Inject calm into the holiday season with this 15 minute daily practice

November 30, 2020 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

Commit to creativity this December!

December can be a crazy month as we prepare for the holidays. I don’t even need to remind you that things are extra stressful this year. One of my favorite things to do in December is to create every single day.

Creativity is very important to me, but life always seems to want to pull me away from it. I should say I let life (and Netflix) pull me away. Because December is such a full month, I find it the most important time to recommit to creativity. I encourage you to the same. Just 15 minutes a day can be such a stress reliever!

For the last few years, I’ve created an illustration each day in December. This year I’m trying a new medium – block printing. I’ve gotten a head start – I organized my tools, watched a few YouTube videos, sketched a few ideas. I’ve even carved two small designs!

In the past my goal was to post a completed illustration each day. This year I simply want to work in the new medium for at least 15 minutes a day. I have to admit it’s hard to be a beginner! That first day carving my linoleum block felt so awkward. But I know from experience that a month of focusing on one thing can lead to real progress.

I hope you’ll join me in creating every day!

There are a lot of great kits to get you started with a new medium in this blog post.

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Browse Ornaments & Cards in my Zazzle shop.

Painting in a Winter Wonderland

December 23, 2018 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

Other than a one or two days when I had the flu, I’ve painted throughout the holiday season. You can see every post on Instagram @eileenmckenna. I really enjoy this relaxing time and the holiday and winter concepts I’ve explored. Anytime I’ve worked for a week or month within a theme, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with some of my ideas. One of my main goals for 2019 is to work within themes. First up Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

To see my daily posts follow me on Instagram @eileenmckenna.

Working Outside of my Comfort Zone

December 6, 2018 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I couldn’t be happier with where my last two holiday illustrations have led me. This year I’m not following any prompts, but working within the holiday/winter theme. Without the prompts I feel freer to paint different things within the theme.

Tonight I was laying on the couch thinking about how I hadn’t painted, how my neck hurt from sitting at the computer, how I really didn’t feel like painting, had no ideas, and how I was freezing. I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw an illustration on @hopeandeasel by @girlpowerillustrations of a girl with a scarf and suddenly I was inspired to paint a self portrait of me with a scarf. A self portrait, a face – both are totally out of my comfort zone. And I was so happy with how it came out! If I wasn’t pushing myself to paint every day, it never would have happened.

Yesterday, when I was thinking about what to paint, the plastic candle decorations we had when I was little kept popping into my head. But what was I going to paint – the four foot tall plastic candles? Then I decided to paint my childhood home decorated for the holidays. I was so pleased with how it came out, especially for sentimental reasons as the house is no longer ours. Again I was working outside my comfort zone.

My previous Christmas Illustrations are available as holiday cards on zazzle.com. And as digital downloads for your projects on Etsy.com.

Painting Daily during the Holiday Season

December 4, 2018 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

It’s been over a week that I’m back to daily drawing and painting. I even have a reminder that pops up on my phone, “Did you draw today?”

It’s amazing how you can sit down to paint, without a thought of what you’ll paint, and ideas will start to come to you. Of course using google images for reference helps too! I love how the results of the day’s painting can be so unexpected.

It’s a relaxing time which I thoroughly enjoy – why had I let it get away from me? I have to try hard to keep up with it even beyond the holidays. To see my daily posts follow me on Instagram @eileenmckenna.

My previous Christmas Illustrations are available as holiday cards on zazzle.com. And as digital downloads for your projects on Etsy.com.

Back to Daily Creativity

November 25, 2018 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I had forgotten how good it feels to just sit and paint, no real thought about the outcome. Feeling free to explore ideas that come to me. It’s almost meditative. I was busy with other creative projects and frankly let procrastination get in the way. But now I’m committed to creating daily. I’ve enjoyed painting holiday illustrations the past few years. It’s a fun way to celebrate the Christmas season.

I’ve made my illustrations into holiday cards available on Zazzle:

And many of the illustrations are available for download in my Etsy shop for use in your creative projects.

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2017 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

Nativity
Creative prompts for Christmas countdown #Christmas #creative #advent

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Have you visited my online shop? Prints of my seascapes are available on watercolor paper or canvas, in many sizes including the new “mini” canvas 11″ x 14″ at shop.eileenmckenna.com. Take a peek! The perfect gift for beach lovers.