The Creative Life - Barbara Trovillo

What comes to mind when you hear the word Prayer? Simply put, prayer is a conversation. A conversation with God.   A conversation is the exchange of thoughts between two or more people. For many of us, prayer can be one sided with us doing all the talking. Even so, God will respond. Not audibly, but if your heart is open, you will experience guidance or comfort or some change in your circumstances.    I keep a journal most days. I start out writing random thoughts as they pop into my head. Surrendering those thoughts to paper seems to clear the way for more lucid [...]

My husband and I were away for almost 2 weeks. We went to Folly Beach outside of Charleston, SC for some much needed R and R. We drove home last night. First, I want to say, What a difference 7 hours north makes! It is FALL here. Yes, I know September 22 is the official first day of autumn, but it was still summer in SC. I liked it better. Okay...... enough pouting.    It is GREAT to be back in the studio. I have lots of ideas for new work. I came home to a painting in progress on the easel that [...]

I think there is a life lesson here. When we face a dilemma or a goal in our lives, our view of the task is often distorted. The emotions and experiences that get in the way of seeing a situation clearly are many. Fatigue, past disappointment, fear of rejection, lack of confidence and fear of failure are just a few that can keep us from seeing the possibilities. Our imaginations often magnify a task or a problem. Consequently, we hesitate to begin the creative process needed to find a solution. If we will take these thoughts captive and proceed, we will often find the actual problem will be smaller than we imagine. [...]