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A doodle in my journal last night where I surprised myself with how much I've learned...
...stamps I carved for fun this morning, before working or doing anything else...
(note: a bunch of the gals on my FB page and Instagram accounts want some for themselves, so I'm carving some more! Let me know if you'd like some, too!)
...cutting down and hand-leafing prints for my Etsy shop...
...and some words to leave you with.
When I got home yesterday, there was a little surprise waiting for me on my laptop. My brother had, while I was out at the printer testing color matches, updated my laptop to the newest version of Mac OS. While looking through all of the features of this new operating system, I found out that it was enabled with Dictation, which is how I am writing this entry right now. It’s kind of odd to sit and talk to your computer and expect it to type everything that you’re saying, and when you turn dictation on, it tells you that, in order to do this, everything that you say is being sent to Apple in order for them to convert your speech into typed words.
Oh, and apparently you can only talk for so long before it just stops taking down what you’re saying and puts it on the screen.
But for someone with growing carpel tunnel problems and arthritis developing in their hands, having dictation on my computer makes it so much easier for me to type blog posts, emails, and comments to all of my lovely readers and followers. I know this isn’t a colorful blog post, or tutorial teaching you something new, but I just wanted to share something that is going to help make my life a little easier to share with you.
Playing with packaging for the Etsy shop!
So let’s get to some fun stuff. My Etsy shop has been open for two days now, and I am amazed with how many people have ordered prints, or even multiple prints, from the shop. I am overjoyed and so grateful for all of you have ordered art, and if you’re planning on ordering some in the future, say on payday, I appreciate your continuing support of my new artwork (remember how scared I was of sharing it with you in the first place?).
In fact, today, I headed to the printers and put down a lot of my own money in order to fully stock the shop with multiples of each piece of art available. This was a scary thing to do, and as she was filling out the order form, I started to second-guess myself in my head. Is it really worth it to spend so much money to make sure my store was stocked with high-quality prints done professionally, rather than here at home with the printer I have? But that loving voice in my head kept telling me that this is going to work out, this is the thing I need to do, that it is finally my time to shine.
Wow, having this dictation program take down what I say and then only having to go back and edit has made writing this so much easier!
And lately, things have been going so well! I almost feel like a real girl, a girl who can go out and spend time with her friends. To hang out to make art, to explore new places, to meet new babies, have dinner, and even see a good movie together. For a girl who’s spent so much of her life limiting herself to avoid pain, having such amazing, supportive, and fun friends this week has simply made me smile, and inspired me to continue going for my dreams. In fact, I’m off to another friends house, a new friend, who will be cohosting tomorrow’s live vid chat with me. I’m so excited to go and see her, and it promises to be a fun afternoon.
I’m learning to live with new limits, pace myself properly on the computer, take time to create artwork for myself every day (no matter how much pain I’m in!), and discovering more about who I am what I want to achieve. And how I’m going to present all of this new stuff to you, here, in this online space.
I think that’s enough talk-typing for tonight. I’m off to go play in my art journal, plan out tomorrow Journaling Deep post, and enjoy one of my favorite TV shows (it’s Suits, by the way). Love you all, and catch you tomorrow on the web chat.
PS. Check out my article in the new issue of Artful Blogging! I talk about how telling my Story about having FMS and reaching out to my Spoonie sisters (and brothers!) has deepened my blogging and connections (& my name's on the cover again!).
My Etsy shop is open once again! I've added TONS of prints, and will be adding originals and more every week! I'm a painting machine!
Check out tonight's newsletter for more!
See ya tomorrow!
Creating a piece of art or journal page as a tutorial piece can be a bit intimidating!
Imagine if you recorded yourself while working on a journal page, and you had to make it, well, work, as though you knew exactly what you’re doing and why.
Usually, if things don’t go well, you start again. Or you record an in-process video, where things are sped up and you appear to be calm and serene while working, an artist master in her craft, who has the confidence to work and keep working toward creating a beautiful page.
I’ve been teaching on-camera for five years, now, and I’ve had to re-shoot, for sure!
But I did something different this time.
I said everything going through my head.
All my moments of indecision. The mean thoughts of my Inner Critic. The cheering of my Secret Partner (or the Universe, or God, or Divine, or whatever you may see as your connection to something larger than yourself).
I put it all out there, to show you (or rather, the students of Life Book) what really goes on in the heads of all those artists out there you admire and think have no moments of doubt, or have overcome their Inner Critics.
The thing is? I changed mine. She was fired, but came back because she promised to be nicer. Now, she helps me find areas to improve, mistakes in perspective, or places I can add just the right element to make a page wonderful.
I'll have a print of this piece up in my Etsy shop this week (as part of the BIG update!).
You can still join Life Book, a year-long celebration of YOU with guest teachers and a TON of content…and we’re just over halfway through! Click here to learn more and join!
I've been filming content, classes, and tutorials all week, as well as working on my Etsy shop and my new website (oh, you're going to love it!). Still digging out from under last week's forced "break" from the computer, but trying to stay on top of blog comments!
I wanted to post this information early, just in case you haven't heard about this awesome new thing I'm trying out!
Technology today is amazing, connecting people from all over the globe. I wanted to have an honest discussion about being an artist with others who are regular, every-day people. Hobbyists, professionals. Jewelry designers. Fashionistas. Anyone who craves creative expression is welcome!
Our first chat morphed into authentic sharing of art, fear, thoughts, and ideas we're psyched about. It was amazing, and I want to host this discussion every week!
This discussion happens every Friday at 8pm EST/5pm PST.
Yes, this is about 1am in the UK.
Here is how you can join in:
Go to my profile on Google + and leave me a message saying you'd like to join.
I will open the Hangout 10 minutes before we start.
Hangouts can only handle 10 people at a time. I'm going to work on a rotation system to get more people in to chat, or ask different people to join each week.
You can watch the live feed on my YouTube page.
Even if you're not in the room, you can tag me on Twitter, post on my FB page, or even email me to contribute comments and questions to the discussion.
We'll be challenging ourselves to do something fun and creative each week that we can then share on-camera or via the outlets above with each other. We're creating a safe space to share where there are loving comments and suggestions and you don't need to be afraid of judgement.
Over the years, I have learned to grab tidbits of time. The tidbits add up. It is an “easy does it” approach to creativity. Small tidbits add up to a larger whole.
Julia Cameron
I’ve been snatching little bits of time this week.
Stops here and there between reading and movies and connection.
Photos taken.
Studio cleaned.
Space cleansed.
I managed to sketch an eye and do a little bit of computer work.
(I am collecting followers’ blogs on my Google Reader.)
I have also shared the first piece of my new work.
I was very scared to do this.
When you go outside your comfort zone and create from the heart, there is much of your soul tied up in each stroke of the brush, each word scrawled in the spaces.
This new stuff is so much more me.
So much more of my heart.
My true voice.
I can’t explain where it comes from, or how it is made.
It’s still so new, so fresh, so wonderful.
But I reopened my Etsy shop and put prints up in it.
And before I went to bed, it sold. (But you can buy your copy of this art here)
In 15 minutes (Thanks, Lisa!).
I went to sleep wrapped in comfort.
I have a couple journal-making kits left over from last weekend. They’re up in my Etsy shop.
I’ll be on Google Hangout today at 5pm PST/8pm EST. If you’d like to come by and chat on video or mic, go to this post and let me know. Here's a recording of our chat! We talk about fear of sharing, the elements of joyful creating, and share our pets. ;) I'll be making a group @ The Studio for weekly challenges and chats!
Last, a poem I wrote for this post’s artwork:
*It's only when we go with the flow
and find the river of our life
that our dreams come easy
and
sleep is restful.*
I’m on the mend. Thank you for all your wonderful messages, emails, and tweets.
Still can't type for long, but love all the messages, comments, and tweets you've sent. I hope to be back for reals by the end of the week.