• I just don't know
    Nov 26 2024

    A recording I made in the swirl of uncertainty that so many of us humans are feeling at this time. Speaking for myself - I'm compelled to know - to understand, to be able to predict what will happen. It's a comfort. In this episode I take a look at the flip side - the wisdom in being in the place of "I don't know."

    I reference a journal post from September of 2016. You can read what wrote here:
    https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/july-26-2016-wisdom-not-knowing/
    I
    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    13 mins
  • Imaginal Cells
    Sep 29 2024

    I just discovered a recording I made - and then in the swirl of my life this past summer, I completely forgotten about. It was late one night and I was in the car with the dog, while waiting at the emergency. I was prompted to share it here after reading a Facebook post from my dear friend Betsy Graziani Fasbinder about the lifecycle of butterflies.

    Just before recording I read about an aspect of this creature's makeup that I found fascinating - and applicable to human unfolding: imaginal cells.

    This episode stands on its own without a journal post on my website. However, I came across one whose ideas are adjacent to those I talk about here. It seems nature has similar processes that impact life and life cycles. "Destruction Before Creation" can be read here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/june-28-2016-destruction-creation.

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    13 mins
  • Painting in the Present Moment
    Aug 29 2024

    Recorded early one morning while on vacation at the end of a supercharged summer, sitting on the shores of Lake Tahoe. A rare moment of solitude on vacation, shared with you, including reflections on my experience of committing to paint every day the summer of 2024.

    In this episode I refer to a post, written at the end of 2016, when I shared my thoughts at end of a year-long commitment to paint. You can read it here:
    https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/dev/life-stories/december-27-2016-futureless-moment/.

    You can see the sketchy, loose paintings that accompanied me the late evenings many nights this summer, online here:
    https://www.facebook.com/cara.brown.75033
    Or
    https://www.facebook.com/LifeinFullColor
    Or
    On Instagram: fullcolorcara.

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    13 mins
  • The power of commitment
    Jul 11 2024

    A short-ish episode to update you on how my 92 Days of Watercolor are going, amidst a life that suddenly became very full of everything else besides art.

    While recording the previous episode I was inspired to spontaneously make a commitment to paint every day the summer of 2024 - and invite others to join me. Check it out on my Facebook pages: Cara Brown and Life in Full Color - join the Facebook Group: 92 Days of Watercolor if you like too. I'm also on Instagram: fullcolorcara.

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.


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    8 mins
  • Commitment and Creative Confidence
    May 15 2024

    In this episode I share some fresh thoughts about something that I was left wondering about at the time I was writing my online journal every week. Something came to me early one morning that I jumped out of bed to share.

    It's the interplay and intersection between two ideas - creative confidence and commitment. While recording I was inspired to spontaneously make a commitment to paint every day the summer of 2024 - and invite others to join me. Check it out on my Facebook pages: Cara Brown and Life in Full Color - and on Instagram: fullcolorcara

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    11 mins
  • Trusting your own rhythm
    Apr 16 2024

    Another episode exploring the challenge of time and attention for our creative work in our lives. I take the "both-and" point of view in debates. We do need to corral ourselves to get to our studios, *and* there are natural rhythms that directs all of life on earth. What if we learn to really pay attention to ourselves and follow our inner direction?

    This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Trusting your own rhythm" on March 1, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-1-2017-trusting-rhythm/" if you'd like to read what I wrote, and see the chart I made of my productivity!

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    14 mins
  • Easter Saturday
    Mar 30 2024

    This is a calendar time-specific episode, though the ideas are applicable for any time in life. I wrote a journal entry in the spring of 2016 when I was in a place of sorrow that coinsided with Holy Week - between Palm Sunday and Easter. I drew upon something I'd learned about a day that isn't talked about - Easter Saturday - for solace and for the reminder, the permission to honor my time of grief. Having a creative practice is a form of the light of love that can transform our suffering.

    My original writing, and a the painting I had just finished that was meaningful for me - to this time - can be found here: https://https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-22-2016-easter-saturday.

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    12 mins
  • The Case for Beauty
    Mar 20 2024

    What is beauty - how is it part of life on earth? And most importantly what is its impact on us - and does it matter? These are the questions I ponder and muse upon in this episode.

    The story of the restorative weekend that I told in this epsode came from this post: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/my-art-and-process/august-16-2016-just-make-beauty. It's where you can see a little photo collage in bright summer color - and read the whole story.

    Cara Brown - Watercolorist - Teacher - www.lifeinfullcolor.com
    ...is where you can find all my paintings, workshop offerings and the entire archive of my writing.

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    16 mins