Creatives: Huge FREE Bonus Festive Period Edition
Not all of us celebrate Christmas but many take time out to recognise & prepare for the coming new year-Many of you are creatives & entrepreneurs-Irrespective enjoy this edition with my best wishes!
Bonjour francophile friends, long-time and new… I’m thrilled that you’re here again this week - bienvenue - welcome.
Please note that this is NOT a regular le Bulletin newsletter.
This is an end-of-year BONUS edition. The regular weekly newsletter editions will be published during the weekend as usual.
This super bonus newsletter contains enough reading for you even if you’re planning to take a long break - Bonne lecture - happy reading
Map your Days: The act of listening—an art rendezvous—an art rendezvous
Graffiti and Street Art in Paris
Creatives and Entrepreneurs in France: a series of interviews of inspirational individuals.
Creativity comes in many guises - Acknowledgment, gratitude, and a reminder
How do others see MyFrenchLife Magazine and le Bulletin?
le Bulletin is a perfect gift for family and friends
I send you my very best wishes for creativity, health, and happiness in 2025.
Warm regards
Judy - 20.12.’24
1.a) Feature #1
Map your Days: The act of listening—an art rendezvous
This is the first article from new contributor Sonja Bajic following my recent interview with her. Even though this article was written a year ago, I wanted to republish it because it is a good way to get to know Sonja and the creativity she applies in her workshops, and because this is a relevant place to start following and getting involved with her projects. So please make allowances to references about timing.
Judy MacMahon
Let’s jump in shall we?
Sonja writes:
The season of celebration is with us and I had the pleasure of reconnecting with many people dear to my heart. It was good to balance the stress of the Sonja versus Technology saga (December 2023) with the friendly faces of my friends. People seem to yearn for gatherings as the weather remains grey and rain remains torrential.
I am diligently working on my plans for 2024 while also spending significant time fulfilling orders from my shop. Another addition to the shop is downloadable gift cards that you can print on your home printer! Since it’s the gifting season, YES, I have a little gift for you.
One of the plans for next year (2024) was to work on the packaging of the orders. I finally found a sustainable board of great quality that is pH-natural, allowing me to send original art and art prints packed in it. The color is perfect as well—cream with small recycled dots—and the shop that sells it is nearby.
“The only problem is that inside the board shop, there are also MANY cool art supplies that I don’t need but wish to have, and every time I go, I need to resist the urge to buy something. This Friday, I successfully resisted buying a sparkly set of watercolors that was calling me. The time before, however, I did give in and bought a Sennelier Indigo Shellac ink.”
I promised myself that I would draw more with pen and ink and that finally, I would create prompt #3 for you. It was a great excuse. A really great one!
Map your Days: prompt #3 — the act of listening
So, here we go, if you are here for the art prompt read further!
Sonja Bajic
I always include this exercise in my workshops. If you’ve ever practiced mindfulness, it will sound familiar to you. When done individually, this exercise opens up inspiration and offers a variety of small drawing possibilities for warm-up. Above all, it’s a listening exercise, where you actively listen and find meaning in sometimes just noise.
Last week, I engaged in this exercise on my way to dinner with a friend who invited me to celebrate a successful year in her business. The dinner was held in the charming Bouillon Julien, an Art Nouveau restaurant from the turn of the century. I decided to approach the whole experience from a different perspective, an arty one, yet keeping it simple.
Scene 1:
I took the metro there, found a seat, and grabbed my phone. I recorded the sounds around me, capturing just 10 seconds of the ambiance. I heard heels clicking, voices, and people in a hurry.
I recorded the sounds and listened to the recording, then I drew it the day after, in the studio.
Scene 2:
Exiting the metro at Strasbourg Saint-Denis station, a drizzle welcomed me. The bartender of a random bar, in the midst of relocating numerous chairs around a big puddle, kindly asked me to pause. I stopped, allowing him to complete his task, and took out my phone to capture the sounds of the moment.
I recorded the sounds and listened to the recording, then I drew what I heard. Here is one of the chairs in the rain.
Scene 3:
One of my favorite dishes in French restaurants is leeks vinaigrette with hazelnuts. Before savoring the first bite, I paused, took out my phone, and recorded the sounds of the bustling bouillon around me—the clinking of forks and knives, and the joyous hum of people savoring their meals.
I recorded the sounds and listened to the recording, then I drew the sounds again – Here is my blobby take.
I illustrated an experience, approaching it in a different sense.
Instead of focusing on forms or colors. I listened, being present through a different lens.
For this art rendezvous, you don’t need anything special
Materials:
Any app on your phone for sound recording (I use Easy Voice Recorder on my Android phone). You probs have one already on your phone,
Paper or an old sketchbook—don’t be precious; perfection kills creativity.
Pen, pencil, marker—whatever inspires you. For me, it’s currently a new ink, or whatever you find around you.
How it works:
Try recording the sounds of your day, any day. This will shift your attention from other senses, and you’ll discover new, mundane sounds. Record them for later. Just because you hear something now doesn’t mean you’ll hear it the same way on your recording. Maybe the voice recording will inspire you in a different direction. That’s the beauty of it!
During your art date with yourself, sit and draw it. It can be three sounds (like I did), seven, or just one. Listen carefully.
Draw, draw, draw. Don’t aim for perfection; be messy and open to new sounds and shapes. When I did these drawings, my nib pen wasn’t working, but I didn’t care. Inspiration struck, and I drew my blobby drawings. Lots of blobs in these drawings!
Try this mini prompt and share it here by replying or on Instagram by tagging me @sonjabajicstudio. Our senses map our lives and take us to amazing places.
Mapping your life starts by noticing the life around you more than usual. We often think we don’t have time, and that’s why I try to block only 10-15 minutes, no more. Remember, this is your creative journey, you do what you have to do and what you can do. And I truly hope you enjoy it.
Have a great day! I’m glad you’re here with me among all these blobs.
Sonja
Image credits:
All images: drawings and photographs are copyright Sonja Bajic / author
1.b) Feature #2
1c) Feature #3
Come with us & be inspired: entrepreneurs, innovators & creatives in France
This is a series of interviews conducted with inspirational people in France some time back, however they remain inspirational!
-I feel honoured to know this creative person!
I must highlight my friend Vernice Klier who has lived in Paris for many decades. My interview with her was so extraordinary and we’ve remained friends since. Read the interview about Vernice’s life and you’ll understand my dilemma at the time.
-Vernice’s story is hard to believe… no really, it is!
It took me a long time to produce the interview. To say that I was overwhelmed by her life, obstacles, creativity, and ability to not only bounce back but to soar, remains extraordinary.
-Time poor? Then make this the one thing you read today.
If you only have time to read one thing today, make this it! Then please drop me a note as a comment or however you’d prefer to let me know Vernice’s story inspired you.
-The Creatives and Entrepreneur series
For many true Francophiles, our love for France is not in the clichés – not in croissants, macarons, or long strolls along the Seine. Bien sûr, these are things in which we find pleasure, but the intrigue goes much deeper. These are but the icing on the gateau…
Have you ever met someone whose appeal was in their complexity? Someone who, despite your best efforts, never failed to surprise you, and could never be entirely understood – even if you spent hours trying to pick their brain? And, this mysteriousness and complexity don’t put you off: it only serves to make you more concentrated and dogged in your efforts to decode them.
Pour nous, that’s France. And these days, the intrigue is only growing.
Access the entire series.←
1.d) Feature #4
Creativity comes in many guises - Acknowledgment, gratitude, and a reminder…
Here are 100 talented individuals all writing about France!
The Contributors of MyFrenchLife Magazine are impressive individuals and all creative in their own right.
I continue to frequently announce the inclusion of new Contributors, and already there exists a list of new talented writers and Contributors who will join us in January 2025.
I feel honoured that such talent is attracted to our Magazine.
It was always my intention to create and grow our Magazine to embrace many diverse voices, and I’m thrilled to have succeeded in this mission.
[about 20+ contributors writing for our Magazine]
And now this year I also have the pleasure of presenting the authors in #FranceStack Library: all writers based in France.
[about 75+ authors in the library]
I want to take a moment now to thank every one of you.
Some of you have been writing for our Magazine for years, while others have only started this week. The themes and topics about which you are an expert continue to increase, adding to the breadth, diversity, and value of MyFrenchLife Magazine and therefore le Bulletin newsletter to our global Francophile readership.
1.e) Feature #5
How do others see le Bulletin & MyFrenchLife Magazine?
As I said, your subscription really buoys my spirits, helps me cover basic costs, and allows me to continue my lifetime passion project, which I continue to improve and expand.
As you well know, both MyFrenchLife Magazine and le Bulletin newsletter enable many to explore and better understand France beyond the cliché.
Below, I proudly share two very recent unsolicited testimonials.
- Here's what a kind reader said about us just days ago.
(I'm waiting on permission to attribute it, so, for now, I can only say it is from "an anonymous regular subscriber".)
I’m absolutely delighted and deeply touched to be part of your passionate project that so beautifully unveils the rich tapestry of life in France. Every edition feels like a personal invitation to step into the magic of France, uncovering its hidden gems and soaking in its unique charm. You truly connect us to the heart and soul of this incredible country. I can’t wait to dive deeper into the newsletter and continue to be inspired by your thoughtful curation and storytelling. Merci beaucoup for welcoming me into your wonderful community – it means the world to me." she said.
- Here's what Betty Carlson said about le Bulletin just last week. She’s one of our valued France-based contributors.
"le Bulletin by Judy MacMahon brings real treats about France to Substack every week, from micro-reporting to coverage of major events. In this week’s free edition, I especially loved Caroline McCormick-Clarke‘s profiles of locally-oriented farms in Wissant. I work in the agricultural sector here, and can tell you that food production PLUS on-site transformation — for example milk into cheese — PLUS “vente directe” is one tough gig.” said Betty.
I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to receive notes such as these.
1.6 Feature #6
le Bulletin is a perfect gift for family and friends
Did you know that it's possible to give le Bulletin as a gift to your family and friends? And I suggest that this is a perfect gift for those who live a long way away as it avoids postage hassle…
How to ‘Give a gift subscription’ (or send a heavy hint that you’d like one).
If you’d like to buy a subscription as a Christmas gift you can do so using the link below - subscribing this way allows you to defer the subscription start date until Christmas Day or your preferred date, so there aren’t any spoilers.
Buy a gift subscription ←link
Thank you in advance.
Judy
2. “Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’ newsletter” Judy MacMahon
I hope to see you here again next week
Warm regards
Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org
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I find it really interesting, and exciting to contemplate how many creatives and entrepreneurs form part of the MyFrenchLife/le Bulletin community! Have you noticed this? Writers, photographers, artists, entrepreneurs!!! and more!
Our global community of Francophiles delights me more and more each day.
Thank you to you all! You bring me such joy!
Warm regards
Judy
I just love this idea of recording sounds and then just drawing, taking inspiration from the sounds. Thank you for sharing Sonja