New Beginning

It has been a very long time since I have posted anything.  Last February I had a depressive episode that knocked me down.  It was only until this past January that I have picked up my art supplies and began creating again.  I hadn't realized how much I missed it!

I first went to youtube and pinterest to help me get my mojo back.  It had been so long that I was a little rusty.  But just like anything else, once I started creating, it became much easier.  With each new piece I am getting a little bit better (artistically).  Mentally, I am doing great!  With the support of my friends and family, medication adjustments, and wonderful counseling, I came through the episode relatively quickly.  (Although, time stands still when your in it!)

So, having said all of that, I wanted to share with you an art journal prompt that really excited me.  It's called What is your totem animal?

One of the things I learned in counseling is that the psyche is aware of so much more than our conscious realizes.  And this is universal.  That is why, for example, the symbol of a bird is used to represent freedom across many cultures. 

American Indians used animals to represent certain personality traits in people.  They are called a person's totem animal and it represents all of the complexities of their personality. 

I was curious to see what my totem animal was, so I visited a website http://www.allthetests.com/quiz10/quiz/1095198776/What-Totem-Animal-Are-You to take a free test.  The results were amazing!  I was actually a mixture of three animals.  The butterfly, eagle, and bear.  I really connected to the butterfly and that is the animal I chose to journal about.  (Technically it's an insect, but whatever!)

Here is what I came up with:

So, I challenge you to take the quiz and then do an art journal page that celebrates your totem animal.

I would love to see what you come up with.