Keeping on the Art Path

I have heard a small part of this speech often, however the whole speech is the kind of speech a creative can go back to when inspiration is low.
I heard about this Neil Gaiman video on a very art inspirational podcast I listen to often at insomnia time.
http://yourcreativepush.com/2016/10/interview-with-joey-feldman/ This particular podcast interview was the first time I laughed out loud in the middle of the night because Joey Feldman and 'Youngman Brown' (the podcast interviewer) both shared some honest and funny insights.

Stay inspired...especially in this edgy election time! Stay inspired when medical insurance for Indies is climbing to inhuman heights! Stay inspired when daylight savings time and cloudy Fall days start to darken our much needed light. Stay inspired when your own personal life challenges loom large. Make inspiration larger than anything life flings at us! It's easy to forget to have fun or to forget to laugh....or to just get sucked into the many rabbit hole distractions this era brings. (Fortunately videos and podcasts can play while we're creating.) Creative expression is IMPORTANT! I hope these two talks keep you on your creative path no matter what goes on out there!

A Quick Autumn in NY Weekend

 September brought a quick trip to NYC. Here is a view of the full moon from our Uber ride to Harlem.

 The main reason for the trip was to upgrade my Pound teaching skills at this Pound Amplify course we were all waiting in line to take. But there were lots of other fun reasons for the trip like family, friends, art, very long walks, and people-watching.

This was a sculpture at the new Whitney Museum that made you stand there just waiting for it to get up and talk to you...or bark at you... and you'd swear it was breathing. The Whitney...tho pricey...had floors of wonderful art to inspire! And beautiful views you could see on every floor, if you want to step out on the terraces.....

                                                   This ad is so NYC! Only in NYC.

The fun thing about a quick weekend in NYC is that you can fill it with enough culture to keep you glowing when you get back home. The sad thing about a quick weekend in NYC is it goes by too quickly, making you long to return again and again.

California Dreamin'

 August brought a dream I've had for a few years. The Kalani Therapeutic Drum Course in LA. I finally made it there! It was phenomenal!

I have very few photos because we were busy learning so many diverse things from morning to night! This was one of my fave instructors! I want to be like her when I grow up! Abbie Ehorn. She's so much fun! And so mega talented in so many venues!

 Fellow ZIN, Duncan Harte and I got to teach a collage of Zumba, Pound and Interpretive dance to the most fun students a teacher could dream of having!

Then my baby girl and I picked out a Momorial bench that is perfect to honor Mom. The light fixture in front was something Mom always mentioned because when baby girl was two, she'd go visit the garden with her grandma and she'd pretend the light fixture was a phone. The view is gorgeous too!

This guy was waiting for his owner who was busy chewing out a representative at the car rental agency. I couldn't resist the cute and welcoming face!

Now the dream is just a very fond memory. Kalani puts together an excellent and super cool, fun drum therapy course. I lost my mojo for music for over a decade, but this course, the severely talented and friendly teachers and participants all inspired that mojo for music to return! That is the sign of an excellent course!

High Tech Kitties

Kitties tried out a new litter box this month. How many kitties do you know who have a clock built into their litter box???? A kitty never knows what important nap they may miss unless they have a clock.
Honestly, I've test driven many a litter box in my lifetime, but so far this self cleaning one has made life so much easier! Kitties and I highly recommend it. Plus if you put in batteries you'll always know what time it is. And if you need some meditation time you can do a Zen sand garden effect (once it's done it's discard) with the included rake.
What kind of life do we live when this is a high point of the month????

First Vacation in a Long Long Time

A dear friend of mine who I hadn't seen in ten years, met me in Portland, OR.  To counter some deeply painful life events that took us far from art and creativity.... she and I decided to take a painting class together in one of the coolest cities ever.

 Amazing how this first messy layer of paint...

                                        ...eventually turns into something like this....

              ...but only if you're Jesse Reno. But it does inspire you to want to keep practicing.

 There was this fashion exhibit at the Portland Museum and since I love design and bead embroidery it filled me with dreams.

 Remember this NYC inspired fabric/outfit Patricia Michaels designed in season 2013 of Project Runway? It was nice to see that she is going strong and is still designing and doing runway shows with her work.

 These bead embroidered boots made me want to get back into that medium a whole lot.

This kind gentleman was having coffee at Grendle's Cafe which has incredible almond milk cappuccinos that I'll never forget...and gluten-free breakfast sandwiches. I don't get to vacation often and this trip went too too fast. I'm back home in Glutenland, but the Portland memories will stick around forever.

What's New on Kitty TV?

All day and night long going outdoors sounds like a bad 60s Sci-Fi movie where flying saucers are landing. And higher up on the food chain....

Happy Earth Day!

Nine bags and counting

Last Earth Day I posted a video from H & M claiming they recycle fabric. I am a huge fan of recycling. A major issue I've had for decades is where to recycle all those fabric scraps from sewing projects I've saved for decades to turn into creative recycled projects. I just don't have that kind of time anymore to be that creative. I tried and tried to find a local place to recycle fabric since there isn't an H & M for miles around here. Mostly what I found when Googling where to recycle fabric scraps... links would come up for upcycled sewing scrap projects.....which is nice to do if you have that kind of time, but I don't.

I was thrilled to find out that from now until Earth Day, if you do have access to an H & M....they accept all those stained or torn wearables that are not even ready for primetime at the Thrift Shop. So any fabric scraps, sewing/weaving/knitting projects that didn't work out, mismatched socks, stained outfits...pretty much anything textile (no shoes)... they will happily accept them and then give you a 30% discount on your next H and M purchase (Until Earth Day and then it goes back to 15% if you do it any other time of the year.)

 The scraps will be recycled into new fabric or insulation and will be put to good use. It's always a lovely feeling to find a good home for anything you can no longer use that is cluttering up a studio or home. Especially when it's good for the Earth.

Here is the link to that H & M project and details of what they will and won't accept.  http://www.hm.com/us/world-recycle-week

When a Tree Falls in the Woods and Someone's There to Hear It....

This 200 year old tree decided to fall a few weeks ago. (46" diameter) Not without quite a bunch of damage. I am a witness that when a tree falls in the woods and someone IS around to hear it...it sounds like the loudest crashing thunder you could ever hear.... and shakes the ground and everything near it like there's an earthquake. And this lovely tree decided to split in half vertically and do one performance in the afternoon and the second one in the night time. Reality TV could never top the shows that Mother Nature puts on!

You Can Plan All You Want!

I'm taking a very cool collage weekly planner course. Even my worst week looks pretty.  It didn't feel too pretty tho. Note to self....no more courses during tax season!