Gratitude

I just want to thank all my wonderfully patient clients, friends & blog readers for being so thoughtful in sending me well wishes at this time with my mom in hospice care. It's been a very surreal and emotional time for me, flying back and forth to WI to be with her. I will write more once I can fully gather all my thoughts and experiences around it. I feel forever changed by it. Thanks so much!!

Clarity

I put out the challenge to myself of really deciding a direction with my art the other day, in my step one to becoming a financially successful artist. So, finally last night I figured out my direction. I want to absolutely stick with my current body of work: urban scenes in LA. It dawned on me as I was reading the section on mail art in Suzanne Simanaitis's book Kaleidoscope. I realized why the ATC cards appealed to me so much..I was looking for a way to freely visualize and express my deeper emotions...especially now with my mom dying. My sister told me last night that my mom would never go home again, that she now needed around the clock care. Boy did that hit me hard...still is...that house has been in my family for 42 years of my life and even tho my childhood years were at times extremely difficult, due to my father...that's still home to me! So, it just hit me what I was needing art wise...I need it for me. In fact before I go to WI in a few weeks I am going to create 10 mail art pieces (with images of my mom & family, house, etc.) leaving plenty of room for writing, then when I get there I'll do the journaling part. I'm kinda excited about it...I'll have this wonderful piece of art that will capture my feelings & thoughts about my mom. I've never before done this in dealing with a momentous situation in my life. I'm turning to my art for comfort!

So, back to what I feel is part two, for me, in working toward an accomplished and prosperous art career...Goals~ starting with general (10 year) down to specific (3 month). The sequence being 10 yr, 5 yr, 1 yr, 6 m & 3 m. I tend to be really good at achieving goals IF I write them down & post them...checking them off.

I want to leave this post with a wonderful quote I read every day by Alan Cohen (who I love!)

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

Changing times

My life has these crazy highs & lows right now. The highs are how proud I am of our country, electing Obama to lead us for the next 4 years...it is truly historic! Not only that, but the voter turn out...people caring more than ever! I'm so excited to be apart of it! I'm also beyond ecstasy that Californians voted overwhelmingly YES on Prop 2! The way animals are treated is so important to me, and even more important to the animals suffering every day in factory farms. I have been a vegetarian for over 18 years now, my 15 year old daughter 3 years and I'm just converting my youngest...and we ALWAYS buy range free eggs (when we actually do buy them). So, way to go America!!

I'm also thrilled to say that I actually worked on my artist trading cards the other night and I'm sooooooo delighted with them...I'll try & post some pics of them next week. I love these cards for a few reasons...first of all, they are not intimidating to do and secondly, I love that I don't know how they are going to turn out...it's such a feeling of freedom! I know that sounds crazy, but you're dealing with a realist here who plans out meticulously how each of my drawings are going to look...there's no surprises there...once I plan them, there's no great revelations involved in executing them.

Now on a very, very sad and heavy-hearted note, my mom is dying of lung cancer. I'll be flying back home soon to see her again...hopefully not for the last time, but most likely (I absolutely hate to say). This mom of mine is one tough cookie! in the last 6 years she has suffered one physical ailment after another...breast cancer, heart attack, broken leg, broken shoulder, etc...and NEVER complaints!! My family has a great sense of humor and that's how we all seem to deal with terrible circumstances in our lives....but this great lady even goes beyond that, if possible. Any way, can't write about it any more as I am losing it here. Deeeeep breathe!!

Remember : Vote YES on Prop 2 tomorrow!!