Today starts a 30 day challenge to create some sort of art each day for the month of November. It was one year ago on November 1st that I had my first art therapy session during a time of extreme sadness. I was scared sh**less and apologized to the instructor about a thousand times about how bad it was going to be, and she said the words that I tell myself still - art is not graded or judged - just a way to express yourself and to heal. Our first task was to draw ourselves beside a gate, and my stick figure person was next to a big black gate - appropriate for the way I was feeling then. But I got my feelings out, and over the next months of going through the art therapy, at different locations, I realized that I actually liked it and I could be proud of my creativity. And here I am a year later after that time - with a picture appropriately titled "Happiness is the key" - and you all have helped me feel that way (most days!). I learned how to do this page from a wonderful FREE class I am taking online from Willowing. I did one of these projects already, but I liked it so much I wanted to try again! I used watercolor crayons and pencils, acrylic paints, and stamping. Oh, and a regular old pencil! 
