Kick-Off Coffee Talk ~ Reflections on Painting, Writing, Faith and Joy

By Jayme H. Mansfield @JaymeMansfield

I finally figured out why I haven’t shared a blog since we moved to Wyoming nearly seven months ago. After all, it’s forever been on my “I really want to do this, to-do list”.

No, it’s not the lame excuses . . . not enough hours in a day, busy walking the dogs and picking out cockleburs, recouping from giant downsize mover’s fatigue, stoking mesmerizing wood-burning fires, having too much fun moving cows and riding horses, yada, yada, yada . . .

While all of these have elements of truth (except not enough hours in a day - ugh! I’m still wrestling with that one), the real reason clunked me over the head as I sat staring out my art/writing studio window. Who would have thought pregnant cows ambling around a snow-dotted meadow and a lively band of horses splashing through an icy river would cause one to lose all sense of time and focus?

Ah ha! INSPIRATION OVERLOAD! That’s the culprit!

One would imagine the creative process could dry up, freeze up, and be carried off to unreachable places in a location many consider dry, cold, and windy. Not a chance!

Instead, the ever-changing, big sky plays out like an epic motion picture. Wild grasses, blanketed in snow one day, emerge alongside red willows and twisted cottonwoods the next. The river beside our home runs, then freezes, only to gurgle and flow around twisty bends and over fallen trees. White-tailed deer and antelope tip-toe across the field until curious dogs scatter them away. The scene is always changing, never ending, forever beautiful, immensely inspiring.

Whew! Now that I’ve shared my true confession of a procrastinating creative, I believe I’ve roped and lassoed (as they say up here), my elusive creative mojo. Most certainly, I will still spend plenty of days staring at sunrises and sunsets, oohing and aahing over baby goats, calves, and colts, taking long and lazy walks, and making fond memories with the golden-gem people who live nearby.

However, the incredible joy I cherish while painting, writing, praying, and thanking God confirms again why my husband and I now call this place home. Inspiration abounds! It’s time for this daydreamer to get in the saddle and ride!

Thanks for letting me share our little slice of heaven in this initial blog and more soon to come.

I hope my creative work inspires you to discover and enjoy your own creativity and special slice of heaven.

Please share! Where, with whom, and what may that be? It might be just beneath your nose!

About the author:

Jayme H. Mansfield is an artist, author, speaker, and educator. Having lived in Colorado for the majority of her life and running her long-time art studio, Piggy Toes, Jayme now leads dedicated writing and art retreats (along with horses, of course!) on the Wyoming ranch where she and her husband live. Her favorite journey is pursuing her dreams, finding adventure, and passionately painting and writing with an ever-present artistic flair.

Her award-winning books, Chasing the Butterfly, RUSH, Seasoned, and Portrait of Deceit, are book club favorites, with genres spanning historical, contemporary, and literary suspense. Each of her stories reveal the transformational power of art and faith. As always, Jayme's writing is filled with vivid imagery that stirs the human heart and gifts the reader an abundance of hope and joy. Admittedly, she is a "happy-ending" author as the world needs a great deal more of that.

She loves to connect with art and book lovers! Visit her at www.jaymehmansfield.com for soon-to-be released books, stunning original artwork, and her inspirational and witty newsletter! You can also connect with her on her private FB group, The Painterly Life, for creative encouragement and community.

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