Search Results for "window"

Do What You Love retreat: Delicate wax and wire sculptures with Priscilla Jones

Posted on 2011-05-23 at 1:00 pm.

In a sunny lodge on a hillside strung with vintage bunting, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting the light pour in, and a wooden deck perfect for tea breaks, a group of lovely ladies worked some kind of creative poetry. The delicate dreamy work that came out of Priscilla Jones’s class wouldn’t be out of place in Alice in Wonderland. It took a variety of fascinating techniques – painting with feathers on tissue paper, sculpting with florist’s wire, adding hot wax and a little bit of love… and beauty emerged. Here’s a sneak peek at a unique and inspiring class from a very gifted teacher…

[Image: NavyBlur]

[Image: Hannah Nunn]

For more blog posts from participants in Priscilla’s class see: Hannah Nunn / Rachael Taylor

For more of my posts about the retreat see: Gathering /Full of Love / Reflecting / Bloom True with Flora Bowley / Paper heaven with Rachel Hazell / No (wo)man is an island

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Missed the retreat? Why not join the Do What You Love e-course?

This online adventure starts on June 6 and will take you step-by-step along the path towards doing what you love.

Find out what participants who took the course last time had to say HERE.

Find out more and register here.

This is your life we are talking about…

Book making heaven

Posted on 2011-04-28 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

View from the studio window

Recipe for a blissful weekend:

Take seven ladies, much chocolate, several boxes of supplies (paper, glue, ribbons, washi tape, paints and who knows what else) and put into a studio in the Chief Keeper’s Office of a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island. Add wine and homemade cake and leave for several days to rise gently. Delicious results every time.

Here’s what I made…

A5 hardbacked book

and this little one, which is just three inches high…

and this other little one with pearl and chain stitching on the spine…

I was lucky to share the workshop with wonderful teacher Rachel Hazell, and five very lovely talented ladies (Sarah, Jeanette, Kit, Ama and Emma). Here is what they made…

Easter books (Emma)

Paper cutting (Kit)

Magazine-collage book cover showing Shetland (Jeanette)

Adorable tiny tapestry made on a makeshift loom on an old canvas frame, using ‘shoddy’ from old machines in the lighthouse workshop as thread (Sarah).

Detail from a painting by local contemporary artist Ruth Brownlee, who used to use the lighthouse as a studio. Several of her gorgeous paintings were stored in the workshop and provided wonderful inspiration.

Ahhhh such a lovely few days…

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Scottish island life

Posted on 2011-04-27 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

(View of Bressay lighthouse through the crooked stone window of an abandoned croft house)

Staying in a lighthouse has always been a bit of a dream for me, so when I found out about a book making workshop taking place in a lighthouse on the remote Scottish island of Bressay, I knew I had to go.

It is so exposed to the elements that there wasn’t a tree to be seen. There were just seven of us, with the sound of the sea, and sheep for company.

These lovely seals flopped on the rocks and kept a curious eye on me as I scrambled over the rocks looking for pebbles

Each morning I took a walk through the fields, along the shoreline and past abandoned crofts, hiding tales of lives lived long ago.

… and past cosy-looking crofts still home to islanders, who wake up each day to such a beautiful view.

It was a little wild, and quite eerie with the light swooping over the cliffs at night, but I loved it.

Time to do something different in life: Eileen West and Debbie Miller share their stories

Posted on 2011-03-28 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Ever feel that it’s time to do something different with your life? Well you’re not alone! This week we share the stories of Eileen West, someone who knows she isn’t doing what she loves, but is doing something about it, and Debbie Miller, who reignited her passion for art when she turned 40.

(Image credit: Mary Ingraham-Brown)

Hi, my name is Eileen – I live and work in Seattle, and I am not doing what I love . . . Yet! (And here I envision those of you in the virtual twelve-step program for people in my situation saying, “Hi Eileen!”)

My big “Ah-Ha” moment about doing something different with my life came after attending the Fall session of Squam Art Workshops last year. When I got home I wrote:

“SAW was a life-changing experience for me. How exactly my life will change isn’t clear to me yet – what I know is that there is a lump in my throat telling me that I am supposed to do something much bigger and more creative with my life . . . a voice that is calling me to a higher purpose, which will have something to do with Art.”

It felt as if a veil had been lifted and allowed me to see briefly the possibilities of what a life doing what I loved would look like – and then it came down again . . . but not all the way!

To me doing what I love means spending my days doing something TRUE, something that makes my heart sing. It means creating connections and community through art – and eventually I plan to do that through my photography. At the moment, I’m only pursuing photography in the windows of time that present themselves on the weekends and occasionally during my lunch hour – which, needless to say isn’t quite what I have in mind long-term . . .

The biggest reason I haven’t pursued what I love is because I have two children, a “real-job” that pays me well, and I am (for the most part) the sole provider for our family. We’ve felt the economic downturn personally, so having a good job that provides healthcare benefits for my children and me isn’t something I take for granted.

Not to be deterred however, I am actively setting intentions and laying down the road-map for my journey toward a different and full-time creative life! I am turning 40 this year, and here’s a sampling of what I’ve got going on . . .

E-courses! Unraveling with Susannah Conway, and Blogging Your Way with Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring.

Reading! Flying Lessons by Kelly Rae Roberts and Ordinary Sparkling Moments by Christine Mason Miller

Growing! Integrate personal growth seminar – amazing!

Travel! I’m off to Beth’s inaugural “Do What You Love” retreat in the English countryside this May, and back to Squam Art Workshop’s lakeside arts retreat in September.

And all along the way I’m promoting my work, taking risks, and saying “YES!” to my dream of being able to earn a living and support my family as an artist. It feels great!

The universe has been very good to me so far this year. If I had to ask it for one more thing? It would be to have a big blog readership and to sell lots of work through galleries and my Etsy store. OK – so that was two things . . . I can have it all, can’t I?

Eileen currently works full-time as the Office Manager at a small medical clinic in Seattle, Washington. Her dream as a photographer is to photo-journal people’s everyday lives, candidly capturing beauty in what’s real. You can find her blog at West of Whimsy.

[All images courtesy of Eileen West unless otherwise stated]

Debbie Miller

To ‘do what I love’ means that I paint because to do otherwise simply does not work for me. It is how I make sense out of the world. I cannot imagine NOT painting.

I grew up in a very ‘art-friendly’ home where my desire to be an artist was never discouraged, in fact it was encouraged! How great is that? Eventually I found my way to the Rhode Island School of Design where I earned my BFA in Illustration. I thought that this would be a good way to combine art with a ‘real world’ kind of job. The painting classes I took though were where I felt most at home, the most natural, happy. I was lucky to have the late artist Richard Merkin as a professor, his energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and character were infectious and inspire me to this day.

Marriage and family came next and that happily became my focus, although I was always doing something different and more creative ‘on the side’ though – like teaching art, freelance illustration jobs, painted furniture and garden design.

Then I hit 40. I missed my oil paints. I had to paint.

(Oil painting by Debbie Miller)

I dug out my old box of oil paints, bought some new brushes and set up a small studio in our basement and began to paint again. It was scary and exhilarating. Remembering the lessons learned at RISD, I knew painting everyday was crucial to improving and developing. So that is what I did, everyday, in the basement next to the washing machine. At night I would scour the internet for information on painting and it’s there that I found other artists doing what I was doing – painting-everyday and blogging about it. How great to be around so many artists again! Suddenly I was not alone painting away in the basement, there is a whole community of artists online – sharing info and inspiration.

I started posting my small practice paintings on my new blog and from there opportunities like becoming a member of https://dailypainters.com came about and Debbie Miller Painting was born.

My studio has moved to a light filled loft in an old mill building, truly a dream come true.

I am a painter.

Balancing a family with the art does have its challenges – the laundry simply has to wait. Since starting my blog four years ago, one of my favourite things is when I get a message from someone saying that I inspire them or one of my paintings speaks to them in some way. Many people are timid or afraid to let the artist in them out and I understand that feeling. I wish I had known as a younger woman that this part of me was OK and should be the one steering the ship.

Now I have many big dreams – an open painting group here in my studio is something I want to make happen. Getting together ‘just to paint’ with other artists has so many rewards. Teaching workshops is another thing I’m thinking about and of course I want to continue my personal evolution as an artist to the point where the income and the artistry sustain me equally.

Find out more about Debbie on her blog here or on her website here.

[Images courtesy of Debbie Miller]

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

I heart San Francisco

Posted on 2011-03-26 at 8:45 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

A couple of weeks ago I spent a fun few days in San Francisco with my good friends Louise Gale and Juliette Crane.

We walked for miles, enjoyed discovering hidden galleries and cafes, nosed through the windows of people’s tall pastel-coloured houses and – dare I say it – even did a bit of shopping!

We also met up with the lovely Mati Rose McDonough and Tiffany Moore for lunch, in the gorgeous Tartine bakery. ‘So fun’ (as Tiffany would say…)

Now that’s my kind of lemon meringue pie!

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I was in the US for a painting class with the awesome Jesse Reno. You can read about it here, and see what crazy stuff I painted. More on my USA adventures to follow soon…

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Finding the courage to follow your heart: Erin Wigger and Louise Gale share their stories

Posted on 2011-03-14 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week we share two stories from New York City – photojournalist Erin Wigger and Louise Gale, a British artist living in the US*.

* Since this post was published Louise has moved to Spain.

Erin Wagger

To do what I love means that I live with passion, purpose and a good amount of self-sacrifice. It means that every day I wake up and choose to live my life as a storyteller. I am a photographer and I tell life stories, death stories and everything in between.

I studied abroad for my sophomore year in Jerusalem, Israel and a friend’s father hooked me up with the number for the Associated Press office in town. I cold-called the editor and asked if he needed an intern. “I will clean your toilets or anything you need”, I remember telling him. I didn’t have a portfolio, or even any pictures to show, just hubris and the vague, unshakeable idea that this was the place for me. I now think he just wanted a cute young thing around the office, but it didn’t matter because I was in.

My first day on the job I photographed a demonstration in Bethlehem. Tear gas, rubber bullets and rocks. That was my first glimpse into real journalism. As I ran directly into the tear gas I remember thinking that this was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I decided right there to become a photojournalist. I spent the rest of the year photographing major events in Israel. I skipped class to go to demonstrations in Hebron and Ramallah. I talked my way into private Christmas services at the Church of the Nativity and took one of the only pictures of Yasser Arafat at a Christian mass. I was fearless and on fire. I failed most of my classes that year and never got a better education.

I went to school for photography, which isn’t for everyone, but I knew I needed to learn how to see. Anyone can press a button on a camera, but I wanted to know about who had come before me and find my place.

Now I freelance as a photographer in New York City, the most competitive place in this industry. It hasn’t been easy to survive. I do personal projects that make me no money and pray that they get noticed. But I still live for that thrill of meeting someone new and hearing their story. I am granted the gift of curiosity and this life enables me to indulge in it. I started photographing weddings and realized that there were stories there too, amazing ones that needed to be told truly.

I’ve had many crises of faith. Photojournalism is not a life that can be lived halfway. You will never be rich with money, but you will meet the most incredible people and be a small part of their lives. You will be a voice for them. I’ve backed away from my dream many, many times. I have been scared at the depth of my ambition. I want to tell big stories that matter and that’s what keeps me striving even when the going is rough.

(All images courtesy of Erin Wigger)

Find out more about Erin and her work on her website.

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Louise Gale

(Photo courtesy of Louise Gale)

I love that I can be creative everyday. I love that I go to bed at night contented and full of gratitude. I love waking up, excited to see what the day will bring. I love the connections I have made with other creative souls out there and the strong bonds that are forming. I love that I am listening to the universe and myself, and that I feel aligned and on the path I am meant to be on. There are so many things I am happy about in this present time of my life that I can honestly say I am doing what I love.

‘Burst’

My website was born to enable me to dream more, be inspired and inspire others, start creating art again and ultimately create the life I was born to live. It has done just that and I am so proud to say that I am now helping others dream big through my e-courses, and inspiring them with stories of serendipity and the universe. Through creating and exhibiting art, and through the life I am living, a wonderful community is forming, made up of people who support each other to explore and grow.

‘Green life or grey life?’

When I think of all the significant moments and scary decisions in my life, they have led me here, to do what I do, to the people I have met and the person I am. Growing up in the UK, my parents taught me “to go against the grain” and not always follow the crowd. My art teacher at school told me I wasn’t good enough – and that taught me “to try it anyway” (and guess what? I got in to art school!). Not having a job in a creative field right away taught me I could still be creative. The numerous jobs I had taught me it’s good to try new things and go back to your passion when the time is right. Living in Australia and travelling to far away lands taught me to be adventurous, face my fears and be a free spirit. There are many other life lessons have brought me to where I am now.

‘Botanical garden’

The greatest lesson in my life so far is to trust myself, my instincts and my intuition, and that positive thinking and determination will lead me to where I am meant to go. Being able to be creative every day saved me through the tough times of working in a windowless office and enabled me to actually realise, I COULD turn my dreams into reality.

May 1st 2011 marks my one year anniversary of this new life. The corporate life that brought me to America back in 2004 seems so far away now. I am also about to embark on training for my Life Coaching Certificate and I can’t wait to continue to help others follow their dreams.

‘Out of this world’

For more information about Louise, visit her website, or connect on Facebook.

[All images courtesy of Louise Gale]

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

Finding your purpose: three inspiring women share their stories

Posted on 2011-03-07 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s *shared stories* come from artists Jan Avellana of Hazelnut Cottage, from Hawaii, and Liv Lane and Bonnie Rose Kempenich in the US.

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Jan Avellana

“Doing what you love” is so closely tied into my vocation. After two degrees, a career in graphic design and a stint as an elementary school teacher, I became a first time mother. Taking my maternity leave I was such a relief! I was beyond miserable—no career ever seemed to fit and I was wading through depression, desperately seeking answers to what was wrong with me.

Today, doing what I love means I spend late nights in the studio pursuing my growing passion for mixed-media art and then, even after just a few hours of sleep, looking forward to spending my day with my family and my art. I not only love my life, I love my work! It has taken me my entire adult life to get to this place of joy.

I think I realized way back in design school during college that I wanted to be an artist. However, it wasn’t until a decade later that I re-discovered my creative passions. I was so filled with dread at the thought of going back to my 9-5 job and having to leave my two babies in someone else’s care. One night, I happened to stumble upon Etsy and the indie artist community. It was then that I knew I had found my tribe! I started out in 2007 with a line of hand-stamped silver jewelry. It has taken me a long time to understand and accept that I am a mixed-media artist and that connecting deeply with others through my work is integral to my sanity; it is indeed my God-given purpose!

After realizing that I was an indie artist, I opened up an Etsy shop under the name of Hazelnut Cottage. I began blogging. And slowly, slowly, found myself digging up long-abandoned dreams of being a mixed-media artist and a writer. About six months ago, I began playing in the studio; painting, creating collage and tiny clay pieces in earnest. I am currently making the transition from jewelry designer to mixed-media artist and hope to begin introducing a new line of paintings I am working on, soon!

Along the way I have had to sacrifice sleep! I opened up my Etsy shop when my youngest son was just about three months old, so there have been many sleepless nights. Now that I am transitioning from making jewelry (my current day job) to offering my mixed-media works for sale, there has been less income from my jewelry line. My family and I have also made lots of financial sacrifices now that much of my energy and time is now devoted to developing a body of mixed-media work.

With hindsight, I wish I had known myself better, sooner. I wish I had discovered and embraced my artistic loves at a much younger age. If anything, my sometimes tortured experience now compels me to encourage other artists—especially emerging artists—with the kind of support I wish I had back then, and still need today.

Now I have so many big art dreams! First and foremost, I want to develop a strong artistic style and a body of work that feels uniquely my own. I’ve been exploring in the studio quite a bit, but I have yet to settle on any particular style or media. My focus right now is to faithfully show up in the studio and guard against discouragement by quieting my inner critic and allowing myself to have fun making lots and lots of art!

[Images courtesy of Jan Avellana] Find out more about Jan over on her blog, or see her lovely creations in her Etsy shop, Hazlenut Cottage.

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Liv Lane

[Photo credit: Amy Zellmer for Savvy.MN]

I have a brand new light. Not in my house, but in my spirit. When I write or speak about getting unstuck and finding your passion, I often share how I went from living in the dark – the result of postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – to learning how to shine again from the inside out. Our lights may flicker and dim at certain points in our lives, but I believe it’s always possible to feel illuminated again – even brighter than before.

When my son was two, I took him to a music class. On the first day, we all sat in a circle – toddlers in their parents’ laps – and the teacher asked us to each share something we loved to do. As parents and kids shared their favorite pastimes, I started to panic. I couldn’t think of anything I enjoyed doing. My mind raced, my heart pounded. When it was our turn to share, my little boy blurted out, “play trucks!” And all I could utter was, “Me too. I like to play trucks, too.” That experience was a warning sign for me that something was wrong. You’d think it would have been the awareness that I’d pinpointed which bridges in town would be easiest to drive off or that I sobbed at the drop of a hat. But it was the realization that I no longer liked to do ANYTHING that caught my attention.

I know it sounds crazy, but it felt like I had joy amnesia. So, with help from my therapist, I began to discover the pastimes that made my heart skip a beat – some new, some old. I experimented with different activities, expanded my social circle, and gave myself permission to back out of the things that didn’t thrill me (sorry, neighborhood Bunco ladies!). Eventually, I began to notice the pastimes that illuminated true happiness within me: writing, broadcasting, taking photographs, antiquing, doodling, scrapbooking. Those were so much fun for me that I’d lose track of time.

Eventually, those hobbies not only brought joy back into my personal life, but some of them worked their way into my professional life. My corporate job no longer felt right; it stressed me out and didn’t fulfill me. So, my husband and I devised a plan that allowed me to leave the daily grind behind and work for myself – writing, blogging, picture-taking, speaking, and broadcasting about healing, happiness and the beauty in every day. I officially launched my one-woman company, Choosing Beauty, and threw an Independence Day party for myself on 7/7/07. I felt so free and energized!

My heart was so full that I never imagined there might be even more waiting for me around the bend. But now I have another twinkle in my eye: I’ve given birth to the artist within. Until 2010, I’d never been brave enough to call myself an artist. I loved making handmade treasures for loved ones and spent countless hours fawning over Etsy shops. But I never dreamed of creating my own. I was too worried that I wouldn’t measure up to professional artists or that people wouldn’t like my work.

Those fears flew out the window in the spring of 2010 when I discovered mixed media collage – a medium that lets me blend my writing, photography, and love of all things beautiful. On a whim, I signed up for Kelly Rae Roberts’ inaugural Flying Lessons e-course and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Through that class, I discovered an online community of amazing creative spirits and dream cheerleaders who rooted for me as I embraced my art. Suddenly, what others thought of my creations didn’t matter anymore. I felt too fulfilled and fired up to care.

[Image courtesy of Liv Lane]

I turned our dining room into my art studio (we call it the “dudio”) and I launched my Etsy shop in late August 2010. My husband worried that opening a shop and making money from my art might diminish the joy I get out of creating it. But the opposite has been true. Knowing my artwork touches others while providing a source of income inspires me to create from the heart. It helps put food on the table and it feeds my soul.

You know how a room changes so dramatically when you add a new light fixture? The whole space shines in a new way. Today, each facet of the work I do adds new dimension to my life and illuminates my path. I feel so blessed. Those dark days, when I couldn’t think of a single passion, now seem light years away. I am doing what I love and allowing myself to shine from the inside out.

Liv Lane is an artist, writer, radio host, and speaker dedicated to illuminating the magic in each day. She is also the creator of The Feel Good Deal of the Day – a weekday email featuring discounts on uplifting, creative resources and products. Find Liv at her Choosing Beauty blog and on Twitter (@choosingbeauty).

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Bonita Rose (Bonnie Rose) Kempenich

I am doing what I love every day and feel so so blessed with the life I am now living. I truly do. I’m a 49 year old mother of two beautiful young women, now living in Fargo with my husband, Greg and our dog Angel. My daughters live about 4 hours north of us up in Canada. I see them often in the school year and over holidays and breaks. Being a noncustodial parent, especially a mother can often be so hard. I find not many people can understand how I feel every day. And that’s okay. It takes a lot to walk a mile in my shoes, it really does.

And honestly, I’ve learned most are just too busy traveling on their own journeys in this life to figure out what they love. Each of our journeys is so so different. One thing I’ve learned is that art truly saves. It saves me every day. Every day.

Years ago, while living through the midst of an ugly divorce and custody battle, and having to deal with mediators and supervised visitation and all of that, I clung to my art, my crafting, my hobbies. It is what kept me alive during this time. It gave me hope for better days ahead. It sprinkled my days with joy when back then, joy was oh so very hard to come by.
Art has saved me over and over again.

There was a time when I thought to myself, why bother? Why me? So many people out there are making art, creating beautiful work, have gorgeous websites, why me? Why should I even try to do anything? It’s so easy to feel you aren’t valued. You aren’t worthy. You’re not good enough.

It’s a constant fight as a creative soul.
As a human being, I struggle daily with those thoughts.
Daily.

One thing I’ve realized in my life – through the challenging times, and even now, during times of comfort, is that people that take the time to show you love and support are the people that truly matter. They help you get to the other side. They uplift you when you so so need it. They whisper in your ear, things you can barely believe about yourself. You want to believe these things. So slowly, with every passing day, you grow stronger. You start to believe again. You start to look in the mirror and finally, you see all the possibilities.

Doing what you love.
It’s so different for each of us.
It truly is.
We all bring different talents and passions and our life stories to the table. We all have something to contribute. To give. To make this world a better place. We all have a way to inspire others. Every single one of us.

I chose the word COURAGEOUS as my word this year, and so far, it has steered me towards so many wonderful possibilities. So so many. I am currently developing my own website which will be unveiled at BonitaRose.com in the coming months – along with a shiny new blog and an Etsy shop makeover! I’m excited about the future, about what is to come!

Don’t get me wrong. All I really want to do is inspire. To share my creativity and my passions with all of you. I don’t look at blog statistics. I am not one to worry about how many comments I receive on my blog. I write, I share because it’s what I want to do. I want to inspire plain and simple. With lots of bold bold color! I’m doing what I love and right now, I feel so blessed to have a supportive tribe that loves me and supports me in my journey. Love to all of you that truly believe in me. People can make such a difference.

[All images courtesy of Bonnie Rose Kempenich.]

Find out more about Bonnie Rose on her blog, see her work in her Etsy shop or connect on Facebook or Twitter. Bonnie Rose also runs a self-paced e-course, Color Your World 2.0. The classroom opens on April 1st – you can register here.

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

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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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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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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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