ONE

Sentry III

Laura Ann Beehler

Available Wednesday February 16, 2011

One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages

One Cause – The Fight Against Cancer.

One Wednesday – February 16, 2011.

One Hundred Collages – Created for this event by an all-star team of artists: Natalya Aikens, Pamela Allen, Laura Ann Beehler, Liz Berg, Pokey Bolton, Laura Cater-Woods, Jette Clover, Jane Davila, Jane Dunnewold, Jamie Fingal, Gloria Hansen, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Jeanelle McCall, Linda Teddlie Minton, Karen Stiehl Osborn, BJ Parady, Judy Perez, Wen Redmond, Cynthia St. Charles, Virginia A. Spiegel

The goal – Raise $8,000 for the American Cancer Society in just one day. More details and a preview of artwork: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ONEFundraiserPreview.html    

Fiberart For A Cause has already donated over $205,000 to the American Cancer Society through the generosity of fiber artists and their patrons.

 



RENEWAL

A weekend spent with wonderful women letting their child play…..

time to reflect…to breath…to refresh our spirit…
laughter…singing…..wonderful stores….
insightful conversation…nourshing food.
Sharing….understanding….listening…. talking.
Letting our hair down within a warm circle of friends.

Time spent gathering artistic energy
to fuel us through the coming year

poetry…music…meditation...making art.
Searching our inner desires, wants and needs

making a plan…

what a wonderful calming way to begin!



Creative Mess

This comes from Hugh MacLeod.  A very humerous individual on so many levels.  Very down to earth!  Check him out at http://gapingvoidgallery.com/ .  He often has pearls of wisdom that really make you stop and think - yeah he's right!

Creative Mess

Creativity starts off messy. Youthful creativity is very messy.

Often starting off randomly, and then as one thinks, and works, its form takes shape.

Over time, when one works their creative muscle over and over, creativity gets easier and less messy, more precise.

That is the challenge of being a creative professional. Exercising your creative muscle sufficiently so that your ability to create is not so random, or messy.

That goes for visual artists, writers, marketers, managers.

Focus, intent, exercise, repetition.

Intimidation

I recently had a conversation with an artist friend of mine about becoming a member of a small group. Her response held many reasons for NOT joining such as being over extended and time factors. The one that I zeroed in on was "I feel intimidated". I had to laugh because I knew exactly what she meant. There are so many times that I am intimidated by others. She is more polished.... her speaking abilities are so elegant....she has such energy....her knowledge about X is tremendous....she is so in control.....her work is sooooo good and the list goes on and on and on! What I have finally learned is that we like to think that we are unique... that we are the only one feeling this way. I love it when I hear comments like this because they ground me. I have confirmation that I am not alone in my feelings! BUT, what do we do to overcome them? I am sure that even the most accomplished artist feels intimidated in some way by some person. She may not show it on the outside, she may have found ways to disguise her intimidation, she may have learned to put that negative thought on the back burner, but there is always that tinge of intimidation with her. I struggle with this on a daily basis. I am trying little by little to control this particular feeling - intimidation. It is a killer feeling! When WE LET ourselves be intimidated we give up our sense of self. We give up our belief in our self. I am the only person that can allow myself to feel this way - no one can make me have this feeling, no one can give or take it. It is mine to do with what I want. I can let it overtake me, numbing me to the outside world or I can put it on the back burner - stuff it way down in the dark depths of my mind. We each have skills that we are very good at as well as lessons that we still need to learn. We all have much that we can share and teach each other - we have to trust in ourselves and each other and be willing to give and take. I believe that it is important to respect the feeling of intimidation as it keeps us aware that we have room to grow, but don't let it hold you hostage!