4 minute read
Affirmations
SUSAN CARMEN-DUFFY
Dreams do come true.
I launched a new product in November—an affirmation deck of cards. To be transparent, I did this for me. I don’t always do that, but this project has been swimming in my head for no less than five years. I started it (but never finished it) at least four or five times. But it was persistent. Perking away on the back burner it seems. One day, after discussing the project while having lunch with two friends who are not only dear to me but fantastic cheerleaders, I sat down for about four days and worked on nothing but this very project.
There were moments of uncertainty, but when I slowed down to listen, to see, I found the path was paved before me. I worried that something I struggled with was now almost too easy. To be fair, the art was already scanned and edited. The affirmations had been swimming in my head for literally years, and joyfully it flowed together seamlessly. I found that I had to try to keep up! It felt like an ordained project, almost magical.
While it is easy to overthink any project, this project, at this time seemed to ignore all those challenges. That in and of itself was such a blessing! (I am a great overthinker!)
The next step was to send it to my printer. I am incredibly blessed by the working relationship I have with my printer. They are local, do great work, and work with artists until it is perfect. We test-printed a few times and then my dream became a reality. I started carrying around the mock-up of the deck and became a seven-year-old wanting to show everyone I met. The response was incredible!
Why am I sharing all this? I think that in general many of us have struggled with negative thoughts. It is easy to go there, isn’t it? Upon doing a little research, I learned that we think (on average) about 60,000 thoughts a day. Of those, about 80% are negative and 95% of our total thoughts are repetitive. WOW! That is a heck of a challenge, isn’t it?
I know how easy it is to deep dive into the negative. I know personally how difficult it is to climb out of that spiral and find the positive, or at least the blessing. So, as much for anyone, this is for me. I made these with the hope that it would help. (you and me!)
So the idea behind this deck is to start your day with a positive thought. The hope is that if you do so, THAT will be your repeating message and hopefully, it will help shape the rest of your positive thoughts each day. In my deck, there are fifty-two cards, each with a positive affirmation written on a piece of my art.
I know the temptation is to start something “new” in January. We make promises of perfection to ourselves which seem all too often to be unreasonable. The idea behind a deck of 52 affirmations is that you can restart at any time. One a week, or five in a week, the choice is yours completely!
However you find the light, I hope you do so with vigor. The world can be a difficult place, the last thing we need is negativity swimming around in our heads.
I wish you peace, and I am sending you so much love,
Susan
As a mixed media artist, my style is often whimsical and full of color. I am inspired by the beauty of nature and pay special reverence to the feminine. Each medium in art has its strength, the wonder is revealed after the layers have been carefully applied on watercolor paper or canvas.
As a professional artist for over forty years, my awardwinning work has been collected throughout the United States as well as Internationally. My writing has been published in several anthologies, and online zines. My business Create Art 4 Good, and greeting card business, Greetings 4 Good not only share art, and facilitate workshops, but also pay it forward including a donation from every sale to a local charity.
