Adventures in Creativity

Tissue Paper Stained Glass

Yesterday I spent the afternoon rummaging through a number of storage tubs, thinning things out, getting rid of things I hadn't looked at in years, etc. Amongst the "debris" I found an old binder thing with clippings in it. I used to subscribe to Family Fun magazine and clip like crazy. Cake ideas, costumes, travel, etc. In the very last section, there were several pages about Passover. Funny, since Passover is next week. There was a recipe for yummy almond matzoh bark and also for creating your very own, custom Elijah and Miriam's cups. 

So, being the ever crafty gal I am, I pulled out tissue paper, modge podge and three glass tumblers that have been taking up space on a shelf in the kitchen. 

I ripped and cut and slathered my way to three custom designs. I thought, hmmm, can't drink out of them now, can I? My awesomely creative husband said, "stick a candle in them." Eureka! 

A fun, easy, impromptu project. No expensive supplies or skills needed. Sparkly threads wrapped around might be cool, too!

Yours in Creativity!

Finished!

Well, I did it! I finally finished the queen size batik quilt I've been working on forever. I love it!

 

Can't wait to snuggle under it tonight. Feels so good to finish it. On to the next one...

What have you finished lately?

Yours in Creativity!

Creative Economy Summit 2

This past weekend I participated in the second Creative Economy Summit. It took place in Shelburne Falls, MA. Really cute town.

This summit was organized by the Fostering Art & Culture Project. About 160 artists from all over the county signed up to come together and share ideas, brainstorm problems and make art for two days.

There were 2 panel discussions about funding for the arts in Massachusetts and making a viable living as an artist. There were workshops around social media, press release writing, craft fairs, photography and more. Participants also had the chance to go out into local studios and create art. 

My friend and I were the only people from Berkshire County and we both agreed it would be awesome to bring something like it up our way. 

While in town, we took the opportunity to browse local shops featuring pottery, jewelry, leather goods and more. We also took in the local dining. Lunch at The Village Restaurant, described by a bartender as, "home cooking without the dishes," and at The West End Pub where I had grilled cheese with bacon and spicy guacamole. Yum.

We also visited The Blue Rock Restaurant. Very cool spot and will definitely be back. Tried to convince the husbands to drive out and meet us there but no dice. Great bartender. Great decor. Great food. 

Really enjoyed walking around such a quaint and lovely town. Looking forward to the warmer weather coming and visiting again when the Bridge of Flowers is in bloom. 

Yours in Creativity!

INSPIRATION FRIDAY: How to Get Lucky!

By The Crafty Chica

Four-leaf clover necklace by Patricia Field. You don't need this necklace to have good luck!

How often do you look at successful people and think, "They sure have good luck!" - and then wish you had just a pinch of it? Ditch the rabbit's foot already and take matters in your own hands. Here's how:



1. Know what you want and take action. The good luck fairies need details, they don't give out golden tickets that are good for everything. "I just want to be happy." Well, that is pretty broad. Why not sit down and write out what it will take to make you happy? Take each item and break it down into a check list. Then list action items - things you can do to get the ball rolling. Trust me - this will kick start a chain of events!


2. Extend your reach. You can't fill out one job application and expect for to get hired on the spot. Put yourself out there and in new places. When I was younger, I used to have a boyfriend who always won contests. I thought he was naturally lucky. Turns out, he used to enter dozens of contests he found in magazines. He'd write out postcards with his information and send them in. He increased his chances! Have you ever noticed when you put in several pitches, they will all hit at the same time? That's a good problem to have! The more you extend your reach, the more contacts you'll connect with.

3. Take chances. I have a friend who doesn't have health insurance and needed cataract surgery on both eyes. She paid for one, had the surgery, but didn't have enough money for the second one. While in her doctor's office, she noticed the artwork on the walls. For her follow up, she took a small bronze sculpture her husband made (valued at $3,000) and offered it as a trade to the eye doctor for the surgery on her other eye. The doctor loved the sculpture and said YES. My friend is back to perfect vision, and her eye doctor not only is the proud owner of amazing art, but it serves as great promotion for my friend too. All she did was ask. Of course, this won't happen every time, but it's worth a try!

4. Take a break from the luck suckers. These are the negative forces in your life. People who bring you down, depressing TV shows or music, clutter around your home or work area, even blah color schemes. Infuse your daily life with light and upbeat things. It doesn't mean changing who you are or becoming a Perky Pollyanna, but if nothing is happening the way you are running things now, this is a way to shake up your world in a good way.

5. Appreciate the good luck you already have. This is a biggie! Do you have your limbs? Air in your lungs? Money for coffee? Of course we want and deserve more than the basics, but you have to start with a good foundation. I do this on a smaller scale. When I'm having a bad day, I take a deep breath and count the things that DID go right. It's all in the spin!

6. Connect with like minds. There is no way one person can handle everything, you have to have a little help. Use your instincts to find the people you click with, and help eachother. This can mean trading links, offer feedback and insight into situations and having each other's back. Keep that inner circle tight and trustworthy. Give as much, if not more, than you take.


7. Go with what works. If you keep hitting roadblocks or having bad luck in your quest - take those as signs to take a new path. The universe is sending you a message. Sit back and think about the good luck that has already come your way - what brought it on? What area is it in? Go with that, or at least find a way to incorporate it into your plan.

8. Be happy with the success of others. Instead of thinking "I'm mad, I deserved that!" Think, "What are they doing that I can learn from?" Give credit where it's due. Never underestimate anything or anyone and soak up all you can to improve your chances. 


9. Keep your antennae up and open for reception. Always be on the look out for new opportunities - and not just in your comfort circle, but also in other industries, markets, demographics. Don't limit yourself. Know that good luck doesn't always come inthe form we expect or hope for, sometimes it teaches us to look at the situation from a new perspective. 


10. Pay it forward and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! Keep the cycle of good luck going, know that you are worthy and that your time will come. All good things come with hard work!

 

How I learned to ride a bike….

[This piece is taken from Wishstudio: The Necklace Project. Jennifer Quinn has written a warm and moving piece. I had to share it.]

As a kid, I was thrilled to spend the entire day on my bike: creatively transforming the steel frame and the long banana seat into a time machine: riding down dirt hills that warped into Mars, zooming over flat asphalt while vocalizing a larger than life muffler. My bike could transport me to a multitude of magical places without hesitation or limitation.  My bike could transcend me to extraordinary experiences without judgment or ridicule.  My bike was a joyful creative practice.  Exercise was an art form married to my imagination.

As a kid, I was thrilled to spend the entire day making art: painting and drawing flowers, clowns, designing houses minus bathrooms (no time for a bath when you want to be out on your bike).  Making art was a joyful creative practice.

Most children love bikes and most children love art.  As adults we often misplace the practice of riding a bike and/or the practice of making art.  Art is viewed as childish or fun.  Who has time for fun? A bicycle carries the same undertone.  Exercise is viewed as an extra rather than a necessity.

Most adults only see a bike as an object to get you from here to there: a straightforward and healthy mode of transportation.  Can a bike help your emotional and spiritual outlet?  How I learned to ride a bike might have started in childhood but how I learned to ride a bike has taken new root.  (and I am all giddy with the discovery)

Over the past 11 years, I have been given the privilege of making art with adult cancer patients.  My goal is to offer a much needed distraction from the hospital environment and to offer an outlet to safely explore/express emotions.  A patient can create an image of their favorite place or even a symbol of hope.  When subjected to defensive statements such as, “I can’t draw a straight line”, my immediate response or rebuttal, “Great, a croaked or curvy line is far more interesting”.  Making art requires taking a risk.  For a cancer patient making art can give a gift of power and control.

Life happens in the curves of the road, not on the straight and narrow.  Art is made with the intention to stimulate thoughts and emotions (during the process and while viewing the product).  Art can channel worries, anxieties and fears into a positive outlet.  When a patient makes art, they are transcending into sacred time and space where healing can occur: the clock stops, the anxiety lessens, the pain subsides.  Studies have shown that making art can lower your anxiety or depression as well as increase oxygen levels and respiration.

As a working married Momma of two, creativity slips into my day unexpectedly: my job is to recognize and honor creativity’s presence: sweet morning songs for the two year old, allowing creative clothing choices for the five year old.  Art embraces the heartbreaking stories I hold from cancer patients: the dying 32 year old mother who prepares to leave her grade school daughter, the elderly woman who yearns to cradle her unborn grandchild.  I paint the hurt, the anger, the joy and survival.  I know art.  I am art.  Art provides me comfort, release, hope and inspiration.  Making art blends my world, providing that flat asphalt road.

This Spring I took a risk to purchase a bike: put aside my fear of not being good enough, questioning if I had what it takes to venture 50 miles down the road.  Just like the risk a cancer patient takes when I ask, “Would you like to make some art?”  I swallowed butterflies and put trust in those who have ridden miles ahead.  For the cancer patient, art models creative problem solving.  Art welcomes the patient with the opportunity to exhume their very own trust; betrayed by the body and struggling to find solid ground.

From the moment the bike wheels set in motion, I was hooked.  You know that creative itch or cloud nine motivation to keep painting into the wee morning hours?  I found that itch on a bike, the “get out there and ride” whisper.  I regained a mode of communication that I didn’t know was missing: a childhood delight.  Unearthing a playful side shelved during adult goals and hurdles, exercise and creativity have been reunited.

How I learned to ride a bike is a joyful creative practice. A bike can transcend me into sacred time and space where healing can occur: the clock stops, the anxiety lessens (the pain is only temporary: filling those lungs with fresh air, pushing muscles to do new work).  I arrive home refreshed by shifted gears and better able to focus on the terrain: the crying toddler who feels misunderstood, the cancer patient who is metaphorically lost.  How I learned to ride a bike has taught me to be in the moment: seeing what is presented just as it is: the climb to the top of the mountain, the tears of worry in an elder’s face.  Art is in everything I do.

For The Necklace Project, I created a charm using a bicycle chain and glass beads to symbolize the marriage of art and bike.  The chain symbolizes the here and now: pushing ahead pedal by pedal: consistently, confidently.  I hope my patients succeed, find that giddy point within the art process to shout out “I am still here, get out there and ride” finding the point they connect to reconnecting.  I hope to succeed on the road mile after mile paying attention to the scenery, honoring what is and always taking the risk to learn how to ride a bike.  Who knows maybe next year, I will learn how to cook, no maybe knit.

 

Project Updates

Well, I figured I'd give everyone a sneak peak into what I've been up to, other than my Crafter's Devotional daily practice. I love it, by the way. It keeps me creating and thinking every day.

So, I've been planning that sign for the outside of our loft. Today I broke out the acrylic medium, which I've never used and got those petals and leaves adhered to the canvas. When it dries thoroughly, I'll add stitching and beads and paint. 

I found a site on-line called Connecting Threads. It's a quilting/sewing/notions type place. Well, they had fat quarter fabric on sale. Plain cotton in bold colors. So, I bought 2 packages. They arrived yesterday.

They are very soft and I am excited to use them. My husband has had a piece of Laurel Birch fabric for years. I don't know why but I've claimed it because I absolutely love it. It's totally crazy bright with these mythological horses on it. I think I will use these fabrics to create some kind of art quilt for myself. I know I can't part with this fabric. I love it too much.

I think I'll use metallic threads and beads to quilt along the manes and stripes and what not. It just makes me feel all magical and fun.

My last quilting class was on applique. I shared a picture before I quilted the piece and this is the "after" version.

I might have placed my stitches a little too close but I like it. It'll be cut into a circle and then bound with the purple fabric. 

My first quilt top, that has been hanging in the studio forever, is now basted and ready to quilt. I just haven't figured out how to quilt it yet. I don't have a walking foot for my sewing machine so I can't just whip it out there. If I get one, I could stitch in the ditch (quilting lingo) along the seams and then add some funky designs. What do you think? Suggestions?

I treated myself to a totally funky knitted bag. I love this thing. It's bright and fun and has these crazy dyed stones for buttons. I couldn't resist. I'm a tactility junky.

So, that's what I'm up to. I'm reading a new book, Tales from the Yoga Studio. And I'm busy trying to plan and fund-raise for Relay for Life. Always lots to do. Always lots of fun to be had.

What are you up to?

Yours in Creativity

Are You Creative?

Thank you to Juli Ryan, an incredibly insightful and creative spirit. Here she talk about creativity. 

 

The answer to this question is a resounding YES! After reading an article in Oprah's magazine about how we all are creative in some way or another, I decided to blog about this concept. I myself know it to be true through experience....

My oldest son Keegan, who is almost 18, was born to play sports. From the moment he could walk and talk he wanted us to pitch a ball to him. He played baseball and soccer for many years. Who knew he had a creative side? I always encouraged my kids to try new things and if they showed interest in something, I supported it! Whether it was sports or music or art. But Keegan never showed any interest in anything creative until he was in 10th grade. He took a few art classes and started drawing. Who knew he could draw so well? He had a natural ability, and in May I want to share some of his pen drawings when I show my own art at the Essex Studios Open House. I attend this art walk twice a year as a guest artist.

My other son, Lucas, was also in sports, but now music is his thing....he's a drummer and plays in his high school's steel drum band. He amazes me with how natural it comes to him. He practices almost every day without anyone telling him to practice. I can see he truly loves to play. 

My daughter, Ashley, wanted to play violin from the time she was 6. Music was her passion and now writing is what she enjoys most. She would like to write her memoir someday. Ashley was the one that showed creativity right from the start. 

My three kids are so different, but they all had a creative talent. Just because it doesn't show up right away, doesn't mean it's not there at all. I didn't start painting until my late 30's. 

So you can't paint, draw or play an instrument. Maybe you can cook and use your creative talents there. Maybe you are creative with your home and decorating. Or maybe you are good at landscaping and creating a beautiful outdoor scene. Creativity can be displayed in so many different ways!

So why is it so important to find that inner creativity? I think it releases so much of what is inside of us that we cannot share on a regular basis. I feel so free and content when I am painting. It has saved me countless times during stressful moments in my life. It's a way to release a part of yourself you cannot do any other way. Being creative shares yourself with the outside world. It's a window into you.

I believe we all have some creative talent somewhere inside us if we take the time to find it! We may have to do a little digging, but it is there! 

by: Juli Ryan of Inner Butterfly

Oprah's article on creativity: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Unleash-Your-Creativity

11 ways to be a Creative Spiritual Revolutionary

1. Develop an intimate relationship with yourself.

2. Let your spirit be your leader.

3. Express your creativity fully.

4. Make Self care a high priority.

5. Surround yourself with people who inspire you.

6. Take a stand for what you believe in.

7. Make money from your creative spiritual gifts.

8. Risk not knowing how.

9. Clarify your dream and go for it all the way.

10. Let yourself be seen.

11. Trust yourself and life.

*What do you think it takes to be a Creative Spiritual Revolutionary?

[Courtesy of Laura Hollick,  www.soulartstudio.com , the art of living your spirit]

 

 

Goodness!!

Well, it has been nearly a month, if not more since I have been here. That's just wrong. So, I apologize to my loyal checker-in-ers. 

Life has changed quite a bit in the last month so let me fill you in. 

First. We went to see Celtic Woman at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. This is the location of Woodstock, the original. It is absolutely gorgeous here. Ien Nivens, art critic and writer, presents a full review of our trip at Berkshire Fine Arts. The night was great. The music was really wonderful. Serious sets of pipes on these women.  As we left, almost in celebration, the skies opened up and let a deluge fall on the concert goers. Most of us laughed as we gave up on any attempts to stay even remotely dry, kicked off our shoes and danced in the puddles. Personally, the lightening freaked me out a bit and, of course, by the time we were 10 yards from the car, the skies cleared. Ah well, damp seats for the ride home. As was to be expected, the facility wouldn't allow any photographs. Bummer.

Another event was our recent purchase of a Dawn Nelson original. Dawn is an amazing painter and teacher whose studio is right here in North Adams. She recently participated in a show titled Abstraction Now. I couldn't resist. I loved this one.

 

It has taken up residence above out television in what is hoped to be a "gallery" of sorts. An inspiration piece is being framed and will reside there as well. 

 And my latest news is of new employment. I am now part of the Bisque, Beads and Beyond team. The shop recently relocated from Pecks Road to North Street and doubled its size. We're right next to Persnickety Toys. 

We have a 1000 sq. ft. bead shop showcasing recent purchases from the Czech Republic. Our owner, Donna, took a trip there in May and saw the women making these gorgeous glass beads first hand. They actually hand cut each facet. Wow. Some of these beads have 50 facets on them!

We also feature paint your own pottery. With over 700 pieces of bisque to choose from, there really is something for everyone. Vin and I painted a sake set complete with carafe, tray and 4 small cups. Now we just need the sake and a cool night. 

Lastly, we offer fused glass. You can come in and create pendants, key chains, wind chimes, etc. It's actually very cool. There are all kinds of glass bits to play with and they get fired in our glass kiln. 

I am partial to the bead section, obviously. I'll be teaching a wire-wrapping class in September. We'll be showing "Who Does She Think She Is?". And it's an open studio so come in any time. Make some jewelry, paint some pottery, whatever. We offer private help with beading for a small fee so people can call and schedule some one on one. I get paid to help people make jewelry. How awesome is that? 

However, that coupled with bar tending twice a week, I am swamped. My schedule is all mixed up and I'm still negotiating making my own work and seeing friends/family. I do have a number of new pieces that I will be posting soon. 

I wish all a wonderful end of summer and a fantastic fall. I'm excited for it. I love the changing season.

Yours in Creativity.

Mish

Streeeeetching!

Hola mi amigos! Greetings from the sweltering state of MA. It's not so bad today compared to what has been quite a stint of hot sticky weather. Just a couple of weeks ago, we were trying to cope with 60 degree days in June. Now, it's been the reverse. 95+ every day. Dangerous weather to be outside.  

But, that's really neither here nor there. A while back, my husband and I purchased a painting by a local artist. His name is A.J. Schlesinger. What makes his work even more impressive is that he battles cerebral palsy in order to make it. He works with a tracker and designs all of his creations. 

Ours is called Aura. It is an abstract piece of golds and oranges and greens. It's beautiful. But, it was created on an un-stretched canvas. Now, I have never been involved in the art world in a way that would have me stretching canvas. My husband, however, has. So, in a joint creative endeavor (which is really my favorite thing to do) we purchased materials and stretched it ourselves. 

First task, a drive out to Pittsfield to Home Depot with a stop at Miller Supply on the way. What a great discovery, a wonderful fine art supply and framing store much closer than Central Square in Cambridge.

Whoo Hoo! 
Misty clouds along Rte.8 made it a gorgeous ride.

Upon returning with lumber and brackets, we cut two pieces 30" long and two pieces 19" long. We sanded three edges on each piece so as not to damage the canvas as it wrapped around the edge. Using, the L brackets, we attached the four pieces of lumber and created a frame. 

  
 

Then, using a canvas stretcher, we attached the painting at each center point and moved along the edges.

 I manned the staple gun while Vin did the actual stretching. It's a rather delicate procedure as you don't want to damage the canvas in the process. I guess this is why many artists choose to create on stretched canvases rather than loose ones. 

This is the back. Not too bad. Almost no bulging at all!

And, voila! The front of Aura! I managed to catch a rainbow from my window prism in the right corner. 

 Here it is in our "library". I can see it from my office, the studio and the living room. 

I'd ultimately like to create a gallery space in the living area, above the television. We are having another piece framed locally. And I just negotiated a purchase of an original Dawn Nelson! Yee Haw!

It feels so incredibly fantastic to have original works by artists I know and respect, by friends. Now, onto the next collaborative project!