craftraven

June was a little bit different from the previous five months of this year. Having spent six months building craftraven, designing the website, working on blog posts, Pinterest pins, craft projects, shop items, and numerous small details, I realized I had accomplished my 2025 goal. I decided that my goal for June would be to determine how this business would operate on a day-to-day basis. 

It has been over twenty years since I last regularly worked in a sketchbook. When I have drawn or painted, I have sat down with a clear idea and reference photos to produce a finished piece. Color me curious when I picked up the itch this month. 

With craftraven up and running, I can pour more energy into creative pursuits.

Ten or fifteen years ago, I consciously decided to stop saving “the good stuff” for special occasions. We got rid of our Wal-Mart-bought plates and began using my great-grandmother's tableware, which I inherited. We started using the “guest towels” in our everyday lives. We sold our flatware and used great-grandma’s silver instead.

or as long as I can remember, I have tried to draw things the way I see them. I do this nearly always while looking at photographs, which are unchanging images. Photographs allow me to compare my work directly with them, a benchmark for accuracy. I have never looked at art and asked, "What am I trying to say? What does this mean?" For myself, it has solely been a technical ability to draw realistically.

Perfection can be boring and sterile; sometimes, it can feel like the artistic equivalent of everything is a shade of beige. Imperfect art, on the other hand? That’s where the magic lives.

Anxiety has become a common struggle for many people. Adult coloring books are an unexpected yet effective tool in this quest for calm.

Different genres of music can elicit a range of responses—they can help regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and even alleviate depression.

The Mister and I needed a day out, and, as spontaneity sometimes does, it took us five hours away from home.

This month taught me that working 100% of the days in a month isn't the healthiest of goals. It's much better to find a balance.

I have a big “unachievable” goal. I don’t have the means to throw at it and make it happen right now, so let’s call it an aspiration. 

Sometimes, when we tackle a large project that will take many days or weeks, we can begin to feel burnout.

“Build your life around your dreams and watch them come true.”

Sometimes, no matter how much you wish you could, you can’t fix something. But you CAN mend something.

People have always told me I should sell my artwork. I even took a few years off working a typical job to “do art.” I had no actual plan.

Sharing my thoughts, experiences, and ideas related to mental health, personal growth, and creativity.