The Gift of Being Open

This seems fitting as my first post; the idea of "putting myself out there" is terrifying, yet I know that it is a growth experience whose time has come. This is surprising as I am a private person, one of those who is leery of strangers and attention, one of those who views social media with mixed feelings. The truth is that I only went on Facebook 2 years ago to check it out and see if I thought it was safe for the boy! I have since discovered the joy of re-connecting with old friends and the excitement of meeting new ones...which brings me to the point.

This January I joined an online class called Book of Days, with the incredibly talented and inspiring Effy Wild. It is a free online art journalling class where we learn new techniques and are prompted to "art our stuff" on a daily basis. It is presented through three weekly newsletters and videos. These are truly wonderful but the most important part of this course for me very quickly became the community of women in the Facebook group of the class ("the Sisterhood"). I feel so honoured to be part of such caring, compassionate, talented, and generous collection of souls. A recent addition to the Book of Days is a Premium program, which for a minimal fee allows participants access to a more private meeting place than Facebook as well as a number of other perks. Today I was shocked, thrilled, and incredibly humbled to have been offered a place in the Premium Program through a scholarship offered to me by one of my "sisters"! I am in awe of the generosity of my sponsor, who I have never met in person and who I have known online for a relatively short time. I cannot thank her enough, both for this opportunity and for what her kindness represents. Her spirit has reminded me that the world is full of good people, and that when we overcome our fear and are open to possibilities, the rewards can be astounding.