I read about the idea to choose one word to be MY word for the year. It didn't take me long to choose one. My word for 2012 is "RADIANT". Why Radiant? Because I need to tune back in to my own radiance. And in shining within my own radiance, that will inspire others to shine themselves. And that matters to me.
If I embraced the word Radiant daily, if I truly lived that word, I think my world would change. I think I would buy into my own power more. I would trust my own strength to carry me through the stressful times. Right now when I am stressed, I eat. I think that if I lived radiantly, I would not harm myself that way and I would walk my way through stress. I believe that living a radiant life means getting to my natural weight....and staying there.
If I lived radiantly I think I would feel more energy, more connection with the universe, more connection with others. I think I would be more productive and accomplish more things. If I believe in my own radiance, and am more accepting of myself, I will become more accepting and loving of others.
I also believe that Radiance will attract Radiance. Living a Radiant life will draw me towards other radiant things that will enhance and empower my world. And I think being Radiant will show up in my art work. It will create its own beauty as it shines through me.
So cheers to 2012 and to my word!! RADIANT!!!!
Very rarely do I get my 12 year old son to set foot into the art studio. But I found a way! I got him a football player bobble head and he loved it! Several times he has wandered in and sat in "his" chair to do a little painting. The best part about it is the easy conversation that goes along between two people working on artistic projects. You never know what topic of conversation will be broached. Some days it is memorable. Some days it is just the sweet comfort of passing time with a child who is growing up quickly.
Now my boyfriend;s daughter is another story. This little cutie has some major skill for a 6 year old. She is chomping at the bit to get into the studio with me and paint, draw, color, and create. And she is good - seriously good! At her recent school conference her art teacher said she is drawing at the level of a 9 or 10 year old. It makes me excited to nurture her gift, to spend time with her in the studio. Little moments like that can lead to a lifetime of artistic love!!!!
Today I got great news. The man who has been my mentor for many years took a new position a number of years ago. It changed the scope of how we could work together during that time. I missed the way we talked and created new paths to follow.
He called today to tell me he was returning to his old position. I am filled with joy! Sometimes the stars seem to align and you get a wish you didn't even realize you had.
I made this dish at a ceramics class this summer. I tried my best to create symmetry with the decor. To me, the pattern makes sense. Makes me feel solid - sure - in line. I get the same feeling with knowing my mentor is returning. Things are happening as they should. The stars are aligning. There is perfect symmetry!
I took a class this summer and made some great artsy girl friends. They put together a Blog Hop. I had never heard of it! Basically a Blog Hop is a list of people participating who are all writing a blog post on the same day, related to the same topic - and including a list of the other "hoppers"! Fun!
Our post inspiration is called Flying Lessons. That was actually the name of the class - about learning how to fly high in the art business world. But for me, it held a dual meaning. You see, I am a pilot. I have had my Visual Flight Rating (VFR) license for about 10 years. I had dabbled with getting my Instrument Flight Rating (IFR) - meaning you can fly in the clouds and marginal weather. I dabbled with this for all 10 of the years I have been flying. But I wasn't truly motivated...just didnt have the drive to finish it.
Then this summer the flood in the midwest hit. I had to evacuate my house and my business. It basically turned my entire world upside down. Imagine that....packing everything you own and moving it all...in the span of about 3 days. Everything. And having the threat of your property being totally destroyed hanging over your head.
I craved the feeling of security. Everything in my life was in turmoil. And I deeply needed to feel that I still had the freedom and independence to make choices - not be trapped by what the flood dictated. It was already dictating where I could live, and where I could work. So what did I do? As I took the Flying Lessons class for artists, I also took Flying Lessons of a different kind. I finished my IFR.
Now I can pick up at any time and fly pretty much anywhere I want to. Now I don't have to deal with pesky security measures, or even planning way ahead to book a trip. I can go anywhere, at pretty much any time. And that, my friends, is my version of freedom and independence. And in that, I found a measure of the security that I was craving.
The flood has come and gone, and we are once again back home. Daily we are putting our lives and homes back together. And I look back at the summer and am proud - proud that in the midst of turmoil I still found the strength to fly!
Check out these other great bloggers participating in the blog hop! You will find beautiful art and lovely inspiration.
Amaranthine Violet: http://magic-gypsy.blogspot.com/
Amy Hillenbrand: http://amyhillenbrand.blogspot.com
Beatriz Peñas B.: http://beatrizbepe.blogspot.com/
Beth Cougler Blom: http://sobliss.wordpress.com/
Carmen Patti: http://carmenpattistudio.com/wordpress/
Carol Bray: http://theredpaintedcottage.blogspot.com
Christina Fajardo: http://christinafajardo.blogspot.com/
Cindy Jones Lantier: http://www.lantier.org
Connie Rawlins : http://www.dabblinginlife.blogspot.com/
Dana Brock: http://www.dzynbydana.blogspot.com
Deborah Velásquez : http://deborahvelasquez.blogspot.com
Elissa Brown: http://thefreckledarmy.blogspot.com
Hillary Courson: http://www.hillarycourson.com
Jacquie Williamson: http://www.jacquiewilliamson.blogspot.com/
Jane Paynting: http://inkspiredwings.wordpress.com
Janet Forrest: http://tatterednworn.wordpress.com/
Jennifer DeVille: http://jenniferdeville.com/blog/
Jill Lambert : http://www.jill-lambert.blogspot.com/
Julie Hamilton: http://spaark.wordpress.com
Kanchan Mahon: http://Kanchan-Mahon.blogspot.com/
Karen Claverie: http://giddyupletsride.blogspot.com
Kari DeSaulnier: http://karidesi.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Conard : http://newfromoldcreations.blogspot.com/
Kathleen McKinnon: http://harmonyschoolhouse.com/expressions-blog.html
Kathy May: http://kathymaydesigns.org
Kelley Miller: http://www.kelleymillerartworks.blogspot.com/
Kelly Corso: http://birdinatreecreations.blogspot.com/
Kelly Hoernig: http://www.kellyhoernig.blogspot.com/
Kim Hyer: http://www.apaperaddict.com/
Kris Lanae Binsfeld: http://cherishdesigns.wordpress.com
Lenore Angela: http://www.lenoreangela.blogspot.com/
Linda Barutha: http://lindabaruthadesigns.blogspot.com
Lisa Michele Products:
http://www.lisamicheleproducts.blogspot.com/
Liza Zeni Baker: http://lizazeni.wordpress.com/
Lynn Richards: http://alittlebluesky.blogspot.com
Lori Leissner: http://leissnerart.blogspot.com
Lori Moon: http://lorimoonstudio.blogspot.com
Mary Cottingham: http://www.barnbugstudio.blogspot.com/
Mary Sterk: http://justmarydesigns.com
Megan Schmitt: http://www.schmittenwithwords.blogspot.com/
Melanie Douthit: www.douthitgallery.blogspot.com
Michelle Dwyer: http://www.magnetisedbylife.com/
Michelle Reynolds: http://shellsinthebush.blogspot.com/
Rachél Payne (Rae): http://collectingyourself.wordpress.com/
Rain Hannah: http://honeyandollie.com/
Rhiannon Connelly: http://www.starrybluesky.wordpress.com
Ruth-Mary Smith: http://patchworkfamilieshub.blogspot.com
Sherry Richert Belul:
http://simplycelebrate.net/cherry-blossom-soup
Shirley Ann: http://leonardarenaissancewoman.blogspot.com/
Stacey Chadwick
Brown: http://staceybrownarts.blogspot.com/
Susan M. Walls-Beverly:
http://www.susanscharmingtrinkets.blogspot.com
Teresa Cash-Czech: http://www.asmilemaker.com/
Tina Carlborg: http://www.tinachicky.blogspot.com/
Tonya Love: http://passport2creativity.com/
Ursula Smith: http://www.EasyScraps.com/blog
Zulma Cadena: http://edustory.wordpress.com/
Mary Cottingham http://www.barnbugstudio.blogspot.com
Aaahhh...a morning with an extra hour. So I head straight to my studio - my sanctuary! The funny thing about having one hour in the studio is how much you can actually accomplish! Just like in business, work expands to fill the time allotted for it!
So this hour in my studio, what I got done is:
1. Collaged some words I had cut out from a magazine into an art journal.
2. Printed out my weekly curriculum for my Soul Restoration 2 class.
3. Layered the first round of paint onto several pages in my "This is the Life I want to Live" visual journal.
4. Sketched out an idea for a web page that I would like to design.
5. Kissed my boyfriend when he wandered in.
6. Added a layer of acrylic to this painting - love bubble wrap printing!!!
7. And finally - wrote this blog post!
Never let it be said that you can not accomplish a lot in one short hour!!!
Have you ever noticed how life imitates art? Or maybe it's the other way around. I don't know.
But what I do know is I always have several art projects cooking at the same time...and I am always working on several areas of my life at the same time too.
I dip my paintbrush into the swirling colors and let it run onto a snappy white canvas. While that is drying I collage a few things onto another canvas in progress. Next I add a few things of ephemera to my art journal.
Outside of my studio I work a while on getting my house back into order after our recent move. Then I take a walk (with a few minutes of jogging!) to get some exercise and try to keep my weight manageable. Time for some reading about the latest and greatest business technique so I can keep my company growing.
Wether its art, relationships, business, family, weight loss, taking care of your home, learning a new skill, or even just injecting more fun into your life - we all seem to be constantly working on something. Building something. Growing something. Or maybe just fixing something. A never-ending quest to become just a little bit better. Growing into our best selves.
The cool thing about it is that we can choose to grow any time we want to. And that we have this wonderful ability to focus on and grow in multiple areas at the same time. So I guess just like my art, my life is always a work in progress!
What are you working on?
For the last 5 weeks I have been taking an e-course by Kelly Rae Roberts about how to run a creative business. I have felt excitement, overwhelm, confidence, insecurity, techincally stupid, and artistically inspired.
I learned more about blogging, how to set up a creative website, the nuts and bolts of an etsy store, and how to connect it all to social marketing like my facebook page and my twitter account.
And check that out - I learned how to insert links into my blog! ha ha ha
I have no idea where that knowledge will take me.... but I feel like I have grown for having taken this course. And I'm grateful that there is a fantastic artist community out there who support the baby steps of growth for new artists like me!!
You would paint too if it de-stressed you! Ba ba ba ba bah!!!
This is a new one I am working on....its slowly starting to take shape. I have no firm idea yet of where I am going with it... but I am enjoying the process and seeing where it takes me!
Normally I am very planned - very structured. But in the art studio I can float and just go where the mood takes me. No rules. No right way. Just enjoyment. No wonder I find it therapeutic!
So thank you art studio! You make every day feel like a birthday!!!!
Sometimes learning what is NOT your style is just as important as learning what IS your style. Here is what I have learned to be true this week:
1. Sketching out a rough draft ahead of time is NOT my style.
2. Small, painstaking detail work is NOT my style.
3. Highly repetitive work is NOT my style.
4. I like to work intuitively - that IS my style.
5. I like it messy and unplanned - that IS my style.
6. I need for art to happen quickly and come together in an explosion of color - that IS MOST DEFINITELY my style!!
What's your style?
