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by Sonora on
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If you're reading this, you probably know who I am. But where am I? Clearly, not blogging.
Well, no good excuses except a crazy kind of busy-ness.
I miss my blog. I miss the community that writing a blog creates.
This photo is from the last issue of ArtFreak 'Zine, by Carol Parks. I am a subcriber, and I must admit it was quite startling to come upon this page, all about here experiences at my workshop in Puerto Vallarta last April, The Artist's Business Journal.
ArtFreak is is bursting with color, ephemera, creativity and inspiration. If you are in need of any of the above, then please do yourself a favor and go buy all four issues now.
But be warned: CP is the queen of cool, artsy merch! You are at risk of spending your whole allowance here. Personal fav's are her Gone Postal Mail Art Kit and the Joss Pack. The Joss Pack is like a trip to Chinatown in bag.
It's good to be back! S
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| Kelly Kilmer's Classes at Sanctuary Studio |
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by Sonora on
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Kelly Kilmer shows us what's inside her magic pink suitcase.
Paper. Paper. And more paper.
Kelly makes awesome paper collage packs. And will even swap paper in the mail.
Gathered around the art table. Even with 11 of us in the studio, there were long stretches of time where all you heard was the sound of ripping paper, paint brushes scrubbing through rainbows of paint, and laughter. Lot's of laughter.
Kelly brings huge garbage bags and baskets of paper for us to dig through and use in our work. Wow! We were all excited about that.
This is the front of one of the postcards I made in Kelly's mail art class. I haven't put my supplies away yet. I'm addicted to this process of making miniature works of art to share.
A huge thank you to Kelly! We can't wait to see you back here, same time, same Bat Station, the last weekend of September. Yahoo!
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| 1000 Journals Project on ABC news |
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by Sonora on
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View the ABC News story aired last week about the 1000 Journals project (you'll have to watch a little commercial first, be patient, it's worth it).
Sharing Your Journal With Millions
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3302543
If you don't yet have the book, buy it now. Seriously, this is a must-have book for any artist, writer, poet, teacher, lover of creative fire, human being (that includes you).
Visit the 1000 journals website for a link to buy on Amazon and see more images from the journals.
Special treat for folks coming to Sanctuary Studio for workshops with Kelly Kilmer and Traci Bunkers: we will have for your expressive glee one of the original journals, courtesy of Someguy. Yep. If you are here, you get to read, revel and work in the journal. How cool is that?
If you're not here, well, we'll make sure to take photos and post on the blog.
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| Bold, Daring & Succulent: My weekend with SARK |
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by Sonora on
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It seems every single one of my chakras was blown open (a good thing, in case that's never happened to you) at the writer's workshop I attended this weekend, facilitated by SARK—prolific, best-selling author, artist and weaver of magic spells.
You may know SARK's books: A Creative Companion, Succulent Wild Woman, Eat Mangos Naked, Inspiration Sandwich. Don't be fooled by the whimsical drawings in primary colors decorating her hand-drawn pages. SARK and her work have tremendous depth, wisdom and authenticy. In person, it is all amplified exponentially.
SARK asked us, "Do you want to decide to write, or not? If not, there are an endless supply of reasons."
If you're willing to raise your hand and admit embarrassing stuff out loud (I was) about why you're not writing, or doing your creative work, SARK was willing to dish the truth out straight, no chaser.
"We create situations that reinforce our belief system. So we need to change our belief system." She asked us to consider what we have decided is true, and then question it. This workshop seemed much like a dharma talk given by a fiercely loving spiritual master. The type of master who will whack you with a stick when you drift off in meditation. It was like that. We took a break after SARK did some "artistic interventions" with us. She came up to me and said, "You're great! I was hard on you, but you took it well. You're sturdy."
Throughout the weekend she would offer some tidbit of advice or idea for us to try out to get us writing our "real" writing and we would all be nodding our heads up and down in agreement, and she would punctuate her suggestion with, "I Dare You". Suddenly, we had a command. A dare. A double dare.
"Daring to let loose the wonders inside of us is what it's all about."
Got fear about writing? About saying yes to your creative dream? So what. "It's so SCARY to be alive! I get scared everytime I do anything", SARK told us.
That reminded me how Georgia O'Keeffe responded when asked if she was afraid of rattlesnakes when she was out painting in the desert:
“I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life -- and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”
SARK read to us from her manuscript in process for her book on this subject (due out next April), Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper.
Another takeaway from this weekend: The people who show up at a SARK writing workshop are astounding creative souls, and many are already published writers. What I learned from listening to their stories and working with them in the studio is equal to what SARK presented. I made some lifelong friends there, I feel certain of it.
Where can our creative dreams take us? It can take us places that get us hanging out with other kindred artists (in gorgeous natural settings, it is worth mentioning). Doing creative work means you work alone a lot. It's good to have company sometimes. Thanks, SARK! I'll be coming back for more whacks.
p.s. It is also worth mentioning that SARK gave us all permission to get help with our creative process. Something I worked with was how I can't facilitate my own breakthroughs the way I can for others. That always felt like a flaw (until I got whacked). SARK shared that she (who writes and has published a book a year for 15 years) gets creative coaching from many sources, and that Tiger Woods has eleven (11!) different coaches for different aspects of his work.
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| Putting the LIVE back into Live/Work |
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by Sonora on
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 more beauty • visual journal page by sonora beam
I am grateful to have an fantastic live/work space. And grateful to do work that feels like play most of the time. This lovely confluence can lead me to work work work without taking much in the way of breaks or time off. Over the past two weeks, I have practiced "technology fasts" for several days in a row. This involves being totally unplugged from computers, tv's, email, blogging etc. I even stayed away from the phone. I spent time visiting with friends, being in nature, making art, meditating and even hiked down our local mountain. My calves are still hurting five days later. Being around my close girlfriends, and getting to talk, talk, talk was the most meaningful thing. It brought me back to something essential --- I guess you could call it Life. I felt alive and rejuvenated. (During my fasts from technology I also slept a lot, so that probably helped too.) The purpose of Sanctuary Studio is to provide a place to unplug and gather in the company of kindred art-friends and experience in the rejuvenating powers of creative expression. We have some tremendous teachers travelling from afar to offer their insight, passion and processes at workshops here this summer. I hope you'll join us for a class!
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by Sonora on
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A paradox I live with: I love trees. I love paper, and books - the raw materials of which do grow on trees. So, healthy forests is a pet cause for me. As a book artist, paper junkie and tree lover (yup. I hug trees, too), I hope you won't mind if I use my blog as an occasional platform.
Here's what's new today from Rainforest Action Network:
ArborGen, a U.S.-based forestry company, is attempting to extend a field test of invasive, genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees in the southeastern United States, and more forests could be in danger soon.
By planting genetically engineered tree plantations and monoculture crops, companies like ArborGen are driving the destruction of forests around the world. The genetically engineered trees are a part of a field trial that, if completed, would set a precedent for agro-forestry and monoculture tree farms across the United States.
Scientists and environmentalists in Alabama are opposing this large scale tree farm, but they need our help. Click here to sign our petition to stop this field test and keep dangerous GE trees out of our forests.
Your help is critical for several key reasons:
- ArborGen's genetically altered species of eucalyptus is able to flower and invade nearby ecosystems.
- ArborGen refuses to confirm the genetically engineered traits of these trees and is blocking scientists from fully evaluating the "confidential" threats they pose.
- The US Department of Agriculture (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS) has failed to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to fully address all relevant concerns regarding the eucalyptus field trials.
You can help stop genetically engineered crops from invading our forests. Sign the petition to oppose ArborGen's field trials of GE eucalyptus trees in Alabama.
Thank you for all you do to protect our forests!
Brant Olson
Old Growth Campaign Director
Rainforest Action Network
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