I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time. ~ Anna Frued

Inspired by my best friend Jody I went to an intuitive painting workshop this weekend. It went from 10 until 5 both Saturday and Sunday. What a nice break! It was so much fun meeting and connecting with some really great women. There were a lot of laughs, tears, and overall joy.

It was nice chatting with these women about every aspects of our lives. I told them about my almost lifetime struggle with weight issues. It was really nice to get it off my chest to a group of people who weren't going to judge me. They all gave me suggestions and encouragement. Then we all discussed our favorite recipes! It was such a blast. I really cannot wait to hang out with these women again. It is like we were all suppose to there with each other.

There is something very similar to this in Denver but this was so much better. Unlike the workshop in Denver we were allowed to expand our paintings to make them as big or as small as they needed to be. We were allowed to use as loads of brushes, paints, sponges, and other materials. There was a such a feeling of creativity, freedom, and being a child!

The pictures are small but there are a lot of them. I wish they would have come out bigger. I have asked Carolyn (the woman who lead the workshop) to send me the full-size pictures if she still has them.

The very first strokes. I was kind of nervous and didn't want to make a fool of myself.



Scattered chaos



Is that a boob?



I think that might be a boob!



Down on the floor painting. It was so fantastic!



Filling up more space



Hmmm, it seems to me that I am painting upside down



Yep, I was definitely painting upside down



I love how it keeps changing



Another layer



Some flowers...



Still blooming



This was the last photo taken Saturday evening



Sunday morning. Shapes are starting to emerge.



Oh, hello birdies! It is really strange that birds were coming out. I don't really like birds but I could see them in a bunch of different brush strokes.



They just kept popping up



Spider legs have disappeared into a cloud of purple



This is my favorite picture of my painting. The big red bird is my favorite. She came out of 4 different shapes that had been painting on over the weekend. Truly incredible that she appeared.



Thorny rose bushes for protection. These were the last things I painted. After I painted them on I just knew I was done.



My finished painting. I love my painting so much. I want to seal it and hang it in Agnes' bedroom. There is something so fairy tale about it.


This was truly a life changing weekend.

My journey with weight loss took me on a path to this workshop. I wasn't hungry once while painting. Maybe there is something in the smell of fresh paint that works as an appetite suppressant!!!!