So thrilled to be Celebrating Life & the Art of Gratitude with 8 other lovely artists.
“The grateful heart sits at a continuous feast.” – Proverbs
I’ll be featuring an interview and info about each artist’s creative projects leading up to the start of the e-course on October 4th. Your’s truly is the first featured artist since I have the joy of offering the content and projects for the first week of the course! 🙂
Collage above created by fellow contributing artist, Julissie Saltzberg
Fellow contributing artist, Lara Cornell, set up the following interview questions and these are my replies. <3
Lara: What are you most grateful for?
Julia: Tough one! So much…. I suppose love, sweet, love captures so much of what I’m grateful for… connections with family and friends, especially my twin boys that are thriving 10 year olds now in spite of being born 3 months early. And this crazy, mysterious life full of color and wonder… I love nature and exploring this wild planet we live on. And, of course, all of that inspires my art and creativity! I often use the terms ‘the art of living’ and ‘the art of loving’ when sharing on my website and social media. I’m grateful for my mom’s example to seek and choose joy as much as possible in this bittersweet art of living and loving. I really could go on and on… holding hands, hugs, gardens, so much….
Lara: How do you prefer to show your gratitude? (Eg: do you have any traditions?)
Julia: Yes, in addition to photography and keeping gratitude journals, the gratitude trees I’ve been making for years now inspired the creative projects for week 1 of the art of gratitude course. 🙂 Oh, and I suppose scrapbooking and art journaling are often ways of showing gratitude (celebrating life!) to me…. any art can be, really! It was photography and scrapbooking that were the bridge of sorts that evolved into art journaling and led me to painting and mixed-media.
Lara: What are your favorite fall season traditions?
Julia: I love how fall seems to enhance all the senses…. vision with the vibrant colors in the leaves, the sweet smells and tastes of apple pies and pumpkin bread (both of which we’ve just made recently from homegrown harvests), the touch of snuggles to keep warm, the sound of a crackling fire. We moved to the southern Appalachian mountains from South Florida and I’m so glad to be back in an area where the changing seasons are so interesting (instead of just tourist season, lobster season, etc!). I’m originally from West Virginia before moving to the Florida Keys in high school so I missed the changing seasons.
* Oh, and walks in the woods! *
Lara: Why did you decide to be part of this group of artists for this project?
Julia: Both creativity and gratitude have been huge healing aspects in my life after my mom’s death 5 years ago and finding a way to continue LIVING BIG AND WIDE AND FULL AND WITH JOY in spite of the tremendous grief. I was already planning to do the gratitude tree projects as an e-course when a friend suggested me to Misty Olsen (the original visionary for this course) as someone that might like to participate. I had been hoping to do more collaborative projects and love to work with other artists. It was such serendipity or amazing synchronicity that it all happened at the same time (my project plans and her invitation)… it was meant to be. <3
The Art of Gratitude E-Course Week 1: Growing Gratitude with Julia Osterc
Gratitude grows when we tend to the seeds! We grow stronger, too, when we get in touch with what makes our hearts sing with delight. You will learn several mixed-media techniques as we create an art journal page and then bring it to life with a 3 dimensional project for the home (using paint, found objects, textiles, and jewelry supplies). You are encouraged to dig deep into your roots and surroundings (including nature, sentimental collections, and supply stash) to incorporate aspects from your one and only YOU-nique life, loves, and story to celebrate life! You’re welcome to collaborate with your children. I’ve done this with my own children during past projects that inspired these projects and it was always a beautiful, blessed time. Let’s plant and nurture a garden of gratitude together. <3
Every one is invited and welcome to join us to creatively celebrate life through the art of gratitude! No prior art experience is necessary. The course content will be available for a full 6 months so plenty of time to play and explore all the great projects! Want to experience the fun and magic of creativity and the joy that an attitude of gratitude nurtures in your life?! Know someone that would appreciate the gift of gratitude and creativity? We’d be so very grateful to have you and your friends join us here. <3
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