I am not certain when I first became aware of the concept of abundance and how it was available to any and all who believed in it and sought after it. Maybe in 1969 when I read Be Here Now..remember that book? I also subscribed to a publication entitled Human Potential in the 70s -80. I found that magazine fascinating..and was so disappointed when publication stopped. In the early 80's i worked (11 years) in the professional beauty industry. I began earning money and realized I could purchase my own home. For me as a single gal that was a very big deal. I was also scared silly that I might never have a family to live there with me. I didnt think I could ever be happy without it, so those were very tough years. I began working a few nights a week with a direct sale cosmetic company to enhance my income and purchase my home sooner. I sponsered enough people to be a manager fairly quickly and named my branch "abundant journey." Most other members of the larger group looked at me with a perplexed look and didn't really get me or the name!! Happy to say about 6 years later when I was just about out of hope I met my husband Our son was born with in that next year. I began to realize the most creative thing I did all day at work was create my outfits.!!! A client suggested I call the head of career counseling in Northampton at Smith College. She said Barbara Reinholt would widen my vision and help me see where my heart wanted to go. Although I was not a student , she agreed to see me. She told me she was put on this earth to be a permissionary : to tell people to go full fill their dreams. She said when she listened to me all she heard was artist. She said I should make , market and teach art. I believed her and I set out on my true artist journey. That was 1988. it is 2021 and I am further down along that path. I still believe in abundance and would use that name again. I would like to write about some of the people who made deposits in my confidence bank along the way.
I have always loved all things creative. I asked for a sewing machine for my 16th birthday and began making clothing and handbags. After that, my love of designing jewelry turned into a small business. For many years I created and sold wearable art handbags. I had an opportunity with distributers in NYC to go big. They wanted me to create knock offs of my own work and sell hundreds of each piece. I agonized an entire summer trying to make the best decision. I decided not to go forward with it because the true joy was in the creation of each unique piece. I did however have my first website. Ultimately I lost it when a porno site took it over and tried unsuccessfully to get me to pay and buy it back from them!!! I did have an article published about my bags in Crafts Report Magazine and a swank sweater guards in Bead Style Magazine. I also had a dozen articles about my Art and Soul in magazines and newspapers. One of the writers told me "you know how to shake the trees" I guess that is a really important quality to keep promoting your work. One i realize I am still using today, only now I have a stronger awareness of my vision, process and where I want to go!!
GROWTH REFLECTIONS: almost 25 years ago, I did creative and spiritual growth work. I used Julia Cameron's The Artist Way as my guide. It was a 12 week course. I worked every day writing morning pages, looking for the synchronicity in each day, going on dates with artist's friends and did every single exercise she offered.What was most profound was the creative u turns I had experienced in my life and the way I empowered myself to heal and turn them around. If you would like to hear more about the creative u turns ask me. I will tell you about them.
I knew there was a book with in the morning pages I had been writing. Around that time my dad was quite sick and we weren't sure if he would make it. I worked hard and self published a book entitled Art and Soul a spiritual approach to crafts. I wanted to publish it in my dads lifetime. Admittedly it was rushed, but he was so incredibly proud of my work. My dad was told to go home and put his affairs in order and think about the "whipple procedure" He's knees quivered and he replied "nothing to think about, sign me up, I'm not ready yet." What an amazing, prolific example he set for me with those words. He was 80 then and lived another 15 productive years.
AFter doing growth work with Maya Marcia Weider for the second time, I am ready to create, share and place more work in homes , offices, healing centers and other places to inspire, and provoke thought and emotion. Here is an encaustic entitled Tribe 1. I am consciously identifying my "tribe" Those who love and support me, are inspired and motivated by and who my art resonates with.
This is one of my first paintings. I am not certain when I first became aware of the concept of abundance and how it was available to any and all who believed in it and sought after it. Maybe in 1969 when I read Be Here Now..remember that book? I also subscribed to a publication entitled Human Potential in the 70s -80. I found that magazine fascinating..and was so disappointed when publication stopped. In the early 80's i worked (11 years) in the professional beauty industry. I began earning money and realized I could purchase my own home. For me as a single gal that was a very big deal. I was also scared silly that I might never have a family to live there with me. I didnt think I could ever be happy without it, so those were very tough years. I began working a few nights a week with a direct sale cosmetic company to enhance my income and purchase my home sooner. I sponsered enough people to be a manager fairly quickly and named my branch "abundant journey." Most other members of the larger group looked at me with a perplexed look and didn't really get me or the name!! Happy to say about 6 years later when I was just about out of hope I met my husband Our son was born with in that next year. I began to realize the most creative thing I did all day at work was create my outfits.!!! A client suggested I call the head of career counseling in Northampton at Smith College. She said Barbara Reinholt would widen my vision and help me see where my heart wanted to go. Although I was not a student , she agreed to see me. She told me she was put on this earth to be a permissionary : to tell people to go full fill their dreams. She said when she listened to me all she heard was artist. She said I should make , market and teach art. I believed her and I set out on my true artist journey. That was 1988. it is 2021 and I am further down along that path. I still believe in abundance and would use that name again. I would like to write about some of the people who made deposits in my confidence bank along the way.
She sits in beauty..strong yet vulnerable, wise yet fearful , aging yet forever young creativity is her strength and her vehicle
Colorful Essence We must always remember our essence or who we are at the core. It is more than ok to LOVE the way in which we are being creative and to feel excited and enthusiastic about our own work. I love to use my creativity to inspire others. I believe everyone is creative by nature . They just need a teacher who believes that premise. During my 15 years of teaching at LYA, I taught Life Lessons through the creative process. I think of art as a healing and expressive tool to enable personal growth, expression, love and creative problem solving. I gave the same perimeters, materials and inspiration to each student but encouraged them to take it in whichever direction their heart's desired. Most of my grading was done of effort and behavior.
