kelly rae: Taking Flight: your creations!

(i LOVE this photo that 16 year old seth jones sent over. he just opened his very own etsy shop - more details below)

ok, peeps. first, thanks so much for all the emails with photos and links and stories about how Taking Flight has inspired you. i'm always blown away how this book reaches people on so many levels - it's really a testament to how it's in the telling of our stories that our connections live. as i say in the beginning of the book's intro:

I am just like you. A girl who is always learning. A woman whose soul is vibrant with inspiration. A creative spirit that is expressive and sensitive. We are all connected, intertwining in this creative life. It’s because of this that I believe in the power of telling our stories – the stories of how we muster up our courage and leap and dance and breathe our way into our creative dreams. This is how we learn from one another. How we begin to finally see the potential and possibilities that live inside our hearts.

i wrote that intro over two years ago and it's all still true. okay, back to the point of this post - sharing YOUR works! i'm planning to do a series of these posts (once a month or so), so keep sending me photos and links if you'd like to be considered for future posts! please understand that there's no way i can include everyone's projects but i LOVE that you are sending them over and sharing the stories. makes my heart warm.

here we go....(ps - if they're aren't links to the artists it's because none were given/sent)

totally digging how seth used the patchwork technique for the background. loving the words "cherish the moments that inspired you" and the heart tree and that sweet little birdie.

can i just say that i love that teenagers are into this book! loving how seth's made it his own. he took the techniques and ran with them. loving the colors, the vibrancy, the messages, the textures. go seth! seth just opened his first etsy shop full of prints and originals - go over and say hello. i'm totally smitten with his creations. and his photography (the hand-made hands photo up above is also his).

this is a gorgeous piece done by L.E. who sent over her amazing story of healing and triumph. she picked up Taking Flight during a challenging medical journey . she wrote, "It was exactly what I needed to take with me to the hospital/clinics - it took my mind off what was going on around me and it made me happy. I was re-learning how to do everything including holding a pen and trying to write again and your book got me excited about the idea of painting and creating ... you had me dreaming again and I was "rough" sketching out my ideas to everyone's surprise." can you believe this is her FIRST collage painting? wowzers!

artist heather shirin is a trained artist who says "Taking Flight changed my life... I had never been able to create a solid body of work until your words moved me to try a new techniques within my paintings." the result: she's soaring. check out her website! again, love how she made the techniques her own and how her unique creative voice shine thru. gorgeous.

this piece was created by danielle of wish bliss studio. danielle was a student of mine last year at a creative retreat and i had no idea (until she sent this over) that she went home from that retreat and starting creating some pretty amazing works. go, danielle!!!!!!! check out her etsy store - you don't want to miss it.

debbie v sent this over. love the perspective and the sweetness (she made it for her daughter's room). cute, cute, cute.

this was sent over by anna who made this lovely piece as a tribute to her mom who recently passed. the woman's skirt is filled with words that describe her mom....beautiful courage, warm laugh, blessed journey. i love that anna found comfort and healing in creating art. i also love how her vulnerability comes thru in this piece with the phrase "i want to share my heart and see joy bloom." really, really great, anna.

what i love about this piece is the sweetness, the colors, and the story. Carrie wrote, "This was so much fun to learn how to do! I have 3 girls--so I did this in honor of them. They made a sunflower house outside this summer and had secret rituals inside of it. My memory of this image of them enveloped in sunflowers and playing while the the fireflies began lighting up the approaching dusk inspired me to paint this. I still have to add the words that I want: Under sunflowers...among fireflies....secrets are shared." how seriously sweet is that - a momma painting her daughters...thank you, carrie.

loving how elizabeth (who is a ceramic artist) decided to give a try at collage painting. love how she's put her own stamp on the techniques. cute, cute, cute!