September 2010
the artistic mother :: the art of cherishing
by shona cole
I love this baby. I mean LOVE him.
And he loves me.
He needs me and reaches for me.
He wants me over everyone else.
What an honor this is!
I search his face for the big, beautiful man he will be one day. When he will love me but not need me. When he will love his wife and kids more than me. The way it is meant to be. I know those days are coming, but for now I treasure, I cherish this boy and our special intimacy. And even though he won’t remember this, I will. This is my time to be loved by him greatly.
I am enjoying my 5th baby so much because this time around I know what I am doing! Before Matthew, 10, I had nothing – no understanding, no wisdom, no clue. Through my teen years chasing boys, my college years proving myself, my working years being an adult I paid no mind to the business of babies and homemaking and loving. With my first, I learned on the job.
This time around, with the basics of childrearing learned, I can bask in loving my baby. I know how to care for him. I don’t worry so much – is he getting enough food? will he be smart? will he be secure? should I demand feed or schedule him? Nope, I can just do what I do and then bask.
I know this time is fleeting. So I indulge in cherishing him. I hold him a little longer after nursing. I wear him on my back more and more each day, a place where he is extra happy and comfortable (thanks to my Ergo).
I challenge you, today. If you have a young child try to set aside the fears of being a parent and focus on cherishing the little person they are and will become. It is so refreshing to peel away the cares and just be in relationship with them.
And take a photo of you together. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just a record of you together. You will cherish it in the future.
Thanks to my 10 year old son for taking these photos of me and his brother Maximus.
Read more >>simple, soulful photography with irene nam (a giveaway!)
by irene nam
from shutter sisters
“Your Style Statement is the two words that define the true you. It’s a touchstone for making more powerful choices in your life – from your wardrobe to your living room, your relationships to your career plans. Your Style Statement is where your essence meets your expression.” – Danielle LaPorte and Carrie McCarthy, Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design
Simple, soulful. I know it doesn’t seem like much, yet defining my style statement has been an important milestone in my career and life as a creative soul. These two words have helped me make decisions about chairs and outfits, and enlightened my path whenever I wandered too far away from my true self. So when I was offered the opportunity to conduct an e-course on photography earlier this year, I couldn’t think of better words to define it.
The Simple Soulful Photography e-class (October 4-31, right here in the wishstudio!) is a four-week workshop complete with lessons and challenges that will encourage you to find and express your authentic self through photography. during the workshop, you will be provided with:
- Weekly lessons (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and photo challenges
- Private discussion board to share thoughts and questions about the weekly lessons
- Downloadable PDF of every lesson
- An original, signed photo print
- Email access to Irene
- Live chat available with Irene
I envisioned this e-class like I would arrange a meet-up with good friends in a small café. I come in early and journal while waiting patiently for familiar and friendly faces to appear. This place is our café. This is your place. Where imperfections are celebrated, insights are shared and souls are nurtured. A place where we support each other on our quest to finding our authentic self and building a more creative and fulfilling life.
***win a spot in Irene’s e-class by leaving a comment on this post telling us what simple, soulful things you love. the winner will be announced on friday, october 1st in the wishstudio cafe. good luck!
Read more >>1000 paper cranes project
by sandy
1000 paper cranes. 1000 “positive words”. 1000 different locations. Daunting much? I didn’t realize at the time what a massive undertaking the project would be, or how rewarding it would be after such a short time after starting it.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is where my primary inspiration came from. It’s a story about Sadako, a young woman living in Japan at the time of the Hiroshima bombing back during World War II. Not long after the bombing, she developed leukemia and spent most of her time in a nursing home to “recover.” Sadly it was not meant to be as she eventually succumbed to the cancer. However, while in the nursing home, she decided to fold 1000 paper cranes. Japanese folklore says that a grand wish will be granted to anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes; Sadako’s was to survive her illness. Even though she was not able to complete all 1000 cranes before she passed on, her friends and family finished off folding the remaining cranes to be buried with her.
Definitely a sad story, but inspiring at the same time. It sparked an interest within me that I later coupled with wanting to put a different and positive word on each of the cranes. (With the help of friends, family and internet dictionaries, I was able to compile this list after nearly a year.) As for the different locations bit? Well, I wanted to see how far I could spread the peace of the paper cranes. (Did you know that paper cranes are a symbol of peace?) And so, my project, Sandy and the 1000 Paper Cranes was born.
While I’ve not heard back anything from someone who has actually found a crane, the response of people coming across my website has been (pleasantly) positive. I was afraid people would find my project too whimsical or hokey, but the comments and emails I’ve received to date have really helped me to not lose sight of my purpose of my project: spreading peace and joy in a small way. If the project has managed to touch at least one person, and it apparently has, I consider it a success. And so I continue in my quest to fold, write and release 1000 paper cranes to spread positivity to as many people as possible.
realize at the time what a massive undertaking the project would be, or how rewarding it would
be after such a short time after starting it.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is where my primary inspiration came
from. It’s a story about Sadako, a young woman living in Japan at the time of the Hiroshima
bombing back during World War II. Not long after the bombing, she developed leukemia and
spent most of her time in a nursing home to “recover.” Sadly it was not meant to be as she
eventually succumbed to the cancer. However, while in the nursing home, she decided to fold
1000 paper cranes. Japanese folklore says that a grand wish will be granted to anyone who
folds 1000 paper cranes; Sadako’s was to survive her illness. Even though she was not able to
complete all 1000 cranes before she passed on, her friends and family finished off folding the
remaining cranes to be buried with her.
Definitely a sad story, but inspiring at the same time. It sparked an interest within me that I later
coupled with wanting to put a different and positive word on each of the cranes. (With the help
of friends, family and internet dictionaries, I was able to compile this list after nearly a year.) As
for the different locations bit? Well, I wanted to see how far I could spread the peace of the paper
cranes. (Did you know that paper cranes are a symbol of peace?) And so, my project, Sandy and
the 1000 Paper Cranes was born.
While I’ve not heard back anything from someone who has actually found a crane, the response
of people coming across my website has been (pleasantly) positive. I was afraid people would
find my project too whimsical or hokey, but the comments and emails I’ve received to date
have really helped me to not lose sight of my purpose of my project: spreading peace and joy
in a small way. If the project has managed to touch at least one person, and it apparently has, I
consider it a success. And so I continue in my quest to fold, write and release 1000 paper cranes
to spread positivity to as many people as possible.
sponsor love and giveaway :: well of creations
“Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night”
- Glade Byron Addams
big gratitude to our sponsor Robin Norgren from Well of Creations. she is an artist, wirter, mother and military wife who enjoys having the time to love people through the things that she makes! visit her website and shop to share in her inspired life and creative love. you can also find her writing at Studio Mothers.
Robin has offered to give away one of her adorable hand made backpacks, “Hope” (great to carry small items or even an ipad!). here is her inspiring story behind this creation…
“These backpacks are pretty special to me in that the first six in the line were made from the remnant yarns I had left over while preparing for my move back to the U.S. from Germany. I was in that transition stage where everything had been shipped home and I was preparing a suitcase to take with me for the plane ride. I felt a little embarassed to travel with so many odds and ends skeins of yarn and so I began to crochet large rectangles. With the even SMALLER remnants I began to braid, something that felt very happy to do in the midst of so much transition. It was not until I came back to the U.S. and was settled in my friend’s home that I even attempted to tackle the “now what” question. My friend saw the rectangles and the braided yarn together and said, ” what a cool backpack” (the pieces were simply laying on top of each other unassembled) and a new product was born.”
to win the “Hope” backpack, please leave a comment on this post sharing what hope you carry in your heart. the winner will be announced on wednesday, september 29 in the wishstudio cafe (under the giveaway winners discussion thread :)!
here’s hoping everyone!
Read more >>exciting news from behind the scenes
photo by irene nam
hi everyone!
things are cooking here in the wishstudio and i wanted to share with you an inside peek at whats unfolding behind the scenes, so come with me on a little wishstudio tour…
the blog :: we have so many inspiring writers here in the wishstudio, both regular contributors and special guests. i’m excited to let you know that connie hozvicka of dirty footprint studios will be joining our community here next month with her column Creative Juicy Life. i know she will inspire you! and have you ever wanted to share something creative and juicy in your life? i’m always taking submissions and ideas for guest posts, so put your writer and dreamer hat on and send me a note! while you’re at it, don’t forget to submit your contributor questions as well. keep an eye out too for new wishmamas essays and the next links in the necklace project.
workshops and events :: next month join irene nam of shutter sisters for her brand new ecourse, Simple Soulful Photography. this is her online class debut and it’s going to be smashing! also, don’t miss your last chance to be inspired by christine mason miller and her workshop Today: Begin. it is a wonderful way to dive into that project or idea with the unique guidance of christine’s sparkle, wisdom and art. there is much more to come… a creativity and dreams workshop, a karma workshop to take and help support a charity, wishfull virtual art retreat 2011 (coming in march this year!), and lot’s of other great events and happenings. don’t forget about all of our local gatherings as well, including our fall 1 day Creative Intu{wish}n retreat on october 10th.
la vie boheme shop :: can it be? yes! our etsy shop will finally be opening this fall! next month we will have a grand opening event as the wishstudio’s la vie boheme shop will be filled with creative goodies for you. our special item to be unveiled, limited edition Wish BIG necklaces by stacy de la rosa and myself – stay tuned! you won’t want to miss out on these little sparkly gems.
the cafe and inspiration lounge :: i’ve recently added loads of links to the inspiration lounge – check them out! and as always, i am happy to add your button to that page as well so send it on over. i love sharing and shining a light on YOU! also, this fall i will be hosting a cafe meet up! come with your creative conversation and social butterfly wings and join in. there will be prizes, some good buzz, and lots of creative connections and ideas to share!
suggestion box :: what would you like to see here in the wishstudio? what questions do you have? how can we better connect and inspire you? your feedback is invaluable and i love hearing from you!
i am a poem
How to mourn the last zinnias of summer:
First, you hold the stem.
You admire its turgid strength,
how the length of it connects
two worlds—one above, one below,
and you recognize your own life,
caught between two places of longing,
never fully belonging to either,
living between contentment and the ache
you recognize as the voice of something more.
Next you examine the scalloped cradle
which offers the petals to the sun and sky,
just the way your own chest holds
your bruised and bursting heart,
your offering of brokenness,
your offering of thanks.
Then you gently finger the bright petals.
They are pathways to memories stored
somewhere deep within you.
They curl like the lips you wished
you’d kissed but didn’t,
the old regret still lingering in your mouth,
daily absorbed by the tongue and palate.
Afterwards you count the star-like stamens
standing guard around the soft center
of the flower’s life.
They are the fortress you cannot penetrate,
they are the questions spoken in inaudible dialects,
their pollen the dust collecting on the fringe
of your tattered skirt.
Out of habit you lift it to your nose,
breathing deeply.
It’s attar isn’t one of sweetness,
it’s not a lily or a rose, it’s not the wisteria
that blooms along the fence in early spring.
It is late summer and grief.
It’s like your tears—earthy, bitter,
stinging the throat and cheeks,
the sharp reminder of weeds
that stain your hands and
always return after they’re pulled.
Finally you enclose it between your palms.
You clutch it tightly as if it’s something
that might live forever, something that will
endure simply because of your fragile human wanting.
Next summer you will buy the packet of seeds,
you will till the ground; you will cover the tiny grains
with moist earth and blind faith.
Next summer, like all summers, they will grow
tall and wild. Their beauty will
surprise you as it always does and, just like
summers past, you will once again
see them as if for the first time.
courageous conversations :: the in crowd
by kate swoboda
A few months ago, I attended a San Francisco art opening. When I arrived, a group of friends were discussing a challenge that had arisen for one of the people in the group, who was curating an art show. An angry artist had accused the curator of being part of an online clique that only promoted each others’ work, and that had no interest in bringing in someone outside of that circle.
“But I accepted a lot of work from people I’d never met, before,” I recall the curator sharing with us. I interpreted from the look on her face that it genuinely bothered her that someone would think that she had been cruel or unkind. “I’ve never been part of the popular crowd my entire life. I’m not one of the popular people at all! I’m not…”
And in that moment, I felt an old, familiar stirring–a lion’s roar of loyalty and red flags and Hmmmm….that doesn’t sound right.
I put my hand on her arm, not wanting her to downplay herself any further. “Wait a second,” I said. “What if you are part of a popular crowd, this time? What if that’s just okay? What if these are your friends, your tribe, and you can just claim that for yourself?”
It bothered me immensely that an accusation had been made that put pressure on this person to defend her friendships. This got me to thinking about something else that bothers me on the internet–the way that collectively, we tend not to be really honest about the judgements, comparisons, and insecurities around connection.
What I notice
I notice that there’s something that we don’t talk about a lot on the internet–and it’s the way in which high school has seemingly transplanted itself from crowded hallways and locker rooms and cafeteria politics to the online world. In high school, there were cliques, gossip, bullying. There were people who got more attention and praise, and seemingly, more power.
In the online world, and especially in the creative blogging world, I often notice that the same thing seems to be replicating itself. There are the websites that get a ton of traffic and followers, and many of the women who read these websites suffer in a kind of quiet, tortured silence–comparing themselves. Feeling less-than. And sometimes, for some of them, getting pissed and leaving passive-aggressive comments or aggressive-aggressive emails (the digital equivalent of bullying).
It’s About Connection
And can we just be honest about something? It is (tacitly understood to be) uncool to admit to the comparisons, the feeling less-than. It seems to come up most acutely when there’s some kind of real-time event, such as BlogHer, and then I’ll notice a smattering of blog posts across the internet in which people temporarily get real about insecurities and feeling nervous and–the meat of it all–wanting connection.
If we distill it all down, what are we really after with this big, wide, internet world? Connection. And when that doesn’t happen, it hurts. Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced a moment of insecurity watching people plan their lunch or dinner dates on Facebook or Twitter–I’ll raise mine with you! We as humans, and especially women within the blogging community, want to feel that we are a part of things. We want to be truly seen and truly heard, and I think it’s normal to feel both happiness that someone else has created connection for themselves while also wanting it for ourselves. Sometimes, watching others make coffee plans or write about their weekends together or drop names (because let’s be honest, again–that certainly happens, too!), it’s easy to feel left out of the pack, to feel not-enough.
And really, it’s the ultimate catch-22, because even having an online tribe doesn’t mean that everything is great forevermore. My curator friend, a woman who I would describe as kind and big-hearted, finds herself in the position of needing to defend friendships that she came by in the way that all of us would hopefully be coming by our friendships–with a willingness to share who we are and create connection.
It’s the relationship equivalent of naturally size-2 women who need to defend themselves against the rejection of women with more in the caboose. And frankly? No one is winning at this game.
What We Can Do
As a landing spot with these sorts of tricky situations, I always advocate first looking at, and accepting, the feelings. You’re pissed that there are women online who appear to be part of a clique? Go ahead. Feel that anger. Please don’t take it out on others by writing nasty emails, but spend some time journaling, owning that you’re angry. Feeling sad because you want more connection? Rather than running out for a new self-help book with a 3-step plan on making friends, take some time–feel the hurt of it. Have some acceptance for the very real part of you that feels envious, angry, sad, annoyed, frustrated, left out, not-enough. There’s no need to squash what feels very real for you.
After you’ve felt the feelings, examine the Stories. Stories (with a capital “S”) are those belief systems that have become so habituated, we “run a Story” without always checking to see if it’s true. Some Stories that could be running around the online world: That there’s a popular clique determined to exclude people. Or how about the Story that you aren’t good enough? How are those Stories serving any of us? It seems to me that many of these Stories are unverifiable–the idea that one is being excluded is hinged on something like an unreturned email or not getting accepted into a show that had limited space. Those Stories only create divisiveness, and a lot of pain and insecurity as we run them.
If you know that attaching yourself to a Story that is unverifiable, you have a choice–you can choose to hold on to that Story and continue to suffer, or you can choose to decide whether there’s another Story that you’d like to attach to. This is taking responsibility for our own lives and our own choices.
It’s in the place where we’re not attaching to those old Stories that we can really start working this internet thing like it was mean to be worked–stepping into more collaboration, more connection. Being tangled up in the feelings or boxed in by Stories keeps us from the clear-thinking parts–the part where one might think, “I know: I’ll start my own retreat,” or “I know: I’ll start my own art show.”
Connection isn’t only created when some person (that we’ve decided is “better than” us) invites us in.
Connection is also created when we risk being seen and emerge as leaders, willing to start something new and bring others into the fold.
We do ourselves a disservice with those Stories and assumptions, and the resulting disconnection. My curator friend has made choices that have landed her a great group of friends. The loveliest part of the internet is that we aren’t restricted to certain pools of people–and the pools of people who are “popular” one moment are less popular in the next. Time and trends have one thing in common: they pass. Does it make any kind of sense to give away our power and passion in service to comparisons and feeling less-than, when we have this divine opportunity right now to step into our own light, to boldly create something of our own?
So what kind of connection are we creating, today?
what you CAN do {my morning attitude shift}
flowers for karen maezen miller's Mother's Plunge tomorrow
sometimes i catch myself bemoaning all things that i need to do but can’t for whatever reason. i’ve been known to hive a minor meltdown over worrying about not being able to get things done ( i’ll admit it) for whatever myriad of reasons seemingly sit in my way; not enough time, a cranky baby, missing supplies, scheduling conflicts, the list goes on and on.
i found myself in that place this morning and i was spinning my wheels and frustrated. i thought, “mindy, this isn’t helping”, so i squarely decided that i just needed to focus on what i could do and make those things happen. that simple shift completely opened up my day.
sounds simple right? well, it is in theory. the harder thing to do is to let go what you were holding so tight to ten minutes ago, take a deep breath, and have faith that in the right moment those things will get done too. yes, there are a finite number of minutes in any given day (168 hours per week to be exact, which really is quite a lot if you think about it, but that’s another post for another time), and you might come up against some things that seem impossibly insurmountable. yet, at any given moment there is something you CAN do… some little step you can take that will put you a wee bit further down the path.
taking some action will feel a whole lot better than taking no action and feeling stuck. that’s all i’m saying. so as i accept that probably a few things might drop off my to do list today, i’m triumphantly tackling the things i’m able to do right now (with said cranky baby in tow) and feeling pretty good about it :)
it’s time. go conquer your day!
Read more >>redefining crazy
“A question that sometimes drives me hazy; ‘Am I or are the others Crazy?’” -Albert Einstein
How often do we hold ourselves back because we think our ideas are too “crazy?” We label, we judge, we criticize our own thoughts. We base them against what we think is normal, right, acceptable or even predictable. But for who? Who’s idea of right or wrong are we accepting? Is it our family, society, establishments or truly ourselves who have defined these values for us?
I have come to a place where I’ve realized that I need to redefine crazy. Not in reference to any sort of clinical diagnosis, but how the word is used all too often by my inner-self-doubting voice. The one that says what my paintings “should” look like, what journal entries are “safe” to share with others and which workshop ideas “make sense.” There seem to be many of these rules my inner critic automatic obeys.
Through personal experience I have learned that I find much more joy out of life when I ignore that pesky inner critic – difficult as that may be. I am learning to push forward with all those so called crazy thoughts I have bubbling around inside of me. They are unpredictable, intuitive glimpses that often don’t make any sense at the time. When it somehow just feels right, I have decided to follow them. I have witnessed so many beautifully unexpected things unfold in my life as a result of trusting my formerly labeled “crazy” ideas.
Recently I sat down and wrote a two page journal entry on the topic of crazy thoughts. I forced myself to look past other people’s definitions. Instead I generated a list of things that are crazy to me. On one page I wrote the following lines. Crazy is fearing change in a world that is ever changing. Crazy is asking someone else what you need. Crazy is not being true to yourself. Crazy is believing you are not enough. Crazy is not letting your own light shine. On the opposite page I wrote in bold letters “CRAZY IS NOT TRUSTING YOURSELF!” From now on I am going to live by this definition.
If the thought of the word “Crazy” is holding you back in your art or in your life, maybe it’s time for you to redefine crazy too.
*Jeniffer Hutchins at JoyfulArts Studio (http://www.JoyfulArtsStudio.com)
Read more >>ordinary sparkling moments :: string around my finger
At the beginning of 1999 I started training for the AIDS Ride ~ a bike ride that would take me from San Francisco to Los Angeles over the course of seven days in early June of that year. I was rising early for twenty-mile rides that took me all around Santa Barbara and spending afternoons climbing the biggest hills I could find. Not long after accomplishing my longest training ride yet ~ fifty miles ~ I was on one of my morning rides when a car turned in front of me and, as one friend put it, I unwittingly re-enacted a scene from the 1980s William Shatner cop show “TJ Hooker”, flipping over the hood of her car and landing back on the road on my head.
A quick sidenote, dear readers: Always wear a bike helmet.
After I stopped rolling, I somehow ended up on my hands and knees and did an immediate mental check to make sure I could still move. The instant I was certain I wasn’t paralyzed, an overwhelming sense of calm came over me, knowing that whatever damage was done, I would be OK. I was soon giving the police the name and number of a friend to come pick up my bicycle, and it wasn’t until he walked up and I saw the way he looked at me ~ strapped to a board being loaded in an ambulance ~ that I shed my first tear. Until that moment, it still felt like some strange dream, but once I saw his expression, the reality of what had just happened flooded through me.
The ultimate outcome turned out to be a fractured vertebrae, three months in a back brace, and hours of physical therapy. In a discussion about the accident with a friend many weeks later, she said, “Talk about something happening that creates an inconvenience in your day,” a comment made in reference to the frustration we so often feel at the slightest of disruptions in our daily plans. Meaning ~ when you find yourself riding through the city in the back of an ambulance not yet knowing how badly battered your body is, suddenly traffic delays don’t seem like such a big deal.
I think about that day sometimes, and how extraordinary it was that the driver of the car and I happened to cross paths at that exact moment in that exact location. I also think about how much worse it could have been had she been turning faster, or driving a bigger car, or even simply been unkind to me in those moments after the accident. All things considered, when I think of that day I think of how fortunate I was, and I feel grateful. Somehow the stars aligned, and I was back on a bicycle within six months.
I still get annoyed when I’m stuck in traffic or at the mercy of flight delays. It is rare that my frustrations last long, however, and I owe my ability to let them roll off my back to my bike accident. I can’t go so far as to say I am glad I had that accident, but it happened, I walked away from it, and ever since then it’s like I’ve had a little string around my finger ~ a reminder of how small the majority of life’s little daily nuisances really are. The way I see it, if it’s not a situation where I end up in an ambulance (or following an ambulance that’s carrying someone I love), then everything is absolutely fine.
fall intentions
fall trees of intention by madeline and me
last night at creativity circle i started my fall intentions tree, and i finally felt my creative juju realigning. this is a wonderful way to begin each season… to outline your goals and intentions for the months ahead. it helps to ground you in what is important and also to serve as a lovely reminder as you move through through your days.
in this season of ripening, gathering and harvesting, i always find the there is such a positive energy and flow to the fall. i love embracing this vibrance, seeing color and ideas come alive and finding myself around tables full of delicious things and people who i admire and love. this, for me, is my juiciest time!
so grab some pretty papers, a magazine, and some yummy colored paints and create you own tree of intentions. see what leaves you will be collecting this autumn and jump right in!
here in the wishstudio there will be some fabulous classes, like Irene Nam’s brand new Simple Soulful Photography workshop! lot’s of creativity will be happening on our site with fabulous contributions from our amazing team of writers and artists (including a new contributor and column starting next month!), also with many fabulous guests dropping by to share their inspiration. and don’t miss our fall tag swap, inspired by our postcard swap which was so fun and such a big success… details coming soon!
outside of our virtual studio there are great opportunities for us to gather and create locally: Mother’s Plunge Boston with karen maezen miller and special guest katrina kenison is next saturday (you can still register here), and our intu{wish}n fall creativity circle has begun which will include a 1 day mini retreat on october 10th.
keep an eye our for a couple more really exciting surprises i also have in store for you! THEY ARE INSANELY GOOD.
happy autumn everyone!
Read more >>water the flowers instead of the weeds
It’s true, everything that happens in our lives can be seen as a gift if we only choose to uncover the gems in our so-called challenges.
Recently I broke my wrist while kayaking (I tipped out while exiting) on vacation. It was the beginning of our holidays and I was excited and looking forward to two weeks of kayaking and being out on the water. My idea of fun sure wasn’t sitting around for five hours in a hospital emergency room waiting for my wrist to be reset into position and then plastered into a cast. But alas that’s what happened.
The next morning when I woke up I sat on the balcony of our gorgeous cabin overlooking the stunning Okeover Inlet. I began to immerse myself in a pity party while staring at my plaster-cast and thinking I would not be able to kayak all summer now and not to mention I would be unable to type up my blog posts every morning. Typing, corresponding by e-mail and writing is a big part of what I do in my Art business.
I gave myself about an hour to indulge in my pity party then grabbed my art supplies and began to paint my pristine boring white cast which was screaming out to be decorated and glittered. I was able to shift a negative into a positive!!
Everywhere I have been going people smile and comment on my cast, which I have dubbed the `Glitter Cast`.
I realized I had the unique opportunity to focus on the good that came out of my mishap (like watering the flowers instead of the weeds). I painted a few small stones in a similar pattern to those on my cast and left them in a spot where they could be found, like a treasure. I created a few art journal pages with the art supplies that I could manage to use with one hand and my boyfriend even took me out for kayak and canoe rides. I was so spoilt. I made the best of the situation.
When we came home it was evident that I had a few obstacles to face. I had to learn to use a voice recognition program so as to type. Also, a couple of days I chose to write out, illustrate and then scan in my blog posts. New things emerged as a result of my broken wrist. I taught myself how to macramé so that my fingers would stay limber. The macrame`pieces will find their way into my Art Journals as embellishments.
I had to channel my “Inner MacGyver” and learned how to shuck corn with one hand and an elbow!
As I had some downtime I enrolled in a couple of artsy on-line classes.
I have always said that ART SAVES LIVES. We can use art to work through our issues, ultimately saving ourselves. How can you channel your Inner Pollyanna to find the gems in your challenges?
One thing is for sure, we can always be certain that our lives will have challenges. What we do with them is what is important. Why not use your creativity to embrace what life sends your way? Your creative spirit will thank you and grow as a result.
blowing bubbles in a concrete jungle :: a joy rebel’s take on doing the ONE thing
If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know that I’ve given myself a challenge. As I wrote in my last post here at the studio, I made a conscious decision to step back from the whole trying to do something-ANYTHING-with the blog thing and the art thing and the photography thing AND GOD HELP ME I MUST BE SEEN OR I WILL DIE.
Instead, I chose to give myself a challenge that had absolutely nothing to do with blogging or being seen. I decided that for 90 days, I was going to do yoga every day and stick to a vegetarian diet.
I’m not sure why I chose that focus-I can only say that it’s what felt right at the time. And that this focus also felt very inline with how I really feel and believe when you sweep away all the distractions.
At the time of this writing, I’m about half way through my 90 days. I haven’t missed a day of yoga and except for a few seafood dishes here or there, I’ve been completely vegetarian.
I’ve had a few insights into myself and life and love since I’ve started that I’d like to share:
1. Joy and comfort are completely different entities. This challenge hasn’t always been easy or fun for me and yet I feel more joyful. I’ve said before (maybe here, maybe on my blog. I can’t remember) that for awhile, I equated joy with relaxation. And don’t get me wrong, there is something joyful about putting your feet up on a porch railing, knowing you have no where to be. But (at least for me), too much relaxation equals complacency and boredom. Boo on that. Now that I have a mission, a goal, a purpose, I feel more connected to myself, to others, to the earth. And that makes me joyful.
2. Sticking to a goal builds confidence. The confidence that I have something within myself that can accomplish something. The confidence that I am more than what anyone else says to me or thinks about me or does in their life.
3. That confidence feels way better and is more meaningful than giving into that craving and having a cheeseburger (no cheeseburgers for me so far!).
4. Having a focus has opened up other areas of my life. I’m painting and creating mixed media pieces again. I haven’t done that in years. I thought I wasn’t any good at it. But something about having it in me to get on the mat every day motivated me to pick up my art supplies again and try out some ideas. And you know what? I love them.
5. This mission of mine has helped me let go of fears. For years I’ve wanted to get a pixie hair cut but was too afraid to. You know why? Because I have a bump on my nose and in the 5th grade, kids called me ‘ski jump nose’. So yeah, I’ve been carrying that around for 25 years and letting it inform my decisions. That nickname told me stuff like ‘a short hair cut will make your nose look bigger’. Yet, somewhere on that mat, I decided it wasn’t anyone else’s job to tell me how I should look. So I cut my hair. And I love it.
6. Everything is transient. Yoga is more than just poses, it is a whole philosophy and lifestyle and one of the things I like about it is it doesn’t say that spirituality is out there somewhere in the ethers. Spirituality is right here on the mat or in the tears or the dirty dishes or the dog poop. And somehow, knowing that has also helped me accept the tough/boring/mundane stuff a little easier. If you are doing yoga correctly, as you get deeper into your poses, you also get deeper into yourself and let’s be honest, we all have stuff down deep that hurts or doesn’t look very pretty to us. But being on that mat helps remind me that it’s all transient. The pose will soon flow to another one and the feeling will soon move through if I can just allow it to.
I’m not sure what other gifts this challenge will bring to me but I know that whatever I discover-even the frustrating times or yucky spots inside-will be gifts.
Read more >>wish play create :: week 1 sneak peek
what a fun week! thank you to all of our art playgroup participants who jumped right in and shared all of your enthusiasm and creative goodness! we LOVE seeing what you did and how shona’s mixed media project inspired you and your kids.
*take a peek at miranda’s Wish Play Create inspired playroom makeover – viola! super fab art room!
* and robin shared a great twist on shona’s project…
* take a peek at kat and her son brandon’s fantastic photos of last weeks project (in our private flickr group)!
keep playing, keep creating, and keep on sharing!!! see you all in the studio this week with tracey clark and her super fun All About Me Photography class. i know it will have you clicking with inspiration ;)
if you would like to join our art playgroup, you still can!
sign up on our workshops page, and start creating!
sponsor love and giveaway :: art asana
A big thanks to artist and yogini Eliza Lynn Tobin for offering today’s giveaway and for her lovely support of the wishstudio! today you can enter to win this gorgeous yoga inspired 8×10 fine art print.
Eliza grew up in rural Vermont and began making art at a very early age under the influence of highly creative parents. She studied oil painting in High school with her father, a landscape painter, and then went on to get her B.A in Fine Arts. She spent two semesters abroad where she studied art history and figure drawing in Italy, and Tantric Art in India. It was during this time, that her love affair with yoga began.
Utilizing her spiritual practice of art-making, Eliza hopes that her work will inspire others to reach for their own creative potential! Using mixed-media, collage, acrylic paints, sharpies and more, she visually expresses themes that arise from her yoga practice and studies. She is currently working on a master’s degree studying “yoga and the creative process” and participating in a yoga teacher training, both of which are very influential in her artistic work.
Her shop is entitled “Art Asana” because asana is the sanskrit word meaning “pose” or “seat” and the intention behind Art Asana is for Eliza to take her seat as an artist and create work from her heart to inspire and uplift the hearts of others!
To enter to win this print, please leave one comment on this post by wednesday, september 8th and share what your practice or asana is. a winner will be chosen and then announced on 9/8 in the wishstudio cafe (under giveaway winners)!
Read more >>necessary fire ecourse with silky hart
Your necessary fire is the pure desire in your heart, the essential reason for why you are here. It is not only required of you, it is necessary for the world. It is forever evolving. Just as Vesta, the ancient goddess of the holy fire who tended to the hearth in ancient times, this ecourse will guide you in tending to your inner fire, your intuitive knowing. Only, it is YOUR very own internal flame that will put the heat back into realizing your smouldering yearnings.
We’ll spark your creative fire with:
- intuitive art-making
- poetry
- symbols
- guided imagery
- expressive writing
We’ll offer a weekly ebook that includes:
- fresh creative projects such as a Maori Drawing, a Vesta Booklet and Inner Sage Artwork to name a few
- daily inspirations, creative ideas and inquiries for tracking your necessary fire progression
- playful videos to guide you through each week’s creative project(s) and concepts
class begins next wednesday 9/8. to see the full ecourse description and to register, visit our workshops page.
Read more >>RAW night :: ready to create some togetherness?
by jenica mckenzie
photos by amy
Random Art Workshops was born out of the FIRE that was lit underneath me after attending a super rad art retreat. after being surrounded by so many like minded and hearted women i found it difficult to come home to the everyday. i ended up feeling isolated despite being around people, because i didn’t feel like my heart was understood. (i could only take chit-chat about shopping or tv dramas for so long before i felt like my ears would bleed from boredom. ha!) my husband noted the timing and called my funk Squamorse: the let down we feel after coming home from heaven-like bliss. i was happy to paint at home by myself but i missed the sisterhood that was created there. when i open myself up to art it opens a vulnerable part of my heart as well, having the right people there in that moment can create a place of safety to let it all spill out. so i began to reach out, racking my brain for every creative friend i’ve come across, we had our first night, and it quickly caught on. monthly just really didn’t seem like it was often enough!
we’ve worked on art journals, collaborative paintings, word canvases, knitting/crochet, and photography, (i even got the opportunity to take RAW on the road once and we painted rocks on the beach!). we each bring our own talents (and insecurities) to the table, but in the process of getting messy with our hands, our hearts also have the space to get messy. to let our true selves spill out onto the table. you don’t have to be an artist, you don’t have be amazingly creative, you just have to be open to the notion of getting messy.
as long as there is more than one person and you’re doing something creative, consider it a RAW night. mostly it looks like this.
sometimes, because i’m a dork, i read a devotional from this. organizationally speaking, for the utah peeps this is what works for us: we rotate houses, not by a schedule, but just by who is open and we all chip in on snacks and food. one of us will pick a project and we all bring supplies to share. but you can be more organized if you want! we sometimes only have 2 of us, other times there have been around 6. we each invite people we know will hold up the net of safety, this is not a place to gossip, there is no room for cattiness in these circles, just love and kindness.
there is a facebook group that may work to help connect people geographically as well as to share ideas for raw nights.
the RAW mantra is: just get messy!
we have a few other groups who meet regularly…
southern california :: written by sarah, pics by mccabe
“My kids began participating in Dancing Mermaid’s art camps a couple years ago. Meeting Mccabe opened my heart to the world of mixed media and art journaling, but it was so hard to find the time I needed to even start my own journal. With work and kids and home stuff, the time just always seemed spoken for in advance. But I started collecting the SUPPLIES!!! This was my shop therapy..but then I realized, I couldn’t just keep hoarding this stuff! We started our group because many of us moms and other hard-working gals just weren’t taking time for ourselves or making the time to do art. Some of us were in book clubs, and we could read and go to a meeting once a month….so I thought, let’s do an art journaling club! Then Mccabe told me about Jenica’s RAW…and the name really had a ring to it. (Thanks, Jenica!) We’ve had two RAW Nights so far and no one can wait until the next one! We have a little potluck and drink wine and get messy. It’s AWESOME! Everyone who’s participated is now completely jazzed on making stuff! And we all agree that it is pure “heart” therapy…it makes us all so happy”
alberta, canada :: pics and writing by darlene
“When I first read about Jenica’s RAW nights, I was awed and excited because I so badly wanted to hold my own RAW nights but it seemed a little intimidating and would my girlfriends really be interested in something like that. I had no idea. Turns out everyone is always up for time with their girlfriends and the opportunity to get messy and make art. My life is like your life – filled to the brim with the busy, running from here to there and managing the family schedule, meals and scrubbing of the tub along with the daily bleary eyed commute for a day of work. not to mention exercise, spiritual and creative pursuits while juggling friendship time and social engagements. Taking time out to just laugh and share and fill your hands with the beauty of creating is worth finding time for. It is pure beautiful magic.
I had some creative friends visit me in May and I invited more friends and planned a day long RAW. Because I don’t like to do anything halfway, I dragged out tables and had stations for jewelry making, painting and collaging and sketch books. I taped a huge piece of thick watercolor paper to one of the tables and over the course of a day filled with much laughter with some soul sharing and serious conversation, we collaboratively and collectively made a work of art that currently hangs in my studio. It always brings me back to my heart and I am so grateful for the introduction to RAW because it has opened up a space for me to share what is often a solitary exercise with my beautiful sisters. For me that is what makes RAW beautiful – creating art is often a solitary endeavour but it doesn’t have to be, it can be about community. RAW reminds me of the quilts that my grandmother used to make at a table surrounded by women. Our hearts open up when we are creating and its nice to share an open heart.”
mountain plains of Colorado :: words by lisa
RAW nights are amazing, magical, soul nurturing and healing. Getting together with women that I know and spend time with, but doing it in this little safe cocoon of creative exploration give all of us a chance to connect in deeper ways. So much more gets said, expressed and felt journeying together, with our focus on that. At our last meeting, I found myself exploring my fears and my longings in a way that I just would not do alone. I feel safe to explore deeper waters, knowing that the women I Iove and admire are all around me.
wild desert of AZ :: pics by jessamyn and words by latisha
I am a solitary person, a hermit of sorts. And I’m one of those analytical, serious not so artsy types. So I surprised myself when I got really excited to hear about R.A.W. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I pestered Jenica about joining a Phoenix group, but wasn’t brave enough to start one myself. I mean who was I to call myself an artist? All I do is smear some paint around and draw stick figures. But it is the desire to make something out of what’s inside. The necessity to say what is felt in a vibrant and visual way. Then, there was this amazing artist blogger who lived only a few miles from me that I had been reading for a while, but we hadn’t met. I was too afraid, didn’t feel worthy, she seemed so surreal to me. But she decided to host the first Phoenix R.A.W. night. And I was invited. During the week I mustered up as many excuses as I could but in the end, there was only one thing to do.
When I walked into the door of this virtual stranger’s home carrying my basket of intentions, I had no idea the transformation that was to occur, the bonds that were to be formed. That first night there were 5 of us, all strangers to me that I had known since eternity. When the paint and yarn came out so too did the heart of these women. The sharing so vulnerable and soft, yet celebrated not judged. Fears, self-worth, doubt, anger, frustration steeped in love like a warm cup of tea. Each creative soul creating her truth, right then, live. It was here that they fell into being for me. Their souls danced off the monitor and into my heart. Pedestals and perceived perfection traded for a big couch and received truths. These were Real. Authentic. Women. It was here where I thought for the first time in my life, I could be an artist. I love blogging for the doors it has opened for me, but being able to hold a moment in time with a real live beating heart, was the piece I was missing. In the days following, a creative monsoon washed over me and I couldn’t keep up with my ideas. This once non-creative type was a mess of paint, glue, and fabric every single day. And each time I questioned myself I remembered the energy of that night.
Read more >>January :: Begin
Wishful Living Workbook
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