, of course by the fact that I abandon books if I’m not loving (or at least liking) them.

Here are my sixteen 5 star reads from 2020, with the first shared being the one that stuck with me the most:

1. The Song of Achilles. My kids have a children’s book version of the Trojan War (this one) that gives a nice overview of the Trojan War. We read it quite regularly and doing so had peaked my interest in the story. The Song of Achilles felt like a beautiful immersion into the story. I think the best adjective for this book is rich.

2. O Pioneers! I grew up and live on the plains of Nebraska - where the author lived for many years and where this story is set. This is the story of a quiet, strong and honest woman and her love of the land at the turn of the 20th century. It is a quiet, but powerful book.

3. The Dutch House. A strong story of a broken family and all their pieces.  This book  felt something like a modern day fairy tale.  May I recommend that you listen to this one as an audiobook? It is read by Tom Hanks and who doesn’t want to listen to “Woody” bring a story to life? 

4. Little Bee. This book covers immigration and racism in an achingly beautiful way. The narrator was precious in both her innocence and strength. This was a re-read for me and I loved it all over again.

5. The Invention of Wings. A story of slavery (and later abolition) that alternated narrators between a young enslaved girl and her equally young owner. This book was partially based on true events and enlightened me on some aspects of slavery and particulars of events to which I had previously been ignorant.

6. Big Dreams, Daily Joys. The title of this is fairly self evident and I have followed this author on social media for many years, so the meat of this book was not a surprise. Still, I found so many little tidbits of wisdom and practical advice that I have returned to sections of this book more than once in the last year. I really appreciated the format of this book as everything is broken down into very digestible sections.

7. Discerning the Voice of God. I read through this fairly quickly and think it deserves a slower re-read. I loved learning more about the ways God speaks to us and more about the ways I can listen for his voice.

8. The Vanishing Half. A beautifully written story on race and race relations. This book was thought provoking on topics of identity, the way we know and love one another and the ways we see ourselves.

9. Prodigal Summer. This novel took me right into Appalachia and told three adjacent stories that slowly weaved together people, place and nature in a way that was captivating, but quiet.

10. Silas Marner. This is the story of love blossoming a heart and changing a life. I did not expect to love this book, but I did. When I reached the last chapter, I wished for there to be more.

11. The Book of Longings. Any well-written historical fiction written around the time of Jesus’ life on earth is intriguing to me. This one was no different and I read it very quickly. While I did not quite “ go for” much of this story - some parts felt forced and some (much?) of it veered from Biblical teaching - I was totally engrossed in the story and loved learning more about life in that time period.

12. Being Lutheran. A deep dive into the theology of Lutheranism and what it means to be a Lutheran - without being overly scholarly. This book brings together the beliefs of Lutheranism and what that means / looks like in life.

13. The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The terrible world of European life during WWII - and, particularly, inside concentration camps was brought to life on these pages and, somehow, love, hope and courage shined through.

14. Winter Garden. Another hard-topic book - alternating between a present day family and the mother’s WWII experiences. One of my favorite WWII books is The Madonnas of Leningrad and this book took me back to that same setting.

15. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. Set in a remote village in China, this novel keeps coming back to the relationship between mothers and daughters. As I read this book, I had to continually remind myself that the narrator was my contemporary - as it felt not just last century, but several centuries back. …definitely led me to some googling about the culture of the narrator.

16. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I’m sneaking this one in, even though I haven’t quite finished it. This book is centered around the premise of a young woman making a deal with darkness that allows to her to live indefinitely, but with no connections to the people around her. The story leaps back and forth through centuries, is well written and, to my delight, has strong and unique ties to the arts.

I’m moving into 2021 with no set reading goal, but high hopes to read again so many good books!

If you need more suggestions, my bookshop page includes more of my favorites.

the joyful collection

In the weeks before COVID-19 was present on my personal radar, I started a painting collection and I gave it the title JOYFUL.

The title came into my consciousness seemingly through a whisper. It was a persistent and unshakable whisper - one that wouldn’t let me contemplate alternate titles for this collection. It simply was to be JOYFUL. And although I didn’t understand why this word was important in this moment, I followed that voice.

As I planned, sketched and brushed each work into being, I spent time considering the meaning of the word joy and the ways each piece would represent that word. Joy is not flimsy or shallow. It is not contingent on situation or circumstance. Instead, it is a deeply rooted, strong and calm kind of cheer. I wanted each piece to feel strong and rooted. I wanted each work to bring a sense of cheer.

In my life, my faith is pivotal to my joy. Without Jesus, all happiness would be situational. (And, to be honest, just thinking about a life where happiness is based on my circumstances makes me feel anxious and panicky. How often could I feel happy at all?) Without faith, there is no rock of hope, stronghold of peace or balloon of joy.

One of the beautiful things about painting is the time it requires. Time to plan and pencil in. Time to mix colors and build foundation layers. Time for broad strokes and simply getting the color on the panel. Time for tiny details and touch ups.

My soul always longs for quiet and contemplation. And here it is. It’s one of the reasons painting is such a good fit for me. This time is my solace and my catharsis. As some people go to therapy, I go to my paintbrushes.

As I put in the hours to paint this collection, I contemplated joy, but I also contemplated strength. My guiding word for 2020 is STRONG. And it is often on my mind. I could feel that these words were connected - although one feels so buoyant and the other so grounded. And then, I found this verse:

The joy of the LORD is your strength.

-Nehemiah 8:10

Joy, strength, Jesus. It all came together.

And I thought this tidy little trio was the footing for this collection. I thought’d I’d had my big “aha moment” and found the reason that the word “joyful” had been continually placed on my heart.

I didn’t plan for there to be more. I didn’t anticipate the way our world would go so topsy-turvy as this new coronavirus swept over the world. I didn’t expect to be asked to LIVE OUT this connection between joy, strength and Jesus.

But here we are. Each of us living in ways that are outside of anything we have known before. None of us knowing how long this will last or in what ways our world will forever be changed. There is suffering and worry. There is uncertainty. And there is distance.

All of these things take a toll.

And I’ve felt it. Which is a change for me. Sure, I have my hiccups and my days that are easier or harder. But, I tend to live on a pretty flat line. Not a lot rattles me.

In all honesty, I think that “feeling it” is good for me. It helps me to be more empathetic and it helps me to feel more compassion.

This may not be what we wish for in the world - and yet, kindness and togetherness have united us and it is a beautiful thing. I see God’s word being leaned on more heavily and shared more often and I pray that there are people being brought to him and his salvation through the challenges and tragedies of this time.

And, overall, I have faith that He is in control. He did not bring on this suffering, but he can and will use it for the good of his people and for the good of his kingdom. And that is pure joy.

Joy - even in practice. Joy in the LORD.

The collection is made up of 18 pieces.

Three large wood panels, two small wood panels and four mini panels. Plus, eight pieces on pages torn from The Oxford Companion to English Literature.

my 2020 theme - strong

Each year, I choose a word or short phrase to guide me. Some of my previous words have been tomorrow, build, voice, simplify, everyday and nurture.

My word for 2020 is STRONG.

Strong has many definitions, fitting many different connotations. And, fittingly, it is a word that I would like to ascribe to many areas of my life.

But I know from past experience that I do best when my energy is focused. My areas of intent for strength in 2020 are my body and my art business.

I don’t have specific end goals for my physical strength, but I started the year with the overall goal of exercising 180 times this year - roughly every other day - and eating more healthfully. I’m done having babies and I’m ready to put in the work to like my body again - - something that hasn’t been the case for almost nine years. I love that this part of my focus for my word is so straight forward. Every little bit helps and I can literally feel and see the results.

In contrast to the straight forwardness of that intention, my second area of focus feels somewhat murky. I want my art business to be stronger. But what does that mean? What does that look like? What do I do on a day to day basis to make that happen? And - how do I measure my progress?

My favorite definition of STRENGTH that fits so well in this context is: possessing skills and qualities that create a likelihood of success.

Yes.

That means I need to keep painting to hone my artistic skills. It means I need to have art available on my website for people to purchase, to continue to share my work and make other active efforts to increase my audience, to keep close tabs on my expenses and income and to continue to seek out new markets and new ways of marketing.

I can measure how much I am doing these things. I can keep continue to add them to my daily to do list. I am in control of the things I do and the steps I take.

And, to some degree, I can measure the success of these steps - audience size, audience growth, income. But these things are less directly in my own hands and the numbers don’t have a direct correlation. And that’s okay. Choosing a word is for me.

Choosing a word is not about the end result, but about the ways I can grow and change my mindset. It’s about noticing where I am and where I want to be. It’s about paying attention to the things I control and the places I put my energy. It’s about doing the next right thing for me.

And, there’s an extra bonus. Inviting this word into my life and my consciousness has already brought strength to areas outside of my focus. Spending time contemplating what it means to be strong has changed the way I think about all areas of my life. Stronger marriage. Stronger friendships. Stronger faith. Bonus. Bonus. Bonus.

After living with my word for these first few months of the year, I am stronger. My business is stronger. My body is stronger. I’m doing it. One day, one rep, one painting at a time.