Rita Loyd ~ Spirit Nurturing Artist and Writer

New! Unconditional Self-Love Message Card Deck!

Rita Loyd — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:17:50 +0000

Unconditional Self-Love Message Card Deck by Rita Loyd

Here is my newest creation! A collection of fifty art cards with messages of self-love on the back of each card. Some of the subject titles are ~ Respect yourself, Believe in yourself, Trust yourself and Encourage yourself. Choose a card when you need a reminder to love yourself.

I have already received wonderful feedback from these cards. People are using them for daily meditation. They are sharing them with their best friends. They are handing them out in yoga classes. They are buying them for women who are struggling with self-esteem. They are tucking them inside greeting cards as a small token of friendship.

Email me if you would like to share how you are using these cards! rita@nurturingart.com

Closed comments due to spam but email me your comments

Rita Loyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:35:46 +0000

I have closed comments on my blog entries due to overload of spam comments.

If you would like to leave me a message me, you can email me from my website contact page. I would be happy to hear . . . → Read More: Closed comments due to spam but email me your comments

New Painting by Rita Loyd ~ Transformation

Rita Loyd — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:05:39 +0000

New Painting ~ What Blocks You From Self-Love?

Rita Loyd — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:16:32 +0000

I was inspired to paint this painting when I was trying to help a friend unblock herself from self-hate. On the rocks I have written some of the things that contributed to my self-hate in the past. What blocks you from self-love at times?

New Painting ~ Thoughts flying Everywhere

Rita Loyd — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:32:12 +0000

Here is a painting that I did a few years ago when my Father was recovering from major heart surgery and complications of internal bleeding from a bleeding ulcer after the surgery. Everything felt so uncertain. This was a time I felt that I “should” be positive and spiritual but I felt so scared. So I finally allowed myself to speak the emotions I was feeling through this painting. I put those words on the wings of birds so they could fly away and no longer overwhelm me. This helped to lighten some of the burden I was holding in my heart.

New Painting ~ Compassion, Courage and Strength

Rita Loyd — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:21:01 +0000

Compassion, Courage and Strength

by Rita Loyd

In times of physical and emotional exhaustion

I visualize an infusion of compassion, courage and strength

pouring in, healing my spirt, mind and body.

In times of physical and emotional exhaustion

I visualize myself as a budding lotus

rising above the muddy waters of fear, depression and self-doubt

to a higher place of peace, love and happiness.

New Painting ~ Expansion of Love by Rita Loyd

Rita Loyd — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:28:48 +0000

Here is the affirmation for my new painting
“Expansion of Love”

The expansion of love begins as a small seed from within.
First I learn to love and nurture myself.
And then as my spirit awakens
I find that when I help others, I help myself.
And from that awareness
my love expands and overflows out into the universe.
~ Rita Loyd

A message to compassionate souls

Rita Loyd — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:27:45 +0000

A message to compassionate souls everywhere who are trying to help the wounded in spirit heal from a painful and sometimes abusive past. I know how overwhelming it can be to hear and feel the pain of so many. We can sometimes get lost in the pain and feel like we are not accomplishing enough. Here is what I wrote to myself and to others about this challenge:

The best way to help the world is to step into your power. Realize the powerful person that you are. Power comes when we use our hearts, minds and talents to help make the world a better place. Know that you are making a positive change in the world with your efforts. Your work is changing lives. Feel it. Admit it. Own it. Embrace it. Find peace in it. Find relief in it. Never believe differently. Don’t linger in feeling inadequate. Love yourself enough to resist old feelings. Love yourself enough to feel a sense of empowerment from what you have already accomplished and in what you are trying to accomplish. With this sense of empowerment, it will give you the strength and permission to keep moving forward. When we are in a stagnate place of worry, self-doubt and regret, we are not in a place of empowerment nor self-love. Concentrate on the good you are doing and not on what you wish you would have said or done differently. We could fill oceans with what we could have done better if we were only perfect. But we are not perfect nor all knowing. We are not God. We are human. And our power comes when we can accept that we are only human and can do nothing perfectly but still choose to make a positive difference anyway. ~ by Rita Loyd © 2012

New Painting ~ Healing My Nervous System

Rita Loyd — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:16:00 +0000

This image is of the nervous system being healed by the hands of God. God is pouring a healing golden light upon the frazzled nervous system. The golden light coats and soothes the frazzled nerve endings. The system responds to the nurturing by blossoming… with new growth. The tree behind the woman symbolizes her energy being grounded. The flowing stream in front of her symbolizes her stress floating away and her spirit being cleansed.

My Experience and encouraging words to fellow Caregivers

Rita Loyd — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:53:06 +0000

It has been a year since I began helping my Dad care for my Mom who has Alzheimer’s disease. I help out four times a week. At first it was completely overwhelming to me but now I am somewhat acclimated (until the next big change.)

My mother is 85 years old and my Dad is 84. My parents live in their own home. My Dad is in good health. He plays golf and does activities with his church. He gets a break every day either from me or from our hired caregiver. But this is still incredibly difficult for him and it is the challenge of his life…and of my life too.

Last spring and summer of 2011 Mom went to the hospital twice for a urinary tract infection and dehydration. During this time she developed an urgency to constantly go to the bathroom. This meant that every fifteen minutes she would need help getting up and going to the bathroom night and day. It just about drove us all to the breaking point. The doctor gave her a prescription for the problem but it didn’t help. But then in November she was “installed” with a bladder pace maker and now she no longer has constant urges to urinate. Instead of Dad getting up with her 17 times during the night, it is only 2-3 times a night, which is a miracle!

One of the things that has helped me the most during this difficult time is a small little book I am writing. It is called “Advice to myself concerning my Mom”. Instead of allowing my fears to run wild in my head, I think about what bothers me and then I write advice and encouraging words to myself.

I would like to share with you now a few thoughts from my advice book in case you are a caregiver or if you know someone who is. I hope you find it helpful. Let me know if you do.

If you don’t feel strong yet, it is because you are still in the process of stretching.
You will never regret the time and energy that you give to your parents.
There is always something in life to smile about. Even in the saddest of times, there is still beauty, nature, kindness, sweetness and humor.
When you doubt your ability to endure your Mother’s illness, that doubt; those thoughts; are coming from a place of exhaustion and depression rather than from a place of truth. The truth is that there are ways to survive this.
Tell yourself every day – “I will get through this. I am stronger than I know.”
This experience will lead you down roads that will expand you and make you a better person.
As you adapt to this challenge, this challenge will give you new skills to use in other parts of your life.
Helping to care for your Mom is not a detour in your path, it is your path. And you are bringing with you all that you have learned so far in life to face this challenge.
The more involved you get in life and in doing things with people, the more support life and people can offer you.
It is your mind (doubt, dread, guilt, impatience, fear, anxiety, panic, worry, sadness and resistance) that is causing you to suffer the most. Try to shift your thinking to be as positive as you can.
Your joy and peace of mind can’t depend on your Mom’s well being. You cannot place something so precious into the hands of someone so sick.
Don’t think of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as a scary monster. This is a common illness of the brain. Think about the people who work with dementia patients all day long. They aren’t scared; their focus is on helping the body and mind stay active.