SR Week 4: Despite her past... she achieved

This week was about looking at the excuses, reasons, roadblocks along the way that could keep us stuck, underachieving or away from our dreams, and then looking at the truths of the situation. We had 3 pages of roadblocks etc to cut out as many or as few as we wished, and I had a few of my own to add.

It might look intimidating the pages of "They told her", "They" said etc, leading to "She" thought/believed etc, but I actually found it liberating to put names and words to the feelings, beliefs and messages from the past. They’re out there now – I know the events and reasons behind them, but in being out there, they’re less of a part of me.

I’ve also added some details of my more recent achievements – made inspite of the load I was carrying then. I have felt a little bogged down with going back over those times, but I see this all as a detox. Once out, it can’t poison me anymore.

I love this message – that despite what people/my inner critics have historically said, despite all my fears, I have done so much and achieved by doing it anyway :)

SR Week 3 - I am Whole

This page shows the reconcilation of the selves - forgiveness of faults and weaknesses - things not to be ashamed of but rather to be seen as learning opportunities.

Background paper - K & Company, Classic K paper, Ying and Yang symbol, Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Journal Anthology I

SR Week 3 - Which One Today?

This week we were looking at the different fragments our selves split into over time. We are not perfect, we are human, but to have strengths we must also know weaknesses, as to know happiness, you must also the lows to truly understand the differences. I set the different selves on a ying and yang symbol to reflect balance. The pointing hand reflects the old choices - of one or the other (my black and white thinking of old). The brad allows the symbol to rotate.



Background paper - K & Company, Classic K paper, Ying and Yang symbol from Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Journal Anthology I, hand from Tangie's Journal Anthology II and brad from my stash

Week 3 - A Soul Restoration Quote

The quote resonanted with me, so I included it in my Truth Book to remind me to keep forgiving myself rather than beating myself up, which I was very good at - for example http://ajewelshiningthrough.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-i-said-was-that-i-blame-you-i_25.html Background paper from my stash (details not known), butterfly album used as template - www.craftworkcards.co.uk, paper used for butterfly - K & Company, Sera sera paper

A Summary of SR Week 2's experiences

The top quote is one that I came across this week via the Kind over Matter website; the bottom one came to me yesterday morning after finishing my timeline. The paper and tag are from K & Company, Sera sera.

Soul Restoration Week 2 - The Story of my Heart

The cover to my timeline

For Week 2 we had to do a representation of our life, using an accordion fold book. I won't be sharing details of my book - not because I'm ashamed of anything - my past is what it is. It's more that it's gone and I've let go of it. The task was difficult but it is designed to put perspective on things - that although the bad times seem to take up all the time, in the scheme of things bad years are just long as good years, they just seem the worst, but even good things happen in bad years.

My first marriage was terrible, but in that time I passed my driving test, which has allowed me so much freedom to go places and make all sorts of journeys on my own. I also learnt what was not for me. The timeline was supposed to go from 1-80 years but I did mine slightly differently - for 41 plus (on the back) I did a panel for each year as so many things have changed since then. Stopped talking to a negative influence in my life, started to forgive myself, graduated with an University degree and finally felt heard and acknowledged in counselling, so able to let go… Perhaps it was that I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the blank years, although I know I have many before me, but in making my recent better times expand, the project felt more relevant to me and my situation. The supplies additional to SR come variously from Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Cemeromy @ etsy, Traci Bautista and my stash.

Years 1-20: the accordian book had inserts - I added additional ones.

These ones were to reflect my wishes for now.

Years 21-40: The blue background I painted with acrylics to contrast

with the black clouds I added to represent my depression - that although depression feels all encompassing, some good things do happen. For these years,

the inserts reflects the truths on the situations.

Years 41-44: I expanded the timeline to one year per page, with a green painted background, to represent the expansion of my life.

Years 43-46+ My photo is a record of my happier state