A Love for the Sea = by me. Published in Somerset Studio

hand painted paper wrapping the journal i created. stitched, layered, painted. 

the cover of my sea journal. completely hand stitched for months with drift wood from the sea.

opening the journal a spread of original mixed media, paintings, words, watercolors, my heart. the love i have.

another spread from my journal of the sea. all pages created on vintage ocean map pages. 

another spread blue moon. layers of tissues, white pen and ink, stitched love. 

        

another spread. original paintings and words. feather found near the sea. 

detail from one of my art pages. 

cover of the magazine Somerset Studio Jan/Feb 2016 

The opening spread in the magazine. Page 77  Somerset Studio magazine.

I read about submissions for Somerset Studio magazine last summer - this call for artists to submit was called Laguna Teal. I knew this one was for me as I have such a love for the sea.

I was very sick for four months (all summer long) so I stitched a lot. I stitched this cover and each tiny bit that was my underworld sea love. I drew pages and pages of ocean inspired goodies. Then when I was able to walk up to my studio I started painting and stitching more and painting more.
Words came to me, favorite sea songs (Van Morrison) all of this took so much precious time as I was still continuing to heal and have strength to sit up. I continued to create until I had this really large oversized journal of the sea.

The actual art piece is over 11 x 17" inches and there are 12 pieces of art created here. This was the most time I have ever spent creating something to send off and try to be published. It is now published and I am most grateful. I thought it would be fun to show you the spreads and more details. When you are published you never know what they will choose or how it will be photographed. I think it is so much fun to see the entire journal. I hope that you do too.

I am grateful for the months I was recovering and dreaming of the sea. The sea has been so good to me throughout my life. I have always returned to the sea to heal, listen and learn more about me.

My wish is that you see more of me and who I am by reading and looking at my art. Thank you.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

being grateful and giving back tis the season

my biggest sale EVER. happening right now.

custom dream catcher. filled with many layers of beauty.

original painting. layers of dreams and truth found here.

handmade gorgeous. hands stitched tiny bits. vintage linen.

the most beautiful inspired secret treasure box.

a princess crown of love. 

I live my life practicing being grateful. I am grateful just to wake up each day. I do my best to make moments matter. I try hard to give back to others and really to over give (if there is such a thing).

I have said for many many years how I wish that I were independently wealthy and could create for free. I would in a nano second. I am not fortunate to be able to do this. I will keep wishing and doing and perhaps one day this will be so for me.

I build a wildly successful career as a graphic designer and illustrator working for big huge fortune 500 companies for lots of years. Two years ago I decided I wanted a life where I created from me for me. I had a dream where I would create happy and share with this big world. I have mindfully been finding my path to making this happen. I am once again living the life of a struggling artist financially. Hard facts to admit but, so true. I know deep inside that this will change. I will find the right people in the perfect time and space who will notice my talents, my passion and my desire to make a difference in some small way in this big world.

I am empowered to make this happen as I see it in my soul when I rest at night. I am driven when I wake each day to work harder, create more pure art and be seen.  I am not meant to worry about money each day. I am meant to share and give and then love more.

I think by being open and honest about my life I can inspire and help others. This is my wish. This is my gift that sits inside my heart patiently waiting to shine.

I am grateful for this time in my life to be able to create for me and try with all of my might to be seen. I am grateful to all of my friends and kindred spirits who follow me. I never ever take any of this for granted.

Loving more every single day. I am.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

believing in something with my whole heart. the great green okayness.

Rachel Awes

"The Great Green Okayness: A Field Guide to Seeing Your Uncommon Magnificence"

I have never blogged about another artist, writer, inspiration in my life before. I felt the need to do so with this new book by Rachel Awes. She has created another wonderful life helpful book and it is loving to the core.

I have a strong passion to spread more love and light in this big world. I am finding that like souls are just showing up that have a similar love. I am noticing that some of my friends are fields in front of me with actual physical books done (love this) I know in my heart that my little inspirational book is just waiting for my focus and attention. One day soon I shall have a trusty loved filled book. Yes, this is how passion + art + sharing work.

Rachel has created a magic filled indigogo campaign that is ending on the 4th of December. Super duper soon. I would love to have lots of my friends who share this passion for living take a peek and read about this most inspiring book. See link below.


One of the actual written endorsements = The Great Green Okayness is a field guide to discovering the beautiful wildlife within, infused with a dollop of nourishing honey and delectable color. Wise author and artist Rachel Awes, a psychologist of twenty years, created these works of the magnificent human heart from her reflections following client sessions. Each passage and corresponding artwork speak to the soul like a potent, powerful reduction of boiled-down truth and goodness that every one of us needs daily, a homecoming gift to our humanity. Open to any page and find the passage that you need now. From the African plain to the great cosmos, Awes takes her readers on a journey to discover the beauty around, within, and always.

I am always honored that you show up here in this space. Thank you. Love love love to you.

This is the trusty link to take you to indiegogo and read more.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-great-green-okayness#/

love more. 

loving your life even when it is hard

she loved with her soul. i do.

she loved. she loved more. i do.

see the world. see the blessings.

Lately I've been thinking about my life and all that it is. I am forever grateful to be alive. I am giddy to be surrounded in my studio with creative loves and passions. I am thankful that I know what I want in my world. These are huge things. Really big things.

I suffer from anxiety. I know lots of creative people have this challenge. Sometimes in my life it is a much bigger challenge then others. I world very hard at being mindful of precious life.  I know the triggers that haunt me. I want to help others live a more happy filled up good life. I want to take all of the hard lessons that I have walked through and use them for good. This is my purpose. I know it.

I have overcome really big tough hard lessons to be in this very space and time. I am spilling open my secrets of what makes me = me. My reason is to help, to be a source of goodness that just might make another person say - yes, this is good and I am good.

I have changed so much in my life in the past two years to be in my studio and to create for me.
I have let go of huge corporate clients to follow my passion yet again. I am left with the ability to create so many things. I can design, illustrate, paint, stitch, see beauty in the simple ways of life.
Now I need to be able to earn an income from these talents I have. Sure I have money to live.
Honestly, I want and need enough money to feel safe again. Really safe. I often think that I have been so lucky to live how can I want for more. It feels good to share with you that I want the ability to feel safe and have enough money to not have the fear.

I am motivated daily by the sheer will of bringing goodness on a large scale to the world. It is not an easy thing to do I know but, I feel it is my calling. So I bravely (with all of my anxieties) march on.
I fill myself up everyday when I wake up and I share, I create, I send packages out to the people who might see me. I pray and I believe.

Yes, I might be shaken or afraid but, I believe with my whole heart that I am here in this world to make a difference. I will.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

i paint, i draw, i write every single day. i wake up and do it all over again. i believe.

my world in bits

my world in living color

my world in layers

my world inside my head

my world is happy

I have such a huge dream for my life. I realize I wake up and repeat what I did the day before. Sure I shake it up and change routine around but, really I wake up and create all day long. I am driven by a need to share, give and seriously know personal achievements. I look back on my life and zoom through all of the creating I have done both personally and in my career. I think to myself what drives me so much. Answer I know what I want and I am not there yet.

I adore color, layers, vintage, pattern, inks, paints, pencils, sketching, details in everything. I want to share my passions big, like really BIG. So I am dreaming huge. Bigger then feels comfortable at times. I push through the fears, the odd feeling that sometimes visits. I know that I am going to get to this place I dream and work for. I can see it. I can hear the conversations. I know it like I know myself.

So I keep showing up. I keep creating. I keep being grateful for the ability to wake up and have my life. I know that I am lucky to be full of passions and ideas. I am very very blessed.

We are all blessed with a knowing. Listen to yours and then charge ahead. Never to late to join in your dreams.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/
find more of my life right here in my new website

At the end of each day HOPE remains.

layers coming together to build my house of hope

big world. big dreams. big climbing.

at the end of each day HOPE remains.

details matter to me.

I have been thinking lots about hope, dreams, reality versus what I can actually make happen.
Yes, lots of big thoughts. I have been spilling out the journey of listening to my heart and painting. Painting like there is no tomorrow. No real direction just spilling, etching, carving, layering, scratching the surfaces of what hope means to me.

Lately, I think hope means to wake up and try my best to put direction into my day. I have so many creative energies pulling me. I know that my card line is waiting patiently for me to have it be seen by more stores. I know that I have been healing physically for months and continue to heal. I am surprised by how having shingles and nerve pain has altered my life. I am grateful that at the end of each day HOPE does remain powerful for me. I am driven by the power of hope. The listening of who I am and who I need to be.

I am about to walk into unknown adventures again. Clinging to the hope I feel inside and the knowing I am meant to be seen. Daily I crave sharing goodness, happy and really making a difference. Surrounding myself with every good intention I can muster up. Grateful as ever.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

wide open land. wide open life. keep dreaming.

oh this. memories for me. dreams that still need nurtured.

land. fields. trees. barns. gravel. space.

my little family dreaming with me. hubby and pearl button.

I often write about how fast time dashes by. Seems like I can blink and one month is gone. I have been searching, dreaming, moving, reaching, building, working so hard for the past two years. I know the only way to achieve all that I need to fill my soul up is to work really hard and focus. Lessons that I have know most of my life. Listening to my heart. Listening to the voices that speak the loudest to me. Listening to this art filled life of mine that keeps me inspired, keeps me loving big, keeps me pushing.

Dreams are funny things. I know that dreams only come true with tons of hard work. I have had so many of my dreams come true. Seems funny I can still want more, I do. I want what I know is inside of me just waiting to SHINE out.  I stumble, I flat out fall but, I get back up and keep pushing the mountains aside.

Drive. I sometimes ask myself - where does my drive come from? Is it just survival? No, not for me.
I want to thrive in giving love. I want to share my messages of hope, surviving, dreaming big and creating a life well lived.

Hard lessons only push me harder. I pray to be a light for others.

Why the pictures of this farm and land? Right now in this time and space the rolling hills, the green grass, gravel roads, crickets singing, grasshoppers hopping and mind stopping beauty has my heart.
I wonder do I need to be out in the midst of 20 acres creating, retreating and making my biggest dream come true?

Come with me and see this adventure that is wide open. Grateful to be noticing my days with grace and appreciation. Never ever take your life for granted. You are precious.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/ my new website where you can learn more about my life and my art.

lessons i continue to learn. being grateful.

new painting + illustration + words = truth

stitching sacred hearts = first class with Brave Girl University

two very helpful tips for dealing with nerve damage (for me)

so proud of be a part of this. crazy life changing goodness.

I know we all learn lessons every single day. Sometimes it is easy to be so busy we really do not see all of these lessons. I am writing to share two big things in my life that are both teaching me daily lessons. I am showing up and ready to learn, grow and heal. One is my journey with shingle nerve pain and the second is my gift of being a teacher at Brave Girl University.

Many of you know that I have been suffering from shingles and lasting nerve pain since the first of June. It hit me hard once I returned home from the National Stationery Show in NYC. I have created an entire body of 90 greeting cards, art prints and a grown up coloring book. I am just waiting patiently to share with the world. It has been so very hard to wait. Seeing all of my friends who were there grow and grow their companies. I lay and rest and heal and pray. Wanting to launch my world of creative.

I have also been trying with all of my might to create (with my brilliant hubby) a website that will help others peek inside my world. To connect in a very big way with a shop and lots of creative works to inspire others. My site will be up and kickin' this week. Fingers crossed.

I have been blessed by being asked to teach classes at Brave Girl University.  I am really honored because so many of the other teachers are people I admire so very much. I am still blown away that I am one of these teachers. The world opens up tomorrow with the launch of Brave Girl University. Unfortunately I am not able to have my class ready on day one. It will not be too late but, never the less it will be a bit late. Again, I bow to the nerve pain and give in and rest. Praying for healing constantly.

I am not one to give in or give up and as hard as it is I try not to complain. I am actually glad that it is me and no one that I know as it is the most horrible kind of crippling pain. I continue to create and learn lessons while doing my very best to beat this nerve pain.

Please forgive my tardy class not starting tomorrow. It will be worth the wait. Promise.
I have a series of over 12 classes that I will be preparing to keep Brave Girl University and me happy.

Thank you for your love, prayers, gifts, wishes and goodness you bring to my world. 

Join me at Brave Girl University 

online classes with me + brave girls university = dream come true

Click Here to Save Your Spot Now!

 

Brave Girl University - Brave Girls Club + Me = Beyond Grateful ME
 

So many layers of my life coming together in one sacred circle of love.

i will teach how to create sacred hearts.

i will teach journal spilling. my unique way of grateful gushing.

i will teach wrapping using your style. i will teach sacred jewelry.

i will teach creating your own envelopes. stitched love.

i will teach journal spilling with layers of the thing you love. 

Life is so full of goodness and wild crazy winding roads. We travel up so high and sometimes very low too. We do our best daily. We love with all of the strength we have. We want, we need, we share and we breathe every single day. In hopes that our life can fill up and make us happy.

I believe with my whole heart that living is a practice of loving and letting go. Letting go of the stuff that no longer serves us. Loving ourselves more and each other more.

I am beyond blessed (and believe me I know it) to be included with a body of insanely talented wise souls who will be launching Brave Girl University. Really I am humbled with passion and glee.

I will be teaching many many online classes as one of the affiliate teachers for Brave Girls University.
I have much to share and am giddy to be able to do so in such a global way.

I promise to be mindful of my classes and content. Knowing for me it really is about noticing the tiny details that make up a day, sharing ourselves with open abundance, being grateful for another new day to try again, love more and really shine in our best self.

I intend to spill open as much love as humanly possible in this forum. Join me and so many many many insanely talented souls here at Brave Girl University. I have a personal link you can easily click on below that will SAVE YOUR SPOT.

love sweet love. i am so happy we are all here in this very space and time. love you kelli.

Click here to save your spot now and journey with me and so many soulful wise talents.

https://www.facebook.com/kelli.maykrenz

https://www.etsy.com/shop/kellimay 

my summer of learning and listening

stitch. pray. heal.

finding delight in the tiny details. every single day.

Wow it has been over one month since I have blogged. I have been living in a sort of constant days and nights rolling into one month of time. This is my summer of fighting shingles. Fighting is not the best word to use when describing non stop pain. I usually try to surround everything in my body with love and positive words. Lately I've been feeling like this really is a fight to survive with my mental goodness. I am not good at resting non stop. I like to do things. I love adventures and outings and finding unexpected fun.

This is a time in my life to learn lessons about healing, about myself and really listen. I am not sure I am really good at this listening part. I am practicing on getting better at it daily.

I have been stitching a great deal as I can rest and still create. I often write that creating is like breathing to me. I must do it. So I have found a way to create even while healing. I am so grateful for this.

My days are getting better as I do have more energy then I did one month ago. I know that good things take time. My healing is a very good thing so I will surround this time with as much love as I know how to.

I have been extremely blessed with the love from others. Prayers are being heard and I am most thankful. I will continue to create each day in the ways that I can hoping that my dreams will continue to grow and the mountains I need to climb will be waiting for me.

Looking forward to life after shingle pain.

What I've learned from having shingles = so far

What I'm learning through constant pain, exhaustion and being mostly in bed with shingles.

I have known to appreciate life and live fully every moment. To really love the gift of life and how precious each day is.  I've learned many hard lessons. I've seen my life change in one single flash several times. I've watched a loved friend die in seconds next to me. I've been surprised with a renal artery aneurysm and told I might not survive, best to make my plans and prepare before my surgery. 

I've seen long time friendships blow away when they didn't like my happy attitude and positive outlook on life. 

I've said for years that any given moment can change your life. I know with my whole heart this is true. I also believe your life can change with amazing goodness in one moment as well. I met and married my husband in ten days. We have now been married over 8 years. I've never had children so my dogs have always been my fur babies. I know the pure love + happiness these babies bring to my world are gifts. Every single day little Pearl Button surprises me with moments of joy. 

Being down and healing with insanely painful shingles makes me be very still. I'm not able to create. Creating is like breathing for me. I feel lost without it. I pray for moments to sit up and create anything. I've started stitching by hand a little which is calming and meditation for me.

I'm always aware of being grateful. I'm grateful for having a great doctor. I'm grateful for our health insurance. I'm super lucky to live in Galena where new friends care for me and have embraced me with genuine kindness. I'm grateful for all of the unconditional love that surrounds me from friends both old and new. I am loved. I am cherished. I am wildly blessed. 

So what are some new lessons that I'm learning while healing from shingles? 

Mostly I really need to practice balance and manage my stress better. 

Letting go of internal struggles that I keep dragging around with me. Like extra heavy bags that have never served me. 

So my action plan is this. Writing down steps and looking at how I can architect my life to fill it up with more moments that love me and my soul. Practicing leaving behind the fears of not knowing and trying to control these. Most of my fears center around not being able to earn the income I once had with my new lines of ME (knowing I must do what I love). I have fear around not being able to control my mothers chronic health issues. Some of these fears are realistic and some are just mind traps I've fallen into.

Being mindful. Having new affirmations surround me. 

For now I'm going to continue resting until this horrible pain leaves my body. I know that my mind is healing as well. I will be gifted with a new fresh daily outlook on balance and self love. I know that there are many more gifts I'm being given right now in this space and time that will come to me. I will process as they show up❤️ I plan to welcome each one and make friends with them so I can continue to love more, to live more fully and to be balanced in my heart and soul. 

Practicing the fine art of noticing, knowing and making a difference every single day!