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Hello All,

It has been a tougher than usual week here in the Lab but I am still attempting to keep as close to my posting schedule as possible. There have been some disturbing issues with our dogs resulting in a trip to the emergency room for the hubby. Just a tip here, don’t try to break up a dog fight. I am sure you probably already know that, but when faced with the actual situation it is a natural impulse to jump in and break it up. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, both of the fighting dogs are ours.

If you are a dog lover then you may understand the heavy-heartedness that we feel right now. As of this posting, we have been keeping the dogs apart and are still leery of letting them back together. As a side note, the puppies are doing great and seem oblivious to the big dog’s separation/detention.

I am cautious but hopeful to re-integrate the big dogs this weekend when we will be able to give them more undivided attention. Fingers crossed. But I suspect that all the physical injuries will heal faster than the emotional ones, at least as far as the humans are concerned.

In other disappointing news, I seem to have lost my copy of “The Artist Way”. So my Chapter re-cap this week is going to be completely from memory which isn’t very good right now. We have so many gates and barriers in our house at the moment I can barely keep track of keeping the right doors and gates open or closed as needed. So remembering what I read a few days ago is a real stretch.

I do at least remember the chapter title this week. It is “Recovering a Sense of Strength.” At the moment this title seems ironic or maybe serendipitous since I am feeling anything but strong right now. Emotional injuries have taken their toll and the idea of not being able to control your own household is unnerving.

Which brings us to why I am here writing and attempting to keep my posting schedule. “The Artist Way” is about creativity and more specifically creative recovery. And while this may not make a lot of sense to you it occurs to me that we cannot be creatively strong if we feel weak in general but also that our creativity heals us and helps us to be strong. There were times this week that I didn’t feel like crafting and that scared me a little bit. Making things with my hands is one of the places that I am the happiest. I also didn’t care about writing a blog post or finishing this weeks video. Sometimes it is too easy to give up. To tell yourself that nobody cares anyway. “I have bigger issues to deal with right now.”

But the truth is I care.

This blog, my crafting, the videos I make, they mean something to me. None of it is as polished and professional as I would like. But the commitment to post each week matters to me and it doesn’t matter if I am the only one. The truth is that while I hope other people will find some inspiration and encouragement here and that my blog will continue to grow and evolve, this space is mine. It exists because of me. It is an extension of me and in many ways, it is a place that gives me strength. So at a time when I am feeling weak, it is also my escape and my saving grace.

So I worked on some recycled crafts, edited some video took some photos and wrote this post all while feeling a little less enthusiastic than usual.

I hope you have a lovely week.

You can get caught up on all The Artist Way post in the links below.

Week One – Recovering a sense of Safety – (With upcycled pie tins made into a twisted valentine tree)

Week Two – Recovering a sense of Identity – (With upcycled found objects candlesticks)

Week Three – Recovering a sense of Power – (With my trashy St Patrick’s Day House Tour)

Week Four – Recovering a sense of Integrity – (With St Patrick’s Day Plastic Bag Bouquet)

Week Five – Recovering a sense of Possibility – (With St Patrick’s Day Mantel Display Part 1)

Week Six – Recovering a sense of Abundance – (With St Patrick’s Day Mantel Nick Nack Crafts Part 2)

Week Seven – Recovering a sense of Connection – (With Easter Bunny Garland and Paper Mache Eggs)

Happy Upcycling,

Advertising Disclosure: Upcycle Design Lab may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.