Has Art Ever Spoken to You?

Determined by Lisa Kattenbraker

Has art ever spoken to you?  You know, the image literally jumps off the page and speaks directly to you and your life experiences; tugs on your heart strings and causes some weird water like substance to fall from your eyes?  Have you ever had this experience?  

I'm happy to say that I have had this experience, most recently this past week when my husband and I attended the Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City.  Here I met Lisa Kattenbraker and most instantly fell in love with both her, her work, and the medium of batik.  You can follow this link to learn more about batik or to see more of Lisa's new work.

The print above is the image I purchased for my new studio slash office, which is being remodeled by my wonderful husband as we speak.  The piece is titled She was always prepared for what she suspected might be just around the corner.  This is the image that brought tears to my eyes as my baby screamed and my husband kindly asked me to "just pick one already."  

What a hopeful and inspiring message.  I can't wait to hang this beautiful masterpiece, so that everyday, happy or gray, it can speak to me again, and tell me my future.  

Has art ever spoken to you?  What did it say?

You Just Need to Change the Lightbulb

This awesome photo came from Etsy artist Lense Cat

Have you ever had a light-bulb experience?  You know the kind; where you come up with this amazing idea and you can visualize it perfectly in your head.  Your excitement and energy soars and you spend hours, maybe even days, creating this "light-bulb idea" just to have the final finished product be, well not exactly a masterpiece?

This has happened to every creative soul out there, don't be discouraged.  And while in all honesty I too have found this terribly discouraging, I now realize this is called "the creative process".  Most artists never create a masterpiece on their first try.  Often this "light-bulb idea", if fostered, continues down a path, taking turns here and there.  It took me a while to learn this, and once I did I noticed that my work grew over time and got better.

Let's think about this light-bulb analogy again.  Have you ever had a room where when you go to turn on the light, your anticipating something, maybe a bright glow.  You flip the switch only to be disappointed; instead the room is too dull and maybe a bit dreary.  If you have the wrong wattage bulb the light is not going to do it's job; it's going to make the room either too bright and florescent, or too dark.  The room might be fine, really beautiful actually, but if the light is wrong, the feel of the whole room suffers.

And so in this example, should we throw out the entire room?  No, that's absurd.  The same might be said for your "light-bulb idea".  Don't scrap the idea.  Rather, play with the wattage.  Maybe you just need to change a light-bulb and soon your idea will shine!

A Letter to Oprah

image of Oprah via oprah.com

Tara Gentile from Scoutie Girl wrote a wonderful and inspiring letter to Oprah Winfrey.  My one-year-old daughter Monet was sitting in bed with my husband and I, and as I read this letter aloud to him, inspiration in my voice, my daughter Monet started clapping.  I too am giving Tara Gentile a standing ovation, because not only is she trying to make change for me, a maker and designer in the indie biz, but she is also making change for my daughter.  I think Monet knew this when she started clapping, that the words I was reading meant change for her and the day she too is an artist in our society.  And yet, also change for me, her mommy, and her daddy.  Two people, who in order to live happy lives, don't just love to, but sincerely NEED to, create and work with their hands.  Won't you please read this letter, and take to heart Tara Gentile's words...

Dear Oprah,

Your business empire has excited and empowered women for many years. We appreciate your humble beginnings and your never-say-die attitude in making your way to the top. Whether harnessing your television audience, your crazy good business sense, or wide-reaching network, your big ideas and passion for change are a big inspiration to me and my community.

My community, you ask? That’s the very purpose of this letter!

My community is the creative thinkers, makers, and designers of the indie craft & design movement. And Oprah, we’re ready for you.

It’s time the lid is lifted off this goldmine of passionate, empowered, and assertive women (and dudes). It’s time that the world knows that China isn’t the only place that things are made. It’s time that consumers begin a love affair with the things they buy and not the quantity of stuff they buy.

And the makers & designers of the indie biz movement make great stuff. They produce beautiful products with engaging stories – original designs with innovative ideas – clever stuff with thoughtful details. You can shop in a variety of online venues – including my favorites Etsy and Supermarket – where you can buy directly from the maker. Many artists also run their own stores. Others sell at craft markets or in independent galleries & boutiques.

Although these women are working hard at promoting their wares & services, they are facing an uphill battle against big box stores, mass production, instant gratification, and a society that values quantity over quality. Oprah, these women need your help. They need your inspiration, your thumbs up, and your ability to shift the tide of American consumerism.

Your suggestion, word, or endorsement would do nothing less than change the lives of hundreds – thousands – of creative women (and dudes) who are seeking a more meaningful way of doing business, making a profit, and creating social change. It’s change we can believe in – the kind of change that lifts people up spiritually & financially and the kind of change that makes the world a more beautiful place.

We would be happy to open our community to you – and anyone who is interested in becoming more mindful of the things they consume and the way they spend their money. We want to share our stories & our passion with the world. We want to find a place in modern society for handcrafted, thoughtfully designed wares.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

A fan,
Tara Gentile
Scoutie Girl
owner, Scout Creative Media, llc
tara_gentile on Skype

Thank you Tara, for believing in us creators and makers of beautiful things. Thank you for inspiring us and giving us a push when we start to get discouraged. Thank you also for helping us to become wiser consumers, people who consume less but also consume more wisely. You are a genuine inspiration to me, just like Oprah is to so many. 

Won't you join our revolution and help fight our battle against "big box stores, mass production, instant gratification, and a society that values quantity over quality"!?

Learning To Be A Master Juggler

"Gaurd well your spare moments. They are like uncut dimonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life" - Ralph Waldo Emerson


Most days my heart and ambitions are impossible to ignore.  They control me and responding to them is not a question, rather it's like a child crying, it can't be ignored.  Every day for the past month I have followed an ambition and I have followed it well; I have followed it along with being a mother, a wife, and  a teacher.  And because my life is made up of multiple layers, and my mother raised me to be a responsible adult, my other roles always take precedence.  Mentally this is very difficult for me some days, and if we go back to the crying baby anology, truly it is like a baby is crying and not just any baby but my beloved baby, and to help her I first must run through an obstacle course full of absurd hurtles only to fall through a trap door, finding myself back at the beginning.  Some days are like this and in those days I feel very disheartened.  


Other days, days like yesterday, I feel like a master juggler.  I'm able to skillfully and swiftly manage all of my daily duties, never letting a ball drop.  I love these days because I get a perfect taste of all the things I love and at the end of the day there's something to show for: a nice dinner with my husband, a clean house, a finished sewing project, and quality time spent with my darling daughter.  


Here are a few pictures from yesterday...

(Note: Tutorial on how to make this adorable bag will be coming soon)

And so this morning, I sit in bed having started my days work at 5 a.m., playing with my baby girl who should be sleeping, eating a breakfast brought to me by my wonderfully supportive husband, and I wonder, will I be able to juggle it all today?!


(Note:  The quote used in today's blog entry was shared by my sister-in-law and in the moment I received it, I felt so encouraged.  This quote is what inspired today's post.  Thanks again Kristi!  I appreciate the support and encouragement I receive from you and Kristin every week.  Often it's comments like yours that inspire me to keep writing.  Thanks again!)

A Few Good Fortunes

Lately Josh and I have stopped to contemplate if this fortune might come true. Neither of us can seem to suppress our urge to create. What, the kitchen is dirty? Ahh, I'll get to that later, after I sew; after I finish this project; after I'm done with this blog... and so the list of neglected responsibilities grow, along with our pile of created goods. I cannot lie, after getting this fortune, I felt a glimpse of hope. We probably shouldn't place all our hopes and dreams on the message of a fortune cookie, especially one from Panda Express (can you believe I'm even admitting that we eat there). But I guess that sometimes we need a little encouragement from the universe. Something to tell us to keep listening to all those ambitions and dreams. Just take a chance, do what you love, and see what happens. Furthermore, I think the reason the first fortune was so easy to believe is because the second fortune we received was undoubtedly true...