Hello from a planet holding its breath, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. This is not the post I though I’d be writing.
However, when I got an thank-you message from a woman in France this morning, I decided to write a blog post that might be of help to those whose plans have rearranged themselves because of caution and semi-isolation. Read on.
Hilda’s message described her frustration with trying to purchase one of my my Kindle books from French Amazon. She had tried three times, and while she kept getting refunds, she really wanted the book.
I asked for her email and sent her the PDF version as a gift. Here’s the note she wrote back, with a translation:
Wow. “Like all the French population, we are confined because of the Corona virus…this book will allow me to escape for a moment and not let myself panic.“
Right after I read that, I got another message on my Etsy Shop site thanking me for a custom listing for her Spirit Doll faces and saying, “These faces will be therapeutic during these uncertain times.”
Finally a light dawned – a perfect project for us might be creating and sharing a bunch of little Spirit-Lifting Dolls made from natural materials that remind us of simple endurance and resilience?
We can stay busy collecting materials. We can keep these small sculptures as reminders of hope, and also give them to friends to lift their spirits! This might be a good project for kids, too – it’s a bit old-fashioned, but that can be a good thing.
So here’s some free stuff that I’m sharing with you in in this post, hoping we can lift some spirits:
- A free book from me on how to make a spirit doll – just click the link below to download the PDF:
Spirit Doll Book
- A list of materials to make a Sprint doll – just click the link below to download the PDF:
- A guide to making your own air-dry clay Spirit Doll faces with craft store materials – just click the link below to download the PDF. You can also make faces in many other ways – drawing on watercolor-paper circles, painting on rocks . . . .
Making Air Dry Clay Faces Instructions
- A list of nice quotations about hope and encouragement to cut out and put inside your Spirit-Lifting doll or tie on a tag on the outside – just click the link below to download the PDF:
- A fun video on “short-cut” Spirit Dolls made with wooden grilling skewers that you can make in half an hour – click on the image to open it in You Tube:
Hang on to these instructions and resources. You may want to come back to them in a few weeks if you’re not totally stir-crazy right this minute.
It may be that we will get deeper in to hunkering down and distancing for the good of all. If so, remember that you might feel isolated, but you are never alone – I’m sending all good wishes for you to keep your spirits up, your bodies healthy, and your creativity flowing.
What a wonderful things to do. Thank you.
Thank you – every little bit helps 🙂
Thanks so much for a moment of sanity in a very difficult time. I will likely make another run to the studio to bring home more art supplies.
Good for you, Carol – ♥
You do good work, Lyn, and you and your work matter. Well done, my friend
Dearest Lyn, you are such a blessing to our world!
Back atcha., Ann – thanks for your good work.
What a sweet and precious gift! How blessed we are to be creatives who can always find something wonderful to do to brighten our day and that of others. Thank you, Lyn! Stay well!
Best to you and your family, Gaye – hope we can see each other soon.
And here I am, thanking you once again. This is such a kind and thoughtful gift Lyn. Your inspiration is much needed and greatly appreciated.
Stay healthy, stay safe. XO
Thanks, JoAnne – you were part of my inspiration!
Lyn, What a special thing to share! Be well & stay safe.
Thank you for sharing this, I posted on my Facebook groups.
Thank you so much!!
Lyn, you are a treasure! Thanks for all you do!
I love your work, Lyn! I am feeling so lucky to be doing this project! Also thankful to have some of your wonderful faces on hand!
Thank you for the ebook Lyn – it is beautiful!
I feel very connected by all the outreach taking place in the ether … yours here and other artists as well (Wendy MacNaughton, illustrator of the book Salt Fat Acid Heat, is doing daily drawing classes for “kids” every day on Instagram) … can’t help but feel that this worst case is bringing out the best in all of us … thank you!
May you be safe … be well … be happy … be at peace
You are a gift, Lyn. I treasure meeting you and the Mystery Chicks.
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what a wonderful offering to share! I’d love to share it on my FB page, Self Care for Trying Times, it’s a list of free or very low fee resources for holistic well being during these trying times. Thank you.
https://www.facebook.com/Self-Care-for-Trying-Times-scftt-105756191061117/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Greetings from New Zealand
Thank you for blessing me ( us all) , with this awesome gift Lyn.
Lovely Art works to create & uplift ourselves, & those we gift them to
Hi Lynn!
Thank you for the good thoughts and tips to keep our spirits up. I have skewers and what a great idea to send Spirit Dolls as reminders that we are in this together.
Hugs,
Nelda
Thank you for your generosity, I have made a few spirit dolls in the past and have purchased your lovely faces at the time and still have 2 left and last week I went out and purchased a few fat quarters for the purpose of making new spirit dolls. Again thank you. I will link back to your site when I post to my blog my finished doll. Blessing to you.
Lyn! Thank you so much for this generous gift! Really, there’s only so much deep cleaning to be done and I can’t read books all day. This lovely gift comes with sooo many subtle gifts inside. Calming, meditative gifts. ❤️
Hello Lyn from Canada!
Ontario has now entered it’s 7th wave of COVID and thoughts quickly move to what the fall might be like with much colder weather and moving indoors once again. I had created some spirit dolls a few years ago from one of your workshops and loved the process and the results. I’m looking forward to creating more of them with an intentional calm and envisioning resilience during these days of upheaval here and around the world. Thank you for this gift. And thank you for the beautiful and inspiring creative work you do.