Beyond Layers – Shelley Shockley's Views from Collinwood

Happy Saturday! Beyond Layers Scavenger Hunt

Wow it’s Saturday morning and I’m not at work! That’s a big Yay!! Even better I don’t have any deadlines looming for other projects so I can take a big SIGH and enjoy the rest of this Anniversary weekend!

Last night was really nice, and a big THANK YOU to all who sent well wishes! Still playing catch up here so below you will find Pieces of Me as part of the Beyond Layers Scavenger Hunt this week. I’ve post some of these to Instagram, but none here yet, so here goes it. Have a great weekend!

Monday

Chair — My favorite chair. I love to curl up with a book and read in this spot.

feet — Happened to see this chalkboard message as I walked out of a store and needed to capture it.

Wednesday

My front door — View of my front door, glaring need to repaint or redo stairs ugh! Can serve double duty as my mailbox is also featured.

Thursday

A beautiful chandelier. Doesn’t really fit the scavenger hunt because it is not in my home so not a piece of me, but I thought it was beautiful.

Books I am currently reading “Pym” by Mat Johnson and “Some Things That Stay” by Sarah Willis

Friday

Iced Tea — My favorite beverage is tea of all kinds, but this is what is known as Auntie’s Tea because my niece and nephew love it and have coined it this way.

Backyard view — View from my window facing my now decimated back yard.

That’s it for today, and a note this is actually being posted on Sunday!

Enjoy!

Dreamy Sheep Grazing in CLE

dreamlike_sheep-herd — Sheep graze along the Shoreway in Cleveland compliments of the St. Clair Superior Community Development Corporation.

One of the things I love about Cleveland is you just never know what you will see on any given day.

For weeks I have been trying to spot the sheep I heard were grazing along the shoreway to no avail, and then last week a friend mentioned seeing them as well as a sign explaining their presence.

Passing by this area daily I continually forgot to look until this evening as I made my way home I detoured slightly to try and get a peek. On the first drive by I didn’t see them, but after turning around to go home I looked a little further into the field and eureka!

The photo pictured above has been treated with Kim Klassen’s “dream-field” process from her Beyond Layers course. The end result is a dreamy, hazy look at sheep grazing in Cleveland!

Enjoy! As always your comments are welcome.

Home ~ where the heart is!

One of my biggest challenges with this site has been a concern about the importance of what I have to say and whether or not my world resonates with others, and unfortunately my feelings of doubt have succeeded more often than my commitment to my craft.

I have closed the door on that phase today and I think I have a sense of focus and what I want to communicate with this little corner of the cyber world – all things Cleveland! Not your usual news or puff pieces the parts of this metropolis that strike me as interesting, challenging, wonderful and oh so Cleveland!

To start off I’m going to share a recent skyline shot and my take on a tardy Beyond Layers assignment Fun With Type.

I hope you enjoy and come back frequently! If you feel so moved, please leave a comment!

Having a little fun with text!

What a beautiful day in the LAND!

Jumping back on the horse!

In less than twenty-four hours I will begin a new course aimed at assisting me with finding my voice for this site. Reflection of You comes from the creative vision of Kim Klassen and Xanthe Berkeley two awesome visionaries who work at sharing their craft with the masses.

I’m very familiar with Kim, but I have only lurked from time to time on Xanthe’s site. What I found really intriguing about Xanthe is her willingness to open her life to the world through Creating Time Capsules. When you drop by the page you are offered a glimpse into ‘A Day in the Life’ – and that to me is a testament to her willingness to help others grow.

I can’t imagine offering so many complete strangers a glimpse into my day, but who knows maybe I’ll learn to shed a layer of my mask in this new course.

While I know that Kim has taken Xanthe’s course I have not seen her film, but through the written word she has opened her heart and soul to many on her site – and wow does she do it in such an unassuming way! The stories are very real, full of passion but not intimate details.

Oh wow, hold on I just had an ‘aha’ moment! As a writer I know that it is often hard to write about your life while in the throes of it, but if I look at it from a creative perspective maybe it will be a little easier. Uhmm…not sure, but we’ll see over the next several weeks.

In preparation for tomorrow, I’m posting a photo from my Beyond Layers class, albeit late, but as the title says ‘I’m jumping back on the horse’!

Why Do You Create?

So the question is fairly simple, what is the driving force behind your creations? Are you seeking approval, joy, accolades, or do you love what you do?

I’m sure that is something we have all grappled with a time or two, and I was reminded of this today over at “Beyond Layers” when Kim Klassen our guide recounted some awesome feedback she received on some of her work featured on Flickr. That’s a good thing right? Well of course it is, that is until you begin to base your work on accolades, positive feedback and how you can outdo the last piece in order to receive more praise.

Now I don’t believe praise is wrong, and neither does Klassen, but the key to your creative spirit should be what makes you as an artist happy. It may not always be the best or receive the most praise but at its core it is a piece of you – your creation!

I’m paraphrasing, but Kim questioned if we (artists) found ourselves constantly checking for new comments on our work, and basing our creations on the thoughts of others? Well I didn’t have to think about it because I know the sense of elation I have each time I receive comments on my photos. I feel validated in some way, but also I feel inspired. The support and camaraderie I have found on the internet really helps to fuel my creative spirit, but I haven’t always had this platform – nor have many of us.

The one area I continue to struggle with is with my writing. It is always difficult to start a new piece and see it through to the end, because I have demons or little minions telling me it is not good enough. This is a battle I fight regularly, but I also seek out support in the form of writing groups. Here I am seeking more guidance and constructive criticism over praise. I don’t want to hear all praise without a suggestion for improvement, but ultimately I think that’s what we are all looking for when we open our souls and share our creations with the world.

So here’s to less obsession over positive comments and a shout out seeking constructive criticism that can guide us to higher levels of creativity.

So why do you create???

Now, I’ll share some of my latest creations – Enjoy!