The Blessings Of Ovation

Today I am thankful for the blessings I have. For the family who love me. For the friends who love me. For my wondrous dog and all the pets I've loved and who have loved me. For the idea of art and creation and the ability of that medium that allows anyone to find peace. Even a tortured soul like me. And for the daily inspirations of life where no one would expect to find them.

I was watching Ovation tv the other night and they are doing their Everything is Art week. I am so inspired watching artists and designers and understanding where they come from. More from their work process then the finished project. I seem to understand their art and their process better than I understand my own. Well as I was watching Ovation there is a beautiful girl who designs for Marquesa who says in the commercial celebrating Everything Is Art week that this week highlights people who take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. It immediately and every time I see the commercial reminds me of my wonderful friend Judy (from Counting Backwards) who gave me that advice a few years back. It seems to be a theme for me lately wondering if I made more ordinary things would I be more marketable. Probably not but it does make you wonder if your vision is only shared by you. I am thankful for her advice and her guidance.

I saw my friend Emily today for our weekly breakfast and I asked her the question. Why does selling my work seem to be such a burden for me? And she answered do you create what you create for money or does it give you joy? And the answer is most certainly it gives me joy. I would spend all day doing what I am doing even if I never made a penny. Thank you Emily. That also seems to be a theme for the artists on Ovation. They create what their visions tell them to do and the universe seems to push them along(I'm still waiting for the universe but I'm pretty sure now that I am dealing with this logjam the universe will undam me.)

So much of this past year has been spent in angst over what is and what is not happening with my work. I seem to have forgotten that when something is worried about it is not joyful, to be clear and resolute and extraordinary one must get past the results and work through the process. Stop trying to please the masses and try to reach that one person who thinks pink mohair or watercolored fabric is wonderful. Or perhaps try to sell my vision and the pieces of my heart that go with it. Stop worrying about how people perceive it or how it is being accepted and be joyful about the act of giving, perhaps a wonderful gift or a moment of whimsy or even the inspiration that someone else can make it too. Whatever the secret is I think I will only figure it out when I stop worrying about what others think and worry only about what I think. The only time I will figure it out is when I count my blessings.

I have wonderful friends both in real life and on the blog. I had an artistic mother and a carpenter father(both who had real jobs). I have a great responsible husband who is great looking and thank God a good provider(or I'd be living in a box about now). A great son. A brother. And added to all that I have a joy for the thread and the needle and the yarn and how each of those fit into all the missing pieces sometime.

Sorry to wax philosophical but sometimes I do and usually that is all that's needed to remind me to count my many blessings and be thankful. Peace and blessings to you and if you have Ovation it's a great week to watch it, so darn inspirational.

PS the photos are only here as illustration to the pink mohair and the watercolored fabric, I will have more pictures soon of my new work!