The Gypsy on Adventure

Cleaning Sucks!

You know, its Monday. I worked ALL day...and then when I got home, I worked my boney fingers more! I cleaned up my studio art area...and Eeeeuuuu I sucked up a "BLACK WIDOW SPIDER" into the vacuum cleaner!!!! Eeeeuuuu! She was nesting behind one of my plastic totes! Shudder

I really have to learn to purge! Why do I keep all forms of paper crap??? I have no reason to. I should just learn to throw it away when I first touch it! But no, for some reason I have to stack it for a time, re-read everything and then MAYBE throw it out! Or move it to a new stack! It is a sickness!

The reason for the sudden cleaning you ask? Ah...the dreaded thought of embarrassement as my Crazy Ladies are coming for a visit on Saturday. The Crazy Ladies started off being a group of women who got together to do crazy quilting, but now I am the only one doing it still...and health issues with members, we have offically disbanded the group, but we some times get together to see each other. And I invited them to my place!

So I have this whole week to get my house clean! Can I demolish it and reassemble it in time? Most likely not! Do I really care? No, not really...or I would have hired Maids! Its not filthy...its just a clutter bug mess! I clutter. I like stuff. I have TOO MUCH stuff! I am starting to understand that I just have to rotate my stock! LOL That is when you really know you have to much!

But I do have my Halloween stuff out! Well most of it! : )

To be commissioned or Not to be commissioned?

To be commissioned or Not to be commissioned that is the question!

Not as deep as Shakespear but deep for my life! Life can get complicated fast, ever notice that? Here I am whining about how I haven't put my art work as a priority in my life, my real job has taken over my life, real life has taken over my life with menial tasks, my own complacency has taken over my life!

Then BOOM - my art life explodes! I committed myself to a fabric swap! Scary and facinating! I committed myself to creating a Tarot Deck and I have no idea why! or what these cards are all about...just to create art!

Now here is the 3rd fascinating irratant with my art life exploding! My boss approaches me yesterday about being commissioned to do a Crazy Quilt for his Rotary Club! They are turning 80 as a Service Club and he brought me in this year as a speaker and presenter on Crazy Quilting and Freeing Yourself for your Real Life! And he would like to have me use their various banners in a Crazy Quilt to represent their Chapter!

Egads!
FEAR ... Compliment ... FEAR ... Compliment ... FEAR ... Compliment ... FEAR ... Compliment ... around my head it goes!

He thinks I am too generous because I offered to do it for supplies...but they could NOT afford to have to pay for it. One small, 12x12 art quilt I did cost me $300 to make! How do you put a price on your work? I am not a professional artists who charges for her work! I only have less than a 3rd of what I have EVER made...I have given it all away!

Plus if they paid me I would have to add that to my taxes! UGH... I also told him that if they paid a Professional Artist for art...usually it is the cookie cutter way of doing things for a profit...no passion. I am a LOCAL artist and how cool would it be to have one of my pieces hanging at a Rotary Club???!!!! Pretty cool I think! The club actually LOVED my Shoreline Park Quilt...that is what is pictured in this entry.

I don't know...have to contemplate some more...

Maybe I am truly frightened of making a success out of my ART...I have to look deeper into this fear. Eventually when I retire from my job in 9 years, I have to be ready for my art life! A little of dabbling with presentation speaking like I have been doing, teaching classes...sporatically...and getting commissioned is my goal ... why the fuck am I hesitating except for PURE FEAR...like not publishing my books...FEAR ... FEAR... FEAR... get over it already who cares if "people" don't accept your art or voice!

Sigh Fucking Inner-Critic needs to be killed!

Finally a little creativity!

This is the block I am working on right now, it has been a tough couple of weeks, and I am finally starting to feel more creative again. I was going to do this block all in different yellows, trying to stay in the box. I am always creating out of the box, and thought it would be a challenge! Ha! However, it just made me frustrated and you could not really see all the hand work I was doing, so I decided I had to spring in color! I just couldn't stand it anymore!

This is a quilt that I am working on for my foster mother...And at least is starting to take my mind off of other stuff. Some times when I am in a really creative mood, like it struck tonight, then I resent having to work at all...when I could be doing fun work at home surrounded by things that I love!

She wanted a more Victorian quilt...so I can't wait to see this one finished and hanging in her home!

A good goal is like strenuous exercise. It makes you stretch.
-Mary Kay Ash

Welcoming Thoughts

Well, this is a first for me...
I just starting seeing these blogs...I know talk about a late bloomer! LOL
But some thing about this appeals to me. So I signed up not knowing what the hell I am doing!

Call me crazy! I am used to that label anyway!

I am a Crazy Quilt Artist who is also addicted to embroidery, silk ribbon and beading. I try to remain focused in order to FINISH anything! LOL But alas I have several projects at the same time occurring, and I resent the fact that I have to work full time! Know the feeling? Who on the side loves to write and journal. I have been getting into ATC's and Altered Books. I just don't have enough time during the day to do everything that I want to accomplish.

I guess I am hoping I can use this blog to document the ramblings of my mind and find some common themes running through it all. A sounding board to my own mind...and a place to vent! We all need a place to vent!

Although I can't really complain about my life, I have nothing to complain about! Life is pretty good even on a bad day. That is what happens when you take charge of your own life, and don't let anyone else influence you as to what decisions to make and what you should be doing.

For years (literally YEARS) I allowed other people and what I thought "society" thought - to dictate to me, and to influence my decisions. Not anymore! I knew as the year 2000 approached that my life was going to take on a different direction, not so popular with my family, but very supported by my friends! So I knew I was on the right track! LOL

Now I am not a crisis junkie, I have NO drama in my life...and it is so good! But the only draw back to all this good vibe...is that my artistic side has suffered a lot. Now that is really sick! On some primal level I was more creative with all the crisis and drama in my life. I think mainly because I was trying to escape my life and I was able to do that in making some thing beautiful in the midst of all of life's ugliness.

Now I have more un-finished projects hanging around my studio than I want to admit to people...

Ah, but if I think about it, I have been LIVING life more...getting out of my house and actually living! Doing things that I enjoy...so that in turn gives me more creative idea's to put in my art journal for future
projects...maybe when I am retired some day I will have the time to do all the things in my journal!

Any one out there experience the same thing?
I can't be the only one! LOL