Owning Who I Am

I've recently rediscovered Lisa Congdon and found her take on self-identity incredibly helpful and freeing. Most recently I listened to her on this Being Boss podcast. The most powerful takeaway from this was the acknowledgement that I do hide portions of myself, and I have tried to groom my online persona to present a perfect package - and that that might actually be putting a wall up between me and the world with which I seek to connect. The suggestion that we share our stories through our art and creations and our blogs and social media is both intriguing and a challenge. I've decided to incorporate it delicately (as possible) into this blog, as a toe-in-the-water step. 

I've freelanced as a web designer and illustrator for almost four years, and before that, I always did side creative projects and sales while putting in a 40-hour workweek. One of several personal realizations in this process of growth has been the importance of emotional intelligence while handling the stresses and multitude of various tasks that come with being a freelancer. Taxes is the least of it, honestly! Handling billing, communications, planning, scheduling, and the unavoidable challenges that pop up along the way, while balancing inspiration, self-doubt, and Life...it will and does make you stronger. 

I discovered Lilla Rogers last year by accident when an old classmate was in the running for her Global Talent Search. My big 2015 New Years resolution was to push myself creatively and professionally during this year. I felt in a rut, that I hadn't scouted any new work and really just survived on existing clients and referrals. While I know the kind of work I'd like to make, I have a harder time identifying my dream clients; so I realized that was a weak spot in my strategy and resolution. As I read about Lilla's courses, I realized her Bootcamp and MATS classes might be almost exactly what I was seeking. I initially signed up for just the Bootcamp. The first month I was trying to find my sealegs. Month two, I was swimming. I wanted more, and so signed up for MATS A and B, two five-week intensives that would happen in March and October. With hindsight, I can see this was one of the best decisions I've made as a creative professional. I'm now about to start week 3 in the Home Decor course that Lilla is offering this summer along with Margo Tantau. It Has Changed My Life. Not only am I meeting creatives from around the world, but I am seeing the ceiling rise with every challenge. I'd worked in uninspiring and unchallenging positions just trying to survive for so long, I'd lost sight of myself in the larger scheme of dreams, aspirations and definitive goals. I am rewriting my personal goal list as I go, because I'm seeing the potential for so much more from life. 

I'll share with you the first two collections I've made for the Home Decor course. My goal coming out of this course and as I look to the fall of 2015 is to grow my list of desired clients, put together personal promos, and reinvigorate my online shops with the newest work in my portfolio. Longer-term goals are to build long-term relationships with clients, licensing patterns and illustrations, and possibly finding an agent. 

Week 1: Metal | Birds

Week 2: Fabric | Flowers

A New Passion

Whew! The month of April, 2015 was a big one for me - busiest month in recent memory, favorite project yet in Lilla Roger's Bootcamp that I am now halfway through, and changes at every turn. It's been an exhausting few weeks, but an incredible month for growth and inspiration! And I feel a new passion growing - Lettering! I first tried my hand at lettering in one of the MATS-A assignments, which was a children's book cover (shared a couple posts back), but this most recent assignment was a large (20"x30") poster design with lettering and illustration. Honestly? I could have spent twice as much time on it if I'd had the time to spend, and still been enthralled with the process. And as soon as I turned the project in, I was on to a personal lettering project. I think I've re-watched the skillshare courses I discovered 3-4 times each.

One of the most wonderful takeaways from the Skillshare lettering classes was the process of setting up a project - strangely, after 4 years of art school and 20 years of professional work, I had never encountered such a helpful process: the gathering of materials, the association, the many thumbnail sketches - not a rigid process but more of a roadmap. This has really helped me, as my creative process can tend to resemble a whirling dervish / Tasmanian devil mating ritual. As I finalized this poster project, which was a promotional poster for The Global Art Gathering in Brighton, I noticed how much the process impacted the final piece - and while this project was somewhat daunting in that it involves not only the class gallery, but it is actually a live contest with a winner (and a bunch of non-winners), I realized as I clicked "submit" that I don't care. I am overwhelmingly thrilled with my final piece; I printed it as large as I'm able with my home printer, so it's hanging 13"x19" in my workspace and it is gorgeous. It's one of my favorite poster designs yet. And I have my roadmap, which has already proven to help me in my various freelance projects, from a corporate white paper layout and design, to a just-for-fun lettering and illustration that I'll be sharing here soon.

Here, then, is my final poster design:

That Makes Sense...

One of the repeated messages in the Lilla Rogers courses I'm taking is to make things you love; share your joy. The point is to make things you like making, to invite paid work in that same vein. It's so obvious and makes so much sense, but it seems to escape many of us! I had this presented to me as a real-life example when I posted an updated version of one of my favorite pieces from class for sale on Etsy and was contacted by someone who loved it and wanted a customized version for herself. My manifesto brought in some paid work! I love the realization I'm having, because it means that work instantly becomes more fun! I loved making the original manifesto, and guess what? I loved making the commissioned one too! I'm so thankful that I decided to sign up for these courses this year; it's changing my 2015, but it's also changing my perspective on what is possible in life, and how much I can push my creative career and boundaries.

The horizon has gotten bigger and broader. What more could one want from a class?

I'll share below my manifesto from Lilla Rogers' bootcamp: 

if you love it, check it out on Etsy! 

Here's the one I made for the fitness business owner on Etsy:

I hope to make more, they're wonderfully fun and allow a playfulness that I adore.

Bootcamp February Gallery Now Live

As you may know, I'm taking an illustration bootcamp from Lilla Rogers. It's been incredible, and I'm happy to share our February Class Gallery! Our assignment was a scenic painting on a slice of wood. The varied interpretations are wondrful, and the talent among my classmates is so impressive. Hope you enjoy perusing all the work!

Penguin in the Rain and a very busy March coming up...

I've been preparing my workspace for a new class I'm taking in March which is purported to be very intense. How to handle a "very intense" class while maintaining my freelance career, managing my household and being a single mom? Well, I just put on my Superwoman outfit. (kidding) - I have completely organized my artspace, and stocked up on materials like paints, pencils, ink and paper. Very exciting! I'll definitely be sharing LOTS of new work as March begins, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile I'm excited to share my newest piece, a little wood wall art hanging mixed-media: Penguin in the Rain...

(click the image to view on Etsy)

Happy Lunar New Year!

~ a quick post so I can share this auspicious fellow with you ~

The Lusciousness of Paint...OR...The Wisdom of a 4-year-old

When I first started Art School back in 19-what-was-it...(1994 to be precise) I was certain I was a PAINTER. I started making art with pencil, pen and ink as a young teen and progressed into oil paints, spending many many nights awake until 3 and 4 am working with the colors and layering paint, loving the lusciousness and beauty that was so pure in the wet pigment. Fast-forward to 2015, and I have not painted in years! I work almost entirely digitally now, and while I love it, I found myself staring down an assignment for my class with trepidation: we were told to create a scenic painting on a round-ish piece of wood.

Say what??

I had to actually buy brushes - that is how long it's been. So off I went to Michael's and found a piece of wood that had beautiful bark around the border, and seemed it would fit the piece I was planning to make. I bought a "practice" piece of wood, too. When I got them home, my son (4) was immediately interested. He wanted the big piece of wood, but we compromised and I gave him the practice piece, and busted out some paint. He was off and running, painting all different colors on the wood and enjoying himself thoroughly. As I watched him, and realized I had a pit in my stomach worrying about whether I could achieve a submission-worthy painting on my piece of wood, I realized I was losing access to the wonder of creation by allowing the worry to win. I set the worry on the shelf, got my paints out, and I am *so glad* I did. Now I've got several more paintings in mind, and I've realized that cutting painting (or any analog art creation) out of the process in exchange for expediency really cheats ME, and it cheats the process. I've now got a plan to do a line of Kitchen Little original paintings. Veggies in pigment!

That said, I am sharing my final piece with you. Here's to children, knocking down our hangups one day at a time...

Painting on Wood!

I'm in my second month of an online illustration course that is really bringing some fun and color into my studio, and inspiring new and exciting work! I'll share a few of the pieces below; we first worked with circular scenic designs, and were then told the assignment - to paint the piece onto wood. This is the first painting I'm diving into after many years of ink / pencil and digital work. And painting was truly my first love. As every creative project will do, this is giving me so many ideas for a new round of Kitchen Littles...wonder what will sprout??