Slow Down and Enjoy the Process.

(Click for more on this image)

Hello, hello, hello! I have a feeling today will be a unique blog. I have been fighting a pretty bad migraine since last evening so I am in a different mental space. I wanted to try and get a blog for you guys today regardless and maybe typing can help take away from my focus on the pain. Anyone have any great migraine relief that's natural? I have pretty much tried everything. Hopefully it will be gone by the time you read this, but maybe for next time! ANYWAYS!

(Click for more on this image)

Today I figured I would talk about something that seems to be happening in my own life and I think I might be able to avoid it by acknowledging it. OVER DOING IT. This is something I fall victim to far too often. I go, go, go and leave little down time for myself to recoup until my body rejects my efforts to be superwoman and I fall sick.

(Click for more on this image)

Now I am not saying I am sick or am going to get sick, but I think this migraine is a warning sign that I need to slow down. How is this relating to art? I am getting there....but let's think just for a second about how fast everything is now. All the pressure of deadlines and due dates, appointments and meetings. Rarely do we take the time to slow our view of things down and focus on what is in front of our faces, instead of what is in the next coming week. I am one of those people but I work to fight it everyday. 

(Click for more on this image)

With all of that said, I have been spending every waking moment I can inside my art studio trying to prepare for my very first art fair. I wake up and go to work to come home and go straight to work until the moment I fall asleep. I am determined to be properly prepared and ready! I even worked through a movie my boyfriend and I were watching late at night because I didn't want to waste time just laying there when I could have been working. 

(Click for more on this image)

I know that my work process isn't always like this, but I want to remember two things. The First thing is to slow down and have confidence in myself that it is alright to take an hour before bed to read my book to unwind and relax my mind. I don't have to work every single second. The Second thing is to just slow down in general. I am knocking out a lot of great work very quickly but I am missing the those beauty of the process! I had painted three adorable wine bottles yesterday and worked on a wood burned piece that I had started and I barely remember doing it.

(Click for more on this image)

For any astrologers out there tomorrow starts another Mercury Retrograde. Click here to learn all about it if you haven't heard of it. Recognizing that I need to relax and slow down to enjoy the process of my art and life, is a great way to start into a new Mercury Retrograde. With that, I will leave you to your peaceful day! 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Sleep Eye Mask - The Fantastic Fox (Orange Burgundy) by - littleoddforest

Song of the Day:

Coldplay - Trouble

Color of the Day:

Benjamin Moore Regal Harbor Haze 2136-60

Your ego is not your amigo!

       

(Click here for more on this image)

       Today is the day! Our first meet up for Artist's Talking Art. I have been so excited and jotting down ideas and things to cover all morning. I am nervous but in a good way because I know that I will be talking and guiding most of what happens tonight until we establish a flow for the group. I am very outgoing and never had a hard time talking in front of people but I still get butterflies leading up to it.

       I am expecting a handful of people from what the Facebook group event is telling me. We have different types of artists too which I will be interested to see how everyone interacts. I am hoping to get a good introduction of the people who come tonight and with their help hash out some parameters and topics we want to cover.

      But I want to talk about something that happened to me today. This quote really relates to it and pushed me to bring it up in the blogs.

      Someone laughed in my face today. I was so excited about sharing my group and the fact that we are meeting for the first time today. I explained what the group would be about and the name and they laughed very loudly and honestly. I was so hurt. Why would someone laugh and mock me? Even if they did think it was silly it was obvious that I was thrilled about it. Why would someone want to put down my radiating happiness!

       Did I yell? Did I cry? NO. (although I did have to hold back some tears). I held my composure fairly well. I wanted to scream and yell and tell them how rude it was, but I didn't. Everyone is allowed to feel however they want and say whatever they want. I choose how to react to it.

         I know that there will be people along the way who tell me I will fail. There will be people that try and knock my ideas and efforts down. I will not let people change my feelings or love for what I do. For every 1 person who stands in my way I will surround myself with 100 more who support and care for me.

          I am checking my ego at the door. 

(Click here for more on this image)

        PHEW! Well I feel a lot better. Thanks for letting me get that out. (Not like you really had a choice haha)  That's all I have for today. It doesn't really cover art but it does cover being true to yourself and never giving up, which is huge for creating art and selling art. There is art in everything we do and everything we do is art.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Featured Etsy Item of the Day:

Be Happy Bath Salts Organic Bath Salts Aromatherapy All Natural Organic Bath Salt Energizing Uplifting Bath Salts All Natural Bath Salts - By NaturallyTaylored

Song of the Day:

Janelle Monáe - Tightrope [feat. Big Boi]

Color of the Day:

Golden Honey

Art with the help of Meditating.

Art with the help of Meditating.

(Love this image? Click here for its Etsy Shop)

       Ever feel a lack of focus when trying to make your art? Ever feel a drought of inspiration? Maybe you can't find enough time in the day for the art time you have been craving? I have a secret to change it all. Meditation.

(Love this image? Click here for its Etsy Shop)

     I assume some of you have meditated before. You might even be a meditating professional! In case you have never heard of meditating or have always wanted to try and didn't know where to start. Here is a great beginner's video to meditating.

So now that we are all on the same page, how can meditation help with ART?

1. Meditation helps to center yourself and your thoughts, which greatly effect your art. If you are stressed or overwhelmed with daily life, just 5 minutes of meditating can set you back on track and put you in a perfect state of mind for creating.

2. Out of ideas or don't know where to start? I know this one is huge for me. When I don't know what to make or can't seem to organize my ideas I meditate and ask to see what I need to. I always know I have the ideas in there somewhere but sometimes moving all the other junk around first helps me see clearly!

3. Stepping away from your work. I don't do this nearly enough and sometimes it really costs me with time and energy. Ever been so immersed in a piece of artwork that you forget to step back and look at the whole thing? By the time you are done and you do step back you notice things you could have done different or that might be a little off. Taking a few minutes for a silent break can mean a huge difference in the finished quality of your work.

4. Do you want to make more meaningful art but don't know what you want to say? I tend to make a lot of "sell-able work" and sometimes I lose the love for a project because I am too focused on the money value it will bring me. By meditating I can look within myself and see what is on my mind that I want to express. This always helps me feel recharged and inspired to still make sell-able pieces but that say something at the same time.

Meditation is great for so many reasons but since this is an Art Blog I wanted to cover some of the ways it's really helped me and hopefully can help you! Creating comes from a very internal place that's is expressed externally and to ensure everything is in order I think the best and easiest way is through MEDITATION!

         How has meditating helped you in your life? Do you already use it as a tool for your art? Comment some of your thoughts on what this topic has done or might do for you!

Until Tomorrow -Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

I want to start doing something new at the end of every blog. I think would be a great addition to the blogs! Every blog I will have a featured Etsy Item, Random Song & Color of the day! It's just a little extra flavor that I think might be fun!

Featured Etsy Item of the Day:
DIY Cross Stitch Pendant - Wood Pendant Blank - Small Heart (RedGateStitchery)

Song of the Day:

Matt Simons - Catch & Release (Deepend Remix)

Color of the Day: 
Benjamin Moore Regal Select Winter Gray 2117-60