Welcome to Meredith's World

Do You Use Pinterest?

meredith11 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:04 +0000

If you don’t know about Pinterest check it out. I think it was made with visual artists in mind. It is essentially a site that lets you create a variety of electronic bulletin boards and pin all sorts of things to those bulletin boards such as pictures, ideas, books you like or would like to read and so on. You get to decide what each bulletin board will be about. I have 12 I think. Some of the categories I’ve given them include Polka Dots, Fun Stuff, Sharkey Loves, My Style, Jewelry AHA!, Cozy Spaces and Small Houses and more. in pursuit of things to pin to my boards I’ve found a step by step picture tutorial on how to make your own paper clay, cool lamps that would be easy and fun to make (like out of straws and liter bottles!), great genie shoes, jewelry ideas and garden houses I wish I could have in my yard.

To pin something to a board: you can RePin items from other people’s Pinterest pages, upload your own things or add pins from websites online. In this way you can collect all sorts of things and keep them in one place. People will visit your boards and see what you’ve collected. Some may even RePin some of the things you’ve collected to have them on their own boards on their Pinterest page. It’s pretty interesting actually. Or would that be pinteresting? Www.pinterest.com

Organizing Your Artistic Year

meredith11 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:14:54 +0000

Okay, it’s a new year and the proverbial time to start afresh. It’s amazing how much stuff accumulates every year and how much I find to donate or get rid of. Truly there must be some mountain of stuff somewhere with my name on it.

So here I am mucking out the studio so I can get more productive this year. I have a monster show in Switzerland in November and know from the last time I did this show there were 8,000 people opening night. I am not a production artist so I have to get with it now to have enough stuff for that show as well as the two galleries that carry my things. So back to the business at hand: I’m re-organizing some things in the studio and refining the space like I do from time to time. I think I have a dream of the uber organized space that I can walk into feely, sit down and start creating…why is that do hard? I can rarely do that in my studio so thank gawk I can do that at ArtWorks. Anyway, in scoping out options and trying to get a handle on that tiger named ‘DISorganized’ I found an interesting website I thought I would share: lifeorganizers.com

Maybe you’ll find something there that is helpful.

I’m Never Where I Want to Be, Part 2

meredith11 — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:02:52 +0000

With the way that I am I’ve found that usually wherever I am is where I want to be. It’s the ‘getting there’ part that’s hard. It may be because I have a lot of disruption in my life due to traveling to teach or I have an issue with transitions that I haven’t really looked at, I’m not sure. However once I get to where I’m going I’m fine. It could be I just hate to leave home…=)

I’ve been working on just being glad I am here wherever that might be instead of looking at all the things I wish I were doing or could be. In other words, there is a point to be made for just really looking at where you are and making the most of that. Does this make sense? It’s okay that your work isn’t earth shattering Monet level or on the lips of every person on the planet.

The American culture has a preoccupation with being famous. It’s obvious to me now that this comes back to seeing oneself as special. If others see you as special then there’s the proof that you are. But guess what? You should know this without that external validation. If you love your art then that’s enough. So if you find yourself envying others that ‘seem’ more visible, become more visible to yourself. The rest will follow. I can tell you from experience that having people know your name in a random elevator is not a comfortable position to be in. Think about it: you don’t know them but they ‘know’ you. It’s actually disconcerting especially at night when away from home. And what is it that these people ‘know’ about you anyway? I mean really. So understand that being known shouldn’t ever be a goal. It’s so much better for your work to be what’s known, isn’t it?

I’m Never Where I Want to Be, Part 1

meredith11 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:35:45 +0000

I had written a whole blog under this title when iPad crashed out and lost it…naughty iPad! The title is actually a line from a Peter Gabriel song and it hit me like a ton of bricks…again. This time it spoke to the constant striving I’ve been doing to get ‘there’, wherever ‘there’ is. I asked myself: how do you know you’re ‘there’? What if you’re ‘there’ and just don’t know it? These seem like simple questions until you really start thinking about them.

Some years ago I wished I were gainfully employed in the arts. I wanted to be teaching artists, teaching my own art related classes, mentoring artists and making my own work. I wanted my work in a gallery or two as well.

So I created programs to teach, made samples and pix of the samples, put together class descriptions, materials lists and pictures for proposals and sent them in to places I targeted. I took on coordinating a 50 hour professional development program designed for artists for a college and the job of running a small art center part-time when that became available as well. One day I realized that when I wasn’t In a classroom teaching or working on scheduling/growing the art center, I was putting together submissions for classes next quarter, next year, the next 4 shows, and so on. I was working 24/7 or darn near to it as one could get. I was blogging, keeping my website updated, juggling my scheduling, traveling, teaching and art center concerns. This has gone on for a few years now and it was time to take stock. What had I been doing? Were we there yet?

Fun artist’s website: http://www.fimp.net/index.html

Want to Be a Successful Artist?

meredith11 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:00:40 +0000

I work with artists just about every day of every week. I see where and why people are either successful artists or not. I can tell you that it really comes back to some simple fundamentals. I know the advice I offer may seem overly simplistic but I can’t tell you how many times in a day I see what I’m talking about. And really, if you can’t get the fundamental basics under your belt how far can you really get to where you want to go? It’s like sitting in a perfectly good car but not stepping on the gas pedal. If you don’t step on that gas pedal you’re not going to get very far, are you? You’re just going to sit in this fine car thinking: wouldn’t it be great if this went somewhere?
So what do I see almost every day across the board that would be considered a fumble rather than a successful play? Artists missing a deadline and still wanting consideration in spite of the fact that there are those that took that extra effort to be on time and meet that deadline. Artists having everything but a critical piece of information, paperwork, a date, or a business card. When someone is interested in your work and you don’t have something to give them to remember you by or to contact you for follow up, how will that contact turn into a successful scenario for you? Anyone ever read The Grasshopper and the Ants?
Your success requires your commitment to work for it. It’s that simple. Once the commitment is made, everything else follows because it becomes a no brainer to have a business card, supply all requested information, meet that deadline you’re really interested in. But commitment requires constant investment. So what are you investing in today, this minute? Tomorrow? Next year? If you aren’t investing in your success, who will?

Shark Infested Holidays

meredith11 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:39:33 +0000

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I’ve actually been using my time to create art! Yup. Oh! And funny thing: remember Sharky Shark’s Christmas List right before Thanksgiving? First on his list was was an Air Swimmer remote controlled shark balloon. Well, we went to Thanksgiving at my brother’s house and after a really fine meal, lo and behold, my niece pops out from elsewhere walking behind an actual Air Swimmer Shark! It was hilarious. We imagined talking it onto the ferry and having it swim out of the elevator. Oh that would be funny! So the Monday after T Day I was telling two friends about the Air Shark and showing them pix from my phone. They liked the idea so much that we ended up at Toys R Us and buying two of them. J.T. shark, as my Air Swimmer is known, is living down at ArtWorks, the little art center I run. There are really high ceilings there unlike my house. That’s a good thing and also a bad thing. I was introducing JT to my Monday morning printmakers. I have a bit of a tether on JT because I’m afraid that there might be something up in the rafters that could puncture JT. I was also a little worried that if he got up that high I might not be able to bring him down… Well, the goof got away from me when I was showing the printmakers how he swims and stuff. Then our ancient but steadfast Reznor heater came on and blew JT up above one of the lights! I have a little note on his tether stating: Meredith’s Pet Shark Do Not Tamper:He Bites! Which was very worthy when I have him corralled in the office but out in our Great Room, NOT. The not caught in the chain that the light hangs from. I had quite a time trying to maneuver JT out of that position and once out, trying to being him low enough so someone could grab the tether. She was jumping trying to catch the darn thing and JT was moving along. Good thing the heater wasn’t on at the moment or capture would have been very elusive, indeed. So JT is gently bobbing in my office until his next outing. We’ve found the funniest thing is to have him swim back and forth in front of the windows at ArtWorks. From the outside it looks we’re underwater inside! It’s hilarious. Pictures are coming when I can get my Blogsy app to work…

Sharky Shark’s Christmas List

meredith11 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:34:02 +0000

I know I haven’t been keeping you up to date on the doings of Sharky Shark but he’s around and still up to tricks. For example, Halloween he decided he wanted to dress up and trick or treat. He told me that he wanted camoflouge himself as Old Granny so he could be The Big Bad Wolf. I told him he would have to have bigger eyes to do that.

Now of course the holidays are upon us and some parts of the greater Seattle area have actually snow already. I can tell that Sharky is thinking about what he wants for Christmas because he’s leaving me hints… He says he doesn’t want the hat. He wants the baby. NO SHARKY, NO!

Love What You Do, Like Who You Are

meredith11 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:22:48 +0000

I was just sitting here mulling everything I’ve done in the two weeks since I got home, (2 weeks already? WOT?). I have taught 3 full day classes, worked my part time job a little more than part time to catch up, attended 3 meetings, did 3 presentation demos in one night, worked on getting my gallery stuff together and haven’t had but one day off in 14. Seems like the magic number is 3 here, too.

Anyway, the thought strays across my mind like a wind blown leaf: love what you do, like who you are, and it feels profound. Like a deep secret that needs the light of day so all can know it; like treasure nestled in old velvet, hidden in an old jewelry box, long forgotten, but oh, so valuable. What made me think this, I wonder? I was mulling, as I said. One of those mulls was that it seems that the more solid work time I create in a class, the happier my students are with the class. Read ‘solid work time’ as ‘shut up Meredith, you don’t have to prove your value as a teacher by spewing a dump truck of info here! Let them work!’. I’m an information addict and always want to know more so I forget that not everyone can listen and work. I know it’s very frustrating to have a teacher keep blabbing out info and the students dilemma is do I take notes for every golden word or work on the process laid out? It’s really hard to pace information in a class because every class is different but it is easier if you love what you do and like who you are. I heard you say HUH? No really. Think about it. If you’re not continually, unconsciously trying to prove your value as a teacher you can take that step back and work right along with your students. It’s also really hard as an art teacher to just watch everyone else in the room making stuff, get inspired at what they’re doing and then because you’re the teacher, not be able to do anything with that inspiration. You think to yourself: oh I’ll try that when I get home but then after packing up everything in the right order so you’ll find it again and getting home you’re completely exhausted. All the inspiration gets shelved, and all you can do is whatever it takes to hold body and soul together.
If you like who you are then you know that you’ll put the right amount of information out for the student group in front of you without having to prove yourself. Every group is different so the information flow is always different as well. The dynamics of teaching are amazingly complicated when you take into consideration all of the variables: personality types, learning modalities, behavior styles, personal agendas in the room, student self confidence (plays a big role in the room), and the info to be presented, demonstrated or illustrated. If you love what you do then your passion and enthusiasm gets communicated. If you like who are then your personal issues don’t really enter into the information flow equation. This all applies to more than art teachers. Besides life is just plain better if you love what you do and like who you are!

Comfort Points

meredith11 — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:30:45 +0000

Okay, it must be one of THOSE days… I’ve rewritten the first sentence to this post about four times now. I know what I want to say but keep coming at it from the wrong end. Need more coffee, (or in my case, tea, but today I’m drinking coffee). My brain isn’t awake yet and I feel the need to chemically induce wakefulness. It’s totally acceptable in my culture to do so, shoot, I live in the Seattle area where everyone is hopped up on the caffeine. We think that’s why ‘café’ is named such. Clearly it’s short for caffeine, isn’t it?
So perhaps the first thing you do in the morning is to chemically induce wakefulness and this is a comfort point for you. Like I said, I usually drink tea. For me it really depends on what I will enjoy more: quick wakefulness, (coffee) or that first wonderful sip of ahhhhhhh, (tea), because it reminds me of being in Paris late on a cold November day, sitting in a hustling, busy, brightly lit café in the afternoon gloom, across from the Trocadero waiting for dark to see the Eiffel Tower light up in anniversary splendor. I believe the tea was Richard’s ceylan or purple label, my favorite tea of all time. Too bad I can’t seem to find it in the U.S. I’m hoarding my last 10 tea bags of that stuff as if it were gold because it is 10 more comfort points down the road for me.
What’s with the comfort points? Think about the moments in your day where you know deep in your soul: this is good. That’s a comfort point. Or the thing that makes you stop for just a second and appreciate what you have going on. Like an artful coffee cup or lusciously warm socks on a cold day and you’re outside but your feet aren’t. Or Art Spa time creating away. Or how about that moment you crawl into your bed at night and relax, totally relax into it? Isn’t that a delicious moment in your life to savor? Whether the day was good or bad, that bed feels like the promise of something better yet to come.

Comfort points can be alluring and useful. It’s good to know what your comfort points are. It’s just as important as knowing what makes you uncomfortable since comfort points can be used in your favor.

No matter what, I try to build some comfort points into each day. I find that those mere moments (Ha Ha! Mer Moments [think Meredith] as they’re known around my house), are like an instant recharge so I can slog or dance through the rest of my day knowing I will crawl into my bed, relax, get that respite to wake up again and see what’s around the next corner of a new day.
I use comfort points to get me through the most dreaded tasks. They’re a reward. For example: get these contracts filled out and all parts sent and you can have a moment in Paris across from the Trocadero…

The Long Way Home

meredith11 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:23:33 +0000

It took me 28 hours and 3 flights to go from Dallas, Texas to Seattle, WA via St. Louis and Chicago. I hope I got a lot of mileage points out of this trip. Through the perils, (or adventures!) of travel I got stranded in St. Louis though nicely stranded in a Hilton Hotel. However, by the time I got to said nice hotel I was so tired that I couldn’t even figure out what was missing with my luggage that went elsewhere. I always check through my tools, equipment and toiletries and carry on my clothes. So luckily, I had clothes when flying. But I didn’t have the obvious things like toothbrush, shampoo, and so on. All I could think of was food and sleep when I finally made it to the Hilton. I had eaten some instant oatmeal and almonds for breakfast back in Texas that morning at 7. By the time I was trying to figure out dinner it was after 8 p.m. and I was one starving traveler. Dinner arrived about 9ish and I was ready to eat the silverware. I had to get to bed as soon as I was done because my plane out was at 6:10 a.m. and required me to be at the airport at 4:30 a.m.
So I get up and take a shower at 3:30 a.m. A few scant hours after going to sleep. I get out of the shower and realize with horror that I don’t have a brush or comb or deodorant and am facing a very long day with two flights on the agenda. I apologize to all that may have seen me. I’m hoping they all thought I was just practicing for Halloween…

The funniest thing was getting to airport only to find that it wasn’t even open. I got to be the first in line to wait for TSA to open. Of course, once through the security gauntlet it was clear that nothing was open…no coffee to be had until an enterprising Burger King opened and everyone flocked to get coffee and a semblance of breakfast. Me included. I was so tired that I walked past my gate twice and I was looking for it. Of course it was directly across from the Burger King where I had my eye on to catch a shorter line.

Finally it was on to an uneventful flight to Chicago. Then the long haul to Seattle, a shuttle ride home, some lunch and to bed for a well deserved nap! I thought the big marathon of this trip was last Saturday when I taught the 8:30-4 class and then a 5:30-8:30 p.m. class the same day with another all day class on Sunday starting at 8:30 in the morning. Little did I know that Monday and Tuesday had so much more in store for this short trip. I think it’s going to take a week to recuperate. It’s great to be home.