Hi everyone!
This is Karen, back with another Mixed Media with Karen page. This month, I decided I wanted to use the chipboard pieces from Find Your Wings and Fly. I started by covering my page with tissue paper:
After I glued it down, I was a bit scared. I thought it looked terrible and wasn't sure if I should continue but then I reminded myself that many pages go through an "ugly" period and it doesn't mean anything. So I moved forward and lay down some of the chipboard pieces I wanted to use. I didn't fully press on them in case I decided later that I wanted to squeeze something under one.
As you can see, I also cut the flower one. I like having my elements come off the edges of the page so I decided to cut it to accommodate me.
Then it was time for my title. This one came from another zen podcast I was listening to. She said that compassion starts by thinking "What is it like for this person." or something along those lines. I decided to make a thought bubble, so I used Sky's the Limit - No Limit paper and created something that looked like what I wanted. I drew in pencil and didn't overthink it.
I cut that out and added two small circles and I had my thought bubble.
I decided the paper needed some ink to stand out more and then decided to ink all the other elements too. I added a few small things here and there. Some enamel dots, some stamps and I had a bunch of texture. Then I added my title and my page was done:
For this one, I also added some journaling which is some rewording of what Tara says here:
Because we are conditioned to pull away from suffering, awakening a compassionate heart requires a sincere intention and a willingness to practice. It can be simple. As you move through your day and encounter different people, slow down enough to ask yourself a question. “What is life like for this person? What does this person most need?”
If you deepen your attention, you’ll find that everyone you know is living with vulnerability. Everyone is living with fear, with loss, with uncertainty. Everyone, on some level, needs to feel safe, loved and seen.
"To be kind, we need to slow down and notice." source
And there we go. Another page done, another good reminder-to-self and I am no longer worried my page is too ugly. As always, thank you for letting me share my page and I look forward to seeing you next month!
