inspiration monday

although i'm not the least bit athletic, i sure do love to watch sports.....and right now, i'm especially loving the winter olympics! i can't think of anything more exciting than watching apolo anton ohno and his trademark goatee speed skate himself to victory on the short track! apolo wears red, white and blue proud, and it's his amazing dedication to achieving everything possible in his sport that inspires me the most.

but this type of passion doesn't happen only at the olympics, i see it everywhere in blogland, too.....artists nurturing their creative spirits, whether it's painting portraits over and over, creating page after page of collage work, taking online classes to further their skills, sewing stitch after stitch with needle and thread until it's just right, etc.

perfecting our skills takes some sweat, and sometimes a few tears. and while our artwork most likely won't earn us an olympic medal, our prize is just as rewarding.....a journal filled with creative masterpieces, a canvas painted to perfection, or a finished needlework sampler is definitely worth its weight in gold, silver and bronze, wouldn't you say?

journal page finished using a pitt XS pen, watercolor pencils, 6B pencil