I have concluded that my maps are actually my creative way of making an impromptu business plan. I love the Proverb "As a (wo)man thinks in his heart, so is she!" Your imagination is extremely powerful. Y0u were created as a visual being. Choosing the right image for your minds eye is important because your life moves in the direction of your thoughts. Having a map big and in bright colors hanging in my studio is good for me. I read somewhere "Create an image in your mind's eye and it will drop down into your heart and become a reality." How marvelous is that?

I sat down yesterday with 2 artist friends of mine and expressed some new directions that I wanted to take my art. I was a bit amazed when I realized it myself this weekend (I had a big ah-ha moment in the shower) we all agreed that this new endeavor doesn't traditionally pay the best. But this little voice inside me says-If your are PASSIONATE about it and it is in your heart you can be the absolute best in your field. Don't make decisions based on $$ make it based on passion. REALLY?!!! Now I have always been a believer in this philosophy but now I get to see first hand if it is true, ha! Yikes!

This month's O magazine has a great section "What do you really want with your life?" It is a good read about women who made rather dramatic career changes I have been tweaking my desires over the last few years. I drew a crazy map, basically quit my other job (not overnight but still) found like minded people that were making a living at what I wanted to be doing and now I am refining myself within my field. Who are my clients, what type of images do I want to create and what do I have to contribute? It is okay if the answers don't come right away when you ask yourself these things but if you keep the questions in your heart the answers might just drop right into your heart (maybe even as you are washing your hair!) I took some photos of my new map but my camera and I are having a big fight right now so I am not speaking to it for the moment. So I will put up this image that I recently created for fun. I told my girlfriends yesterday that I had a whole series of vegetables and Liz , spoken like a true children's illustrator said that that might make a great alphabet book. (see what I mean about like minded people?)