Another Word For The Year

It’s nearly time to sweep the year 2013 out the door and welcome 2014 with open arms.

2013 Patricia Scarborough San Gabriel Trail Head   The last painting of 2013.

If you’ve stuck with me for the past 4 ½ years, you may recall that I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. Using the first day of the new year, when everything seems bright and shiny, seems to bring on a bad case of over-reaching. I’ll lose 20 pounds! I’ll start that orphanage! I'll find a cure for stoopid!

Resolutions feel so…resolute. There is is dogged determination, obstinacy and self-assuredness. There is fortitude, grit and pluck and motivation, all of which sound like exhortations plastered on the walls of a fitness center.  Which, by the way, is where many resolutions go to die.

I’m a believer in Christine Kane’s Word Of The Year plan. In 2006 she wrote about choosing a single word that you could hold in your heart and use as a guide throughout the year. She called it a Resolution Revolution.

In a nutshell, by choosing a single word as a guide for the next 365 days, you give yourself room to grow rather than a pass/fail box to check off.

Several years ago I chose ‘engage’ as my word of the year. Consider the difference between this word and a resolution:

Resolution - I will spend 6 hours in my studio.

Engage - I will engage in my studio space.

4 hours,27minutes...

Can you feel it? One has me watching the clock, the other is immersion in a space designed for creativity.

I didn’t achieve engagement; there was no little plastic trophy or floppy rosette to set on a shelf.

Best Engagement Achiever?

 The act of engagement came quietly and gently and settled in like a a comfy old sweater. Or like a collection of finished paintings hung beautifully in a gallery.

In the end, engagement in my studio, classes, conversations and painting brought forth nearly 50 paintings in one year. Imagine if I had simply resolved to finish 50 paintings in one year? There's a failure waiting to happen.

27 more to go...can't do it...Mommmmy...

On to 2014. This year I have chosen the word ‘allow’ to guide me. I’ve got some thoughts of how this will unfold, but since this is an organic, heart-felt exercise I’ll try not to start out with preconceived notions. I'll allow it to unfold. See how easy it is?

How about you? Are you going to check off a box? Or are you going to fill your entire year with a fresh kind of motivation?

Up for the Year

It’s time for New Year’s Resolutions!!

Or not.

I’ve never been one to jump on that bandwagon. My thinking was, why pick one day of the year to decide to do something (or quit something or lose something?  Why that one day rather than any other? Couldn't I accomplish that feat any other day of the year - and without all the hooplah?

What makes the day of January First so powerful that all promises to self will stick?

Poof! It’s January First and I will be very organized!        

Poof! It’s January First and I will lift great weights over and over and run miles and miles and lose 10 pounds and inches and inches!

Poof! It’s January First and I will get along with everyone (even if they’re idiots)!

Poof! It’s January First and I will achieve all the great things I’ve not been able to achieve up to now!
 
Seems to me the key to change resides within, rather than with a number in a square under the heading ‘January’.

A more helpful  tool, in my opinion, is Christine Kane’s Word for the Year.  Go on ahead and read what she’s got to say. It’s pretty heady stuff.

This is my 4^th year of choosing a guide word to move me through the next 12 months.  I can attest to the power and growth of starting a bright and shiny new year this way, having chosen Moxie last year.

Of all the fancy words that could have drifted across my brain pan and heralded change and excitement, challenge and delight, the word that came to me for the next 12 months is “up”.

No compassion, generosity, effortlessness, engaging, gratitude, abundance, growth, creativity, delight, presence, courage, confidence, releasing, trusting, expansion, exploration or adventure.

Up.

Up, as in heavenward? (Look up)  Increasing? (Pile up)  Finishing? (End up) Growing? (Up your game)

Up as in eyebrows lifting, mouth curling in a smile, chin higher?

I'll let you know. Looks like I've got something to learn.

How about you? How will you move into the next 12 months?

My Word 2012

Happy First Day of 2012.

It’s a new set of months, 12 of them coming at us all shiny and new, unbent, unbroken; hopeful like a brand new pair of jeans.

It’s also the day we dread.  It’s New Year’s Resolution Day.

I'm suggesting you try something different.

 For the last 4 years I have followed the wise guidance of Christine Kane, counselor and visionary to millions.  Rather than start the year with a resolution, which feels all burdensome, more of a millstone than a touchstone and generally doomed to failure, Christine offers a kinder approach: the Word for the Year.

Having a Word for the Year is more like having a guide than a goal. It’s a word you can whisper softly to yourself multiple times a day, or rattle yourself with when necessary to get on track. There is no use-by date, no shelf life, no feelings of failure.

The first year I replaced my resolutions with a simple word, I chose “engage”. It was a beautiful word to accompany my journey through a year of immense growth and change as I developed my art practice.  Engage worked so well I used it a second year as well.  Using the word engage was infinitely more powerful for me than any resolution charging me to Do Better, Try Harder, Achieve More. Engaging was measureable immediately, kinder to myself and others, and useful in nearly every situation.

 Engage, as in connect, involve, mesh.

Last year I got flashy and chose moxie.  Originally a name for a soft drink years ago, it became synonymous with spunk and courage.  I had spent weeks looking for a good word, sounding them out and imagining their usefulness.  Moxie sounded dashing and fun. The image in my mind was of a certain artist in 6-inch heels and jaunty beret, striding confidently through each doorway swung open just for me.

If you’ve ever worn 6-inch heels, you can see right away what a bad fit that was.  My rakish beret was more Princess Beatrice  than courageous, although now that I think of it, wearing that hat took guts.

In other words, moxie was fun to think about, but just not … real. At least not for me.  Moxie will be relegated to list of Not So Good Ideas along with the “new” recipe for Coca-Cola and my stylish Crocs.

There's just no excuse for this.

This year’s word is a better fit. Interestingly, it seems to have found me.  In a weird sort of way I have become aware of the word “awareness”. I accept that it’s been following me around for quite some time and expects to be invited in to stay. Rather than look for a flashier, sassier more interesting word, I’m going to accept the kindness and guidance of the universe and go into the year 2012 holding hands with awareness.

 I’m framing awareness as a call to enlightenment, appreciation and understanding, all of which I could use a little more of. It’s also pretty open ended and useful in many contexts. I can hear it being used by our local deputy (Ma’am, are you aware of the speed limit?)  or by Handsome Husband (Hon, are you aware of that thing on your forehead?).  I’m really hoping to hear it whispered to my deepest self, shedding light on my motives, my attitudes and my preconceptions.  It’ll be interesting to see how this concept infiltrates my actions and supports/challenges/awakens or otherwise lifts me to a higher level of being in the world over the next 52 weeks.

Think about it. What word will guide you through the coming year?

I Got Moxie

Haven't got your resolutions for the New Year completed yet?
Hold on a sec, and consider a new approach.

Christine Kane, singer-wongwriter, life coach and all around fabulous human spirit, has an inspired way of looking at how you can move into your new year.  Go ahead, take a peek, I can wait.

Who among us hasn't made a laundry list of goals and achievements for the coming 12 months?  It's de rigueur don'tcha know? Usually the list starts off with something about weight, or getting in shape. Move on to being nicer, or more tolerant or less meddling.  In the case of creative types, add a museum exhibit or a major award in a juried show.  Wrap it up with global peace and puppy for every child. Did I mention getting in shape?

You know the scenario.  February rolls around, your righteous indignation is the only thing getting a workout and there's no more time to get into your studio than there was last year.  The world is still at war and those darn kids won't leave their wii's long enough to even notice there's a dog chewing the furniture.  Another set of resolutions bites the dust.

A few years ago I took Christine's nudge to a new life to heart. Rather than make another resolution that would only gather dust, I selected a word to hold in my heart during the new year. The first year I chose the word 'engage'.  The visual for me was two gears moving together to mesh, thereby moving an entire set of gears and machinery into motion. Whispering engage into my own ear helped move me up into higher levels of self awareness, creativity and health. It was gentle and yet persistant.  It was a powerful enough experience that I used the same word again the next year.  The benefit is that there's no achieving a particular result or completing a singular task thereby ending the exercise. It's truly a gift that keeps giving all year long.

   This year my word will be moxie.  Originally the name of a carbonated beverage in the first decades of the 1900's, today moxie has connotations of pep, determination and spunk.  Feeling uninspired today?  C'mon, get some moxie!  Need to make that appointment but feeling kind of shy?  Moxie! Ready to move a new direction with my art?  You got it - moxie. And conversely, when I need to back off, rest and reconsider, it'll take moxie to allow that too.

Plus, it's just plain fun to say.  M o x i e.

The Cowardly Lion was given the word courage by a kind Wizard.  It was just a word, but what a word it was.  The Tin Man likewise. Scarecrow's word for the year was brains, which opened up a world unknown to him before that moment. How would they have grown had the Wizard asked them for their New Years resolutions? Chances are they'd be right back where they were when Dorothy found them.

Lay down your list of resolutions and start fresh.
What will your word for the new year be?

Every Town is an Art Town

"This is not an art town".  

If you told me Houston Texas wasn't a snow skiing town, I'd have no  problem believing it.  Or if you declared that Denver was not a scuba diving town I would probably understand.  The average daily temperature in Houston is not conducive to making piles of snow useful for sliding down, and as far as I know Denver is not near either coast.  Defining a community as an art town however, makes me wonder,  does no one in that town own art?  Are pictures not allowed to be hung?  Are all paints confiscated at the border?

@ 2010 P Scarborough "Holding September", 12x9" Oil on canvas

This painting has nothing to do with this article, except that I just painted it yesterday and wanted to share it with you.

When I heard "X is not an art town" used again recently, rather than let it roll off into the pile of whines that seem to develop around certain artists, I asked the question,"What, exactly, does that mean?" 

It meant that nobody, not one person in City X, purchased artwork from the artist, thereby revealing themselves to be ignorant philistines.

Rather than an entire community falling under suspicion of an artistic vacuum, could there be something else going on? Is there some other reason, besides something in the water, that would lead an entire community to keep their cash in their wallets?

Could it have something to do, dear artist, with you?

Could it be that your prices are high, your work poorly done, your attitude unpleasant?  Does your sales pitch sound like something from a late-night TV commercial? Do you even have a sales pitch? 
Do you make it easy to purchase your work, or do you accept only cash in well-ironed 100-dollar bills?
If your work is displayed in a gallery, do you change it out often, or does the gallery staff have to dust off cobwebs?

Now that I've nailed you down, let me help you out a bit. 

Okay, so you aren't exactly burning up the cash registers.  First bit of advice: don't blame your customers.

Ever.

@2010 P Scarborough Mill Road 14x10 pastel

Likewise with this one.

Second bit of advice: find out why you're not selling.  Ask your gallery owner, or a trusted friend for a meeting.  In her excellent book, "I'd Rather Be In The Studio", Alyson Stanfield calls it the "Conversations Exercise". It's a way of finding out what others think of your subject matter, framing, statement, etc.  Be prepared to hear an honest appraisal, or there's no reason to bother. Remember, you're doing this to learn.
Speaking of Stanfield's "IRBITS", get  yourself educated.  Read a book or two, and a few blogs as well.  There are several excellent marketing and creativity blogs written for folks just like you.  Find out what else is going on in the art world, who's doing it and how.

It might help if you saw yourself as an educator, rather than a salesman.  I'm not saying treat your customers like they're stoopid, but gosh, maybe they've never seen artwork like yours. It could be they've never considered purchasing original art before, and don't know why they should when Walmart's got such purty things for cheaper.  Let them educate you, too. A ceramicist I know keeps tabs on each art fair she attends.  City A loves plates, City B is into mugs.  She packs accordingly.

The most important advice I can share with you is this:  Treat people as if you want them as friends, not just customers.  You may not sell them any art, but you'll leave as pals, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Paper Pep Rally

(Before I forget, many of my 100 paintings are now hanging at Graham Gallery in Hastings. Wow! Very impressive! They'll be up for just a few short weeks, and then they'll scatter to the four winds...)

I was digging around in my files of Important Papers recently, looking for a snippet of information that would relieve me of the fear and angst that accompanies the starting of a new painting.
(Okay, that might be a little bit dramatic, but sometimes that blank canvas seems to be staring right back at me, as if it were daring me to lay a mark on it. It's a bit much to deal with early in the day.)
When I take a class, or read a book, I write down quotes that touch my heart or rattle my psyche. I keep them in a File of Important Papers, which is a mound of paper scraps that seem too necessary to toss out, but are unable or unwilling to be organized. Sometimes I scrawl them on notecards and paste them on the wall where I can see them easily. My own little pep rally.
It's like reading Christmas cards from years ago, or paging through an old scrapbook. Lots of good memories are stored in those bits of paper, and a few bruise-y ones as well.

A few of my favorites:

"Argue for your limitations and they are yours." - Richard Bach

"Patience! Set up properly!" - every teacher I've ever had. When will it soak in?

"Tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding." - from 'Art & Fear' by David Bayles and Ted Orland

"Know the temperature and quality of light first, before you start painting." Donna Aldridge

"Writing [or painting] is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead." - Gene Fowler

"It's easier to move from a neutral position than to be too dark/light, intense/dull. Move from there." Amy MacLennan

"Paint like you have all the time in the world." - Dustin VanWechel

"Let the student enter the school with this advice: No matter how good the school is, this education is in his own hands. All education must be self-education." - Robert Henri from 'The Art Spirit'.

"There's no short cut, sorry! I'm not making it easy on you. This is what it takes." - Larry Blovits

"Nice picture, who is it?" Handsome Husband upon seeing a recently painted self-portrait.

"Fear doesn't go away. It diffuses with experience." Christine Kane

"It'll be hard, but you can do it." Dr. Gary Zaruba

"I'm Ready!!" - me

What quote would you add to the File of Important Papers?

What's Clicking?

Did you hear it?


It happened last week. I had a feeling it would happen, but when it actually occurred, I was stopped in my tracks.


Are you certain you didn't hear it?


It clicked.


Christine Kane writes brilliantly about it in her blog. It's number one on her list, actually.


The top of the list of her "7 Creativity Lessons" starts with the decision to schedule and create a system within which an individual can then create. Of course, she says it way better than I. Go ahead and click on over to read what she has to say. I'll wait.


It seems that alot of folks believe an artist has to be all flighty and emotional and excitable and drama-filled to be truly creative.


Not so.


In fact, it's just the opposite.

This daily painting journey that I've been on with my friend Mavis Penney proves that keeping a schedule, and creating a system is vital to creative work. We've promised each other, and you, that we'll show up every week day for 100 days and show you what we've accomplished each day. There's no room, absolutely no room, for being flighty and for waiting on some gauzy-winged muse to float down out of the ether to tell me what to paint. Whether I'm having a good day or bad, blue sky or rain, in my zone or out in left field, you're there, patiently anticipating that we'll focus our talents and provide you with what we've promised. I have to show up, whether I'm feeling all artsy or not.


And it works. Somehow, knowing I'm in this for 100 days is actually freeing. No longer do I sit and wait for The Muse, who seems to have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost somewhere. No longer do I check email or sort socks, waiting for the Next Great Idea. It's action time, and it's action I've got to take. I actively look for inspiration rather than waiting for The Muse to deliver it all wrapped in shiny paper. I set a timer so I don't watch the clock. I relax, because I know this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my time. It occurs to me that I've been using a system for this blog. I post every Sunday evening. Not Monday morning, and not just when I feel like it. Every Sunday evening whether I'm feeling clever or not. Lucky you.

There are no hard and fast rules about the system one chooses to work with. You've got to figure out what works for you. Systems are not sexy and they're not bright and shiny. They are, however, absolutely essential for growth and accomplishment. And frankly, it takes some time to figure out what works. I'm finding out that being accountable to you is an important part of my system. I found that having a good friend and colleague ( Number 2 on Christine's list ) with whom to share the trip is essential. I discovered that in order to paint one hundred paintings, I've got to put aside my morning newspaper, postpone the LA Times Crossword ( now I'm just bragging ) and stride purposefully upstairs to my easel.
That's what clicked.
What clicks for you?

Starting Over, Again

Jeesh, it's only January 4th of the brand new year, and I'm behind already. This was going to be my year, my year, to learn new things and try new things and start new things.

January 1st I set out to find out just exactly how to accomplish all that I wanted. Grabbed a notebook and a new pencil and started to make a list.

I read my backlog of Alyson Stanfield's ArtBiz blogs. Wow! Tons of marketing tips and ideas on how to get that gallery representation and even a few good recipes.

Better get a bigger notebook.

I canoed over to EmptyEasel and promised myself I'd learn to be a smarter painter. As soon as I learned how to be a better blogger by learning to write well. And doggone it, I'm going to be more professional about my business!

Blog! Artists are supposed to comment on the blogs of other artists or sites that have to do with art. Which means I have to actually read those blogs. Twitter, too! Gotta keep that Facebook thing going.

And because all of this self improvement makes me a bit nervous, I realize I need to add some serious self-guidance and promise myself I'll get it together. Squeeze some meditation in, too. Yeah, that'll really help.

Got a new camera and so far I know how to turn it on. Add 'learn camera' to the list.

And it's 4 days into January, and I'm pooped.

Where did all this start? With a desire to be a full time working artist. And do it better than I did it last year.

I'm thinking I need to go back and re-do my New Year's list. In my excitement to improve my painting business, I neglected, well, my painting.

Next week, the painting will come first.

How are you doing with your list?

Monet Meets Curly Joe

After reading Christine Kane's blog about expanding vs shrinking I shrugged off all shrinkiness (read stinginess) and purchased a really lovely plein air easel. Painting in the open air, away from the studio, sounds so romantic and, well, just plain fun. Turns out it was more like Claude Monet meets Curly Joe.

Becuase I am fairly new to painting away from the studio, I traveled only as far as my back yard.

It's a good place to start, actually. The sun on my black-eyed Susan's was really gorgeous. (That's my sister's really awesome chain-saw carving you see there in the background.)

There I stand, just like Claude Monet. The warm sun, cool shadows, brilliant yellows, purples, birds and cicadas breathing life into every stroke of my brush.

Things begin to go awry fairly quickly. Monet steps aside and Curly Joe moves in. Somehow I managed to flip my 5 x 7 board upside down, onto my fresh palette. The backside is now decorated in great gooey globs of cadmium orange and scarlet. Not to worry I tell myself, I'm outside. Wipe it off, put the board back and get back to work. I notice a bit of red paint on my brand spankin' new pochade box. The pochade box is supposed to carry the paint in it, not on it. Stop painting, wipe it off, gotta keep that new pochade box shiney and clean.

It's not long before I find I'm holding in my left hand a paper towel full of red paint, 4 brushes and a palette knife. Yes, my paint box came with a brush holder. It's just that my hand is so, well, handy. And yes, I have managed to get red paint on each and every brush. Oddly, the hair part is clean.

About that time a cute weiner dog strays into the yard to check out the Lady in Red. We introduce ourselves, and he leaves a moment later with a red stripe behind one ear.

An hour later, I've got red paint on my hands, brushes, pochade box, up my arm, on my shorts, the back door, my left sock, and on my right cheek. My hair is highlighted in - yup, you guessed it.

But I've also got 70 square inches of really lovely flowers painted, and I'm thrilled.

And now, as I'm typing, I see cad red scarlet on my keyboard. And up my arm again, and on my right knee. What would Monet think?

I'm thrilled. I survived my first real plein air session. I expanded my horizons, all the way to my back yard. Maybe tomorrow I'll expand them all the way to the end of the block.

How far will you expand your horizon? And what color will it be?