Fantasy World

In the fantasy I play out in my head, I will eventually start making enough money off my artwork to quit my job.  I spend my days in my studio surrounded by my little bits and bobs, my treasures.  I'll stand at my easel and move and play, because at its heart is what my style is, movement and play.  Sometimes in this fantasy internal movie Simon Pegg arrives to buy a painting and declare his undying love for me.  I'm flattered of course, but only give up the painting.  Usually.

I've decided since Mark and I are taking our first vacation pics as separate times (we didn't get the same bid) I'm going to take my vacation to work more in my studio.  But I'm also going to take my work out to different coffee shops and small galleries to see if I can get them to display my work.  Its a little step, but I will get me out there more.

Of course I've never tried to get my work displayed like that before, so I suppose I'll have to figure out the protocol.  And get good pictures taken of my stuff.  (That reminds me, I need to take my camera to the Children's Museum Star Wars Night tonight).  I want prints made of my work anyway, so getting pictures is a win win. 

Someday I'd like to start doing conventions and big art shows, but I think right now I'm good with the small ones that are coming my way.  Its pushing me out there to meet new people.  Which is a good thing I suppose.  Im not anxiety ridden, but I'm certainly more comfortable in my own home or in a small group of just my friends.  Give me a pen and a piece of paper and I'm the happiest gal in the world, but drop me in a crowd of people and I'm an awkward teenager again. 

Anyway.

The addendum to this fantasy (not the Simon Pegg bits (hehehehehehe "bits") get your mind out of the.... Never mind) is that it all fits into The Plan.  The taxes will be done soon and then we start paying stuff off to get us out of debt.  The plan evolves every day.  Monday were getting a boat.  By Wednesday its a cabin in the woods.   Friday usually is a private island.  I like Friday best. 

The plan has to make room for my art supplies and show fees.  And Mark's vintage action figure* collection.  " We can't live like moinks", remember.  We have to temper paying stuff off with still enjoying our lives.  We'll make it work.

I was sorely tempted to write " doll" there FYI

Resolution Revolution

I dislike new years resolutions. I know of no one that keeps them for more than a few months at best.  But I have some challenges I want to meet. 

I want to sew 6 quilts this year. It breaks down to a quilt every two months, or 6 done in November and December. Depends on my level of lazy.  I'm ahead of the curve though, I've already got strips cut for one of the quilts, the Chevron.  I want to do a Chevron, a Crazy Quilt, disappearing 9 patch, an art quilt, the Loving Tree quilt, and a Star Wars applique checkerboard quilt. 

I must admit, I'm enjoying quilting much more than I thought I would.  I am fond of saying that I detest hand a sewing, but hand embroidery is a different animal altogether. I quite like it.  It started with a casual conversation with one of my coworkers about an art show that I've got coming up and I mentioned that I was thinking we doing a small crazy quilt (there are size restrictions in this show that make painting problematic, I like my big ass canvases).  I'd seen crazy quilts before and it seems interesting.  Turns out his mother has written several books on the subject.  So I got a little inspired.  Its kind of snowballed. 

I challenge myself to do yoga every day this year.  I love my Bikram classes.  So. So.  Much.  If I could afford it in time or money I would do it every day.  But I don't have that luxury.  In time or money.  But I CAN do at least a little yoga every day.  I don't care if I do nothing more than a corpse posse, just as long as I do something.  You know what, doesn't even have to be any of the poses.  Meditation is very yoga.  Anything done mindful is yoga.  Yoga dishes.  Yoga kitchen clean up.  I like it.

I'm noticing such huge changes in my body since I started my regular practice.  I can't wait to see how this continues.

I need to get my work into coffee shops and galleries. Now that I've got a couple of shows under my belt (read 2), I want to work on getting some of my stuff displayed around town.   I'm prepping for another show now, but in the spring I'll be getting pictures for my portfolio and heading out to coffee shops and small galleries to see if there is any interest. 

I'm not expecting to to get anything on my first go round, but it never hurts to get my name and my work out there.  This is what I want to do with the rest of my life, so baby steps.  Right?

I'm challenging myself to enter every art show that comes my way.   I need to be able to work with a deadline, and not just willy nilly whenever I feel it.  As long as I'm present in my studio, the muse will come. Maybe not every time, but the more I work, the more the muse will be there.   Which reminds me, I need to borrow those Tori Amos CDs from Andi.  Music feeds the muse. 

I will do more full moon and Circle work.  I keep meaning to widen my Heathen/Pagan tribe, and this seems a good way to do it.  I love my solitary practice, but I'd like do move more into a small group setting.  The trick will be finding a group that I'm comfortable with and that is comfortable with me. Finding the right tribe is tricky. So many opinions and personalities. I'm not guessing I'll find the right group this year, but I'll lay the ground work to find it.  And even if it never happens, at lest I've tried.