Tag: #mom

Dive Into The World Of Watercolor With An Award-Winning Artist’s Exclusive Tutorials!

Dive Into The World Of Watercolor With An Award-Winning Artist’s Exclusive Tutorials!

When I started livestreaming on TikTok, I offered a glimpse into my artistic process. Whether I was painting in watercolor in the park or sculpting polymer clay in my studio, I urged viewers to seek progress and not perfection when practicing art. I spoke on how therapeutic creating art can be, after suffering childhood trauma and using art as a tool for healing.

This Watercolor Fairy Garden Tutorial Is Available In My Shop Now!

After twenty plus years of being a professional creative, it only made sense to start teaching what I’ve learned. I’m starting with watercolor painting and may move on to acrylic painting and polymer clay later.

I chose to start with watercolor tutorials because I remember when I started to learn watercolor how intimidating it felt. But I kept at it and I want to share my insights into the medium with others who may be feeling the same way I did.

To Honor Him, I Named This Tutorial After My Dog, Bones. He Loved Eating Watermelon With Me. He Was My Bestest Buddy And I Miss Him Every Day.
Here I Am With My Sweet Boy After Demolishing A Watermelon Together On The Fourth Of July

When the pandemic hit, people were picking up new skills while in quarantine. I decided to pick up watercolor. But after my mom passed in 2022, I decided I needed something to help me through my grief. So I started painting several times a day for six months. Only when I started practicing daily did I see real improvement. And I still consider art a practice. Every time I create I learn something new and see progress in the skills I’m learning.

After Losing My Mom, Going To The Park To Paint Was The Best Thing I Did For Myself. It Helped Me Process My Grief.

It’s my hope that I inspire others to create and use art for their mental and emotional well-being. I’m not a therapist or doctor, but studies show art is beneficial and beyond that, I believe it because I live it. Art helps me. Maybe, it can help you too.

To Learn More About Me & My Artwork & To Shop My Art & Tutorials, Please Visit My LinkTree

Art & Blog Copyrights & Reproduction Rights Belong Solely To: Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Do Not Copy

*For Educational Purposes Only*

Being The Eldest Daughter Of An Eldest Daughter

Being The Eldest Daughter Of An Eldest Daughter

Today, I’m reminding myself that it’s okay to not be everyone’s caregiver. It may sound selfish, but it isn’t. Boundaries and self care are so incredibly important and necessary to foster good mental and emotional health and well being.

I was always the friend who looked out for everyone. I was the people pleaser because I thought that’s how love worked. The whole “do unto others as you’d have done unto you” drilled into my psyche. I was always thinking ahead, planning, and anticipating to meet everyone’s needs. I was always a parent, an old soul, and so mature for my age. It’s a tremendously heavy and unhealthy burden to bear.

I came across this image on Instagram and it seems completely appropriate. It appears credit should go to Trufoundstory.

I was raised to be a caregiver by my family. Taught that I should cater to my father’s needs and whims, that I’m my brother’s keeper, and an emotional dumping ground for my mother. And I was expected to not ever really accomplish much of anything in my own life, other than to get married and be a mom.

I was consistently shown that my needs didn’t matter and took a backseat to everyone else’s. I wasn’t fully allowed to just be a child or person.

Growing up, I would watch my mother, who was also raised this way, become angry, burned out, and, at times, be incredibly selfish and cruel. She didn’t want children of her own so early on in her life. She wanted to party and be free. It just didn’t work out like that for her. She resented it, as displayed through some of her actions and in journals I found after her passing.

My mother had basically raised her sisters and then, upon becoming an adult, pretty immediately became a mother to me. She was always a parent and never could enjoy just being young. Her identity and purpose were wrapped in caring for others and in responsibility.

Who would care and comfort me, though? Oftentimes, I was neglected. I was used and taken advantage of. Manipulated and looked down upon. Rejected. Abused. My most basic of emotional needs rarely met. Inherently, I came to believe my worth was tied to my usefulness to others.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been on a trauma healing journey, though and I’m realizing all of this now. Through soul searching and trauma research, I’ve discovered that the answer to the question of who will care for me is me. I have to put in boundaries to protect myself. I’m not everyone’s parent. Not my parents’ parents, not my friends, my brother’s, my spouse, or strangers on the internet or beyond. Nope. It’s not my responsibility.

I have needs too and I choose to honor myself by caring for me. Boundaries help me have authentic connection in my relationships and any care I give is by choice and not programming. The cycle of generational trauma will end with me.

If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.

To Learn More About Me, My Trauma Healing Journey, And My Artwork, Please Visit My LinkTree. Thank You.

Copyrights Belong Solely To Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Art Do Not Copy Or Reproduce (Excludes Image Of Lisa Simpson)

*For Educational Purposes Only