Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Petulance Pays Off


I don't normally post on Wednesdays but as the "juices" in my mind are flowing...I thought I would write today.

I've been re-working this blog with the help of Lesley Riley, my art coach. I worked with Lesley for the first half of 2011 when I was just starting the Conant Grant project. Her first words to me were, "You need a space of your own to work in." Well, I was dragging my feet as I thought about all the work it would require to get the space I'd chosen (a "catch-all" room) together as a studio space. I "hemmed"; I "hawwed"...I was petulant. How was I going to get rid of that huge old oak desk? But Lesley kept pushing...

A friend up the street mentioned "Freecycle". No sooner had I posted the desk, then I had a reply and off it went to a new home. Getting rid of the desk got me "unstuck". From that point on I was able to get rid of the clutter, get a contractor lined up to fix the ceiling and add better lighting, get a good working table together and add shelving. I have been grateful to Lesley ever since for her insistence and pushiness.

So back to the blog and to the "marketing"...

 Lesley says I need an online newsletter in addition to the blog. That I also need to get involved in "Pinterest"...that I need to be as focused on the marketing as I am on the art making. Well...I could feel the petulance swelling up in me last night! I was "ticked"! I was "pissed"! How am I ever going to get all this done? When am I going to make art? When am I going to write my book?

This morning I woke up with a new attitude. "Hey", I thought,"this newsletter thing might be okay. I've been focusing on the kitchen for my resists...I could be focusing on the kitchen for surface design in general".

I peered into one of the recycling bags this morning and suddenly it became a surface design treasure trove. I could see print blocks and stencils hiding in that brown paper grocery bag...heck...the grocery bag even had my mind spinning!

So now I will be sitting down and putting my thoughts on paper for the newsletter. It will be all about the surface design "treasures" hiding in the kitchen. I hope to have readers looking in their pantries, opening cupboards, gazing in the drawer with the plastic wrap and foil...and peering into the recycling bag!

I guess petulance does pay off!

2 comments:

  1. Awesome! I could feel the excitement of that moment when your mind and eyes opened to the possibilities the kitchen holds. Can't wait to see what you do with all the new found tools.

    And how do I sign up for your newsletter?

    By the way, what's Leslie's take on Pinterest vs Tumblr?

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  2. Hi Jennifer-
    Okay...I spent all day working on the newsletter. I still have to sign up for MailChimp and to work out the "free" enticement. I need to get this all in place soon.

    Lesley seems "hot and heavy" about Pinterest and hasn't mentioned Tumblr. I still need to figure that all out.

    Decided to hang out in the studio for a little while today before heading off to teach my class. I have to get a piece done for FINE that I haven't even started!
    A lot on my plate right now.
    Thanks for being my one "commenter"...I appreciate it!

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