Artsy Fun

Today’s Monster

Betsy has some important stuff to say.

Image description: a purple, orange, and teal monster with giant ears, and a potato shaped body with 6 arms and two large feet. Text next the image reads “
Betsy is tired of hearing you be mean yourself. She’s hoping to help you break the habit by reminding you that you’re doing best you can with the resources you have.”

Saturday’s Monster

A blue and purple teardrop shaped monster with black tendrils
Image description: a purple and blue raindrop-shaped monster with curlicue tendrils and big round glasses. Text next to the monster reads – Terri wants to remind you that it is okay to feel however you feel.
“Go ahead and feel your feelings,” She says, “Let them wash over you like a wave and they will pass.”
She knows it isn’t easy to do but it will get easier in time.

As I said on Instagram:

Some advice from Terri today.

You want to use good judgement with how you express your feelings but accepting/understanding/feeling them is the only way to deal with them.

Be kind to yourself out there, please.

Today’s Monster

I’m a bit tired and grumpy today and so is today’s Monster.


Image description: a drawing of an orange monster with tendrils on top of her head. She has a blue blanket over her shoulders and is holding a grey teddy bear. One of her eyes is bigger than the other and her mouth is a bumpy line which makes her look a bit disgruntled. Black text on the right reads:
Penny is feeling a bit grumpy today
so she’s cuddling up with her favourite blanket and her teddy bear. When the world feels hard, she tries to find as much softness as she can
She hopes you will too.

Monstrous May

Okay, so May isn’t actually monstrous but it is when I do a personal drawing challenge called ‘MAYbe20Monsters’ in which I draw, you guessed it, maybe 20 monsters over the course of the month.

I’ve decided that this year’s monsters are all going to have a question to ask.

First up, Marion is wondering if you can take a little break and catch your breath?

A drawing of a yellow monster with grey splotches all over and purple trim at the top of their head.
Image description: a drawing of a yellow monster with wiggly grey spots and a sort of heart-shaped head that is trimmed in purple. Marion, the monster, has eyes that look kind of like an infinity symbol, and their mouth is open to reveal one triangular tooth. They have just two arms but the bottom of their body spreads out into five shapes almost like tree roots. Grey text on the right side of the image reads “Marion is wondering if you can take a little break and catch your breath? She worries about you!”

Invoking Creativity

12 or 13 years ago, I was in Colorado for a convention and I found a great-smelling little shop that sold candles (and other cool stuff.)

I bought one that invoked creativity and brought it home with me, making most of my luggage smell creative in the process.

I burnt that candle sparingly but eventually I had used it up. I was able to find another online (spending a fortune on shipping!) and used that one sparingly until it too was gone.

I kept a little bit of the wax – not nearly enough to melt into a new candle – just because it smelled so great- but I just couldn’t justify the expense of getting another shipped here.

Then, a few years back, I discovered that a local store – The Natural Emporium* – carried them so I have been happily invoking creativity ever since.

Do I actually need outside help to invoke creativity?

No.

Do I enjoy how the smell of this candle puts me in mind of how often I have created things while the candle burned nearby?

Most definitely.

It’s good to for anyone to surround themselves with reminders of the things that are important to them.

It’s especially important for people with ADHD because those visual cues (and olfactory cues in the case) can help keep our plans and wishes top of mind.

Also, I just like it.

A photo of a lit purple candle in a small glass container
My creativity candle sat in the edge while I read on the tub yesterday. Image description: a purple candle in a small glass container sits on the edge of a bathtub with the blue shower curtain in the background. The white label on the candle has the word ‘creativity’ in purple at the top, then an square of rainbow lines with an artist’s palette etched into it. Below the rainbow square is text reading ‘“allow me to explore new dimensions, discover, new thoughts, ideas, and emotions.” and the name of the company – Crystal Journey Candles

*An absolutely delightful place run by a kind and delightfully enthusiastic woman and her low-key and friendly staff.