Oh the places you will go (to get your craft on)

Feeling blah?  How or where could you transform that?


You've gotta have a set up at home that entices, but doesn't overwhem! Surround yourself with beauty. Enjoy the art of organization. Create easy access to your crafts. These things have helped me to enjoy my connection and time with art with more satisfaction.  I was just reading a book on the Tao of clearing clutter at lunch today, and loved the imagery provided for clearing obstructions that are in your way of connection to a higher level of life and clear spirited path.

I set up a shelf dedicated to art.  I keep my crafts supplies in suitcases too, because it looks so cute and vintagey.   In the smaller ones, I have projects ready to go to take on a trip or work on at a friends or coffee shop.

Crafting at exuberantly crafty friends houses is always glorious (name a material or tool and Alexandra has it!). Surround yourself with kind spirits who encourage you to pursue your love for creative expression.

Sometimes a separate studio is necessary for all those supplies, especially when your goal is to share it with others as my mom does in her workshops where she hosts artist to teach others.  Fun place to play and visit (BLOOM!). It is as divine to do art guided in someone else's workshop as it is to go to a really yummy yoga class from your favorite instructor. Plus you can dedicate yourself fully in a dedicated environment.

Even the local bike repair collective has an art night each week.  Of course they do, what else would a bunch of DIYers do with left over parts and welding kits.  I have enjoyed quite a few Crafternoons at Bicas.

And of course there are CraftyCraft Craft parties.  Open a bottle of wine, invite friends to bring their projects and get silly :) The last of these photos in this group is a swap of clothes (I consider dressing up an art, hobby, expression and way to add beauty and fun to life). Swaps are awesome for teaching the lesson of sharing and joy of letting go of the old.

 We like to get out sometimes... the local coffee shop doesn't mind our boxes of art supplies and we love the treats to eat.

 

Ah, lots of good memories and hopefully more where that came from.

the art of organizing our nests

whimsicals

 

 peaceful beauty

This thought is dedicated to those who use the placement of things as an art.  To Jenn, who I always thought was very artistic in her particularities about how things should be organized.  Like a science, a practice and an art.   Cady's houses always have such thought put into every decoration, with tidbits and creations carefully thrifted with frequent visits to second hand stores to build a feel of treasured history or forgotten heirlooms. And dedicated to mom, for helping me set up my place with sweet aesthetic touches that take time to decide upon, and she puts the time and love into it. Of course all the Holland-Mier's are fantastic at using their home as their palate.  And there are many more inspirations out there that I have helped show me how to to value this within myself - to appreciate the how the way we organize our material details serves us.

The whimsicals on my shelf are my little mementos reminding me who I am.  Yes, I am that forgetful.  They take me to places I have been and the relationships that have helped form me. That is the artform of memory.

xo!

Poloroid!

 

One nice thing about Poloroid is that it is not a digital camera.  You have one shot to get the photo you want. And now that you had to search ebay to find film and it is hella expensive... you really don't want to waste a shot.  You really have to think about what you are planning to photograph ahead of time. I took these photos above while Phoenix and I were on our road trip up the west coast last summer.  Since they were vacation shots, I asked a lot of different people to take the photos of us, and have to be brave to ask them to get a certain angle or brave to just see what happened.  I love them all!

Another nice thing about Poloraid is that it is just like a digital camera.  You get to see it instantly! So satisfying on a printed paper too.  Plus I love shaking and waiting a little bit while it morphs before your eyes.  It doesn't feel that long ago, though, that they were more common, but I do like how it has an old feel now.

In the last photo, you can see the old camera, that I got at a yard sale down the street, hanging from grandpa's vanity in my room. Works great!  And, it is awesome 80's pink & grey no less.