Nothing Changes Until You Do

 

Image from Internet



“Nothing changes until you do.”

  -SOURCE UNKNOWN                                                 

Okay, so as the year draws to a close I’ve been reviewing tips that I have gathered in blogs, books, and on the Internet. From these disparate sources I have compiled a list in a handy-dandy, easily readable fashion in hopes of staying on top of my career this year.

They are not earth shattering revelations, but they are distilled down to the essence, which makes the list handy-dandy, and maybe more doable, too.

I thought I’d end the year off by paying it forward to you in hopes my list might help you as well.

Please feel free to pass on your tips too. Any tips to help me be a more organized and productive artist are always welcome!

• Identify what you want. You won’t know what to shoot at if you don’t have a target.

• Be purposeful about where you put your attention. Only positive thoughts allowed. Positive thoughts bring positive results.

• Stay focused. Keep distractions at bay.

• Be ruthlessly protective of your studio time. Learn to say “no” more often.

• Keep failing. It builds character and helps you grow.

• Be happier. Laugh every day.

• Be better. Learn more.

• No excuses. Period.

Off to work I go.  I hope you have a creative and productive day!

Miami, Here I Come- SCOPE It Out!

2 weeks from today I’ll be driving to Miami to participate in the SCOPE show during the chaos in Miami known as Art Basel.

I am very excited. A little scared too.

I’m honored that Lori Johns of C. Emerson Fine Art invited me to participate. It is reassuring to know that people believe in my work.

And it is a going home of sorts as I lived in Miami most of my adult life.

But the scary part?

Well, it’s always a little unnerving to show work, especially since this is such a world renowned show. Akin to running naked, as I have mentioned before.

Also, I will be seeing people, specifically former teachers and fellow classmates, most of whom I haven’t seen since leaving Miami.

I graduated from Miami-Dade Community College with my AA. Then Florida Internatioanl University with my BFA. And finally the University of Miami with my MFA. Which took me 16 years to complete. Longer than average, but I needed that time to grow as an artist.

And grow, I have.

So I shall relish the tingling going on in the pit of my stomach and forge ahead.

I’ll hope the show is a huge success for all of us.

And I’ll enjoy spending time with old friends and making new memories with them.

This time though, it’ll be the new, more confident artist that you know. Instead of the rather shy, insecure one that left way back when.  And that, my friends, can only be a good thing!

On that happy note, I shall sign off.

I'm happy to be back and apologize for the long absence!

Until the next time, may you have a creative day!

Failing Forward

I just read Julie Fei-Fan Balzer‘s great post about being rejected and it inspired me to revisit the subject again because it is so darned important.

When I was a budding artist I thought the work I did was SO FANTASTIC, that I would blow everybody’s mind with my creativity. So when I was rejected, it was a crushing blow. The first time I was rejected from a show I cried for hours. Now, bazillions of rejections later, being rejected is a tiny blip on my radar screen.

Why? Well, first of all, I no longer place such importance on one piece.  Nor do I have such lofty feelings about my work. I like some pieces better than others, and I know some are indeed better than others, but each piece is just one part of a collective whole. I’m not banking ALL of me on any one piece. So, if it doesn’t sell, isn’t selected, gets a bad review or…. (fill in the blank), it is okay as it is just one small part of me.

Don’t get me wrong, I am completely devoted to my work, but I have come to learn that what other people think about my work has nothing to do with how I feel about it.

Why do we artist put so much pressure on ourselves to be the cream of the crop each and every time? Let’s face it; we can’t win every race we run. Or hit home runs every time we are up to bat. Why can’t we just be happy by being the best that we can be in that one moment?

I think this is where rejection and failure earn their keep.

They teach us that tenacity trumps talent and to keep on working.

That we need to face our fears and forge ahead, especially in doubt.

That we need to take risks and have the courage to fail.

That maybe we should throw caution to the wind and just do it. Right or wrong, let the chips fall where they may.

Or, that maybe we were swan diving into the wrong pool and to research more carefully the things we apply for.

That we need to hone our skills in all aspects of the business of art.

And, through it all, they help us find our own voices and grow as individuals and as artists.

They are just part of the process and are wonderful teachers, if we listen carefully.

I am so very glad to have spent time with both.

How about you?

I hope you have a creative day!

Swan Diving Into the Wrong Pool

Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out

  -Alanis Morissette

A while back I told you that I was applying for a residency and had my fingers crossed for good news. Well, the good news is that I didn’t get it. Yep, that seems like the wrong answer, but I mean it. I am so very happy that I didn’t get accepted.

If I had, I’d be packing up and leaving right now for the 2 month stint working on a new body of work. Instead, I am home (very important to a home body such as myself), working diligently in my studio on the pieces that I already have in my head and need to get out.

Also, if I had, I wouldn’t be able to watch Summer slowly fade into Fall from my small house on the farm. My favorite time of year in one of my favorite places on earth.

I got excited by an idea, and instead of working through it in my sketchbook, (which is sometimes all I need to do to work through an idea and then be done with it) I had a momentary lapse in objective thinking that made me swan dive into the pool, the wrong pool.

And the universe jumped in to save me from my own mistake. Thankfully.

Did it smart a bit? Maybe a touch. But I am so HAPPY that it worked out this way.

And, rejection helps toughen the skin. Who doesn’t need that from time to time?

Life indeed has a funny way of helping us out.

May your day bring you wonderful surprises!

Show and Tell Sunday-Double Edged Sword

I have been working towards a show a C. Emerson Fine Art, and instead of delivering something from a current series, I wanted to try something new and different.

Which brings me to the double edged sword.

It is great to be challenging myself to try something new, as in doing so the challenge is also pushing me forward towards new and wonderful possibilities. But, it also leaves me feeling nervous and vulnerable.

Tell me, does the same thing happen to you?

And if yes, how do you deal with it?

In the meantime, here are some pix of my new piece, Letters to My Lover (Bleeding Out), along with my artist statement.

For many years I used the house form as a metaphor for people. That concept evolved to include clothing as an actual house for our bodies. Taking the concept one step further, I removed the form altogether using only the skins. Like cast off tattooed bits, the skins remain to tell a story long after the moment has passed.

With Letters to My Lover (Bleeding Out), I am reintroducing a form, this time a simple envelope, but one rich with its own history and symbolism. In tandem with the memories of the viewer the piece becomes a unique experience to each individual. 

Letters to My Lover (Bleeding Out)
2011
©Kim Radatz

Letters to My Lover (Bleeding Out), detail
2011
©Kim Radatz

Letters to My Lover (Bleeding Out), detail
2011
©Kim Radatz

Whaddaya think?

And no matter what you do, I hope you have a creative day!




P. S. The gallery owner loved the piece. :-)

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

I just got home late last night from a 10 day trip to my Minnesota home. Going to and fro reminded me of my blog profile statement, part of which says, “.. Jimmy was right; changes in latitudes can cause changes in attitudes..”

Isn’t that the truth!

While I was away I starting thinking I made some mistakes with my recent show and residency applications. Why, oh why, does that happen? How can it feel so right for a time period and then feel so wrong.

I do think Jimmy was spot on. I do think my location has something to do with my thoughts.

I shall keep reminding myself that everything happens for a reason and eventually (I hope) I shall calm down.

In the meantime I’m gonna keep humming the tune as it reminds me of many happy days spent on or near the ocean, which always makes me feel better.

And, apologies to you that I have been out of touch while on vacation.  I look forward to reconnecting with you again.

Until then, have a creative day!  And feel free to hum along.....

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
By: Jimmy Buffett, 1977

I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year
All of the faces and all of the places
Wonderin’ where they all disappeared
I didn't ponder the question too long
I was hungry and went out for a bite
Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum
And we wound up drinkin’ all night

Chorus:
Its these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

Reading departure signs in some big airport
Reminds me of the places I’ve been
Visions of good times that brought so much pleasure
Makes me want to go back again
If it suddenly ended tomorrow
I could somehow adjust to the fall
Good times and riches and son of a bitches
I’ve seen more than I can recall

Chorus:
These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

I think about Paris when I’m high on red wine
I wish I could jump on a plane
So many nights I just dream of the ocean
God I wish I was sailin’ again
Oh, yesterdays over my shoulder
So I can't look back for too long
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me
And I know that I just can't go wrong

Chorus:
With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of my running and all of my cunning
If I couldn’t laugh I just would go insane
If we couldn’t laugh we just would go insane

A Kiss for Luck and It's On Its Way

The other day I shared with you that I was considering applying for a 2 month residency and that I was afraid. One of the reasons for my fear is that I have taken workshops and done residencies in the past, and they haven’t always lived up to what I had hoped for.

Silly me. Worrying that something won’t work out exactly as I planned. But then I remembered that nothing in life ever works out exactly as we think they will, right? Does that mean the experience isn’t worth it? Or worth trying something similar in the future? A definitive no. It might take months or even years to realize the benefit, but it’s there, it’s always there. There are always benefits to every experience. Sometimes we just have to look a little harder to see them.

All of that to say, I shoved aside my fears, with some force, mind you, and did it. Application completed and submitted. Now I just hope for the best, knowing full well that whatever the outcome, it is as it should be.

On that happy note, I bid your farewell. May your day be a creative one!

More Targets to Shoot At. More Bullets to Fire.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. There have been many deadlines as of late. More targets to shoot at. More bullets to fire.

Which is good, as they keep me moving forward. Most are easy-breezy applications. Fill in the blanks and send in your money. But, I am also applying for a residency. Minimum of 2 months. Which has this homebody a bit nervous.

Well, actually, I am afraid.

And yes, it is easy to say “face your fears,” but it is much harder to do so.

So, I have had some sleepless nights. And heart wrenching conversations.

Is this right for me?
Should I do it?
What if I am not selected?
What if I am selected?
Do I really want to do it?
Will it really be good for me?
And on and on.

In the end, the pros outweigh the cons. So I gotta do it.

Scary, indeed, but I’m just gonna ride it out and see where it takes me.

I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Do You Do Morning Pages?

Julia Cameron hit a home run with The Artist’s Way. Have you read the book? Done your 3 pages daily? If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend doing so. It is well worth the read. Check out Julia Cameron’s website here for information on the book and more.

The reason I ask you about the 3 pages is that today I stumbled upon a notebook full of my daily pages from early 2000 and what an interesting read it has been!

Here is an excerpt from March 2000.
“I really, really, really do want to be successful…but I don’t know if I’ll ever get there. I don’t’ think I’m talented enough. I don’t think I work hard enough…what if the ideas don’t come.”

When I first read this I was saddened to hear such self doubt. But, wait a minute. I needn’t feel sad, I should be glad as I don’t feel this way anymore.

Not talented enough? As you already know, I accept that I have never been the most talented artist, but I have tenacity and that takes me much further. And I work very hard in my studio daily.

Ideas won’t come? Hardly. I can’t turn off the ideas. There currently aren’t enough hours in the day to finish all of them.

And success? Well, I’ve matured since then. I’m not sure what I was pining for back then, but I imagine it had to do with accolades from my peers. Fortunately, I have received recognition for my work since then in the form of awards and such, but more importantly, I realize that success isn’t measured by outside sources, but how I feel within.

All of this to say, wow, I honestly feel the pages worked for me. I am happy I took the advice to heart and devoted the time to them. I feel certain they had a great impact upon who I am today. Seeing hard work come to fruition, well, what better testimonial can there be.

So, my advice is to check out the book, if you haven’t already done so, and do the pages, whether you are new to them or starting anew.  And I plan to do the same. Keep me posted on how they go, and I shall do the same.

May your day be filled with new beginnings!

Tenacity Trumps Talent

My 15 year old niece is applying for a summer workshop at an art college and needs my help with the whole application process. I am always happy to help. People have helped me and I am eternally grateful for that, so I am passing it along. I was once told you can only repay kindness with kindness. Seems like a lovely rule of thumb to live by.

Back to my niece. What can I do to help her at this very beginning step in her art career?

First, I’m gonna tell her to read my blog. She can skip over most of it, if she wants, but I want her to read about the failures. About my failures. I do walk on water in her eyes, so it’s time to show her otherwise.

Secondly I’m going to tell her that the single most important part of success isn’t talent, its tenacity.

Though I knew my entire life that I wanted to be an artist, I was never the most talented kid throughout that time. I’m talking all the way through school, elementary through college. And it took me 20 years to get my MFA so this isn’t just a casual statement. I’ve got the time under my belt to prove my statement. Admittedly most of those college years were off and on for my AA. Once I set my mind to getting my degree, first my BFA and then my MFA, I was very focused and on track. Again, not the most talented. But nobody worked harder than I did, even in the early years.

As you already know, I was very shy and insecure. All those classes I took were my testing grounds. I tried, I failed. I watched and listened. I learned from all of it. I needed those 20 years to finally believe that I was an artist. And I am glad I did it that way. It worked for me.

I hope Lydia takes a shorter course. Though I hope she doesn’t skip failing.

I hope she will be willing to step outside her comfort zone to try something new. Something uncomfortable. I hope she tries things that don’t come easy or things she is not good at. If she stays only in her comfort zone she’ll be holding herself back and not growing to her potential. I hope she’ll have some great failures. And I hope she sees me in the back corner with my pom poms cheering her on.

Nurture, 8 inch hoop, Kim Radatz

Have a great day!

Courage to Fail

Last night we had last minute guests for dinner. It was a long time friend and his new girlfriend. Since it was Valentine’s Day and all the restaurants would be full, I knew we would have to eat in.

What could I throw together quickly in short notice? (I mean that pretty literally as time was of the essence and I didn’t want to run to the store.)

And what does this have to do with courage, you ask?

Let me tell you.

It takes courage to throw (remember, literally), together a meal for somebody, especially if you don’t know them. And it something I would not have been able to do in the not too distant past. You see, courage is something I have lacked for most of my life. Many of the people I know now would doubt that about me, but my long time friends remember me when.

-When I was so shy I dropped out of a class in college, and got an F for doing so, because I had to give an oral report. (Which I did, BTW, I just didn’t have the courage to share it with the class.)
- When meeting with somebody new I would assume they didn’t have time for me.
-When asked a question I would defer to anybody else, as long as I didn’t have to answer.
-When I wouldn’t offer assistance as I felt my contribution wouldn’t be good enough.
-When I wouldn’t apply for a show as I assumed in advance that I wouldn’t get in.
-When I believed that others were prettier, smarter, better at anything than I was.
-Etc.

So what changed?

Me, naturally.

And what changed me was failing. I didn’t sit in the corner and cry about it (though tears were indeed shed), I learned from each failure.

Often it was little tiny failures (such as a smoke alarm dinner), though there were some pretty big ones too, (like a less than stellar review). But I never ignored them. I learned from each of them what not to do next time.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you and say I love failing. No, not at all. But it doesn’t bother me so much anymore. Because if I had not failed, I would not be where I am today.

And that, I wouldn’t change for anything.

Have a great one!


Lest you think it's been all surgery and dinner guests for me, here is Cover Me a little further along on her path.

Cover Me, 48" x 36", Kim Radatz

P.S. Dinner was delicious! Company too.

Show and Tell Sunday- The Story Goes Round and Round

Individually each piece documents an idea, a thought, or experience for one moment in time.   Collectively they are part of an ongoing dialog.  Each is tied to the next and the one before.  They are all intrinsically linked together and the conversation continues.



Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

 

Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

 

Small Skins, © Kim Radatz

Show and Tell Sundays-Is Bigger Better?

I am at my summer home and studio on this cold winter day. All of my tools and supplies await me in Florida, which means actually making work is on hold for now.

So as I sit here in my tiny studio, literally a drop cloth stapled to the floor in a corner of my bedroom, I ponder work I have made here. And even I am amazed at what has come out of this tiny space. Some of it quite large.

This prompts me to remember that it is not where I am that the works stems from, but rather who I am that matters. The work is always inside of me.

Encouraging to this sometimes doubtful artist. And something I will take care to remember from time to time.

May your day be warm and creative.

Forging Ahead, Even in Doubt

As I have mentioned before, juried shows are a crap shoot. And I’ve also already mentioned why I don’t take it personally if I don’t get in the show. There are too many great things going on in my world to worry about rejection.

But on top of actually making the art work and then deciding to submit work we artists are faced with the fairly new digital application process. Can any of you out there say “technically challenged”? I can.

I’m still learning my way around Photoshop, though I have learned much by just practicing and using it. The problem is I am usually “practicing” when I am actually submitting the work. Makes the submission process all the more stressful.

This past summer I made some smaller works to submit to the Artisan Search 2011 in the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. Challenged, I was. With the application, not so much the work. It was so FRUSTRATING. So I almost didn’t complete the process.

Thanks to the kind people at the magazine I learned what I was doing wrong, corrected my mistakes and submitted my application, just in the nick of time.

On my birthday, September 27th, I learned I was one of five finalists in my category of mixed-media stitch. Such a nice birthday gift!  One month later I learned I was the winner in my category. And I almost didn’t enter the show!

I’m glad I forged ahead, even when I doubted myself.

May your day be stress free and creative!

The current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

Artists Are Not Lemmings

A while back an acquaintance asked how I would describe being an artist. Without any preconceived thought I exclaimed, “artists are visionaries.”

“Hmm, where the heck did that come from?” I thought.

If a gun had been held to my head in the moments prior I don’t think I could have answered the question in the same way.

In hindsight, I feel it was, and still is, the perfect answer.

We artists look at things in a different way. We keep striving to find our own voices. We are not lemmings.

And that explains why watching this clip from The Dead Poets Society still gives me chills. Robin Williams’ character was a true visionary and a great teacher.

Happy December to you. And may it be lemming free!

Art is a Solitary Thing

Art is a solitary thing. Or so it seems.

I spend countless hours thinking, pondering, considering, all before I start a new piece. I turn it around and around and upside-down in my head, and then I might or might not make the piece. Sometimes just making it in my head is enough. Other times I’ll take it through to fruition, only to make another version, and then another. And sometimes it comes out right the first time.

The next step would be for the piece to find its way into a gallery. Which is exactly what happened to Wishful Thinking, a piece I made this past summer.

Lori Johns invited me to exhibit work in her gallery, C. Emerson Fine Arts in St. Petersburg Florida, and so Wishful Thinking was moved from my studio and out into the universe. Scary business, as I have mentioned in previous posts. Akin to running naked in public when one bares their soul for all to see.

But sometimes in that move out into the universe you connect with other people. It is then you realize that art isn’t solitary at all. Possibly the work was made in solitude, but that doesn’t make it solitary, rather it becomes a path to other people. Art can open a line of communication that might otherwise not happen. It brings you together with people, not apart from them.

It’s a very cool thing to experience.

Thank you, Luis, for your insightful post. http://art-taco.blogspot.com/