Head Tripping....The Gemini Mind On Fire

Okay, let me just spit it out, I'm a Gemini, anyone who lives with one, or is one them selves will totally get this post. For you all who's never experienced the true meaning of what that means, trust me when I say, it's called duality at it's highest level, with a touch of chaos, mixed with frustration and super over load of ADHD. We're what astrologers call the multitaskers of the universe, that's in the positive, or our worst enemy.

Running business for us Gemini's can be wonderful if we don't get in our heads that we gotta do everything, oh yea, all at once. One minute we're on one tangent, the next we got a bright idea and we're off in our own head doing that too. Some times it's a curse, other times it works wonders. The question is, how do we figure out how to use our skills with out fighting with our selves?

Worst yet, being the artist type, just puts it off the charts. That brings me to my dilemma.

How do we make what we love to do, and yet still create for the masses that have the money to buy what we make? It's a catch 22. Simply put, anything creative can and is an addiction. For me any way. So I have to some how balance bringing in an income to support my addiction, and yet still feel I'm being true to myself. (The manic Creative addicted man woman.) I'm always trying to figure how not to sell myself out to the mundane trends, that seem to sell, and every one on etsy is doing. I just feel my stomach get all knotted when I think of just producing. But I still have to support my shop, overhead, you know the drill. (Plus those of you who know etsy, will understand that when something new comes out, everyone starts to do it, like wild fire, than it's saturates the market, and everything looks so common.) That's so not like me.

I feel I'm beating myself over the head everyday, just to find a niche that suites my needs, and most of all makes me happy. If you feel my pain, let me know. Any advice, I'd take it too.

Thanks for the ear.
Pk

Welcome to the New Frontier...Art, Vision, and Spirit

As usual I'm pondering all the reasons that my artist friends, as well as myself do what we do. We often find our selves in complete conflict with the time and space that we live in and knowing that we are in a very exciting as well as adventurous period in our earth's evolution. Sure big thoughts, large musings and most of all over complicated. But it really is simple. WE as ARTIST were born for these very moments. We are the visionaries of all of society's greatest ideas. We are the architects of the new generation. Why? Simple, we, you and I dare to dream. That's right we are the dreamers that the world says won't amount to nothing. But what I find quit funny, is that with out artist, crafters, musicians, and the likes of us, this world would cease to exist. That's right. Kaput! The beautiful planet is the source of creation to many cultures. They believe in it's magic, power and most of all it's soul. We are the life breath of a creative breed. So by all means ponder those really deep thoughts. Give it life in your work, and whatever you do keep doing it. So what if we have to result to reinventing our selves, that's the beauty of the whole thing isn't' it. Yes it is. At least for me. So I leave you with this...Create for the sheer joy of creation it's self, but know that if the universe has a way with it, what you just created will evolve into more than just what you imagined. So dare, jump and welcome to the new world. Your destiny is waiting.

Me, Myself, and I ...On Advice

I just wanted to share a very nice thought. Posted on one of my fave beading pages, the question was posed, " What is the best advice you were ever given?" Here is my little bit of worldly advice that has come from a mentor in the weirdest of places and forms. Although I never too classes from her, really had the chance to get to know her. In the 30 minutes that we spoke, it gave me more of her wisdom than some would say in a life time. For that I count her as one of my dearest of mentors and wisest of frenz.

In my world of art and everything else that life is, the greatest advice I got was from a curator of a fine arts gallery I was interviewing for. This wise hard core woman said to me, “Keep your work simple. Don’t over do it. Simplicity is genious.” I’v always found that she was right on the mark when it came to my paintings as well as everything else in my world. She also told me, “It’s when we forget our true focus we loose the power of what we are meant to be and do.” This is true in life as well as in art. So to me I know walking away from a painting or a large piece of bead work, or anything that’s giving me a challenge is the best thing to do. As is in life. Coming back when my head is clear, gives me clarity of spirit and heart. This is not giving up, it’s kind of like just taking a needed time out. For me this works.t advice you were ever given?", So here is my little bit of shared advice. Take it, or, leave it, it matters not. But know this, some times we get in our own way, we don't need any outside influence to stir things up. Just me, myself and I.

The Beauty of Starting Something New...

We all know that as creators, we love the work we do. But the work we do can get to us at times. Don’t miss understand what I’m saying here, what I mean, is that we are the types of souls that long to always express our inner vision. But some times the type of work we do, the styles, techniques, and mediums, can become a bit limiting at times, especially when we’ve been doing it for so very long. What I suggest here is to do what you do, but go out there and find ways of revamping your style. Start by using new types of materials, a different method, try a whatever it takes to re-acquaint yourself with the love of what you do. And if that’s not enough I suggest do something entirely different and new.

Yes, get out of your comfort zone, and try something entirely new. If you do painting and ain’t that good at drawing, take a class. If you do sculpture, and the sight of paints scares the you know what out of you, than by all means jump in and start one today. If you’re a beader that just do stringing, try doing bead embroidery or wire. Whatever it is, try something new. Who knows you may find out you have a knack for it. And may even incorporate it with your original work.
This for me keeps thing alive, fresh and new. It also keeps us on our toes, with what’s the latest craze.

Always remember we can never learn enough of what our world offers us. Take what works for you and leave the rest. But take a chance and start something new today. Trust me it will make a world of difference on how you look at what you do. Who knows you may realize it was just what you needed to find out a little something about yourself.

PK

Change We Must...

These are interesting times we live in. Many here in Hawaii, as well as around our world, are realizing that the place we live, is no longer the same world as last year, the year before, or as any other time ever. This inevitable process of change, has always gone on. But the difference is, is that we are here in the now. And in this now we are all experiencing every possible emotion that the human psyche can choose to create. Yes, I said it, create.

What I mean by this, is that we are beyond our most wildest dreams, greater than our most perfect idea, and above all we are the very thing we are searching for. I know some of you will probably feel, confused by all of this. But that’s okay. Because in the confusion our humanness seeks to know what that really means. And in that searching we realize we are and have always been IT!

Yes, IT. We are creating all of this. You, me and everyone in our world are creating all of this wonderful change. Change that from the beginning of time has happened to allow us as human beings / Spiritual beings, to experience our divine greatness. As well as, to show us that know matter what we may think is going wrong, it really is part of the plan. Okay, you may ask. Oh yea, the great plan. Well yes, the great plan. Remember we are all creators, we were born to create, that’s what we do. We are all creating all of this. This change is something deep down inside we all want. We may want it for all sorts of different reason. But still we want it and we all needed it. All of us, the entire planet needs it. Every living being on this planet wants and needs it. That is how magnificent this moments events are. We are all in the greatest collaborative master piece of our age.

Some of you may think what does she mean by this, we are all creators. Well, we are, our thoughts, our actions, our choices, every thing we do is what is making this all possible. Our deepest desires in our hearts, are the fuel that is igniting this great momentous flame, that is causing these changes to happen on such a profound level. And although we may not understand why the changes are accruing in the way that they are, and we may be fearful of the events and issues that are escalating to fever pitched levels, know this, Life knows what it’s doing, and we are apart of that grand finale.

We may not agree with how it happens, or, who it happens to, we may not believe in the fairness, or unfairness of these events. But know this, in the end, we truly can’t fight it. We Must embrace it, and in accepting and taking responsibility for our creativeness in our lives, we can influence positive change, even if just in our world. Yes, our life, that’s where all of this magykl change takes place.

Being responsible in everything that we choose to do, and remembering that there’s always consequences to our actions, may help to alleviate the damaging out comes that we are now experiencing in our world, and the world of future generations.

We are Artists, yes we are. But most of all we are creators and guardians of this time and in this space. Take that as a privilege, and when you are out there in your studio, coming up with some wonderful new design for your next project, be mindful of what you're using, making and most of all say to the world around you. Because what we put out there does come back. So make it come back with love and the highest of intentions for all of us. Make this world a world we can be proud of. Make your mark, be a bright light and most of all live your greatest life.

PK

The Art Of Knowing What I Want

Hi Everyone, sorry it’s taken so long for me to write to you. But trust me when I say that it’s been a very demanding and soul searching couple of weeks. As you all know, I’ve been really excited about my new website that I’ve been constructing with Yahoo’s Merchant Solutions, and although I was almost done with loading all my information and cataloging my inventory, there was some thing that was just not right with it for me. I realized that I was working so hard to just get it done, posted and running, that I didn’t stop to listen to my heart. My soul was letting me know loud and clear that I was doing it more for the financial interest, rather than what my true intentions were to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I want my site to make me money. Oh yes!, but I was just not feeling it. It was missing something. At this point in the game, I began to have second thoughts about what I was doing, should I just scrap the whole project and start over, or should I just try to work with what I already created? As you already guessed, I was having inner battles with myself. I felt I already had to much invested, and if I scraped it now it would be giving into fear, as my husband called it. Or, if I just accepted it the way it was I was truly not happy with it at all. So you see this dilemma, was driving me mad in so many ways. I had already put the word out that my site was up and running and ready to sell, business cards were made with the information, and proposal letters went out with the website address on them. HUMMMMMMMMMMMM!

So here I am, finally I decided on Sunday Night, I just couldn’t take it any more. I just had to follow the heart strings pulling me to just scrap it and start some thing new. Do you know, the moment I pressed cancel, I felt the burden that I felt on my shoulder lift in that single instant. And boy did it feel good.

What I learned in all of this was that if we listen to our hearts, we really can do no wrong with this journey called LIFE. Knowing what we want, knowing how to listen to what that means, and making it happen, is the truest form of following our inner compass. I don’t regret going through that process at all. I learned a lot about the program, that now I can truly navigate the system with comprehension and know what I really want it to do for me. Kind of like working out all the bugs. So as of today, I’m planning my new site, with the swatches of colors that I want, having a custom banner of my own, and editing my inventory the way I want it to post and look on the web. Now that I’ve taken the leap, it feels dam good, and I would say to any one who’s in a situation like this, just do it. Follow your heart, and just jump. And when you jump the net will show up to catch your fall, who knows you may find you just might soar.
Enjoy the Journey PK

Art-Work

Glossary of Terms: Art-Work: (verb) a-r-t-w-o-r-k, the process of making art. Art (noun) work (verb) the process of making art work. (not artwork as in a new piece, but rather using your art to make an income.) As in Art as a means to make a substantial living. Art working, as a process, a vehicle of a means to survival. Art-working, a creative process that manifest a product for a means to sell or use.

I’ve always thought on words inner meanings, and what they really mean when we start to break them down. It always fascinated me that our language is so filled with deep inner meaning, but we don’t truly know how to use or understand the words and phrases that we link together in the things we say and write. But if we look closer we will find that the words we use so ordinarily, can mean so much more. I take it as a play on how we use it and how we tweak them that can give it a whole new meaning. Some times meanings we never even thought of using them for. Some would say that’s what slangs are. But to me, it think it’s just a whole new level of creativity.

Just like the word listed above. ART-Work. We know what Webster says it means. But I thought wait a minute. There’s so much more than just what it implies. It depends on the contexts in which we use it. So I’m going to touch on a subject that has bothered me for a long time. I Think you may be able to relate to what I’m saying and why ART-Work can take on a different meaning to each of us depending on our experiences.

I grew up always working on all types of creative projects, it started with the old faithful boxes of crayons and scraps of paper on granny’s kitchen table, to dabbling in every medium imagined. Well almost every medium. All the ones I could afford or got my hands on. All through grade school and high school all I did was fantasize of being an artist and go to a big art institute, and hopefully become someday famous for what I do. But That never happened. I was not able to go to art school or collage for that matter. Due to the fact that my parents thought I should rather work at our family own business, and that funds were never put on the side to even consider sending me to any institution to further my skills, and possibly make it a profession. As you know, life goes on, and we all grow up. As did my life. But before I really got jaded about my work I was so inspired, gun hoe about starting my own life surrounded by people who felt the same way as I. That Idea was short lived. You see one day I went to my father and told him that I wanted to quit working for him, and start making my art work for me. You can’t imagine what he said to me, it went something like this, “You know you can’t make a living supporting yourself doing your art. You should be an accounting!” I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was stunned. Here is a man, that has always done what he wanted to do, and always followed his heart. I at least thought he would give me some encouraging words to go on. But he didn’t. And ever since I’ve always had that little fatherly voice that whispers in my ear every time I choose to make a change or jump. “Don’t do it!”

I’m 39 now, and I’m only now really dealing and understanding the words he said. But I realized that he really didn’t know what he was talking about. It was coming out of fear for me and fear for him on so many levels. But the most important thing to note here is that he was wrong and he shouldn’t have said that to me. He should have tried to find away of encouraging and yet stating the reality of things. But mind you this was his own opinion, one that I allowed to run havoc in my world for way to long. Because he is my father, I believed him, and still a little part of me still fights for freedom every day. Let me state her, my father did love the artwork that I created, but it wasn’t in him to phantom that I may have a chance at making a living with it.

So to me in order to change the negative mantra that’s been running through my head for over 20 years, I started to play with the meaning of his words. And the one that stood out the most is the meaning of ART-Work. To me my artwork is the means to get me what I want, it is who and what I am, and above all it is the process of working for some thing and making it real, solid, and tangible. It doesn’t just mean my newest pieces or body of work. It also means the power I have to accomplish my needs getting met with my self thought skills of creativity. And do you know it finally worked. I took what he said so long a go, and made it work for me. Now his words has no power over me, but rather I have the power of art to work for me. After years of therapy, I finally got it. In a way I’m grateful to my father, because with out his words I wouldn’t be the strong, determined woman I am today.

So Here’s to you dad, Thanks PK.