Bella La Vita

 

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

Generally, I feel pretty satisfied with the way I spend my days, although there is room for some adjustments. I have been in a creative slump, but I learned years ago the only way to come out of that is by doing. By going through the motions and regaining that familiarity, until the flow of creativity returns.


I've been in this slump for months now. Thanks to good advice from artistic friends and a little wisdom from past lessons learned, I 've managed to not constantly beat myself up about it. Being insanely critical of myself is like a default reaction for me; I'm trying to learn more fruitful ways to deal with frustration.

I'm thinking of write now as "pre production" of sorts. I am asking questions, writing down answers, and giving new ideas room and time to be thought out.
Some things I am asking myself are:

*What is important to me right now?

*What do I care about most?

*Why do I make the choices I do?

*Who and What do I live my life for?

*What if people hate what I do?


And then I write down the answers, and in the process of answering those questions, MORE questions arise and I try to answer them too.

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  “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.”

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Christmassy Goodness in My Studio

Photos by Liz...
I was so freakin' proud of my hair that night...
Tom, the original Downtown Presbyterian Studio artist...


Kali, thanks for the sequins :)

Newest Neighbor, Liz

After working in the isolation/ distraction of my house since graduating from college, I feel fortunate to now be part of a community of artists in the Downtown Presbyterian Church studio spaces. I 'm happy to announce: I have a new studio neighbor, Elizabeth Streight. Liz's art is photography, which you can see on her photoblog. It's a documentary of her life, and the many people that are part of it. I enjoy the candid shots, and the celebratory feel they capture. I can't wait to watch as her work develops right next door. Haha. "Develop"- get it- that's a photography joke. Ok, I'll stop. P.S. The photos are ones she took at Monteagle mountain; Seamus, Liz, and I spent a lovely fall weekend hiking in the mountains and realxing at our friend, Tom's, cabin. Click here to see more!

My Room With a View

So, here it is! The new studio space. Isn't it wonderfully open and full of light? When I get everything situated, you'll have to come visit!