Author Archive
No Pressure
Posted by: | CommentsLast week I launched my latest offer–a FREE trial of the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class for anyone who subscribes to my site.
(If you subscribe and haven’t received your coupon, just fill out that box in the top of the right hand sidebar of my site (underneath my picture) and you’ll get one!)
Yay, so excited.
And then a friend who hasn’t made work in a long time, but went to art school back in the day called me up. “I got that free trial offer yesterday and I panicked….and then I closed my email as fast as I could.”
“Oh my.” I said. “Did you watch the video?”
“No,” she said, “I was too freaked out.”
OH!
Yes, Of course. So excited by my launch, I forgot to talk about the best part of this tele-class because I say it in the video.
But if you panicked and didn’t see the video, then you don’t know.
And that best thing is that it’s SAFE, SAFE, SAFE!
Not a Test
If you haven’t made anything in a long time, perhaps you’re reading this blog to get yourself warmed up to the idea.
This is an important, legitimate step in the process of getting unstuck.
But then suddenly, this free trial pops up out of nowhere and maybe you suddenly feel… PRESSURE. As if I’m saying, “Now, you have to make something–ready or not!”
Or you might feel afraid because you’re worried that if you take the class and make something “terrible,” it’ll prove that those cherished beliefs you hold about yourself–that you’re creative and artistic–aren’t true. That you’re not the creative artistic soul you feel like you are.
And that somehow, if this happens, you’ll be forced to let that go. And you don’t want to.
Of course you don’t. Because you ARE a creative artistic soul with plenty of art inside you.
The part of you that doesn’t want to let that go is the smart part that knows the truth of who you are.
The part of you that thinks you’ll have to let go of this essential part of who you are if you make something “bad” is the harsh, critical, societal, inner critic ego part that twists your creativity into a big knot and turns it into a pressured test.
Strangely, it does this to protect you–by stopping you from starting.
Sigh.
But this freaked out inner critic is deeply misinformed.
Attention: Mean Inner Critic Secretly Trying to Protect You by Keeping You Paralyzed:
Under NO circumstances must you surrender this essential definition of who you are. No matter what you make or don’t make. No matter how rusty you are, no matter how long it’s been, no matter how “bad” something might be that you create.
Triple Safe!
In the meantime, you might still be feeling pretty vulnerable. That’s totally normal.
It can take a while to undo our unhelpful beliefs, because, like everyone else, they like existing and do everything they can to maintain their status quo.
Which is why my favorite part of the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class is that it’s safe.
You not only get to be supported by being in a class, and feel less isolated by creating with other artistic people, but you also have COMPLETE PRIVACY at the same time because we’re on the phone.
Yes!
Not having to try in front of other people can be a huge relief because you can take risks without feeling exposed.
It’s hard to feel exposed if you’re feeling super vulnerable.
That’s why I designed this as a tele-class. Because I know those terrible fears of exposure. Of feeling rusty. I know that yuck.
And I wanted to create a class that could work around that problem–to help you feel supported, freed up, and safe to create. To provide a time to play and experiment.
Will you make something you love? I don’t know. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t.
I just know that when I don’t, it doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to create. No one makes me hand in my artist card.
And no one will make you hand in yours either.
It might be hard, but that’s okay, it’s a supportive atmosphere and the technique I use is designed to make the hard easier.
I must say, though, that mostly, this tele-class is just SO MUCH FUN!
So if you haven’t watched the video–watch it now and see what you think. If you like what you see, sign up to get your free coupon.
And if you already have your free coupon, sign up for the next class and let’s get this party started!
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It Really DOES work!
Posted by: | CommentsEvery Friday I write the 20 Minute Club Minutes–because using a timer for what I call the 20 Minute Technique can keep your creative momentum going in your busy, time-crunched life–20 minutes at a pop.
Please join in and share your 20 Minute Experiences in the Comments–good/bad, it’s all fair game, because sharing your experiences about the process is a great way to figure things out and increase your creativity.
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Stuck has a lot of nuance and can really sneak up on you.
There are the familiar stucks such as, “I’m stuck in a rut and need to try something new” or the “I’m stuck and can’t bring myself to make anything anymore.”
But there are lots of variations of stuck even when you’re productive.
Because each new curve along the winding path of a project is usually also a new challenge. And sometimes you just want to pull over and let the other cars pass.
I realized yesterday that this had happened to me. That a very large collage drawing I am supposedly “working on” had actually been started oh, several months ago now, and I hadn’t touched it since.
And even though I have it hanging up in my studio, it was starting to blend into the scenery and I wasn’t really benefiting from having it up anymore because I’d stopped “seeing” it.
The reason I had come to ignore it is because I was stuck on what to do next.
AND, I was kind of invested in getting it right. It feels important to me as a “piece” because it’s exploring an emotional/important topic for me and I care a lot about the end result.
So.
I cared about it A LOT, I didn’t know where I wanted to go with it, AND I was afraid of messing it up.
I looked at my timer and knew what I had to do.
20 Minutes
I set the timer, turned on some music, pulled up a chair and just sat and looked.
Looked with all my not-knowing. Not knowing what it needed. Not knowing what I wanted it to do. Not knowing if I could “resolve” it.
Not-knowing. Not-knowing.
And then suddenly the top corner of the piece called to me and I stood up, looked for my charcoal and then grabbed a grey pastel instead and added some new marks. And then some more after that.
Gradually, my slow, relaxed “adding”gave me more information and I suddenly could see a little more clearly what I was trying to say/explore.
Interesting, I think, in response to these new glimpses. Who knew?
And I find that thought funny too because, it is my artwork after all, but still, I’m not always the driver.
“Who knew?”
I’m smiling at this point because the process always delivers if I’m willing to show up.
And then the timer went off. I worked a tiny bit longer and let myself stop.
Now my drawing/collage is in a new place. There’s still a lot of not-knowing, but it’s new not-knowing and that feels good.
Because I’m engaged with my piece again and seeing the process of trying to create it to completion as a gift to myself rather than as a test I need to pass.
Ahh. Always such a relief to make that shift.
The 20 Minute Technique really does help you get through the hard.
Appreciation
Appreciating yourself is an important part of the 20 Minute Club because it helps you keep your creative momentum going.
Carving out the time to create is important of course, but it’s not enough. Getting (and eventually staying) on your own side is a critical factor for helping you take bigger risks with your work, get yourself out of a creative rut, or just enjoy the process more.
Taking the time to remember to appreciate yourself and all your efforts (big or small, creative or not) is a powerful way to make this happen.
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Here are my five self-appreciations for this week:
1. I appreciate that I finally got my video and free trial offer out into the world. Yay! I’m so excited.
2. I appreciate how much I’m learning by attending local networking events–even when I’m kind of uncomfortable or a little shy.
3. I appreciate that I took a badly needed break when I needed one, instead of waiting and making things worse.
4. I appreciate that I had a conversation that I thought would be hard, and it was easy.
5. I appreciate that I sneaked in exercise several times this week even when it felt like there was just “no time.”
Your Turn
How was your creative week? Good? Hard? Do you have a timer yet? Are you remembering to appreciate yourself–the little things as well as the big? Please leave a comment, I love hearing from you!
Free Trial!
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve got an exciting new offer! You can now get a FREE trial of the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class just by signing up for my newsletter–right up there on the right of your screen.
Watch my short video where I explain all about it:
(if you’re receiving this in your email and you can’t see the video, click on this link: http://makegreatstuff.com/free-trial/)
Yay, FREE!
How Do Current Subscribers Get the Coupon?
If you already subscribe to my blog, thank you!
However, I’d love for you to re-subscribe because I’m using a different service that behaves better, lets me put the title of the post into the email subject line (so you can tell before you open it if it’s probably something that interests you), and sends prettier emails.
And if you do, you’ll get a coupon for a FREE trial of the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class.
This class is a great way to get unstuck, work around your self–censorship, and make time for your creativity every week.
And if you’ve already taken a Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class, you still completely qualify for a FREE coupon–just re-subscribe and it should arrive in your email shortly.
(You’re doing me a huge favor by switching subscription services, so I’m happy for you to have a free coupon.)
Please Share
I’d be honored if you’d share this offer with everyone you think might benefit so they can get back to their creative selves as well.
Tweet it, put the link in your FB profile, or email it to friends and family.
Here’s the link that has the video and explains all about it: http://makegreatstuff.com/free-trial/
Thank you, I really appreciate your willingness to spread the creative love.
I hope to “see” you on a call soon, and I really look forward to making art together!
Big hugs, Sarah
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I’ve Been Framed
Posted by: | CommentsEvery Friday I write the 20 Minute Club Minutes–because using a timer for what I call the 20 Minute Technique can keep your creative momentum going in your busy, time-crunched life–20 minutes at a pop.
Please join in and share your 20 Minute Experiences in the Comments–good/bad, it’s all fair game, because sharing your experiences about the process is a great way to figure things out and increase your creativity.
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Okay, so not a lot of artmaking got done this week for me, but important finishing steps were taken in several projects–most of which involved framing a few favorite collages from the Creative Breakthroughs Tele-class.
I’m bad about taking that last step of framing something, but it’s so important.
It not only honors your process and creates a sense of completion, but it gives your work room to breathe without having to compete with everything around it.
It can also be very validating because (on one level) it’s about respecting your work.
If you’ve never framed anything, you should, just to experience that process.
Because deciding yourself that a piece you made is good enough to be framed is honoring yourself as an artist or crafter and it changes how you perceive yourself.
This is important.
And you can keep it simple and cheap if you need to–I used a coupon for a local big box store that made my frame half price, and I used a gallery mat that I had bought online.
It made me happy to frame and hang work in my home that I made while teaching The Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class instead of leaving it sitting in a pile in my studio.
How about you–do you have something to frame?
If you’re not sure, just buy yourself a mat or two and lay them on top of your work–I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
Appreciation
Appreciating yourself is an important part of the 20 Minute Club because it helps you keep your creative momentum going.
Carving out the time to create is important of course, but it’s not enough. Getting (and eventually staying) on your own side is a critical factor for helping you take bigger risks with your work, get yourself out of a creative rut, or just enjoy the process more.
Taking the time to remember to appreciate yourself and all your efforts (big or small, creative or not) is a powerful way to make this happen.
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Here are my five self-appreciations for this week:
1. I appreciate that I framed several pieces for all the reasons I mentioned above in the 20 minute club minutes.
2. I appreciate that I’m getting more comfortable seeing myself on video and that I kept practicing through the discomfort and weirdness of it all so that I could create more value for my website (coming soon!).
3. I appreciate that I plowed through my usual doubt and knack for complicating decisions and plunked down my money for the next step in my making my digital collages larger, much larger. I should get my latest sample next week!
4. I appreciate that I am THIS close to having my next big project live on my site.
5. I appreciate every time I feel present-in-the-now instead of lost in all my thoughts and stories about my life. It may be milli-seconds, but it’s more than it used to be.
Your Turn
How was your creative week? Do you frame your work or do you want to? Do you wish you had work to frame? (Sign up for a Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-class and soon you will!). Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.
The Upside of Beginner-dom
Posted by: | CommentsDo you let yourself be a beginner?
Exposed, awkward, unsure and feeling your way along in the dark?
It’s hard to hide when you’re a beginner because often you don’t know what you don’t know.
But there are a lot of benefits to being a beginner–even in your area of expertise or natural abilities.
- Being a beginner can be very freeing–you don’t have to waste time pretending you know it all or proving you’re good at it.
- Being a beginner means you probably have fewer preconceived notions and can experience the skill or knowledge with fresh eyes–sometimes seeing or understanding things that the “pros’ have overlooked.
- Being a beginner is being an explorer, an adventurer, eager to try what the world has to offer.
- Having a “beginner’s mind” or attitude even in your own area of expertise means you feel comfortable receiving insight from every source which also eliminates the need to compete or win–this subtle shift can be a huge relief.
- Being a beginner at something again means it’s okay to be rusty. You’ve learned other things about life while you were getting rusty at this art or craft you used to be good at. Now you have a chance to blend them together as you start over–whole new possibilities open up!
Don’t ruin the freedom of being a beginner by having unfair expectations of how quickly you should be good at this new something you’re trying.
Give yourself a break.
The Collaboration Conversation
Posted by: | CommentsEvery Friday I write the 20 Minute Club Minutes–because using a timer for what I call the 20 Minute Technique can keep your creative momentum going in your busy, time-crunched life–20 minutes at a pop.
Please join in and share your 20 Minute Experiences in the Comments–good/bad, it’s all fair game, because sharing your experiences about the process is a great way to figure things out and increase your creativity.
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My 20 Minute Club experiences this week have been all about collaboration.
I’m collaborating on a series of pieces with a fantastically talented close friend, and it’s so fulfilling and exciting.
We began our collaboration with a broad….direction, I guess, and a love for the same kind of materials.
And now we’re slowly developing that direction as we make our initial work. One of us starts something and then we hand it off to the other.
She gave me her latest “start” almost 2 weeks ago.
I brought it home and then walked by it, stared at it, rearranged it, remembered it, and pondered for about 10 days until I suddenly got what I call my flash–this is when I’m thinking about a piece and an image suddenly pops into my head in a particular way that tells me–start here.
(All of the above was invisible work, by the way. To an outsider, it looked like a pile of fabric was awkwardly sitting on top of my printer while I ignored it.)
Once I got my flash, I had something to do. I spent the weekend immersed in a conversation with our project and can’t wait to pass it back to her.
The Conversation
What I love about collaborating is that it’s an even richer conversation than when you listen and respond to your own work by yourself.
As I’m creating, I’m not only responding to the work in front of me, but I’m conversing with my friend in my head as I work, with what I’m adding to what she gave me, as well as with our shared ideas about our project–our vision, if you will, even though that’s pretty broad at this point.
The cooperating feels fantastic. The direction that the work takes when it comes from 2 people instead of just yourself, and the feeling of connection while making art–so often a solitary pursuit–gives the aesthetic experience itself such depth.
But working with someone else also gives you another fantastic personal benefit–it helps you build and maintain that all-important creative momentum because it’s a powerful way to have support and accountability built into the creative experience.
Because it’s hard to always have to come up with that kind of energy on your own.
And in order to live your life as an artist these days, when you’re probably making your living doing something else, it’s really helpful to find different ways to have a supported creative experience.
(That’s what the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-classes are all about–SUPPORT!!)
And when you find the right person to work with, it all falls into place.
Neither of us needs to have a lot of control (well, over this particular project 
), both of us care about intention and details, and we’re both approaching the process with curiosity rather than expectations.
And maybe my favorite part is that even though we think really differently and make things differently, we both trust and respect the other person’s aesthetic AND we want to build on what the other one does, rather than fight it.
I haven’t had this much art fun in a long time.
Is there someone you could collaborate with?
Appreciation
Appreciating yourself is an important part of the 20 Minute Club because it helps you keep your creative momentum going.
Carving out the time to create is important of course, but it’s not enough. Getting (and eventually staying) on your own side is a critical factor for helping you take bigger risks with your work, get yourself out of a creative rut, or just enjoy the process more.
Taking the time to remember to appreciate yourself and all your efforts (big or small, creative or not) is a powerful way to make this happen.
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Here are my five self-appreciations for this week:
1. I appreciate everything I brought to my collaboration project as I added to it and grew it this last weekend.
2. I appreciate how I much more awareness I’m bringing to certain defeatist thinking patterns and trying to both accept them as they are, and not indulge them at the same time.
3. I appreciate how much I’m learning about the difference between acceptance and succumbing.
4. I appreciate how simply continuing to work on a big project is providing me answers when I feel like I don’t know what to do next.
5. I appreciate my lifelong desire to grow and let go and be free and how that desire helps me face hard things and move forward.
Your Turn
How about you? How was your creative week? Do you ever collaborate with friends on art or craft work? Would you like to…or maybe not? Please share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
Guaranteed Success
Posted by: | CommentsIt can be so rewarding to make your gifts for the holidays. But stressful at the same time.
What if it doesn’t work out? What if you run out of time? What if they hate it?
Well, I’ve got two great ornament kits that are a great way to learn some fun techniques, make something special, and are guaranteed to work. They also come with lots of support–including a special (totally optional) FREE tele-seminar each month when we make them together.
And I figured that I better announce them now–even though it’s early October–to give you time to mull it over, order a couple-three (free shipping when you order 2 or more) and finish them in plenty of time for giving or hanging on your tree.
Here goes!
Glitter Decoupage Ornament Kits
Okay, this kit is so fun, easy and pretty, that honestly, it’s almost ridiculous.
AND you can get several ornaments done in one afternoon.
They’re perfect teacher, grandparent, or co-worker gifts and they’re easy enough to do with little kids as well, which is not true of most projects I design.
And yet, they’re not a little kid project.
Which means, if you make them with a little kid, they’ll still look like a sophisticated, grown up ornament when you’re done. But you’ll both have had loads of fun with no stress.
Because it’s really all about the magic of this decoupage technique and the quality of the supplies. A seriously awesome combo that can’t be beat. (People actually find this technique very meditative.)
Click here to read what one mom wrote me about the kits last year after she made them with her 5 year old daughter (I felt like a million bucks after reading her note to me.)
This kit is also great for a party. I’m throwing an ornament party this year, and I’m going to use this kit because I know
- everyone will be able to do it,
- everyone will like the finished result, and
- everyone will be able to drink wine and laugh with friends while they make their ornament.
The video for this kit is available for all to see, and you can watch it HERE to see how easy and pretty it really is.
Or click here to get all the details and/or place an order. (You can view the video from a link on that page too. But definitely watch the video!)
Byzantine Baubles Ornament Kit
I love these ornaments. Still easy, but not for little kids. Adults and crafty teenagers, yes, but not little kids.
This kit also has its own super clear how to video, but it’s only for people who buy the kit.
Because this kit is fancy with lots of special supplies, and one of those special supplies is the video itself. You won’t find a kit like this anywhere else on the internet.
As a teacher, I love how this kit is a great art lesson.
Making it walks you through a genuine transformation process–from its blah, brown kraft paper beginnings to its final, bejeweled, glittery wonderfulness– it’s a great exercise in experiencing how lots of small details create a final result that’s truly greater than the sum of its parts.
But best of all, they simply look great and if you give these as gifts, you can rest assured people will love them and keep them forever.
You’re creating heirlooms, when you make this kit. Heirlooms, I say!!
Click HERE to learn more.
Support!
You’re busy. Or it’s been a while since you made anything. Or you’re afraid to buy something you won’t use.
I get it. I’ve felt like that many times myself. That’s why I designed these kits to come with lots of support.
Each kit has its own HOW TO VIDEO, so there’s no tortuous reading of instructions. I hate to read instructions for visual things, I just want to see what to do.
(Of course, I’ve included written instructions in the kits, just in case, but really, you can just watch the video.)
AND, I’m also offering totally optional, totally FREE Tele-crafting Teleseminars to everyone who orders a kit.
These are conference calls where we create an ornament together over the phone–you’ll need an earbud or a speaker phone so you’ll have both hands free to work.
This tele-seminar gives you a chance to carve out time to get started, ask any questions you may have, or just have some company while you create.
But if you can’t make any of the teleseminar dates, you can write me anytime, and I’ll write you back pronto.
And if you’re still having trouble for some reason, we can even have an emergency crafting chat over the phone.
Support, baby, I’m not kidding around!
100% Money Back Guarantee!
And of course, there’s no worries because each kit has a 100% money back guarantee, so if you’re not completely delighted, I’ll give you a full refund out of my own pocket because I totally believe in these kits and I’ll be ridiculously surprised if you need to send yours back.
But if you do need to, no hard feelings, I just want you to feel safe about ordering and know that we’re totally good even if you do need a refund.
You can read more about the guarantee here.
Okay, I think that’s it for now. Click here if you want to learn more about the kits. And if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
