It's a RACC Wrap!

Posted on December 14th, 2010
Today, I wrapped up the final report for my first Professional Development Grant through the Regional Arts and Culture Council. The grant monies I received went towards redesigning my website and branding. It’s sort of a remarkable way to end 2010…looking back on this project that got me investigating the world of grants and fellowships and artist-in-residencies (oh my).

Over the past year I applied for two grants, one fellowship, one artist in residency and one guest instructor position. So far, I received this grant and I learned:

Do see rejection simply as information and a chance to change or grow with that knowledge. It’s better than wallowing and I always find I’m rejected for reasons different than I thought. I know this because I make it a habit to send a follow-up email and ask for feedback.

Do see applications as a chance to get my work in front of new people as potential for opportunity. I never know who is sitting on the committee that will remember me in the future or where that will lead.

Do see each application as a personal retreat. I’m usually so busy I rarely sit down and reflect. These applications are intensive and require that I stop, take inventory, clarify my message and really look at what I’m doing.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity that this grant provided. In addition to the realizations listed above I also discovered a mind-shift that was lying dormant. There is something about winning an award – especially when you expose yourself and ask someone to validate your work – that ups the confidence. Its subtle, but I notice it in the way I talk to people and present my work.

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December 14th, 2010 | Category: The Biz End of Making Art, What I'm Doing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

Re-entering the studio

Posted on January 19th, 2010

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Inevitably, something pulls us out of the studio for an extended period of time. Maybe it’s a vacation, bad head cold, or the kids are out of school. Finding a place to land can be a challenge. I find that more than three days out of my studio and I have to work to get back into the routine. I’ve heard that three days is about the same for writers, athletes, yogis…anyone really who has a practice. There are some ways you can re-enter the studio.

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There’s the meteor. This is when you slam into the studio and everything better turn out dammit – cuz you’ve already been gone long enough.

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There’s the glide. This is when you jump into thin air with a little faith packed on your back hoping you don’t smack too hard into a tree.

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There’s the easy entry. This is when you slowly, gently work your way in like a leaf falling to the ground.

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There’s longing. This is when you pick a place you’re yearning to go or a person you miss terribly. Look at pictures. See yourself in that place or with that person. Really get wistful.

They all work and are legitimate ways to re-enter the studio. I’ve done them and each one has come about depending upon my mood. But, over time, I’ve discovered they’re a bit unproductive…there’s some lag time while I wait to land and get my painting legs underneath me again.

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I’ve found the best and quickest way to re-enter the studio is to walk in and find something that needs my attention right away. What can I clean? Maybe the floor needs sweeping, windows washed or the shelves dusted. What needs to be prepped? Maybe there are boards to be sanded, damar to crush or brushes to be conditioned. What needs to be finished? Maybe a painting needs to be wired, varnished or framed.

The point is to find something to work on, to love, because it’s part of your studio as well as the artwork. When re-entering the studio, I don’t try to work on a piece of art right away. I find that’s the most difficult way to get back to the art. It’s much easier and faster to find my painting groove after I’ve tended to the physical space. It’s just like if you take a break from your yoga practice. You might be a little tight, spots might need some extra TLC and stretching before you get back to where you left off.

What are some ways that you re-enter your studio and start creating again?

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January 19th, 2010 | Category: The Biz End of Making Art, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | 5 comments

What The Heck Is RSS?

Posted on January 14th, 2009

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I asked my dear friend, Cheryl Janis, over at Planet Pink N Green if I could use her blog post What the Heck is RSS? She graciously agreed and I’m so happy because she explains RSS perfectly.

In fact, because of Cheryl and her post, I’ve been able to simplify my email in-box and am now using Google Reader to keep track of the blogs that are important to me. Some of my favorite blogs I scan daily for inspiration and information (in no particular order of importance):

Now that I have a way to manage all the blogs I love, I know I’ll be adding to the list. So, without further ado, here is Cheryl’s post about RSS:

How many of you have been stumped, confused when landing on someone’s blog or web page and reading (usually located somewhere at the top of the page) the words ‘Subscribe to RSS?’

If your answer is yes, don’t worry, you’re not alone. I used to actively avoid ‘Subscribe to RSS’ buttons after one time clicking on it and not knowing what the heck it was or what to do.

Instead I’d opt to receive updates in my e-mail box (when that choice was available.) It was kind of like signing up for newsletter updates and yes, that was something my brain could wrap itself around.

When I finally decided to face my fear of RSS (a.k.a. the unknown) and ask my boyfriend to explain it to me, I couldn’t believe what I was missing and how much easier and more fluid my web-surfing life became.

Okay, so what is RSS?

Here’s my twelve-year-old description. It’s much easier to understand.
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RSS is a simple program that has a list of your favorite web sites. When you open this program, called an RSS reader, you see which of your favorite web sites have new content. I use Google Reader (shown above).

Right inside the RSS reader window you can see which sites have new content and even get a full preview of the new content (including photos).

If you want to read more, you can click in the RSS reader and it will take you to the new content on that site, or you can skip down to the next site’s new content. You can tell your RSS reader to hide sites that don’t have new content. That way, you only spend your time looking at sites with something new to say.

There are lots of free RSS readers. Here are a few:

If you’re on a site that you’d like to add to your RSS reader, it’s easy. Just click the “Subscribe to RSS” link on that site, and follow the instructions to add it to your RSS reader.

Thanks Cheryl at Planet Pink N Green! And, if you’d like to subscribe to my RSS feed, just click on the funny, little orange box in the upper right hand navigation bar on this blog…and awaaay you go!

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January 14th, 2009 | Category: The Biz End of Making Art, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments