Let's get healthy!

Recently I had a feeling, that I should really do something about my diet. I don't pay any attention to what I eat, I have far too much thing to do, I'm usually happy if I have any idea what to eat next at all. I'm sure I haven't eaten nowhere near my 5-a-day. And the worst thing is that, I had no idea how to change this.

Sometimes I have some healthy eating madness, and go to buy some fruits and vegetables, but that's it, I eat one when I get home - if I'm lucky - and then forget about the rest... This was going to have to change!

Unfortunately I'm sure I would not be able to change my cooking habits much, so what else I could do?

Then I had the idea to get a juicer. Oh my! Just bought it yesterday and I feel, now we are healthy! Those beautiful fresh fruits when I prepare them for the big juicing, I wish I took a photo that stage! Simply gorgeous!

We started with fruits, though added carrots and beet root already, even a small piece of cucumber. My daughter doesn't like the idea of the green juice, but with some trick I'm sure we will get there.

Today we went for a princess drink. She would never eat beet root just like that. Look what I did with it:

Pretty, isn't it? : ) She finished it all!

If you were thinking of getting a juicer, I would say go for it! It's the best thing to drink all those vitamins. : )

Get magic into your life

Dreams are very important to me. I call myself a dreamer and I am proud of it. I love dreaming about every aspects of my life. It's not that I only dream about my life, but I also make plans how to make them come true. I believe this is quite a process.

I love making mess when I'm painting, but otherwise I need to be organized. I need rules, and systems that make things easier. And I can't live without lists. I have every kinds of lists. My dreams are on a list as well. I love ticking them off. And I love adding new dreams to my list too!

Let's make a list to outline the way I do it:

• list your dreams
• prioritize your dreams
• break them down to smaller pieces
• make another list about the small steps (as small as possible)
• start working down the list
• imagine your dreams coming true soon, get excited
• tick off the steps that are done
• create another list about the amazing things happening to you to remind you to go on, in case   you fell off the track
• celebrate your dreams coming true
• make new dreams

The list of amazing things is a bonus. You can keep it for as long as you want and you can look back and always remember those small things that made you happy one day. If you haven't listed them you would have forgotten them long time ago.

Another important list for you to make, and you can keep this going daily if you like... List the things you are grateful for. 

If you are positive and happy for what you already got, it's a lot easier to get what you don't have yet. Before you get upset about something you haven't got (yet), think about what you are grateful for. You will be surprised how much you got already. With this kind of thinking it will only grow.

Are you a list keeper too? What kind of lists do you keep? 

Please note, whenever I talk about dreams, I mean the ones we have while we are awake, not those ones we get when we are sleeping ; ) 

This week

We started the Easter break end of this week, so nothing significant has happened in art front. But I discovered that my daughter loves taking photos. And she loves posing in photos too, but that part I knew already. I'm glad from now on I'll have some photos of myself, too.

 Found her in my studio

 She took this photo herself

I'm hoping that I can finish some work next week...

May the Angels show you the way

When you are lost, listen to the whispers of your heart. Your angels will always show you the way to your heart's desires.

Available in my Etsy shop

Last week when I was working on my moodboard for my blog's design I painted the background of this painting. I was very happy with it, but it didn't work as a background in my blog. But I continued the painting and the result is what you see above. It's really pretty and inspiring.

It can also be purchased in my Society6 shop as iPhone case/skin, iPad/laptop skin and cushion. (free shipping worldwide through 31 March)

Dreams do come true

When I was a little girl, I knew I was able to achieve ANYTHING I wanted. I still believed in my ability to change the world. In this photo I can see all this in my eyes. I was optimistic and was not afraid of anything. And I remember I was drawing all the time! 

Then life happened. I don't think it was easy. I would prefer my daughter to have a better, happier life, but thankfully I came out of it kind of ok. But got a little bit brainwashed, as everyone usually did that time, so I lost all my self confidence and it was hard keeping the secret that I still wanted something else... A meaningful life, not only a "normal job" and a family.

Even though the pressure from the family was very strong behind me, I usually chose the "other" path. I wouldn't say the wrong path, but definitely not the one they would have wanted me to choose. Before I started with this, I got a degree though. I couldn't possibly risk not going for it, as my mum was always saying: "If you don't have a degree you gonna be cleaning toilets" Oh yeah, I was scared of that big time! 

But I had big dreams, and I took every opportunity to make them come true.

During high school I was always drawing faces. And I was a huge football fan! I know my family was not happy about it. They didn't get me at all. Especially after I had the idea that I would visit the team on their training and got some signature on my drawings. But then the unexpected happened. They asked for my drawings! And then I got orders. From the #1 team in Hungary. Seriously? That's pretty cool, right? I asked for their football shirts in return, in case you were wondering... And that kept me going during college too. 

In high school I was learning german, which I loved. So somehow I had this crazy dream, that I wanted to go to Germany, but not as a tourist, but for some other reason... You don't always have to know the solution, as I didn't know how to do this, but the main thing is, you have to recognize the opportunity! I almost fainted at the corridor when I noticed the announcement in college, that we could apply to go to Germany to study a semester there. What do you think happened? Yes, I've been there, it was the best part of the college! I love my dreams! : )

Then I went to Africa... I told you I had big dreams! : )

And now I'm living in England with my gorgeous little girl and I am an artist. I'm getting really close to achieve my biggest dreams now! How exciting! : )

I was about 4-5 years old in that picture. I don't know why adults have to take it all away. Why were we not allowed to dreams big that time? (As I said I did, after I rediscovered to believe in myself again... but I don't even want to go there to explain how they were reacting about all this) I so wish it was normal. I wish parents would encourage their kids to spread their wings and be happy. I'm so trying to do this, and watching myself continuously, if I notice any change in my behavior I'm gonna stop to think about it. But she gonna have to get a degree or two! ; )

What are your big dreams? Any of them came true already? Would love to hear your story! Please leave a comment below!

Moodboard

I created this moodboard as my Blogging Your Way, Blogboss e-course homework.
It was a great way to put together all my ideas I had about the look of the blog I would like to achieve. That's an other thing to figure out how to actually create it. Will see : )

I really loved the process of creating this moodboard, I'm sure I'll make some more just for fun. Have you ever created a moodboard? Would love to see it!

Committed to improve

At the beginning of this year I was thinking of a word to define the way I view my business for the year. I decided by the word: "COMMITTED"

I'm very happy with this word, and I already feel the effects of my choice. I work on my business up to 16 hours a day and already ticked off a lot of big projects along the way.
- I had a long planned website makeover
- Added a new domain to my site, so now it is officially ArtByBeata
- Designed and ordered some new business cards, mostly because of the name change
- Opened a new shop at Society6, where you can purchase iphone cases, laptop skins, pillow cases and more, with my artwork printed on them. Pretty cool stuff! : )
- I started a blogging e-course with Holly Becker from Decor8
- Got myself a proper table and chair for my studio, so that I have enough place to work, comfortably.
- Also working on the living room, it really needed a makeover now. Will try to do another post on that soon.

Here are a few photos to show you a few things happened this week.

 My daughter posing with the newly dyed curtain and our new plant. 

 Society6 cushion with my art!

Me and my new table and chair, with the new cushion of course. Photo taken by my daughter, not the best quality.


This weekend I realized something. Commitment also means that I'm longing for more knowledge. The fact that I paid money for an e-course already shows I was committed. I take the course to learn from a pro-blogger, so that I can be better at blogging. And now this fact seems to start something I never felt before. I keep on finding e-courses that I would love to take part in. If I could afford to.
- I would love to take part in Susannah Conway's Blogging from the Heart e-course
- And in The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design
- And I'm also interested in Make Art That Sells

I love making art, but to actually make money making art means about 10% painting and the rest is behind the scenes tasks. And there is always something to learn about to get even better. That's my plan for this year. To be my very best at all part of my business. Not an easy task, but here comes my word for the year again. I am ready to be committed!

What are you planning to improve at this year?