“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

~ Steve Jobs

Find what you love to do and by all means do it!

~Stef

"Quantum Cloud XXXIII" by Antony Gormley. Denver Art Museum. Photo taken in January 2011.

From the wall plaque: “One cannot be certain whether the body is a condensation of the energy or the energy is an emanation of the body,” Antony Gormley says of his Quantum Cloud sculptures. He bases these sculptures on his own body. He finds a position, then stays completely still while assistants encase him in a cast. “The whole project is to make the work from the inside,” he says, “rather than manipulate it from the outside.”

When I saw this sculpture my immediate thought was that the energy was exploding from the body. But, I love the idea that the energy is pulling inward and creating the body, too. So, I’ve decided that the energy is cyclical: The body reaches out with what it has, surrounding itself with the cloud, and then pulls in what that cloud absorbs.

If I’m that body, I’m reaching out by writing, taking photos, exploring new places in the real world and online, painting, having conversations with creative people, blogging, trying new recipes, reading books, seeing movies and listening to music. Each time I do one of those things, I pull inspiration from them and reach out to do more. It’s like stretching my arms wide and then wrapping them around me. It’s like taking a deep breath and letting it whoosh out.

If you’re that body, how are you reaching out? What are you pulling in?

The four I already mailed were a hit! I got a “thank you” call or text from each of the recipients. See? People love getting fun stuff in the mail! If nothing else, send at least one letter or card before February is over. You even have a bonus day this year! (Whoa. I see a lot of exclamation points in this paragraph. Oh well; not changing it.)

Carefully placed stamps.

I’ve noticed a few things while doing this project. 1) I need an address book. I have people’s addresses written down on scraps of paper that are floating around in random drawers, which is very unhelpful. 2) My penmanship is AWFUL. When I scribble notes to myself it hardly matters, but when writing out a letter to someone else it becomes glaringly obvious that I’m edging toward chicken scratch territory.

Connect the dots, la la la la…

There’s a really cool place in town called The Alley on Bitters (formerly Artisan’s Alley) that is a collection of antique stores, galleries, clothing shops and restaurants/coffee shops. They also have a farmer’s market, live music and other fun events.

The last time I was there I headed to the pottery studio to see about signing up for a class. Sadly, the studio moved, but in its place is Many Hands Gallery, which has paintings, pottery, ceramics, jewelry and inspiration. (Here’s an old story about the gallery from MySA.com.) I bought a pottery spoon rest for my kitchen and had an artistic a-ha moment, too. There were paintings on the walls (I wish I could remember the artist’s name – I’ll have to go back and see if any are still there) where the artist used dots of paint to give the images a unique, textural look.

My apartment has a very old stove, but at least there's a pretty spoon rest!

I started a painting a while back that I’ve never finished. In my head, it’s what a person would see if they were standing in the middle of a forest and looked up at the tree canopy. After seeing the paintings in Many Hands Gallery, I’m inspired to continue.

Step 1. The light filtering through the trees is mostly green with hints of blue, gold and red.

Step 2. Branches. They'll be coming in from all sides, pointing toward the center. This is where I stopped before.

After I finish the branches (and figure out how to texture them, too), I’m going to try the dot technique for the leaves. It might look ridiculous, but I won’t know until I do it. That’s the fun of art, right? I’ll be sure to post progress.

“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

~ Thomas Edison

To which I add, the only way to fail is to stop trying. Get out there and try something!

~ Stef

with spinach and artichokes,

so bad but so good.

A Pinterest recipe.

That’s what I’m having. Your turn! Remember the syllable count, 5-7-5. Have fun!

When did you start thinking of yourself as a creative person?

All my life. I remember when we used to hang around with Mary and Debbie all the time, I was always saying “let’s make something.”

What did you make as a kid?

Handmade Barbie clothes. Mary and Debbie’s mother taught us how to embroider. I made clothes for myself in middle school. I made a bunch of different things in Girl Scouts.

When do you think it stopped? Because I remember — I must have been in middle school — coming in from playing outside to see you drawing an underwater scene using colored pencils and that sort of kicked off you drawing and doing art shows.

Because of our schedules and being a working mother I didn’t have time to be creative on a daily basis. Daily responsibilities took up all my time. And then I guess when you were in middle school I had a nagging desire to take an art class and Janis McCarty [art teacher who went to our church at the time] said she was only teaching after school kid classes. Since I had never done it she agreed to let me attend a kid class. She couldn’t believe I had never done art before. And then when I showed my work to the art teacher at my school she actually cried.

Wow! Why?

That I had waited so long to show my talent.

Mom's sketchbook

Teaching herself how to draw.

Mom drew this from a childhood picture of her (right) and my aunt Dinah.

I remember when I was doing summer art classes and you guys didn’t know where the talent came from. Obviously it came from you.

Well I didn’t know I had it in me.

What evolved out of the drawing?

When y’all were in high school Mom found the quilt that Mamma [Leisa's grandmother] made for me when I was five years old. That started a fascination with quilts and an appreciation for the work that goes into them. Plus, I was teaching US history and I made a connection between the two. And then Patty Taylor [mother of a friend of Stef's from high school] and Laila gave me each a lesson on quilt making and I’ve been doing it ever since.

Mamma's quilt on display in the house.

Some of Mom's quilts.

Now you’re really into finding antiques and things at thrift stores and fixing them up to either keep in the house or try to sell. How did that start?

It was our trip to the East Coast and seeing all the historic sites come to life; it gave me a new appreciation of vintage and antique. It was a quest to find some of my own, especially since I had made the connection with Mamma’s quilt.

Also, one of my favorite stories ever is when I was in high school I wanted to paint my room and you said I could only do the two walls you wouldn’t see if I had the door open when you walked by. Now every room in the house is a different color.

Well, honestly, I think around the same time I started developing such an interest and appreciation for various patterns and colors in quilts I found myself applying that same color essence in other areas. Once I saw how well colors blended together outside of a quilt, I started coordinating my rooms with colors that compliment each other.

How are you creative/artistic day-to-day now?

I’m constantly repositioning items for the right composition. I make vignettes in my house. My hands are always busy, either embellishing items to improve their appearance or stitching something. Cross stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, quilting. It relaxes me.

Mom's current sewing project, which I think is going to be a pillow.

What kinds of things are you still interested in trying?

That class y’all talked about, Painting with a Twist. I wouldn’t mind, although it’s not prudent, taking a more advanced class of quilting. I would like to carry this decorating/design element into the outer spaces like the backyard. I have already carried it on to the front porch, but I’m not feeling it out there (*waves hand toward backyard*).

Do you remember your parents/sisters being creative or artistic? Not even just when you were a kid, but any time.

Dad was always building something. Mom enjoyed sewing. Dinah used to dabble with drawing and poetry. Robin likes photography and Susan’s gotten into design and decorating and antiques.

One of the topics in “The Artist’s Way” is whether or not a person has supportive people in their lives when it comes to their art. Do you think you have a good support system? And I know I tease you a lot about the amount of stuff in the house, but that’s just me being a smart ass.

I get a lot of positive comments from people who come into the house, even repair people. I get many compliments on my space at the store. I was even chosen as one of three to decorate the store window fronts. So I guess, yeah.

But not the family?

Not until you asked me to make you a quilt. I was also really good in English classes and in writing, but I didn’t have a passion for it to pursue a career in it the way you have. But like that little poem I wrote? I did that in less than five minutes. It just popped out of my head.

The quilt I requested two years ago. It was my Christmas present.

I like to hear about where my own creative juices come from.

Dinah’s creativity is also in her cooking.

Nat’s creative, too. I’d say Dad, too, because he loves to cook and has a good vision when he builds things.

Yeah he really enjoyed building the shelves [in the house.]

Dad and I built this table for my apartment, too.

When do you feel the least creative or artistic?

I’m always conscious of it but I’m not always acting on it. I also have absolutely no desire to be creative in cooking. I hate it.

Which is funny because the rest of us love it.

I know.  When we were in a staff development class we had an activity that we did to determine if we were more left-brained or right-brained and I was the only one in a faculty of 90 people that came out equally both.

That doesn’t really surprise me. Because you’re obviously artistic and creative, but…

But it has to be organized.

Right.

I have organized creativity.

Mom's craft room. She's mad at me for this photo because she thinks it looks like a mess. I think it looks like creativity!

What advice do you have to people who want to be creative or artistic in some way but don’t feel like they have it in them?

Push yourself to try things. Don’t limit yourself to other people’s expectations. If that was the case you would have squashed my creativity a long time ago.

I told you I’m just being a smart ass!

I know but telling people to buy my stuff as they come into the house… that’s funny.

Are you happier now than during the years when you weren’t being creative?

Most definitely.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Yeah!

I hope all of you are setting goals and dreaming big!

~ Stef

In other exciting news, I followed a bunch of authors, agents and publishers on Twitter (follow me via the feed on the right) and a few of them have replied to my tweets and have even followed me back. I’m just a random fan/follower right now, but hopefully by the time I’m ready to send out queries they’ll recognize my handle.

Chocolate-filled raspberries

Yum!

I got the idea from Pinterest and served them twice this past weekend. They were a hit, and so very easy to make. Semi-sweet chocolate chips and raspberries. Rinse the berries, let them dry out on a paper towel for a few minutes, stick the chips in and boom!

Pinterest is such a cool site for creativity. You can find great recipes, crafts and home decor ideas. Most of what I’ve done with what I’ve found on Pinterest is cook. I also have a board with book recommendations (a work in progress), but my guiltiest Pinterest pleasure is looking at clothes. I can’t afford to go shopping right now so I’ve created a board with things I would buy if I had the money. It helps scratch the itch.

Editing update

I’m about halfway done with the first round of edits on my first draft. It’s going well. One thing I’ve realized is that I need to add a chapter smack in the middle of the story. It’s something I considered before and now I know it’s the right thing to do. I still think I can meet my birthday deadline, though I’m a slow writer so I may have to hermit myself for a couple of weekends to get everything done. It’ll be worth it.

Nobody responded to my last editing update about meeting my main character so I’ve put that idea on hold for now. She’s a little annoyed about it, but no more than she is at anything else. Still, you might want to watch your backs.

These women became some of my favorite people. Because of course we don’t just talk about books. We also talk about our lives, families, politics, entertainment, social issues… you name it. We’ve gone through break-ups, make-ups, babies, old jobs, new jobs… you name it.

Jenni’s neighbor Susan joined our group and brought us to eight members just a few months before JoCarol and Laura moved away. Kim invited her friend Natalie to join and I invited my friend Jessica right when Carol left, too. So we’re still at seven members — me, Jenni, Jennifer, Kim, Susan, Jessica and Natalie.

I told them to act like I wasn't there. L-R: Susan, Jennifer, Jenni, Jessica. Not pictured: Kim, Natalie

The best part about BBCE isn’t the books (though I’ve read a lot of wonderful and a few not-so-wonderful things thanks to this group). It’s the people. We are writers, artists, educators, businesswomen, travelers, mothers, wives, girlfriends and the perpetually single (me.)

These women came into my life exactly when I needed them. My best friends live in New York City (Hi Sam and Dianna! I just realized y’all’s names together like that sound like Sam and Diane from “Cheers”). I have plenty of friends in town, too, but BBCE has been this extra special perfect group of girlfriends for these past couple of years. I’m having a hard time explaining why, but I think part of it has to do with growing up and craving grown-up interaction. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I love this group and everyone who has been in it. I hope all of you have a group of friends you hang out with regularly. And if you talk about books (along with celebrities you’d leave your significant other for — a discussion we had at January’s meeting), all the better!

February’s selection is “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. It’s my turn to host and I’m already geeking out about how I’m going to decorate my table. Stay tuned for those pictures!

“I fear I will always have to chase the things I want. I’ll always have to wonder whether I’m truly wanted or whether I’ve just been settled for.”

-Gemma Doyle in “A Great and Terrible Beauty” by Libba Bray

Have a creative weekend!