Diane Mouradian, LMFT, TF CBT

07/20/2026

Make A Mark

(this is a stream of consciousness vs a traditional post)

feeling empty, no inspiration, stuck, can’t create any art…

My art teacher said:
Just put a mark on the page
Any mark
Sometimes just one mark can get the process going

So, I took out a blank page
Splashed some water onto it
Dropped watercolor into the puddles
Watched it take shape
Ebbing and flowing
Dropped different colors into the puddles
Watched the colors mixing Flowing together
Not forced
Just flowing
Nothing planned
Dropped metallic gold ink onto the page
Welcomed whatever shape appeared
Added fuschia into the gold
Not forced
Found scraps of colorful paper
Glued them down wherever they fit
No idea what I was doing
No plan
Nothing forced
Set it aside
Stopped thinking about it
Added a velvet flower and some bling
Why? What’s the purpose?
Because I like them
Added some faces
Why? What’s the purpose?
Because I like them
I can see their eyes
Eyes tell a story
Put it aside for the night
Let it be, don’t try to force it
Having fun

What story is this telling me? (vs a story I am trying to tell)

Play vs Plan

Sometimes, when we’re so plan-bound we can get in our own way. I had no plan and, therefore, I was stuck. But, I wasn’t really…

Innovation comes from unfettered thinking…sometimes, having fun can be the end game…

If you’re feeling stuck: What mark could you make on your blank page (literal or figurative) to get your process started? Nothing forced…

https://throughmymindseyeblog.com/2026/07/20/make-a-mark/

PS Check out my book Diary of a Curly Top, Everyday Reflections Through Art is available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/51OjEws

07/20/2026

Make A Mark

(this is a stream of consciousness vs a traditional post) feeling empty, no inspiration, stuck, can’t create any art… My art teacher said: Just put a mark on the page Any mark Sometimes just one mark can get the process going So, I took out a blank page Splashed some water onto it Dropped watercolor into the puddles Watched it take shape…...

(this is a stream of consciousness vs a traditional post) feeling empty, no inspiration, stuck, can’t  create any art… My art teacher said: Just put a mark on the page  Any mark Sometimes…

07/10/2026

Every Rose Comes With Thorns

A dose of realism after my last post about saying yes…

Say Yes is a powerful Catchphrase: Embrace new opportunities, Grow and
Develop…

AND: Saying YES Isn’t All Glamorous…

It can bring moments of Hardship, Change, Resistance and Stress.

Thirty years ago, I said yes when I accepted a job here in California. At the time, I was living in Rhode Island. I was a single mother of a two year old son. One day, quite literally out of the blue, I was offered a job for which I hadn’t applied. Within a few minutes, I had said yes. Didn’t think it out just said yes…

Within two months, my son and I were on a plane to California to a life that I hadn’t planned. Had I spent more time thinking about the risks inherent in such a move, my yes might have been a no.

But here’s the thing: With great risk comes the potential for great reward. That has been true for me.

With a caveat: Great risk - for me - means a calculated risk….moving to California, essentially sight unseen, still involved family support, friends new and old who stepped forward to help and a solid professional opportunity. Still, it was very hard…at times, I didn’t know if I could do it. Nights when I would worry…cry…some panic attacks thrown in…

But, that’s where faith in ourselves plays a huge part…Faith that we can figure things out. And a willingness to ride some rough waves with our sights set on success…tenacity and resilience and a good support network.

Looking at the totality of an experience vs the specific moments - good and/or bad - is an indicator of the prudence of a choice. Essentially, a hindsight evaluation…

Would I make the same decision now, thirty years in the rear view mirror? Absolutely…
Could I have been better prepared for the intermittent fallout? Absolutely…

That’s where wisdom develops, though, on the sharp edge of experience…

What has your experience with saying yes been like?

https://throughmymindseyeblog.com/2026/07/10/every-rose-comes-with-thorns/

PS Check out my book Diary of a Curly Top, Everyday Reflections Through Art is available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/51OjEws

07/10/2026

Every Rose Comes With Thorns

A dose of realism after my last post about saying yes… Say Yes is a powerful Catchphrase: Embrace new opportunities, Grow and Develop… AND: Saying YES Isn’t All Glamorous… It can bring moments of Hardship, Change,, Resistance and Stress. Thirty years ago, I said yes when I accepted a job here in California. At the time, I was living in Rhode Island....

A dose of realism after my last post about saying yes… Say Yes is a powerful Catchphrase: Embrace new opportunities, Grow and Develop… AND: Saying YES Isn’t All Glamorous… It can bring moments of H…

06/23/2026

Question Your No

In Andrew Loyd Webber’s Evita, Patti Lupone, in her titular Broadway role, sings “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. The truth Is I Never Left You”, as she beseeches her people to follow and support her. I have loved that production since I was a teenager, saw it live, had all the merch, listened to the score endlessly on my record player and studied all that I could about Eva Perón.

Dial it forward to my forties…working and traveling for business.

One stop was Argentina…a dream…

But…I stayed a very short time, thinking that the next time I went I’d stay longer, see more, do more, experience more…I told myself I’d have a next time.

That day never came though…my business travel to Argentina ended as quickly as it had started. We stopped doing business there. One trip, that’s all there was.

Could I have stayed another day or two or three? Yes…but I convinced myself that it wasn’t possible. I had to get back. I’ll never forget that lesson.

Unlike Eva’s words, the truth is I DID leave Argentina…

A bad play on words but TRUE nonetheless…

Could I go back? Yes
Could I see what I didn’t see? Yes
Is that the point? No

The point is to seize opportunities, in the moment, if possible. Sometimes, it isn’t possible and that’s ok. But, if it is, do it. Don’t wait - Say yes. Question your no…

It’s not all sad though…in the short time that I was there, I experienced the Caminito, La Casa de Gardel, learned about tango and, most importantly, visited Eva Peron’s grave, something, that as a teenager, I would have never imagined for myself.

Say yes… Question your no…

https://throughmymindseyeblog.com/2026/06/23/question-your-no/

PS Check out my book Diary of a Curly Top, Everyday Reflections Through Art is available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/51OjEws

06/23/2026

Question Your No

In Andrew Loyd Webber’s Evita, Patti Lupone, in her titular Broadway role, sings “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. The truth Is I Never Left You”, as she beseeches her people to follow and support her. I have loved that production since I was a teenager, saw it live, had all the merch, listened to the score endlessly on my record player and studied all that I could about Eva Perón....

In Andrew Loyd Webber’s Evita, Patti Lupone, in her titular Broadway role, sings “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. The truth Is I Never Left You”, as she beseeches her people to follow and support her. …

06/12/2026

Treasure Hunt

Do You Have A Minute? Or Two?

Join me…

I’m going to do something a little different.

I’m not going tell a story.

Rather, I’m inviting you on a treasure hunt.

Let’s search for clues about the story.

My story…

Your story…

Take a moment…stop…breathe…reflect.

Let’s create possibilities…

Get a paper and pencil (or pen).

Jot down:
-words you see
-images
-textures, patterns, shapes
-placement on the page
-colors and the reactions they stir up
-thoughts and feelings that emerge

What story do they tell?

If you’re open to it, please message me at [email protected]

I’d love to hear from you…

https://throughmymindseyeblog.com/2026/06/12/do-you-have-a-minute-or-two/

PS Check out my book Diary of a Curly Top, Everyday Reflections Through Art is available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/51OjEws

06/12/2026

Do You Have A Minute? Or Two?

Join me… I’m going to do something a little different. I’m not going tell a story. Rather, I’m inviting you on a treasure hunt. Let’s search for clues about the story. My story… Your story… Take a moment…stop…breathe…reflect. Let’s create possibilities… Get a paper and pencil (or pen). Jot down: -words you see -images -textures, patterns, shapes -placement on the page …...

Join me… I’m going to do something a little different. I’m not going tell a story. Rather, I’m inviting you on a treasure hunt. Let’s search for clues about the story. My story… Your story… Take a …

05/19/2026

I Didn’t Get The Bonus I Was Expecting

What do you get when you’re tunnel-visioned? When your focus is too narrow? When success can only look a specific way?
Frustration and disappointment…possibly missed opportunities...

A year ago, I was in Santa Fe, at the Modern Elder Academy, attending The Bonus Round workshop with Pam McLean, Tom Pollack and Joy Leach. To be clear, I went in with no expectations, other than hoping to learn about possibility, during this next stage of my life.

I set a clear goal…create and offer art workshops to promote and support wellness. No one asked that of me. On the contrary, I was encouraged to think broadly. Goals are good, though, right? We’re taught to have them to be successful. So, I was following my longstanding programming to become successful and achieve my goal.

To be fair, it hasn’t been a total flop. A partial one…maybe

I tried in all the ways that I knew to make something happen. In fact, I’ve lost count of how many times no response has been the response to my outreach. Frustration and disappointment came from not being able to do these workshops as frequently as I had envisioned.

I never went back to question the vision, though. I just kept trying to make something work which wasn’t…

It has been a year and, now, I have a 360 degree view.

What was it that I had really wanted?

To explore and develop my art and share it with others…

I’m going to outline this, not in a self aggrandizing way BUT, rather, to illustrate how life, oftentimes, knows better than us.
This an invitation for you, too, to look at your trajectory, examine your expectations and any surprises along the way.

So, what has happened in my year post Bonus Round workshop?
-two art workshops with Monterey County Family & Children’s Services
-a biweekly blog post about wellness, coupled with mixed media collage
-a coffee table book containing my art and writing
-a developing skill using video making technology to showcase art, music and writing
-a restart of my jewelry-making venture that has been dormant for years
-participation in local barter fairs and artisan festivals show casing my art and jewelry
-helping my partner develop and launch his own jewelry making endeavor
-meeting a community of creators
-a new volunteer opportunity that will soon combine my work in mental health with my love for art

With the exception of the art workshops, NONE of the above was on my radar.

So, I go back to the word Bonus and explore what it actually means:
-something extra on top of what was expected

I got what I hoped for this past year, without realizing it. In hindsight, the Bonus wasn’t the art workshop adventure. It was all of what happened around it that I hadn’t anticipated. My lens was too narrow to see what could be.

If you widened your lens, what would you see?

https://lnkd.in/gNhpsGHJ

PS Check out my book Diary of a Curly Top, Everyday Reflections Through Art is available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/51OjEws

05/19/2026

I Didn’t Get The Bonus I Was Expecting

What do you get when you’re tunnel-visioned? When your focus is too narrow? When success can only look a specific way? Frustration and disappointment…possibly missed opportunities... A year ago, I was in Santa Fe, at the Modern Elder Academy, attending The Bonus Round workshop with Pam McLean, Tom Pollack and Joy Leach. To be clear, I went in with no expectations, other than hoping to learn about possibility, during this next stage of my life....

What do you get when you’re tunnel-visioned? When your focus is too narrow? When success can only look a specific way? Frustration and disappointment…possibly missed opportunities…  A ye…