Now for other stuff…I have been stretched to the limits in  many areas of life, I can’t believe it’s been a month, since I last posted! I like my blogging  time to be meaningful; not just putting in one liners out there in social media. Please, don’t get me wrong, I love chatting with my friends on Facebook/Twitter, but I’m finding that it takes away from my time here and that’s not my intention.

Maintaining social  media sites, takes a lot of time and effort, in an already frantic schedule.  As a highly-sensitive introvert, I needs lots of time to recuperate from face-to-face time, networking, workshops, etc. I find I also need it from writing, too! I’ve done lots of business writing and academic writing, but that’s very different than writing from your heart and soul. The writing I do here, fulfills my ten-year-old dream of being a writer (At ten, I also wanted to be an artist, actress, dancer and singer!) The writing here takes more out of me, because I’m putting myself out there, just like my art.

My blog started off with me showcasing my art, then writing about my art; what I was working on, creating an image based on the prompts from Illustration Friday or events that I was participating in. Of course, I still do that, but I will also include how I live my life, because the artist and the person are one and the same. I feel that you only see one aspect of me when I share my art-making process or just my art.

Some of you may say, well, that’s the only part I’m interested in! I appreciate that and I am glad, there are many people interested in my art, but there are just as many people interested in the person, too! I feel fragmented when I only talk about one aspect of my life, and it feels so disjointed writing only about only one aspect of me. I want my writing here to be meaningful to me and to the people who take their time to stop and read my blog entries.

I am a whole person, living a whole life, the good, the bad and the ugly, it makes my very human life messy and joyous!

So all this to say, to find out more about me in various aspects, visit me here:

FACEBOOK Page:  https://www.facebook.com/indigeneart

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Indigene1

But to find more depth and my intentions, visit me here…at the blog.

I end this week with one of my favorite quotes and in peace:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Images: ©2012 Indigene Theresa Gaskin  -  All Rights Reserved.

]]> http://indigeneart.com/2012/03/03/blog-intention/feed/ 18 http://indigeneart.com/2011/10/06/temporary-blog-hibernation/ http://indigeneart.com/2011/10/06/temporary-blog-hibernation/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:58:41 +0000 Indigene http://indigeneart.com/?p=2268

I’ve been in hibernation, as far as my blog is concerned. I will remedy that immediately!

I try to blog weekly, but I’ve been working very hard on some left brain activities, like updating my office systems, reorganizing my files (yes, again) and adding more art to my inventory!

I’m also preparing for a Holiday Studio Tour, releasing a new product line, working on my newsletter to my collectors, creating a new painting series and attending some workshops!

So that’s what I’ve been up to, instead of blogging, I’ve hardly had time to think!

I need to get a lot done before the winter blahs and then my bear-like tendencies will be in full effect, especially when it snows, and I’ll be hibernating for sure!  Are you hibernating or burning energy? Let me know.  Peace to you and yours.

(Detail from “Sky Life” – 30″x22″ – Mixed Media)

After some difficult months and major changes, I spent some time soul searching, reestablishing boundaries, redefining goals.  My definition of success needed to be adjusted, tweaked and changed at various times in my life. What I defined as success in my twenties, looks very different from what success looks like in my fifties!

In the Native American tradition, there is no word for art, because it is in every aspect of daily living and life. That’s how I wish to live my life, not with art being something separate, but as something that is a part of my life, like nature is, family is…because art is not separate from me! It is the authentic me.  This is the formula used to define my success.

(“Define Your Success” – 5″x7″ – Mixed Media/Paper)

So a major part of defining my success is creating art, selling art, living with art and letting others know how what this means to me and what it can mean for them. I would like to reiterate: this is how I make a living! I love sincere compliments, who doesn’t like hearing pleasantries about something they’ve made?

REMEMBER, it is cash, that pay the bills, feed my family, gas up the car, pay for health insurance and allows me to continue being me. This is my economic circle of life.

All of the above makes me a success! How are you defining your success? Are you allowing others to define success for you?  Forge your own path.

In peace to you and yours.

I needed a break from writing for a while. I will start blogging again at Illustration Friday, starting tomorrow. I’m a little rusty, but hopefully, practice will help!

Thank you wonderful friends, for checking in on me. I want to start my welcome back with a thank you to the lovely Madonna Davidoff for her sweet award! Thank you Madonna (www.madonnaart.com), it looks like you had a fabulous trip!

There are so many lovely blogs out there, I couldn’t think of only (15) to pass it along to, so I ask all my blog friends and you know who you are, to come by and pick up this award!

YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST!

Peace always…:)

I needed a break from writing for a while. I will start blogging again at Illustration Friday, starting tomorrow. I’m a little rusty, but hopefully, practice will help!

Thank you wonderful friends, for checking in on me. I want to start my welcome back with a thank you to the lovely Madonna Davidoff for her sweet award! Thank you Madonna (www.madonnaart.com), it looks like you had a fabulous trip!

There are so many lovely blogs out there, I couldn’t think of only (15) to pass it along to, so I ask all my blog friends and you know who you are, to come by and pick up this award!

YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST!

Peace always…:)

Happy New Year! It’s been a year since, I decided to join Illustration Friday (“IF”). I know that there are folks that have been a part of IF for years, and I congratulate them, too!

What’s really a big deal and funny to me about the whole blog thing, is “I absolutely do not like writing!” So, it has been a major feat for me to continue this weekly. Writing to me, is like speaking in public for some folk…incredibly scary! But, last year, (a year-to-date) I decided to take on one fear at a time, and this was one.

Oh, boy, do I have a lot of fears, and after turning 50 years old on January 1. I figured, it will be a lifelong journey to conquer them, one at a time. Now granted I maybe 150 years old by the time I conquer them all, but, hey, I’m trying :)

The word for IF this week is “resolve” which is close enough to resolutions for me. I’ve already broken one resolution…yes, already…lol! That is to post only new work this year to IF; but oh well…!

This lovely lady, was created under the title of “Comfort Zone”. She is a beautiful tribute to my godmother, “Miss Mamie” who always appeared to me to be comfortable in her own skin and always confident! She was an inspiring influence in my life! She resolved in the early stages of her life to be comfortable in her own skin! Now that’s “resolve!”

Let’s make this year a beginning for positive resolve. Peace.

Both awards were given to me by Nancy (http://nancygronholm.blogspot.com). Thank you, Nancy for your kind thoughts and sentiment. It is a lovely way to end my year!

“This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.”

I’ve moved my blog to my website!

For those of you who are new to my blog, I participate in Illustration Friday, a place, where a fabulous group of artist participate weekly. Every artist, that’s participating is sent a prompt/theme every Friday. You then illustrate the prompt/theme on your blog and then add your image to Illustration Friday (aka “IF”).

Once again, welcome to the newcomers and welcome back to all my artist friends from Illustration Friday posts!

A Big Thanks to: http://atomicvelvetsigh.blogspot.com/
For starting the love fest!

Big Shout Out and I Love Your Art Blog To:

http://ascenderrisesabove.com/
http://www.danijones.com/
http://dancingelephantstudio.com/
http://www.kathyhareillustration.com/
http://lynettesartblog.blogspot.com/
http://robertabaird.blogspot.com/
http://studiololo.blogspot.com/
http://painteddaisies.blogspot.com/
http://valgalart.blogspot.com/

Much love to all the blogs I visit! Peace & Blessing to you all!

Well the unique part of doing work in my studio is that my studio is also my living area, my dining area, and my study area! So every time, I need to do anything not related to art, let’s say eat, or relax, I need to jump up and put everything away or move things aside or ask for family help in doing some of these things!

It makes life very interesting or very frustration for me, depending or whether or not it’s a full moon! I’m affected by the moon, the seasons, whether I’m awaken from a well-deserved sleep or been rudely awaken! Thus the name of my blog: Mood Swings

Now back to the studio…

This area is where I usually paint. I like to use clip-on lights to surround the easel in addition to lighting from the ceiling. I use daytime lighting. I have a mirror on the right side of my easel, so that I can pull the artwork off the easel and look at it in the mirror to allow me to see any things that appear off that I may not notice while I’m working on it. This doesn’t mean that all my work is perfect, it just means that I may notice something needs to be changed and I’ll change it or I’ll leave it, because it feels right to me!

Next to my easel is a very long table, that I love to work on (much to my family’s dismay!) because I am constantly trying to remove the evidence of my work!

This is where I do my traveling when I can’t actually afford to leave the house! I sometimes relax and look at the hundreds of reference books/images I’ve acquired to give me that inspiration boost that I need after setting up for art or putting my art stuff away!

This is where I work on my computer, and where the life blood comes in, I’m talking projects for money! This is as neat as it ever gets!

So there you have it…you now see where I work and play (they are one and the same)! Over half the work on my website now was created in the areas I’ve shown you! So now you’ve had a visit to my studio.