Monday 30 January 2023



From TEA for the Heart & Soul Deck Created by Beth Richardson ©2021


Friday 27 January 2023

You cannot truly listen to anyone 
and do anything else at the same time. 
 - M. Scott Peck

Wednesday 25 January 2023

A man cannae bear a' his ain kin 
about on his back. 
- Scottish proverb

Monday 23 January 2023



From TEA for the Heart & Soul Deck Created by Beth Richardson ©2021


Friday 20 January 2023

January 20, 2023 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings 

   As I write this, we are on day 2 of thick fog all around.  While I can see across the street, I can’t see much further than that.  (And if ancient lore is correct, that means that we’ll be seeing a lot of precipitation around Easter - approximately 90 days after the fog.)

   I don’t know about you, but on days like this - where it looks like the world is under a white blanket - there is nothing I like better than to curl up in a blanket myself.  Nature shows us it’s time to rest.  .

   We’re now three weeks into the new year and what have you accomplished?  Has anyone asked you that recently? 

   We’re ONLY three weeks into the new year so why should we be worried about accomplishing anything yet?  Heck, we have a whole year ahead of us so there is no rush to start ticking items off a list.

   In the creative membership I am part of, we are creating space during the month of January.  Now, for some that means physical space by cleaning and decluttering, but for many of us, it is space in our calendars and schedules, which allows us to have more time to just pause and rest before we blast forth into our next project or task.

   Some would argue that we’ve had a lot of rest time in the past three years with the pandemic creating so many changes in our lives, but how many of us did take advantage of that global pause to rest?  Did you just filled the time with multiple distractions so you didn’t have to stop?

   Yes, there are times to be active and accomplish tasks, but there are also times to be still and quiet.  And, only by taking the time to be still and quiet can we know if the activities we want to do, or plan to do, are even the right ones for us.  Sometimes we find out that they are not, and it’s easier to find that out before you start than after.

   Today, I’m going to find a good book and curl up under a blanket and enjoy some down time.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BnJkzrt2LkEVQr14n2Rx5jx563aMwBtz/view?usp=share_link

 Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 21 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it.  If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available:   

Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!


And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua     

Wednesday 18 January 2023

If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.  
- Turkish proverb

Monday 16 January 2023



From TEA for the Heart & Soul Deck Created by Beth Richardson ©2021


Friday 13 January 2023

My Artist Voice #9 January 13, 2023

   Welcome to my ninth Artist Newsletter.  Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to date.  If you would like to receive this newsletter via email subscription, please contact thechautauqua@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list.  Please share this with friends who may also be interested.  Thank you so much for your support.  

   In this first newsletter of 2023, I wanted to do a bit of a reflection on 2022.  I thought 2020 and 2021 were transformative years for me, since the years prior were predominantly spent in bed as I was so sick, but 2022 blew them completely out of the park.  

   It all started with my theme for the year..."Just Show Up."  What that meant was that I was to say Yes to any opportunity that came my way that my "only" excuse for saying No was a default "I can't" and not a real No.
 
   Looking back at 2022, I had some projects and opportunities I knew in January were going to happen...
* 20th Anniversary of owning the Chautauqua 
* crochet food
    - cookies + 2 cake slices completed in Jan 
* exhibition at Corridor Gallery Jan 10 - Feb 28
   - extended 7.5 weeks!!!! 
   - picked up artwork Fri, Apr 22
* applied for Stampede lottery home artist in Feb (not accepted) 
* Voice of the Creatrix program Jan 20 - Mar 17
     - finished song, sang and posted it! 
* Inner Circle renewed Mar 16th for 3rd year! 
* labyrinth path
     -  rock ordered/delivered and first layer down May 13 - May18 
     - gravel in sidewalk edging completed Sept 5 
     - along west side of garage completed Sept 27
* May I & BitterTEA decks 
     - ordered May 27 and picked up June 8! 
* garden/harvest 
     - 36 cups tomato/pepper soup 
     - 6 pints rhubarb juice 
     - 13 quarts + 1 pint crabapple juice 
     - froze 6 cups raspberries 
     - froze 13 cups cherries 
     - froze 6.5 cups chopped onions 
     - froze 3 cups chopped peppers
    - 3 pt refrigerator pickles 
* three dressers, glider rocker, & chair donated to Alix thrift store Sept 23 - landing clear for first time in 2+ years! 
* car windshield finally replaced Sept 28 
* 1,000th sky drawing on Oct 5 
* Unleash Your Voice 10-Day Immersion Nov 7 - Nov 23
     - 10 songs written/sung/posted 
* paintings completed 
    - daily painting since Jan 4 
    - completed 33 canvases + 26 watercolour play pages - both sides 
* biked 577 kms (9 + 10 consecutive weeks, to Nov 1) 
* 26 puzzles completed 

   Then, there were the projects and opportunities that came my way during the year that I didn't plan for or anticipate...
+ Voice of the Muse album program May 3 - Sept 6 
    - wrote 3 new songs! 
    - recording sessions June 11 & 17 + July 8/22 + Aug 11/26 
    - CDs ordered Sept 12 & arrived Oct 13 
    - streaming setup started Oct 4 & finished Oct 21 
    - album release/book launch party Oct 23 - sold 1 book & 1st painting!!!!! 
+ solo art show at the Donalda Art Gallery July 19 - Aug 2
    - installation July 18/19 
    - Gala July 23 - 6 people + 4 decks sold
+ published monthly Artist Newsletter
     - first one May 13! 
     - June 10/July 8/Aug 12/Sept 9/Oct 14/Nov 11/Dec 9 
     - 9 official subscribers!!!! 
+ FB shop set up and Square set up - started August, still not done 
+ online Reiki Level 1 training - attunement Sept 9 
+ submission to Viewpoint Gallery, Red Deer 
       - sent Sept 9 - not accepted 
+ chapbook of artist voice journey 
       - files to Ember Sept 13 and picked up Sept 28! 
+ signed up for Joyce van der Lely's free 30 Gentle Nudges 
       - Sept 22, and did Oct 12 - Oct 31 - completed journal 
+ took decks to Wholistix Fri, Sept. 16 
     - to see if they'd carry them in the shop (they weren't interested)
+ Micro-Memoir weekend writing course with Dawn Montefusco     
     - Oct 1 & 2, wrote 5,200 words 
+ Recipes, Remedies & Rituals Ayurveda course with Siva Mohan 
     - self-paced, started Sept 18 
+ Hillary Faye's Attune to Animal Kingdom course Nov 2 - Nov 30
+ online Yoga Teacher Training October 16 - April 27/23 
     - Reiki Level 2 Oct 17
     - Reiki Master Dec 5 
+ signed up for Hillary's Kundalini Reiki training - January (Nov 14)
+ Miriam Schulman's Painting with Words online course started Sept 24
+ Anne LaFollette's Pattern Design Academy Sept 30 - Nov 21 
      - 91 patterns created 
+ joined Anne LaFollette's yearly membership Nov 14
      - 192 patterns created!
+ applied for 2023 Cowboy Kicks Boot project (Oct 22 - no response) 
+ applied for Morgan Le Fay Mystery School Sister Sibling Year full scholarship (Oct 22 - no response) 
+ signed up for KDP account 
      - published 2 basic 6x9 journals on Amazon (Oct 26)
      - published creative daily planner (Nov 11) 
+ signed up for Hillary Faye's 8-week Abundant Heart program (start in Jan) 
+ Demi's Morgan Le Fay mini bundle (Nov 24)
+ Anahita's Beauty Codes holiday special Dec 18 
    - coaching call Dec 28 with her hubby 
+ signed up for Sue Crites's Qigong Level 1 training (Jan 14 &15) 
+ free hr clarity call with Natalie Silici (Dec 22) 
+ created 10 hand-drawn mandalas (posca paint pen) 
+ Niece here lots!!!!!
      - Jan 14, Feb 11, Sept 4 & 5, Dec 10 & 17, Xmas day with Sis
      - Baking, cleaning, board games & more 
+ Zoom with Elizabeth Foley Dec 30
      - she requested feedback on her upcoming projects

   And finally, as someone who rarely buys treats for myself (because I say I can't afford it or I don't need it), I treated myself to...
+ original painting and set of felted penguins from Zoe DeCnodder (Aug) 
+ 3 card decks online from Hay House (Sept) 
+ Amber's book "Creativity Unleashed" on Amazon Oct 19 
+ a new wallet (Oct 6) 
+ pre-ordered Miriam Schulman's Artpreneur book on Amazon (Oct 28) + ordered Virginal Rosenberg's 2023 Cosmic calendar (Dec 1) 
+ Maida's F*ck It book on Amazon (Dec 1) 
+ pre-ordered Jessica Swift's Radiant Rainbow book (Dec 23)

   For 2023, my theme seems to be "joyful energetic ease" so it will be interesting to see how that unfolds this year.

Celebrations: 

-  the whole of 2022 is a celebration! 

- my niece was here two different days before Christmas and we had a massive baking marathon both days, played board games and cleared off the dining room table, as well as cleared up my kitchen table studio space.


Recently Completed:

Since the last newsletter, I've completed...
(Top L-R) Watercolour play (9x12 mixed media paper), "Nature's Joy" (16x20 acrylics), Watercolour play (9x12 mixed media paper)
(Bottom L-R) Rose hand-drawn mandala (paint pens/Tombow markets on 9x12 mixed media paper), 2023 Inner Circle Vision Board 
- I completed my nineteenth cartoon comic booklet and you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/650727300162868

- I also completed more patterns - still using my teacup motifs.   One of the gals in the membership suggested a brown background so I experimented with that on each of my patterns (not all worked), and then a grey background (again, not all worked).  Then just as I was starting to create new patterns, I accidentally clicked on something I wasn't supposed to (oops!) and turned the pattern I was working on into a silhouette!  It was such a neat effect, that I started converting my previous patterns into silhouettes (not all worked).
- the end of December, I did Laura Rose's annual Mantra Ritual and wrote my personal mantra for 2023.  You can listen to it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/698619835039950

Works in progress:

Currently, I'm working on... 
- a 9x12 page of watercolour play 
- an 8x10 acrylic painting  
- mandala on 9x12 mixed media paper 
- crochet chocolates and candy for my crochet food project

- I'm learning lots in the online Awaken Love Yoga Teacher Training course - especially new meditations and mantras.  I've also had a chance to practice with a couple of the gals.

- I am still working (slowly) on my pages in the self-paced online art course called "Painting with Words" 

- I'm making progress through the Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals Ayurveda course.

- I'm going through the Morgan Le Fay Dark Moon course for a second round.

- Anne's Atelier pattern design membership: I'm still converting my previous patterns to silhouette versions. 

- Hillary Faye's Kundalini Reiki course: I completed Level 1 on January 10 and am sending Reiki to a cousin and my yoga angel for practice before I start Level 2

- I have completed Week 1 of Hillary Faye's 8-week Abundant Heart Kundalini yoga course and am starting Week 2

Upcoming Projects: 

- I signed up for Sue Crites Level 1 Qigong which is this weekend on January 14 &15

Thanks for reading,
Beth 

~~~~~~~~

As a life-long creative, and recently self-taught artist, I endeavour to weave my varied interests and wisdom together in an enlightening and entertaining manner, to make people think, but above all else, bring a smile to their faces and hearts, as my style is almost childlike in its simplicity and playfulness.  While bedridden for much of 2017, I developed 5 – 10 minute practices which allowed me to commit to them daily. I’ve been called the “Queen of Small Steps” because my simple practices – though they may seem small individually – have added up to quite a body of work in a relatively short time period. 

~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for your support, and again, if you would like to receive this newsletter directly via email please email: thechautauqua@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list.  Thank you!

Back issues of this newsletter can be found here: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/  under the category "Artist Newsletter"

If you would like to support my artistic journey, please consider purchasing my artwork, select items available online https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html or in person at 4910-47 St, Mirror, AB

or by making a donation via
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness are always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration! Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!

Wednesday 11 January 2023

It takes two to speak the truth – 
one to speak and another to hear.
  - Henry David Thoreau

Monday 9 January 2023



From TEA for the Heart & Soul Deck Created by Beth Richardson ©2021


Friday 6 January 2023

January 6, 2023 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

I want to take a moment to look back at 2022.  For me, 2020 and 2021 were pretty incredible years (despite the pandemic), yet 2022 far surpassed them.

   Though, 2022 did not start on a good note at all.  First I was sick the beginning of the year, and then I had a window smashed in each vehicle the first week of January.  After that rocky patch, things improved, and I was guided by my theme for the year which was to ‘Just Show Up.”

   In 2022, there were some activities and events I expected, such as:

    • the 20th Anniversary of the Chautauqua

    • my first ever solo art exhibition at the Corridor Gallery in Red Deer Jan. 10 - Feb. 28.  What I didn’t expect was that it was extended to April 21.

    • started putting gravel around my labyrinth path

    • publishing two more inspirational card decks - May I & Bitter TEA

    • completing my 1,000th sky drawing on Oct. 5

    • biking 577 total kms from Mar. till the snow arrived Nov. 1

 However, it was the many opportunities that came my way, that I didn’t expect, that made the year so amazing.  Such as:

    • 2nd solo art show at the Donalda Art Gallery July 19 - Aug 2

    • Voice of the Muse 4-month album program that led to my first ever album released Oct. 23, plus a book launch

    • publishing a monthly Artist Newsletter (huge thank you to my subscribers)

    • completed Reiki Level 1, Level 2 and Masters

    • started an 8-month online Yoga Teacher Training in October

    • took the Pattern Design Academy Sept 30 - Nov 21 and created loads of patterns as I learnt the process

   And that is just the highlights of my year.  While I don’t know everything 2023 holds in store, I’m sure it will be a great year.  Happy 2023!

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d32pSkievOlvWP7qR48Qn-1PJYHjQRem/view?usp=share_link

 Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 21 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it.  If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available:   

Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!


And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua     

Wednesday 4 January 2023

Being heard is so close to being loved
 that for the average person, 
they are almost indistinguishable. 
 - David W. Augsburger

Monday 2 January 2023



From TEA for the Heart & Soul Deck Created by Beth Richardson ©2021


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