Learning by doing and a little serendipity

.It still amazes me when serendipity steps in and blesses your life in unexpected ways.  I have been wanting to try my hand at Artist Trading Cards (ATC) and had been looking for a good trading site when I found Swapbot.  It turned out that Swapbot not only helps facilitate ATC trades. but other types of arts and crafts trades, also.  They also facilitate pen-paling.  Not only am I learning about ATC's and thoroughly enjoying it but in seeing how others do their art I am learning new methods and styles.  Some of the sponsored swaps even come with tutorials so you can learn and swap of equal value.  Some of what I have learned is new and different ways of using my art and sharing the joy it brings me.  One of my discovers was in Mail art; in seeing how others did their mail art I took it a step sideways and started using stickers (see photo).  I tried different methods and papers but now I use address labels to make my envelope stickers.  The 2x4 size Avery (48363) address label  is great and so is using the Avery (25395) self adhesive name badges.

. However one of the greatest things I've learned is the art of writing a good letter.  There is a knack to it; to make it enjoyable to both you and your reader.  In todays world of text messaging and short e-mails, this artform has been largely lost.  From recieving and writing letters from those I trade with I am developing that skill.  Just like in doing a blog I have learned to express myself better (still learning) by doing and seeing others blogs ( I go back and read my early posts and wow what a difference) With pen paling, writing is on a different level.  I am now learning to more effectively communicate with others and especially my grandchildren,  Since my grandchildren are growing up, living far away and most are in school, writing can now be a way to establish ties with them.  What a potential blessing this is; all because I joined Swapbot .  You just never know what blessings can come from seemingly little events in your life. SERENDIPITY at work.

On top of the things I am learning I am also gaining in friendships, double blessings. 

The photos are what I have sent on recent swaps.  The top one is 3 different swaps with 7 different people.  The bottom photo is a swap, Stuff an 6x9 envelope.  One of the nice things about this kind of swap in I can thin down my art supplies of excess and know it will be appreciated.  A new way of the old trading system.

Fun, fun

 

Enjoy

☺☺☺Johnina☺☺☺

Sisters

 

Alone we can do nothing,

But together our minds fuse into something

Whose power is far beyond

The power of it's separate parts.

The kingdom cannot be found alone,

And you who are the kingdom

Cannot find yourself alone.

                              ~A Course in Miracles~ 

I have been reading Wayne Dyer's book 'The Power of Intention' and this is one of the quotes from it that I found to be both profound and true through my life.  I have read quite a few self-help books and this principle is called synergy.  I call it the 1 + 1 = 3 principle.  If you have ever done brainstorming you know that if you do it alone you can come up with some good ideas, but if you add another person the ideas flow much quicker and get refined much faster.  In one of my college classes on creative thinking we were told to come up with as many uses of a screwdriver as we could.  We then went down the rows and listed our answers getting many repeats and very few results.  The professor than had us brainstorm as a group and we quickly filled the chalkboards, all of them, with hundreds of uses.  Synergy at work.  At one point I was helping my sister and mom start a housecleaning business and normally my sister and I went together and cleaned two houses in the morning.  We decided to experiment and we split up and each did a house and it took us till mid-afternoon.  Again synergy at work.  The picture above is our woman's organization at church where we have a project to make totes and fill them for the local woman's shelters.  Most women who enter these shelters do so on short notice and do not have time to pack so we are providing them with basic toiletries so they feel like they have something of their own to keep themselves fresh and nice looking. One of those things that are very important to women in that situation.  As we made the totes and filled them not only were we serving a need but we were also building our sisterhood.  Great things happening.

The same kind of synergy can happen over the Internet as we share our lives and thoughts on our blogs.  We can communicate worldwide, both male and female and bring about greater understanding as we get to know each other, especially as we leave comments for each other.  As I once heard said 'We are all more alike than we are different.' and as the opening quote says we all need each other.
Johnina  :^A