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Jesse Reno’s awesome ‘No Limits’ class (Part Two)

Posted on 2011-03-02 at 2:16 pm.

I have a confession to make. I am a bit of a non-conformist when it comes to painting. I don’t much like sketching, I don’t have the patience to plan a painting, and rendering a still life is up there with doing the housework. Which is probably why I loved Jesse Reno’s class so much. It was all about being messy, creating chaos, getting stuck in.

If you aren’t familiar with Jesse’s work, have a look at this incredible video. He paints furiously, in a carefree but strangely considered way – it looks like everything in random but there is some method in all the madness. Jesse himself is a fascinating guy, full of funny stories of his life as an artist, living it just the way he wants to. His images are ancient and very masculine, but his colours and added details hearts, flowers etc) are contemporary and feminine. It makes for a unique combination.

Here are some images from our class – you can see how Jesse built up his paintings.

Jesse came back after class hours and stayed in the studio with us until gone midnight. It was awesome to see him paint live, and to get pushed into trying new things.

I was uncomfortable about my own paintings – they were crazy, quite dark, unfamiliar. But I was fascinated by what unfolded before me. You can see what I created over here – let me know what you think!

This is definitely my kind of painting.

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I had an awesome fortnight in the US, reconnecting with old friends at An Artful Journey, making new ones, and taking a road trip down the beautiful California coast. Will post more about all the lovely girls at the retreat and about the rest of my US adventure soon…

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Have you signed up to the Do What You Love e-course yet? Don’t miss out on joining people from all over the world for this innovative six week adventure towards doing what you love. Register now!

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Jesse Reno’s awesome ‘No Limits’ class (Part One)

Posted on 2011-03-01 at 6:52 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

This class hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was awesome. Jesse Reno had us painting with our hands, wrecking it, painting over it again, wrecking it again, turning it around, painting it and wrecking it 3-4 more times, adding oil pastel scribbles and details, and so on. It was tough until I just gave in and changed my attitude – not being attached to what I’d created, and letting it become whatever it wanted to. And this is what emerged (images show the paintings in stages)…

The nomad

I really didn’t like this one at first, I wanted to throw it away half way through, and then I started painting hundreds of little squares on it with a rubber brush, this nomad emerged and he ended up being my favourite!

Layer 3:

Layer 6 (I turned it 90 degrees clockwise after layer 3 – you can see by looking at the green area):

The space child

This one was a bit spacey, quite cute, not sure where it came from:

Two people

This one is quite spacey too. Here are some of the base layer details:

Later layers:

And the final(?) painting:

Silenced

This one is a bit scary. I didn’t really like the fact that something so dark looking emerged, but it was really interesting to try not to control the painting.

Layer 2:

Layer 4:

Layer 6 (flipped 180 degrees):

Final layer:

Wierd creature!

And this one looks like a five-year old painted it! So interesting…

Layer 2:

Layer 3:

Layer 5 (flipped 180 degrees, not finished!)

So what do you think? I’d love to know…

[Update: Part Two of this post is up now over here]

I had an awesome fortnight in the US, reconnecting with old friends at An Artful Journey, making new ones, and taking a road trip down the beautiful California coast. Will post more about Jesse Reno and his crazy style, all the lovely girls at the retreat and about the rest of my US adventure soon…

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Have you signed up to the Do What You Love e-course yet? Don’t miss out on this innovative six week adventure towards doing what you love. Register now!

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Why experimenting is key to doing what you love: two artists share their stories

Posted on 2011-02-28 at 8:25 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week we share the story of mixed media artist Juliette Crane (in the US) and paper-cutting artist Helen Musselwhite (in the UK).

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Juliette Crane

To me, to do what you love means waking up each morning and being excited, knowing you’re looking forward to enjoying your day. I’d tried so many different careers – as an arts reporter, photographer, graphic designer, floral designer, editorial assistant, web developer. And I was unbelievably unfulfilled with every one (except maybe floral design because I adore flowers and colors so much). But there was always something about each career that didn’t fit. And, so often, that something just broke my spirit.

Still, I felt like it must be me. So many others seemed to be fine with going into work and attending meetings and even creating art based on some one else’s’ specifications. That was never me. Yet, I know how very much every one of those careers helped me to learn exactly what I needed to do what I love today.

This past year has been amazing! I finally dedicated myself to making my art my full-time career. And it has been one of the most wild, fulfilling, wonderful years! I feel like I’ve been able to get in touch with that incredible flow of life and make dreams reality. I meet the right people and things just fall right into place. But a lot of hard work has gone into it all. And when I talk about doing what you love and waking up each day and looking forward to enjoying it, I know that through all of the hard work I put in last year, even through all of the amazing successes, I lost a lot of that every day joy.

My life got so out of balance. When everything seems to be going in this phenomenal direction and people respond to your artwork and it’s all a dream, it’s hard, for me at least, to stop. Yet I wouldn’t have done it any other way. For me to remember to separate myself, at least sometimes, from that crazy current that can pull you along. That was an awesome lesson.

Now I know exactly what I want for this year…to enjoy it all! Not just in really celebrating all of the amazing things I’m accomplishing, and not even in making time for myself, my wonderfully supportive husband and my family, but actually being present and loving every second in my every day! To remember all of those little things, those small moments, that are absolutely most important.

Like the young man at my art opening who made me cry when he looked at my paintings and said he wished he could take every one of them home with him. Like the girl who asked me to teach her and her friends how to paint owls at her 1oth birthday party and who near-pressed her nose for minutes to my snowy owl painting, she loved it so much. Like all of the smiles and gorgeously unique owls everyone goes home with at my painting workshops. I feel so honored to be a part of it all!

And that, is doing what I love.

(All images courtesy of Juliette Crane)

Juliette Crane is a mixed-media artist and writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information about Juliette and her courses, visit her website. You can also connect on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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Helen Musselwhite

I do what I love every day and I feel very blessed that I’ve finally got here. It took a while and a few incarnations. I try not to take it for granted though as I realise it could so very easily slip from my tight grasp.

Doing what I love means I can go off on flights of fancy and fairytale through my work, and each piece of artwork is a world to escape to whilst I’m making it. I have always known that my working life would be something to do with art. Drawing, painting and making were favourite pastimes as a child and my parents always encouraged me. Art school was the next and obvious step.

I migrated to paper through lots of other materials including wood, silver and gold and fabric but paper won! I started making my paper sculptures four years ago when my partner and I relocated to the north of England. Until we moved I had been doing two part time jobs – one in the art department of a school and the other working with a friend in her jewellery shop. In the shop my duties included making jewellery and designing the window displays. These I made from paper – and it was then I realised paper had all the properties I been looking for but couldn’t find in the other materials I had experimented with. My love of paper was born!

I got together a website, contacted shops and galleries I’d come across in my travels, started an Etsy shop and off I went. Over the past four years the Internet has been, and continues to be my most important tool. Looking back to my previous incarnations in the world of art over a decade ago it is clear how the internet has made self-promotion, finding an audience and selling work so much simpler and quicker.

I work from a studio in my home which I love doing. Each day I’m in my own world only emerging for necessary things like eating, dog walking and spending time with Andrew my partner. Sometimes I head into Manchester to buy paper – a valid distraction.

The downside of working from home is that I find it very hard to turn off from work especially if I have a deadline (which happens quite often). Often the urge to unload the dishwasher or do a bit of vacuuming takes over, and inevitably takes more than the five minutes I intended.

There is no doubt I work harder, and for longer hours than I ever have before, but I am so much happier and fulfilled in my work. It is a trade I’m more than willing to make.

I hope to carry on as I am loving what I do until I’m an old lady, but I’m only as good as my last piece of work so I never take it for granted.

(All images courtesy of Helen Musselwhite)

For more information about Helen visit her website or connect on Twitter, Instagram and flickr.

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Would you like to share your story on Do What You Love? Please see here and contact me for details.

Do What You Love interview – Christine Castro

Posted on 2011-02-25 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Christine Castro of Darling Studio is a brilliant website designer. Getting your website designed is a big thing. It is the face of your business, and it is also a reflection of you. You want people to be drawn to it, and to stay a while, so the design – both in terms of beauty and usability – is crucial. And because so much is riding on it, it can be stressful, but Christine was a dream to work with on the first site we created for DWYL and made the whole thing exciting.

Christine is a veteran blogger, who has been posting about her life for over a decade, first on Webby-nominated maganda.org and now on Brunch and Darling Design. Christine has designed websites for wildly popular artists like Sabrina Ward Harrison and Kelly Rae Roberts. She loves colour, simplicity, and a good cup of coffee and her work has been featured in national publications, including An Illustrated Life, Little Book of Letterpress, and Desire to Inspire.

Here Christine talks about brunch, lessons and working with artists to help them communicate their work to the outside world.

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Unleash the creative in you: TJ Goerlitz and Andrea Schroeder share their stories

Posted on 2011-02-21 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Are you doing what you love?

In this weekly series, we highlight stories of people who are determined to do just that. Some stories talk of triumph, others despair. They all involve bravery, belief, courage and hope. They are real stories about real people chasing their dreams, and making choices and sacrifices which allow them to do what they love, for life. Every Monday this will become a space for sharing those stories. It takes courage to share, and I hope you will read them, relate to them, be inspired by them, and leave a comment about them.

The stories shared here are our shared stories. “Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams…” WB Yeats

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Today’s stories are from TJ Goerlitz of Studio Mailbox, an American artist living in Germany, and creative dream coach Andrea Schroeder of ABCcreativity.

TJ is an American artist living in Germany. Even though TJ is married to a German national and settled in the country, she still finds that the feeling of being a ‘foreigner’ still influences her life and art.

Andrea Schroeder is a creative dream coach, healer, artist and all around magic-maker. Her mission is “to help remind you that you are a creative genius and that you can create and do “anything”. For more see her website ABCcreativity.

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Tari ‘TJ’ Goerlitz

Doing what I love means exploring my surroundings and then expressing my reaction to it through photography, blogging and artwork.

Studio Mailbox was born on leap year 2008 after I moved to Germany and my attempts to build a website were an epic failure. Blogging was a way that I could have an internet presence and be able to administer it myself.

Over time the site has given me a huge sense of accomplishment. It’s a record of my creative adventures as a foreigner. Now it’s grown into something that needs to be managed and hopefully in time will become a platform for generating income.

The most important thing to me is creating a style that’s original and recognizable. When I started blogging, I only used my own photography and artwork. It never even occurred to me to go find imagery somewhere on the web. It’s been a ton of work but the end result is a site that’s truly mine both in stories and content.

In hindsight, I wish I would have known sooner how important it is to connect with others online. A huge mistake I made in the beginning was to neglect linking and interacting with other artists. I just didn’t understand how the whole blogosphere worked. Not knowing the etiquette made me feel very vulnerable and insecure. Germany is quite a way behind the curve when it comes to blogging. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was actually blazing a trail by German standards!

One of my biggest worries is somehow creating a controversial on-line presence that will hinder my chances at future employment or opportunities. What I’m slowly learning is that surrounding yourself with a tribe of like-minded people is your best defence. That way when you do mess up most people will hopefully display compassion and support you.

I have lots of dreams but the ones I’m currently chasing are avenues to exhibit artwork in Germany as well as investigating publishing and licensing opportunities.

Because I’m creating work in response to German culture, I worry about offending people. Sometimes it’s tricky to know how to speak my truth. Although I’ve experienced a lot of pain as a foreigner, I’ve experienced even more love. I’m nuts for all things alpine. I swoon over traditional clothing. Don’t even mention German hats! It would be so meaningful to me if I could use my foreign eyes to create the kind of designs that Germans could be proud of.

If I could ask one thing of the universe to help me along my way, I’d ask for a creative mentor. I’ve been out here alone in my wacky creative brain long enough.

All images courtesy of TJ Goerlitz. For more information see TJ’s website, Studio Mailbox, or connect on Facebook

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Andrea Schroeder

I am doing what I love. It is the most soul satisfying, glee-inducing thing EVER.

I have been doing what I love for some time. Well, I always have been, in a way, anyway. I mean through being a “starving artist” or juggling a job and my creative life – I’ve always found a way to be doing what I love, in the best way I could at the time.

But seven months ago I came to a point where I needed something different. I knew I needed to quit my part time job and have the thing I love be the way I live. I set a clear intention to leave my job in six months.

And those six months were a bumpy ride.

I started to examine everything about my work. I had been doing my art, as well as leading Creativity Workshops, Healing Meditation Circles and working with clients one on one for years already but everything about it was set up to be part time, to fit around my job. I had to look honestly at what needed to change for me to be able to make the income I wanted to have. I had to look at what I needed to learn and where I needed to grow to be able to create and sustain the kind of business I wanted to have.

The more I learned about business the more exciting it got, seeing how I can fit everything I love into one beautiful sparkling entity.

At the same time, the more I learned and grew my business – the louder my fears became. The parts of me that really like the comfort and safety of income and benefits let me know they were not happy with my choice. Self doubt began to creep in. Sure, I put on great events and make art that inspires people – but can I really produce enough for it to be a full time job? Can I really make enough money to pay the mortgage and insurance and keep the car running and and and and and…

And then, if that wasn’t enough I did have people questioning me “Are you sure you can really make enough money?” “Isn’t this too big a risk?” , “I can’t believe you are quitting your job! You’re so lucky to have it!”

My intuition was always clear. YES. You are ready. This is the time. You can do it. You have everything you need. Oh. But you do have to deal with these pesky fears. There is no other way to get there.

So my time became stretched by learning about business, applying my new learnings to my ever-growing business, doing the work of running a business, interacting with fears – both mine and the fears of the people around me and going to work.

Looking back I’m not really sure how I did all of that. But I had that clear intuitive knowing. I was ready. It was time. And there was a lot of crap to move through in order to get there and the best way to move through, for me, for that time, was to just plow through and not stop no matter what.

And that’s what I did.

I left my job a month ago.

I do the things I love as my full time work. I live my creative dreams and I get to help others do the same. This is the best!

Andrea’s studio

[All photo credits: Andrea Schroeder]

For more information about Andrea visit her website, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Would you like to have your story published on Do What You Love? See here for more details of how to get involved and share your story with the world.

Do What You Love interview – Hannah Nunn

Posted on 2011-02-17 at 11:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Hannah Nunn is a designer/maker who owns a gorgeous lighting shop in the arty town of Hebden Bridge, in Yorkshire, England. Hannah built up her business from scratch whilst being a very young mum. Now her children have grown up and her business is flourishing, both offline and online.

The shop doubles up as her studio, where she crafts beautiful hand-made lamps from paper. I am delighted that Hannah will be joining us at the Do What You Love retreat in May, to share her extensive knowledge of design, manufacturing, production and retail from a small business perspective, in one of the retreat’s creative enterprise sessions.

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Do What You Love e-course featuring Kanya King, founder of the MOBO Awards

Posted on 2011-02-11 at 11:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

I am so excited about the stellar line-up of inspiring people whose interviews will feature in the upcoming Do What You Love ecourse. If you haven’t signed up already, register now! Class starts on March 14 and this is not to be missed. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce the incredibly inspiring people who are going to share their thoughts, insights and advice in a series of juicy interviews for the Do What You Love e-course.

Today I am excited to announce that we will have an exclusive interview with Kanya King MBE, founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards. Join us in class to hear Kanya talk about identifying your passion, pursuing your vision, sticking with it despite challenges and setbacks, and finding a support network . Class runs for six weeks. Register now!

About the e-course

This online adventure will take you step-by-step on a path to discovering your true passion, and finding a way to make it a greater part of your everyday life.

In six weeks you will expand your comfort zone, nurture your playful spirit and use this to feed your creative soul. You will travel this path with a community of like-minded people from across the world, sharing your stories, forging new connections, and inspiring each other.

Based on the principle that adventure fuels creativity, a rich combination of thought-provoking posts, juicy interviews and stories will be shared, along with journal prompts, photo exercises, tools to help you on your path and fun weekly missions.

If you throw yourself into it, you will emerge more confident, more curious and much more likely to end up doing what you love.

Do What You Love. Register now!

Kundalini yoga to be offered at Do What You Love retreat

Posted on 2011-02-11 at 7:50 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Remember this gorgeous place? Imagine waking up early to this view, birds singing, breathing fresh air, morning sun on your face. And then indulging in an hour of kundalini yoga before a delicious breakfast, prepared on site by a professional chef, and then off to art class? That is how the days will begin at the Do What You Love retreat. Morning yoga will be offered as an optional activity for anyone on the retreat. What a way to start the day…

(Image: Natural Retreats)

More about the sessions:

The Kundalini yoga sessions (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) will be led by Devi Kirin Kaur, a level 1 and 2 qualified teacher (trained with Amrit Nam Sarovar over the course of three years). She teaches Kundalini yoga classes and workshops in East Sussex and Gloucestershire, and is a member of (and fully insured by) KYTA. Four early morning classes will be offered (6.45-7.45am), suitable for all levels. Please note these will be outside, and therefore weather dependent.

In Devi Kirin Kaur’s words… “Over the course of the retreat there is an opportunity to dive deep into the centre of being. Together we will unleash potential and connect to the true source of wisdom and truth, letting go of limitations to allow the spirit to soar. Kundalini yoga is the yoga of awareness. We will be working with the energy potential, removing any blocks within the body that create limitation. Through the sacred technology of Kundalini yoga, we will be working to move energy through the chakras. Opening profound joy through the heart, as well as working on creativity, communication and intuition through breath (pranayam), postures (asanas), meditation, chanting and relaxation.

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Testimonials from Devi Kirin Kaur’s students:

“It is like no Yoga I’ve tried before and was a totally new concept to me. The environment (was) friendly and totally relaxing. Devi Kirin is kind, patient, informative and a pleasure to spend time with. The sessions are spiritually, mentally and physically uplifting!” – Fiona Muir

“Devi Kirin Kaur’s style of teaching is gentle but firm, supportive, encouraging, nurturing yet challenging us to stretch to new horizons.” – Sara Lawlor

“I find Devi Kirin Kaur to be an intuitive teacher, combining her extensive knowledge of Kundalini Yoga with a sympathetic teaching style. She creates a great learning space and takes care that her students are supported in their journey through Kundalini Yoga.” – Jenifer Corker

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Find out more about the Do What You Love retreat here.

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The mystery of the toilet roll and the Nebraskan newspaper

Posted on 2011-02-10 at 4:54 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Do you remember I told you about the Campaign for Real Mail?

It’s where my brothers and I send each other silly things in the post, no envelopes allowed, just for fun.

Well it looks like someone else randomly decided to join in…

I received this toilet roll in the post(!)

It came from my little brother, but all he posted was this little piece of cardboard.

However when it arrived, it had a newspaper rolled up inside it.

And not just any old newspaper.

‘The Arnold Sentinel’ serving Custer County, Arnold, Nebraska, USA.

It might make sense if I lived in Nebraska… but I live in England!

We have absolutely no idea how it got inside the toilet roll.

I wonder if someone at the Post Office had a little chuckle to themselves?

I love it that someone else had some fun with this too.

I got to read a lovely story about deer in a Nebraskan snowstorm, the local Arnold Public School receiving an art grant, and that the ‘Good News Club’ will resume meetings soon.

I like the sound of the ‘Good News Club’.

Might be worth a trip to Nebraska…

Do What You Love interview – Victoria Smith (sfgirlbybay)

Posted on 2011-02-08 at 8:16 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

It is a huge honour to welcome the esteemed Victoria Smith, aka sfgirlbybay for this Do What You Love interview. Victoria Smith is editor/stylist of sfgirlbybay, a San Francisco based design and decor blog. With a cult following of 20,000+ daily readers Victoria has been voted #10 in the London Times Top 50 Design Blogs, and MSN/Glo’s 10 Décor Experts To Watch. Prior to taking up blogging full-time, Victoria worked as a freelance art buyer producing photo shoots for advertising agencies and designers on accounts such as Condé Nast Publications. She has an Advanced Arts degree in Interior Design. Victoria talks to us about her life as a top blogger.

(Image courtesy of Victoria Smith)

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