Creative Thursday

together :: 2 Perspectives :: a new E-Course

For as long as I can remember, I've been a seeker. The girl with all the questions, yeah that's me. The girl with all the questions that a lot of people don't always want to answer ~ also me. I want nothing more than to have a full and honest understanding of this life. And more than that I want to live a life I truly want. The more clarity I get, the more I realize that the opportunities for each and every one of us to live a life we truly want is growing exponentially every day. 

You already know that along with my passion for living, is the passion to share my story with others so that they know it's possible to pursue the life of their dreams, {i.e. podcasts before I knew where I was headed creatively, blog posts that often turn into thoughts on living,  and now e-courses}. I hesitate to use the word "dreams" because it feels ethereal and overused these days. But it still all comes down to this. Everyone of us imagines our life out ahead of us and everyone of us has a vision for how that will look. And while we may be happy with our present situation, refining our vision as we move forward is a natural evolution. It is no exaggeration that we live in a time where that vision can become our reality. And I'm not just saying this because I heard it somewhere or read it in a book and decided it was truth. I'm saying this from a place of proving it to myself. If I had given up at any point along the way, forgoing my dream, my vision for my life, I wouldn't be writing this post to you now. You wouldn't be visiting me here at this blog getting the chance to see my art and creations every day.

While I'm finding the answers through my own experimenting and awareness, the only way I believe one should come to their own conclusions ~ I wouldn't have even known what was possible if it were not for the stories of others.  I've always found inspiration and solace in hearing other people share their experiences in traveling a similar path. 

So in this e-course, that we are officially announcing today! there will be two of us leading a discussion, offering two perspectives, on traveling this creative path.

Sean and I are creative individuals who share the belief that real success is the living of a creatively fulfilling life, accompanied by financial freedom. We believe in living life by your own rules. We share a passion for creativity and teaching. And that's why I'm excited to announce that we are teaming up to bring you this e-course together. 

And right about now you may be wondering why I've decided to have Sean join me? Well for quite a few, obvious, reasons. Aside from years of experience in acting, writing and teaching, he is a daily inspiration to me. 

His bravery and commitment to live a creative life, long before I was ever a part of it has inspired me to continue on this path every day. And now the support and encouragement he continually offers me  in our life together is one of the biggest reasons my creativity flourishes in the way that it does. 

Also with so many of us bravely stepping into the life that was meant to be ours, it is a time for those who are willing and inspired to share the steps they've taken with those coming up. I'll be honest and say that in my online world that I frequent I only hear the creative voices of women. I feel it's time that we also hear from more of the men on this journey.

You can learn more about the e-course here and register for the session beginning Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

And to get to know Sean a little better you can listen to his thoughts on committing to the creative path by clicking on the audio player above.

We hope you'll join us, if you feel inspired to, not only for the support, encouragement and years of combined knowledge we can't wait to impart to you, but because it's going to be super, super FUN!

thankful

6 x 6 in.

Today I'm especially thankful for

1. Sean

2. A LOT of laughter

3. feeling FIRED UP!

4. champagne cocktails 

5. and bears with antlers

what are you thankful for?

have a GREAT weekend xoxo

{original is sold}

Speaking tonight!

Very excited about this! {I ask you ~ and when am I usually not excited about something I share on this blog? ~ well fine, when someone steals my art, otherwise, darn excited.} I know the use of exclamation marks is getting out of hand in all of my online correspondence and communicating. 

So here's some more exclamation points!!!! This sounds like a great event!!! First, I've been invited to share my thoughts = talking = something I love to do. Second I'm very excited about this topic and hearing just how it will unfold with such an interesting panel of creative women. We'll be talking about the digital age and "keeping it real". You KNOW I have a lot of thoughts on this topic.

So if you're in L.A., Venice to be exact, come by {exclamation point}

Holiday Cards are Here

Yup, it's approaching that time of year, my favorite time of year and one of my favorite creations of the year ~ holiday cards! You may or may not know the story ~ oh, fine I'll tell it again :) 

Holiday cards are especially meaningful to me ~ as years ago, way before Creative Thursday was even a thought, I always made my own holiday cards that I sent to friends and family. A few times I even hand drew and colored each card. At that time in my life, it was the one time of year that I was able to be creative just for me. You see even before there was a day set aside for creativity, there was a time of year set aside for creativity. When you're sorting all this out, the "what do I want to do with my life?" kind of sorting, you may only have time for creativity once a year.  Hey, you squeeze it in where you can sometimes.

Holiday cards were also one of the first creations I actually sold through Creative Thursday. Designing these cards every season brings me right back to why I started this business to begin with ~ my love and let's be honest need for creating in my life.  And as I'm endlessly telling my students now, it is this very question/sentiment that is worth coming back to often ~ why are you wanting to be in business for yourself and if you are already in business for yourself, why did you begin the business you are in? Finding the answer to these questions is what will keep you grounded on the days when you feel you've lost your way.

For this year's cards I challenged myself with a new form of creating in one of the cards. The "holiday cheer" design is a combination of painted paper, cut paper, and illustration all combined to form one design. I also felt like mixing up the traditional holiday colors with a little something different. And the green painted paper tree is carried out in the theme of both designs.  I hope you enjoy them! You can now find both designs over at the shop.

it was a beautiful night

It was a beautiful show, filled with beautiful people and the mannequins ~ beautiful too. 

"that doesn't quite cover it, but then, perhaps endless sentences would never quite cover it all..."

I'm borrowing this quote from Liz sent in an email earlier today. Because there are no words today that feel right. And part of that is simply the fact that once on the other side of a show, you realize how much you summoned to get there, aka all "tapped out" at the moment. And the other part of it is simply what Liz was able to say better than me today. Rather than describe this event, I will leave you with some photos, of which I took few ~but I did take video and as I mentioned before I plan to put a little movie together from beginning to the end of "The creating of Sophia". You'll see more of  Sophia later, but for now I thought I'd let you see if you can spot her as well as match some of the other artists with their mannequins When I first arrived all I wanted to do was see if I could figure out who created whom.

The best part for me, a weekend spent with my friends, those who participated in the show and those who came out in support of it. I left loving everyone more than when I arrived.

 

CORE show this Saturday, November 7

As promised, details to our upcoming show

Let me just say that I've had a sneak peek of just a few of the mannequins and 
Creativity = AMAZING! 
If you are in L.A., I hope you can join us.

One night only this Saturday November 7

6 - 10 PM

822 Wall Street, 2nd Floor

Downtown Los Angeles 90015

Music by KCRW's Anne Litt

The artists who will be exhibiting

Christine Mason Miller

Jessica Seaton 

Pixie Campbell

Kelly Barton

Liz Kalloch

Chanin McClurkin

Mati Rose McDonough

Sarah Ahearn

Carla Terwilliger

Nicol Ragland

Outi Harma

Linda Esterly

Karin Collins

Anne Carmack

& Me!

sneak peek of a mannequin named Sophia

If you would like to challenge yourself as an artist? Paint a mannequin, or really a dress form. All I can say is "Whew"~ this was an interesting creative pursuit, but also one that was well worth the challenge {I think}.

And right about now you may be wondering, "why exactly, is she painting a mannequin?" 

Well, another super EXCITING event that's happening this week. We're having a one night art show this Saturday, November 7,  featuring all mannequins, each painted by a different woman artist from across the country. More details to follow!

Until then here's a sneak peek of the lady I painted and her name is Sophia. I will definitely be sharing more about this experience, as I also filmed the entire creating of Sophia. And my plan is to be making a short film of the process. 

Hope you had a great weekend, a fun halloween and a good week so far? Yes?! 

I took a good day or so to myself, visited with friends, saw a wonderfully inspiring film, and now I'm back, preparing for all the fun to be had this week!!

exciting news

Yup, pretty excited over here. 

Not only because tomorrow is Halloween and I'm wearing my favorite orange eyelet lace inspired top from Anthropologie in spirit of the season but...

Next week I'm announcing a brand new e-course!

{note: this is not another session of "in the fish bowl", but a completely new course!}

The announcement will go out first to those of you have subscribed to my email mailing list under the category of "Workshops/E-Courses". So if you want to be the first to know, you can sign up right here.

I hope you'll be just as excited about this new e-course {maybe even love it!}

have a great weekend everyone!! and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

my first apron

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned completing a first-ever sewn creation that I managed to "pull-off". An apron it is! 

While I have sewn off and on my whole life, an expert sewer I am not. And never before have I even come close to sewing something I could wear. So THIS apron is a very exciting accomplishment for me. I bought most of the fabric I used, and the gold super size ric rac, at a great little fabric store on main street in Ashland on my trip there earlier this month. I practiced and learned more of the 100 or so stitches available on my sewing machine. I tried different threads and ways of sewing on pockets. Crazy fun, I tell you.  And I also have to credit Liz Elayne for the inspiration on this one. She makes the most beautiful aprons. She sold them last year at Squam and this year everyone had their aprons in tow. Every chance I could I tried to borrow/steal someone's apron because they are especially great for teaching and keeping your supplies at hand. Plus they are just so pretty~  a fashion statement all on their own. 

Turns out aprons are also great for wearing to the farmer's market. Many pockets equal keeping your cash organized and easy to get to. I don't know about you but by the time I leave the Farmer's Market what's left of my cash is always rolled into a ball.

So I love, love, love my apron and wear it every chance I get. In fact I usually have it on at home. OK, I wear it every day. I wore it to Trader Joe's and the checker complimented me on it, then proceeded to make fun of my intense enthusiasm when I practically shouted "I MADE it myself!"

My apron also makes me want to SEW MORE. How did I miss the joy of sewing my whole life? I think sewing has always felt like one of those skills "that other people have", but the truth is that it is much like any other form of creating. You just sit down and start making something.

*Edit* October 29. Jen over at Indie Fixx invited me share a peek inside my home, something I've been meaning to do for ages, invite you all in for a little tour, and the post is up today! And you should totally check out all of the homes in Jen's blog feature, A Peek Inside: Indie Home Tours. SO inspiring.

Halloween Treat ~ a giftie for you!

That's right, last week I promised a Halloween treat. 

I have recently been talking to the fishies, a term of endearment for e-course students, about going into this world, especially this online world, thinking about how you can give to others. You know sometimes when you have a business and a blog related to such business, it can be a little bit heavy on the about me, me and ME {exhibit A:  photo above ;)} and then what can you do for me, me and ME ~ and while I know a blog is also meant to be about you and your creative expression, it's also nice to thank your readers for taking the time to come by and visit. {exhibit B: photo below}

Any time I try to thank you, all the things I want to say just become an overwhelming lump of emotion and it comes out sounding like blog sap. Is there such a thing, "blog sap" = when one tries to convey emotion on a blog and it reads as helplessly sappy. Anyway. It's late. I have a number of {exciting} projects that have all come due at the same time, but I didn't want to let this week slip by without

saying thank YOU and happy halloween!

For you, one of my Papyrus Halloween Cards! Just say hello in the comments below if you'd like to enter the giveaway. If you feel inspired, tell me one of your favorite halloween traditions. I'll get the ball rolling by telling you how much I love pumpkin carving with Sean accompanied by the playing of Halloween music, {haunted house ride @Disneyland meets every classic scary movie}, and THEN pumpkin seed roasting. My favorite, favorite, did I say favorite? snack during Halloween time. It only comes once a year.

I'll announce a winner Wednesday morning at 9 am PST. 

Yay! Shari Sherman is the winner of the card. Thanks everyone for sharing your Halloween traditions. I'm officially in the halloween spirit now ~