Wow.  Can I just say how much I am seriously falling in love with my blog…it’ true!  I’m actually a bit floored by how EASY this is feeling, and not just easy, but exciting and soul-filling…like I’m looking forward to writing everyday.  What a turn-around.

OK, so I’m feeling totally moved to call today’s post: AN ODE TO KELLY RAE ROBERTS

Where to begin with my love for this woman?  I know many of you probably already know Kelly Rae (KRae as I affectionately call her).  Maybe you’ve taken one of her amazing and empowering online classes, maybe you’ve read her best-selling book, Taking Flight, or maybe you have one of her inspiring paintings or products in your home?  If you have yet to discover KRae, here’s your chance…you can thank me later 🙂

I became friends with Kelly Rae about three years ago and we immediately hit it off, like BIG TIME.  Ya know that feeling when you find your people and you know it from the minute you meet?  It was like that.  Instant love.  Little did I know then how very potent this friendship would eventually become.  Three years later, I have many words to describe Kelly Rae.  Here’s a short list:  collaborator, mentor, sister, inspirationalist, deep listener, lover of life, vulnerability expert, possibilitarian (her word) and one of my favorites, connectress.

Kelly Rae is the one person in my life who has already done most of the big things I’m doing now such as writing a book, licensing art, conducting online courses and (maybe most importantly) sharing her enthusiasm and passion with the world in a very soul-based and whole-hearted way.  As I have ventured into these realms over the past few years, I have felt so overwhelmed by how much I’ve had to “step it up” in so many moments, but Kelly Rae has always been there with her calm and collected self explaining exactly why and how it would all work out.  Thankfully, I believed her.

[Image of Kelly Rae and I on the Oregon coast by Kelly Rae Roberts (self timer magic)]

Today, Kelly Rae and I walked around my neighborhood for a couple of hours and like always, I left her company feeling more alive, more inspired and more ready to shine my light even brighter.  As I told her about this Blog Love Affair concept, I mentioned yesterday’s realization about my need to “look good” and how I wanted to let go of the planning and plotting around these posts.  In response, she offered me such a gem of insight.  She said (something like), “Just remember that one of the wonderful things about blogging is that you are forced to witness your life with more awareness and consciousness BECAUSE you are always looking for new ways to tell your story to your readers that will make a difference.”

Oh yeah. That.

So, I’m getting that my work here is to fluidly move between close observation and reflection about my experience in the world (something that feels a bit like “plotting”), while also shedding the need to “shiny it all” up in a neat little box in a pre-meditated fashion.  Again, I’m floored by how much all of this reflects my painting process.  Get messy.  Now refine.  Let go.  Now step back.  Make a choice.  Now change your mind.  Feel more.  Think less.  Do something brave.  Now do what feels easy.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.

Ahhh life!  Gotta love fine tuning the navigation of this wild journey.  I’m pretty sure it’s a never ending process and I’m pretty sure that might be the whole point.

Thanks for following along ya’ll.  This is super fun.

See ya tomorrow.

xo flora

[Image of us by Leigh of Curly Girl Designs]