Published?

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One of the flying lessons this week was about promoting yourself and getting published in a magazine. I think that would be the thrill of a lifetime... to be published in a Somerset magazine. I would feel like I had really "made it"! I can only imagine how exciting that would be. It makes me giddy just to imagine it. It's hard not too let the fears creep in just at the thought! Kelly keeps saying, "you have to be brave". Wow, that's REALLY brave.

Ocean City

The last sweet days of the school year are finally over. Every phase of the year has it's own busy-ness. It almost seems silly to say, "This week was so busy..." because they are all busy, no matter what, no matter who you are and what your life is like!
Three of my four kids finished school yesterday and we jumped in the car and headed for Ocean City (NJ) to join friends to celebrate. It was such a great day. Everyone was happy and got a bit of what they wanted... even the husband, who normally HATES the beach, couldn't be enticed out of the water.

My new badge on the sidebar is for the next on line class that I signed up for "Picture Summer". I really need to beef this blog up with beautiful photos... not necessarily my strong suit yet. I hope it will help me to savor this summer when my babies seem to all be growing up. Only 3 more summers until my oldest is off for college and my youngest heading to first grade. It's slipping through my fingers.

Burst

Burst stoneware button

I am learning so, so much in the Flying Lessons with Kelly. It's hard to take it all in and put it into action. I am a person who has soooo much going on in her head that it's difficult to stop and put one thing into ACTION. The thinking almost always kills it- between the self-doubt, the overwhelm and the excitement... well, let's just say, I'm a little unfocused.

But tonight (while my house is quiet- a rare event), I listed a button on etsy and added my etsy mini to the sidebar. So, I have focused a little. I am so happy to be moving on this road. I so very much want to keep the momentum going and see it all succeed. I want it to succeed for me & my sister. I want us to be able to go, "hey, look, we DID it!" But I also, want my kids and my nieces to say... "look, they did it and so, I can do it, too. " Maybe that's a bit too big of a dream... but right now I am dreaming. :)

This button up top, we have nick named Burst. (Each baby has to have a name!) It's a happy little thing... Thanks for indulging my show & tell. :)

De-lurking

I can't believe it has been almost a week since I have posted here. I have been knee deep in wrapping up yearbook projects for the school that my kids attend... really knee-deep would have been ok, but it seemed more like-neck deep! It is sooo fun to do, but I am always glad to see the end product & hand it off to the kids. That leaves me with catching up to do here, in my flying lessons class & catching up on other people's blogs (which is frankly my favorite part!).

I have always been magazine-chaser. I love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. Blogs are really just an extension of that. BUT, I have always been a lurker. I almost never commented on other people's blogs. I just always thought, "Why would they care what a total stranger says?' but now I realize how fun it is to get a comment back. It's a totally different feeling and it really makes me want to blog. It makes it so much more fun.... I have to say, before I felt like that crazy person talking to herself!

This photo-free post seems somehow unfinished, but it will do for now. I'll try to edit later and add some pretty pictures. :)

Blog Block

After my "big" revealation on my last post, I gotta admit I was a little embarrassed. It took me a few days to think of what to write next and up until right now I thought I would let it go another day. I got 5 whole comments though and that made my day... and the the next day, too!

So, I figured that I would blog hop a little and I visited Amy's blog... which I will admit is one of my top 10 favorites. She is a great example being "you" on your blog. You feel like you know her when you read her posts! Today she was sharing all her juicy gifts from an art retreat (fabulous pictures, of course!) and she received an adorable necklace that says, "I am kind of a big deal on my blog". I just thought that was so funny! Really, where else can you be a big deal? Love it! Hop over there an have a look. :)

post it note by Gunhild Storeide

I am Enough.

Really. I hope this blog is as anonymous as I think it is after I post this picture. Several of the artists taking Flying Lessons are writing affirmations on themselves. So, I did it, too. My mother would say, "If they jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you?" I always make notes on the back of my hand, so this wasn't as far of a reach for me as one might think. As corny as it sounds, there is something about writing it on yourself... it's like a branding, I guess. I never saw myself as a tattoo kindof girl, but I have an idea now of why people might do that.

I'm not saying I'm running off to get a tattoo... but I understand now. I do.

I'm having a hard time hitting that "publish" button. Oh, I they will definitely think I'm crazy. And they will probably be right...

Giraffes Can't Dance

Last night, as I was putting my youngest to bed, he asked me to read Giraffes Can't Dance. I have to say that I love this book and have each and every time we read it, but last night it really struck me that this is exactly what Monday's "Flying Lesson" was all about.

The last page says,
Then he raised his head and looked up at the moon & stars above
"We all can dance," he said, "when we find music that we love."

Even as I sit here typing this, it is more & more obvious, this whole book can sum up what is true in a creative business... our fears & self consciousness hold us back from doing something, but often it is that one small voice that makes up push through and find our place where we can dance... fly... swim...

Explanatory note: I am blogging this whole thing because I am really trying to "find my voice" as Kelly says. I really feel like my writing is akward and that's normally why I keep these kinds of crazy ideas inside my head. Supposedly, I will get better... let's keep our fingers crossed on that.

What if they think I'm crazy?

The topic for yesterday's Flying Lesson was our fears... tackling the toughest part first, I guess!

I think that fear has definitely kept me from taking on my creative dreams. I just don't think that anyone will take me seriously. I have often said, I can follow direction but I'm not CREATIVE. It some ways, I still believe that but I have also learned that creativity is a practiced skill as well as inbred talent.

Over the last year or so that my sister and I have been making buttons, we have said to each other (at least 1,000 times), "No one is going to buy these." "Who would buy these?" etc. We are lucky to have each other in this dream because when one doubts, the other supports and we somehow keep going.

Putting myself out there for others to critique has been one of the hardest things for me to do. Sometimes when someone walks away without even one little button, the sense of rejection is embarrassing, for lack of a better word. It's hard to make yourself remember the excitement of that first stranger who loved them, too!

The photo above is of that first stranger and the first friends who believed in us. She was our very first customer at our first show. Her excitement took away so many of my fears in that moment... when I think we both wanted to run screaming! The other half of that photo is Lorrie & Michael Wardell. They believed in my sister and I am so lucky that they have included me! They are the reason that we are doing this at all. Their support has been vital to any success we may have.

Ok, so enough of this deep babbling thought so late at night....