Entries Tagged as: business
Harumph!
May 1st, 2008, Comments (6)
This is Scragli (Scrag-lee with the accent on the lee), who the hubster and I named on our trip to Greece a few years ago. This picture cracked us up so much, that he's forever honored in a black and white pic on our living room wall. Scragli was an incredibly picky cat who had no interest in the cat food that we brought to the kitties living around the hubster's family's home. He would only eat people food that the hubster's uncle would serve to him (can't say that I blame him there.) He had the funniest meow. You can probably imagine what it sounded like just from looking at him...much like a cranky old man would sound like if he was a cat.
I was definitely feeling a bit like Scragli this morning. I felt dizzy again last night (nowhere near as sick as before, but still yucky) and then my laptop died on me. I have to take it in again (the second time in the last couple months) to get fixed and I'm afraid this time I'll have to start over. Fortunately, I've backed up most of my files except for the most recent stuff in the last week. But geez louise, how annoying!
The hubster started something with our cat Sasha who loves to complain. She has the whiniest meow you'll ever hear. He started telling her that when she meowed he was going to roll her over. So when she howled in complaint, he would softly push her onto her back and rub her belly. It was pretty funny. Earlier in the week, the hubster was feeling very cranky over some meetings he had to go to and I suggested that he needed to get rolled over. Hehe. Well, this morning, I could have used some rolling over.
The crankiness is passing and I'm working on a pretty painting that I'm enjoying thoroughly. Lots of layers, transfers and glossy glazes. I completely let this one come from my intuition which can be scary to do on a larger canvas (it's 18"x18"), but it's coming along nicely so far. I'll share some pics soon along with some doodles from my sketchbook.
And now I'm off to pick up my art from the coffeehouse show and then take my computer to the doctor. Things are looking up. Sadie just brought me her Space Ghost toy in her mouth and the sun is out. Looking forward to a sunny drive. I've got paint and glue on my hands. Life is good.
Ickiness and Inspiration
April 29th, 2008, Comments (15)
I was feeling good and productive yesterday, prepping an art print to go out, finishing up a proposal, and starting a new painting. The hubster got home late from a meeting and we were chatting about it on the couch, while I did a little work on the painting. All of the sudden my ear (which has been clogged all week, I believe due to allergies) felt especially clogged and was ringing loudly and I got incredibly dizzy. When I turned my head the room was spinning as if I'd had way too much to drink. I waited for the feeling to pass, holding my head still, and then told the hubster that I might want to lay down. He helped me walk towards the bedroom, but I had to sit down in the kitchen because I felt so dizzy, hot, and very nauseous. I wanted to lay down, but I also felt like I was going to be sick, so I ended up in the bathroom. I hate throwing up, but I felt like I was seasick and had no choice, but to lose my dinner. After that I got in bed, still feeling dizzy if I moved my head too much. Fortunately, after another hour or so, the dizziness subsided and I felt better and went to bed. Very weird.
Today I feel much better, though still congested and little icky. The hubster was super worried about me last night. I don't blame him as I've never been sick like that before and I can imagine it must have been weird to see me like that. He has insisted that I make a doctor's appointment and I will today even though I'm not excited about it. Too bad going to the doctor couldn't be more fun, eh? They should give out stickers to adults too.
Enough of this barfy talk, how bout some inspiration?
- Mindy of under a pink sky has started a beautiful new blogzine called wishstudio. I love the look of it and I know it will be filled to the brim with inspiration. There's also a call for submissions if you're interested in participating!
- I totally love this new journal made of magazine pages by Elena of Lunar Musings. It reminded me of writing letters to my best friend that were sent in envelopes made of magazine pages.
- If you have HBO, the John Adams series was absolutely fantastic. They have it On Demand, if you have that service and it's definitely worth watching. Fabulous acting, great story, well-written. The hubster and I enjoyed it. The series was based on the book John Adams
by David McCullough, which my dad read and loved.
Planning to take it easy today. I have some errands I need to run, but I'm going to cut myself some slack if they don't get done.
Fun on a Gray Day
March 28th, 2008, Comments (11)
I had the funniest bit of synchronicity yesterday. I was doodling on a scrap of paper and started drawing a series of owls. As I drew, I got an email saying that a piece had sold off my website. I went to go see what it was and hehe, it was the Purple Owl painting! I packed it up this morning and sent it off. I had grown a little attached to that piece, so I was a little sad to see it go, but since I was already drawing more owls, I suppose, I'll be painting some more. I'm feeling the urge to paint BIG and teeny tiny. Go figure. There was a fun bit of synchronicity for the person who bought the owl painting too, a neat way in which she found my art. And oh my, I love when that happens.
I had picked today to drive up to Nahcotta to pick up the art pieces that didn't sell in the last show. I'll be putting those Subway Stories pieces up on my website for sale shortly. Of course, I paid no attention to the weather reports this week (I never do. I like to be surprised I guess. heh) and so I ended up making the drive north in a little snow storm. Doh! It ended up being fine. And by the time I got up to Portsmouth, the snow had stopped and I puddle-jumped my way to the gallery. I got to see Deb, which is always a treat, I stopped in a shoe store briefly and then hopped right back in my car. The streets were too slushy for walking around, but that was fine since I wanted to get home before the early rush hour of Friday afternoon. The ride home was a breeze and I enjoyed singing loudly with the radio and some car dancing. 
Last night, I was thinking about Artfest and the trades people do there. I've never made a traditional artist trading card in the proper size and such, but I'd read that people use playing cards as the base sometimes and so I pulled out a deck and started painting and collaging on some for fun. I may do some to bring to Artfest, but some of them, I just want to stick on my wall. I love the little snow owl and the chair with snails. Along the top are some random papers, a couple old prints and a gelatin print that I glued onto the cards and cut to size. They'll make a great background for further collage or paint or drawing. I can see why these get addictive. They're so satisfying to hold, such a great size, they truly do feel like trading cards or some kind of art game, and they're quick and easy to make...and if you screw one up, who cares! I did a quick search on ACEO's (artist cards editions and originals), which I think are the same as ATC's (Artist trading cards), and found this neat site of etsy artists that sell ACEO's. So many fun ways to approach these.
I've also done another drawing of Red Riding Hood and now I'm feeling more ready to do it up bigger. I hope your weekend is a wonderfully creative one!
Art Making All Over the Place!
March 22nd, 2008, Comments (12)
So, I showed you the before...and once again it was a treat to see what you guys saw!
I thought it looked like 2 cowgirl mermaids, a large crab and a heart. Hehe.
Today, I had my first private art lesson and it went so well! I was working with a mom and her two children (10 and 8). I was a bit nervous at first, but then I relaxed as we went along. They were all so sweet and I loved seeing the kids' imagination at work. We started out doing some quickie collages on old postcards. I brought a bunch of collage supplies and I showed them how to make the collages. And then, I brought some pre-made larger inkblots (on colorful letter sized paper) and let them choose their favorite. I showed them some of the little inkblots I'd done in my journal and how you look for shapes and creatures within the inkblot and then I let them use markers, pens and colored pencils to create what they were seeing in the inkblots. They did such a great job with those! And then we used the mini collages we made earlier to do little paintings. I showed them how you can cover parts of the collage with paint, partly cover it so some of it shows through, and so on. I thought the inkblots would be a good transition from seeing things in odd shapes like an inkblot, to seeing forms in their collages. They did great with this too. I spent two hours with them and I've got another appointment set with them for in a few weeks. At the end the little girl brought me a picture of a rose with a little thank you note attached that said, "Thank you, Leah. I *heart* you!" All together now...awwww. So sweet.
I was super prepared with stuff in folders and baggies and a plan in mind. And I'm so glad I did it that way. Of course, I had to be flexible and switch it up a little bit. And I thought we'd be doing all we did in two hours in one hour! My idea of timing was way off. So, it was a good learning experience in that way too.
I got home and found that my moo cards and stickers had arrived in the mail. This is my first moo card purchase and I have to say, they are so cute!! I'm bringing them with me to Artfest for trading. I'm not sure I'll bring other trades. The idea of making and bringing so many things overwhelms me a bit.
Through the Artfest mailing list, I was led to the blog of Karan who was showing what she will be bringing for trades. I looked around a little and read about a cool new art challenge called, creative Therapy. Actually they call the challenges, catalysts, with the idea that each catalyst will inspire you to do some therapeutic art making, perhaps in an art journal or whatever medium you choose. There are a group of mixed-media artists and scrapbookers who are going to take turns leading the group and you can comment with a link to whatever you make. This blog is brand new and the first challenge is up. Go check it out!
Now back to Karan for a second, I thought this was the coolest story of dreams coming true that I've heard in awhile. Goes to show that it's important to give voice to your dreams. You never know where it could lead you!
And with that I'll say toodalooo for now. Hope your weekend is a wonderfully creative one!!
Art, Risk-Taking and Breakthroughs
March 19th, 2008, Comments (19)
So my laptop is back. The trackpad was busted and now it's working, however it's ultra sensitive now, sometimes clicking on things when it shouldn't. Grr. Hopefully it will settle down.
I've had a busy few days. I received an email newsletter about the upcoming full moon which said that this particular full moon was full of signs of transition, big changes, courageous leaps and I kind of feel that. Spring always brings about that feeling for me too, so who knows what it is, but I like the energy.
In the realm of courageous leaps, I've got my first private art lesson this weekend and I'll be instructing a mother and her two kids in an hour of mixed-media fun. I've envisioned teaching as part of my life plan, but I've been afraid to jump into it. So, I'm excited and nervous about this beginning. I've also put in a couple proposals for classes at a local recreation center, so we'll see how that goes too!
Yep, still loving those inkblots. I did about seven ink blots in my little hand book yesterday, so that I'd have a bunch to play with in the future. I decided to take some quick before shots, so you can see the before and after results. There's one above. What do you see in it?
I also finished a piece of artwork that's been taking forever...like over a year to complete, mainly because it was a gift for a special person and I wanted it to be just right. And the idea of "just right" scared me from getting started for a long time and then I ran into some technical difficulties, but finally, I figured it all out and I totally love it. Hopefully she will too!
This gift is for someone who may check in here on occasion, so if a certain best friend is reading this, do not click below or you'll ruin the surprise!
March Showers, Bring Me Flowers?
March 8th, 2008, Comments (11)
Oh, that's not how it goes. Is it March mud, bring me crud? No?
It's a typical March weekend in New England. Rather gray and gloomy. A good day to be cozied up indoors with hot chocolate and taxes... Heh. O.k., no day is great for working on taxes, but the gloom outside makes me feel like it's a day to be inside anyways.
I've had a bite on a large painting at the coffee shop which is cool and also a request for art instruction which is slightly scary, but also interesting. I think I'll go for it. I've been brainstorming ways I can do some teaching, some kind of collage/mixed-media/intuitive creating class. I'd love to lead an in-person "Artist's Way" group too, but I'm unsure of where and I also want to plan it out so that the timing works with scheduled weddings and getaways. I can hardly believe it, but in just a few weeks I'll be flying across the country for Artfest! Ack! I just ordered some cute Moo Cards of my art for trades. I've booked my flight and lodging and rental car and I need to pick up the supplies I'll need.
In another coffee shop all the way in Minneapolis, my dear friend, Jessie is having an opening for her gorgeous dog portraits. I'm so excited for Jessie and the steps she's taken to make her dreams come true. I could use a little of her determination and bravery right about now. A bravery infusion.
Jessie is doing a great promotion through April on her dog portraits, so if you or someone you know would be interested in a dog portrait, do check it out. Her work is awesome!! I'm particularly loving her painting of "Murphy."
Leap!
February 29th, 2008, Comments (5)
I nearly forgot that today is Leap Day! Hehe, I just wrote Leah Day. Close, but not quite! Anyways, I always think that Leap Years are kind of special and this year it feels like a reminder to leap and go for it now!! Inspire Me Thursday has a theme of "Leap" this year. I think I'll do something with that.
In the meantime, here's what I was up to today. I stopped by the coffeehouse where I just put up some art. I took some quick pictures to put in my art blog, but here's one of them. I'll update this with a link to the art blog when I get that up. In this pic, you can see Blue Mermaid and Mind as Ocean.
While I was at the coffee house, I stayed for a sandwich and read some more of A New Earth. There was an interesting part in the book talking about ego and shyness. Tolle writes, "The fear is that the attention may take the form of disapproval or criticism, that is to say, something that diminishes the sense of self rather than enhances it. Shyness often goes with a self-concept that is predominately negative, the belief of being inadequate." Perhaps by seeing my hesitations about putting myself out there as my ego, I can let go of those fears and go for it more. I know logically not to take things personally, that my work won't be for everyone and that's o.k. But I do have fears of rejection that I'd like to not necessarily get rid of, but move forward anyways (like that book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.)
In regards to the book, so far it's interesting. It's not new concepts, but sometimes I need to hear things many times for it to sink in. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it honestly, but I'm intrigued and I'm going to keep reading. Plus, I'm very curious about Oprah's online class!
While I was eating my sandwich at the coffeehouse, a mom and her young boy sat down next to me. The boy was wearing a crown he had made in celebration of the hundredth day of school. His mom put it on her head and he exclaimed, "Mom! You are the King of Silliness!" It was too cute. This kid had energy galore. His mom said on the way out, "I hope we weren't too loud!" But I didn't mind and I told her how cute her son is.
This weekend and next, along with the weeknight overnights in between, I'll be keeping an eye on the teenager I used to nanny for along with their dogs and the house while her parents are away. It's a nice house, but I always miss the hubster and kitties while I'm away.
I also realized that I forgot to make a post for leaving links regarding the Creative Every Day Challenge. Sorry about that! I'll make Monday's post for two weeks. Hope everyone has a wonderfully creative weekend!
Cat Naps and Creative Fun
February 27th, 2008, Comments (6)
Yes, another picture of Tabbers sleeping upside down. This time on a sweater. It's just so cute though, I had to share. Tabs, or as I've been calling him lately, Mr. Whiskers, thinks his main job in life is see how many places and ridiculous positions he can sleep in in a twenty four hour period. Yesterday, I saw him taking power naps in bed, on the couch, on top of a bag, on a sweater, on the bathroom rug, on top of the kitty tree, on top of the kitty castle, in a plastic tub, in two different boxes, in my lap, and in several doorways. He's a busy guy!
I'm feeling loads better today and got a lot done this morning. Last night, I made some new to and from labels for shipping out art and today I printed them out and put them to work on some prints getting shipped out. Above is the to label. I blocked out my address, so that's why there's a blue stripe in the middle. And below, a couple of my larger prints waiting to be packed up. Those two are Lighthouse and Dark Tree.
I'm really enjoying A New Earth. It ties in to a lot of things I've read and oddly enough, there are some similar messages in The Now Habit
Creative Math
February 23rd, 2008, Comments (9)
Yesterday's creativity was all about math. Yes, math can be creative! People don't put math and art together too often, but they were my best subjects in school. Go figure. Now, while I liked and understood math, I never much enjoyed finances. I think I was brought up to be slightly scared of money, fear of having it and fear of losing it and I picked up a habit of avoiding looking at it altogether. I got myself into some pretty nasty debt in my mid-twenties by doing that. Well, I had to take a hard look at it eventually and I managed to get myself out of that debt.
Now that I'm working for myself, I've been finding it hard to look at my finances again. I'm not bringing in as much money as I did when I was working full time and although I'm doing fine, I have been avoiding looking at the numbers and where I stand. So, yesterday I took some time to work on my excel spreadsheets, adding up my income and expenses. I'm not finished yet, but already I feel loads better in knowing exactly what's going in and out, how much the fees are in different venues I sell with, and how much I'm bringing in each month.
As I get more comfortable with excel, I'll be able to make my spreadsheets more fun and interesting to look at. Hey, there's no need for math to be intimidating or ugly! Awhile back I started using a program called Flick! to keep track of my inventory, mainly with art I sent to galleries, so I know what's where and what it's status is. I chose Flick because it's compatible with Mac computers and I like the way it looks. So far so good.
How do you make the nitty-gritty of your financial and organizational tasks more creative?
Thanks by the way for the well wishes. I'm feeling better every day. The cough still lingers, but my energy is returning. The hubster is making a delicious dinner for us and we're cozying up and watching the first season of 24. It's so fun to watch a whole season back to back! Hope you're all having a lovely and creative weekend!
Presence
February 19th, 2008, Comments (24)
Still feeling a bit under the weather, but here's something fun! Last year, I was asked if a piece of my art could be in a magazine called Presence. The magazine is for spiritual directors and the piece of art, Betwixt and Between, has a spiritual theme to it. I just got a bunch of copies of the magazine in the mail and it looks fantastic! I set it up to take a picture and of course, Tabbers got very curious. One of my goals this year was to have some of my art in magazines, so now I've got one and I'm looking for others to submit to. I get all nervous about submitting artwork places and in the case of this magazine, I was approached without submitting anything. I want to get over this fear and just start submitting without fear.
Today I submitted art to another magazine and heard back from a store that is interested in taking on some of my art on consignment. Putting yourself out there won't always bring the response you want, but you can't get any response without putting yourself out there.
How do you handle fear of failure or rejection? Where are you taking risks? How are you putting yourself out there?
