One of the hardest things is pushing past the ugly.
When we are doing something new or something out of our comfort zone there is often the ugly that accompanies it.
I am the biggest cheerleader of my children to practice, try again and push beyond…it can be harder when it comes to me.
Have you ever had a hard patch in your marriage. Has it been hard? Ugly? Did you push past the ugly? Did you get to other side and make something beautiful out of a mess?
Have you ever had hurt feelings with a dear friend? Was it hard to apologize? Were things uncomfortable for awhile? Did you push past the ugly? Did you find the joy in a restored relationship?
Have you ever seen characteristics in your children that broke your heart? Did you not know what to do to help them? Did you push past the ugly together? Did you feel the peace of watching them grow into the people they are made to be?
Have you ever felt stuck in your life? Creativity? Direction? Did you push past the ugly? Did you work hard to figure out why you were stuck? Did you experience the richness of your gifts and where you are supposed to be using them?
Pushing past the ugly is hard.
Hard in life, loves and gifts.
I want to share a recent experience with you that revealed some things in myself.
I felt out of practice in creating.
We have been busy with collections and our e-courses and I had not been making time to make art.
The “art” of business was replacing the creating of art.
I wanted to create.
I said I wanted to create.
I would look at my studio longingly but not make the time.
I found myself procrastinating and couldn’t figure out why.
I started setting my alarm early to wake up and create when everyone else was sleeping.
Me. Music. Morning light. Coffee. Paints.
I would giggle a little.
Why did I stay away?
What was it?
I was afraid of failing.
I was afraid of creating something ugly and wasting my time.
I had forgotten that the process is what matters.
Art is….ART.
It can’t be controlled for the perfect outcome.
It is going to be ugly sometimes.
Push past.
Push past the ugly because that is when the beauty appears.
That is when you are surprised by what can come out of you!
Marriage.
Children.
Friendships.
Creativity.
Faith.
So often we stop in the midst of the ugly and miss the whole point.
We miss everything that makes life worth living.
We get frustrated in the midst of the ugly and don’t even know what we are capable of.
How strong we are.
How creative we are.
How beautiful we are capable of being.
How loyal and deep our love can be.
How strong our faith is.
Are you pushing past the ugly?
Hold on…..it is worth it.
*****
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*****
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Push past the ugly, It’s such a good message! I am going through this right now with my art. I hesitate and what I really need to do it just dive in. Thank you for the beautiful reminder!
Just spending the time tinkering makes a huge difference in the outcome!
Jeanne, I can’t tell you how timely this post is for me. This is what I needed to hear today. I love your honesty, you always inspire me to no end. I miss you!
Thank you! I miss you too. I am still waiting for you to be on one of my flights:-) What if I hassled you?:-)
i just love you! yes we’ve all been in that ugly place. it’s what makes the beautiful place beautiful! we appreciate the beauty in life, in others, in ourselves, more when we’ve experienced the ugly. oh i want to take your new course! but i haven’t even started the first one yet! i seem to be a bit paralyzed. 🙂
don’t stop creating! xo
I love you too!!! I love all the ways you have inspired me and make me believe that big dreamy things are possible.
Thank you Jeanne, just thank you! My room and supplies are ready and waiting for me. Waiting, waiting, and waiting. I know now it is fear of making something ugly that is holding me back. I am amazed that you share the same anxiety. And, because you admitted your fear and shared it with me, I will be able to overcome my own.
I hope you share what you are creating!!!
I really needed this message today, in so many areas of my life it applies. Thank you.
It applies to all of us. Thank you!
Beautiful message. Can’t wait until April 8th!!!!
I have to grit my teeth to get past the ugly. I am so glad to hear we all have that fear. What calms me down is to look out the window and remember that it can’t be that bad.
Thanks Jeanne.
Oh Jeanne, today’s post really hit a chord with me. It was like you were describing exactly how I’ve been feeling, but I was unable to put it into words and give it a voice. I can’t tell you how excited I am that I signed up for this e-course and how much I am looking forward to it. I need this!
xo
jeanne
Beautiful. Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Fabulous advice. I too am guilty of not making the effort when I should. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your honest sharing. What a beautiful way of putting it, WOW! You are right, it is so important to make time for yourself and may you find the momentum, energy, strength and time to do so. I work on doing 10 min / day even if that’s all I have… You know about that too! Much love
Thank you for this post. I am a lurker here and after reading this I need to post. I think there is a push to find the beauty in everything, be thankful for everything, etc… and while I am not at all disputing how important it is to be grateful and look for the beauty, I find myself feeling guilty for sometimes not seeing it in my clutter, my laundry, our storage room that has taken on a life of it’s own and so on. This reminds me to push past it- take a pile and go through it, fold a load of laundry, don’t let the storage room paralyze me. When we acknowledge the ugly and aren’t controlled/paralyzed, it can become beautiful.
Wow. Do you know how badly I needed this quote? (I hope it’s ok – I made it my desktop background). Our road to adoption is starting to get bumpy – and YOU, beautiful Jeanne, are my encouragement today!
Oh, dear Jeanne! I have been in a season of pushing past the ugly. (er, it wasn’t pretty!!! =P) Curiously, right as the crisis that made me push out of the devastation came – at the very moment of the worst of the stabbing pain – I won a spot on your ‘Creatively Made Home’ course. I KNOW that it was God catching me – He knew – He was ready – He is compassionate – it was PERFECT! and beyond coincidence – I mean, the email that I had won came at the VERY MOMENT! But, ‘beauty for ashes!’ was the phrase that started coming at me from everywhere – even, eventually, from you, too! =)
Then, since the New Year, the moment that I had set aside to ‘create’ came and I was frozen! I was so scared that I wouldn’t live up to my ideal. So scared that I wouldn’t have the creative ability inside of me. THEN, I thought – who cares?! It seems that I’m always on a similar path to what you’re on and you encourage me to no end!!! I’ve just finished a month’s challenge with my photography and I cannot believe how far I’ve climbed but it started with a very scary and rather ugly beginning. Glad I took that first step and pressed past it!
So, I’ll never be able to tell you…. beautiful woman – in the genuine sharing of your frailty – God has used you to bring an awful lot of joy and life to me!!! Thought you ought to know! 😉 (Yeah, and… I’ll never be able to really express it!) Amazing, eh?!
xxooxxoo
Hi Jeanne just found your site and I love it ….what a wonderful space you have created. I love the typewriter with the words “Just show up!” That is how Muse shows herself …we need to be there for Muse to come to us. I believe that I love “push past the ugly” in my case it is the uglies lately I am desperately pushing hoping to find something wonderful on the other side….recently I saw an interview with Brene` Brown what she said about being creative is absolutely necessary Thank you for the post.
Wow…this just hit me where I am in this season of life…beauty from ashes! An awesome post!
I am SO glad I read this post.
You nailed it. Your words could not be truer.
I’ve pushed past the ugly in every area…and have been back a few times in each of those areas.
Beauty from ashes…..that’s what He gives us when we push past the ugly.
Love your heart.
ps. very bummed.
I never figured out how to watch the creatively made series bc my computer said the website was denied. {we have major filters}
Today, I went to register to do this next series, and doggone it, it still won’t let me.
Any suggestions?
Jeanne, Your post reminds me of where I have chosen to put my focus lately: on the beauty, the light, the truth. “Think on these things.” The ugly is still there, but I’m learning to not let it paralyze me because my focus is no longer on it, but on embracing the possible instead. I feel alive when I create but too often I too am immersed in the “art of doing business instead of creating art.” I love how you share your heart with us and your insights and how your focus is on the beauty that comes from the journey of just creating, pushing past the ugly, and not second guessing it. Thank you.