Stop Pressing 'Pause'

I wouldn't say I'm stuck on creating but I am on pause from moving forward. My aim is to make art a full time business but I can honestly say that I'm sucking at the part-time position. This week I've been trying to prepare myself for opening an Etsy shop. Each day I think I have done more at browsing other shops than focusing on my on. My excuse this week has been on photography. I've read so much on styling and photographing items for Etsy and blogs that I've dug myself into a deeper whole. In order for me to get customers, I feel like my shots have to be just right, but I guess I have lost some creativity in this area. Therefore, I'm not making moves to list items yet until I am satisfied with my photos. I need to get over this insecurity because I'm just starting it out. Nothing has to be just right. The process is to improve over time. So I guess in righting this I realized that there is a definite need to get unstuck and release the pause button. And I'm just making up reasons to hold myself back. Wow!

Replacing the Tire and Making Way for the New

As a new year typically brings about resolutions to lose weight and be healthy, I have made the focus of my resolution on the total revamping of myself and my career. For the past year and a half I have been slowly grasping the life of an artist, designer, entrepreneur, or whatever I wanted to be at the moment. At the end of this period, I have not made a drastic change from where I've started. Yeah, I can say I have I made a few sales here and there from my art on RedBubble and a shirts on Cotton Smoothie (Spreadshirt) or been in one show, but that's not going to cut it if I really want to thrive. Therefore, a change needs to be made. Though I have done plenty of research about starting a business and such many times before, I think the start of 2011 brought me the real insight I needed to get over the hump in my life. More realistically, it wasn't the hump that I needed to be concerned about but the old tire of a cycle that has been worn down for some years. I need a replacement instead of a spare or donut. 

Getting to this realization wasn't easy one bit. There were a number of you all out there that have helped me ask the critical questions for evaluating my life, understanding my resistance to growth and the necessity to follow spirit, and fulfilling my dream as a business owner. Whether it was from Write Your Life Right sessions, the e-course from Scoutie Girl, reading the early years posts from Kelly Rae Roberts, or venturing into the lives of all you great artists and craftpreneurs that help make this world a beautiful place; I am now in a space that is ready for a new life. I know what habits must be relinquished and I know what skills need to be developed. I also understand the power that fear played in the past and the power that faith has for my future. All in all, I know that this makeover will not happen overnight, but as long as I take action daily, my dreams will be realized and I will be at my full potential.

For you all, have you experienced any breakthroughs? Have you started witnessing changes in your life?

Goodies to Share

Good day everyone!

It's the middle of January and I hope everyone is off to a great start in the new year. I finally made it over to Elon for the Annual Small Works Invitational and I'm here to share the goods.  First off, it was an adventure trying to find the school. I think Google Maps left off a couple of streets so we were turning here and there and there and there.

When we finally arrived to the gallery (which is also the Art Department), we knew the location of the exhibition but the doors were locked to the actual exhibition space. Finally, we located a faculty member who didn't have access to the gallery and thus he informed us to grab lunch. That's what we did! By that time, the chair of the department would be informed of our request for entry.  And we returned to see the gallery doors opened, someone at the front desk, and we were off to see the lovely works.



This is the handbill for the exhibition.



Mine is top center. It's called "Up Close and Personal".
I was glad to share one of my fractal creations.

Here's a close-up. I didn't have a frame at the time. Now I wish I did.

This is my second piece "In Solitude" (8x10Acrylic on Canvas ).

Standing with pride next to the lovely. CHEESE!

I forgot to get a shot by "Up Close and Personal". Had to retrace steps.

The trip overall was amazing. It was such a wonderful feeling to see something you've laid hands on to be up for the world to see. I'm certainly inspired to keep moving and creating. What has been inspiring you lately to create?