serendipity

fearless...?

"Why not go out on a limb?  Isn't that where the fruit is?" --  Frank Scully
 

I took a break from the studio for a little mother and daugther time.  Sweet Pea and I went to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. A sweet film set in a gorgeous locale.  Much of the film revolves around the idea of embracing change, accepting it as a bonus rather than a negative.  How do you embrace change?  Do you accept it or let it run right over you?

I used to be fearless. I would buy a plane ticket to Europe that morning and be gone that evening, not to return for 7 months.  I jumped head first into business, walking the streets of Manhattan selling my designs door-to-door.  I cold called galleries.  I was fierce, fearless and loved the rush that came from the unknown.  I embraced change.

Where did that woman go?! 

I'm older these days, but not necessarily wiser. Yes, caution is a good thing, but it can strangle one.  I am set to go on vacation in a bit and I'm having the hardest time planning my itinerary.  I mean seriously, does a vacation really need this much planning?  I'm driving so I may have the freedom to wander at will, but I can't go without having rooms secured.  My younger self slept in empty train cars if need be.  

A few years back a friend sold her house and put everything she owned into storage.  She was rolling the dice to join the Peace Corps.  At 50+ years old she took off on the adventure of a life time.  These days she lives in Thailand teaching elementary school.  I admire her courage.  She kept thinking she was crazy, but once she was accepted and stationed, everything clicked into place for her.  In a sense, she's home as her heart is where it needs to be.

I'm not saying I'm unhappy, but yes, I'm a bit restless.  As my daughter matures and settles into her own life, I finally have time to focus on myself.  Let me tell you, it's a very scary prospect indeed.  Do I return to remnants of my younger self or is there a new role for me to play?

The pic is of my friend Kate and me in our last year of high school.  I look at thw face of my younger self and see the mischief.  Maybe a vacation will help me dig through the layers and find my courage to once again jump off the high dive and embrace change.  

Maybe.

paper love!

"Joy is the feeling of grinning inside." -- Melba Colgrove

Where have I been this last week?  Buried in my studio.  Well, okay, only part of the time as I had meetings to attend, final exams to give, and of course Mother's Day and Sweet Pea's birthday to celebrate, but yes, by and large I've been in the studio cutting bits of paper.  

I am in love with Dresden scrap papers, many of which are vintage or inspired by the Victorian era. They remind me of Gam and Mom who had their own stash. They remind me of an era that seems simpler though I know it wasn't.  In my studio I can forget about jury duty, NATO summits, layoffs and all the other negativity that swirls in the air. 

This combination is from the lid of a box I am finishing up.  I love the contrast of the gold against that strawberry red!

Nothing escapes a bit of decoration.  Some leftover matt boards from another project made a perfect blank slate for collaging.  The photo is of me at 24 with Sweet Pea at 3.  Hard to believe that she is now the same age as me in the photo. Good grief, where does the time go?!

Of course if one is scrapping, one must make a card... or two or three....

It seemed only natural that I should have a butterfly version after having painted a 3 foot fiberglass butterfly for the exhibition Magic Garden.

I used a true glass glitter with a silver content that will tarnish slightly over time.  I learned that glass glitter is just that - glass.  I was scooting excess off of my table with the side of my hand and scratched it badly.  I now use a large jelly roll tray with a paper lining.  The paper can then be rolled into a funnel to pour the glitter back into the jar.  No more torn up palms!

I've also fallen in love with glue dots.  They are ingenious!  Press one onto the paper, place a sequin - no muss, no fuss!  This is certainly faster than stitching them one by one into place as I am prone to do with my art.

sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite

"Sleep tight!  Don't let the bedbugs bit! And if they do, squish them!"
-- me and Sweet Pea

Every night my daughter and I followed this ritual when she was young -  the bubbliest of bubble baths, followed by story time with a cup of herbal tea and then a singsong about the bedbugs.  Of course, we added the squish 'em bit along the way.  Even now with my daughter older, she will shout it from her bedroom before turning out her light.

I've been thinking about these rituals as I've swung from night owl to barely making it to 9pm.  Is my body adjusting to spring?  Is it caving to the battle with allergies and shutting me down whether I like it or not?  My ritual includes the same as above with the addition of a journal entry.  I like to write a few lines about what has been positive about my day.  The world provides a daily avalanche of negativity, so I don't bother with focusing upon it.  Of course, there are days when it is a challenge to find even one sentence to write that remains hopeful or lighthearted.  As Grandma would say, those are the crapolla days of life, just wipe off you shoes and keep walking.  Thanks, Grandma!

This week's treasury has a bedtime theme.  Sweet dreams!

some advice to a young creative entrepreneur

"To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art."  -- Chinese Proverb

Yesterday I received an email from a young art student seeking business advice.  The following is a slightly edited version of what I wrote her. Much of it is pertanent to Chicago, but there are bits which I think apply to anyone.  

Attend the Creative Chicago Expo.  March 24th is the date for artists.  It is free with lots of great workshops.  Topics range from setting up a business to copyright law in a digital age.  

Attend the Expo prepared with business cards.  You can get some made on the cheap with Vistaprint.  I prefer Lady Printing myself as it is a woman-owned business  with excellent customer service. The owner even sends you a hand written thank you note. Moo cards are cool too. Anway,  you need the cards as you want to be able to give them out as you network and meet people. 

I am reading a great book on personal branding. Get it or another similar book.  It will help you enormously with networking, developing your brand image, how you present yourself to the public, etc.

Next, join the Chicago Craft Mafia website and mailing list.  We offer (yes, I'm a member) free quarterly presentations pertaining to craft entrepreneurship.  It's also a great time to network and get advice from others. Our next one is in April. While you are at it, sign up for the DIY Trunk Show email list.  In June we will be sending out application information for our annual fall craft show.

Start looking up business webinars.  There are many that are free and they are a great way to keep you motivated, learn new skills, and brush up on ones that are rusty.

This week there is an inexpensive workshop being given by the director for Lawyers for the Creative Arts.  (Many towns in the US have such organizations. Check with your local arts council.)

Read through the business section of Chicago Artists Resource.  There is so much information that it can be a bit overwhelming.  Take your time reading through it. (Note to those not in Chicago, the website has many national and international links.)

Join HARO - Help a Reporter.  Three times a day you will receive queries from reporters all over the US - blog, print and tv.  Write back to those that are relevant.  You may be quoted in their articles which means free publicity!

Get on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.  

Start a blog!  Promote your blog on your social media feed and your business card.  The blog should be used to announce new products, upcoming shows etc., but also let it reflect you and your interests and how these tie into your art.

This next peice of advice comes from a friend - start a business journal.  Write down your success, failures, joys and frustrations.  On those days when business sucks, it helps to be reminded of your successes.  And when you think you can sail free and clear, it's good to have a notebook of memories that keep you in check.

Make your product uniquely your own.  Keep it true to you. Both products you mentioned are market saturated, so what twist can you give them?  I hand knit hats for the holiday markets. Nothing elaborate, but I have many repeat customers because I knit with quality in mind and have a quirky sense of color.  I love the whimsical and that shows up in my work.  The same level of quality and professionalism is true of the art I show and sell through galleries.

Good luck!  Have fun!  And yes, as my mom would say, a person who started and operated a catering business for 25 years, there will be days you will swear you were drunk when you decided self employment was a good idea.  Those days pass, just like a bad hangover.  (Yes, my mother actually said this to me, just about everytime I called her when I'd be losing my nerve.)

What advice would you give to this student?   Please share it here.  I'd love to learn more and will be sure she and her classmates see it.

Versatile Blogger Award

"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks."  --  William Shakespeare

I've been awarded The Versatile Blogger award by Ansie.  Given that her blog sol y sombra has been a source of inspiration for several years,   it is especially gratifying to receive this award from her.

There are several rules to accepting this award and they are:

1. Add the award to your blog  --  See sidebar. 

2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you. -- Thank you, Ansie!

3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.  --  See below.

4. List the rules. - Check!

5. Award to 15 bloggers. -- See below.

6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.  -- Check!

7 Random Things about Me

My left thumb is double jointed which is great for grossing out kids when teaching.

I love to make jam.  I have a whole new flavor experiment line up for this summer including rasberry basil, lemon lavender and peach jalapeño.  Oh yes, and violet jam too!

I was fluent in French as a child.  My mom  spoke it to me when were alone, so it was sink or speak. Unfortunately, I've lost much of my knowledge of it as as an adult and struggle through formal

French lessons.  I think it's time I just do it and move to France for a year or two. Oui?!  

 

A brief childhoold hobby was taxidermy.  It probably led to my vegetariansim, especially after stuffing a baby possum (roadkill) that stretched.  Eeeewww!

I've traveled around three continents (North America, Europe, Australia) and lived on two (North America and Europe).  

 

I love to read travel journals.  They temporarily satiate my wanderlust given that I'm now fairly rooted.  I'd love to pack the bag and hike across the British Lake District or eat my way across India.

 

My entire name consists of family last names.

I pass along The Versatile Blogger award to these great bloggers:

Joetta Maue

Krisitn Nichols

Steph

Helle Jorgenson

Joyce Owens

Cinnamon Cooper

Penelope Dullaghan

Rebecca Ringquist

Danny Mansmith

Anna Bondoc

Juju Vail

I've only posted eleven, primarily as my computer has crashed twice as I've been writing, so I think it's telling me to go to my studio.  Please check out these bloggers.  I am sure you will be as wowed by what they say and do as I am.  

 

road less traveled

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. "

-- Robert Frost

I've been absent from Serendipity these last few weeks due to a cold.  Well, actually it was more like laryngitis that turned into nasty bronchitis before seguing into a mild form of pneumonia.  After two rounds of antibiotics, bottles of cough syrup and oodles of naps, I'm finally feeling like myself. While sequestered to my bed, I could hear Mom's voice telling me to slow down.  She had been extolling such words long before she passed away.  She knew I have this tendancy to bury myself in my work.  When one loves what one does, it's difficult to take a break.  After all, work doesn't feel like work when you enjoy it.   Right?!  But when one has been sick three times in a year, it's time to listen.

It's moments like now that I wish I could ring her up to chat.  I valued her opinion and sure would love it now.  Whenever I felt a bit wobbly about career decisions she would recite Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken with extra emphasis on the last few lines (see above).  This year has been amazing.  My work has been featured in exhibits across the country and as far as London, all the while receiving numerous reviews.  I was a featured artist during Chicago Artists Month and my community work The Red Thread Project® was performed three times, involving well over 1,000 knitters and crocheters of all ages.  Truly, it's been an amazing road to travel, but racing down it at full speed has taken its toll.  

So what to do, what to do.... 

I've decided to pull back on my exhibition schedule.  There I said it!   I need time to pursue my career as a proect designer.  I fully plan to continue making and exhibiting art, but I won't take every opportunity given me.  I'll be choosy.  Fewer shows means more time to reflect upon new work and really give it polish. Less emphasis on finding, securing, shipping and installing exhibits means more time in the studio to experiment.  This experimentation will in turn fuel the work I do as a project designer for craft companies.  Being choosy means pushing my career toward solo exhibitions in smaller, regional museums.  I've missed showing in acadmenic galleries and museums and have it on my list to pursue more of these venues. I also want to show more internationally which is going to require some research.  

I put this out there because I must stay to the path I've delineated and not be sidetracked which is incredibly difficult for me to do.  These are my New Year's resolutions - to stay focused on new business plan, take more breaks, go on a vacation and spend more time with family and friends.  I also have pledged to not end up in the doctor's office again, let alone the ER! It's an apple a day for me!

The image above is of an Etsy treasury I recently curated.  Take a look.  The work is beautiful.  I especially love the chunky cable slip cover for a chair.  It makes me want to curl up with a good book which is exactly what I'm going to do right now.

teaching an old dog new tricks

"Experience teaches only the teachable." --  Aldous Huxley

Do I always have to learn the hard way?  I recently asked a curator for the return of work I had sent her in the spring.  She was confused.  Evidently my contract stipulated that the work was to be "donated" to the art center.  Didn't I know?!   I had read the contract, but nothing was highlighted, boldfaced or clearly written that the work was to become the exclusive property of this art center upon shipment to them.  This was equally clear as mud in the curator's emails.  Biggest shocker was to learn that my work had sold at the art center's benefit.  I haven't a clue as to who bought the piece, let alone receive a thank you from the director for participating.  What I received was a small stipend in the summer that didn't even cover the cost of my materials.  I should be grateful.  The curator's response to my anger at feeling so duped, "Well, I was surprised that you spent so much time on the piece.  It was lovely work."

Frivilous comments don't put food on my table.  Money does.  I had spent 60+ hours making the piece, not including the cost of materials and shipping.   I received less for it than if I had actually donated it and been able to write off the donation on my taxes.   The meager stipend guarentees that I can't write off the piece.

Worst yet was hearing from the curator and a colleague who had joined us for dinner that they don't think artists should necessarily recoup the cost of their labor in the sale of a work.  When asked if they expected to be paid when they taught, curated shows or did other art administrative work, their response was affirmative, but for some reason artists should give away their time.  Their labor and experience shouldn't be a part of the equation.

What the....?!

For some reason I've been hearing over and over that artists create just for the joy of it.  This somehow then implies that we shouldn't care if we are paid as enough satisfaction is derived from the process of making and exhibiting.  A sale of work is pure gravy.  Frankly, I am fed up with this train of thought and the sooner artists ban together to insist on real wages, the sooner we will receive respect and earn what we should. But I despair in thinking that I'm fairly alone in this line of thinking.

My mother loved to cook.  She cooked for her family.  She also owned a restaurant and cooked for others.  She found joy in the process and loved to see others happy eating her food, but she clearly expected to be paid and indeed did receive money for her creative endeavors.  No one quibbled at her prices. No one said she should be satisfied giving away her talent.  Her art is one that feeds the body, mine feeds the soul.  Maybe I'm just a stubborn old dog, because I don't get what the difference is as both provide nourishment.  

There was a Chicago Tribune article a decade or so ago about an artist living near one of the housing projects who earned a comfortable income from painting murals in project apartments. People who were at the bottom of the economic ladder found value in his art.  They needed to have it in their lives and paid for it.   I wish I could find my copy of the article.  It clearly blows apart the notion that art is an exlusive of the wealthy who have extraneous income, let alone that art is not a necessity.

Another news report that sticks in my mind aired on NPR a month before the US invaded Iraq. There was a sudden rush on the purchase of art at galleries.  The reasons given for purchasing weren't economic, but emotional.  The collectors knew what horrors were soon to come and wanted to know that a little beauty would remain in their lives.

I can't do much to change how the art world works, but I can tighten up my response to it.  I'm always a stickler for reading contracts, but based on this recent situation, I obviously need to have a lawyer review them each and every time.  As this is an expensive enterprise, it may mean I exhibit less frequently.   I can't afford a legal review for every exhibition I've been involved with in the past year, but I can't afford to give away my art either.  I'm not going to bother quibbling further with the curator or the art center.  They aren't worth my time.  I will simply chalk this experience as a teachable moment and try to do better in the future.

visitin': cathi schwalbe-bouzide

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop."  --  Ovid

Friday I had had it.  I was feeling burned out, ready to walk out of the studio and not return. Fortunately, I had made breakfast plans with Cathi Schwalbe-Bouzide, aka the Corn Lady.  Two hours of chitchat and catching up did me a world of good.  Best yet was leaving my studio to visit another's.  

Cathi works out of Lillstreet Art Center.  Though my daughter spent 10 years there as a child studying art, I had never actually been to Cathi's studio.  What a treat!

Everywhere you turned, there were collections to consider, absorb and enjoy.  

I love this corn silo sculpture.  Why corn as a source of inspiration?  She has given various answers over the years, but my favorite answer is on her website - it is thoroughly Midwestern like she is, new pink 'do and all.

looking for rainbows, seeing possibilities abound

"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."  --  Lyman Frank Baum

Two weeks ago I woke early to find this lovely surprise.   I stared in disbelief and awe.  Rainbows are rare.  Surely it had to be an omen.  A good omen.  Right?

I was preparing to install my work at ArtPrize.  Did it mean I would find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, like a  $250,000 first prize?  One can dream, but alas no.  But then again, maybe I did find my pot of gold, if not a direct monetary one.  

Opportunities are what you make of them.  ArtPrize afforded me an addition to my public art portfolio and gave me direct feedback from others.  This feedback proved encouraging.  For one, many asked if I would be making the flowers available for individual purchase.  They saw my work in their home, a part of their lives.  They just couldn't take on the size and expense of a full installtion. I can't either which is why I designed it for easy storage and shipping.  So when they asked, I had a price in mind and not one person flinched.  Several gave me their cards and asked me to email them when they come available.   

Others asked if I would be selling patterns of the individual flowers.  Yes.  I am already in process of a book proposal based on this very thing, full of details about the flowers themselves in addition to the patterns.  I've loved making them and enjoy the thought of sharing the fun with others.  In the meantime, I'm preparing several patterns for sale in my Etsy shop and am considering kits.

I even had a request to rent the installation for a wedding reception!  I am meeting with the bride-to-be in a week to discuss the possibility.  Now here is a concept I had never considered in my wildest of dreams, but it has me thinking about how I can expand upon it.

Money for art doesn't have to be derived from the direct sale of the work. And I question the model of the arts depending on grants.  A recent survey I took asked if I felt my career was ever impeded due to lack of  grant funding.  Are they kidding?!  While grants can help and provide one with a structure for working out an idea, it doesn't have to be the primary source of income.  In fact, that way of thinking actually limits one.   I've always tailored my ideas to be within what I can do now with sketches worked for grander schemes.  Some of those grander ideas have taken fruition, such as The Red Thread Project®, others remain in my sketchbook, but my career has never been held back due to lack of funding.  Don't get me wrong.  Times have been tough.  I've raised a daughter on my own.  I have piles of medical bills (literally two inches thick when you stack up the envelopes), but I will never let money or someone dictate my career.  Call me stubborn.  

So like the beauty of finding a rainbow at dawn, I keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities.  I take the disappointments and look at how I can do better.  I hope for an ease in cash flow, but know its constrains don't limit me, only I can.  For now, I'm going to put on the kettle for more tea and get back in the studio.

learning to accept with grace

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."  -- Dorothy Lange

When the catalog for Chicago Artist Month (CAM) arrived, my daughter was flipping through it when she stopped at this image of me.  

"Mom, this doesn't look like you.  I mean it is you, but it's not."

She went on to explain that I don't look like a mom, but an artist.  I laughed.  I'm both, right?  I didn't get it.  I'm a little thick.  She saw an underlying confidence that I couldn't.  A confidence that has held me afloat during years of struggle to hold onto my art practice through the thick and thin of life.

I felt awkward having the picture taken.  I'm not one to jump in front of the lens, especially when I have cold sores the size of an elephant.   The day was warm, the beginning of a heat wave.  My mind was on getting to the trade show where I had a booth.  I couldn't relax to enjoy the moment.  The photographer Maria Ponce was great.  She kept ordering me to move this way and that.  I finally sank into the role as her model, letting her get on with the job she was paid to do.  

Me.  A model.  Good grief.

Being chosen as one of the featured artists is an honor.  I've worked hard to reach this point.  But so have many other local artists.  What makes me so special?! Nothing.  But as my daughter keeps reminding me, I should be thankful.  And I am.  

I am very thankful.  Hopefully the attention will allow The Red Thread Project® to grow.  I am excited by the number of venues hosting Red Thread Stitching Studios.  I have a great site for the installation and I learned last week that the performance will be at the Chicago Cultural Center as part of "What's your art?" on December 3rd.  Meida McNeal confirmed today that she will choreograph the performance.   I organized all of this on my own, without funding and not one intern, just the occassional help of a few friends. (Thanks!)  I've worked 12-14 hour days for several months.  I can't believe it is all real.  The official launch is in just two days.

Learning to accept everything with grace has been my biggest challenge.   I still feel self conscious, but I keep in mind a recent conversation with  Mr. Pringle, director of the Harlem Theater Company. He asked me if I was good at what I do.  I think so. " Don't you know?," he asked.  Okay, he had me. Yes, I am good at what I do.  "That's better."  Is this the part when I take a bow?  "Why not!"  

 I was kidding, but he wasn't.  I understood his point.  He wanted me to see in myself what my daughter was seeing in the photo.  I'm here.  I've survived a ton of crap.  Accept the kudos as part of the package.  I wouldn't have made it this far in life and art without some sense of confidence and endurance.

If Mom were still alive, she'd give me a hug and then serenade me with an ear piercing rendition of Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman!"  She played the song until the record srcatched.  

I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

Suddenly, I feel 13 years old with an urge to roll my eyes.