I love . . .

I love being home alone, a pause, to take a beat.

I love sunlight blinding me as I drive to the doctor. I love sunlight made magnificent by fresh snow. . .  crunching under my feet.

I love snow, how it contours the rock walls,  a dash of highlighter across old fields.

I love, I love Hope but don’t want to have to hope.  I love, I love, I love brave, but like hope, don’t want to have to brave.

I love, when my boiler brakes, to have a wood stove to keep us warm through the night. I love a house full of kids, running outside to romp in the snow, an owl flying just above. I love the full moon, keeping me wide awake as others sleep.

I love frogs and peepers and mud. I love the smell of spring in my babies hair, fresh air and running feet.

I  l o v e  t h e  o c e a n.

Thought Fragments on Luminous

L u m i n o u s

        g a t h e r   s c a t t e r e d

             f r a g m e n t s

      o f  m y  s o u l

   t o s s e d  f a r

                     a   c   r   o   s   s

t h e  d a y s

Hi Friends,

I’ve been thinking a lot about the word ‘Luminous’. . .  What does it mean, how to become it. . . Luminous is the title of my new book in work. . . And my personal mission over the next years.

On Sunday morning, in Providence, I came to realize Luminous is not a fixed state I will ever reach and stay in. What I think is that Luminous is an everyday practice of collecting my scattered fragments of focus.

I believe, Luminous happens by concentrating your fractured light and strength back into your heart so that you can be whole again. . .  a bright, luminous light for your world. And then, from this place of concentrated light you can launch again with deep strength and love.

It’s like the team huddle before the hockey game!

Here’s to being Luminous.

Love, Chelsea

A Fight for Focus

I’ve sat down a few times now, trying to write this blog. . . .  And have not succeeded! My focus has been scattered in countless directions. . . parenting teenagers, losing a family friend, a scattered brain, too many creative endeavors, and a major home declutter project.

I’ve simply not been able to muster the strength to gather my attention in one place to write this. Do you ever feel like this too? Like you have to fight for your focus?

Sooo. . . . What is helping me now, that just might help you too???

The convergence of space, time and purpose. . . .

What does this mean? Designate a physical place, a window of time in your day, and a specific thing you are going to do in that place at that time.

For example- I will write my new book, Luminous, from 5:30am-6:30am every day at my kitchen counter. Or. . . I will write this blog at 3:30pm on Monday at the desk in my bedroom.

I believe, creating a framework of time and space for your project is more important than writing a ‘to do’ list of tasks needed to complete the project.

Now, if you know me, you know I struggle everyday to organize and focus. I am NOT an expert organizational, ‘get things done’ wizard. What I have discovered, is that I have to physically take myself out of the chaos of my everyday life to focus. In this light, I have been making tremendous progress on my new book, Luminous, at my kitchen counter every morning at 5:30 am. It has been quite a dream to work quietly in the early morning, before anyone else is up. . . . Those every day, focused work sessions, no matter how small, stack up quickly!

Is there something you have been dreaming to accomplish? Could you designate a chunk of time and a specific place to work on it every day?

Love Always,

Chelsea

PS- If you need a physical tool to help you build this framework, check out my Expand System planner!

Luminous

Luminous

Wrapped in pure

Splitting light

A birthday gift

Given from spirits

Just gone

Wished and longed for

I did not know quite what

Only one desire. . .

‘Luminous’ sought

In poems of prayer

What found me

Beyond my wildest dreams

The simple truth

Luminous calls

Each person alone

To be a sun

And orbit around

Their deepest heart

My ArtBook Creative Process

Let me share a little about my creative process writing Painted by Rain, my debut artbook- I am a runner, I don’t run long or fast, but I love it. I run to quiet the noise and let in the light. As I run, and relax, a spark of beauty catches my eye, so I stop quickly to photograph. This happens all along my run. Later, when I am home, the photo becomes a key to unlock my emotions, something in it speaks to my heart. And I write, using the photo as inspiration to help me voice my thoughts. I know when the poem is getting close to expressing what I need to say because I feel a pressure in my chest, like my heart is literally swelling.

Twins

Twins, a poem from Painted by Rain

She said, ‘I thought you had

A daughter?!! You don’t?

I was sure you had a daughter. . .’

And I looked down, I couldn’t say.

Words held tight

Kept from tumbling out

She must have known. . .

Long ago twin candles bright

The greatest joy to hold

My baby in arms, so beautiful boy

And then quiet tears of sorrow

For what I didn’t know I had

An Angel and baby born

Longer still, we thought had lost

And I rested. . .

With gratitude all was well

But what I didn’t know

An angel. . .

My daughter gone before

I even knew her gift. . .

An Angel

And baby born

In Love & Sorrow, I dedicate this Volume to my baby lost

Make Art Every Day

My summer challenge to you- create something every day! I believe art is like eating and breathing, we have to do it every day to be healthy. It is in the every day that magic happens!

Poetry and photography are the absolute most accessible and direct form of creative expression (beyond singing in the shower, of course). We all have exactly what we need to dive into these art forms- making them the perfect ‘every day’ creative practice. Theres no mess to clean up, no lengthy preparation, no challenging techniques to learn. We all have a phone camera and scrap of paper (or the comments section under your photo). We are literally set to create at anytime from anywhere!

My one and only tip- simply make something every day! Just as you eat and breathe every day, make art every day. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, it can be just for you. It’s the daily habit of giving yourself a creative outlet that is crucial to build greater wellbeing!

Please feel free to share your photos and poems with me, or whatever magic you are creating! My dream is for these blogs to spark YOUR art making passion, build community, and truly connect.

Unleash Your Creativity!

Love, Chelsea

You might be asking . . . .

You might be asking . . . . “What do planners have to do with a poetry book? And throw blankets? This BluJoyWrks collection of Chelsea’s doesn’t make any sense!”

I totally understand if you’re a bit confused. The easy answer is, I’m an artist, it’s all art.. . . . But that’s only the beginning.

You see, Art has the capacity to reach our whole selves- our mind, body and spirit- bringing peace within. The BluJoyWrks collection embodies this philosophy- the Expand System planner is a concrete tool to help us relax and organize our minds. Poetry and photography (my book Painted by Rain) speaks to our spirits. And finally dreamy throw blankets physically wrap our bodies in delicious, tactile warmth. It’s a magic collection to create greater wellbeing and bring peace within.

What is YOUR magic collection- that feeds your mind, body and spirit? I’d love to hear all about it, reach out with your thoughts!

Landing Home

First chilly early light

Just me. . .

Feet hitting pavement

Pounding, long lazy run

Landing into myself

Eyes bright, seeing

Again vivid, alive

A glimmer, a spark

Catches my eye

And pause

To take in the light

And then. . .

This light

Pulls to my heart

Opens me raw

To thoughts before unknown

Quiet now, listening

A whisper of feelings

I hear what’s inside

And I write. . .    

From Painted by Rain, an artbook by Chelsea Danburg, created in collaboration with Monica Austin. Landing Home is a window into my creative process writing this book- of running & photographing, then later the photos become a key to unlock my emotions, and I write.

Broken

Waves of emotion

Intensity, chaos. . .

Crashing, breaking

Storms of feelings

Swallowed by water & sand

Drenched by the sun

Creativity bottled inside

Voice broken. . .

And long from home

A tide of strength held back

Silencing what’s inside

Lost myself. . .

Swept away by the current

Here only to serve

Love broken. . .

Like sea glass tossed

After a storm

From Painted by Rain, an artbook by Chelsea Danburg, created in collaboration with Monica Austin.

Painted by Rain, an Artbook

My artbook, ‘Painted by Rain’ and future books, combine my poetry, photography and hand drawn elements into a moving art piece. The books are accordion folded- to express continuous thought. The viewer can turn the pages like a normal book, or open the book out to it’s full length to view it as one long, fluid art piece. Painted by Rain is printed in West Haven, CT at GHB Media, it’s first press is 100 copies, and will launch in March! 

It is deeply personal- diving into my struggles with addiction, miscarriage, parenting, and creativity bottled up inside. However personal, these challenges are not mine alone. Sadly, many people experience the same struggles. My deepest wish is that sharing my journey offers connection, inspiration and peace. 

When we take information in through art, we truly connect with it on a physical and spiritual level. Art has a profound impact on the reader/viewer- helping to heal much more deeply than through strictly intellectual modalities. Painted by Rain’s tactile, folded construction, photography and poetry create a multifaceted experience that is strikingly profound.

Workshops

The BluJoyWrks workshop offers community and a variety of wholistic modalities to support you in your wellness journey. Helping you unleash your creativity and build your dreams. We use the Expand System planner to organize and take action towards our dreams. We do many hands on projects, including meditative, tactile crafts.

We also dive deep into my signature method of using photography as the key to unlock deeply held emotions through poetry, bringing peace within. 

The BluJoyWrks 6 week workshop series is held at the beach every spring in Westport, Connecticut. It’s a 2 hour weekly retreat that will feel like magic! You will leave each session feeling rejuvenated!

Quilted Blankets

My quilted blankets are functional art- deliciously warm, hand made with natural materials (wool, silk, linen & cotton). They are beautifully dreamy & cozy to literally wrap yourself in peace, warmth and security, physically and emotionally. They are sewn by hand in various patterns, currently featuring a circular moon motif. They are insulated with a layer of wool on the inside, making them incredibly warm. 

The collection includes a variety of styles and sizes. Some are lightweight quilts- surprisingly very warm for their feather weight feel. I also make weighted quilts- insulated with heavier wool fabric, these feel wonderfully grounding and deliciously warm. My wraps are a smaller, long rectangular  version of the quilted blankets, the perfect accessory to compliment any outfit. Large throw size quilts are perfect to toss on the sofa or bed, and wrap yourself in at the outdoor fire. 

I offer my own designed collection of quilts and wraps, reach out to see what is currently available for sale. I also offer custom designed quilts- we work together to select fabric, feel and pattern, making a truly special piece tailored to your lifestyle and taste. 

Make Magic!

Introducing the BluJoyWrks tripod theory to reach greater wellbeing! This is where the magic happens!

You see, for years I banged my head against the wall and asked, “Why can’t I get my shit together?” I had endless motivation, and all the information I needed to take care of myself, but somehow I just couldn’t make it happen.

My theory is, we all have an abundance of motivation, and no end of information (self help books, classes, coaches, doctors, inspiration. . . the list goes on and on). Motivation and information are the first two legs of the tripod- great, but very wobbly.

The third, crucial leg, is simply good, intuitive tools to help you implement (the information) and sustain (the motivation)! This leg is not sexy, but it completes the magic foundation needed to build greater wellbeing. You could never build a house without a well stocked tool box!

Many people work well with the available, conventional organization tools. I was not one of those people. . .  My brain just works a little differently. Do you feel this way too? The Expand System was designed for us!

Unleash Your Creativity & Build Your Dreams!!!

My Wildest Dream

My biggest ( wildest ) dream is for us all to create peace within ourselves and this world, allowing us to unleash our creativity and build our dreams.

Imagine if the world was full of thriving artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, writers and creatives of every variety?

You see, I believe it’s our stuck, jumbled up thoughts and emotions that cause overwhelm and stress, stopping the free flow of our creativity.

The BluJoyWrks mission is to create tools with just enough fluid and intuitive structure to support the wonderful chaos of our lives, find peace within and unleash our creativity. 

What is your Wildest Dream?

Origin Story

Designing the Expand System was an incredibly personal & meaningful project. Yet at the same time it fills a major need for countless other artists and neurodivergent people just like me.

For my entire life, I banged my head against the wall “what is wrong with me? Why can’t I get my shit together?” I simply could not stick with an exercise routine, reduce the foggy brain feeling or lower my overwhelm, until I started using a productivity planner. It changed my life! I started running, took care of my health, and became sober.

However, overtime I wanted more, an even better tool. The standard productivity planner had limitations. The planner I was using was ‘one day at a time view’ so I couldn’t see how all the puzzle pieces of my week fit together. Conversely, when I used ‘week view’ planners, I quickly became overwhelmed looking at all the meetings, appointments and tasks for the whole week.

I realized I needed both- week view and day view together in one! But how could this possibly be achieved? I reached for a roll of brown packaging paper, it had perforated lines every 5 inches. I wrote ‘Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday’, etc. at the top of each sheet. Immediately, I was able to fold the length up along the perforated lines to see one day at a time or unfold to see the whole week. Boom!!! The Expand System was born.

Over the year of development for this project, I realized nothing was wrong with me all those years, I had just been using bad, rigid tools. My dream is to give this gift to other people struggling just like I was.