Great Advice..."How to Create a Consistant Body of Work" by Cedar Lee

I ran across this video by artist Cedar Lee on why it's important as an artist to create a consistant body of work.  I really like her viewpoint, and the fact that she addresses my issue of wanting to do everything under the sun!  Her opinion gave me some new insight into how I want my journey to progress.  Take a look...it's really worth viewing and listening to what she has to say.

Don't Resist! Just Roll with It....the Unique You in all your Splendor and Imperfections!

E

I often struggle with procrastination, impulsivity, racing thoughts, disorganization, chaotic lifestyle and wondering why I have to be the way I am.  These characteristics to the "normal" people out there are considered a negative, but I say, at least for me in most ways, they are a positive.

Now I'm not saying that I don't WISH I had a more organized set of thought processes, or that I was one of those people who can get everything on their agenda done in a timely manner.  I REALLY admire people who can work full time, be involved with their children and family, and maintain their sanity all at the same time!  I find it stressful just getting dinner on the table, keeping my house semi-organized (that's the best I can do!), getting the laundry done....etc...you get the picture I'm sure, because even if you are not like me, I'll bet you know someone who is!

“It’s like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you’ve got another idea before you’ve finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely.

Edward M. Hallowell [author of the bookDriven To Distraction] 

And let me tell you, at least from my own experience, people like me feel guilty for not being able to "keep it all together", like everyone else.  This "guilt complex" is the downside, because it creates all kinds of anxiety inside and I worry WAY TOO MUCH about what other people think and how they might judge me, before they really know me.

But the struggles aside, I think to myself...the people who really matter will get to know me, will love me for who I am, and will admire me for what I do well.  And I do MANY things well.

I read an article today that really spoke to me, and I think could help other's, so that's why I'm sharing this link

Celebrate and Embrace your ADHD

I am a classic ADHDer, and whether you are or you aren't, if you suffer from any of the issues above, this brief article will give you more of a positive way of seeing yourself.

I thrive on creativity, my brain can spew ideas all over the place and when I finally pick one of those ideas, I can "hyper" focus on it and accomplish some really unique and creative outcomes.  I happen to like this about myself!  I have an enthusiasm for learning, doing and creating!  I never get bored because there is so much to do!  I can be an inspiration to others, and I have a lot to share and offer!

Sometimes I think that I need to find my niche or a specific "style" that defines my art, so that my art will be recognized as "me".  But I have to tell myself that there is nothing wrong with trying it all!  Experimentation, and ART PLAY will eventually lead me and I just need to go with it.  I might feel like making jewelry out of bullet casings one day, mixed media painting another, playing with clay the next etcetera....I want to try it all...AND I WILL!  And the best part is......IT'S OKAY!  Just roll with it....and embrace who you are in all your splendor AND imperfections!

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get!"  Love that quote from the movie Forrest Gump.  It's the perfect description for my day to day existence.  No wonder I am a chocolate lover, especially the really chewy kind!  You get to chew and chew and savor the flavor! (don't know if that makes sense to anyone, but it does to me!)

Is My Art "Good Enough" ? Have you ever asked yourself this question?

If your answer is yes, than this little gem is a "MUST" see.  I discovered it at just the right time in my journey.  This question "Am I good enough to be an "Artist"?" has been pestering my brain for a while now.  When I first started to create, I was excited and so inspired...but  as I have continued to create, I find myself having a lot of self doubt and questioning whether I deserve to call myself an artist.  My message to anyone who experiences the same bullying from their inner critic, is to WATCH THIS VIDEO and continue pushing forward and doing what you love to do!!!!

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

YOU and your art are more than "Good Enough".  You are an inspiration to those around you and following your passion is what you must do!  I hope in sharing this video you will find the courage to continue on your quest, squash that inner critic and if you found this post to be helpful... pass this message on!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours...Loving this time of year!

Oh the Holidays! I love them.  We finally got our tree last weekend and the girls decorated it beautifully!  I love watching them, lovingly adorning the tree with the ornaments that they and we have collected over the years. Our tree is a mish-mash of ornaments that they have made in school, or have picked out themselves with their Papa every Thanksgiving (he takes them out to pick out an ornament every year).  It's beautiful! I tried to take a picture of it.  But it just doesn't do it justice!

I am trying to make most of my gifts this year and am loving every second of it. I am keeping busy, busy, buys!  I hope everyone is really enjoying the things that matter this season.  Take time to cherish the moments and remember that it's not all about the hustle and bustle, the entertaining, the decorating, the gift giving and receiving...but more about the love we have for our family, our friends, our neighbors...and for some of us our Blessed Father who gave us the most important gift mankind has ever received,  His Son.  I am so Blessed in this life and am thankful for everything big and small.  Thank you for your friendships, your support, your love, and I hope I can give to other's as much as I have been given.

Merry Christmas everyone! Be Happy and don't sweat the SMALL STUFF!

Love and Hugs
Kristen

50 Pieces of Art in 50 Days...

I have a friend who has challenged herself to create 50 pieces of art in 50 days....Wow!  She asked if I would also join in on the challenge.  I have a lot of catching up to do!  This is a small 5.5 x 8.5 piece I did today.  It needs a little fine tuning, but it's pretty much complete.  Tomorrow I'm going to try to do a Pear painting to go along with it!  I'll post that when it's done.  Hopefully I'll have enough time!

What about you?  Have any of you ever done something like this?  It seems overwhelming to me, and I have to keep telling my inner critique to "SHUT UP"!  I hate that self-defeating dialogue that goes on inside my head.  I didn't have that when I first started painting, maybe because my expectations were lower?  I don't know...but I do know I'm really struggling lately to produce a finished piece of artwork.  So today's little painting makes me happy!

Works in Progress...

Still working, or mainly "practicing" because I have so much to improve upon and learn!  Here are the products of my latest practice session.

A New Video Tutorial on Mixed Media Art Cloths!

Well, I finally did it.  It took me way too long, as I know next to nothing about using iMovie and it seems like everything I did took forever for my computer to process...but I did it!  So I can cross this one off my list of short term goals to accomplish.   I really want to make more video tutorials on other techniques, so that will be something I'll be working on soon.  But here it is lady's and gentlemen....drumroll please....

A tutorial on how to make larger mixed media art cloths using recycled materials!

One quick little note about viewing this video...because I used a sound track from Youtube, they throw in advertisements at the bottom of the screen.  You can "X" these out at the top right corner of the advertisement itself so that you can see all of the screen.

List of Child Artist Prodigies and their Websites....Amazing Stuff!

Last week I read a book called "Heaven is for Real" (great book by the way...).  In this book was mentioned a child prodigy artist by the name of Akiane.  I had to check out her website and see for myself her paintings that are inspired by visions and dreams given to her by God.  Her work is so awe inspiring and beyond amazing!  She started drawing at age 4 and painting by age 6.  She is now 16 and is known all over the world.  I had never heard of her before last week.

So I started wondering how many child prodigy artists are alive today and what can I learn about them?  I am having fun checking out the miraculous talent that these kids have been given and I wanted to pass along the links in case anyone else is interested in checking it out!

Joshua Johnson

Kieron Williamson

Alexandra Nechita

Wang Yani (I couldn't find a website for her, but here is another blog post about her) and the video below is a must see!

Akiane Kramarik

Marla Olmstead

Aelita Andre

Hamzah Marbella

I'm sure there are many more that I didn't find, but I thought this would be an interesting topic to share!  Hope you enjoyed!

Careers In Art

Finding Balance between Life and Art: Setting Short Term Goals

I've been feeling really guilty about not creating much this summer, and for neglecting my blog and facebook for the past few weeks.  On the other hand I also have a guilt complex about not spending enough time with my girls while I have the opportunity this summer.  So, for the past few weeks, I've put my art on the back burner and focused on my kids and family.  I've been assistant coaching my daughters select soccer team (and I'm loving it!), and I've been trying to spend more time playing with the girls, taking them and their friends inner tubing, or just hanging outside with them while they swim in the lake and play.

But now it's time to dive back into art...and I'm excited!  My long term goal is to simply SELL MY ART!  I have several short term goals that i've set to help me reach that goal, and I intend to accomplish each of these before the first of the year.  I'm listing them here so I can be held accountable!

1. Reorganize all art supplies and give away what I don't need, want or use.  
2. Apply to be a part of a local art gallery and bring some of my smaller paintings, prints, cards and      jewelry to be considered.
3. Continue improving my blog and website.
4. Create at least one more video tutorial.
5. Complete at least 2 pieces of artwork each month.
6. Revisit and complete some of the online courses I haven't been able to finish.
7. Submit something to either a Somerset or Cloth Paper Scissors Reader's Challenge.

I think that ought to do it!  I'm going to be a busy girl!  But I'm ready and eager to get started!  What are your short term goals?  It helps to get them out there, on your blog, facebook or just verbalized to someone you trust in your life to hold you accountable.  I am notorious for having goals and then getting distracted and leaving them by the wayside.  My best intention is to stick to these few things and see them through.  I have 3.5 months right?

Here is a link to an article that tells a story, illustrating the importance and effectiveness of setting short-term goals.  Maybe reading it will help you to set your goals, both long and short!

Using Weebly to build your own FREE website...

Here is a slideshow of some of the new jewelry I've recently added to my Art Play Today Shop.  I've been using Weebly to build my website and the best part is...It's Free!!!  I've attempted many websites before and Weebly is by far the best.  As long as you have a PayPal account (which is also free) you can set up your own store on your Weebly website.  If you want to have your own original domain name, you can buy yours very inexpensively at GoDaddy.Com.  It's very easy then to have your website name match your blog name or whatever unique name you come up with.  To build your own website it's as easy as "drag and drop".  

Artists on Facebook: Your Opinion?

This is me,  Kristen Watts.  I figured you might want a face to go with Art Play Today.

After receiving a somewhat negative comment on a post I made about using social media to promote your artwork I have been thinking about it nonstop and would really value your opinion.  Here is the comment left by "Spinning Down Under":

More time on FB = less time creating and less time for real life and real time networking with people who can help you. Simple really. The world of FB is an illusion,smoke and mirrors, and if you post anything on FB it becomes their property - so much for tutorials you post and encouraging others to post photos of their work! Give it a little more time and it will be as passe as last weeks newspaper.Your time is better spent ensuring your blog, website, and etsy shop are high up in the search engines search results . THAT is what drives people (as in paying customers and serious followers) to find you; these are people who are interested in more than simply collecting "names" as friends in fake popularity stakes.But then I'm bucking the trend and prefer owning my own work, not donating the rights to it to a feral and uncontrollable internet site that may just be reluctant to let me have it back. And I'm fussy about my friendships, and paranoid about computer security. FB isn't.Depends if you are satisfied with 15 minutes of transient FB fame, or prefer to be taken seriously. And remembered.

When I first read this I felt a little offended by it, but I've chosen not to take it personally and to learn from her opinion.  I've done a lot of research that I wouldn't have done if not for this comment and I learned a lot in the process.  I appreciate all points of view, because without being open-minded I would never get anywhere or grow as a person and an artist.

In response to how facebook and many other sites may use the content that we upload....I'm not too worried about it, but this doesn't mean I (or my art) won't be taken seriously.  If someone really wants to use your images from your facebook, etsy, flickr, artfire....or any other place you upload your images....THEY WILL FIND A WAY.  Someone can just as easily take an image from Etsy, as they can from Facebook.  It's fairly easy to get around a watermark etcetera.  My point being that I don't see Facebook running a behind the scenes print shop and selling my art or anyone elses as their ultimate evil  corporate scheme.  If my artwork is used by someone other than myself I of course expect the courtesy of giving credit to me as the artist and a link to my site (which I may or may not get)....But in the grand picture, I feel it's useless and unhealthy to be paranoid.

I don't know....maybe I'm to optimistic....but that's something that I like about myself.  I choose to be positive, to share what I know, to encourage other artists to create.  I'm not afraid of someone stealing my style or technique...because frankly we and our works are either directly or indirectly inspired by others.  Sharing makes me happy, so if someone wants to use my images I will just take it as a compliment and move on.  Of course I want to be taken seriously as an artist....But I think using Facebook and other social media will have more positive effects on my art business than the reverse.

Every artist must decide for themselves what they are comfortable with, and every artist must take responsibility for educating themselves as well.  I've done my research and feel comfortable with my decisions thus far.

There is something to be said, however, about protecting yourself as much as you can.  For example, when you upload images for use on the web, you should use low resolution (72dpi) images that are not fit for print.  If you use facebook, you should really read their terms and if you don't understand them, do some research on what the language means.  You should also look at your privacy settings and set them according to your comfort level.

Thank you to "Spinning Down Under" for the thought provoking response to my blog post, and I encourage all of you to express your opinions, whether they align with mine or not! We can all learn from each other!

Paintstik Portraits, by Lauren Vlcek: a link

I just wanted to pass this link on to any of you who might be interested in experimenting with the Shiva Paintstiks.  It's a pictorial tutorial showing how to paint a face with these great little oil paintstiks.

Have Fun!

Fabulous Faces with Shiva Paintstiks

Experimenting with Shiva Paint Stiks

I have been experimenting  with Shiva Paint Stiks today.  I had heard that they are an amazing medium.  I found them to be pretty awesome myself.  They are smooth and creamy and blend flawlessly together.  The only drawback that I found, at least for myself, is that you need to let them dry for at least 24 hours before layering over the top with other mediums.  As impatient as I am, I think they might just be worth it!  I haven't finished these obviously....but here is what I've done with them so far.

These are done on Bristol Vellum, because that's what was close at hand at the time.  I used three colors all together, Antique White, Beige and Dusty Rose.  I smooshed them around with my fingers and in the smaller areas, used a small brush.  I'm pretty happy with how these perform, so I think I'm going to experiment some more!

A Great Article about the Pitfalls of Vanity Galleries...

If my post about Vanity Galleries peaked your interest and you want to know even more about them, check out this great article by Renee Phillips.  Renee is an art marketing consultant, career coach and author of several books.  How cool is it that she visited my blog and facebook page!!!  Check out her article, "Vanity Galleries: Pay to Play at your own Risk" by clicking HERE.

All about Packing and Shipping your Art Work: Techniques, Materials, Resources...

If your in the business of selling your art, than you'll find this article all about packing and shipping artwork very informative and useful.  The author, Mona Majorowicz, owns and operates the Wild Face Gallery and has over 20 years of experience in the art and framing industry.  She covers every detail possible in this article all about packing and shipping your art so it gets to it's destination in pristine condition.  In addition she gives resources on where to get the best deal on your shipping supplies.  Here is the link to her article: 

 Packing and Shipping Art

A Valuable Lesson I Learned Today: Vanity Galleries

Today I was contacted through my Art Play Today Webpage by a gallery in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Initially I was flattered, until I did some research and found out this particular gallery wants their artists to pay a fee upfront to be exhibited in the gallery.

These types of galleries are called "Vanity" galleries...Here is the Wikipedia blurb on the difference between the commercial art galleries (that we all strive to show in) and the "Vanity" gallery...

"Commercial art galleries derive their profit from sales of artwork, and thus take great care to select art and artists that they believe will sell, and will enhance their gallery's reputation. They spend time and money cultivating collectors. If the artwork sells, the gallery makes a profit and the artist is then paid.

Vanity galleries have no incentive to sell art, as they have already been paid by the artist. Vanity galleries are not selective because they don't have to be. Many professional artists recommend new artists avoid exhibiting work in them, primarily because professional critics and reviewers tend to avoid them."

So I've learned a new and valuable lesson today!  Always question things that don't sit right in your gut!  I really wanted to believe that I was being solicited by a respectful gallery.  But galleries don't usually solicit the artist, it's usually the other way around.  I guess "Vanity" gallery really fits the bill, as they immediately play on your vanity! 

I'm glad this happened to me, and hope that you can learn from my experience as well.  Most artists like myself don't have money to burn...and I wouldn't want any of you to get burned by this type of solicitation!

S-I-M-P-L-E Organization Strategy

I'm posting this because I struggle with staying organized and am always working at it.  I'm sure I'm not the only one out their with problems in this area, so I thought maybe others could benefit from this great article!

S-I-M-P-L-E Organizing Strategies


S - SELECT THE AREA

Select the area you will organize by deciding which space in your home or office causes you the most stress. This is the area you should attack first. Select one space at a time. Breaking goals down makes them easier to accomplish.

I - IMPLEMENT A SORTING STRATEGY

After you select the area, you will need to implement a sorting strategy. Use small multi-colored stickers to sort the items in the area you have selected. Designate one color for the items you are keeping, one for those items you are not sure about, and one for those items you will purge. Do not move the items--just sort.

M - MOVE OBJECTS TO SPECIFIED AREAS

Now that you have sorted all your items, it is time to move them. This step of the SIMPLE process takes the longest. If you attack it in three sections, it is easier. First, move all your purging items to bags/boxes to either throw away OR to donate to charity. Act today. Second, go through the items you are not sure about. Purge as much as possible from this group also. If you decide to keep it, then move it to the keeper group. Do not keep guilt-related family/friend items if you don't use them. The last step is to move all the items you are keeping to assigned spaces. The key to organizational maintenance is everything must have a place. Some of these items will not have assigned spaces yet. Time to go to the next step!

P - PICK AND PLAN THE SPACE

Spaces should be designed based on the needs of the individuals using them. Based on the specific space (garage, kitchen, home office, closets, etc.), there are a number of techniques you should use.

L - LOCATE AND SELECT ORGANIZING CONTAINERS

Containerizing is crucial to the organizing process. Containers come in all shapes and sizes. They help you group and separate your belongings with ease. Retrieval and cleanup are much easier when you use containers. They also limit the amount you can accumulate.

E - EXCAVATE CONTINUOUSLY

Just like archaeologists, you must excavate continuously to unearth your treasures. Time will bury your belongings if you don't get a little dirty at least once a week and throw away all unused items in your home and/or office.

---

Article by: Sheri McConnell

Sheri is the CEO of Sheri McConnell Companies, Inc. and the president and founder of two global organizations, the Smart Women's Institute of Entrepreneurial Learning (formerly the National Assn of Women Writers-2001) and the Global Institute of Associations-GIA. You can visit Sheri, access her free article archive, and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com
Sheri lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, their four children, a weenie dog, and three hermit crabs.

Wake Your Dreams

Many of us have dreams that we've kept to ourselves, dreams that we thought weren't possible, or dreams that other's wouldn't support.  It's time to wake those dreams from their deep sleep and start to make them a reality.  Believe that you can...and you will!

Here is my latest entitled "Wake Your Dreams"...hope you like!

I am the QUEEN....of unfinished art that is...

These are some of the unfinished pieces I have laying around here and there, and this isn't even half of it!  I don't know why, but I constantly get "stuck" and don't know what to do next, or I loose interest all together!  Luckily I do revisit my pile of unfinished business and occasionally I turn out something really cool.  I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has piles of half finished artwork laying around, and if you do, what do you do with yours?  Any hints on how to rid myself of this unfortunate pattern?

A few of these were really just practice pieces done for fun, but quite a few of them were also meant to be real artwork, but never made it to that status!  I could seriously use some ideas on organizing your artistic life (not to mention the rest of it! Ha!)  If you have some tips of your own to give, or know of any good blogs or websites with info on this topic I'd love to hear from you!