Ariel Painting

I made this painting as a wedding present for my friend, she loves the little mermaid!

Latest Cover Videos!

Hey recently been working on some music! I have been camera shy so I don't really like putting my face on camera. I like to be judged by my voice. If anyone has advice on how I can improve or do better please say so! I am thinking about sending in a video audition to The Voice. Thanks!

-Lizzie Holmes

SUGAR BY MAROON 5 LIZZIE HOLMES COVER

DREAM ON BY AEROSMITH LIZZIE HOLMES COVER

ROYALS BY LORDE LIZZIE HOLMES COVER 

STAND BY ME BY BEN E. KING LIZZIE HOLMES COVER

Art Projects

Lately I have had fun playing and experimenting with acrylic and watercolor paint and oil pastels. Water color is difficult because of how it bleeds. And acrylic I had difficulty keeping straight lines and having the images look how I envisioned them. The best way I was able to accomplish the images I wanted was to sketch them out or trace out the images.

Acrylic painting

self portrait oil pastel

Watercolor silhouette

self portrait sketch 

Van Gogh makes it look easy I attempted to see how difficult it was for him to make. I had a hard time with oil pastels let alone paint! and their is a native american inspired oil pastel 

acrylic paint tribal print

acrylic painting of my niece and nephew my sister loves giraffes

up quote acrylic painting this one was super hard with all the balloons and trying to find a good balance 

Let's Celebrate!

Just recently learned that my youtube video Light a Fire by Rachel Taylor cover has hit more than 1,000 views and it is still counting! I'm not sure why this video is so popular but I am excited! Thanks to all my music supporters!

How I Became a Better Student

On the first week of school, My English teacher gave us a challenge that a group would all get an A for the semester if we could take a amazing photograph and create our own quote to put on the photograph. We all of course rushed out with our cameras and sat together as a group desperately trying to figure out a quote. As we came into class my teacher in summary said that none of the posters were good enough. He was picky about the way the quote went with the picture, whether the picture was good enough, etc. As harsh or picky he might have been, he wanted to teach us a lesson. We as human beings are capable of so much. As our groups looked back we realized we could've spent more time and love into the project. We took the attitude that most students take with projects or school work, do just to get it done. We may have put a lot of effort and love into it but we could've pushed ourselves more out of our comfort zones and recognize the potential in ourselves and our group members. I didn't know until that project how much I enjoyed photography, my other group members were impressed with my photos and so was the rest of my class. Use school projects or create your own assignment where you explore different talents. Teachers can also create opportunities for students to do an assignment more than 100% to their abilities. As a student or a teacher let's strive try and not do assignments just to get it done, let's do it to learn and grow and become the best person we can possibly be.

How to Meditate

Today I want to talk about something that has blessed my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical life. Meditation! Meditation is a lot more than just going UMMMM sitting in a pretzel chanting all day. The goal of meditation is to stop the constant activity going on in our minds and bring ourselves to a state of thoughtless awareness. This is how I personally teach and do meditation. the basic steps are:

1. Get yourself full of water, food, and physically relaxed as you can. soaking your feet in hot water is one good way to physically relax and reduce head tension because the blood flows more to feet and away from head. 

2. Either sit crossed legged or lay down on your back. Your spine must be straight whole time! One thing I do that helps is tuck in my tail bone inwards towards my core. If you want to be more comfortable I suggest sitting/laying on blanket or sitting against wall or chair, to help keep spine straight

4. Breath deeply and count your breaths. I personally count very slowly to 4 or 7 in and out. When you breath, let it be from your diagram and fill up your lungs. let your shoulders drop and focus your relaxation around the area of front of head as you close your eyes. 

5. It's ok to let your mind wander just focus it back to your breathing and counting until it's effortless. 

6. Personally I like to listen to guided meditations or relaxing massage/yoga music while I meditate such as these. 

Guided meditations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vO1wPAmiMQ&list=PL9ZcmGPa4YQ9qzkM4BdrYgSj_CL4CXsi8&index=2

relaxing music:http://youtu.be/QZbuj3RJcjI?list=PL9ZcmGPa4YQ_JDYWVfygVhESt921cV4BH

I started to meditate for 5-30 min a day and I felt so much benefit in my life in the way I think, my attitude, and etc. I hope it can bless your lives to, namaste! p.s. I am currently doing more research on 7 chakras and hopefully can provide what I found out soon! :)

Systems Thinking

What? So What? Now What?

Developing World helped me discover a new thinking process. Learning about systems thinking was the most helpful in showing me how to think differently. I love the example that was given in class of systems thinking. Our teacher showed us a picture of cut down tree stumps and fish in Lake Victoria, Africa. He told us to figure out how the fish caused the trees to be cut down. We realized because the fish were so big, it took more time to dry the fish. Instead the locals were forced to cook the fish over a fire. However, more wood was needed in order to make a fire, and that’s why the trees were cut down. Many times in life we want to think that only one thing can be a possible cause or solution. When we really study and follow our research, we can find the best possible solutions to a problem. Using systems thinking in my life can really benefit me to improve myself and be the best daughter of God I can be. I really like the idea of systems thinking and I wish I could promise to use it all the time now in all aspects of my life. However, I am so used to my other thought processes it is difficult to just switch all of a sudden. I hope through time and practices I can better recognize when I am thinking one sided and eventually reach to become a systems thinker.

            In this class we did a lot of group work, and the group work was always required to have leadership positions. In these groups we had numerous discussions about the things we were learning, and even much debate about heated topics. One thing that was discussed was the 8 Millennium Goals and how to solve those issues. While in class I realized that in order to help fix the world’s problems, we also need to work together to help the world become a better place. One issue for example that really opened my eyes was the topic of globalization. In class we seemed to always come up with the constant debate of whether or not globalization was a good thing or a bad thing. Using our systems thinking, we all realized there was a lot behind it and research to do on it. I thought the concept was fascinating because of the economic and cultural impact it seemed to have on individual countries. It would have been hard to discover all this if we didn’t work together as a group to discuss the issue. Many people around the world are making efforts to communicate and provide charity to third world countries. It is important for those people to communicate and ask “What? So What? And Now what?” because then we can better find a way to help them. As members of the church we all have a duty to serve others, and when we all come together in a group to help another person there is so much power in that. I hope in the future to establish leadership and to really listen to the ideas of my peers. When we all work together, our minds can be opened and do so much good in this world.