it's raining, it's pouring....

The darkening clouds this morning were wrapping the sky....they rested there so brilliantly! I just stood there and watched...one of my favorite things to do. What a great way to embark on a new week!

I had a busy weekend...camping for part of it. There is nothing like being out in nature! We were up in Angeles Crest...the astonishing beauty of earth & rocks...it rejuvenates me from a busy week....it entwines & embraces me...inspires me to be more!

worth

"Your life is a reflection of what you believe you are worth." Alan Cohen

I just saw that quote this morning and thought it so appropriate for me. For the past few days(even weeks, maybe)as situations arise, I've been giving worth a lot of thought.

I just lowered the prices on some of my artwork lately and sometimes guilt arises when people write me and ask what my prices are for commissions and I see other artists on Etsy having sales on their work....how do you put a price on your worth? We are all spiritual beings deserving of everything we want in life...so why is it such an issue with us? How do you stop undervaluing yourself & your work?

Is it just standing up and confidently saying, this is what it is worth and with unwavering trust, know that with our attraction based universe the right people will be more than willing to pay the asking price.

Maybe to gain self-confidence I have to start believing in myself and what I'm creating. Believing that I can succeed in anything that I put my mind to. I think I'll start by making a list of what I can do, have and become once I acquire the confidence & worth I desire. I think I can become that confident person, knowing my worth. A lot of it is just attitude...and just choosing to be confident & worthy.

OCCCA photos

Check out the link below.It has photos from the artist reception for the Animal Magnetism show at the OCCCA that I'm in. Now you can see some of the fantastic artwork I was talking about!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mixedmediaexpressions/sets/72157607340774053/

Printers

I'm headed off to the printers tonight. I found this wonderful printing place, just by accident (wink) through an ad on Craig's list inviting people to an artist reception that Friday. I've had countless issues with trying to work with printers...Rudy at Paper Lion in Arcadia, CA is now the 4th printer I've tried working with...and he's GREAT! He actually answers his phone, he's there at his shop, he has an artistic eye and works with making each print come out beautifully.

I'm just finding myself a bit anxious about getting prints made and I don't know why! It's taking a monetary risk, not knowing what will sell I guess. But mostly I think it's not knowing if artistically I'm going in the right direction and investing even more money in it...it's a bit daunting. But I have a show coming up in October...the Wiggle Waggle fund raiser for the Pasadena Humane Society & I want some middle range items for sale. I guess I just have to buck up, say it's only money, and dream the outcome...that my prints will fly off the table. That's what athletes do...imagine the outcome of the race/game...right!!

I wonder if every artist goes through this quandary?!! I can't be alone here!

Creating

Ever since I wrote about creativity a few weeks ago, I have been so inspired! I read over Teesha Moores web page on how to create journal pages and started looking thru magazines...riping out pages...cutting....imaging!! I just haven't gotten to actually buying the right watercolor paper to put it all together yet, but in the mean time, my mind is soaring with ideas. Sometimes I think you just have to set an intention and then inspiration happens! My issue now is focusing and sticking to a few ideas...so this weekend I made a plan and set goals. If I write out my goals...especially weekly ones, I achieve about 90% of it. Right now I have two areas I'm working on...the art work I want to get into a gallery with & the work I want to go to art & craft shows with/sell on Etsy/ sell on my website.

I've been reading Alan Cohen's book, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore. It's been most uplifting as I am pondering about my life and why things are not always going my way...specifically the selling of my work. It's been a struggle for me, that's why I constantly question if I'm going in the right direction. I've always read & heard that if you do what you love to do, the money will come. Maybe I'm standing in my own way with all my doubts & confusion...I don't know. But I'm working on changing my thinking with this book & Abraham-Hicks teachings...consciously catching any negative yammering in my head, looking for things to appreciate, dreaming, etc!

But, I am always hopeful...that's for sure...I rarely get down and if I do it doesn't last too long. Life is too busy to be down for long...and there's just too much art needing to be created!!

Artist Reception

OCCCA had their artist reception for "Animal Magnetism" on Saturday night....it was soooo much fun!! I didn't realize that the opening was part of a whole artist walk event. If you get a chance, go check out the Santa Ana Artist Village art walk on the 1st Sat of every month. The art work is exciting, the music fabulous and you'll get very inspired...I certainly did!!

The "Animal Magnetism" show itself was even better than I had anticipated it to be. The artwork was very diverse from a large dragon head sculpture to traditional paintings. The dragon head was so unique...you had to get close to see the intricate details from plastic seals to cigarette butts! But some of my favorites were, Wafting by Terry Powell, GoatspiderII by Cynthia Minet and the absolute cool frame in Here in the Dark by Daniel Plessis. I feel very honored to be in a show with such talented people!

more rambling...

So I've been gathering links & blogs of some of my very favorite artists to put on my website. (I think I'm the only one who has a website & no links on it!!) As I'm looking them over I just fell in love again with Teesha Moore's (www.teeshamoore.com) work! I truly envy her ability to be so creative. I use to be incredibly creative as a child.... I would take all kinds of hidden treasures found around my grandparents home and make assemblage pieces and dioramas from them. Something happened along the way of adolescents and then adulthood where I'm now totally married to reference materials in order to create art....ugh. I cling...I don't risk & explore any more. I'm getting better (at least that's what I tell myself!), but it's still hard to let go...too much of a perfectionist? Too loud of an inner critic? All that gibber gabber inside my head that says it has to be perfect otherwise I'm a phony...I have nothing worth saying...other artists are sooooo much better than me....so much more creative...blah, blah, blah! I think I'm just afraid of making bad art...that's it in a nutshell! I think the remedy for me is the old Nike motto...just do it! I think a few (or in my case, maybe a lot!) of really bad pieces may lead to something extraordinary...well, at least something more free! And then my chains of bondage (photos) may disappear and I can create pieces of work that lifted me up during the whole process of creating. Wow....I'm just imagining the feeling of being free now.........mmmmmm!!!!

scribbling

I want to start writing more of my thoughts, insights and basic ramblings here and not just posting photos. I guess I'm a bit intimidated here...I've always told myself that I'm a visual person, writing is not my bag. But eventually...after my oldest daughter graduates from high school, my dream is to be traveling the country showing my work at various art fairs and I want to chronicle it all into a book. But that's all down the road...one of my many, many dreams! I'm putting the cart before the horse once again...first I have to have a strong body of work that I can sell!! And that in itself is the beginning I guess. I vacillate often here...am I going in the right direction? I tell myself all the time that if I was wouldn't my art work be selling well, wouldn't this whole process be much easier than it is? Or is that part of the adventure? Figuring it out...finding new inventive ways to sell. I guess if it all came easily, all the time, it wouldn't be challenging & I would definitely lose interest. I'm basically obsessed with trying to figure this all out...I wish I could relax a bit more about it. Trust that the universe brings me everything I need & want in the right time. It's just that when the bills start piling up, it's hard not to question why the commissions are few and far between.

But over all, right now in this time & place I am very happy with my artistic ability. When I look at drawings I did even as little as 3 years ago...the improvement is tremendous! So, I'm ecstatic about that one small piece of the puzzle! And where I want to go with my artwork...all the different drawings, collages & assemblage pieces I want to do...I'm also very happy with my creativity & innovation. Now...if I can get it done & sell it!!! But honestly, if I died tomorrow...I feel like I am accomplishing what is most important to me...expanding my imagination and creativity....even if I don't sell it...gulp...but i REALLY hope I do!!!

Taaa...daaaa.....the unveiling of Schroeder