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!

Show and Tell Sunday- A Crushing Blow

A little over a week ago I got the bad news that my beloved 2 year old cat, Hennessey, had feline leukemia. Fortunately her sister and litter mate, Molly, does not. In the days that followed, I found out that most of the barn cats I care for here at the farm, 10 of the 12, also have feline leukemia. It has been a crushing blow. I have fixed, vaccinated, and loved these guys for many years and now they will die. Had I received more advice, I could have saved them from their fate with a simple vaccination in addition to the others they get annually.

It is possible they were born with it, both my adopted two, and the rest, a common problem on the farm, I now know, but maybe not. A moot point, though one I will continue to second guess forever.

After many tears, which I know I will shed for a long time to come, I have accepted that my beloved cats and I were only meant to be together for a short while and we are all richer for the experience. The sun will continue to rise, as it did today while Hennie and I watched, and the world will go round and round. But I am still profoundly sad.

So, I beg of you, please, if you have cats, inside, outside, or feral cats you care for, get them checked and vaccinated for ALL contagious diseases. Speaking from experience, it will be worth the extra effort.

And now, I am going outside to visit with my barn cats. May you find happy moments in your day too!

Hennie and I watch the sun rise together

BRAVA- Women's Work at Salt Creek Artworks

Our show opened on Friday and what a lovely evening it was visiting with old and new friends alike.

Here are some pictures I took after set up, but before the opening as I was way too busy to get any pix at that time.  I intended to take some, but......

Have a  great evening and a creative day tomorrow!

Kim Radatz

Margaret Conte

Candace Knapp

Phyllis McEwen

Carolina Cleere

Lyla Haggard

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!

Deadline Done

Did it.

Got the work finished, photographed, and submitted to the show. Now I just wait to hear whether I was accepted or not. As I mentioned before, it’s always a crap shoot. And I do not take it personally. Whew, I’ve been rejected too many times to take it personally any more.

Sometimes the stars just aren’t lined up properly.

Or the juror had a bad day.

Or didn’t like my work.

Or……..

But it’s all okay. I like my work, and the path that I am on. And at the end of the day that is what matters most.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to get positive reinforcement about my work in the form of sales or acceptance letters, but I don’t fret and stew over it. I just keep plodding along, trusting my instincts and knowing that in the end it all works out as it is supposed to.

And on that happy note, I shall bid farewell to each of you on this last day of 2010 and look forward to more conversations in 2011.

Have a happy and safe New Years Eve!


P.S.- All of the work evolved from when you saw them last.  Here is a look at some of the changes.

Patiently Waiting, Kim Radatz©



Patiently Waiting, detail, Kim Radatz©

Wishful Thinking, detail, Kim Radatz©

 

Measuring Up, detail, Kim Radatz©




Shooting at Targets

I like deadlines as they give me something to aim at. They keep me on track and working towards a finished product. Always nice to have a target.

And I have one this week. It helped get me out of bed and feeling better again. Wonderful how life helps me out that way.

This week I have been diligently working on these “skins”. Not finished yet, but they will be for the deadline.
 

Lost Innocence, Kim Radatz©

Patiently Waiting, Kim Radatz©

One Foot in Front of the Other, Kim Radatz©

Wishful Thinking, Kim Radatz©



Back to work for me. I hope you have a productive day too.

And Happy New Year to you. May 2011 be a year of blessings for you and yours.

Distracted Again

The other day I posted that I was thinking about starting an Etsy shop, but I have decided against it, thanks to your help. It is a wonderful tool for those that want to sell their work on their own. And it is so very gratifying when a sale happens. Plus you have direct contact with the buyer. Etsy is the perfect tool for accomplishing that. But…

But, in order to sell well, one must work at it and that takes time away from actually making art. I would rather make it than sell it, especially since I am not a natural born salesperson. That gift went to my sisters, so why do it? As the song says,
     You've got to accentuate the positive
     Eliminate the negative
     And latch on to the affirmative
     Don't mess with Mister In-Between

Sage advice that I shall take. No messin’ with the in-between stuff. Because in-between stuff is just another name for distraction. I shall leave the selling to the professionals, who are oh, so talented at doing it. And I love them for it.

So…. instead of thinking about selling my work, and having a body of work that is more suitable for sales, I’ve been working on these “skins”. They are far from finished, but I like where they are going.

Skinned-You Say, Kim Radatz©

Skinned-Wishful Thinking, KimRadatz©

Skinned-Wishful Thinking, detail, KimRadatz©

And yes, I know myself well enough to know that I will get distracted again and probably in the very near future. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the distractions for what they are and get back on track quicker.

As usual, time will tell on that front. I’ll keep you posted.

Stay warm tonight.

Music to my Ears

I am a water person. More specifically I am a salt water person.

I know I am not alone in this preference and there are songs out there to prove it.

The albatross and the whales they are my brothers...White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean...Sailing.

A few songs among many.  They are all music to my ears.

I imagine my preference for salt water is because I have lived by the ocean most of my life.

Which might explain why salt has been showing up in my work as of late. First with Wishful Thinking, and now with Driftless. There are more salt works in the works, but for now, these two are set up in my studio for me to ponder.

Driftless©, Kim Radatz

Wishful Thinking's salty footprint, Kim Radatz

I’ll keep you posted as the old pieces make way for the new.

Until then, may your day been a warm and creative one.