As one looks around my newfound writing space, they are blanketed with inspiration by a couple of creative minds. Many have asked me, “What do those words on the ceiling say?” and some have inquired about my mother’s artwork. Today, I am going to share with you the story behind the art and the artists behind the quotes.
The ceiling became an “ah-ha” moment the day I found a picture on Pinterest with words painted in black on a white wall repeating, “I love you…” It was such a unique focal point and looked pretty cool in the picture. Then, I thought, what if I do something similar on the ceiling?
As anyone can tell you, most great projects start with the words, “What if?” Over the last 10 years, I discovered quotes that had lifted me up, inspired me, and encouraged me to move forward in life with my own dreams. The ceiling became an open journal filled with these quotes that took over 40 hours in eight days to complete.
After much thought, the theme of my writing studio would reveal itself as Reading on the Beach. In every essence of the word “beach” and everything that accompanies it, I wanted the sand and surf represented inside this studio. The floor’s purpose was to look like planks from a sunken ship with a rug of sand to tickle toes and warm feet. Fish netting would capture some of my most precious memories, and colorful bottles would line up along the deck before their decent into the depths of the ocean. They would shatter into multiple pieces before tumbling around the ocean floor until they becomes beautiful sparkling treasures washed up on shore.
I had collected many unique bottles over the years but some were a bit bland and needed something more. My mother found her niche as an artist in mixed media art. She created many fantastic mixed media journals and canvases. My sister and I are now fighting over who gets what canvas after our mother leaves this beautiful world. So, to alleviate the battles, and to encourage my mother to find another medium for her mixed media art, I suggested she try it on a few plain bottles that I owned.
It was a leap of faith that I was eager to take, and I trusted she would create something so beautiful and rare just for me. With that thought, I grabbed trinkets and baubles and anything I could find that meant something to me that she could use in the process. She created test bottles that I fell in love with immediately and took home upon her wish. The remaining bottles were more than I had hoped for. My hope is that she continues her mixed media art on various mediums and sells it on the market. The world needs her creations.
Thank you to my readers for your continuous support and encouragement through this process. It has given me courage to move forward and a greater sense of determination for publication!
The following quotes are my constant companions that blanket me in my studio like that of an open book on a sunny day at the beach:
“Every seashell has a story.”
“Writing is the painting of the voice.” – Voltaire
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” – E. E. Cummings
“Start writing no matter what, the water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour
“Listen to the currents.”
“Fill your paper with the breathing of your heart.” – William Wordsworth
“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.” – Emily Dickinson
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings joy to the soul.” – Wyland
“It’s a beautiful day to start.”
“Inspiration tends to come from two words: What if?” – Beth Revis
“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus
“Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be.”
“Someone out there needs your writing; keep going.”
“What would you write if you weren’t afraid?” – Mary Karr
“Dream higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.”
“The desire to write was planted in you for a reason.”
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.” – Kate Chopin
“Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.” – Jane Smiley
“The earth has music for those who listen.” – William Shakespeare
“Beautiful writing isn’t about the words we use; it’s about the emotions we evoke.”
“Let your dreams set sail.”
“If there is a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” – Toni Morrison
“Find joy in the journey.”
“It is a delicious thing to write, to be no longer yourself but to move an entire universe of your own creation.”
“May your heart be your compass.”
Stacy N. Elliott 