Don't worry, be happy

This month I have been feeling a bit beaten down by the trials and tribulations of my life. A little Okinawa beach time helps to keep my spirits up and once I printed out this photo of my favorite beach spot, I knew I wanted it to be the main focus of my page.

Though I love to make my mosaics using multiple photos, lately I've been using a lot of patterned papers with a single matted photo in my mosaics. With the feeling of tranquility this one single beach photo brings to me, I decided to extend this single photo into a mosaic with the use of matching cardstock papers.

When life gets you down, you have to find that sweet spot that lifts your spirits and brings you hope. As Emily Dinckinson says hope is the 'sweetest' in a storm; it's when we need it most and it is up to us to find it for ourselves. Sometimes, the beauty of an Okinawa beach can be that spot where you can sit and gather your thoughts and get that hopeful feeling that it will all work out.

Here in Okinawa, the local people – Uchinanchu -- tend to see themselves as bound together by their home island and, especially among older Uchinanchu, will always consider themselves from Okinawa first and Japan second.

Even though I can not claim Uchinanchu by birth, I take solace in being able to claim another variation of the word – shima gaijin (island foreigner). I am an island foreigner not only because I have lived in Okinawa on and off since 1996, but also because I share a common bond with other shima-gaijin and Uchinanchu alike. Maurice Dudly describes it this way: "This common bond ... is venerated in Okinawan dialect when we say "nankuru naisa." It was also described by Bobby McFerin when he sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy." In either tongue, these words are truly words to live by."

 It'll all work out. Have hope.

Want to make your own mosaic page? Check out my tutorial here. To get your own mosaic supplies, such as grid paper and cutting tools, click on SnapNCrop link on the top right-hand side of this post. If you need any help, I will gladly answer your emails at okispice@hotmail.com

Watch for my monthly posts featuring the hottest colors in grid papers at Design Each Moment. Here's a sneak peak of July's design.