“What men and women need is encouragement. Their natural resisting powers should be strengthened, not weakened … Instead of always harping on a man’s faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut … Hold up to him his better self, his real self that can dare and do and win out! … People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts.” 
― Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

My dear friends and the Universe,

A very nice quote indeed by Ms. Eleanor H. Poter, don’t you think?

This post should have published last Friday the 25th, as the dead line for my submission as DT member of the Brown Sugar Challenge Blog , but sometimes I just do not know how to make the time… I hope my timing gets better in my next for BSC (9th of May)…  In the meantime follow my next project this coming Friday (2nd May) as DT member for ‘A Creative Need (ACN), a monthly Challenge blog…

In this occasion I was lucky to be able to chose this image (sponsored by Rick St. dennis), the well-known little character called Pollyanna, now considered a classic of children’s literature. A 1913 best-selling novel by Eleanor H. Porter (this lady had a lot of wisdom, don’t you think??). I was given this book by a good friend and work-colleague of mine around 1989, who believed that my way of thinking and outlook of life reminded him of this character… I did not know this novel at that time, but I truly enjoyed reading every page… I thanked my friend very much for the book and to this date I still remember the essential and profound teachings I took from it of being positive and grateful… Exercising these values is the essence of my spiritual path and change of consciousness journey…

I copied an extract of the plot summary from Wikipedia for some of you who may be interested and perhaps wishing to show to your children… I think this world, more than ever before, would benefit from having more Pollyannas.

“The title character is named Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphan who goes to live in Beldingsville, Vermont, with her wealthy but stern Aunt Polly. Pollyanna’s philosophy of life centers on what she calls “The Glad Game”, an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. It originated in an incident one Christmas when Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the missionary barrel, found only a pair of crutches inside. Making the game up on the spot, Pollyanna’s father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because “we didn’t need to use them!”    With this philosophy, and her own sunny personality and sincere, sympathetic soul, Pollyanna brings so much gladness to her aunt’s dispirited New England town that she transforms it into a pleasant place to live..”

Since I was running out of time and had not time to think about my composition, I used again parts of my very own and much loved whimsical painting to collage some parts of my pollyanna’s piece  background. Ah! and I managed to take a pic of the process of it’s making…, sorry I didn’t take any more…, I hope you get the idea… The base background is a mixture of watercolours green, orange and yellows that I love using a lot, especially when I miss the sun… I also used the two gelatos you see here on top of the finished wash and I also created the sun with them as  a final step..  The balloon’s string is a natural cord to give the setting a more organic look… I colour the image with promarkers in such a way that I wanted to achieve the feeling of a well ware coat, to give it a more realistic and rustic look, if you know what I mean…  I hope you like it, but please feel free to comment..

“… there is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.”
― Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

Thank you for reading this post today, I hope it made you feel good, creative, inspired and motivated to express yourself freely… It’s important you remember that:  You can paint…, You are a creative Being…, You are INFINITE light and energy…  You CAN express the essence of what YOU truly are… You are NEVER alone…  Your Divine SELF is always with you…  and please do not ever, ever, ever forget that:  YOU ARE LOVED… I  know you are probably reading/listening these words more and more often these days, which is just wonderful and tremedously magical, as words have power and positive words heal our souls, our bodies, and ultimately have an impact in our planet…

I love you being here…xx