Recent Stitchery and Random Thoughts

Just some stitched bits I've been working on lately.  While I'm stitching, I have a lot of time to think.  Because, as you know by now, if left to my own devices, I could sit and stitch and think for hours and hours.  Every day.  If only there weren't dishes in my sink, a dog to be piddled, and weeds already outgrowing my perennials.  I might become a reclusive stitcher.  Good that I've got other things going on in my world, I suppose. 

Anyway.  I've been pondering my life lately.  Ooooohhhh, I knoooowwww...deep.  Scary and deep. I am reading the most wonderful book: The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One.  Oh.My.NERVES!  Where has this book been all my life??!!  I've really only just started it, but already I feel that Margaret wrote it just for me, me, me. 

In my ponderings, I've been wondering, "am I too old?", "is it too late?", or plainly, "am I crazy?"  The answer, my friends, is no, no, NO!  Egads, what a relief.  As I stitch and paint and ponder my way through my life, trying new things as they intrigue me, and really never settling on just one thing, it does make me wonder if there is something wrong with me.  I know it's not commitment issues: I've been in a 21-year relationship with my one true love.  It's not lack of interest: I have more interests than hours in the day.  But, I do feel scattered and without focus a lot of the time.  But this book!  It's telling me there are more of you like me out there.  It's telling me to go on with my bad self and keep doing what I'm doing.  It's OKAY!  And there's a promise later in the book, of how to channel some of this energy and inspiration.  Hoo-RAY! 

There are so many things I'd like to do.  And I do feel like I have had a lot of false starts, going down one path and finding I'd rather wander over on that path over there.  And I'd love to tell you I'm one of those, "hey, whatever...it's all good" people.  But the fact that I can't "settle down" like "normal" people stresses.me.out.  Some days.  Other days, I do shift towards the "everything is happening as it should be" paradigm.  But even those shifts feel manic and stressful.  

It ain't easy being me.

But this book is reminding me that when I started this journey towards living my dreams, I knew it wasn't going to be easy.  And still?  I chose it.  It's not always easy, it's not always fun.  But the days when I'm in the flow, and inspired, and on fire...those days make the scarier days so much less scary, and the awesome, goose-bump-producing, day-of-my-dreams days so much more so.  And the beautiful thing about this book is that I realize I already know this stuff!  I have it in me.  Everything.  All of it.  It has just reminded me how smart I really am, how precious this life is, and how much freaking fun it can be!  A gift.  Grateful.  Me.

Hard at Work

 As you can see, Kip-the-Wonder-Dog/Office Assistant is working hard this morning.  Honestly, I can relate.  I'd love nothing better than to laze about in a hammock, and read a book today.  Sounds great, doesn't it?  Outside, the birds are chirping the sweetest song, the sun is trying it's best to break through the low clouds.  We had rain yesterday, and everything feels so fresh. 

I haven't been doing much in the studio lately.  This little pillow I finished awhile back.  I seem to have these peaks and valleys...periods of lots of activity and creative flow, followed by periods of quiet.  I used to get really worked up about the quiet times, always feeling I should be doing something.  But I've learned these quiet spells rejuvenate me for the work and inspiration ahead.  So, I try to relax into them.  I could learn a lesson from my dog.  I doubt he's worried right now, stretched out on the top of the staircase, about what needs doing, squirrels that need chasing, robins that need barking at.  Nope.  Definitely not.  He's snoring to beat the band.

The timing for the Creative Souls Telesummit couldn't be better, really.  During these down times, it does my muse good to seek out new ideas, read poetry, listen to wise souls.  I'm excited about the first session today!  I'll be at the gallery during the live webcast, so I'm happy they are making the sessions available later on their website so I can listen to it tonight.

Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday, whether its full of activity or just a quiet break.

Calling You Creative Souls

I'm tuning in next week to the Creative Souls Telesummit. 

It’s launching April 26th-May 20th, 2011.  The Creative Souls Telesummit is specifically for Creative Souls like us…artists, renaissance souls, scanners, right-brainers, pioneers, visionaries, creative mavericks…to help us get clear, get into action and create financial flow with our creative endeavors.

There are 13 live speakers who you can listen to for free.  FREE I tell you!!  They will cover three weeks of content:

Week 1:  FOCUS – How to Get Clear, Align with Your True Purpose and Be Your Authentic Creative Self

Week 2:  How to Remove Blocks and Get into Action with the Steps and a Plan

Week 3:  How to Turn Your Creative Fire into Financial Flow

If you’re a creative soul with creative endeavors that you would like to see come to fruition, then come on!  Join us.  It's free.

(Also, there are over 8 VIP Bonus Speakers giving their advice in 45-minute interviews.  You can upgrade to receive all of these VIP mp3's to listen to at your leisure.)

The LIVE summit calls will be held from 12:00-1:00pm Pacific Daylight Time.  If you can’t make the calls, sign up anyway and receive the recordings of all live calls in your inbox.  For free.  Check out the website for more details!

To sign up for the Creative Souls Telesummit, click here, or over there on my sidebar.

(Did I mention that it's free?  Free is a very good price.)

Hello Again

Artfest was fab!  I'm so glad that I went - it was everything I hoped it would be, and exactly what I needed.  On our way back last Sunday (literally, in the car on the way home) I caught the worst springtime cold on record, and was down for the count all week.  So, I'm just getting back into the swing of things today.  I promise you a nice juicy post in the next day or so.  Today I am lowering prices on selected items in my Etsy shop.  So, if you've been eyeing a bit of my art, that waiting may just pay off today!  In the meantime, just wanted to say hello again and wish you a wonderful week, full of joy and creativity and fun. 

Hitting the Road

All packed up and ready to head to Artfest!  Chatter with you on Sunday.  Enjoy the rest of your week!  

Sunday Stitches

I had it in my mind all last week that I was going to change things up a bit and do some painting.  I even prepped some cedar panels and sketched some drawings onto them.  And then the siren call of my embroidery floss and silk scraps and vintage fabrics was too much to resist.

I abandoned those prepped painting panels and started a few little stitched bits instead.  I joked about it not too long ago - about all I wanted to do was stitch.  It seems to be, in fact, the truth.  Because I haven't given painting a second thought all weekend.  I'm content to stitch, stitch, stitch. 

And.  So excited - I'm headed to Artfest on Wednesday with my good friend Linda.  I'm so looking forward to five days of arting, arting, arting.  It's such a treat, and I feel so fortunate to be able to go.  (Naturally, I've already begun packing up some stitching projects to do in the evenings.  I may be taking classes during the day, but I'll get my stitching in, in case you were worried I might go through some sort of withdrawal.  Seriously - do I need to find myself a stitchery 12-step program?)

Anyhoooo.  I digress.  Artfest.  There's nothing like having a chunk of time blocked out for creativity.  Just knowing that for those days I don't have to do anything but feed my creative fire - no dishes, no phone, no cute furry dog who needs a walk - it's blissful, just thinking about it.  

Machine-stitching these polka dots was crazyass fun.  But it appears that I may have been driving under the influence.  (I wasn't.  This time)  Gotta love the wonkiness of it, though. 

In other news, my little hat do-over was featured over here, which was a fun little surprise.  

Hope you're having a lovely weekend, and finding time for your own creative endeavors.  

I just re-read this post.  It's a little pinball-slingy-crazy in its jumping from subject to subject.  I started to revise, then decided to leave it as it is, because this is how my brain is working right now - in a pinball-slingshot-boomerang sort of way.  I thought it might be more entertaining in its unedited form.

Working.

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.  Emile Zola

A new sketchbook.  It's like new school supplies for me.  All fresh and clean.  Empty pages, full of promise.

I'm working today.  Working at my art.  Doodling some sketches for some new paintings.  It seems the muse has settled in, and there are some new things she'd like me to work on.  Working on my art feels like a daily devotional practice.  It quiets my mind and slows me down.  Even when there are a gazillion new ideas buzzing through my brain.  Only one thing can happen at a time when I'm working on my art.  There is no multi-tasking.  I have to focus on the piece at hand.  And that feels so good.  It's as if all the deadlines, marketing ideas, shop updates, article submissions, class proposals don't matter in this moment.  Because, really?  None of those things can happen without the work of art. 

Sometimes I get myself whipped up into a lather about the things I need to be doing to put my work out there, only to realize that I haven't created any new work to put out there.  So, these rare days when I have a new sketchbook, and a string of unscheduled hours to work in it, feel like a little luxury.

I hope you find a little time today to spend on whatever you're dreaming for your creative life.