A number of young people in my life have said everybody who can, should travel because it changes them for the better, pressing people into new perspectives through new experiences with people, transitions and places. I agree.

This past weekend was our local county Artists Studio Tour. It's my fourth year opening my studio people in my community. It's a highlight of my year. After traveling last month and visiting so many places, I was determined to give people their own experience in the studio, making time and space for them to express themselves. This was impressed on me during our trip because of my own experiences when I was able to participate in a place verses just looking, walking through a space quickly. So I painted a door with chalkboard paint and my dear husband put a doorknob on it and mounted it in the studio. People added their gratitude all weekend:

I also had a station with a box of tags with keys stamped on them. People were encouraged to pick one and turn it over to read a question or finish a statement. It was very open ended, and they could write an answer, draw, doodle, color, take it to think about, share with friends etc. I wondered if those who came would take the time to engage with it, but I only had three key tags left by the end of the weekend. Here's a photo of people in process:

While on our trip I got an idea of how to present my journals. This is always a challenge. When we visited the Dublin Castle there was an exhibit of an artist who designed invitations and amazing paper cards for the royalty. The pieces were displayed in a stair-step fashion in glass cases. It inspired this:

I found this display sparked a lot of conversations about Art Journaling and Workshops.

Here are some close-ups:

And of course, the best part: engaging in conversation with neighbors, connecting with old friends and meeting new. In my view: a success. 

For those of you who came: 

THANK YOU! 

You truly made my day. 

One other way this year was different was I had a great sense of peace in the midst of a busy process. My computer crashed the day before the tour, and I couldn't do some things I had planned. I let them go. Honestly, God helped me. I couldn't have done that a couple years ago. I am filled with gratitude.