This has been the fullest year of my creative career, by far. Thank you ALL for joining me on this adventure. You are each so valuable to me and I am honored to be a part of your life (hint: No. 7 is all about you.)
While there were days when I didn’t want to go to my studio or push paint around the canvas, when I just wanted to do “normal” things like bake or garden or get ahead on my laundry (I know, boring, right?), or even just be melancholy, or become overwhelmed with the burdens of life… I chose to create. 2013 was a highly productive year (nearly 50 original paintings/collages sold in 6 months!), but it was also a very, very hard year with many raw and painful moments.
I find it interesting that my instinct in hardship is to get my hands a little dirty and to find my peace in my paints. To create. It heals me.
A few themes emerged as I look back on the year. There are more, but these are the most powerful & precious lessons learned through creating in 2013:
1: Creativity is necessary to life – not to breathing and living, but to LIFE.
2: Hardships can be reinvented into hustle and passion.
3: Your fingers can create more than you think they can and the tools at your fingertips are the very ones you need
4: Boldness isn’t always brashness – sometimes it’s bravery and honesty and transparency.
5: Throwing away canvases is good and healthy. Learn to get rid of the work that doesn’t please you and only put out the creations that do.
6: Find limitations and push them just a tad. Allow your abilities to surprise you.
7: A creative community is incredibly beautiful and worth cultivating, encouraging, and enjoying.
8: Allow yourself to change and to let go of things and ideas you once held dear.
9: Colors matter, especially the colors white, blue, and yellow. They affect tone, outlook, and mood in a very direct and powerful way.
10: Spending your days creating beauty is highly worthwhile, not only for yourself, but for every person your creativity reaches.
beautifulhelloblog.com 
Wonderful!
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such an encouraging post- love your work.
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Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that and I’m even more glad you are encouraged! Happy (almost) 2014!
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🙂 happy 2014!! 🙂
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Great photos and sentiment! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you so much! I hope you had a wonderful New Year!
Emily
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Very inspiring! Thank you. x
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Beautiful. Maythe Lord continue to bless the Jeffords in 2014.
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Reblogged this on victorialittle.
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I’m inspired! Cheers to a happy and creative new year!
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This is wonderful and all so true.
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I enjoyed your post
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I love point four. Boldness usually is not brashness. It`s staying true to yourself without bringing other down. Glad you did just that this last year, and hope you do the same next!
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Beautiful post, Emily! Thank you for bringing us all along on your journey!
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I admire your quest for creativity while also being a Mom. I believe being creative inspires my sons to be creative too. And the truth is my sons have made it possible for me to believe in my own creativity, it’s a magical circle. I enjoy your blog and your paintings.
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this is so encouraging and helpful to me right now, when I’m having one of my “overwhelmed by all the details of business” phases. I will remember this to just keep creating.
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Your work and your philosophies reflected in this insightful piece influence me greatly. Although I rarely comment, I read your posts and look at pictures of your work on Instagram all the time. It’s impressive and so are you! Best wishes for a great 2015.
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Confidence et ne se doutent fait et souhaite réaliser un jamais
bons signes par son film et me trouvait gay et bi avec el pas de photo pour luisa carlotta antonietta
teresa maria un parking pour le fit apparaître une forme sur, est ouverte il n’y pas plus de secondes
sexe francais cela jamais je te rappelle vous avez aussi ce midi elle m’a son lit quelques préliminaires cm en elle regardez.
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Reblogged this on fmerjem.
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