....connectionsI

I am sitting in front of our EZ-Up (anyone who has ever put one up knows they are not EZ)...

.it's Sunday with only a few hours left of the show... 

I'm looking at my dirty sunburned feet...

A beautiful black woman steps into the booth..

I think she will be drawn to Valerie's beautiful gourds which have a African flavor, 

the woman is dressed similarly...

 but she turns left to look at my Spirit Figures....

I give my attention to the parade of people going past, letting the woman look...

It's hard to know exactly when to approach someone who is engaged in looking.  

They don't always give me a signal that they would like to talk...

or ask a question.

She has been standing still for a bit now..just looking from one to another...

then she reaches out and touches a face...

 she is feeling the energy.  

It's time to connect with her...she is being spoken to.  

I step inside and move next to her...'do you like them?' I ask. She smiles and says 'yes'..

 then she asks about the symbolism...

I tell her about this earth based piece she is drawn to...as well as some of the other figures..

about the hand dyed or painted fabric...the faces, 

why I chose the things I chose, what they mean to me.

She tells me she is an artist too.  She paints.  She is an art student. 

 She tells me she waits for inspiration but it doesn't come.  She tells me how the 'rules' of art have limited her work...We talk a little more about learning how to do art the 'proper' way....couch art...art galleries....Berkeley....then she asks why I do what I do...

She asks about inspiration....

I tell her how sitting and waiting for it to come doesn't work for me.  

How even begging my Muse to appear has no effect.  

Inspiration seems to require participation...can't be passive. 

Walks are good, time with nature, inspirational words and song, 

spending time with women..looking into peoples eyes...all inspirational...

She is with me...wants me to keep talking...

I tell her what I do when a image comes or a feeling or a desire..

How I light my candles and put on music..

How I start moving around the room to the rhythm...

Opening  

How I can feel a tingle when my Muse arrives...a bit of excitement.  

I pick up different things...a strand of beads here, a shell there, paper cloth maybe, red fabric or the black woven, feathers, a face if one is ready and feels right.  

I put them in a little pile

A beginning

...I share the floating feeling I have when I begin putting it all together...

the excitement....like maybe if I could go a little deeper I could fly.  

Her eyes light up and she gets a big smile...She has been There...in that Place...

where the creativity is really flowing through us...easy. 

Not grasping for ideas...just a knowing that the canvas, or little bundle of shells and beads, and feathers and clay, will become something that wasn't here before...

a vision comes to life....

How nice it would be to be able to do the same in life...

put on some music, light a candle or two, gather a few things, 

and presto, a new life vision becomes real.

She holds her hand in front of the little figure she has been drawn too and says she will take it with her...put it in her little studio space...inspiration. 

 What more could I hope for?  It is perfect.

I wrap the little figure in lilac tissue and slip her in a bag careful not to cover her face...

she gives me her check..

we hug and hope to meet again.....

Connection...it is what it is all about...xo

....looking in the mirror

Little Goddess in training Munchkin...
with a good morning ritual for all of us!

.....creativity & inspiration

Ten Commandments for Creative Women/Men

Creativity is best nurtured in a focused atmosphere. Recognizing the distractions which life can provide, we offer these tenets to provide guidance and support to all.

1. You will always remember: You are a creative woman'man.

2. You will honor your creativity by nurturing it.

3. You will honor your sister’s creativity by nurturing it also.

4. You will allow yourself to take creative risks.

5 You will use your creativity to express and increase the beauty of the world.

6. You will use your creativity to express truth.
7. You will use your creativity to see more beauty.

8. You will allow yourself and your art to be a work in progress.

9. You will allow your creativity to be the “true voice” you hear when others may scoff.

10. You will accept and love yourself during times of feeling fallow, trusting this quiet time is necessary to precede new birth or creation.

from.... Moondance.org

Inspiring Women Summit

A week or so ago I received an email inviting me to join the Inspiring Women Summit, you may have got one too.
.it looked like it might be rich with feminine wisdom, so I signed up..
.it only took a minute
...it started on Saturday May 1

It's free
It's a teleconference thing, but if you miss a call you can download the session later or read the transcripts.
I haven't been part of the teleconferencing yet, but I have uploaded some of the of sessions and I've enjoyed what I heard and I'll go back for more.
It may turn out to be a real tool for growth and change and connection....
I think it might be...
during the first session it is stated that the world needs more, and stronger feminine energy...

Some of the topics to be covered..
spirituality
leadership
relationships
empowerment
fulfillment
entrepreneurship
A few of the speakers Sona Choquette, Marianne Williamson, Sherry Anderson, way too many for me to remember..lol
Maybe we will see each other there?

....artistic distraction part 3

The following letter was in my mail box on the 3rd of this month...It is from Robert Genn....he sends out a couple of letters every week relating to the artist and the arts..,,, you can subscribe @ his website, he writes some good stuff.
I thought the synchronicity of this particular email should be shared with you.......hug, hug

Managerial Mode

July 3, 2009

Dear Julie,

One of the fun things about writing these letters is learning the various methodologies artists use. It seems some of us are of the "let-it-flow" school, dreamy, laid back and even lackadaisical about our work. Others think self-management and discipline are right up there with the cardinal virtues. Further, I've always been curious about the dual nature of many artists--the combo of manager and worker under one roof.

Did you ever notice how some employees don't like their bosses? Did you ever stop to think the reason you're an artist may be because you never did like working for one? Apparently, many of us are drawn to art because we don't like being told what to do. And then again, some of us have trouble telling ourselves what to do.

Studies have shown lazy folks can become top managers. Getting others to do their dirty work in early life led them to later positions in management. On the other hand, working stiffs can grow comfortable with the worker mentality. Here are a few ideas:

Understanding and taking advantage of our lazy moments may be a significant path to creative success. Feet up in a hammock, a cool one at the side, imagination flies. This can also be a time when dates are penciled in and outrageous notes are made. Laziness breeds the plans and strategies for less lazy times.

Strategy is the heartbeat of management. As well as long and short term goals, both managers and self-managers need to project the idea of discovery. The opening up of opportunities for the worker is management's job one. It's become a motivational truism that top managers encourage innovation and creativity. When I snoop into the lives of artists I admire, I generally find people who at one time or another have taken charge of themselves and given themselves some sort of permission to act on their dreams. It comes as a shock to many to find discipline is key to creative freedom. In the words of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, "Command like a king, work like a slave, create like a god."

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Your work is to discover your work - and then with all your heart to give yourself to it." (Buddha)

Esoterica: Florida painter Eleanor Blair says, "One of the many blessings of being an artist is that you don't have to wait for someone to hire you before you can work." Fact is, self-employed persons need to learn to be their own bosses. Brian Tracy in The Power of Discipline writes, "Your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals, and then to work toward them everyday, will do more to guarantee your success than any other single factor."