June 25, 2012

art to inspire: 9 Inspiring Quotes to get you Through the Summer

The sun is shining and the flowers have bloomed – it is finally summer, the season of rest, relaxation, and sitting by the pool. For me, summer is not just about sunburns and tiny umbrellas, though; it is also the season of reflection and regrouping.

Now, I know that the end of the year is the time typically reserved for these types of things, but the middle of the year is just as good.

Why? Depending on what industry you are in, summers are typically slower than the other seasons, with customers on vacation and kids out of school – leaving you with more time to plan for the next six months and evaluate your progress thus far.

Make sense?

Good.

So while you’re resting, reflecting, and regrouping this summer, here are 9 inspirations to get you through the slow(er) season…

(above) 1. Let the Flower Bloom

2. Let the Sun Shine

3. Find a Path

4. Do Not Forget to be Awesome

5. Live with Passion

6. Ma’am Step Away from the Computer

7. One Step

8. Adventure

9. Don’t Give Up

Have your own quotes to share?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Today’s article is my last post for Art to Inspire here on Scoutie Girl. I have absolutely loved being a contributor here for the last three and half years, but have decided it is time to move on to pursue other interests. Thank you so much to Tara for having me and all the amazing Scoutie Girl readers who have followed my columns here over the years. I hope you’ll continue to follow me on my blog, papernstitch.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , 4 Comments
May 14, 2012

art to inspire: sometimes it just takes one

Last week, I was catching up on a friend’s blog and she mentioned that a buddy of hers, Megan Gilger, had just opened up a new print shop. So of course, I headed over to check it out and immediately feel in love with darn near every print in Megan’s shop.

Those are a few of her designs above. To see more of her work, visit Hitch Print Shop.

Thoughts to lead you into the rest of your week…

There are more bloggers and Etsy sellers these days than you can shake a stick at. So it is easy to fall into the “Little ole me. I’m not as popular as ________ and what I create doesn’t seem to matter because no one is noticing me.” attitude. I get it – there is a lot of  ”competition” and some of your competitors seem to have it all figured out, with thousands of sales under their belt and tens of thousands of subscribers to their blogs.

BUT you don’t have to reach tens of thousands of people with your voice, your message, your beautifully crafted clay animal figurines. At least not yet.

Just start with one.

Every great thing in this world started with just one person thinking it was so.

And then another, and another.

Your work could be the thing that brightens someone else’s otherwise dismal day. Your message – that heartfelt blog post you wrote last week – can make an impact and strike a cord with a perfect stranger.

That sounds pretty powerful to me, even if you do only have 42 twitter followers.

So go ahead, stop comparing your small potatoes to another’s seemingly abundant garden.

Looking over the fence isn’t going to help your garden grow.

You need to plant your own seeds.

With that in mind, I have a challenge for you: Start this week to make a difference. Attempt to impact just one person’s day, outlook, or attitude. Ignore your follower count and those other thoughts swirling around in your mind – aim to reach just one person. It won’t be long before that one turns into two and two turns into ten…

- – -
images above c/o Megan of Hitch Print Shop Be Real + Be Bold + Be True

Filed Under: art to inspire, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments
May 1, 2012

living with – not by – our mistakes

This post was originally run in June 2011.

Flying in Spite of Everything mixed media painting by Liz Kalloch

One of my favourite songs that’s come out in the last few years is called Someday by Mike Errico. One of the lines goes:

… past the smiles that crack like frozen lakes,
under children’s figure skates
well I am going
past all of my own mistakes,
a thousand more I’ve yet to make,
but I am going,
I am going.

His song is about getting where he wants to go, now matter how long it takes, no matter what stands in his way, no matter what anyone has to say about where he’s going or what he’s doing and no matter how many mistakes he makes along his way. He obviously knows himself well, and knows that he will make mistakes along the way, but off he goes, for he knows he’s going to get there, he just knows it.

The paths that we traverse on our way to where we are going are fraught with potential mistakes, and yet, the majority of us hope to never make a mistake. Realistic? I’m pretty sure we all know it’s not.

The question that we all might ask ourselves is this: if we are on a path to where we want to go (and often we know not exactly where this path will lead us), how is it possible that we won’t make a mis-step, won’t falter and decide incorrectly, or won’t make a colossal error in judgement. We don’t.

Perhaps the better question is: Once you’ve made a mistake, how do you move on and learn from the experience?

Truth be told, I hate making mistakes, I am relentlessly hard on myself when I make a mistake, and yet, when I look back, many (if not all) of my mistakes have taught me an important lesson that has helped me to better define my path, better illustrate for myself the twists and turns in my road, and to better understand myself and my ultimate goals for my life as an artist, a writer and an entrepreneur.

So here was my question to a few friends and colleagues:

How we recover, deal and move on from any mistake can end up being a huge benefit to us and sometimes what results from a mistake can end up leading us to some of our best work, our best ideas and a better understanding about ourselves and our work. Can you talk about a mistake you made in your work/business/life that led you to something new, something better or something surprising?

A favorite adage of mine is that you can never gain truth by avoiding error and although I wish it were otherwise, some of my best bits of wisdom come on the heels of disastrous failure.

I once got a job I thought was my dream job. In fact, I shouted from every rooftop, to everyone who would listen—“oh my god!  I just landed my dream job!”

Oh, the irony.  That position turned out to be, hands-down, the worst job I ever had in my life— it was the first time in my life I had ever experienced anxiety and after 10 months I had gained 8 pounds.  However, it will always stand as a true learning experience for me.  One, the work environment could only be described as an “emergency room”—every day a new emergency cropped up and despite my best efforts, I could never bring consistency or predictability to the job.  What I learned:  (if I am to follow with the medical analogy here) I am an internist.  I like calm, focused one-on-one connections and specific, linear structure to my day.  I loathe chaos and thrive within a well-grounded structure.  And, no matter how lovely or kind a boss may be—if she is impulsive, thoughtless and reactive—we will not work well together.  On a more pragmatic level—I gained skills that serve me today.  In that job, I learned how to contact artists and book events—today, I run a small enterprise where I must regularly contact artists and plan four-day workshops.

So, it may not have been my dream job, but it was a significant and important misstep on my path—one that I can’t possibly regret since it led me further along my true path.


Elizabeth MacCrellish is the founder and director of Squam Art Workshops.

* * * * * * *

My company had committed to employing an intern from France for two months of the summer. I admit it: I hired the specific intern because he was so cute.  By the time he’d been with me for about two weeks I realized I’d made a big mistake. Then, this incredibly handsome 6 foot something walked in late, yet again, because he’d missed his bus. His navy blazer was hanging off his hand and he asked if I had a needle and thread.  As I nodded yes he handed me the button which had come off, along with the jacket.  Yes, I saw red and the rest of the summer went very s-l-o-w-l-y.  But, I did learn from it. After a summer with the glorious Gregoire I never again hired someone because he was cute or she seemed sweet.  Never. Ever.

Carolyn André is a strategic marketing consultant

* * * * * * *

Mistakes are so scary, aren’t they? When I make one it feels like I have wiped out all the good that I’ve done in life, in business, in my creative work. But I’m learning that mistakes are so necessary in putting me in the moment and forcing me to truly look at what I’m doing, what is important, what is not important. And they really challenge me to dig deep to tap into the very best of who I am and what I can do as I try to turn around whatever “mistake” that has been made or to accept and deal with the consequences, if I can’t change the outcome.
Mostly I’m finding this to be true in my artwork. Some mistakes lead me to creative places I would never have gotten to on my own. And it surprises me every time that happens. I’ve blogged about this in a couple of posts here and here.

Sandy Coleman is an artist and jewelery designer.

* * * * * * *

Every single story I have to share about my mistakes ends the exact same way:  ”I didn’t follow in my intuition.”

But I can also share that any mistake that led to a monumental disappointment always inspired the following in me ~ to believe that the loss I was experiencing must mean there was something better on the horizon. Even when I didn’t really believe it, I put my trust in it anyway, and it has always turned out to be true.

Every single time.

Christine Mason Miller is an artist, writer and explorer.

* * * * * * *

When I was creating the Sparkles e-course, I made a decision that felt wrong as soon as I hit “send.” (Ever have that moment?) I was worried sick about it, so much so that I couldn’t sleep. In the wee hours, what finally shifted my attitude and let me sleep was telling myself, “Hey, if this is a huge mistake, at least it would be a great story for Chris Guillebeau’s “Small Business Disaster Series!” That made me laugh and also reminded me that I was not alone. There will be mistakes on the journey. The funny thing is I wrote to Chris to share my experience and he invited me to be a part of his Emperor Spotlight series! What a delight. You never know where mistakes are going to take you!

From coaching to workshops, from podcasting to blogging, Jamie Ridler helps women find the confidence and courage to discover and express their creative selves so they can be the star they are.

* * * * * * *

We all make mistakes, it’s just a fact, and however much we wish we didn’t, sometimes a mistake (if we can let ourselves get past it) brings us unexpected gifts. I know for me that some of my biggest growth spurts and best learning curves have been the result of dealing with and coming to an understanding with a mistake.

So how do you deal with mistakes you’ve made?

What unexpected gifts have come to you through a mis-step or an unfortunate decision? How have you gained a deeper understanding and respect for yourself and for others as you navigate a course through cleaning up and moving on from a mistake?

Filed Under: creating action, creative thinkers, Dialogue Tagged With: , , , , , 3 Comments
September 27, 2011

How Do You Deal with Feedback?

photo by Liz Kalloch

As creators, part of the act of creating is sharing the work with others.

I believe that there are several “acts” to creating, much like the arc of a play:

  • Act One: the creator makes something.
  • Act Two: the creator shares that something with an inner circle, and then (here’s the tension in the arc) the creator shares that something with a larger world, with people that she or he may not know personally.
  • Act Three: the creator receives “responses” to her or his creation, and deals with them in any number of ways (sometimes there is drama here, sometimes not) and then the creator goes on to make something else.

This arc kind of creates its own loop, much like the never-ending loop that exists in most of us creators: to keep creating. Whatever your work is – if you make things or write things, or design things, or invent thing, or decorate things (imagine this list going on and on, because I think creators come to us from a wide range of fields and disciplines) – if you feel a never ending need to create, then you know about this loop. That urge to create is never really silent.

Now, when you put your work out there, you’re going to receive feedback. What’s that saying? Oh, yeah, everybody has an opinion, and you may have received feedback whether you asked for it or not. It could have come in the form of any or all listed below:

  • You may have experienced great praise and accolades for a project or an idea.
  • Your work may have been noticed in a way that you had been hoping for.
  • You may have put your work out there and experienced harsh words.
  • You may have experienced non-interest, even boredom from others about your work.
  • You may have experienced either a huge boost or a lack of confidence as a result of these experiences.
  • You may have taken all the criticism and praise in equal measure and just kept on doing what you’re doing.
  • You may have experienced the need for a break, or a reassessment of your work.
  • You may even have changed what it is that you make, but I think that close to 100% of the time, you came back to make some more. Right?

So here’s the question:

When sharing new work (whether in process or finished) have you noticed that you carry a defensive posture while you wait for a response?

Have you held a defensive stance in the past and since been able to let it go? Or, do you share your work with an openness and a genuineness that floats over and above any need for defensiveness?

For me creating is more about the process than the end result so I am completely open to getting feedback. I’ll even urge with specific questions. I don’t get defensive because, as an artist, it is part of my job to share what I make and so you learn not to take it personally, you can’t or you’d never get anything done!

We all like hearing lovely things about what we make, but I value commentary equally because it creates a space for me to grow, to perhaps consider something I hadn’t even thought of before. Some remarks are constructive and some are not. The good thing is you get to choose which comments are viable and which simply don’t fit into your work.

With all of this said, it is crucial to get feedback from those whose opinions I value—sometimes they are artists, sometimes not. Art for me is not simply about the formal elements, it is about the experience of the content, so getting feedback from people who come from a different viewpoint is helpful and always fascinating to me!

Lisa Occhipinti is a painter, book artist and author in Venice CA. Learn more about all she does at locchipinti.com

* * * * * * *

When sharing a painting, if it’s a gallery owner I don’t feel defensive. In my experience, they are thinking about their market vs. constructing a critical response to the work. If it’s an audience at my exhibit, I do get a little disappointed if people focus more on materials and my process vs. feeling the painting for themselves and letting it in on an emotional or subjective level.

With writing, I feel very open and non-defensive until I become the subject of psychological analysis by way of one of my characters. Generally, I hope, I really, really hope people listen for the wild and beautiful in themselves as they engage in my art and writing. I only get defensive when people don’t offer their authentic reactions (including criticism) but instead talk about the chemical compounds of paint and materials or what a sad thing it is that my character’s tree fort was mauled by a hungry bear and what that must mean about my personal past.

Niya Christine is fiction writer, painter and rabbit herder by night and a designer of media and technology by day. Her book of short stories, Bragging Bantering Bawling is coming out this fall and will be announced at: Native Writer

* * * * * * *

When I was fresh out of art school I felt the need to defend or explain my work. Part of that came naturally from the critiques which were part of college. Over the years I found my creative paths taking many twists and turns through a variety of media and muses creating work for my own pleasure and not a class.

During those times I sought out like-thinking artists to review my work with and me with theirs. Something changed in the critiques from college days – deeper understanding and less competitiveness emerged with these varying groups of artist friends. Currently I find myself having a more difficult time accepting praise but much more comfortable finding out what perfect strangers think about my work, either in process or finished.

Susan Schwake is an artist, instructor and curator and is pretty excited about  just finishing her first book, Art Lab for Kids, coming out March 2012 by Quarry Books.

* * * * * * *

Defensiveness never crosses my mind when it comes to my work. My creativity comes from attempting to answer a deep calling in my life  to say something meaningful and beautiful about this world through art.  I try to do this every single time I create a new piece of art. I am always hopeful that collectors will connect with what I do but I also understand if they do not. Sometimes it is hard to keep putting myself out there, nevertheless I feel extremely blessed to be able to make and share art every day.

Deborah Grayson is the owner of Deborah Grayson Studios and offers collectible works of art and unique accessories with a modern, soulful style.

* * * * * * *

When I share new work with a professional partner, I have a rainbow of responses. If I am engaged with the new work and really excited about it, I look for a quick response. The longer the wait, the more likely my impatience will rise. The wait is less about worrying that they don’t like it as being disappointed that their enthusiasm doesn’t match mine.

When I am utterly responsible for a creative project – from dawn to dusk – I really own it. I get wed to it. I am far more inclined to want “MY way” in this context. I find myself defending my choices, explaining my reasoning behind the decisions that I made.

I think in these different circumstances I have an openness. I am “open” in that I am feeling anxious and would appreciate a response. And in the last example I am open in that I am willing to confess my resistance to letting go of my specific vision.

But, dang. Defensiveness is part of my process. Oh, I hate admitting that. But I’ll be open about it and tell you!

mary anne radmacher is an author, artist and “inspirator” who is feeling currently a little defensive about admitting that she gets defensive.

* * * * * * *

As a general rule, I believe that most artist’s are sensitive about their work. It can be difficult to put your heart, soul and self out there in a very public way. When I first started sharing my words, images and jewelry publicly, I would want to hide immediately after doing so. There was an instance early on where I became defensive over something I created that was harshly criticized, but in order to evolve I had to let it go.

Over time I have learned to simply create for me knowing that if I resonate with something I wrote or made, that perhaps someone else will too, which makes it much easier to put myself out there. And if they don’t, I don’t take it personally because I know it’s not about me. Having said that, there are still things I am holding onto that I haven’t shared publicly yet, perhaps because somewhere there is that need to want to protect certain parts of myself.

Stacy de la Rosa is an artist, jewelry designer and mother to two muses.

* * * * * * *

Once, in a writing workshop, a facilitator told me that one of my essays had too many things going on in it and said, “I mean, what’s this essay even about?!” I had already worked on the piece with several other mentors and had revised and polished it, but I’d never shared it with so many people at once.

I immediately felt my hackles go up; I was ready to fight, but I also wanted to cry. I think that’s where creative defensiveness comes from: the need to protect ourselves. In the end, I decided to take her words for what I thought they were worth and looked at the essay again to make sure all of the threads and themes fit together. I believed they did, and so I felt good about the piece.

Each time I share new work, I learn to do so with trust and love – in myself and in the work – and with the belief that as long as I’m doing my best work, I can gently let go of the fight-or-flight response when it shows up.

Jennifer (Jenna) McGuiggan is a writer, editor, teacher, and coach who spends her time online in The Word Cellar.

* * * * * * *

As a professional artist for more than fifteen years, I have had my share of rejections, and I have learned to appreciate them as part of the process. It would be naive to think my work will only be met with praise, so the way I look at it is that if I’m getting rejected it means I’m showing up, doing the work, and then am willing to release it into the world. What it does after that isn’t up to me and isn’t something I can control.

This is not to say I am a robot who doesn’t feel deflated after an art show with only one sale, or after a licensee lets me know they’ll be discontinuing my product line. Of course I do. But that is part of the deal. Just as anything I create is impermanent, any success – or rejection – I have is also impermanent. My job is to do my best work and then release it. However it is received is not a reflection of me personally so approaching that phase of the creative process with my defenses up only creates tension for me.

Christine Mason Miller
Artist * Author * Explorer

* * * * * * *

Yes and no, I think it depends on who I decide to ask. If it’s someone I love and trust and know that they will have my best interest at heart I usually take a deep breath before really asking and then let it all go waiting to hear the response.  I appreciate it so much when someone can give me honest feedback.  But I’m noticing that while writing this that I’m not one to really show new work to people or ask for a response.  So maybe that is my defense against any kind of feedback.

I think I have held a defensive stance more in my professional office job; but since taking up my Photography I have been less defensive and more into learning and growing. Again, I usually have to gather the strength or bravery to ask what someone thinks of something before I do it.

I would really love to get to a place of openness with showing my work because I feel like the people I see who can do this learn so much about their work and themselves when they can open it up to others critiques, outlooks and/or advice. It’s all based on fear and my goal is to kick fear to the damn curb.

Stefanie Renee is an emerging Photographer ready to take on the world or photograph a musician or two.

* * * * * * *

It has taken me years of practice, but I’m finally at a place where I trust my creative voice and I love what I create so much that I mostly just expect others to enjoy it as well. If my style is not to their sensibility, I understand and I no longer feel defensive or let that impact my confidence about my work. What is most important to me at this point in my career is that I’m happy and fulfilled creating my art. When I love it, I’ve done my job. And if it goes out into the world and brings people a little extra joy in their every day, even better.

Marisa Anne is an artist, author and designer living in Los Angeles, California

* * * * * * *

In a perfect world, I like to think that I share my work with openness but of course my emotions tend to get in the way and I end up hearing harsh comments resonate in my head over and over. I am a human being after all.  I feel so vulnerable when putting a new painting up for review or feedback. It is like exposing the core of my being. Oddly, I tend to appreciate and respect thoughtful criticism (after I get over the hurt) more than shallow or seemingly random praise.

Mary Beth Shaw is a mixed media artist and author.

* * * * * * *

I’m sure we’ve all felt defensive about our work at one point or another. Remember those brutal art school critiques? Yet I think that once you find your inner voice and it comes through in your work, any criticism becomes constructive and welcome. You feel secure about what you’re doing but there are always ways to improve and dig deeper.

I have one friend who is always very honest with me about my work. After being with her, I go back to my studio, really think things through and do much better work because of her. Most of my feedback comes from showing my work on my blog. I appreciate an honest response that someone felt it worth their time to say something, good or bad. However, commenting on blogs and sites has become, frankly, safe. You don’t see too much honest criticism out there, which is rather sad but not surprising.

Kathryn Clark is a fiber artist living in San Francisco, CA. She writes a blog to inspire and inform other artists who work in the unique genre called Articraft: artists who use craft in their work and craftspeople who make art.

* * * * * * *

If I really look at this honestly, it’s true that I desperately rely on the high-fives of others to help me move forward with a project. That means if I share something–a piece of writing, some artwork–I am needing some positive feedback which green lights me to move forward. I’d like to say that the feedback from others doesn’t matter, but it does. I want to know that my work resonates with them.

I’m sorry to say that I’ve back-burnered projects that weren’t automatically accepted by a publisher or which people seemed stumped by–especially if that feedback came in the form of silence or a form letter. I’ve let it silence me. At the same time,  I am completely receptive to feedback if someone can articulate what works about a piece or what’s missing. If the feedback is encouraging, then I’m encouraged to get back in there and try it again.

As a writing teacher and an editor I’m always coaxing people forward like a parent reaching their arms out to a child standing on the shallow pool steps; “Swim to me!” I say as lovingly as I can, “Swim to me!” Everyone needs a loving editor/friend/mentor to help them see what’s happening in their work.

Laurie Wagner teachers Wild Writing in the Bay Area. This work focuses on using intuition, creativity and instinct to unleash the stories that are waiting to be told. She also coaches writers on their projects, teaches creative nonfiction at Writers.com and produces the 27 Powers Traveling Writers Series where writers from all over the country come to her home in Alameda to teach. You can reach Laurie at Laurie@27powers.org

* * * * * * *

My first response was, Oh I’m so part 3, I have no defensiveness about sharing new work, I’m always happy to share stuff.

But then I thought about it more and realised that defensiveness comes out in all sorts of ways. Feeling anxious and nervous, and constantly checking twitter and blogger to see if people have commented on your posts is a form defensiveness. So is looking at other people’s work and thinking it’s all better than yours. It seems to be the easiest position to take, as sharing work is a vulnerable moment, where you are opening yourself up to the world, hoping the world will like what you do, so isn’t it wise to build up some defenses just in case? Or is there is another way, to be open, genuine and fearless when sharing work, easier said than done but I’m going to put it to the test.

I capture the souls of birds in paper. -Claire Brewster

* * * * * * *

I always carry hope when I’m sharing something new. It’s a little butterfly in my belly. Sometimes I just don’t know if a song’s a keeper until I’ve sung it out there, felt it in the room. My belly butterfly knows when it’s right. If it’s not? I don’t need anyone else to tell me! I KNOW!

I’m so paranoid about the very fledgling song, that I usually have to sing it (in tears) for my husband first. Then I can venture forward. I don’t even know if that’s defensiveness or tenderness. Songs do evolve, so you can’t nix them if they’re just not finished. But that is something that will not leave me. Songs are so intimate. And I don’t mind that terror. It’s just part of it.

Then, if it’s a room, a gig, the real moment? I just go for it. I throw my whole whole heart out there. Sink or swim.

Jonatha Brooke is a singer songwriter.

How do you deal with critiques, with praise, and have you kept making what you make regardless of what anyone has said to you about your work?

Please share your stories with us.

Filed Under: creative thinkers, Dialogue Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 13 Comments
June 28, 2011

How Do You Do Self-Care?

Beginnings - Digital Mixed Media by Liz Kalloch

Supporting ourselves. It’s a multi-faceted thing.

There’s supporting ourselves with what we earn so we can buy and pay for the things that we need (and want). And then there’s supporting ourselves emotionally, spiritually and energetically so that we can go out there and make that money for the former.

I grew up in a family of hearty and oh-so-practical New Englanders who also belong to the ever practical faith of Unitarianism. In my family, you did what needed to be done and did it to the best of your abilities, and without complaint. OK, there was complaining but you get the idea here, there was little or no time spent on self care, on even thinking about what one might need to keep going in a healthy and balanced way. You just did what you had to do. Full stop. Exhausted? Tough. Maxxed out? No one said life was going to be easy. Perhaps some of you can relate to this!

Money was the other piece of this familial practicality puzzle. It was often in short supply, and so whatever work was available was taken. Whatever was asked of us, was done. Because that’s just the way it was, and it seems that questioning that presumption was either not an option, or just not thought about. At all. Probably more the latter than the former.

As an adult I’ve had to struggle with this one. Mightily. Here’s a sample scenario for me: Exhausted after a month of 3 big design projects, painting for a show and putting in 75+ hours a week with maybe a half day off here and there; and another freelance project is offered to me. The deadlines for the project offer no opportunity for a break, AND, I find myself reluctant to turn down this project, because the work is on offer, and when work is offered, you take it.  So now I have more work, still no down time, and I find myself wondering why I am so cranky and irritated all day. Why do I want to shout at my husband to just shut up with the rehashing of the tennis game he just played, because he was out taking a break playing while I was still working.

Yes, we need to earn money to live, but at what expense?

Whether you are a painter, an insurance salesman, a counselor, or a construction worker, your mental health, your spiritual health and your all around well being need to be kept healthy and buoyant so that you have the energy, the bounce in your step, and the crackling synergy in your brain to give your work the all it needs (and wants) to be given.

Work can feed us or work can eat us up—it’s all about the balance we create in our own lives. Life does not begin the minute our work day is over, the whole live-long-day is our life, so if you are feeling in need of some balance in your work and in your life, let’s learn a bit about how some other people do it:

How we support ourselves as self-employed creatives and entrepreneurs comes up a lot in conversations, articles, and blog posts. SO, how do you support yourself (internally) so that you can get out there and support yourself (monetarily). What are the things that recusitate, regenerate and generally renew your spirit, your energy and your psyche? what are your tried and trues for the working blahs, and the low energy blues?

I see those “working blahs” as forms of resistance to something—sometimes resistance to feeling my fear, and other times resistance to admitting that I need to take a break. Thus, I take a two-pronged approach: First, I usually try going deeper into it, asking myself, “Okay, Swoboda–what’s behind this? Keep chuggin/ Let’s move/ What’s the lesson? How will you BE with this?” I do this because I don’t want to simply cower in the face of resistance, and it does often teach me something important about myself.

However—if this does not work, I’ll step into divine self-care in the form of dropping everything and being a complete slug, sans guilt! It’s important to note that I approach many things in my life, and particularly things with deadlines, knowing that if my resistance flares I’ll want to have adequate “slug time,” so to be in integrity, I pad time/plan for that possibility.

Kate Swoboda (aka, Kate Courageous) is a Life Coach, teacher and writer who works with women who are ready to revolutionize their lives from the inside, out.

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I think it is supremely important to nurture our creative souls. Although we love what we do, entrepreneurs still get bogged down with all the business and work aspects of our passion. So, I find it extremely helpful to keep hobbies as part of my lifestyle. I know you are thinking that your creative life is your hobby! But I mean, other hobbies completely unrelated to what we do for a living . . . something that is truly for the fun of it with no other strings attached.

I make sure to schedule myself playtime, for exploring new interests and old pastimes that I enjoy. From embroidery to baking to taking long walks in the countryside. Whatever it is, I find it necessary to schedule in that “me” time, to balance my lifestyle. These activities give me a different kind of creative energy to draw from . . . and often I find great ideas popping up during these relaxing times as well!

Linda Tortagialla is an artist living in the Tuscan hills of Italy.

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I’m always going to be a mother and I’m always going to be an artist. When I let those facts sink in, the realization hit me that I HAD to take care of myself if I was going to get anything done. The one thing that I do that seems to act like a mini-reset button is this: I hide in a room all by myself for 5-10 minutes. I need a moment for mindfulness, a time to breathe, to pull out of my head and just BE for a moment. Some days mama needs 10 of these breaks. They usually include chocolate, and a song to be still with or rock out completely on.

Jenica McKenzie is a mixed media artist living in Utah with her four kids and kickass husband.

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How I support and nourish myself is through my yoga practice. I find that the more I practice, the better I am able to get in touch with that channel of ideas that seems to be constantly flowing. My practice clears space for me and holds space for me— while at the same time filling me up. I am lucky because I get to teach this for my student creatives, and watch them unfold into their creative bliss. I live next to the Pacific Ocean, and so walking down there, with all those negative ions, really helps me feel renewed as well.

Emily Perry, L.Ac., is a Yoga Teacher, Acupuncturist, and Artist living and exploring life in Santa Cruz, CA.

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In The Tempest, Prospero says, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” One lesson I’ve taken from his words is that in order to build thriving dreams, art and businesses, we simply must nourish and tend to ourselves. We are the foundation of all we create. Here are some of my favourite self-nourishers: day trips to the spa, coffees with entrepreneurial buddies, walks, journaling (especially morning pages), dance, sleep, travel, time alone, running, reading, feeling well-dressed, eating nutrient-rich foods and indulging in as much beauty as I possibly can!

The founder of Jamie Ridler Studios, Jamie is a creative living coach who helps people find the confidence and courage to discover and express their creative spirit, whether that means exploring their artistic self or bringing more of their creative capacity to their life and their business.

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I was totally flummoxed when I got this from you. How do I support myself internally? Well, who has time to think about that? When you have to support yourself externally you just do it, I harrumphed. But I’ve been mulling this over for the couple days since you sent it.

So if I look at it a little differently, from the perspective of getting fresh ideas, here’s my answer. One of the ways I get good ideas, sometimes real breakthrough ideas, and feel newly inspired and rejuvenated is to sit in the bathtub. Bubbles, jets, bath salts, ducks, whatever you got, whatever you like. Of course you have to like baths. What it does for me is stop me. It stops my mind from whirling: it stops my body from twirling. And I think it leaves my mind free to focus in a very relaxed way.

I have found time after time that when I think of a specific issue in the bath I come up with new and exciting ideas and directions. And as a byproduct I get out of the bath feeling relaxed, renewed and raring to go.

Carolyn André is a strategic marketing consultant

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I find I encounter a few different types of lulls that don’t lift by the same tonic. So I have a few different things that are part of my repertoire. They all involve new things—not new items per say (a shopping binge never does it for me), but new perspectives, new ideas, new light. Newness.

Rearranging furniture—I like to swap things to different rooms, or hang a new piece of art up, or stack some colored bowls on the counter . . . It resets the energy in my space, whether it’s the studio or my bedroom or the kitchen.

Reading a book—I love to read. For me it is less as an escape and more of a reconnaissance. Often a biography helps me dig out of where I am, learning about how someone else dealt with life.

Riding my bicycle—Hopping on my bike and cruising around the neighborhood under the palms always gives me joy. The fact that I can now do that year-round astounds me and reminds me how lucky I am!

Lisa Occhipinti is a Venice CA-based painter, book artist and author, who just launched her first book, The Repurposed Library.

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Life always offers enough time to: pet a kitty, take a walk, breathe deeply, stretch my body, pick a flower, hug my honey, enjoy a good chocolate, watch the sun set, sing in the car, play kick ball with my grand kids, write in my journal, read old journal entries, soak in the bathtub, go to a museum, dance around my studio, take a quick nap, page through art books, call an old friend, meditate. I could go on and on.

Of course I can’t do every single thing every day. But these things make me forget myself so that I can move out of my head. They renew me emotionally and physically and before I know it, I am out of a funk. Life’s simple pleasures are a true blessing.

Mary Beth Shaw, author of Flavor for Mixed Media, is a mixed media artist and nationally known workshop instructor who has a passion for every moment of life.

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Sleep is one of my secret weapons. If I’m feeling lethargic or dull it’s often from fatigue, and after a short rest my optimism often returns. It’s also not unusual for me to sleep on problems where I feel stuck and wake up with a sense of clarity or an idea for a new way through. Moving my body by taking a short walk is always invigorating, and a phone chat with a peer and friend never fails to get the creative engines firing for us both. As a result, I treat all these activities as essential aspects of my work, not diversions.

Jen Lee is a performer in NYC’s storytelling scene.

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The 2 most effective things for me are regular 5 Element Acupuncture (a form of acupuncture that treats a person, not illness, and helps return us to the path our Dao) and a spiritual practice of meditation. In our culture, modalities that work at the level of our fullest potential are so rare, and I am sure there are others. 5 Element aligns our nature with NATURE which quickly gets us back to ourselves when we are a little (or a lot) lost. It is also a unique modality in that when the energies get stuck in us, it can quickly and effectively correct them.

Amy Jenner is a practitioner of 5 Element Accupuncture and lives and works in Maine.

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I have three levels of self care and spirit maintenance.

LEVEL ONE revolves around my core intentions. I consciously try to include these elements, in as great a portion as possible, every day: completion; listening to Spirit; practicing wellness; play; gratitude; forgiveness; enthusiasm/learning; friends; dreaming; generosity.

LEVEL TWO: I create something for fun that has nothing to do with anything. Not production work. Not making money. Not a client request. Just making art because “art saves lives.” Art for art’s sake alone gets my creative motor running again. Sometimes I will end up giving what I’ve made to a friend for no particular reason at all. Giving restores me. Weird but true—giving out fills me up.

LEVEL THREE: When I escalate into over drive and there is “too much” to do I usually call a friend and cry. Yep. Or the notch before the actual tears fall is kevetching (= complaining without actually whining). In just a few minutes my perspective is restored, I’ve laughed and I’m ready to go back at it.

In all these maintenance activities, making positive, healthy food choices is essential.

Mary Anne Radmacher translates her passion for inspiration into books, art, teaching, licensing her products and starting each day with a cup of coffee and a good book.

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Lately I’ve been playing around more in the studio, whether it’s handcrafting long letters to faraway friends or making little things to hang around the house, I am trying to move away from that obsessive need to constantly be producing things that will sell.

I have recently been reminded of what making art used to feel like before it became my main source of income: rebellious, wild, free. By committing to keep the fun and spontaneity of creativity in my daily life I believe that I am building a stronger business and proactively processing the inevitable burn out I know we all feel. This really works for me . . . and so does a big glass of white wine. Because let’s be honest—wine cures everything!

Artist and writer Anne Carmack is the poetic product of a one night stand between two people that she has never met. Her search for something still undefined continues.

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I need physical challenge, exhaustion, ridiculous exertion. Bikram yoga takes me away from EVERYTHING else and I just try to survive that stupid heat and those 26 postures. But then? I’m clean and spent, and the well can fill again. And then, there’s nothing wrong with making plans to drop the drudgery and go; travelling to be with deep kindred spirits, even if it’s just for a weekend, I have my tribe that restores my spirit, reminds me there’s a spark, that the next thing, whatever it is, is in my pocket already, waiting.

–Jonatha Brooke,  Singer/Songwriter

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massage.
dance.
good music.
good people.
good protein.
swimming.
a great man to relate to in many ways.
joyful love with children and elders.
nature.
singing.
pow wows
round drum singing.
ceremonies.
love.

Nicole S. Hill: teacher, author, designer.

Where do you fit in to this spectrum of taking good care of your self so that you are energised and excited about your life?

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