Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 70

Sponsor Spotlights: Sacred Cake, Photo Meditations, Marked by the Muse, The Declaration of You Illustrated Workbook + Helena Chutjian

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!
Now accepting new sponsorship reservations for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).

****************
You want the jewelry you wear to be meaningful and expressive. Affordable, but not mass produced. You want your jewelry to be like you…timeless and memorable. One of a kind. How about something a bit different? Something with a history. Something with a story.
At Sacred Cake you will find affordable heirloom quality vintage assemblage jewelry combined with timeless appeal. Whether it is for your wedding, graduation, first date, a gift, or for your everyday victories; look to Sacred Cake for personal service that you can always rely on to exceed your expectations and make you feel as special and as singular as you are.
There is only one you. There is only one Sacred Cake. Every piece tells a story. What will your story be?
*Kelly Rae readers receive free shipping & a special gift. Visit my etsy shop and enter the code "ONEOFAKIND" to receive your free shipping and your gift. I'd love for you to visit my blog for more simple projects, stories and inspiration.
****************

Hello lovely Kelly Rae readers! I'm so excited to share my brand new e-course with you — Photo Meditations: Infusing Your Images with Soul!

Photography is truly one of the great loves of my life, and when I say it is like meditation for me, I mean that quite literally— taking photos calms me and connects me into the moment more than anything else. Photo Meditations is the sort of course I would like to take myself :) It'll be five delicious weeks of the inspirational and the practical, including: weekly photo theory lessons and assignments, photo slideshows to inspire you, in-depth posts detailing how I shoot, interviews and group connecting in the private Flickr group.

I'll be sharing everything I know about photography in this class, so if you're wanting to sink deeper into your photography and create images that carry more of your heart, please do join me in November!

Registration opens TODAY! Saturday October 15th at 11am EST / 8am PST— head over to this page to register. Class starts Monday October 31st.

Hope to see you in class!
Susannah xo
****************
When you embrace your true creative spirit and share your gifts with the world - you thrive - on and off the page (inside and out).
Hello! I'm Artist Stephey Baker; I believe we're all artists. We're all creating our masterpiece called life. I want to help you realize your full potential - your dreams come true! It's painful to live eclipsed from dreams; it took me to the edge of myself. As I made my way back from this edge, through heartbreak and healing, I realized the cure, to listen + create from heart.
I invite you to join me and other like-hearted Artists, for 6-weeks, as we align our spirit + whole heart in, Creating a Thriving Artistic Life. We'll cultivate awareness through journaling + self-healing techniques, paint on the inside with self-worth, inner truth + inspiration, explore symbols + meanings of nature, which brings colorful healing light to our inner world, creating a thriving outer world.
If you're an artist ready to explore your inner canvas - register today!  code THANKUKELLYRAE saves 20%
****************

The Declaration of You Illustrated Workbook

Let Jess Swift (full-time artist and surface designer), Michelle Ward (aka The When I Grow Up Coach) and Pierre François Frédéric (dashing Frenchman and Judge Judy enthusiast) help you uncover your own definitions/ideas/values/perspective around enthusiasm, money, success, uniquity (yes, that's a made-up word – we do it often and encourage it!), intention, self-care, success, money, celebration, and trust with The Declaration of You workbook! Our 80+ page downloadble workbook also contains audio and video extras, and is designed by Jess herself. What could be better? (Leans in) A sample chapter to preview for yourself? (Talks amongst ourselves) You got it! Head on over and you'll get the full Enthusiasm chapter lickety split!
****************


My name is Helena Chutjian mom of 3 amazing kids, 3 sweet rescue critters and wife to my wonderful husband who I have known since I was 10. I am usually covered in wood chips and paint working on my latest carvings, scouring the beach for driftwood to carve, digging in the dirt surrounded by plants and flowers, and just about always, with my daughter Hope by my side.
After moving up and down the east coast as a Marine Corps family, we now call Beaufort home, a historic little town by the sea and an endless source of beauty and inspiration.
In my folk art shop you'll find hand carved Santas, snowmen and gnomes, birds and ever changing art.To Kelly Rae's loyal readers, please take 20% off of your purchase at my shop by using the code kellyrae.
****************Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

seeker of all things true

(it reads, "seeker of all things true" - new art/print available --->here)
I've been in the studio quite a bit lately - having some fun with birdies, dragonflies, butterflies, wings. Although the girls remain my fave thing to paint, it feels good to try new things - seriously loving the birdie above. 
Did I tell you that Autumn has arrived here in Portland? I've been doing some serious nesting, rearranging furniture, fluffing the house, making lots of hot tea, cozying in with fall tv, wearing my rainboots, and loving every second of the cool air. Ahhhh.....


In other news, True is killing me with his adorableness. He is incredibly social with strangers, though is certainly in the separation anxiety phase of babyhood. He loves to make truck/car sounds, snuggle with his stuffies, dance, clap, and make animal sounds.

 For months now he's had a full on fascination with wheels.  So funny what babies go for, right? He's huge on wheels, anything red, and trucks. And music. Here he is hanging out in an old vintage baby car that my parents have at their house. He loves it.
He is just the sweetest little guy. Makes me want to have a zillion more babies :)
*********************************

We have so many new goodies in the shop, I'm having a hard time keeping track (a good thing!). I will say that we've totally restructured the shop so that it's much easier to navigate, including a whole new section just for gift, and another for stationery/office!

Can I share with you one of my favorite new products? (three DIFFERENT journal/notebooks, arrive in a boxed set - love!)
What I love is that each journal is different and they all arrive together in one beautifully designed slipcase (see pic below). Each journal has 120 pages, two of the journals are lined while one features blank pages.

(blurry pic, but you get the idea)
I'm using one to hold my blog ideas, one to hold my art ideas, one to hold my to-do lists, and on and on. Love! Quantities are super limited. Get em while you can. I think they make the perfect gift for people like me who are journal junkies :)
I still have so much to share with you (True's first bday pics, fly fishing adventures/pics, house projects). I'll be back here soon. Have a great weekend everyone!

may you know you are a part of something beautiful

it's more than a song. it's a chant. a mantra. a hymn. a meditation, and a lullaby. i've been singing it to baby True and I hope that every word, every piece of it, sinks into his soul, his bones, his heart.

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
part of something beautiful...

I had to share with you as it's not often that a song reaches me so deeply. Big thanks to my friend Jen for sending it over to me.

thoughts on spinning + introducing plates!

(new painting. print available ---> here)
I keep having these conversations about how I often feel like I'm spinning. Spinning in and out of mama world, in and out of biz world, in and out of house chores, and on and on. As time moves forward, the spinning feels faster, like I'm constantly and quickly spinning from one thing to the next. I can't keep up, and I worry sometimes that I'm moving too fast. After I had True, life really slowed down for me on a very personal/internal level. I like the slow, I've embraced it, yet the rest of my life isn't on the slow speed. When I'm with baby and family I'm there spiritually, physically, mentally and I totally feel settled, in the moment, and breathing. I'm even a little surprised at how calm I feel inside these hours. Love it!

When I spin out of family time and into another piece of my life (biz, housework, personal biz, etc), all hell breaks loose and it's fast, fast, hurry, hurry, do, do, do - all stuff I want to be doing, but the pace is FAST. It's sort of driving me bananas, the in and out, the calm and the storm. I can't seem to have a full conversation on the phone, finish a thought, follow up on house projects, and gather up all the scattered pieces - even just for a day or so - of my crazy full amazing life. Do not get me wrong - I'm not complaining, but rather trying to figure out how to cope with all the pieces that are in the air at all times.

I know so many of you can relate. Please say you can relate :)

And then I had a vision, an aha moment that put all my chaotic spinning feelings into the sweetest most positive perspective. I have to share it with you.


As I was trying to reframe the whole spinning chaotic feelings I was having, I thought of the above recent photo that my friend Andrea took of me. I thought of how happy I was in that moment. How alive I felt. How joyous I felt. And yet, there I am blissed out and, you guessed it, SPINNING!


And then I thought of this photo that I took of her a couple of years ago. There she is blissfully SPINNING during a fun silly moment with our cameras.


And then I thought of this shot taken during the same play hour together. That's me being sassy after my spell of spinning in the grass.

 And then I thought of this photo of my gorgeous friend Ali spinning on the OR coast - wide open and happy. 
That imagery and memory of physically spinning in wide open spaces, while having so much fun, was all it took for me to completely reframe my feelings of chaos. I'm still spinning, and quickly, but I can now envision myself joyfully spinning (like these photos show + represent), rather than dreadfully spinning from from one piece of my life to the next. Now I can see (and celebrate) myself spinning, arms wide open, receiving all there is to receive inside those spins, gathering up all the breath, air, beauty, stillness, and freedom and taking it with me to the next landing place, even if just for a few moments, before spinning again to the next place.
So there you have it. I'm so getting my spin on, friends. And I wish the same for you if you happen to also be in a season of your life that involves a lot of it. Let's spin spin spin with joy and wide open arms (and hearts). I do fully trust and see now how there really is beauty inside the smallest of moments, even inside the moments of spinning and moving and collecting all the goodness during the twirls.
*****************************

ps: Super super excited to announce our latest new product: plates. Not just any plates, but super cute 8" plates that are fully functional, oven safe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe! LOVE!

[image error] There are four in the collection (collect all four or purchase individually) and I'm thinking they're pretty darned perfect for gift giving, or the kitchen, or adding to your wall decor.  They're up in the shop! Get em' while you can!

Sponsor Spotlights: Seek Your Course, The Birth Story Project, Soul*Full e-course, Twenty5 Project + Stacy Kathryn Art and Illustration

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!
Now accepting new sponsorship reservations for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).

****************

Do you want to live a creative life but don't know where to start?
Do you live a creative life but need help staying in-the-know?
Do you teach creative living and want to promote yourself?

Seek Your Course makes all that possible.

Seek Your Course is a database and online hub for connecting people with creative learning opportunities online and around the world.

* Through the Listings you can find ecourses, retreats and conferences with an art focus.
* Through Instructor and Retreat/Conference Profiles you can meet the artists and learn more about the events.
* Through the SYC Blog you can be inspired by interviews, book recommendations, guest posts and much more!
* Listings on many topics including: painting, drawing, blogging, entrepreneurship, encaustics, life coaching, photography, personal growth, and writing.

Come check it out: website | twitter | facebook

****************
After I gave birth to my daughter, I felt lost. I needed to process the most beautiful and traumatic event I'd ever been through. I wanted to find the secret coven of mothers who would usher me in and perform some rites(involving red paint and Jack Daniels, perhaps) that would help me make senseof all this new power and purpose and pain.
I kept waiting forthe Wise Women to show up, but guess what? We're it. So I created avirtual 'campfire' for women to tell their deepest tales of this potent transformation.
Excerpt from my love letter to mothers:I know the fullness of late summer, mybreasts and belly
ripe and bulging, fecund with life and nourishment;
and I know the barrenness of winter, whensnow is the only gentle comfort
for my ravaged emptiness
and it seems that my juice and my heatwill never return.
I have been through the ring offire. I have passed through it and lived.
Please share your story. http://thebirthstoryproject.com
****************

Soul*Full eCourse Starts October 10th – in just 2 days!
Are you looking to:
Expand your awareness?
Let go of limiting beliefs?
Create more meaningful photographs?
Embrace and live from your highest potential?
Transform your life?

If so, join photographer Catherine Just in this Soul*FulleCourse designed just for women. Therewill be inspiring video and audio interviews with Catherine's favorite life leaders: Miguel Ruiz, Douglas Beasley, Andrea Scher, Beth Nicholls, Sheri Rosenthal, Mee Tracey, Aline Smithson and Susannah Conway. We will dive into photography to help you re-learn how to "see" and writing exercises to move more toward gratitude. There will be opportunities to expand your spiritual experience through fun rituals that can help you learn to let go and trust. Mix all that with some healthy recipes, pampering, rest and rejuvenation and you've got the ingredients for a more Soul*Filled Life! Join us!

Register Now! 
****************

With a desire to create designs, make them affordable and accessible for everyone, and support charities, I asked 'what can I do?' from my home on the south coast of Australia, with small resources but bundles of enthusiasm. The Twenty5 Project is the answer to that question.
Basically, one print costs one dollar. 25 cents from each one dollar will be donated to a charity that supports our Troops.
These prints do not arrive by post. Once purchased, they are INSTANTLY sent to your email inbox. You may then print them as you like, frame & display them, pin them to your inspiration board, stick them to the fridge or even the bathroom mirror.
Everyone wants something nice to put up in their home. My wish and intention is to provide new and fresh artwork that everyone can afford, and can afford to change every few months or whenever you please. And makes you feel good too! I am just starting – more prints with varied themes are on their way. :) – Melissa Jaine.
****************

Hi, my name is Stacy Kathryn and I am an artist and illustrator! Creating art has been something I've gravitated towards my entire life. My dream is that my works find their place in this world, and help others create their own views of the world in the movement of the brush strokes, the vivid colors, and the concepts of life as only art can reflect.

I've recently started creating magnets, cards, and one-of-a-kind art pendant necklaces that are now available in my shop. This path is an adventure, and I'd love for you to join me on it. Check out my blog and website for more art and inspiration.
I've been a huge fan of Kelly Rae for the last four years, and love being part of this community. So I'm offering a special discount to Kelly Rae readers. Just enter the code 'POSSIBLE' at checkout and receive 20% off your order.

****************

Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

just in case you didn't know

xo,
kelly rae

the layers of history...

new painting, you are enough.
there's this thing that happened when i became a mother that nobody warned me would happen. it hit me hard and i think i've just recently sorted it all out.  i'm not sure how to explain it, except perhaps that it's likely hundreds and hundreds of years of history/gender roles/societal impressions that all of the sudden filtered through my consciousness the very second i gave birth. the voices inside all those unseen pressures said exactly this: now you are a mother and this means you must now cook every single meal, keep the house super clean every single day, keep your husband happy, work as little as possible, and spend all of your time with your baby. you will do all of this all with a big bright smile on your face and perfectly coordinated outfits. you'll have a ton of mama friends, and you'll still be able to hand make all of your gifts and send cards and do all the grocery shopping and yard work too and paint gorgeous paintings, and raise a smart baby who has the best manners of any child you've ever known.

i couldn't understand while i was feeling so much guilt about not being able to do it all. i felt guilty if i worked. if i didn't work. if i let true play alone. if i didn't let true play alone. never before did i feel like i should cook (i'm not a cook) but all of the sudden, giving birth had me feeling guilty for not having home cooked meals on the table. and on and on. this was all new to me - the guilt and pressure on this particular home front (good wife, good mother).

exhausting.

(close up of painting)
earlier in the summer, a friend brought it into focus for me when she said that all that pressure i'm feeling is decades and decades of history coming toward me - all the journeys of the women before me who were up against their own pressures (both personally and societal) - the ones that resisted all of it, and the ones who did not. and now, as i make my way into my own journey of being a mother, i am up against all that feedback, information, and layers of history that have been passed down. during that conversation, i finally realized that THAT has been exactly what i've been up against: some unseen forces that had me battling the gremlins of i'm not doing enough. it is SUCH a universal struggle for women and mothers. i can see that now.
months after that conversation, i'm still thinking about it. it gave me some freedom, a permission to continue the journey of letting it go. of surrendering. i know now where that pressure comes from. and i've been letting it go. feels really really good. in fact, it seems i'm pretty much back to my old ways of not cooking and not feeling one bit guilty about it :)

so, anyway, that's what inspired the above new painting.
xo,
kelly rae

***********************
a couple of quick announcements:

- i am closing my personal facebook page, so if you are one of my friends, please be sure to  "like me" on my other biz facebook page where i'll continue all of my regular updates. i don't want to lose you in the transition so please come on over! 
- signed 2012 calendars are going fast. we have a limited quantity and will not be ordering more. please scoop them up while you can as they sell out every single year. we do not have 2012 datebooks this time around, just two different calendars (they are the best quality calendars we've ever had!). here's the first one that comes signed. here's the second one that does not come signed but featured pockets (yes, pockets!)
- we've started shipping 3x week for the holiday season. we're busy elves over here and we'd love to deliver some artful, meaningful gifts your way.

- one more thing (the best thing of all):

our sweet baby True turned one years old. we celebrated big time over the weekend. photos coming soon!

NEW Sponsor Spotlights: Star Hitched Wagon, Tamara Laporte, Sara Everett, Illuminating Words, Lesley Myrick, The Clare Jordan Products, Pamela Joy Boutique + Vintage Inspiration

Today, I'd like to offer a joyful welcome to my newest sponsors. I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker. These weekly sponsor spotlight posts allow me to do just that - play matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!Now accepting new sponsorship reservations for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).
*********************

Hello!! I'm Stacey Curry of Star Hitched Wagon™ artisan goods for the Girl with Roots and Wings! I'm passionate about creating - can't imagine life without it. My parents inspired passion of creativity at a young age. Mom enjoyed baking, crocheting and ceramics and was wonderful about including my sisters and I. Dad let us create in the garage with his tools and scraps of wood. There wasn't a right or wrong way - they just let us do what we were inspired to do. So I feel I have always been creatively awake. I'm blessed. Lucky to be born and raised in rural Montana - the beauty of the plains and mountains fueled my creativity - I began designing and selling jewelry to family and friends at sixteen. I continued to cultivate my creativity and developed my own line featuring one-of-a-kind jewelry and handmade bath and body products. In 2003 I introduced this line to the world and a star was born. Enjoy your visit to the shop and take 20% off your order. Code: kellyrae Expires 12/31/2011

*********************

"Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU", is a year-long mixed art class organised by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts. She is joined by 14 incredible art teachers who are all gearing up to share their mixed media techniques, tips and tricks with YOU! Themed around self-development and healing, you'll be creating a minimum of 2 loose mixed media art journal pages per month (through a minimum of 2 lessons a month) which by the end of the year you will bind into a glorious journal (a Life Book!). This gorgeous book will have chronicled your journey, artistic growth and personal development for the year! Come join us on an EPIC year-long mixed media art journey NOW! The course begins on January 1st 2012! A fabulous way to start the year! (All videos and PDFs can be downloaded and kept – plus there are going to be many extra activities, give aways, artist interviews and prompts throughout the year in addition to the 26 lessons you're already getting). Come join now! http://www.willowing.org/lifebook.html

*********************

Affordable Custom Portraits of Your Furry, Feathery or Fishy Friends!Capture that one of a kind member of your family with an original, one of a kind artwork!
I have a true knack for capturing your pet's individual personality. With prices starting at just $125 a personal pet portrait makes a lovely gift! I work from a sampling of digital photos that you send me via email to form a composition of your pet in detailed oil paint. Price is based on size and you can choose a cradled wood panel stained with your favorite background color or left natural.

Visit my website or Etsy shop to learn more. Mention this ad when you place your order for a special 10% off!!

*********************


I am Helen Lewis, the artist and owner of Illuminating Words. I bring my love of letters and words -- both the visual aspect of their shape, and the beauty and impact of their meaning -- to my calligraphy, mixed-media collage, encaustic, and design work. I am fascinated with the curve of an E, the elegance of old script, the crisp look of type marching across a page. I love the stirring in my heart as I read a meaningful quotation or line from a poem.

In my pieces, I combine my own lettering and painting with various ephemera, including snippets from old books and dusty hymnals, treasured correspondence from earlier centuries, pieces of vintage sheet music or wallpaper, and character-filled faces from old photographs. Recently, I am particularly focused on the luminous qualities that the encaustic medium brings to the surface as these elements are layered and fused together.

Please stop by my shop or my blog to see samples of my artwork. Email me to inquire about commissioned pieces incorporating your favorite quotes or family photos.

*********************

Hello! Lesley Myrick here. I'm an artist, designer, and adventurer. I create collage art with words that make my heart happy, and sell original art and prints at my Etsy shop. (I also do custom collages with your favorite quotes or photos - just ask!) And because you're awesome (because anyone who reads Kelly Rae's blog is!) I'm offering a 15% discount in my shop with code FRIENDOFKELLYRAE. (PS. I also blog 5 days a week at lesleymyrick.com about art, photography, design, and life as a freelance artist - come by and say hello!) xo
*********************

The Clare Jordan product line is filled with happy fun gifts that will bring a smile and many giggles. I have greeting cards, pins, magnets, mirrors, curiosities, beautiful wall plaques, mirrors, paperweights and much more.
The artwork is both sentimental and quirky so the overall effect is one of whimsy, nostalgia and humour. All of the products are beautifully created using very high quality materials: I use German glass glitter and French Ribbon to decorate.

They are beautiful keepsakes and some are totally pee in your pants funny.

The Clare Jordan Products are perfect gifts for the gals who need nothing but love pretty things. We ship from Ireland so please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery. Shipping costs are really reasonable.

*********************

"Your Art on a Handbag"Pamela is a visionary and works tirelessly to bring it forth. She is motivated, hardworking and dedicated to helping you take your art and put it on a purse, clothing, cards etc., however you'd like to sell it. Pamela is "on the move" to "make things happen". Her belief is that a person can make his or her dreams come through, with a little hard work and a whole lot of fun!

Pamela is on a continuing effort to help other women start their own businesses and make their dreams a reality. By promoting a "Women helping Women" theme throughout her business plan, she hopes to create new ideas in order to help women become independent.

Pamela Joy Boutique Inc. features purses and clothing for UNIQUE Women who like "One of a Kind" fashion. These purses are intricately made and feature a variety of interesting designs. The clothing are made with the idea of combining comfort and style, as each article of clothing has its unique flair and allows the woman to function stylishly in "Her World".

*********************

"Vintage Inspiration" came to life in 2007 the result of one of those brainstorms you have on a rainy day, created by myself and my two sisters, we wanted to offer an online "vintage style" accessible to anyone with a taste for something individual, home-made and a "little bit different".
We also wanted an outlet for our passion for making things, as well as emphasising a responsibility to the environment. So as well as a place to find carefully selected vintage home wares accessories and small pieces of reclaimed furniture you can purchase goods we have made at home, all of which are designed by us and are "made with love" with many of the materials reclaimed. So please visit www.vintage-inspiration.co.uk to find those special things you can't get any where else.

We are offering a discount of 15% for the month of October.

*********************
Big thanks to my sponsors! It takes a lot of courage to create a business from dreams, and I'm honored to highlight their bravery + and their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

The Creative Connection Event

It's been a long time since I've been to any kind of creative retreat or event, and so I was a little nervous about attending The Creative Connection Event - mainly nervous about leaving True,  about whether or not I would still feel the buzz of creative love and energy that often flows when a bunch of creative women get together, and of course, about what I would wear. But I'm so glad I went. It was FANTASTIC. I barely took any photos but I'll share what I have :)

I know that these kinds of events can be magic, that they have the capacity to transform lives. And that is exactly what this event did in the most unique of ways. I think of the TCC event as a perfect marriage between purely creative retreats and a conference for creative women entrepreneurs (at all levels). There were creative workshops mixed in with biz panels mixed in with pitch slams mixed in with a craft market mixed in with tutorials (cricut, here I come!) mixed in with shared meals and speakers and inspiring stories and good food and on and on. I LOVED the mix of women crafters of all levels hanging out, learning from one another, both in craft and in biz tips. My kind of place.
Me with Jinger, Michelle + Claudine, me + Flyer Liv, Karen + meI also LOVED being surrounded by people who completely and utterly understand my lifestyle - the hopping in and out of biz world and mama world, the passion, the creativity, the lack of showers and general hygiene that comes with really FULL lives of family and business and creativity. There were shared laughs of understanding, big comforting hugs, and a lot of omg, that outfit is awesome between all who attended.

I'm reminded that wherever we are in our lives, there is a place for us. For me, back in 2006 I found my place at art retreats like Artfest. I soaked up all I could - these were experieces that changed my life and started me down a creative life path alongside an amazing community of people who were doing the same thing. A couple of years later, I found my place teaching at creative retreats - experiences that helped me grow professionally. And now as I continue to happily skip down the yellow brick road of being a creative biz woman, I found my place at TCC alongside many many other women experiencing similar hurdles and triumphs that come with strarting, owning, running, growing, building a life around creativity.
Quick self portrait in hotel room, Leigh + her mom laughingDo you ever find yourself surprised by tears inside sacred moments? I'm not sure why, but sometimes I find myself tearful when I sit inside an empty church. Any church. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it's just a moment, a reflective few seconds of knowing that my little spirit is just one of many inside a remarkable path on this earth. The moment feels good, like a gentle but powerful confirmation that there is something greater, much greater than myself, and I'm just happy to be a part of the collective. In some ways it feels like the coziest and most comforting knowing that I am well taken care of and that something much bigger than me is holding me tightly and securely in love.

While listening to Jo speak one evening to the TCC attendees, I looked around and saw hundreds of women around me and I had that same similar feeling that I get sometimes when in a church. Just a knowing, an understanding that there was something special, something sacred happening in that space with all those women. I got goosebumps, and I got a little tearful.
(me, with 12 yr old Olivia, me with Becky Higgins, me with Flyers Leanne + Petra)I often hear people say that they feel closest to god/spirit/source when they are doing what they love.  For some of us, it's out in nature when we are quiet and surrounded by the trees or in the water on a surfboard or on the top of a mountain. For some of us it's church. For some, it's when we are with our children. For me, it's when I'm creating or when I'm talking to women who are being brave with their lives. There is nothing more powerful than sharing our stories and our lives. And that is what TCC was about for me - an affirming experience that reminded me that I'm a part of something bigger, something sacred, something meaningful when I do what I love.

In addtion to all of that, it was FUN! So fun! I learned a ton, came home with enough inspiration to last a long, long while, made a lot of new friends, and met a few of my creative heros!
Me, Stacy Julian, Holly Becker, Leslie ShewringHere are some highlights:
- Jo (who organized and created this amazing event!) said something that struck me. She said that so often our creative dreams are carried on the backs of our family and friends. So true and it made me pause for a moment of pure gratitude to those closest in my life who have carried so much of the weight of my dreams. It takes a village. 
- Spending some time with Lilla Rogers who I look up to so much.
Tim Holtz- Meeting Tim Holtz. I'm pretty sure I made a fool out of myself but that's what happens when I get excited. I regress to junior high. Oh well...
- Meeting Becky Higgins. I'm a HUGE fan and have always wanted to try her project life. My goal is try it in 2012.
Leigh + me- Spending some good quality time with Leigh. Adore her. And her mom.
- Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. Eating, eating, eating
- Working with Beth and launching Hello Soul, Hello Business while we were together.
- I want to move in with Stacy Julian, please. 
- Meeting so many flyers who have taken my ecourse or read the ebooks. There were so many of them and it was AWESOME to meet their sweet faces, hear their stories, and encourage them to keep flying.
- Meeting Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring and sharing a couple of meals with them. I am now a washi tape fan! Both are as lovely in person as they are on their blogs.
- Connecting with countless friends (new + old), sharing tips, resources and stories of family, biz, and creativity.

My heart is full. HUGE thanks to Jo and to Nancy (I cannot believe I don't have a single photo of them!) for birthing such an important event. They are both visionaries, both creative superheros, both incredibly talented in what they offer. I am so grateful to have been a part of something so truly remarkable and affirming!

five years into all of this!

(Kindness Changes Everything - new art....for all of you who have helped me along the way these last five years, thank you for your kindness. it has meant everything to me. ps: this painting was inspired by baby True's new wings!)
I wrote the following post almost exact five years ago (thank you, Pam, for reminding me of it!). I was just about to launch my etsy shop with a full + scared heart. I was 30 years old, working full time as a medical social worker and had recently fallen deeply in love with making art. I wanted to be a full time artist. I wanted to feel like an artist. I wanted to make art that mattered. I wanted to find my people, my tribe.

I wanted to be brave.

This post was written in the thick of my trying to figure it all out, a time when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was sending out countless emails asking strangers for help - people who I admired and looked up to. I was completely overwhelmed, yet excited. And I was deeply curious about women who had creative businesses. I wanted to know their stories, how they did it, who they were.

Re-reading this old post, I'm reminded that I still feel exactly the same way. I still want to make art that matters. I still think about women, their art, and how they get their businesses up and running. I'm still inspired by those stories of triumph. I still get frustrated when people aren't helpful. I still want honest, daring stories.  And I still hope to always help others along the way with everything I've learned in my own creative biz journey as I understand (truly) how hard it can be.

I'm so happy to celebrate five years of running my creative biz! It was exactly this month, five years ago when everything changed.  Opening that etsy shop in 2006 changed my life (thank you, etsy). Figuring it all out as I went along changed my life (I still figure it out as I go!). Embracing the questions, searching for answers, finding my people - all of it - changed my life. I am so lucky and so grateful to be living this life as an artist. I'm an artist (!), full time (!), successful (!). Sometimes I simply cannot believe it.


In the spirit of celebrating beginnings and all the learning, frustration and changing of lives that happen because of it all, here is the post I wrote almost exactly five years ago on this blog documenting one part of my new beginning. I called it "women + art." For those of you new to this blog, check out the right sidebar for a list of blog posts that chronicle my journey into the creative life these last five years.

Written in Sept, 2006:
i've been thinking about women, their art, how they get their businesses up & running, and their personal journey along the way. how did they start? do they have any tricks? what were their hurdles, struggles, joys? how do they manage their finances, books, data? how have their endeavors changed their life, their relationships, with others, and within? and do they have any concrete tools or suggestions? and most importantly, do they have a spirit of encouragement when it comes to artists who are just beginning, and do they make themselves available to them? is that important? really, i just want to know their stories. the honest truth.

there's no doubt that i'm in the midst of that very journey right now. all the research. all the learning (macintosh, scanners, printers, marketing, photoshop, taxes, shipping options, to name a few). not to mention all of the searching, inward, and outward. i find myself looking for resources, communities, even blogs out there that specifically focus on women, their art, and the story of how they came to be. i want honest, daring, truthful stories.

i find it frustrating that for those women who are now successful, that some of them aren't very generous with what they've learned. what is that about? i've been lucky to have laini, alena, and DJ as huge supports to me. they are all wonderfully successful artists who have encouraged, inspired, and have challenged me to do it. to make my dreams actually happen. that yes, i can do it, and that i should do it! i've asked them all a million questions, and they have all been incredibly generous with what has worked for them, and what hasn't.

no matter where i am in my journey, i want to be that person who encourages, supports, is available, but most importantly, to be honest about the process. i know what it feels like now to have a million questions, a huge learning curve, and to be seeking information non-stop. and i also know how the ups & downs of transforming one's life can feel. it's exhilarating. it's scary. it's passionate. it's happiness. it's internal questions and examination. the questions come in and out, day to day. sometimes i think to myself, "who do you think you are?" "what the hell are you thinking?" "do you really think you can make a life as an artist?" "ha!"

it's all about the journey. i'm loving it. in the spirit of being helpful, i've added some resources to my sidebar for the inner entrepreneur in you. these are all sites i've either stumbled upon or learned about from other people. some are quite practical and others are pure inspiration.