Archives for Lifestyle

Through Lens or Brush, Fall does not Rush

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald in his most famous work, “The Great Gatsby.” These words were to provide hope of new beginnings, to disillusioned character, Daisy.  Although many look at Fall as a time when nature prepares to put itself to sleep, Fall does provide a promise of what is to come and herein lies Fall’s secret. We watch in fascination as leaves magically change colours, giving us a glorious show, before drying and falling off the tree. As bare and lifeless as a tree may appear after its
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A Summertime Art Tour of Ottawa

    As many of you already know, I love art in all of its various forms. As an artist myself, I enjoy creating my own and admiring the works of others on a variety of different mediums. While most of what I have discussed in my past blogs concerns art in the house, I haven’t been able to touch on how the city of Ottawa is full of amazing art, and how easy it is to admire without paying admission fees to museums or galleries. Around every corner of the city and throughout many different neighbourhoods you can indulge
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Outdoor Art Activities to Keep You Busy at Home

As the weather starts warming up and the sun shines longer and longer each day, getting outdoors as much as you can will be a great way to pass the time. People are now setting up their patio furniture, getting their gardens prepared, and enjoying many other activities in the comfort of their own backyard to get a change of scenery and keep their hands busy outdoors. For all my art-loving friends and followers out there, remember that creativity can take on a different dimension outside of the house! Whether it is pencil lead sketched in a notebook, or some
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Art and Creativity as an Outlet for Mental Health

As many artists and creators already know, art is a reflection of life and inspiration and produces it as well. It can promote self-discovery, and take you on a journey you never imagined, and maybe most importantly it can help to improve your mental health. Under the second stay-at-home order of the year, even those who don’t consider themselves to be artistic in the least are tapping into their creative sides to keep their spirits high in otherwise gloomy times. Our brains want us to use them in a way that makes us feel good, and art provides many of
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The Benefits of Learning New Skills as COVID-19 Continues.

Learning new skills is an excellent way of being more relevant in a dynamic environment. It can advance your career, diversify job opportunities, and help you to develop new, marketable skills in an ever-changing world. While these benefits are great for professional growth, there are many other benefits to learning new skills no matter your age, your profession, or the type of skill you learn. Finding my way back to art and breathing life back into this dormant skillset and passion has been an inspiring time in my life, and I am certain that this is not just a singular
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Finding Your Inspiration: Staying Creative in 2021

Living through a pandemic has afforded many people the opportunity to get in touch with their creative side. Whether or not you took on home projects, learned new skills, improved existing ones, or lit a match to reignite an artistic fire that may have spent the last few years dormant, finding that energy to be inspired and original has been a refreshing way and for some the only way to cope with the current climate. But as much as we crave the creative hustle, it can sometimes be difficult to keep the ideas flowing and produce the work that makes
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Embracing Creativity: Rekindling Your Artistic Side in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly faced us with a multitude of challenges. With businesses closing their doors, social gatherings put to a halt, and quite frankly no where to go, many of us have had to get creative to stay busy and stimulated during these unusual times. While some kept busy with household repairs and upgrades, others have taken up new hobbies or rediscovered old ones that may have gone dormant when the balancing act of life became too hectic.  Personally, I was able to use the downtime that the pandemic afforded me to get back in touch with my
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Beat The COVID-19 Blues with Lots of Winter Fun

We had no idea back in March that we would still be living with the COVID-19 at this time of the year. In the last few months, many of us have lost our jobs or have reduced hours or are still working from home. However, more businesses are now open, and schools and the children have adapted quite well. However, we are not anywhere near the old ‘normal.’  We can still not visit with family and friends and see our grandparents. Sadly, there is no light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. As the days are getting shorter and
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Coping With COVID-19: The Value of Horse Therapy

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have felt an ongoing sense of anxiousness or have been overwhelmed trying to keep up with the directives and guidelines that seem to be changing at a rapid pace. Now with the second wave officially declared in Ottawa and confirmed positive cases on the rise, our nerves may be getting the best of us once again. We have to take a step back from our families and loved ones in order to and work as a society to flatten the curve, but with the holiday season on the horizon, this may feel more
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Markets and Orchards and Farms, Oh My!

Most busy families create schedules and routines to coordinate all the demands of kids, work and school. Since our world changed last March, many have found schedules to be much less stressful because COVID-19 cancelled school, work and events. There were no hockey or dance practices, no birthday parties, no extracurricular anything, and no commutes.  Despite the fact that children may be experiencing a little social loneliness that cyber connections just can’t cure, they are relatively happy, enjoying the extra time they have to focus on some of their own hobbies and interests. Sometimes, however, they get a little bored
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