• About
  • Buy Prints
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home

Good Fortune Studios

Beauty. Attention. Creation.

Bluebeard: Beginning Again

February 7, 2026 by Rayna Diane Hennen

Original sketches in pencil of the Bluebeard series I wanted to create

Rediscovering an art journal I abandoned, not far from the finish line, I decided to jump back in and see if I could make it happen this time.

[ Read More ]

The Perfect Art Journal I Thought I was Going to Create

January 29, 2026 by Rayna Diane Hennen

Cover of art journal - dark green background with two pink flowers

When I first read about perfectionism, I didn’t think it applied to me. I am pretty easy going, adaptable, and generally don’t get too upset over things. In other words, I don’t need things to be perfect. It turns out, that is not what perfectionism is.

[ Read More ]

Sometimes a Page Just Falls Together Easily

May 24, 2023 by Rayna Diane Hennen

Sometimes an art journal spread takes a while, sometimes it’s just waiting there for you to find it!

[ Read More ]

Exercising My Creative Chops

July 7, 2014 by Rayna Diane Hennen

In an effort to keep myself in the creative habit, I bought the book Creating Art at the Speed of Life: 30 Days of Mixed-Media Exploration (Amazon Associates Link). It’s 30 exercises for 30 days to just create. Will I do them all in a row? I doubt it – I have noticed not only distinct lack of routine in my life but also a distinct lack of being able

[ Read More ]

A Certain Shade of Lipstick

August 5, 2011 by Rayna Diane Hennen

The poem starts out “I like a certain shade of lipstick…” and goes on with references to war, cabaret and far away places covered in snow. I felt that the lighting in this catalog cover image conveyed that feeling of another time and place. And of course she is putting on that certain shade of lipstick!

[ Read More ]

Art Journal Week Four: All Because of Tea!

January 31, 2011 by Rayna Diane Hennen

In my quest for teapots and cups, I rediscovered a particular Anthropologie catalog. It had a kind of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme so one would assume there had to be something related to tea in there (hello mad hatter!) though not as much as I thought there would.

[ Read More ]

Art Journal: Week Three

January 24, 2011 by Rayna Diane Hennen

While I was working on it I thought – isn’t that really what framed photos are like? You frame them because the memory was great or the image is beautiful and they are confined to that little rectangle area but they are bigger than that.

[ Read More ]

Art Journal: Week Two

January 17, 2011 by Rayna Diane Hennen

This week’s art journal inspiration: Black Swan. What an intense movie. Natalie Portman did such a phenomenal job and Barbara Hershey was the perfect overbearing mother. Natalie’s character, Nina, was probably 20 or so and her mother would still undress her – even taking her earrings out! The dancers in the movie were dancing Swan Lake. It is a love story of the white swan who loves a prince but

[ Read More ]

Art Journal: Week One

January 10, 2011 by Rayna Diane Hennen

I decided this year to keep a weekly art journal. I’ve always kept a journal – I have a storage container full of them probably from when I was 8 or 9. I tend to doodle a little bit in them but mostly it’s just writing and taped in mementos like movie tickets, funny notes, things like that. In my aim to incorporate more creative elements into my life in general I thought this might be fun, easy way to do that every week.

[ Read More ]

Creativity & Cringe

Hello Lovely Creative Human! Sign up for my once a month newsletter that could include recent blog posts, photos listed for sale and other musings about art, books, photography, nature and life.

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

goodfortunestudios

Experiments in creativity and cringe. Join me!

oops! I art journaled myself into a corner! 😄 A oops! I art journaled myself into a corner! 😄 

A little surprise discovered while cleaning - apparently I didn't drink it the night I meant to aaaand it was a little early in the day while cleaning to celebrate! 

And the calm of a clean, sunlit studio waiting for the next creation. 😌 

#creativityandcringe
This one feels like it's being shy 😊 #floralphot This one feels like it's being shy 😊 

#floralphotography #petalcurl
This is an "assignment" from a year long course: c This is an "assignment" from a year long course: create a relaxed Mandala. I can't say I ever thought I'd create one of these, relaxed or not! Coloring one in - sure! But never making one.
Newsletter creativity and cringe Our strengths ca Newsletter creativity and cringe

Our strengths can also be our weaknesses. One of those things about me that is both annoying and awesome is I'm pretty honest about stuff. Like whatever I'm going through or sitting and listening to what someone else is going through, I mean, I've had some heavy conversations over a beer with strangers in a bar. 🤷‍♀️ When you're not up for that I'm sure it's like oh God here comes rayna hide!!

So here's the thing. This – this art sharing stuff – is really hard for me. Scientifically speaking, your brain can't actually tell the difference between a lion and a paint brush (cool cool.) so I thought I'd just break the ice and own how cringey I feel about it 🤣  and also my brain: 🦁 😱

And then a number of you are friends which is actually harder to share with than strangers – truth! and not uncommon for people to feel that way – but also – 'preciate ya! as they say in football.

On that note, please join me further on my journey of creativity and cringe (and my love of alliteration) by signing up for my monthly newsletter. And hopefully, later on, we can look back together and be like, wow, yeah, you've come a long way! I can't believe you shared that early stuff... 😬🤞

Sometimes they’ll be a little “heavier”, some will be a little lighter. Look – I have no idea where this is going so be sure to bring snax. 🍿 🍫

Link in the bye-oh as one of my fave authors likes to say. K bye! 👋

#creativityandcringe
. . #dogwoodflower #dogwoodpetal #waterdropflower .
.
#dogwoodflower #dogwoodpetal #waterdropflower #flowerdetail
This is the photo I'm referencing for the painting This is the photo I'm referencing for the painting I sketched out. This is available for purchase - links are in the usual spots. 📷 🌺 

#cherryblossoms #floralphotography
I am at the point where I have to be vigilant. I h I am at the point where I have to be vigilant. I have been here before, trying to capture an idea. ✏️ 

These prep steps are necessary, for sure. Trying to dive into some things with no prep or planning 

But.

Prepping and planning can go on forever as a way of not ruining the idea in your head. In fact… writing this post is a way of productively procrastinating. 

I am at the point where I could draw an outline of the flower shape that I want to do but my brain is like OMG you’re going to ruin it because you have no idea what I'm doing (I don't). Welcome to perfectionism - my arch nemesis! 

This is productive because I am working through my thoughts to stave off perfectionism and creating a post to share on social (which I'm really consistent about...) 

Now about that painting outline... 

#creativityandcringe
Welcome to August! Did you know that August was on Welcome to August! Did you know that August was once the 6th month of the year and the first-ever sandwich was created by.... the Earl of Sandwich. Lunch just wouldn't be the same without it! ☀️ 🥪
Follow on Instagram

© 2026 · Good Fortune Studios