2013. Its a wrap!! Now let me give you a painting to celebrate ♥

 Hello lovely friends!

To celebrate the closing of the old year and the beginning of the new I am giving away this little elephant painting to one lucky reader. Just leave me a note in the comments below and let me know one of your intentions for 2014! ♥

Clarity. My word for 2013

 How did I go with it? At first I thought not so well. 

I couldn't even really get clear on what the word meant for me. 

What my intention around clarity even was. 

Not a good start right?

Seems like I'm somewhat of a back to front person. I often figure out the answer long after I've completed the action...

I think its what makes intuitive painting such a perfect practice for me,

not having to make a plan but seeing the perfection in the plan after all is said and done.

Kind of fumbling my way along a LOT, 

jumping in before I know how to swim and then figuring out later how exactly I managed to not drown!

canvases are painted and then the concept comes to me once they are finished

titles and meaning float in from the ether unorchestrated by me, 

yet filtered through my lens of perception

 and making perfect sense...

I'll probably have some profound realisation around the personal meaning of clarity in 2013 at some point in the unknown future......

but for now

looking back here is what clarity means to me this year

Clarity around TRUST and knowing that all is right and in its perfect place.

Clarity around family and LOVE and how much I have to be grateful for in my close relationships.

 and how much I miss them when I am away ♥

Clarity around the kind of teacher and person I want to be and a new understanding of what I'm here to share.

Clarity around surrendering to the bigger picture, being flexible and OPEN to the wonder of each moment.......

 ........like this morning, after I had already chosen my word for 2014 complete with a catchy slogan; 

Balance~ move more, consume less

and then into my inbox appears a link to an article titled 

 F*ck Balance, Try Alignment: The Beauty of Disequilibrium.

(the Universe is sometimes subtle and sometimes knocks you across the head)

and then from a friend on FB I follow another link to this article about super sensitive souls which totally rang true!

and I said to myself "hello Universe! What are you trying to tell me here?"

My eyes skimmed down the article and landed on the following words

“Aliveness is energy. It’s the juice, the vitality, and the passion that wakes up our cells every morning. It’s what makes us want to dance. It’s the energy that moves a relationship from the status quo to something grander and much more expansive, something that makes our hearts beat faster, our minds and our eyes open wider, than ever before. Everything is of interest to a person who is truly alive, whether it’s a challenge, a loving moment, a bucket of grief, or a glimpse of beauty.” ~ Daphne Rose Kingma

and just like that, I knew my word for 2014 had changed. Of course balance is still important and I am totally going to be working on the whole "move more, consume less" thing, but come on.....doesn't this sound so much sexier, so much more loaded with sizzling possibility?

Aliveness!!

What an awesome word that is! 

I claim it, embrace it and it feels so right for where I stand right now. 

I also happily share it if it resonates for any of you beautiful souls. 

Lets radiate our aliveness together and move through the world with passion and vitality!

I wish you all the happiest of New Years and in the coming months may your world be filled with love, abundance in all good things and joy....  

from my heart to yours here are a few meaningful events from my world in 2013

Elephants came through loud and clear in my paintings, trumpeting their presence to my soul.... 

then when these paintings started to sell on Facebook I experienced a whole new paradigm shift around the possibilities of selling art online and started shipping large paintings out across the world to people who had fallen in love with the images on my timeline.....

Elephant's medicine brings strength, confidence, connection to ancient wisdom, the pushing aside of obstacles and barriers,  patience, opportunities to learn, commitment, gentleness, better communication in relationships, intelligence, compassion and discernment.

I am grateful for this wonderful gift ♥

I got really, really brave and followed through on my desire to write a book, then suffered through several months of self doubt and feelings of unworthiness until I finally got my &*^% together (thank you Orly ♥)  and just began to write from the heart. 

Having awesome contributors like Orly Avineri, Judy Wise, Jesse Reno, Roxanne Evans Stout, Juliette Crane, e"Layne Koenigsberg, Louise Gale, Jess Green, Mary Beth Shaw, Seth Apter, Kecia Deveney, Peter Perez, Jessica Brogan, Lisa Sonora Beam, Laurie Mika and Erin Faith Allen inspired me immensely. Watching their beautiful projects and thoughts appear in my inbox gave me a sense of direction and a foundation to build on during the days I felt like I was floundering...

and most of all I am grateful for my wonderful editor and friend Tonia Jenny, without whom I would never have got my head around the whole process...in the countdown to finishing the book whilst on the road for nine weeks across the U.S.A I tallied up more than 300 book related emails to this sweet gal!

I'll have you know that writing a book can be  a tough job when you're on the road. I had to put up with all kinds of difficult situations like this awful makeshift office at the home of my sweet Florida hosts e'Layne and Lora....How I ever got through it I don't know! ;p

 and just in case you havent heard me shout it from the rooftops my book will be out July 2014 but you can preorder now on Amazon and Book Depository for free worldwide shipping! Woohoo!

I taught a lot!!! 

 in fact I hadn't counted until just now and was surprised to find that I taught 21 workshops throughout the year all over Australia and the U.S!

 from Wisconsin to Connecticut, California to Florida, Austin to Albuquerque, NZ, Victoria, NSW and Qld.....

 meeting awesome people EVERYWHERE I went!

No surprise then that I feel myself stepping into the role with a much greater sense of not only what my students need but how best to give it to them...what a beautiful, beautiful gift! ♥

I also got to see so many new amazing places in my travels 

 Bay of Plenty, NZ

 Albuquerque, NM

beautiful Santa Fe are just a few....

 There is no way I could mention everyone whose lives have touched mine this year in profound ways but I have truly felt my heart open, witnessed miracles and felt huge shifts happen for many.

Some of these pics were taken by my talented and super dooper students but I've lost track, so thank you and feel free to let me know if you wanna claim one for credit :)

What a blessing that I get to do this in the world

Grateful, grateful, grateful x infinity ♥

news from our casa de love

I knew that Marco had well and truly mellowed like a fine wine when he gave in to the girls request to put up a pole in our living room to practice their pole dancing skills!

 Both of them have become uber fit from this exercise and we all get a kick out of friends that come to visit exclaiming "Is that a stripper pole in your living room!"

Time for a new perspective people! :))

I am over the moon excited that my love has opened a new biz doing what he loves and now gets to hang out at the beach and call it work!

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss 

We lost this little(big) boy when he used up the last of his nine lives. RIP Gingy ♥

2013 gave me the opportunity to see many family members who live far way, my mum and siblings in Cairns, cousins, aunties and uncles all over. My sisters and their sweet families who came to visit from Cairns and Darwin and also the opportunity to hang out with my biological father and get to know each other a little more. This visit to the Sunshine Coast I was over the moon to meet my 90 year old grandmother for the first time. How cool is that? :)

In some ways it feels like I've lived ten years in one during 2013 so I hope I haven't missed anyone important. Please know that you are all in my memory and my heart.

Cheers to a wonderful year and to the one yet to come. May it be filled with promise of wonder, the spirit of the miraculous and the power of love ♥

Be sure to leave a comment and I will draw the winner of the little ellie in about a week! :)

 (a little message I brought home with me from Austin, Texas)

lots of love Tracy ♥♥♥