Susie Monday . El Cielo Studio

 

Destination: Fulton Beach Road, Lamar, Austwell and Aransas Pass National Wildlife Refuge. Accomplishment: Changing the channel, celebrating my 60th, breathing in and breathing out.

 

I'll post details later when I have more time, but for now, here's a little picture tour of the tour (and a shocking picture of me with red hair.) This little trip to the coast was part biz, part party, mostly just r & r of the best kind -- agenda-proof, timeless wandering, emersion into the natural world from early morning storms to sunsets reflected in the choppy bay waves.

The cabins where we stayed were perfect: The Habitat Bed and Breakfast,  rather rustic, but wonderfully situated about a i/2 mile from the bay and sitting next to a small fresh water lake.

 

 

 

There is that moment after a big push for one reason or another -- in my case the work to prepare for the Fiesta Arts Fair sale -- when one sits, finally, and says, "well, now WHAT?" Although my calendar is filled with deadlines and commitments, most of them are out there on the summer sky horizon.

I've had to carefully consider what comes next, and for two days I have pretty much stuck myself on the couch in front of the laptop, Stumbling Upon, and/or the TV, stuck on HGTV and Bravo reruns (I think they are called encore performances, now). I really feel like a slug! 

Here are my top ten ways to get myself in motion, get myself into clarity about the next move -- recorded here as reminder and inspiration, primarily just for me. If you have other suggestions, please leave me a comment.

1. Well, silly. Just MOVE. Turn on some music and dance, dance, dance for at least 20 minutes. I try to make time for this every morning. Sometimes, when a major deadline hits, I skip out, get out of the habit and have to restrike the commitment. This morning, we turned on and tuned in to the fabulous soundtrack to Julie Taymore's Across the Universe.
2. Clean up. The studio is half-way back to normal state of semi-chaos. The best way for me to tackle what looks like a major ransacking by Mongol hoards is to, yes, put on the music, loud, set a timer for 2 hours and intensely rattle up the space. To make it more fun, I move some of the furniture or rehang the art as well. Makes it seem more creative than just the clutter cleanup.
3. Journal. I am writing Morning Pages, ala Julia Cameron, again. I circle in and out of this practise, and have for more than 15 years. When I don't quite know what to do next, I see what floats out early in the morning.
4. Walk. Today I am going to walk in the city, along the Riverwalk. Probably the first time for a long city walk since I moved out here to the country three years ago. And then tomorrow, I am going to walk at Lake Medina in the neighborhood where I lived for 3 months between the city and this new house and studio. Literally walking back into my past sometimes helps me remember more clearly where I am headed.
5. Make a list. Make lots of lists. Here are some starters: Things I am grateful for. Things I have accomplished in my life. Things I still want to do. Things I have learned about life. Things I don't want to forget. Places I have been. Places I want to go. People I love. People I have learned from. What I need to get done today.
6. Pay the bills. Balance the checkbook. Put some money away and maybe even spend something on a small luxury. Well, lets be honest, nothing motivates sometimes like realizing that if I want to go to Europe (or Rockport) I better get the trip fund started again.
7. Speaking of which: Plan a trip. Maybe something small, someplace close. Or maybe a dream trip that seems doable only in your dreams. But with the internet, it is instantly possible to start the research and planning process. Just google your dream destination or dream vacation activity and see what comes up!
8. Had to sneak in another -my numbering was flubbed: Cook. Cook something different. Try something challenging and exotic. I am making risotto tonight. Food is edible art and it disappears by the end of the evening. No commitment. No marketing (they either eat it or the dog does). And it can get the juices and sensory connections back in sync.
   
9.  Revisit your inspirations. Is there someone you need to call who always gets the juices flowing? Perhaps there is a teacher or mentor who has a class or workshop coming up. Do you need to get out the art books or take a trip to the museum to revisit and inspiring image?
   
10. Listen to your heart. Your gut. Your feet.  Your soles/your soul. A different voice in the wilderness of you, other than that noisy brain (specifically that judging left side of the brain that is yammering on about how big a slob you are, how maybe that last success wasn't quite successful enough, ouch). What about listening in to something a bit larger and beyond? Use Tarot or i ching or tea leaves to connect to the unconscious side of things. Examine the  day for happenings synchronistic. Meditate for 20 minutes llying lat on the floor paying attention only to breath. Find a mantra. In the words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work."

Coincidentally and synchronistically, Alyson B. Stanfield has a podcast that lists her 10 ways to get motivated and to get out of a slump. I think her Monday newsletter included the same info, but I didn't have time to read it this week. She includes some additional good ideas -- and frames some of the same ones in some different ways.

 

 

 

Today I’m hosting Alyson B. Stanfield, author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. Alyson is here as part of the blog tour to help promote the book and is also giving away a free copy. She’s given me the opportunity to ask a question related to the book, so here goes . . .

A: Susie, thanks for inviting me to El Cielo! I would so love to be there in person. I know you live in a beautiful area.

S: Thanks Alyson,  the next time you get to Texas, I hope you'll stop by in person!

I've been reading your blog and taking classes with you for a couple of years now, and I know the importance of "branding" for an artist -- but what if I essentially have two businesses, one about making and selling art and one focused on teaching, both in my studio, and increasingly, in other venues. As an artist who teaches (both in other places and regularly in my own studio with retreat formats) I wonder if I should have a separate blog, website and newsletter for the teaching/coaching side of my business, or do I keep it all together. Which is less confusing?

A: Susie, you’re quite right to be concerned about confusing people. When people visit a website and they’re confused, they leave. If confusion is your primary concern, I wouldn’t worry too much about having them combined as long as what you teach can be seen in the work that you do. In other words, that the teaching is an extension of your art.
If you teach one thing, but your work looks quite different from the thing you teach, there will be a disconnect. I don’t see that as a problem for you at all, but it could be at some point.
There might also be a need to separate the two if in the future you seek high-end galleries and museums. Having your teaching with your art (especially if it overpowers the art itself) could be a deterrent to curators and gallerists. But I don’t believe it is when you’re marketing to the general public. Having said that, you can always tailor your blog, newsletter or site to ensure that the art doesn’t get lost in the teaching.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'm getting ready to add the WORKSHOP link to my website, so this is timely information. Alyson's book is a wonderful addition to your artist's tool. If you'd like to win a book, click here for instructions. Visit this site, read the instructions, and enter. Your odds are good as she’s giving away a free copy on most of the blog tour stops. You can increase your odds by visiting the other blog tour stops and entering on those sites as well.

And speaking of workshops -- the next one up in a couple of weeks here at El Cielo: "Words on the Surface," a hands-on extravaganza of all things typed and written as elements for your art cloth, art quilt or mixed media work . We'll be making sun prints with Setacolor, experimenting with different ways to do photo transfers, adding text with batik scrafitto and a myriad of other fun techniques. On Friday evening, May 9, early arrivals will have have the chance to do some creative writing with some new exercises. For more information, check out the Coming Up: Workshops page.

 

 

The photos above show my "booth" just before the Fiesta Arts Fair at Southwest School of Art and Craft opened for business. I think I had the best spot in the entire fair -- shade, historical ambiance, music, margaritas within a shout, lots of traffic, memories (I was once actually married right here in this very courtyard) and friends happily tripping through opening Fiesta weekend.

Just a reminder -- while I take my breath, count my blessings and get it together for a full report on the Fiesta Arts Fair.
 Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield is stopping by tomorrow on her Blog Tour to promote her new and VERY helpful book: I'd Rather Be in the Studio.

 In case I don't get back to this space later this afternoon, I wanted to make sure you all knew about the tour, and tomorrow will check out her answer to my art business question: Should I have a separate (from my new Gallery website), dedicated website for my teaching and workshops? (And what do you think, loyal readers? Would a separate site make sense? Should I beef up the link on my blog site or develop a separate set of pages within the new Gallery site -- www.susiemonday.com)

Tomorrow, you will also find out how to win a free copy of Alyson's book, and find some links to some of my favorites of the many  blogs, podcasts and other resources that she offers through her on-line teaching and coaching.

Here's the view during the Fair, in a rare quietish moment! Thanks to all of you who stopped in the browse, to Jennifer who took some great professional photos for me, to all of you who purchased aart work rom me or from another artist -- the most direct way to support the arts -- feed an artist! We know you have many choices about how to spend your time, money and energy. Buying art, while certainly not a survival necessity, is, I think,  both a financial and spiritual investment in the future of the planet.