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Visual Journaling

I Made This Just For You!

October 9, 2017 by linda

Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough

I don’t know about you but the many harsh and difficult events of this year were beginning to take a toll on me. The other morning I woke up keenly aware of the fragility of life. This wasn’t from watching the news and the daily reminders of how quickly life can end.

This was different.

I felt it in my cells.

The weight of the world was starting to crush me. I felt I had to come up with a guiding vision or fall prey to feelings of helplessness or worse, hopelessness.

What I came to is that I am standing on the side of the creators, not the destroyers.

In other words, I will put my energy towards creating in the world and not on those intent on destroying it.

I’ve always had a love / hate relationship with creativity.

Persistent, loud, critical inner voices and the belief that creativity was something you did AFTER you got all your work done consistently stopped me from doing what was in my heart to do. From art school to therapy to coaching, it’s been a very long road to recovering my creative confidence. Always two steps forward, one step back with an occasional detour along the way.

This inner battle caused me no end of suffering.

Finding that illusive inner peace has formed the foundation of all my work.

Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough

Imagine denying who you are at your very core.

Well, no longer.

Now I know that creativity is one, if not THE most valuable skills you can have in this lifetime.

You too may question your ability to be creative. You may have a creative project or idea that you can’t seem to get off the ground. You may let a number of obstacles stop you from creating what you want in your life or work. You may discount the importance creativity plays in your life.

Today, I’m declaring NOT ANY MORE!

Creativity is not just for artists. Your creative confidence is more important now than ever!

Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough

The ability to freely express yourself, to find your unique voice, to have fun making things, to solve problems, and to face this world of increasing uncertainty with confidence, these are some of the gifts that come from your creative intelligence.

Understanding how to access and use this intelligence in today’s world is one of the most empowering acts you can do for yourself. Liberating your creative expression brings a deep happiness that is unmatched by any poor substitute.

If you’re ready to truly express yourself, to bring your ideas out to the world, to access new resources and find new solutions, to embrace your creative powers while having fun…

If you’re ready to change your world…

find out how here.

Filed Under: Art, Classes, Creative Process, Visual Journaling

Slow Living in the south of France

July 30, 2017 by linda

Flash from the past: One of my last posts while living in France.

It’s almost August, the month when normal activity in France comes to a screeching halt as everyone goes on vacation.

And it’s hot.

The difference between hot here and hot in the California desert => air conditioning.

Making a break in your routine, getting a different perspective and experiencing different cultures are some of the great reasons for vacationing. Another option, not quite the same but with no long security lines to wait in, is reading.

This summer, I’m traveling vicariously with Rita Golden Gelman as I read her book Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World. Although we are opposites as far as personality, the way she travels has much to do with the very themes I’ve been talking about here.

With a general idea of where she wants to be, she lets her desire for authentic connection guide her to experiences she couldn’t have planned. This is the joy of living creatively. And the basis for my creative practice, the daily quick collages that are happening in an instant now as I continue to practice not-thinking and feeling my way forward.

Daily Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough 2017

This post is a perfect example of following where creativity leads. We had guests last week and were out playing tourist. It is during these times when my appreciation for living here soars. I was inspired to take a brief interlude from writing and share some photos of life in France with you. But when I started writing about the Nomad book, new ideas came to mind and took me off in a different direction.

A couple of relevant quotes:
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. John Lennon
If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. Woody Allen

When you aren’t attached to where you want to go, in life or while traveling, you can end up in infinitely more interesting places than you had planned. When was the last time you were attentive to your inner instincts?

What would happen if you let go, just a little bit, and let yourself be wowed by your wisdom?

Daily Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough 2017

Now, how about taking a mini-vacation with some photos of slow living in the south of France?

Playing Tourist in Nice

Sculpture of iconic Nice chairs

Walking the trail around Cap Ferrat

View from Saint Jeannet

Walking below Tourrettes-sur-Loup

Visual Journaling Workshop Poolside

Cannes Film Festival

Plenty of Historic Sites + Art
Vence Chapelle de Rosaire by Matisse

Vence Cathedral view from my walk ~
Smallest cathedral in France which contains a mural by Chagall inside.

Foundation Maeght ~ Modern Art Collections in Exquisite Setting

Niki de Saint Phalle ~ School of Nice artist

Which comes first in France, art or food?
Cheese is all important.

Of course wine, and talking about wine.

Fresh oysters at home.

Finishing off with a café crème.

Happy Summer Vacation wherever you are and however you get there!

Filed Under: Art, Beauty, Passion, Visual Journaling

A Short Note On Desire

July 23, 2017 by linda

with a clear mind, a world of possibility awaits you.

when there is no thinking in the way, the magic of the Universe is at your disposal.

you are free to tend to your heart’s desire / what wants to happen through you.

you can live with less effort + more joy

if only you have

the desire to create,

the willingness to listen,

the awareness to hear,

and the courage to act.

Daily Quick Collage ~ Linda Hough 2017

Visual Journaling Page ~ Linda Hough 2017

Filed Under: Creative Process, Visual Journaling

Are You Living In The Culture Of Not Enoughness?

April 3, 2016 by linda

The words are rampant in the Western world.

Maybe you’ve even said them yourself. Surely you’ve thought them.

There is not enough.

I don’t have enough.

And the real kicker, I am not enough.

In societies that have more abundance and riches than in any other time in history, how is it possible that these words are so often, if not uttered, then at least thought or felt, several times a day?

Although men suffer from this syndrome as well, I’m going to focus the attention on women here because these words are the cultural battle cry underlying the majority of messages that come our way.

YOU ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH => YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH.

not enoughness

You can fill in your own personal blank.

You are not ______ enough.

Most of us have a self-image that is not beautiful enough, not thin enough, not sexy enough, not attractive enough.

We overwork to compensate for being not enough especially when we want both career and kids. We’re underpaid in most areas of the work world. We spend billions of dollars on products and cosmetic surgery to help us feel enough.

So what’s new? We have a pretty good picture of all this already, when we stop to think about it.

What I’m curious about is how much you think this personally affects your life?

When you do stop to think about it, how often does this insidious mantra pulse through your thoughts and your actions?

Do you overcompensate and over-give so that people will like you even though you feel like it’s never working?

Do you opt for the opposite, can’t be bothered putting in effort because it’ll never be good enough, but then don’t achieve the goals you have for yourself?

Do you strive to be perfect, often falling into overwhelm and exhaustion?

In my years of coaching and as an artist, I’ve noticed this primary belief lying at the base of some of the most talented, intelligent women I know. Whether it is unconsciously there or right up front in your face, these four words are the cause of more than their fair share of unhappiness and misery.

To give you an idea of how pervasive and deep this feeling of not-enoughness goes, I’ll share some thoughts from a must-read book for our times The Chrysalis Effect: The Metamorphosis of Global Culture.

chrysalis effect

Philip Slater describes two opposing systems that are currently engaged in an epic struggle. In his words:

The old system I call Control Culture. Its concern with mastery led to the creation of rigid mental and physical compartments, a static vision of the universe, a deep dependence on authoritarian rule, a conviction that order was something that had to be imposed, and a preoccupation with combat.

The new system I call Integrative Culture, because its guiding impulse is to dissolve mental walls and permeate artificial boundaries—to celebrate interdependence. It has a dynamic vision of the universe, a democratic ethos, and sees order as something that evolves, as it does in Nature, from spontaneous interaction.

Written well before the current presidential race in the U.S., this is another quote from the book:

Control Culture is obsessed with building walls.

Does that ring any bells?

More interestingly, do you know what the foundation of the entire Control Culture is based on?

The demotion of women.

You cannot have an authoritarian, war-like society unless women are devalued and oppressed.

Whaattttt????

I don’t know about you but the Control Culture is NOT a world I want to continue to live in. If you take a big picture, visionary look at the world right now, you can see how this control/integrator dynamic is playing out in many different areas of life.

The conflict is within every nation, every political party, every religious tradition, every institution, every individual.

My question to you is simple: which culture would you rather live in?

On a personal level, where are you fighting for control and where are you letting life evolve?

Visionary journaling fits exactly into the Integrative Culture.

In the creative process, knowing when to step in and when to let go is essential. This is what makes having a creative practice worthwhile. The focus is not on the product but on the experience; being present in the moment, flowing with the materials in a dance that is happening just for you.

Your journal is a safe place to practice this dance with absolutely no risk, no consequences, no judging from the outside world. There is only you and your page.

Willingness all you need.

And a few simple materials.

Through this process you will find self-kindness and self-love. This self-knowledge culminates in a woman who knows herself to be enough, who knows what she is doing and why, and is satisfied with the life she is creating.

I invite you to step through the portal of enoughness and take the journey of a lifetime. Through private 1-1 sessions with me, you will use visionary journaling to learn how to let go and trust, how to find enoughness, how to interpret what emerges from the page and apply it directly to your life. This is intimate creative work at its best.

If you feel the desire to finally get free from the culture of not-enoughness, click here for more details.

portal of enoughness

Filed Under: Creative Process, Visual Journaling, Workshop

Could This Be Your Answer?

February 10, 2016 by linda

Looking for a document on my computer the other day, I came across a PowerPoint presentation for a talk I gave 3 years ago. Suddenly, all the thoughts and feelings I had about being center stage erupted in my memory.

The talk didn’t go well. To say the least.

It was an out-of-body experience that had me walking stiffly across the stage and forgetting a main point here and there. It was an unpleasant memory that I’d rather leave alone.

Panel One1st Panel ~ Visual Journal Pages ~ Linda Hough 2016

I quickly brought my thoughts back to the present and wondered whether I’d ever voluntarily decide to be on stage again.

What really got my attention though was looking over the content of the presentation entitled Live Your Biggest Vision.

As I scrolled the panels of the PowerPoint I found myself smiling.

Visions and visionaries have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. It occurred to me that occasionally life has a funny way of pulling all the scattered pieces together and showing you the big picture.

Reflecting back on my one and only speaking experience, I have learned that sharing my message is best done through the visual assemblage of images and words, and certainly not from the stage.

vision PosterPoster ~ Linda Hough 2016

What I see now is that everything I’ve spent my life learning is coming into play.

Coaching amplifies the importance of living true to ourselves and honoring our gifts and challenges.

Creating my own art, experiencing the freedom of self-expression, the deep healing and joy I’ve received from following this path.

And now visual journaling, a tool that is beyond measure for self-inquiry, creative practice and working out pretty much any difficulty.

Most importantly, I’ve learned to embrace life as a creative path traveling through beauty and bumps but always a journey of meaning and fulfillment.

At the end of last year, I came full circle back around to my origins.

Thinking my exhibition days were behind me, I was surprised and delighted when offered dates in December to exhibit some of my work in a local bio café.

Along with paintings, for the first time ever I displayed the three panels of visual journaling pages that you see here.

Panel Two2nd Panel ~ Visual Journal Pages ~ Linda Hough 2016

One of the most valuable experiences I’ve had with visual journaling is the practice of becoming comfortable with not-knowing.

For many people, maybe even you, not-knowing can be extremely uncomfortable.

Not knowing what you are doing next. Not knowing where you’re headed or with whom or how you are going to get there. Not knowing your big picture. Not knowing when you’ll know.

Extremely. Uncomfortable.

Yet, it is in this place of not-knowing that all answers exist.

Being comfortable not-knowing is the key to knowing.

But how do you become comfortable in this ever-so-uncomfortable place?

Like anything else you learn to do, you practice.

You practice entering into the unknown. And you practice being comfortable there.

Believe me, it does take practice.

It’s completely possible.

And the answers come.

Panel Three3rd Panel ~ Visual Journal Pages ~ Linda Hough 2016

What if all the elements of YOUR life are forming your own big picture, you just don’t know what it is yet?

Imagine gaining clarity where you most need it.

Imagine at the same time developing your creative abilities.

Then imagine being able to see into your future.

This is the process I’ve developed.

Click here if you’d like to know more.

Filed Under: Passion, Visual Journaling, Workshop

This Would Have Seemed Impossible

February 3, 2016 by linda

It’s been almost a year since you last heard from me. And what a year it’s been: a year where discovery, learning and re-invention took center stage.

Eleven months ago, I took a leap into Lisa Sonora’s 9-month visual journaling facilitator program that became a roller coaster ride through my own creative journey.

I remember a time when this path would have seemed impossible for me.

creative journey facilitatorOfficial Graduate Creative Journey Facilitator Training 2015

I started out in life thinking I could never be an artist. Playing with paint and paper was for other people.

I wasn’t sure who those other people were but I was pretty sure they weren’t me.

But the desire to create was planted firmly in my heart. And it wouldn’t go away.

Even as I tried to fit myself into a normal life, pursuing a degree in communication, I lusted after those studio shots in magazines where one could barely catch a glimpse of the working surface for all the creative mess that lay on top.

And the tools!

Brushes and pens and markers, oh my!

Messy DeskArtist Studio

How I wanted to put myself smack in the middle of that very scenario. My heart races as I relive the memory.

What was it that separated me from my desires?

A wall of beliefs. I simply didn’t believe that life could be mine.

I slowly came to realize that desires live in our hearts for a reason.

Desires conjure up visions of what life could be like if only you’d listen. Yet so many of us deny or discount our desires.

What I personally discovered was that on some deep level, I didn’t feel I deserved to have what I wanted, to explore the world both behind and in front of my eyes through paint. Yes, for others. No, for me.

Until I saw a way through.

Spending time on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, I watched women sitting on the ground with their backstrap looms weaving fabric, one strand at a time.

An idea began to take form. This was something I could do.

On the way home from this trip, I had a dream in which an image appeared; a fully formed image of three figures each in their own panel. And I was the artist.

Great Spirit TriptychGallery 57 Show ~ Great Spirit Triptych ~ ©Linda Hough 1987

When I got home, I took the one step that led me to where I am today. I signed up for a weaving class. I eventually went on to weave the dream image. (above)

Now, today, I have a designated workspace with tools ~ lovely tools~ and a new desire. My feelings about what I want to do are no longer stuck inside but are leading the way in this brand new phase of life.

The facilitator training provided me the time and space to plunge to the depths of my creative soul. I returned with a renewed commitment not only to my personal artwork but also to supporting others in discovering the magic of the creative process.

I’ve come to understand at an even deeper level the value and importance of being creative, not only by doing a certain activity but also in the making of a life.

That artist studio image above? It’s another dream come true: my very own messy workspace.

Filed Under: Creative Process, Process, Visual Journaling

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