Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Friday, February 7, 2014
Wisdom from the Art Circle
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| Vintage Illustration from Dean's Gift Book of Fairytales |
What we all have in common is our love for creating and that we have built our careers around this. Working in the arts, there is always a pull towards more creative freedom and finding the projects that invoke our deepest passions and resonate with our sense of purpose.
We have come together to support each other on this path. We share inspiration, give feedback and critiques, share business insights and opportunities and laugh and connect.
I want to share 3 tidbits of wisdom from our first meeting. I plan to keep sharing what we learn in these meetings so that I may bring some of the goodness to my virtual art circle here on this blog.
1. Optimism is essential.
During my morning meditations over the last few months, I really started to notice how jaded I had become. I kept thinking I am just being REALISTIC. There is so much competition. The economy isn't great. I can't expect much. I should just be happy with what successes I have already had and not risk too much.
The problem is that this is merely a point-of-view. It is not reality. It does not predict the future. The future could be filled with opportunities, failures, successes, cross-road, or who knows. The actual reality is that the FUTURE is a QUESTION MARK.
Optimism is simply a much more useful point-of-view. It allows us to keep growing, to step out of our comfort zones, to explore, to invent new ways of being in the world, and to stride confidently in the direction of our wildest dreams.
When you see the future as an open door, you keep going. Perceiving a wall of limitation and lack of opportunity, stops us before we even start. Optimism keeps those doors open for us which is essential.
2. Find your Own Unique Path
We had all researched a lot of people who were very successful in our fields and knew the details of the paths they took to get there.
Some people shared all their art on social media and blogs. Others kept everything hidden and protected. Some had agents or galleries and others went solo. Some people stuck to trends and others marched to the beat of their own drum.
In essence, there is no one path that is guaranteed to get you to where you want to go. Everyone will have opinions and beliefs. In the end, the best we can do is educate ourselves, know the options, and then, most importantly, make a choice and go for it.
There is no right or wrong. There is only experimentation, fine-tuning, learning, and trust.
3. Find your own Style and Vision
It really helps to have artist friends look at your work and distill the essential qualities and help you distinguish where your unique voice is truly shining through. They know you and they know your work and can see where those 2 things overlap the most.
We are so close to our work that it is difficult to see it objectively. It is a incredibly hard to step back and look at the bigger picture. Yet, when you see a friend's work, it is so clear when they are coming from an authentic place.
It is so exciting to see art that is born from a unique vision and purpose. We are naturally drawn to that alchemy of self-expression.
Oh and remember, we often see art that we love and appreciate. Yet, it would be completely unfamiliar and unnatural to make art in that style. Just because we love something, does not mean we have to be directly inspired by it in our own art. Sometimes we are just appreciating the diversity. We don't need to do everything. There are other people to take care of all the styles we miss out on.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Welcome to My Little Corner of the World
Hello to all my new friends from the MATS e-course taught by Lilla Rogers! Welcome to my spot on the Blog Hop.
Wow, what an incredible, intensive whirlwind those 5 weeks were. As I read on an 1940's movie poster in a diner, there were "Dizzying Highs and Terrifying Lows" I guess that is just part of the creative process: the high of being in the flow and making something and the low of non-constructive criticism and the Comparison Monster.
Above you will see the fruits of my work from the course. It is so helpful for me to see it all together now that some time has passed and I have more perspective. After the course ended, I really had my most profound insights.
For the last 7 years, I have worked as a full-time freelance illustrator and surface designer. About a year ago, I felt an urgency to express something more personal, close to my heart and not simply answering the needs of a client. I could feel it inside but I couldn't put words to it and wasn't sure what form it would take. So I have been making lots of art on top of my "work" art and this course was the culmination of that journey. I feel that my artistic voice has crystalized.
I found it very telling that the 2 pieces of mine that Lilla included in her weekly reviews (children's book illustration and the zipper pouch) were the 2 pieces where I really focused on creating something magical and dream-like which is in perfect alignment with my artistic vision.
For some reason, I always assume that other people's styles will be more popular and commercially-viable. I think this is my outsider-mentality peaking out. Lilla helped me gain confidence that people would buy my joy and I don't have to try to be someone else to be successful. That realization alone was worth every penny and hour I put into the class.
I featured a mini gallery here of work from the Wall Decor week. This is a great example of the diversity and spirit of the class. Seeing other people's uniqueness and recognizing how much joy I got from their joy, helped me to have more faith and confidence in my own crazy ways.
As a little gift to my fellow artists, I want to share a guided meditation I recorded to help focus and relax before diving into the creative process. You can listen to it or down load it here: https://soundcloud.com/ghostkitten-1/ready-set-begin
LET'S STAY CONNECTED
I have been following my MATS friends' blogs so that I can watch everyone grow, and be inspired by their creative journeys. I use BlogLovin to keep everything in one place. You can follow my blog through BlogLovin here: http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/7036245
OPEN INVITE
I love collaborations with like-minded folks. If you have an idea for a project or an idea of how we can help each other out, please contact me at ghostkitten@gmail.com
Take a moment to visit these 2 stops today on the Blog Hop:
First is Wendy Brightbill. I love her intuitive painting style and perfect contrast of line work and shapes. Her abstract work really has beautiful kinetic rhythms. Visit her blog here.
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| Wendy Brightbill Serendipity Happens |
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| Renske de Kinkelder |
BLOG HOP TOUR
I encourage you to go on this colorful stroll and peak inside the minds of some amazing artists.
November20
Aisha Khan- http://www.aishaandherwork.blogspot.com/
Linda Tordoff- http://www.paintlovestudio.blogspot.co.uk/
Jill Byers - http://www.jillbyers.blogspot.com/
November21
Martina Lenhardt- www.ma-len.blogspot.com
Melissa Doran- www.melissadoran.com
Sarah Gager - www.sarahgager.com
November 27
HungYu CHEN - www.rainbowfishchen.com
stephanie corfee - www.stephaniecorfee.com
Sophie Verhille - http://blog.sophie-verhille.com/
November 25
Jo Chambers - www.studiolegohead.blogspot.co.uk
Son Atwal Sonia Atwal - www.applekaur.com/blog
Angie Sandy - http://www.angiesandy.com/blog
November 26
Rachael Schafer - www.rachaelschaferdesigns.com
Sarah Ehlinger- www.verysarie.com
Jordan Vinograd Kim- http://www.foundandrewound.com/blog/
November 27
Jen Burbridge - www.madebyburbs.co.uk
Carolina Coto - www.carolinacotoart.com
Aileen Tu: http://aileentu.com/blog/
November 28
Claire Lordon - www.clairelordon.blogspot.com
Eva Marion Seyffarth - www.eva-marion-seyffarth.blogspot.de
November 29
Anna Whitford - www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk
December 2
Jennifer Wambach - http://jennartdesigns.blogspot.com
Victoria Johnson - http://victoriajohnsondesignblog.blogspot.it
Emily Dyer http://www.emilydyer.com/blog
December 3
Nic Squirrell - http://nicsquirrell.blogspot.com
Melinda Hopkirk - www.crouchriverstudio.com
Deb Trevitt - http://www.debtrevitt.com/blog/
December 4
Danielle McDonald - http://reddogandjude.blogspot.com.au/
Jennifer Appel - http://www.jaillustration.com
December 5
Wendy Brightbill - http://www.agirlandherbrush.wordpress.com
Renske de Kinkelder- www.renskedekinkelder.com
Nicole Piar- http://www.ghostkittendesign.blogspot.com/
December 6
Andrea van Dalen - http://dreamkeeperfae.blogspot.nl/
Ohn Mar Win - http://illustrationsouljourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Diane Neukirch- http://dianeneukirch.blogspot.com
December 7
Lisa Deighan - http://www.lisadeighan.com
Katie Wood - http://www.katiewoodillustrations.blogspot.co.uk/
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
A Whole Lotta Wall Candy!
I LOVE to have beautiful, inspiring art on my walls. It brings a mood to a room. Gives you something to contemplate in all those little in-between moments, something to spark your imagination, get you started on a daydream or inspire you into action.
In Lilla Rogers MATS class, we spent one week focusing on the Wall Art market. The design brief was to go abstract and free form and to include florals and type in some way. Everyone had such a unique vision and artistic touch that I wanted to create a mini-gallery of some of my favorite pieces as well as my own piece.
What feeling does each piece evoke in you? Does it bring up a memory or hint at a story? Just notice how you are intuitively responding to the words, colors, imagery, and details. Please share your experience in the comments.
I love to hear your personal experiences. After all, art is a form of communication no matter how right-brained and subjective it may be.
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| Nicole's website: www.ghostkitten.com |
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| Danielle's website: https://www.facebook.com/danielleduerart |
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| Kathy's website: www.WellerWishesWorld.com |
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| Ohn Mar's Blog |
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| Tara's Website: taralillystudio.com |
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| Jennifer's Blog: http://jennartdesigns. |
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| Mary's website: http://marytanana.com |
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| Carolina's website: www.carocoto.com |
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| Jen's Flickr |
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Reset Sunday: Smile!
If you find that feelings of judgement or separation are creating resistance to this challenge, I encourage you to try doing a loving-kindness meditation to help foster deep feelings of compassion. Here is the meditation. Each line you say in your mind as you complete one full breath, inhale and exhale.
May you be well.
May you be healthy and strong.
May you be happy and safe.
May you be free from suffering and have insight into the cause of your suffering.
May you be filled with compassion.
Start by focusing this mediation on someone you love. Next, focus on yourself. Next, chose someone you are indifferent to. Then choose someone who you have difficulties with (this can be someone you know personally or a public figure). Finally, focus on all beings.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Reset Sunday: Reconnect
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| "I'll be your mirror." photograph: Joe Plenys ©2009 |
Close friends mirror elements of our being. They call forth these specific pieces of our personality and encourage them to come into full bloom for better or worse. When people come together, they create a unique alchemy that reveals and accentuates aspects of ourselves that may have been hidden, languishing, or nascent.
In high school, I had two close girl friends with whom I felt deeply connected. After we all left home at 18, we went our separate ways and had very little contact with each other. We ended up literally spread across the country in New York, Colorado, and California. With the advent of social networking, I was able to find them again and spy in on their lives as I perused photographs and profiles.
During that time, I made the uncanny discovery that all three of us had listed the same novelist as our favorite author although none of us had known about him when we were young and together. This author's books spoke to something deep inside of me that I could never quite put a finger on. It got me to thinking about my two old friends and the seed of resonance that had brought us together and the way that seed continued to grow even after our life paths had diverged. This love for the same author was just a small signpost for the inner parallels that remained.
For this Reset Sunday, reach out and reconnect to old friend who is hovering on the edges of your consciousness. Sometimes, this is a friend you haven't seen in decades. Other times it might have only been a distracted month of absence. This person keeps popping up in your dreams or your thoughts. Or maybe you have even thought to call them but didn't get around to it or maybe they reached out to you but general busyness kept you from responding. Send an email or give a call. Don't be discouraged by phone tag or invalid addresses. Keep following through until you contact them. If you can't find them or can't talk to them for whatever reason, write them a letter and keep it somewhere special, holding out that intention of reaching them even if it seems impossible.
Reconnecting can bring many unexpected gifts - a reclaiming of a lost part of ourselves, laughter, a shining memory, an apology, compassion for our younger selves, the light of time illuminating an old misunderstanding, unexpected healing, gratitude, the pure joy of an unconditional human connection despite time or distance, reassurance that we are on the right path or a reminder to return to what is most important. Notice what gifts come to you and what light they bring into your present life.
These Velvet Underground lyrics always struck me as a poignant declaration of dear friendship. Enjoy and have a heart-warmed week.
I'll be your mirror
Reflect what you are, in case you don't know
I'll be the wind, the rain and the sunset
The light on your door to show that you're home.
Friday, January 20, 2012
New Years Resolutions: Come out of Hiding
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| I'm in the center. Even strange birds can have amazing friends. :) |
This New Years Eve, I was at an amazing outdoor party with some of my dearest old friends who moved away years ago. I was caught up in the moment of playful celebration, dancing, and reconnecting. Resolutions and, in fact, all thoughts about future were beyond the distant horizon of my present experience.
At some point, when we were gathered in a circle, someone asked about every one's resolutions. Hmmm, well, I thought, there are so many things I would like to do... finish the children's book I am writing and illustrating, or get stronger physically, or maybe develop my etsy store more or participate in a art/craft fair or......
However, beneath all those tangible activities and goals, there was a feeling of a stronger, more all encompassing desire that was calling me – a desire to be more open to people, friends, family, co-workers, strangers. I want to see people as they truly are and respond to them from that place of common humanity without as much attention being given to what separates us. I want to be willing to wade through some awkward first conversations, be with that discomfort, and give the connection more time to begin to flow. I want to reach out to people and bridge the gap.
Since I was a child, I struggled with feelings of alienation. Over the last decade, I have been slowly and gently exploring and gradually dismantling my beliefs that make me feel like I don't fit in this world. Part of that process has really been understanding how so many of us feel isolated or feel like we have to hide from each other for fear of judgement. It is unbelievable how afraid of each other we can be.
So, my new year's resolution is to come out of hiding. I won't compartmentalize my life as much, hiding certain aspects of my lifestyle from certain people because maybe, this act of honesty will help someone see that they have a greater range for self-expression and that they can be more free than they thought. I will not always do this perfectly. Sometimes, I will lack social grace and sometimes I might confuse someone with my open-ness but the chance to make true contact with another human being is worth the risk. Come out of hiding with me. Make friends, smile more, let our eyes meet.
What's your resolution? How do you practice being more open to people?
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