Love Makes the World Go Around

....and so, I put a little time and energy into making some personalized Valentine's this year!

Did a little experimenting in adding some confetti love to our world...

The Revealed World

So far, this blog has mostly been about my art projects, but today I want to talk about a book I am reading, Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder. When I came up with the name for my blog and Etsy site, Conscious Creativity, this was meant to explore my creativity, as well as the ideas behind that creativity. So, I want to talk about my ideas.

A lot of the art I have created in my life has come from a desire to make “art for art’s sake” or to make something “beautiful.” Sometimes, I simply enjoy the challenge of making something unique, using the right combination of color, lines, symmetry, etc….all of that stuff you learn in art class! You can ask my husband how I was during our wedding planning or decorating our house! (smile) At other times, I just get the urge to create. The process is often very soothing and I can find myself in a trance for hours as I stand soothing colors into a canvas, or hunch over a piece of paper with an exacto knife. I lose myself.

However, a lot of my art since high school has come from a desire to share some kind of political or social perspective…or for myself to explore my own perspective. So, where do those ideas come from? Of course, they come from my family, the community/environment I was raised in, my education (or lack of), and, I believe, in my own nature (yes, from nature and nuture). I have often thought about this….I wonder exactly where did I grow this belief or that perspective, etc.

This question about my perspective has been brought to me again with Mountains Beyond Mountains. It is about the wonderful Dr. Paul Farmer, who has worked in Haiti for many years (I know, how relevant….been meaning to read this for a year now) and is a co-founder of Partners in Health, a health and social justice organization. In the book, the author quotes a woman whom Dr. Farmer worked with in Haiti. She talks about how much she learned from him and how much he opened her eyes. She says, “I think there is a point where you realize the world has just been revealed to you. It’s like realizing your parents are both good and bad. It’s sort of, Oh no, things will never be quite the same again.”

This thought really struck me….when was the world revealed to me? Exactly when and how, did I gain my perspectives? by what means….who revealed it to me? When did I realize that I do have a culture, even though I am white? When did I realize I am a WASC (White, anglo-saxon, Catholic J) and that I see the world through this lens? When did I realize that my lens is not the correct lens….that there is no one correct, superior lens through which to view the world? When did I realize my White privilege? When did I realize that Dave Chappelle is not racist against white people? When did I realize that teachers can be classist, sexist, homophobic, etc? When did I realize that I cannot just travel to another country and take unsolicited and supposedly ‘unbiased pictures’ of the locals, to show my friends and family the “unfortunate poverty,” so we could all sit around and shake our heads and exclaim how lucky we were? When did the realities of institutionalized racism, forced assimilation, gentrification, ageism, etc really force themselves into my world? It’s interesting to think about the who, what, when, where and how. My reading, my art, my conversations help me to work these questions out. If you want to actually name a “turning point,” a time when I realized things would never be the same again, then I would name my freshman year in college, but then I think, no, maybe 4^th grade, or 9^th grade, no, definitely my sophomore year of college. Really, it is a process for me….it will always be a process.

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To end with the perspective of some Haitian peasants, on how people living in so much poverty could still believe in God. The proverb goes: “Bondye konn bay, men li pa konn separe”….“God gives but doesn’t share.” (we humans have all we could ever need….it is up to us to divide the bounty.)

Making Mandalas

I am happy to announce that I am finally selling my mandalas on Etsy! If you are wondering, here is how I make hand cut mandalas....

1. I draw a design, using "stencil" pieces that I make so that it is more precise.

2. I cut out the design and pop the pieces out.

3. I have a lot of left over little pieces that are also pretty and I like to use them to make a new design.

4. I flip it over (to hide pencil marks) and pair it with another lovely color behind to make the design stand out.

Special Delivery

Those who know me, know that I love to give handmade gifts. Most of my family and friends have at least one necklace, painting, wall decoration, textile gift, or at the very least, a card, that I have made....and my parents and grandparents have tons! I love the challenge of making a handmade gift that will fit that special person's personality and style, match the colors of their home, or will just mean something special to them. And I especially love seeing them open the gift!

Well, my most recent gift is a little different. My sister-in-law is on her way to Pakistan as I type, and with her, she has a necklace that I made for my mother-in-law (as well as some other things for both her and my wonderful father-in-law). But, this handmade gift is a little different because I have never met my mother-in-law. I only have an idea of who she is, from stories her children have told me, emails I have received, pictures I have seen, and one struggled telephone conversation.

This is what I know about her: * She is a kind person * a quiet soul *strong * a loving, nurturing mother * city girl * hard worker * she is calm and gentle * levelheaded * she stands up for her family and beliefs * brave * selfless * determined * respectful of nature * protective * a wonderful cook * she doesn't complain * she is humble * and she loves me and calls me beta (daughter) even though she has never met me. This may seem like I know a lot, but really it is only a sliver, especially when you make a necklace that is supposed to reflect a person's style and essence.

I find myself nervous about her receiving the gift and partly glad that she can open it privately, so that I don't have to be watching her, nervous that she won't like it, although I know enough to know that she would love it anyways because she is like that, and she would think it is wonderful just because it is homemade and from me...and because she is a mom...and I'm pretty sure that all moms are like that, regardless of culture. But I still whisper a prayer that she likes it....

Time to Get SERIOUS!

Ok, so one of my New Year's resolutions was to increase my Etsy sales this year, so I think that I need to stop sitting here on my butt, waiting for people to find my site and jewelry! So, I've made business cards to hand out (how professional, I know! :), I am going to start wearing some of my jewelry in order to advertise more, and I am working on adding some new art to my site for all of you who do not wear a lot of jewelry! So here is a peak of what is coming in the next week......!!!

I've been working on some mandala designs:

...and even made a mandala into my logo!

p.s. I might take some hints from my friend Christine as well, who is doing an amazing giveaway for her blog readers at Lavenders and Limes! What a great idea!

New Years Resolutions

Well, I'd say that 2009 was a pretty great year. I celebrated a wonderful first year of marriage, traveled to Peru with my dad, I started cooking more and trying new vegetarian recipes, I started this blog and my Etsy site, and I've continued to work as a school social worker and keep pumping iron at the gym! However, there is always room for improvement! This is the first year I am writing New Years resolutions and I thought that if i post them, then I will be held more accountable than just thinking them in my head! ;) So here they are:

1. Sign up for a Spanish course

2. Practice Urdu

3. Stretch for at least 10 minutes every day

4. Drink more water

5. Eat more greens and less chocolate (I'm anticipating this will be the hardest for me!)

6. Sell at least 35 pieces on Etsy in 2010 (I sold 18 necklaces/bracelets in 1009)

7. Read at least 25 books (I know this is low number, but still higher than my 12 books this year!)

8. Take (and pass) the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) exam

9. Meet my parents-in-law

10. Paint

11. Pay off my grad school loans (this will also be a BIG task but I think we can do it!)

Bead Craziness!

So, I love beading. I love looking at beads in stores, arranging them on my Beadsmith to find the right combination of beads, color, size, etc. and I especially love seeing the receiver's face when I give them my special creation. However, sometimes I spend so much time (and money) making a necklace or bracelet that I want to keep it for myself. I've always had this trouble with my art (not just my jewelry)...I wonder if other artists do? I feel like no one else will be able to truly appreciate all of the time, sweat, and love put into whatever I made. Of course, I also create stuff that I like, so when I finish it...well, I like it!

I started beading when I was maybe 8 years old. Someone who worked at my dad's office taught me to use a beading loom. A couple of years later, when I got a little better, she surprised me with my own little beading loom that her husband made. Over the years, my style has changed quite a bit. I went through a "choker" phase in high school and made tons of choker necklaces for myself. I remember one with a blue dice in the middle! I had another made of a mismatch of colorful beads that I loved. Now my style is a little more sophisticated. I love wearing and working with different stones the most, but they can be a little spendy at times!

Last weekend, I took a trip to Baltimore to visit my husband, who is performing in Around the World in 80 Days at Centerstage Theater. He has discovered quite a bit of Baltimore just walking around during his free time. In his exploring, he found a bead store that he insisted on taking me to. I knew it would be dangerous. I spent 1.5 hours looking at the beads and only went up to the register with a small tray. Yet, the beads still rang up to $80 or so! I had to put some back, but I still came home with a good amount of beads. Since I've returned to Chicago I've been beading like crazy, inspired by my new finds.

Because of my beading frenzy, I've decided to hold a sale on my Etsy site. All shipping is free within the U.S. until Dec. 21st. But that's not all....I also have a surprise gift I have made (not jewelry) that I will randomly give away to one person who orders between now and December 21st. I can't say what it is, except that I made it and it's pretty cool! Check out my new creations!

My new finds:

This is how I decide what a necklace will look like, before I string it:

And sometimes I have accidents. SIGH