SYW189 – The Possibilities of Mixed Media

[00:00:00] Jennifer Wilson: Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way, the show that explores the breadth of ways to be a memory keeper today. I’m your host, Jennifer Wilson, owner of Simple Scrapper and author of The New Rules of Scrapbooking. This is episode 189. In this episode I'm joined by Felicitas Mayer to chat about the role of mixed media in her creative process as well as the connections between art making and memory keeping.

[00:00:46] Jennifer Wilson: Hey, Felicitas. I'm so glad to talk to you today. Welcome to the podcast.

[00:00:49] Felicitas Mayer: Hi, Jennifer. So nice to be here. Yeah.

[00:00:54] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, I'm looking forward to our conversation. I've admired your work for so long. Could you share a little bit about yourself to introduce yourself to our listeners?

[00:01:03] Felicitas Mayer: My name is Felicitas Mayer. I'm a mixed media artist and instructor from the beautiful south of Germany. My husband Stephan and I, we just bought our forever home. And, um, we, over the last couple of months, we moved in and I was busy with renovations and building a home. So that, uh, that's what I shared most, I think, in the last couple of months. Um, yeah, but work-wise, I've been, self-employed in the memory keeping industry since 2011, now. I taught, um, scrapbooking and mixed media in-person workshops, but also online classes. For a bit I published, I had a scrapbooking magazine. And then I over four, five years I had, my own, stamp shop, design my own products. So yeah.

[00:01:56] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, very cool. Now I'm curious with your, your home renovations. Are you documenting that process? Is that part of your scrapbooking?

[00:02:05] Felicitas Mayer: Not as much as it should be, probably. I took all the photos.

[00:02:08] Jennifer Wilson: It's hard. Yeah.

[00:02:10] Felicitas Mayer: I took photos and videos. Um, but I hadn't got the time yet to document properly, but they're all there. So if you have the photos, I think, um, yeah, there's still time to, to document and bring it down from the camera to paper. Yeah.

[00:02:26] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, for sure. So what's exciting you right now in memory, keeping it really could be anything at all.

[00:02:31] Felicitas Mayer: I just recently fell back in love with pocket page scrapbooking with Project Life. Um, yeah, I for, I did Project Life for the first time around 2012, I think. That's when it all came up and was all the hype. And I did all the formats. I did a weekly, I tried it monthly, everything. And then since this specific memory keeping project was part of when I had my stamp shop and it was part of the, promotion and selling the stamps. And so, um, it felt like a chore and I fell out of it with love. So I think. And then I usually make another attempt, um, at a beginning of the year, like with the resolution and oh, you get back pocket page scrapbooking, and then it just fizzles out. And, but I recently, I think it was in July, I started again. And now, I'm, I, I really like how, um, how easy it is to document a big amount of time and photos in these pockets. I totally forgot about it. And the simplicity of this documenting style with just my photos and a little bit of embellishing. Usually the things I have laying around on my table from my mixed media or something like that. And yeah, I just fell in love with it back again. And now I'm all I did all July. I then started with August and went back to June now. I'm all over the place, but I'm having fun while doing it. So I think it's good.

[00:04:10] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. No, that's definitely good. That's amazing. I'm curious. What size of pages are you doing?

[00:04:16] Felicitas Mayer: I work in a 9 by 12 album right now and I, my go-to pocket page is the nine times a three by four, pockets. That's what.

[00:04:27] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, okay, so you love the three by four size.

[00:04:29] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. This is my all time favorite size. I don't know, vertical photo. And this is the perfect size for me. Yeah.

[00:04:36] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, that's so cool. I wonder if I kind of, these tweaks are, what's really making it work for you compared to 2012 and everywhere in between.

[00:04:45] Felicitas Mayer: I think the nine pockets, um, give me the freedom to, or the possibilities to include more, I think. Besides the photos, like with a mixed media card or something. And it's, it's a colorful addition to my photos, I think. And I really like colorful and vibrant things, so yeah.

[00:05:10] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, very cool. We'll definitely link up an example in the show notes.

[00:05:12] Felicitas Mayer: Oh, okay.

[00:05:13] Jennifer Wilson: Episode. So we also love to ask our guests about their memory keeping bucket list. So this is a story that feels important to tell, but for some reason you haven't done it yet.

[00:05:23] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah, I think this would be the story of myself. Eh, I usually the story of who I am and what got me up to here. And I think would be because I usually, when I do Project Life or also in a, in a story album kind of project, I usually talk about my everyday things. What happened today, what we did this week, our out and abouts. But I, um, not often go deep into documenting feelings, my own feelings and telling the stories of myself, if that makes sense.

[00:06:01] Jennifer Wilson: It does. I do think you do that though, so maybe you're not giving yourself enough credit.

[00:06:07] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah, I have to say I got better the last couple of years. Um, right when my, I think we will talk about that later when my mental health got better. So I felt more comfortable with sharing more of myself, but in previous years, um, I just not, I just felt that I'm not enough as a person to share that. And I know that's deeply, and this is, I think the first time I told us was semi publicly, um, this is deeply rooted in my husband and I's infertility journey, um, that we did five or six years, I think. And that it was not possible for us to start a family and there's a whole lot of self-worth issue rooted in that. And also with me working in a industry that basically has heavily in kids, as center stone of keeping these memories. I always hear there is no place for myself here because I only in air quotations have to share, like what happened today and I, why I had, what I had for lunch. Um, so yeah, I think. But I'm also, yeah, I'm, I'm not good at documenting the bad stuff, which would be part of my story. Documenting what happened, um, with us as an, as a couple, but also within our whole family. Um, so I'm, yeah, I usually stick to the everyday stuff. And I think I, since I'm now, uh, working on all these things with my mental health, I think I'm ready. And I'm, I'm more open to share this and document this. Yeah.

[00:07:57] Jennifer Wilson: So you kind of have a backlog of feelings to express. Yes. Yes. I think that happens a lot when we go through something and we just don't feel ready to express it, whether it's with, through our art or through our words or even our photos. And we have to get to that other side to be able to let it go, let it out.

[00:08:19] Felicitas Mayer: It takes some time, like a couple of years ago I was not ready to document that stuff. But I now feel, um, I'm getting better and it's easier to talk about it and to, to tell there's no shame in that. And I, uh, in previous years I often saw this as a shameful thing due to this industry and what we are documenting. So yeah.

[00:08:44] Jennifer Wilson: Well, I really, um, want to celebrate your bravery in facing it yourself and sharing it with us. So thank you.

[00:08:51] Felicitas Mayer: Of course, yeah.

[00:08:53] Jennifer Wilson: So before we learn more about you as a mixed media art, artist. I want to give our listeners just a little teaser about what makes you tick, because right now at Simple Scrapper we're talking about projects and I'm curious what helps you finish your projects?

[00:09:09] Felicitas Mayer: That's deadlines and commitments.

[00:09:14] Jennifer Wilson: I hear that a lot. That's okay.

[00:09:16] Felicitas Mayer: I'm a big procrastinator, I think. I would, but just not because I'm lazy, but speaking of self-worth issues, it's more that I don't trust myself with decision-making. And I always thought myself is this is the best decision I could make, is just a perfect way I could do this. And because I can't decide I then don't finish or commit. So I put it on the list for tomorrow or next week. And that's that usually, yeah, that's a problem. It's not a problem with, um, with creative commitments, like, um, for One Little Word or something like that. I don't have a problem with finishing that just because I know there are people who count on me or are actually interested to hear what I have to say.

[00:10:03] Felicitas Mayer: Uh, yeah. So, but I think also accountability is really big thing for me. And I'm learning to use that to my advantage because once I told someone about creative plans or projects, I want to tackle, I have no problems to do them or to finish them. So yeah, I think that's how that helps me a lot. Yeah.

[00:10:28] Jennifer Wilson: I think it, it takes, I was very resistant to it for a long time thinking I want the freedom to choose what I want to do in the moment. If I don't want to do it, I don't want somebody to tell me to do it or remind me to do it, but then recognizing how much that accountability helps is huge.

[00:10:45] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. And just learning that, I just got into it and shared a few things with friends, like with work stuff. And, yeah, so that helps me. And I, it's not that they're, um, they're upset with me or if I don't, it's just, yeah. That's someone out there who's interested in what I'm doing or what I'm working on. So yeah.

[00:11:07] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, it makes a difference for sure. So I wanted to have you on the show of course to talk about incorporating mixed media art into your scrapbooking projects. And it sounds like you're doing that with your Project Life this year. Um, so I'm curious how you in particular define mixed media. Because you know, everyone, it's a very, it's a broad term. So what supplies and techniques are part of your specific process?

[00:11:31] Felicitas Mayer: I think in terms of mixed media and memory keeping, I would say it's just a combination of different things that you create your project with. Like, for me, if you use a baker's twine or a piece of fabric and then maybe have a little bit of watercolor in your background, then this is you using mixed or different media. So for me, I would count, I would count that totally as mixed media. It doesn't have to be complicated to, um, to it's just creative exploration, I think. I would say in my art making, like when I create in my art journaling, for example, I say it's a little bit different. Then I would define it like with mixed media is me working with acrylic, paints or pastels or watercolor color pencils and spray paint and all that stuff. Yeah.

[00:12:29] Jennifer Wilson: Well, I'm curious, like kind of maybe the mental separation between those projects and then how, where do they end up overlapping?

[00:12:36] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. Um,

[00:12:39] Jennifer Wilson: Like, it sounds like you cut, like if you painted something, even if it could be like the under the underlayment, you know, you'll cut that up and use that in a project later.

[00:12:49] Felicitas Mayer: I think comes from, um, in the earliest stages of me getting into mixed media. Um, and I come from a very, I think, clean and simple scrapbooking style. I liked that having clean and I like to have, um, like have it bold or typography things on there. Not that, uh, mixed with paint or something, but when I got into mixed media, I always, and I think you mentioned that also, I could not combine these two worlds together. And I think for me, it's easier to think of them as two separate things. Where also can, where I have two different definitions for, for that. Although they usually end up, uh, together. Like with my Project Life, I am working on my desk where I did some art-making for recharging energy and stuff before. And then there was just, uh, an art paper laying on my desk and, or,like I did, a mixed media, greeting card for someone in my family and there was just the art paper, uh, snippets of the art paper left. And I used that as a filler card for my Project Life then, so. I think I don't, I usually don't, um, create mixed media pieces specifically for my memory keeping, but I use everything that I do in my art making or in my art journaling and, um, bring that into my world of memory keeping or in Project Life this year.

[00:14:26] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, interesting. So, is it accurate to say that you don't sit down and take a 12 by 12 and then make a background for a layout, with paint and things.

[00:14:36] Felicitas Mayer: I have done that, but I think the motivation from that comes, oh, yes, I just want to sit down and play. And then create the art paper and then see or a mixed media background, if you want to call it like, uh, and then, uh, and then use it for memory keeping. Yeah.

[00:14:55] Jennifer Wilson: Okay. So those are kind of very different experiences for you.

[00:14:58] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah, I think it comes from because memory keeping itself like classic Project Life or classic, um, a scrapbooking layout type of project. These are in my head, they're still part of my work from my stamp owner shop experiences. Part of things I have to do and have to promote products with. And they became, back then they went from a hobby, and a thing that I, got energy back from, into a chore from like having a job I have to do with them. And so I think, yeah, that's, I think that's why I usually don't. I had a hard time with, doing strictly memory keeping things for, as my free time, pleasurement. So, yeah, that's

[00:16:00] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, okay.

[00:16:02] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. But I just I'm getting back to it. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:16:06] Jennifer Wilson: Well, it sounds like that that your pocket pages are really helping to find those connections together and help you kind of reclaim, uh, your own excitement for.

[00:16:19] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah, because these.

[00:16:20] Jennifer Wilson: The memory keeping side of it.

[00:16:21] Felicitas Mayer: Three by four are perfect. Just to fill them up with anything you have, you have, there could be a photo. It could be a snippets from my art-making. Yeah, everything goes.

[00:16:32] Jennifer Wilson: So I'm curious when you are making art, regardless of kind of what the destination is for it. What about that gives you so much joy?

[00:16:40] Felicitas Mayer: I think it's the total, the complete creative freedom I have with that. So for me having a blank canvas or a blank mixed media paper, whatever background it is I use for my art-making. Then that's a world of endless opportunities for me and a never ending project. And because all my art-making is very process-based, there's a beginning, sure, you somewhere have to start. Um, but there's usually no end and I don't know where I end up. I usually just sit down, have my paints around me or my other mediums, my, water-soluble crayons or whatever, and then just sit down and play and explore what's possible. And, my projects never feel finished. I could build a layer and layer after layer. And so I sometimes, or very often have to forcefully remove myself from the project just because it's so much fun to play and explore. Yeah. And I think that's very much joy. Yeah.

[00:17:47] Jennifer Wilson: Do you, and I asked this question from my personal experience, do you find that making art helps you escape kind of perfectionism? That you may naturally gravitate towards with, cause you mentioned you like clean lines and typography and I'm like the opposite of that is, you know, abstract.

[00:18:06] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. Yeah, I think so. And I don't know why the me having this difficult in decision-making in art I don't, I just, I know there's a feeling of this I can do, this. I know how to do. And I know I'm good at that in a general sense, I guess, or a very objective, subjective sense. and also, I know there is no, uh, if I don't like it, I just take a white paint and paint it over and just start anew. I don't know why this, this gives me so much freedom and, and, joy, I think. Yep.

[00:18:46] Jennifer Wilson: So do you say that you are more gentle with yourself when it comes to making art, then making memory keeping pages?

[00:18:55] Felicitas Mayer: I think so, yes. Because for me, especially with, um, lots of my projects are abstract art making or abstract mark-making and does not comparison for that. There is abstract can be whatever you want it to be. And there is no, if I say to you, this is a abstract flower I created with that one line, then it is one. And you can not say it isn't because that's all in the eye of the beholder, what abstract art is. And then I think in, um, with memory keeping also with social media and Instagram photos, you're usually, like I was in creative teams and there's always so many products you have to promote and you can, you have to highlight and stuff. And there's so much comparison also for what you can do with our project, with those products. And if you, I often feel that, oh, that there are so many ideas out there, what you can do with these products. And these people are, well, there's been time with promoting these products and thinking about thousand and one way to, highlight them. What's because that's their job or their, that's why they're on these teams. Um, but for me, it's often gives me a, well, this is a great idea. Why did I not think about that? Yeah.

[00:20:31] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, I think you're not alone in that. Um, whether you're on a creative team or just using the products, as part of your hobby. So, um, we we've talked about that you've been very open with your mental health struggles. Particularly, I've been in the One Little Word classroom the past two years, and you've shared a lot there. Would you say that art is part of your self-care?

[00:20:53] Felicitas Mayer: Definitely. Yeah. It's because of the creative freedom, but I also feel safe there. This is such a big part of my self-care just to sit down after a hectic day, or we just came back from vacation and I, I had a few, uh, art items with me, but I didn't use them. And so I really enjoyed sitting down on my craft desk here table and just went back into making, because that's what I love. And that's what I do. And also what we talked about earlier, I have no self doubt in that area. No anxiety about decision-making or that's just creative freedom and creative play with, um, yeah, but brings me so joy, yeah.

[00:21:41] Jennifer Wilson: No. I'm curious. Where, where do you think that confidence came from? Do you have any like formal training or have you just been making art all your life? In addition to the fact that it is abstract and free and nobody can judge it. I'm curious about kind of your history.

[00:21:55] Felicitas Mayer: Both. I think I had a very creative upbringing and art, art full artsy upbringing. Don't know the word. Yeah. So my mom was always, um, big supporter of us, me and my sister with art making and doing all the holiday crafts and all that stuff. And then when I was older I, uh, went into painting. I as much as was possible. My, my grandma recorded Bob Ross painting sessions for the VCR.

[00:22:28] Jennifer Wilson: I I love it.

[00:22:30] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah, so I went into that and then somehow found QVC. And someone on there promoted, Tim Holtz's Distress Inks. And that was the downfall from back there. Yeah. And then I just went on the internet and yeah. Found American, paper crafting and scrapbooking blogs and mixed media, people who shared their art. And yeah, so I came back into that, but I'm also, I'm a trained graphic designer, so, I am, uh, yeah, I once learned what color theory is and all the golden rule of third or what is yeah. All that stuff. So I think it helps. Yeah.

[00:23:13] Jennifer Wilson: Now you mentioned that you've had trouble kind of bringing together your art and your memory keeping in the past. Now, am I remembering correctly that this past like last year's December Daily, you did a mixed media December Daily.

[00:23:25] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah.

[00:23:25] Jennifer Wilson: How did that experience work for you? How did it feel?

[00:23:29] Felicitas Mayer: Um, I was thinking about that recently as the new December daily uh, season began. Um, and I finished that, that project, I don't think I will do it again because for that project and keeping. The memory is of that special holiday season. I think it was not, I did not enough journaling with, um, with my art making and putting the photo in there. So, um, it was okay because it was a 24 day challenge, for me making art in a row. That was quite interesting. But yeah, I think December Daily would be probably better with, for me, for my personal memory keeping with more classical scrapbooking, memory keeping, pocket page, whatever. Yeah.

[00:24:25] Jennifer Wilson: So, what are you thinking about for this year?

[00:24:27] Felicitas Mayer: I haven't decided yet if I, if I want to join again.

[00:24:33] Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Okay. That's fair too.

[00:24:35] Felicitas Mayer: I did it for the last two years in a row. And I did both projects and recorded, both project everyday with a video. So, and that's, um, I think just on my YouTube channel. And so, uh, last year, I think just Instagram, I can't remember it. That was hard. And, uh, yeah. Um, That's the commitment thing again. I'm not sure if I want to commit to, maybe like maybe I'm doing like a 12 days of Christmas thing that's and then keep on doing, if I managed to do that. Yeah.

[00:25:14] Jennifer Wilson: I wonder if, um, like what other kind of accountability besides making the videos you could build in so that you don't feel that pressure of making the videos. Like only make a video at the end. Like or one of the beginning saying, here's what I'm going to do. And at the end here I finished and then just share photos in between. I'm not trying to give you therapy or coach you. I'm curious.

[00:25:36] Felicitas Mayer: That's that's Good advice. That's actually, I'd never thought of that because I. Again, with me coming from having a stamp shop or promote, uh, promoting products that, is it's work and you have to do the daily thing. Well, not have actually have to, but it feels like that's the best way to share and promote. And, um, yeah, I think I have to, yeah, I have to consider maybe going on a different approach this year. Yeah for sure.

[00:26:10] Jennifer Wilson: Sounds like there's opportunities and possibilities there, for sure. Yeah. All right. So you mentioned you're doing 9 by 12 pocket pages. I know you've been working in a smaller books, like handmade books for your art journaling. Are there other sizes and formats that you've been working in?

[00:26:27] Felicitas Mayer: Well, yeah, no, I don't. Um, well art journaling is I really like working on the, in this small sizes. Like a four by six format, if you will, for art journaling, because that's the easy way. That's a very, I have very, I can get, um, fast to results. The spread is so, uh, so fast, uh, quick done. Um, So, yeah, but with the hand maid um, art journals, that's usually it just, I try to keep it around that size around that four by six, but sometimes the papers are just a little bit bigger or I just made. I, had, uh, well, I collected a few papers that laying around here and just put them beside to, bigger cardstock, uh, thicker cardstock, bases and then put a binding ring between them, so. Yeah, it's just what, what what's there I think. Yeah. Oh, and I had it. Oh yeah. I had, um, I have one, a story album that is six by eight. Yeah.

[00:27:46] Jennifer Wilson: And do you do, um, six by eight layouts outside of the page protector. Do you do pockets or all of those?

[00:27:53] Felicitas Mayer: In the story album there's usually outside of the pockets. Like I, I started at, I think two years ago with these mixed media backgrounds and stuff. So that is the six by eight. Yeah. That's usually all outside of the pockets, like a regular scrapbook, I think.

[00:28:13] Jennifer Wilson: And so, um, going back to what we mentioned earlier, typically you're finding art or a piece of art that you've made previously, and you're choosing to use that as the background and the building on of that.

[00:28:25] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. Yeah, because I have a messy desk and I usually

[00:28:28] Jennifer Wilson: Yes.

[00:28:29] Felicitas Mayer: There's usually all kinds of, leftovers right from when I did the card. There's just does snippets that I, that didn't, um, that I didn't use for a card. And so these, are these I will, save these for, for the pocket pages. Like you can use a, I don't know, one inch stripe of mixed media paper and put it on a three by four card and then you have, perfect journaling card. Yeah.

[00:28:58] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I love how you've been able to combine these in your own way that like, uh, celebrates the imperfection of the painting. But then, you know, trims it into a rectangle and makes it precise for your scrapbooking because you have that designer's eye on it too.

[00:29:18] Felicitas Mayer: And it's also the other way around. I use the left over photos I have for my memory keeping. Like selfies or when my printer didn't work or I have doubles. I used these in my art journal. I really like to cut them out and, um, just put myself on, the art journal pages because I'm working on, uh, incorporating myself more into my art making.

[00:29:44] Jennifer Wilson: So, is it accurate to say that it's, it's rare that you're going to use wet media on a small scrapbook page or in your pocket pages? Things have already dried by the time you get to them for scrapbooking.

[00:29:59] Felicitas Mayer: Usually, yes, because I usually do all the messy and wet stuff before I glue photos or journaling spots or texts or labels on top of that. But I also worked with, um, having a background photo and then just painted over them. I know that you have to have the, the perfect consistency of paint that doesn't have, it can't be to wet because also your paper would crumble. Um, but, I'm usually, I like the messiness of everything and I don't mind having some splatters over photos or if the photo just warps a little bit from a wet medium. So, uh, but I usually, when I'm working with a wet media, I usually cover faces, of people in photos. So that these are.

[00:30:54] Jennifer Wilson: You don't get a weird blob. Yeah.

[00:30:56] Felicitas Mayer: Especially with a red color or something like that. It could easily look weird. So, yeah, but I, yeah, I don't mind having paint stains on the rest of the body, on the photos or so. Yeah.

[00:31:11] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. Cause I think using, let's just say wet stuff in general, it can be intimidating to a beginner. Or do you have any other tips that would help someone feel more confident, comfortable?

[00:31:23] Felicitas Mayer: Depending on, I think it depends on what you would count as wet media.

[00:31:28] Jennifer Wilson: Well, just anything that's, you know, water color, even acrylic paint, um, inks you know, I think even just the splattering and misting can sometimes be intimidating. Cause you know, is it going to go the way I want it to go?

[00:31:44] Felicitas Mayer: I think that's something I really learned early to let go of perfection in mixed media. The splatters go where the splatters want to go. You don't control them. Same as watercolor, it flows where just the water is. And, um, yeah, but, uh, in terms of working with photos, I, have made the experience that when I print photos online and they were sent to me with a regular real photo paper. These, these papers are usually protected with, a thin foil or something on top of, or the photo paper is very slick and these usually hold can handle the water or the wetness of the media. Compared to a, what I usually work with, um, a matte photo paper, so paint and all wet stuff would soak in. So I think you have to keep that in mind. What's also, I think, would work is covering your photo with, what's called matte medium, translucent, medium gel. That which cover your, everything underneath also the photos or with transparent Gesso. Which is a primer that you usually use when you start, a painting. So that would all um, keep your photo safe and then also create a layer on top of that, that you could a wipe off paint from. Yeah.

[00:33:18] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I know that I've, this was years ago now, but I had a photo that came from Persnickety Prints and they always advertise how waterproof their paper is. And I had done some painting on it and I did not like it at all. And so I took it to the sink and completely rinsed it off. And you could not tell that anything had ever happened to the photo. So I think that's a, that's a great tip for sure. So I saw, you mentioned recently that you're working on a class. And so I'm curious if you could share a little bit more about it and that? What kind of myths about mixed media, do you hope to, to bust or demystify, with the class?

[00:33:55] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. So me talking about that class is kind of the accountability thing. We talked earlier about it. Because I'm working on that since, like for almost no, well, it's over a half a year or something. And I, I'm looking at some of my, my pack of projects I want to do as a class. And I literally made 15 or 16 versions of a project that, that I never felt good enough to have as a class. Because that's with the decision-making and the it's not good enough. That's not perfect enough. And I can't let it go. And I can't decide, well, this is the class I'm doing. So, um, I recently made a decision. I just started talking about it and then I have to commit and it will be okay. It won't be perfect because it's never perfect. And I have to let that go, but, um, I think people will, will still enjoy getting their paints out or playing with colors and paints and marks and layers. So, um, yeah, because that's, I, I heavily believe in empowering people to explore their own creative potential. Because often people tell me in my Instagram DMs, ah, I could never do this and this looks so complicated to do. And I usually say it's well. Okay. Okay. Of course I, I did this for years, it's not difficult to me. But I also feel you could, if you just have basic art knowledge, like with color theory, if you know what you will get once you mix color one with color two and go from there and just go on, and explore, colors, with that knowledge or uh, how different mediums or media react once you put them together. Or how you build up layers at that you won't lose, vibrancy or, you don't add end up with a brown mud on your page. I think this is basic knowledge that would help, and uh, that people can go on their own creative exploration, which is the most fun, I think. And it's also good for creating and finding your own style, I think. And just explore what you like and if you don't like it then don't do it again, but it helps if you have done something, that you can say afterwards. Well, I didn't like that. I won't do that again. Or if you say, well, that was cool, I want to do more of that. So.

[00:36:41] Jennifer Wilson: Well, that sounds awesome. I wish you lots of luck as you continue working on that.

[00:36:45] Felicitas Mayer: Thank you.

[00:36:46] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I'm excited that you decided to, to share it with the world as an accountability strategy.

[00:36:51] Felicitas Mayer: Thank you.

[00:36:53] Jennifer Wilson: Can you share where we can find you online? And is there anything else that you are going to be working on towards the rest of this year?

[00:36:59] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah. so I have a website which is felicitasmayer.com. That I neglected a little bit. I started to blog there, but it just fizzled out. But, um, yeah, I'm also on Instagram and YouTube, both with my name. And where to find me is I think I'm a proud member of the One Little Word community. I really liked these people and I just we're telling the team that I have so much joy checking up with them monthly. And we have these creative, Zoom calls that Ali does, each month. And I that's, I'm getting so much out of the whole project and the workshop and the community around, One Little Word. So that's, that's a good place to find me, think. Yeah.

[00:37:51] Jennifer Wilson: You also spend time at Get Messy, right?

[00:37:53] Felicitas Mayer: I have a mini course, if you will, in the Get Messy art journaling community. And, I also, I'm also in the Get Messy book that just came out this year. Which is a great inspiration for every one who is interested in art journaling or mixed media or exploring just a little bit more with paint and all that good stuff. Yeah. And oh, yeah. And I also just um, I had an announcement that I'm part of the, teachers team of, Wanderlust 2023, which is also a year long art journaling, mixed media course that you can sign up for. I will give you my, affiliate link if you would like to, into, put that down somewhere. Yeah. So

[00:38:41] Jennifer Wilson: That'd be fantastic. We'll include that in the show notes.

[00:38:44] Felicitas Mayer: That's cool. Thank you. Yeah. And then also there's a sign up on the bio on my Instagram for the, I put up an email list for my course, because you never know when it's happen. So, but if you're interested in that, please sign up for that to keep you in the loop. Yeah.

[00:39:03] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Yes. And you can have more people on, you know, lists keeping you accountable. So.

[00:39:09] Felicitas Mayer: Yeah.

[00:39:09] Jennifer Wilson: Well, this has been so fun. I've enjoyed getting to know you better. Thank you for sharing so honestly with us today.

[00:39:15] Felicitas Mayer: Thank you for having me, Jennifer. That's really awesome. I really like your podcast and it's great, it is great company to have to listen to your episodes by I'm making art. Yeah.

[00:39:26] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, thank you. And to all of our listeners, please remember that you have permission to Scrapbook Your Way.