blog-spiration

Inspiration comes in many forms. Sometimes, it can even come in the form of a blog post (or two)! I've recently been inspired by a couple of blog posts by Veronica Varlow, and I thought I would share them with you here. To be honest, I've been inspired by a lot of Veronica's blog posts- I am a fan of her writing and her approach to life- but for the purposes of this particular post, I'll limit myself to discussing these two. I have a feeling you will likely add her Danger Diary to your "regular reading" list! Is "blog-spiration" a word? Hmm...

The first one has to do with how you start your day (http://dangerdame.com/2014/12/15/2-things-you-need-to-know-to-change-the-entire-course-of-your-day/). Yes, it's true: I love my iPhone, and for a long time, I had a major habit of starting my day by lounging in bed, playing around on my phone (Facebook, email, etc). I say "had" because I was able to break this habit, thanks to the "no electronics for the first 20 minutes of your day" challenge posed in this blog post. Now, I begin my day by writing in a dream journal, followed by heading upstairs to my studio to paint. Isn't that so much better? I've even been making the effort to get up a little bit earlier just so I can be sure to get in some early-morning studio time if I have another morning commitment. This is major, because anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person. I've been spending at least 30 minutes in my studio every day that I'm home for several years now, but this early-morning time slot not only allows me to start my day off right, it makes me want to try to get into my studio more than once per day. So, if this helped me, maybe it can help you, too!

The second one is the "#dangerdiarychallenge" ( http://dangerdame.com/2015/01/29/the-28-day-danger-diary-instagram-photo-challenge/). This is a photo-a-day assignment on Instagram, and it has been so much fun to participate in! Each day has a theme (a view from a window, a favorite thing in your room, etc.) and the basic premise of the challenge is something I love to explore in my art: the beauty that's all around us, finding the divine in the ordinary, and celebrating how you see/feel/experience your world. Curious? Here's a link to my Instagram page: http://instagram.com/brushstrokesbymaria/!

So, now I'll ask you: are there any blogs that inspire you? Has anyone "challenged" you to begin a new and positive habit that has made your life better? I'd love to hear about it!