100 Books Project :: Lake Tahoe
[Book #59, left in Lake Tahoe by Book Fairy Linda Mechanic.]
Book #59 was deposited at Lake Tahoe by one of my favorite people on the planet ~ Linda Mechanic. Linda and I met at a cafe in Santa Monica in 2005, where my first collection of mixed media creations were hanging. We met there so she could see my work and decide if it might fit in at Peach Tree Gallery ~ an inspiring, creative wonderland where Linda teaches pottery classes and puts on all kinds of extraordinary shows and events.
Ever since my first official show at Peach Tree in 2006, Linda and I have collaborated on a number of shows and events, and developed a magnificent friendship. I am usually rather shy about sharing stories about my peeps, but I am making an exception so I can say one simple truth about Linda: Having her in my life is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. She is beyond generous, kind and loving, and I appreciate her more than words can express. Since this is technically a story about the 100 Books Project, I'm taking a bit of a liberty in writing about her on this blog.
If you live in the LA area, her pottery classes are not to be missed! Visit her website for details.
100 Books Project :: Turkey
[Book #46, left in Kapadokia, Turkey by Book Fairy Michelle Smith*]
* Technically Book #46 was taken care of by Michelle's boyfriend, and as he's a bit shy this story will be shared with photos alone. But how lovely they are!
Read more about this beautiful region right here.
Thank you Michelle!!
Updates, News & Other Goodness
I feel like I am now sliding along the backside of summer, where a fall season filled with all kinds of goodness awaits me. I experienced a brief spell of overwhelm for a few days last week, but managed to settle my mind down a bit by spending some quality time with my calendar and sorting things out. Knowing the majority of the plans I make will likely unravel more quickly than I can say yoga pants, it still helped to work on some much-needed priority setting. I can't share all the news there is to share just yet, so I'm now savoring this time of anticipation before I can shout everything from the rooftops.
In the meantime, here's what I can tell you:
* Trust the Mess ~ A weekend workshop with Sabrina Ward Harrison ~ is now beyond the halfway point with registrations. In other words, there are only 7 spaces left. If you want to attend this magical event, the time to register is now. Click here for all the details.
* My latest essay is up in The Wish Studio.
* There are still spaces available for my Book in a Day class with Marisa Haedike at Squam Art Workshops. And in case you haven't heard ~ the beautiful SAW Journal will begin shipping soon!
* Save the Date! My next show will be at my studio in Venice on Saturday, October 23, 2010. My work will be hanging alongside Gus Harper, Sabrina Ward Harrison, Trevor Meeker and Lisa Occhipinti. I know ~ WOW!
* In the meantime, I've just posted five new original creations in my Etsy shop right here.
* It also must be said ~ the Yoga Pants comments? I am loving these beyond words. I think this might have to turn into a video post. Reading them aloud has been hysterical! I bow to you, dear readers, you are magnificently funny and creative!
* And one last shout out to one of the most inspiring souls I know ~ Lisa Field-Elliott, aka Ms. Doorways Traveler, has a new nest. Visit her gorgeous new website and be inspired.
Five Things
1. I always love seeing what Christine Castro is up to, and her new blog Brunch is absolutely fabulous!
2. Looking for an oh-so fabulous personal assistant? Look no further than Stefanie Renee.
3. Don't miss the Mother's Plunge in Boston with Karen Maezen Miller.
4. I love Mary Anne Radmacher's new website…she is an inspiring force of nature!
5. Fiona Watson = Divine
The Order of No-Mind
[The Man-Who-Won't-Say-Yoga-Pants and Swirly. Photo taken by Andrea Kreuzhage.]
The show this past Saturday was oh-so lovely ~ a gentle, positive re-entry back into the routine of creating and showing my work in a gallery space. Aside from last fall's Core Show, this was my first show in almost two years. Not only had it been a while since I put together a collection of work, but it was a new kind of work ~ no specific theme, no labeling and no trying to tell the viewers what, exactly was on my mind as I created the works on the wall ~ as if to simply say, "These were the works I created ~ interpret them as you will."
[Perusing the artwork. Photo
taken by Andrea Kreuzhage.]
I was proud of all the creations on display last weekend, but there was one piece in particular that pulled me into that magical, unexplainable space of timelessness, where, without being able to explain exactly why, I knew I was being supported by the gods as I worked on it. It sounds so corny and over the top, but as an artist these are the moments that remind me ~ in my heart, in my bones ~ why I do this work. It is to experience this magic, and in feeling it, following it and creating in it, I share it, and (hopefully) give viewers a moment or two of understanding that there are powerful currents of beauty flowing all around us everywhere we go.
[Transform :: Mixed Media on Wood Panel]
I am smiling as I now report that this was the one piece that sold the night of the show, and it was sold to the parents of an extraordinary ten-year old girl who, every time I looked over at her, was standing immobile in front of the piece staring at it. Her parents purchased two other works of mine at my first show in 2006 which were specifically for her, so I'd say she is now a bona fide collector of mine. I can't wait to sit down with her and talk to her about the piece, and what it was that spoke to her so urgently. In the meantime, I will share a quote that a friend sent to me a couple of days after the show, which does a much better job of explaining what I tried to convey about this piece. It speaks to the difficulty of such an explanation, of trying to fit something into the space of words that can't really be articulated there.
"…In the simplest terms, I think we might say that when a situation or phenomenon evokes in us a sense of existence (instead of some reference to the possibility of an assurance of meaning) we have had an experience of this kind. The sense of existence evoked may be shallow or profound, more or less intense, according to our capacity or readiness; but even a brief shock (say, for example, when discovering the moon over city roofs or hearing a sharp bird cry at night) can yield an experience of the order of no-mind; that is to say, the poetical order, the order of art.
When this occurs, our own reality-beyond-meaning is awakened (or perhaps better: we are awakened to our own reality-beyond meaning), and we experience an affect that is neither thought nor feeling but an interior impact…They function evocatively, not referentially; like the beat of a shaman's drum, not like a formula of Einstein. One moment later, and feelings are in the public domain, and they will be either sentimental or profound, according to our education.
But according to our life, we have had, for an instant, a sense of existence: a moment of unevaluated, unimpeded, lyric life – antecedent to both thought and feeling; such as can never be communicated by means of empirically verifiable propositions, but only suggested by art." ~Joseph Campbell
[Bold highlights mine]
Yoga Pants, Part Two
This entry has inspired what is now an ongoing joke in our household, whereby all of my peeps make it a point to use the term “yoga pants” every time they are within earshot of my husband.
And because I can’t ever resist the opportunity to give my husband a hard time, I’m here to take it to another level.
Write a sentence using the words “yoga pants” in the comments section and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a “You Are” Postcard set, shown here. The drawing will take place July 31st and the winner will be announced here Monday, August 2nd.
Don’t be shy ~ the zanier the better!
Update: The winner of the drawing is Lisa from Sommers Breeze Antique on Etsy!
Five Things
[Twitter Does Not Define You :: 10" x 12" mixed media on wood panel]
1. One more shout out for my show TOMORROW! Details are right here. The piece pictured above is already on the wall.
2. Loving what they're up to at Fringe.
3. I first discovered Juicy Lucy in a London card shop many years ago, and I'm so happy she's still going strong!
4. Beautiful eye candy at Eclectic Estate.
5. Amy Hanna ~ love love love.
Art & Wine This Saturday
A quick reminder about my show this Saturday, July 17th. There is going to be great wine & hors d'oeuvres, a DJ and plenty of beautiful artwork. A number of you have asked about pieces I've posted here and many of them will be on the walls this weekend. I hope to see you there!
Come see what I've been up to in my studio in a show to benefit the One World Health Project:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
6:00 – 11:00pm
Gus Harper Art Studio
11306 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Taking a Long Look ~ Part Three
[Work in progress]
{Part One is here ~ Part Two is here.}
So where has it all taken me? And how do I feel about it all right here, right now?
As I said in Part One, all this thinking has been inspired by the time I have spent away from my computer this summer ~ away from my computer and instead getting messy in my studio and spending face to face time with friends rather than chatting on Twitter. (Again ~ I'm not trying to be critical, I'm just trying to express where all of this is coming from. See how paranoid I've gotten?) My time on the computer is limited because my time in the studio is limited, and had things continued humming along like they were before the studio, I think I would have eventually just withered up and vanished. Eventually I would have woken up and realized I could no longer call myself an Artist because I couldn't remember the last time I actually created art, and that would have been the end of it. But the opportunity for the studio came along, and ~ golden lights and singing angels, please ~ I was saved.
I now have to figure out how I can best utilize all the many, many gifts this online universe has to offer in a way that doesn't feel like a drain on my spirit. This isn't something I can sit down and decide once and for all. It isn't a problem to solve with a formula or how-to book. It is something I am going to have to continue to explore on a day-to-day basis, and my prediction is that the studio will continue to show me the way. Should I decide to share the space with the studio's main tenant on a more permanent basis ~ which will inspire more workshops, classes, shows and events ~ I will be needing to spend more time and energy focused on building a strong community locally. I know social media can certainly play a role with that, but I must admit I feel like I have a great deal more breathing room when I think about building a stronger foundation right in front of me and letting my work online support that rather than vice versa.
And perhaps there it is ~ perhaps that is the answer, or conclusion, or tiny shred of clarity, I have been looking for. I think I let myself wander a wee bit aimlessly all over this world wide web, thinking it was good and right and productive to build a strong online "platform", when this actually doesn't feed me the way I am wanting to be fed creatively, artistically or personally. I am always inspired when I take a spin around my favorite blogs and websites. I like getting little snippets from faraway friends on Facebook and Twitter. I enjoy the conversations on my blog and I appreciate so magnificently that people actually come here and read what I have to say! And I am grateful for all the ways this online world has inspired me to be a better artist, writer, friend and supporter of all things inspirational.
But I also need to get paint on my hands, and experience the thrill of feeling four hours drift by in a snap while I write a story. I need to know I am inspiring others to get up and create more than I am encouraging them to spend time online. I need to learn how to trust every step of my journey and let go of worrying that I'm not doing enough to "keep up."
(Another paranoid disclaimer: These aren't general statements about what I think everyone ought to be doing or feeling, this is only what is true for me.)
Through writing these last three posts and taking a long look at my life online, I have also been inspired to educate myself more ~ to learn more about all the ways I can use Facebook, Twitter, etc. to promote my work in a way that feels genuine ~ and also set clear boundaries and goals for anything I do online (i.e. email is for business and small chatter, not meaningful discussions about our friendship.) Because if I just sit here and "examine" all of these questions and issues but don't do anything about it, what's the point, really? I have learned a great deal over the past five years, and these lessons have revolved around my own blind spots, unhealthy tendencies and sensitivities. These haven't been posts intended to look at anyone else's behavior, only my own ~ my reactions, responses, needs, expectations, mistakes, and values. Because at the end of the day, my work in any area of my life needs to be about standing in my truth and being mindful of what I bring to any situation. It needs to be about taking responsibility for my journey ~ every step of it, every moment.
{Thank you for being with me on this journey.}
Taking a Long Look ~ Part Two
[Work in progress]
{Part One is here.}
So…where was I? Oh, right ~ social media, and all the ways it makes me crazy ~ no, improves my life ~ no, builds relationships ~ no….get my point? It does all these things and more, often times leading me to a place of resistance. I have gone through this like/dislike cycle repeatedly ever since I started blogging, and I have to admit the main reason I have taken the time this week to really sort out my thoughts about all of this is that I am pretty much sick of hearing myself talk about it.
Because here's the thing ~ I can pine all I want for the days of yore when there was no such thing as Facebook and Twitter, but guess what? It's not going anywhere, so I might as well jump on board for good and figure out how to best take advantage of these resources (or jump off and be done with it.) Not to mention the fact that I do everything I do online because I choose to do so. But because these are my choices, it is important I figure out how to use all of the technology available to me in a way that feels genuine and meaningful and causes as few disruptions to my personal life as possible.
All of these advances have created astounding opportunities for people (myself included) to grow, build businesses, make friends and experience the world, and they have also created a whole new category of challenges and difficulties. Any channel or network that humans use to interact and communicate will always ~ always ~ have its own particular type of landmines, and I have been thinking lately about what landmines specific to the online world have given me the most significant challenges ~ and lessons.
Because in the midst of all this expansiveness, social media also pulls our attention away from the world in front of us and more towards a computer screen.
It means we are all having to learn an entirely new way of making friends and then trying to keep them, which can be very tricky territory when we have the option of being updated on every tiny detail of one another's days.
It means we have to expend energy trying not to equate our self-worth with the number of followers we have on Twitter or our blog stats (in weak or vulnerable moments, numbers like these can get to the best of us.)
It means we have to continually re-focus our attention away from what everyone else is doing (see comment above about having access to every detail of each other's days) and back towards our own work, and learn how to avoid judging our own work as "less than", "not as good as" or not as "successful" as what anyone else is doing and posting about.
It means we run a greater risk of offending someone in a completely clueless way, by posting something or writing something that speaks to our truth, but somehow, some way, is taken personally or misunderstood, and tension arises in places that can feel totally bewildering.
It also means that because there is so much available to us on any given day, it is
all too easy to start feeling like our little corner of the online
universe is getting crowded out, smothered or somehow constricted. Instead of sitting quietly in the belief that there is enough room for everyone to share and express ourselves, we worry that our voice might not be heard if we don't put it out there often or loudly enough.
I have shared these thoughts in a broad context ~ applying them to "the social media community" in general ~ which is perhaps unfair. These issues come directly from my own experiences, and maybe I'm the only person in the world who has had them. My intention is not to generalize or take away from all the benefits and beauty of social media, but to piece together the full and complete picture of how all of this plays a part in my day-to-day life, where I am trying to pursue dreams, build friendships, keep my demons at bay and, as always, figure out when I'll have time to get the next load of laundry done.
{To be continued…}
