The Art Journalist - "It's the thought that counts."

The Simplicity Of Stamping

 

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Valentines - The Fast & Easy Way

Using index cards is our family's secret way to make quickie cards. This year my daughter Chloe, made 32 of these for her Valentine friends. Sometimes simplicity is best.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Resume Writing For Creatives

 

This is part of my creative process as an Art Journalist. I start with a grid to sort out my creative mind. The squares give order to the chaos of my thoughts and the colours lead the way. Eventually, I have an art journal filled with a chronilogical account to continuous creativity. This can be a great self-coaching method.

 

Over the years I have been asked to advise on career path and resume writing for young creatives. When was starting out as an artist after leaving corporate, I found one coach who helped artists with their struggles. She lived in California and the thought of calling her never even crossed my mind. I wish I had reached out to her so that I could have gathered her aquired knowledge about the art scene then. Whenever I have the chance to share coaching resources that make life easier for people,  I try to!

Here are some ideas:

The Right Brain Business Plan

Author Bio: Jennifer Lee says : "You’re a creative soul, and traditional business plans just don’t work for you. Or maybe you've been doing things the "old school" way and your heart isn't in it any more. You yearn for more fun and freedom. Trade in those boring binders, tedious templates, and stodgy spreadsheets for inspiring images, gleeful goals, and colorful creativity."

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Tips to Create The Résumé That Resonates With Your Profile

Author Bio: Richard White works as an editor at Yellow Brick Path. He enjoys varying his work and researching new and different approaches to his work. He shares an interest in career counseling and recruitment. Follow him on Twitter.

= a well balanced start to career planning for entrepreneurial creatives with heart

Lego Party For Boys

We recently had a Lego party for my son Damon. It is such an easy party to put together if you have laot of Lego. We have ALOT of Lego. I made the invites in Pages on the MAC and cut them out. Ease is best for these events. I have a secret, where I only buy red things so I don't have all of these unmatching napkins and paper plates. The recipe for a party like this is:

2 hours + 2 pizzas + red loots bags filled with Lego stuff + lego to play with + some models on display + red streamers and balloons + bottled water  + tetra packs = easy party for Mom

We  were inspired by LegoLand at Niagra Falls, Ontario where we saw how one man had spent his whole life pursuing his passion. He built an entire Lego city which is fascinating for children. 

 

 

 

Inspired To Decorate: Gluckstein Home

 

 

I got to meet Cheryl Kororiz from Gluckstein Home at Blog Podium last weekend. She is currently the marketing and communications manager for GlucksteinHome where she oversees media relations, branding, website development and social media for the home furnishings brand and interior designer Brian Gluckstein.

Cheryl managed public relations for Aveda Canada for several years where she was responsible for sustainable communications, strategic partnerships and media relations for the beauty brand throughout Canada.

After hanging out with her at BlogPodium, I said "I want to do a room by room revamp today!" This actually made sense to me:  to go through each room and list what I would do if I had alot of extra time and energy. This was at 9:00am. Well it's about 2:45pm and  what I am inspired to do is create from colour first. I am espically inspired by the fan deck of piant colours given to me by GluckstienHome at BlogPodium. In the end, the colour of the room for me is the base of where I start decorating because it is the most permanent. I can move furniture in and out but in our house the wall colours stay the same UNLESS they are NOT choosen by me.

The situation to date, on our home renovation that took a nose-dive due to "contracting difficulties". You live and learn is all I will say aboutt that. But what I am left with is a house that has been chopped up as my in-laws have taken less rooms and we as a fmaily of four have taken on more. That is the only way I can describe the transformation. While I am gifted with many, many rooms to "oversee" my ultimate goal is to conduct flow. That means keeping the peace between many difference ages and interestes that sometimes over lap. It does not help that my husband is a design organizer whose flow is not always mine. Ok it is almost never mine. The one colour set we can all agree on is creme.

While we have containers left over of creme paint that is for our downstairs area, our upstairs area has different light which requires different paint colour. I am playing with the Gluckstein Home fan deck of colours to become inspired to muster up that energy that lasers through me to create something beautiful when I create anything. 

Here's what I recommend:    

1. Start with a longterm overall base colour  and theme for your design vision:  

Flow, calm colour and continuity.

2. Next consider a neutral  colour family:                                                                              

 I chose: Buttermilk/ Light Yellow/Linen Sand: From Gluckstein Home's Paint Collection.

 

3. Test the colour:                                                                                                                          

Some people tape up the paint chip of their choice to see what the colour looks like in different lights. I am an artist an am therefore admittedly picky about colour. I hold the paint chip up to places and items in the house that are already in my favourite creme colour family.

 

4. Create with your favourite coloured rooms based on the chips that speak to you:                                  

Enjoy the art of arrangement is what you can use to play with colour.  

 

 

 

 

 

Remember that you will be "married" to this colour for a significant time period. If you have huge wall spaces like I do, you need to think about how those vast spaces will look a yera form now. will you say; "Yes, I love that colour because it is a welcomed part of my daily experience?"

I can honestly say that Gluckstien Home speaks my colour language.

Know Where To Go: Local Artisans

Local artisans are people in our own neighbourhoods that are masters of many handmade crafts. I have a deep respect for these artists whose work has spanned over their life time and their craft has become second nature to them. I have this flow within my own work and I connect with it when I see the joy of craft being expressed. This can be spotted when you see a table full of handmade scarves each in a different colour. You know that someone had so much fun that they couldn't stop making these items. In this case addiction boils down to passion. That is the kind of scraf I want to be wearing!

Buying local is not only an honour of local artisans but also encourgaes the idea that people are making things out  of sheer pleasure and joy. 

This scraves were handmade by a local ladies' group at my local seniors centre. These ladies were thrilled that I was an artist also. When I said I wanted to wear my scarf as a wrap for an upcoming formal event, they were even more happy. Now thhat scarf is going to be my extra special artsy scraft that says I am not only proud of being an artist but of the artists who made it.

TO PURCHASE SCARVES: 1pm-2:30pm Wed. BRADFORD LADIES CRAFTERS AT THE DANUBE SENIORS CENTRE, Bradford, ON Canada

creativity prescription: Saturday Morning Paint Out Party

 

A Paint Out otherwise known as a "Happening", is a joyful event when kids get toether as a group to paint and express themselves. The result is joy and is usually followed by dancing espeiclaly when there is music is in the background.

This morning I had one with another Mom, my friend Corianne. We helped the small group of boys and girls combine paint, glitter, glue and more to create a mixed media experience for the kids that was also multisenory in nature. Colour does have an erengy with the capaicty to heal and generate love. The result was particularly rewarding for me becuase my daughter who had been practicing drawing one main design in pencil and marker decided to try hers in paint. The eveloution of six years as an "Artist Mom" shows as Chloe is developing the skill of synthesis. This is an important part of creativty. Saying let's take that idea and apply it's concept over here is a valuable skill that all kids can be learning through hands on experience. Having a group of kids making art and seeing the joy it brings them when I am teaching a technique is joyful to me. As kids are sharing materials and their ideas, they are also interacting in a respectful way towards each other that gives me hope for them as the adults of tommorrow. 

Try This: Have A Paint Out Party      

Gather unsed supplies and combine what you have and encourage sharing amongst the different ages and sexes. This is practical way to redirect any jealousy or tension between kids who do not know each other that well. There is a special creative intelliengce, that engages energetic beings who get together to sit in circle to create somehing. This is a call back to our ancestors who sat in circle in tribal live from which we all share from our history.

 

Transforming The World One Person At A Time

 

“I call myself  "The Art Journalist" because I help people craft their PR and with photographs, images and words. I am also a Publisher of Encourage Ink Magazine, an upcoming on-line magazine “where motivation meets style”. As an eco-peace advocate, I contribute to the Children's Wish Foundation as a Wish Ambassador as well as a fundraising/recycling Mom. As a Self Care Expert, I give Reviews & Interviews of wellness products and places. As professional trainer, I love showing people how to open up their inner artist through my workshops, writing and speaking. I am a published author in a book called Pebbles In The Pond. Overall, I give voice to our holistic need for creativity, that needs to be fulfilled for our personal wellness to be complete.

 

 

 

 

My chapter entitled Creative Power: Putting Passion Into Action can be found within the pages of  Pebbles In The Pond non-fiction anthology. I was excited to be part of this movement of amazing transformational authors.

Here is a sneak peak of the back cover:

"Can your most difficult moments be the ones that shed the greatest light in your life?  These 44 courageous visionaries say "yes!” 

Join best-selling authors Marci Shimoff, Sonia Choquette, Arielle Ford, Robert Allen and Christine Kloser and several other transformational authors who have shared their own turning point aha moment which are deeply inspiring true stories of their subsequent transformations.

You’ll connect with these authors immediately as they share their "straight from the heart" stories. They invite you to discover how to transform your toughest times into the greatest gifts and blessings in your life, even if you don’t think it’s possible."

Add your name in the box above to receive my compliementary E-book: Art Journaling - A Simple Practice, to begin your own on-going creative spiritual practice.

 

I have also been a mixed media artist for the past 18 years.  I began my spiritual journey during my Philosphy studies at University.  The human mind "wants to know".  How can we get to know ourselves better? I have found through a regular on-going spirit filled art practice is part of whole living and well-being. It leads to paintings like the one below.

 

 

 

People ask how much time did it take you to make that painting? The answer is 18 years and more. The photographic eye is the is as a development over time that allows for a flexibility of spirit. The writer would agree that brings a palette of words as well. What greatness can you uncover when agree to look within on a daily basis and express yourself? Emerging and evolving are a natural part of creative life. Creativity itself is a natural part of life that is most often neglected on the path to well being. I love going back through my art journals that chronicle not only my work, but my own personal growth and spiritual journey. The illustrations, photographs and words remind me of who I always was. It is a satisfaction that I enjoy sharing, teaching and speaking about. Join me on my self care journey!