simplify Archives - Miranda van den Heuvel

Freedom

Miranda2022-12-31T12:58:53+02:00December 22nd, 2022|

Day 22 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was FREEDOM Janice Joplin sang “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose Nothin’ don’t mean nothin’ honey, if it ain’t free, no no” I am lucky enough to grow up in a country where I am free to live and choose whatever I want. Being free to choose also means having A LOT of choices. And that can be daunting. So sometimes having no choice can be quite freeing. Then [...]

Balance

Miranda2022-12-31T12:55:53+02:00December 21st, 2022|

Day 21 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was BALANCE Oh how difficult balance felt this year. Right!? Such an emotional rollercoaster. Some days I felt overjoyed. Some days I felt like I was pushing a huge boulder up a hill. Some days felt light as a feather. Some days I wanted to hide. It’s all part of life. And yet. These recent years seem to have taken a toll on humanity as a whole. 🦋Where is your balance at?🦋 [...]

Magical moments

Miranda2022-12-31T12:54:28+02:00December 20th, 2022|

Day 20 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was MAGICAL MOMENTS I've always been able to see and notice things that others didn't. I would look down when others looked up. I would connect the seemingly unconnectable. I would make up things from scratch. I could come up with 100 ideas in a minute. And so I can see magic in the ordinary. I can create magic in the everyday. Because magic is not only for magicians. We are a [...]

Home(land)

Miranda2022-12-31T12:52:47+02:00December 19th, 2022|

Day 19 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was HOME(LAND) I've lived in many houses, apartments and even countries. I've moved so many times. Each time shedding and letting go of something: an era, a relationship, a situation, a dream. Each time moving into something new. And different. The only things that remained a constant throughout was my BODY. Yes it changed over time (sometimes a lot!), but it was always there [...]

What can you let go of?

Miranda2022-12-31T12:51:03+02:00December 18th, 2022|

Day 18 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was WHAT CAN YOU LET GO OF? Let go is written on the wall of my studio. It is one of tthe most important lessons in life. There is so much we hold on to, we carry around, we insist on having. Thoughts. Assumptions. Clutter. Projections. Grief. Perfectionism. Picture of how it is supposed to be. Fears. Default settings. Masks. Boundaries. The list is endless and each person has [...]

Fearless

Miranda2022-12-31T12:47:35+02:00December 17th, 2022|

Day 17 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was FEARLESS I’m 53 today. I am not fearless. But I have learned to live with fear. I give it a chair at the table. Because fear is useful. It plays a role in our life. It keeps us safe. Sometimes from things that no longer represent a danger. Fear can be a bit stupid that way. 😂 Once it had protected us from something, it keeps doing that. Even after the danger is no longer. [...]

Unfiltered

Miranda2022-12-31T12:44:36+02:00December 16th, 2022|

Day 16 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was UNFILTERED Gloria Gaynor sings: Your life is a sham til you can shout out I am what I am No hiding No excuses No judgement (of self or others) Loving what’s in your closet Banging your own drum Loving your sparkles Being proud Shouting it out NO FILTER 🦋What does unfiltered bring up in you?🦋 [...]

Vulnerability

Miranda2022-12-31T12:40:53+02:00December 15th, 2022|

Day 15 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was VULNERABILITY If you haven’t watched @brenebrown Ted Talk on shame and vulnerability or read any of her books, I highly recommend you Google her. For a long time, I saw vulnerability as a weakness. I grew up ‘being strong’ and that meant not showing your weaknesses and emotions and often even hiding your deep down truth. Eventually, I started showing up more authentically [...]

Building castles in the air

Miranda2022-12-31T12:39:27+02:00December 14th, 2022|

Day 14 of #artjournaladvent2022 Every day, I receive a prompt to create a page in my advent art journal. Today's prompt was BUILDING CASTLES IN THE AIR I’ve collaged a poem by Thomas Love Peacock on building castles in the air as well as a mix of Paris’ Dome des Invalides and Notre Dame. Dreaming up images, stories, adventures has always been a thing for me. I wrote and collages so much as a kid and teenager. I dreamed a lot too about adventures to come and where I’d want to go and what I’d wan [...]

Safe harbour

Miranda2022-12-31T12:37:42+02:00December 13th, 2022|

I am participating in @kasiaavery CareDecember Art Journaling project. This is day 2 prompt: THE HARBOUR On my 2022 visionboard there is a quote that says: I write to understand life. I have written for as long as I can remember. Journals, diary, poems, newsletters, letters, stories, books, workshop content, coaching programs. I ha e often combined it with art or collage. It's an out pour of what's in me. It's an intake of the world. Writi g gives it meaning, sense and purpose. I read a lot too [...]