CONNECTING OUR LIFE + OUR ART
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]
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Yep! Already a mighty big fan of you both!!
I have loved your work now for a couple of years, bought your book last year and now I’m loving reading your blog! Your living your words! BRAVE, INTUTIVE and BLOOMING! I’m feeling brave just witnessing it! 🙂
Flora (o: I am so proud of you honey!! <3 big love to you girl, I know how brave you've been in setting this goal to write for 30 days on your blog, straight, no stopping or side stepping. You've spoken to me about your once stumbling blocks in here, but now look at you totally freeing up in here and "falling in love" with your blog, YAY! So happy for you and so proud of you too, so many amazing brave steps ahead you've been making this past year. You are a total inspiration to me and many and I'm so incredibly grateful to have you as a friend. And Kelly Rae, well, without her blessed outpouring of love and connecting and inspiring and more I may not have discovered you on line and met you. Grateful to the two of you beyond belief, you've changed my life in so many blessed ways, thank-you xxx can't wait to see you again for real, and give you a gorgeous big hug and have a fabulous good ole chat and catch up. Bring on 2014!!! Much love to you xxx Liza xxx
brave words Flora! Keep going!
I didn’t realize you two were friends. Why am I not surprised? Two of my sheros! So fun to see you having fun, Flora, it’s contagious. I guess that’s the point! ♥
Flora, I loved hearing about your friendship with Kelly Rae. My story includes both of you. I first saw Kelly Rae’s work and loved it, (of course), then bought her book and took her e-course. Sometime later I saw you on her blog, took your e-course and bought your book. Right near the end of your course, I was BRAVE and INTUITIVE and asked if I would be a good fit as a sponsor on Kelly Rae’s blog for April. The answer was yes. Now YOU are writing a blog about Kelly Rae and MY ad is on her blog! Maybe THIS is the circle of life! This is too funny! And–you are a great writer. I don’t know why you ever thought you weren’t!
big smooches to you … love that you are falling in love with your blog!
you are a treasure … grateful to know you.
oxoxo
koll
Thank you for sharing your friendship. What I love with both of you is that you share and spread your love and inspiration like dandelion seeds. These seeds are ending up in all sorts of “difficult” places, but as dandelions do, they will start grow through the hard paving! I feel that you two have started a chain of creativity and love that connects people all over the world. We will, all together, be able to spread the love and make a huge difference in the world! I am in and I will water the seed and make sure it grows through the paving in my little corner of the world!!! Thank you Flora and Kelly, my next blog post will definitely be about what you have started!
I will start knowing Kelly Rae rights now.
Thank you for sharing
Flora, you are a beautiful, amazing spirit. Just be you on your blog and that is all there is to it. You and Kelly Rea are both so calm, cool, collected and wonderful, I could go on and on. I adore you both – you have given me so much more than you will ever know. Reading your blogs and seeing your artwork brings me so much peace and happiness. I am glad you are back on here!
You are blessed to have such a true kindred spirit sister 🙂
Hi Flora,
Your drive to accomplish a goal is infectious! While I don’t have a blog (well… a bit of a fib. I started one last year but I too could not sort out what to write about…hmmmm….maybe I should revisit?) I DO like your idea of a goal of posting for a month. Post-its for posting! Purrfect! As soon as my website is up, I too shall push forward with posting!
Your writing is fun, human and real so keep it up.
Wish we could have coffee and cake!
Emily
Hi Flora, when I read your blog — I feel like I just had a cup of tea with you — thanks for the gift of your time.
Flora, thank you for sharing your visit with Kelly Rae. Now I have learned something too. I also have a hard time blogging, although I love the concept. So, I too shall create a challenge for myself of 30 days. I will try to visit daily to gather some Love from your words. Hugs!! Kim
ohhh I LOVE LOVE LOVE this— pure radiance and vibration of open heart. SUCH open heart energy!!!! so so so so good.
“…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.”
I love this comment by KellyRae. I’ve been writing my blog for over a year now. Sometimes I think it’s great, I’m proud of it and other days I think, I’m glad I did it, it was a challenge and I did it. And all the time I realize I’m witnessing parts of my life I wouldn’t have thought about or noticed otherwise. It’s something I miss on the days I don’t do it and I feel I’ve stretched and grown on the days I do.
Hi Flora,
Am just now catching up on your 30 day blog experiment! I LOVE it!! So much synchronicity going on — before I popped online this morning, I just blabbed for pages and pages in my journal about things of this very nature. You are truly one of my gurus. You are providing such wonderful guideposts for me as I take my own baby steps into this world of creative self expression. And thank you for the links to Kelly Rae’s work, too. You are both FABULOUS!!!
Many, many, many thanks to you.