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in progress - mixed media children's art - 10 x 10 - Friends - Susan Black
Do what you love, know your bone;
gnaw it, bury it, unearth it and gnaw it still
Henry David Thoreau
For nearly 9 years I had practically a full time gig with the same US based gift & home decor company, I spent most of my time drawing sweet, cute motifs for baby and/or children's rooms - primarily designing & illustrating photo frames. I became pretty good at it. The queen of kid decor and honestly, I loved it. Often the designs would include a word or phrase (you know how I love playing with typography) and it was most definitely that double bonus kind of situation where you're good at something you absolutely love doing. Now ... trouble is I love doing a lot o' things but this is my year to pare down and focus. Focus, focusing, focuser.
At the beginning of this year I and many others (in the blogging world) were all choosing a word for the new year. A one word mantra for 2011 - I chose firework for many reasons, the Katy Perry song makes me cry, touches something deep inside me that makes me want to fearlessly shine & sparkle my brightest. I want my passions in life, especially my creative passions to be brave & explosive - boom, boom, boom brighter than the moon, moon, moon.
So I've decided as we near February's end I need more than one word and the word I originally was considering was focus but thought to myself what a dull, kind of mean word focus is - Focus Will You! Sounded a little too reprimanding for me. But how about focused firework ?? Uh Huh ??? Even better free & focused firework. I'm becoming so weary of trying to scrounge & hunt down freelance work which most often ends up with you doing your best to realize someone else's dream and ultimately How far ahead does that get me ? other than a pay cheque ??
I am focusing my efforts in 3 areas each week and one of them is children's art. My goal to complete 1 piece in each of 3 categories* each week. Too bad prolific didn't begin with an "f" - oh wait ! here's a new word (to me) fecund - very productive or creative intellectually - Yes Please !
focused, firework, fun, freedom, fecund ...
fame + fortune (at the very minimum the self sustaining kind please)
* other 2 categories to be revealed shortly
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a self promotional PDF that I currently send out to potential customers
I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how inspirational your posts have been to me. It's not easy loving art and trying to make a go of it. I admire your tenacity. And I thank you for sharing your daily thoughts, wonderful artwork, and photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you.