This is not the prettiest collage ever. lol but it serves a purpose. I am participating with a group of other bloggers in reading True Balance by Sonia Choquette. The book is a common sense guide to balancing your chakras. I am not going to even attempt to explain what little I know about chakras. It's basically a book about getting balance in your life, which is probably something we could all stand a little more of. The group has already started the reading. I am still waiting for my book. I got a late start. To learn more about this, you can check out Be Alive Believe Be You

In addition to reading the book, I decided this week to participate in the Mixed Media Memoirs project which involves creating something that answers the question or thought they choose. This week's thought is "I become off balance when..."

This brings me to my collage. It took me a while. Part of my off balance-ness shows itself in my mind feeling cluttered. I can't seem to grab a thought. Collaging and sketching really does seem to help me process through this more than any other craft or arty thing I've tried. I still enjoy some sewing and crocheting, etc, but collaging has been an incredible outlet-a desperately needed one-and I am grateful to have stumbled on to it. One great thing about collages is that you can pour yourself into creating the images and not so much in vocalizing the problem. In this case, I will explain it because it's sort of the point. This collage is of me...trying to balance all sorts of "boxes." The boxes are labelled with words like "kids, dishes, house, God, Tim, etc, etc" I'm trying to carry all the boxes on one shoulder and there is a world on the other. Meanwhile, my family is standing all around watching me with vacancy signs over their empty shoulders. (they all have a little something on their own shoulders...we all have our own stuf). I become off balance when I think that I am responsible for shouldering all of the responsibilities...or even trying to shoulder my responsibilities equally well or all at the same time. There is no need to do it alone. There are loving family members standing around waiting to help.

The map represents the first thing that came to mind when I thought of being off balance. Other than a short one day visit to my mother's house 3 hours away (once last year, once this year) I have not been anywhere in four years. I have not been out of Roanoke since we moved into this house and started caring for Tim's mother. I am craving a trip..water, new scenery...time away from his mother, time away from always being on guard. Yes, I feel very off balance right now.