Goodbye Blog...Hello Website & Blog

FYI:  As of next week I will be blogging on my new website.


 www.mosaicsat3owls.com

Come check it out!

I just launched my website!  Why not come visit?

www.mosaicsat3owls.com

Fear of Success? Fear of Failure?

I've never really understood the difference between the fear of success and the fear of failure.  It's really just plain old fear!  Right?  I guess I have both.

Let's take a look at this.

What if I succeed?  Will I be able to handle it?  What will people think of me?  What makes me think that I can, in fact, succeed at this art thing?

What if I fail?  Again!  I've ventured into different things over the years, (Mary Kay, Usborne Books, sewing baby quilts) and haven't enjoyed nor stuck with any of them.  Intellectually I know that it really isn't so much about failing as it is about figuring out who I am, what I'm good at and what I enjoy.

But!  My inner critic keeps telling me that they were failures.  Why do I listen to her?  

As we all know, life is a journey.  Sometimes that journey is fun, like an exploration into the unkown.  What will I find?  It can be exciting!  

However, other times it can be more like venturing into the Horror House at the carnival!  (You remember what that was like, don't you?)  What's around the next bend?  Can I maneuver the wobbling floor? What if I fall?  Scary!

Sometimes my fears paralyze me.  Do you ever have the same experience?

I find a million other things to do instead of my art, or even more productive, I sit on the computer for way too long!  And the more I avoid and procrastinate, the more my inner critic enjoys herself!  (She's really not very nice).

Soooooo....As of this moment, I have decided to fight against her no matter what she says! 

 I can do this!  If I fail...wait....I won't fail.  It's a journey and this journey will surely have it's ups and downs and just plain scary moments, but...I can do this!

So ta ta my lovelies!  I'm getting off of this time-wasting device!  I will mosaic to my hearts conent and maybe even get out in the yard, polish off my bike and go for a ride!  I can do this!  And I will!

I'm excited!  I don't know why it scares me, it probably sounds silly to many of you, but it does.  I'm going to put my headphones on and drown out...I think I'll give her a name...Maureen (aka my inner critic)!

"If I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live as I believe."  Whitney Houston

Humble Pie

Howdy Y'all!  

I'm losing my mind!  I'm working on setting up a website, an etsy shop and renaming my business and blog.  I'm overwhelmed to say the least.

I've swallowed my pride and asked for help.  Yay me!

My awesome niece is going to meet with me!  Love you Melissa!

I am part of a Facebook group made up of people who've read Kelly Rae Roberts (http://kellyraeroberts.com/) e-book Flying Lessons:  Creative Tips & Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar.

Within that group, Stephanie Cant (oh but yes she can!  LOL) has set up a separate page called Art 101:  Artists Supporting Artists where we encourage and challenge each other to be proactive in creating art and setting up our businesses.

Beginning tomorrow, some people in the group have committed to creating some form of art every day for 101 days!  Oy!  Not me.  I'm going to try one a week.  This way I will actually have inventory for my etsy shop.

Blech.  Humble Pie really doesn't taste all that good.

Until next time...

Remembering an Old Friend

I'm really sad today and not much into writing a post.   So, this will be a brief post about an old freind who just passed away yesterday, way too young.

Harry, (the big guy in the middle), was a fun-loving, athletic guy back in our high school days.  We were part of the same group of freinds, made up mostly of the girls in my grade and their boyfriends in his.  We hung out and participated in all that is teenager-hood together.  He was a basketball player, I was a basketball cheerleader.  We partied on weekends and in later years attended each other's weddings.  Most of us remain in contact to this day, but not Harry.  Choices he made along the way, and  life circumstances, changed things as they so often do.

So it has been many years since I've seen or corresponded with Harry.  His life was not an easy one, but I sense that he tried hard, especially recently.  No matter what has transpired over time, he is still my old friend whom I am sad to hear has passed.

One of my fondest memories of Harry is when in high school we, and a few others, would skip a certain period and hang out in the Athletic Director's office.  We had a lot of laughs and fun in that office!   He and I also liked and exchanged our favorite quotes.  I kept them for several years.  I kinda wish I had them now.

Eric Clapton reminds me of Harry.  I'd heard him for the first time when we visited the guys their freshman year in college.

Eric Clapton Lay Down Sally


Rest in peace my friend.  Thanks for the memories.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” ― Victor Hugo

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Hardy of Central Rock Gym in Watertown, MA.  He has commissioned me to mosaic the rock climbing gym's logo.

I'm really excited to get started and will be posting progress pictures on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/threeowlsmosaicart).  But that's not what this post is about.

You see, Joe not only owns several of these really cool rock climbing gyms with his brother, he is also a composer, a piano player, a painter and a pretty cool guy!  

When I walked into his apartment I was immediately drawn to the artwork.  It commanded my attention!  I didn't know, yet, that it was his.  After commenting on one, Joe was kind enough to show me his studio and more of his work.

The picture above doesn't do the piece justice.  In person, the colors are incredibly vibrant and immediately draw you in. And when I heard his process, it literally brought a tear to my eye.  So inspirational!

When you look at some of his work, like the one above, you're basically looking at a song!  How cool is that?

Joe assigns each note a color, using different shades to represent the flats and sharps (I think that's how it's said!).  Pretty cool, right?

The piece above represents a sunset.  Joe wrote a song with the intention of having it look like a sunset when he painted out the notes.  He wrote a song that was audibly as well as visually beautiful!

Have you ever seen or heard of anything like that?  

(Joe, if you're reading this, please feel free to comment and properly describe your inspiration and process!)

“The World is Your Oyster” Shakespeare The Merry Wives of Windsor

Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny. 

Pistol: Why then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.

************************************************************************************************************

Is the world, in fact, our oyster?  Can we crack it open at will?  Partake of all it has to offer?

I think that we all know the answers to these questions and they are...yes, yes and yes!

If so, then why do most of us plod along? Never really striving for our dreams?  

And again, we all know the answer to that question as well... Fear.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm pretty sure there are others out there who share my experience.

In my life, I've dreamt of just a few things...  Getting married, being a mom, running my own business and writing a book. 

I had no fear of the first two, so that was pretty easy and have made me very happy and given me a wonderful life!

However, having my own business and/or writing a book scared the crap out of me!  My inner critic used to bombard my brain with questions like...

Who do you think you are?  

Do you really think that you have what it takes?

What would you write about?

What skill or service do you have that others would need?

And damning statements like...

 

You're not a "self-starter"!  

You don't have the motivation or the stick-to-it-ivness!  

You're not smart enough!

Don't even bother trying.

You will fail!

I listened and I believed.  

*********************************************************************************

Over the years I've tried a few things, like selling Mary Kay Cosmetics and Usborne Books.  They were kind of like having my own business.  I think I could have been successful at them if, in fact, I actually LIKED selling!  LOL

I told friends of mine, if I EVER mention selling anything EVER AGAIN, slap me in the face!  LOL

*********************************************************************************

I don't know exactly what changed, maybe it was that the kids were adults now and I started to wonder what the heck I was going to do with myself for the 2nd half of my life, but a while back I started to believe that I could turn my mosaic hobby into a business.

www.facebook.com/threeowlsmosaicart

I'm having a ball, learning new things, growing as a person and making a little money!  Why didn't I do this sooner?

Yes, it is selling, but the product speaks for itself.  Either you like it and want it or you don't.  I don't have to have a ready made schpiel trying to convince you to buy.  (That's the part I hated about selling.  It didn't feel honest to me.)

So, what is your dream?  What's holding you back?  What would your life look and feel like if you just took a step towards what you really want?

Think about it.  Pick one step to take and do it.

You CAN do this!

You ARE smart enough!

You DO have what it takes!

And, most importantly, you are meant to live your best life, so go do it!

I'd love to hear your story!  So, please share if you'd like!

And That's a Fact Jack!

Fact #1:  I'm a little blah today...not in the mood to write a             blog post

Fact #2:  I'm a day late...

Fact #3:  I was diagnosed with clinical depression MANY years ago

Fact #4:  It can be very debilitating

Fact #5:  I try my best to plow through

Fact #6:  I've committed to writing a blog, so here goes...

Fact #7:  I will be short and sweet (well, the post will be!)

I will be teaching mosaic classes in the fall. I typed up a flyer and would love your feedback on it.

Would it catch your eye and would you read it?

Does it have enough information?

Would you act on it if interested?

What should I do differently?

Thanks for your feedback!

 MOSAIC CLASSES

WHEN?     Fall 2014

WHERE?      Three Owls Mosaic Art & Design

                           135 Lynnway, Revere, MA  02151

What?

*6 week beginner’s class (meeting once a week)

*All supplies included (glass, substrate, glue, tools)

*Learn about the origins of mosaic art

*Learn the basics of color theory & design

*6:1 student/teacher ratio

*Go home with a completed mosaic for your home

If you are interested and would like more information, please contact me at:

www.threeowlsmosaicart@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/threeowlsmosaicart

Over the summer I will be setting up a teaching studio, gathering supplies, ordering tools, and finalizing the class schedule and cost.  You can expect an

e-mail from me towards the end of the summer.

I can’t wait to share my love of mosaics with you all!

Listen to Your Mother...Really!

Hello there my friends!  I hope that this day has been good to you and that you've accomplished at least some of what you'd hoped that you would.

Or, maybe The Masked Procrastinator had her way with you?  *gasp*

She can be such a biatch sometimes!  (LOL)

O.K., so you're an adult.  You've been there and done that.  But are you open to recieving advice?  Even from your mother/father? 

 Or do they sound like the adults on Charlie Brown when they're trying to help?

I get it.  But, I have to admit it.  My mom has a theory that works!  She calls it The DIN Theory.  As in...

(Yeah, NIKE has something very similar.  I think they stole it from my Mom!)

If you're anything like me, you think too much about what needs doing or what you "should" be doing.  I often end up paralized and feeling like crap and consequently NOTHING gets done! 

 GRRRRR!!!!  

Just thinking about it is makes me feel crappy.

But when I put my pride aside and actually take my Mother's advice, it feels pretty darn good!  (Thanks Mom.  You are a wise and wonderful woman!)

I've found something else that helps. Eating big, fat, ugly frogs first thing in the morning.  Huh?

In the book Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy, which I highly recommend and can be bought on Amazon.  Copy and paste this URL:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fieldkeywords=eating%20frogs&sprefix=eating+frogs%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Aeating%20

Tracy talks about eating the biggest, fattest frog first think in the morning.  Meaning, your biggest, most important "to do" of the day. 

 Just get it out of they way!  Don't procrastinate.  Don't think and think and think about doing it!  Use the DIN Theory!  (My mother would be so proud of you.  ;-)

I've done it.  It works.  It's a big relief.  The rest of the day is a piece of cake.  

So, make that "To Do" list and put the big, ugly, juicy frog at the top!  

And, please, let me know how it works out!

Procrastination + Pressure = Progress?

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
_________________________________________________________________

Do you procrastinate?  I think most of us do!

When I was in college I used to say "I work best under pressure!"  So, I'd leave those ten page papers for the night before they were due.  I'd get a decent grade and, therefore, proved my point!

"I work best under pressure."

But is this true?  Or is it an excuse?  Now that I am more "mature", I am able to be real with myself.  It is and always was, an excuse for procrastination.

I've figured out, in all of my wisdom and knowledge (wink wink), that all procrastinating does is cause pressure which, in turn, forces progress!

So why am I posting about procrastination today?  Choir Boy #2 of course!

I get to put a full days work in on Thursdays and Fridays.  So I get up this morning nice and early.  Right away the Masked Procrastinator swoops in, cape flapping in the breeze!

Before I'm even out of bed, of course I HAVE TO check Facebook (I might miss something reeeaaalllyyyy important!).  Then I check my e-mail accounts and finally, play Soduko.  

You gotta hand it to TMP!  She's pretty good at what she does!

 Long story short...I finally get down into my studio only to find that SUDDENLY! the grinder needs to be cleaned, everything on my bench needs to be moved for a more ergonomical design, I'm thinking I need to paint the bench and finally...What about the blog post?  What about progress pictures of CB#2?

OMG Debbie!  Get to work!!! 

And, I did.  I'm making pretty good progress with good 'ol CB#2, although I am saving the most difficult part for the end.  Am I procrastinating?  Of course not!  Why would you ask such a thing?  (insert shocked face)

And finally, CB#2 progress pic:

Are you a victim of The Masked Procrastinator?  

Misery loves company...tell me all about it!

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog!  Thanks for stopping by :-)

I have been a mosaic artist for about 10 years.  The first several years were basically me playing around and learning the basics.

A couple of years ago I decided to turn my hobby into a business.  I have gotten much joy out of taking classes and creating fine art mosaics, mirrors, trivets and frames.

As of right now I don't have a website, but do have a business page on Facebook where you can peruse my photo gallery, find items for sale and inquire about custom projects.

Three Owls Mosaic Art

A large part of my business is creating custom projects for my clients.  This blog will focus primarily on my process and the progress I am making on these projects.

I will also be sharing interesting articles, photographs, websites and other blogs relating to mosaic art (or not) and even tid bits of my family life.

My hope is that you will find this an interesting, heart-warming and sometimes amusing blog.

I'm pretty excited about taking this next step in my journey!  Why not take the ride with me???