af Lise Meijer | nov 27, 2013 | Finding courage, Finding strength, From my life, My songs, Painting process
Lately some of you have been asking me where I get the inspiration for my paintings from. Of course there are many answers to that question; inspiration is a living thing, constantly moving. Often the lessons in life is turned into inspiration, and the hardest learned can be the biggest source of creativity, once we step into transforming action. I know that to be true.
26. “Every Body needs water/Alle har brug for vand” mixed media on canvas, 24 x 30 cm – 2.100 kr.
There is however a story that I treasure very much, to do with how it all began, just 3 years ago or less. If you like, you can read it HERE, including a song I wrote to a very special lady! (Yes, involving me in a youtube clip, guitar and all!!!)
And then that special lady, Kelly Rae Roberts, shared the song on her blog. Accompanied by the kindest words, which she is so good at. I am still moved by her words (and her blog in generel) – HERE is her post with the song in it!
I am inspired by many people, and Kelly Rae has definitely been a big source of inspiration. For me, AND for thousands of other people. Had I known back then how many people she reaches with her blog and books and courses and art, I probably wouldn´t have allowwed myself to write the song. Or sent it to her. I am so happy I did send it!!! After all, we are all just humans, trying our best with what we have got, and you never know who your song or painting or kind words is meant to touch or inspire. So, I learned along the way to just simply let it out, and let life (or God, The universe, the Angels or whatever you choose to call it) take care of the rest.
PS: for those of you who are more interested in the MAKING of paintings than in the inspiration behind, click your way through my Tuturials pages where I share the step by step in Paintings in process. Like this ONE.
With love, Lise.
af Lise Meijer | sep 27, 2013 | Collaborating, Finding courage, Finding strength, Paintings, Uncategorized
“And I know I am naive, but if anything
That’s what’s going to save me
That’s what’s going to save me”
From the song “New years eve” by First Aid Kit
Recently a lady told me that until she heard me talk about the background for my paintings she thought they were all very naive. Hearing the background changed her mind, and she saw many levels in one painting.
“Journey together/ Rejse sammen” Acrylic and paper on canvas, 24 x 30 cm (sold/solgt)
(To purchase Journey together as print, head over HERE)
To me, the right kind of naivety is precious. And I believe it can save us. Keep us refreshed in a child-like, yet mature belief that goodness always wins. Believing in the goodness in our own heart and in others. And knowing that such a belief is contagious. Just like cruelty is contageous, or anything else we decide to occupy our minds with, so is goodness. And since goodness feels so much more right to the healthy human, so much more joyful, I do believe it will be the strongest force as long as there is one sane human on this earth. So much inspiration, care and joy can live inside this just one human, housed by one body. This house that each single one of us is gifted on the day of arrival her on earth.
And I believe that together we can create wonders. Still, like many of us, I struggle some days to remember that. Then comes along a video like this, and any doubt is washed away; we were born to work together, and to have enough naivety to keep believing in goodness and joy:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz63M3v11nE&w=560&h=315]
af Lise Meijer | sep 10, 2013 | Finding strength, From my life, My painting journey, Uncategorized
The other day I had a conversation with a friend. She told me there were many things in life she longed to act on, but most of the time she was stopped by fear. Fear of failing, of being neglected, of not being good enough, of setting out with a goal and not reaching it. She told me that she was hoping that one day she would be able to “knock that monkey off her shoulder” and begin doing what she really longed for.
“No, no”, I almost shouted, “for God´s sake, don´t kick the monkey off, bring it along!!!
And then I laughed: where did that come from? I thought about it for a while. And I realised that I had such a strong reaction because it could have been me speaking: I have that monkey too. The FEAR-monkey. Very much so. The one that has been whispering in my ears for years and years that I could never make an exhibition, that what I created would never be Art. People would not buy it. I would make a fool of myself if I tried, and besides, I didn´t know how, where to begin and how to even physically hang the exhibition. Funny, that was one of my biggest fears: HANGING paintings on the walls for an exhibiton!!! You see, I got that monkey too, oh yes.
(You can almost see the cheerful former Fear-monkey on my shoulder here: “She put up an exhibiton, and I´m here too, and it´s actually fun, yay!!!”)
Years back I read a popular book called “Feel the Fear – and Do it Anyway” by Susan Jeffers. I love that title. I didn´t get through the whole book at the time, having a baby in the house and not much time to myself. But somehow the title alone created a small wonder for me. Because that is exactly what I began to do, tiny step by tiny step.
I FELT the fear, the monkey on the shoulder. Then I nodded to it, and I DID whatever it was, anyway, with that monkey of fear still sitting on my shoulder. And every time I had done something new that I really wanted and had feared, the monkey transformed to a curious and not so fearful monkey anymore. Until next time I would stretch my limits and it was back full of fear. And I did whatever it was, anyway. Sometimes hesitating, but I still did it.
“Answering the stars”, print available here, story behind the painting here
My life is full of monkeys, and I suspect yours is too. Your monkey today may be fear, or illness, or trouble in your family, or selfdoubt. Today mine was a morning routine with the children that left me frazzled and wanting to creep back to bed and stay there. I didn´t. (Well I did, but only for 10 min´s) I know no that if I want to answer my life-callings there is no other way than to look the monkey straight in the eyes, and do whatever it is I long for, anyway. Don´t let the monkey rule the day. Just bring it along!
