Beth's Studio Journal

A Black Cat Named Spot

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:05:48 GMT

OK, this one is a funny one. I was looking on YouTube for some more basic information on how to play an autoharp. I just caught the bug and I'm saving for an Autoharp of my own, and I'm just keeping the juices flowing until I can get my hands on one and take classes. So I came across a series of videos by Terwilliger Jones, and this is one on how to pinch pluck:

Every step I take toward this instrument is filled with wonder and delight, and thanks to Terwilliger Jones some laughter too.

CONvergence is Imminent!!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:12:46 GMT

I just got this in my inbox, and I thought I'd share it with all of you. I'm going to CONvergence this year...yay!!!

Yes, CONvergence is Imminent! Coming to the Sheraton Hotel Bloomington, 7800 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN, (952) 835-7800.

As we head into the last days and hours before CONvergence 2009, there are some things we wanted to let you know about, remind you to do, and hopefully get you excited about!

Reminders

1. As you start packing up for the con, take a look at our “First Time Camper” list (http://www.convergence-con.org/news/20090628d.php) now on the website for tips, advice, and suggestions on how to have a successful convention whether it’s your first CONvergence or your 11th!

2. Registration has moved! Whether you've pre-registered and are picking up your badge or planning to register at the door, your first stop at the convention should Registration. This year they are in “Shipside” (where Harmonic CVG was last year). http://www.convergence-con.org/news/20090628b.php

3. We’ve arranged for extra parking with local businesses and the City of Bloomington. See further details here: http://www.convergence-con.org/news/20090621.php

4. If you haven’t set up your http://schedule.convergence-con.org/ account yet, you are missing out! Take a look today, and start filling up your personal grid.

5. You can take a chance on a last-minute cancellation at the Sheraton (stop by the CVG Hotel desk when you arrive), but you’ll probably have better luck just booking a room at one of the surrounding hotels.

6. Programming kicks off at 3:00pm on Thursday and Opening Ceremonies is at 7:00pm Thursday. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

7. Don’t forget to tip your bellperson and your housekeeping staff. The Sheraton loves our community, let’s show love in return.

8. Registration is once again accepting donations of used eyeglasses. For further info visit http://www.convergence-con.org/news/20090530c.php.

9. You are permitted to take a nap on Saturday. (It's a four day con. Pace yourself!)

10. The ATM often runs out of money, so plan ahead and stop by your bank on your way to the convention for the cash you'll be wanting over the weekend.

11. During peak hours (6:00pm-11:00pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights), Elevator Operators will be manning the South/Tall tower elevators. They are In
Charge and are to be respected.

a. No more than 10 people on an elevator, plus the Operator (for a total of 11). Elevator Operator is the final word on this.

b. All attendees will exit a down elevator on the 2nd floor. All attendees will embark on an up elevator on the 1st floor. (Excluding those needing special assistance.) “Off on 2, On on 1”

c. While waiting to enter an elevator on the 1st floor, please queue up politely.

12. When approaching a badging station, please have your badge out and visible! It keeps traffic moving and shows respect to our hardworking badgers.

Speaking of Badgers and Elevator Operators – see our New Volunteering Opportunities below!

New Volunteering Opportunities

This year, we are highlighting two of our hardworking, under-appreciated volunteer positions: Elevator Operators and Badgers.

ELEVATOR OPERATORS:

Elevator Operators have a special place in our hearts, riding in hot and crowded elevators, helping to make sure that the hotel elevators do not get overloaded and breakdown, causing heartache for our entire community.

To show their special button-pushing, people-counting Powers, Elevator Operators will be wearing visors this year to identify them. Please defer to our Operators as they work to keep our elevators running smoothly during peak hours.

To show our love to our Operators, each shift is only one half-hour (due to heat and cramped conditions) but will be counted as a FULL HOUR for volunteer time tracking. It’s an ideal volunteering opportunity for our younger community members who are looking for a way to pitch in and help.

Interested? Sign up before the convention here: http://www.beresourceful.net/~rusty/convergence/2009/BadgingStationSchedule.html

BADGERS:

Love to badge? Never badged before? Either way – Enlist in the Corps!

That’s right, this year we’ve created the Badger Corps (complete with their own Oath!) to create a sense of identity and community among our dedicated badging volunteers. What do these unassuming badgers know that you don’t know?

That badging is easy (a chair to sit in for an hour) and fun (people come to you).

That you can badge with a friend (each badging station can hold up to TWO badgers – have your own badging party!).

And new this year: You can earn Merit Patches for your hard work keeping our convention running.

For badging just one hour, you earn our special Badging 2009 sew-on patch. Want to step up to the next challenge? Take a shift at every badging station (there are 8) and earn our “I Badged the Con 2009” sew-on patch. Want to prove your Badger Corps commitment? For 15 hours of badging, we will award you the “Uber-Badger 2009” sew-on patch. (And a Badging Corp sash to sew them on to, if you’d like.)

With four days of convention to enjoy, we hope you’ll find an hour or two to volunteer and discover for yourself just how fun volunteering is! Join the Corps today!

New this year - the Volunteers Den!

On the south side of ConSuite, in Cabana 222, we are setting up the Volunteers Den. Want to relax away from the hubbub of the convention? Get that massage you signed up for? Have a quiet place to connect with other volunteers and eat a snack?
Join us in the Volunteers Den!

All you need is a Volunteers Button to enter. (And you only need to volunteer one hour to get a button!) In fact, we'll be looking for people to help us staff the Volunteers Den! Hang out, snack, and earn volunteer hours all at the same time! Now that is a deal!

Finally, the Volunteers Department is always looking for eager and friendly people to help staff the Volunteers Table. Don't want to be tied down in one spot? Then take a shift as a Roving Station Manager! Tour the convention and make sure our badgers are being taken care of.

You can sign up for any of these shifts at http://www.beresourceful.net/~rusty/convergence/2009/BadgingStationSchedule.html

Contact Information

CONvergence e-mail: info@convergence-con.org
CONvergence web site: http://www.convergence-con.org

MISFITS e-mail: info@misfit.org
MISFITS web site: http://www.misfit.org

24-hour voicemail: 651-MISFITS (651-647-3487)

board@misfit.org (All Board of Directors members - MISFITS and CONvergence Directors)
directors@misfit.org (MISFITS Directors)
directors@convergence-con.org (CONvergence Directors)

For a listing of Departmental eMails for MISFITS, visit http://www.misfit.org/contacts.htm
For a listing of Departmental eMails for CONvergence, visit http://www.convergence-con.org/about/contact.php.

For general questions or if you aren't sure who to contact, you can always use info@misfit.org and info@convergence-con.org.

Shutting Down the Billing Center

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:29:09 GMT

Hey Everyone! My Day Job is going away Winter/Spring 2010 or possibly sooner. So if there are any openings at your company, or you know of any anywhere let me know. I have experience in customer service, quality assurance & document review, and web design skills like html, a smattering of css, javascript, php.

I really don't want to be unemployed or underemployed for any length of time. Thanks a Bunch!!

The Power of Syncronicity

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:54:30 GMT

(I also posted this on my Reiki Artist Blog, just so you know I'm repeating myself)

Sometimes I take modern conveniences for granted. Today I was happily working away at my computer on a new design for the Reiki Artist Store when I heard a bang and all the power went out. I called the power company and the recording said that power would be restored in about four hours. So here I am at home with no car, just the cats, and no electricity. My mind went to wondering whatever would I do all day? I can’t do laundry, watch TV, or work on the computer. What would I have for lunch? I can’t use the stove or the microwave.

Not knowing what else to do, I took a nap. Shortly after I got up I had some cold chicken and a cinnamon roll for lunch, and I was just wondering what I would do next when the power came back on. Whew! My life was back to normal with my spoiled suburban ways. But I did go ahead and finish that design I started, in honor of Earth Day:

No I’m NOT kidding. I was seriously working on this design - Power to the Planet - when the electricity went out. Go green or go without is the moral of this story. Oh yeah, and everything is connected is the sub-plot. It’s not all just words you know, the metaphysical really does affect the physical, and vice verse. This experience has definitely given me something to think about, like the fact that coincidences are put into our lives to emphasise the lessons we have to learn right now. Gaia had a point to make with me today. Welcome to my mystical magical life!

Tinkerbelle Knows

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:08:35 GMT

My loyal cat Tinkerbelle knows that I need to meditate tonight. This morning started out wonderfully with plenty of time for me to do a little reading, tidy up and plenty of time to get to work on time...until I got in the car and the needle was pushing near empty. So I had to stop and get gas...yada yada yada...late to work...and on edge all day. I'm trying to get more work done around the house and I can't find anything I need so I finally gave up and watched the TV.

Meanwhile Tinkerbelle is jumping on all the things she's not supposed to be jumping on, then when I get up to tell her to get down she goes into the Reiki Room. In other words, stop watching TV and meditate already! Yeah, Tinkerbelle knows what a girl like me needs sometimes.

Restless Moon

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:07:35 GMT

I noted in my Reiki Artist Blog that I couldn't meditate tonight. The full moon is shining through my window here, and I think it's making me a bit restless. It's arching it's way across the Eastern sky towards the South, and it's climbing behind the neighbor's tree limbs. They are still all bare and beautiful because we just had another snow storm last night.

The other thing I did tonight was add a new section into my Reiki People's page in my Reiki Artist Store. I'd post a picture, but for some reason the darn page isn't loading. There's something about googl analytics on the progress bar, so it looks like it's not something that's going to change at the moment. Sigh. I hate it when I can't post my new pretties in my journal for you all to enjoy.

Political Spectrum Quiz Results

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:19:10 GMT

I was quite curious about where I would land, but I'm not really surprised with the results:

My Political Views
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 6.99, Libertarian: 4.09

Political Spectrum Quiz

My Foreign Policy Views
Score: -5.18

Political Spectrum Quiz

My Culture War Stance
Score: -5.99

Political Spectrum Quiz

It's been a long time...here are My New Names

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:50:01 GMT

Snagged this off of Facebook, which is where I've been all this time.

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
Beth Hansen-Buth

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (mother and father's middle names):
Rosalie Oden

3.NASCAR NAME (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad):
"Don't know it he died when I was tiny" Bertin

4.STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name):
Hanbe

5.DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Purple Cat

6.SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, town where you were born):
Natalie Minneapolis

7.SUPERHERO NAME (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning):
The Green Scotch

8.FLY NAME (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name):
Beth for my married name, Been for my maiden name

9.STREET NAME (fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie):
Chocolate Almond Fudge Thinmint

10.SKANK NAME (1st pet's name, street you grew up on)
Candy Tifton

11.GANGSTA NAME (first 3 letters of first name plus 'izzle')
Betizzle

12.YOUR GOTH NAME (the color Black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Cleo

13. STRIPPER NAME (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Mambo Chocolate

Sears - Christmas shopping this year

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:52:32 GMT

Subject: Sears - Christmas shopping this year.

I know I needed this reminder, since Sears isn't always my first choice. It's amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and Sears hasn't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up for active duty .

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears at least once, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement & feedback it well deserves.

Pass it on.

I decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the inter net may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:

Dear Customer:

Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.

Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

It's verified ! By Snopes.com at:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp

I want a cute little economical car

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:39:33 GMT

That's all I really long for right now. My husband and I been sharing the broken down Buick LeSabre my Dad gave to me just before he died two years ago. David has been trying to get his little old Ford Aspire put back together, but every time he fixes one thing, another thing goes out. So we share, which isn't always easy. Now that I have a Day Job I'm working hard to pay off my credit cards and save a little money for emergencies. Suze Orman is my money guru, and things are going according to plan. But it sure would be nice to get myself a cute little car, really it would. My beautiful stepdaughter is also feeling the pain, since the car she was using was a spare from her boyfriend's family that gave out. We're all in a pickle when it comes to transportation. One thing is for sure, I'll be getting a used car because new cars don't make much sense financially. Except maybe the Cooper Mini. Even five years old, they're still asking 12,000 for them at Cars.com in my Zip Code. New ones start at around 19,000.

Lots of belt tightening is happening here at Applewood Cottage, but if I just give it more time I'll get the money saved up so I can drive something newish off the lot when the time comes. I'm hoping this time next year will work out, but we'll see.

http://icanhascheezburger.com

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:40:44 GMT

more animals

What's Up With Water Heaters?

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:59:19 GMT

I don't quite get it. A few months after moving into our old house in 2005, the water heater went out. We didn't have any savings, so we went out and purchased a new one opening up a new credit card at Sears. We just got done paying off that credit card, when what happens? The water heater has sprung a leak here at the new house. We just moved in a couple of months ago. This time we have a bit of emergency funds set aside for just such an occasion, but we'll have to scrounge for about half the bill. So we may have to get another water heater. I searched online and found this helpful site: http://www.thetankatwaterheaterrescue.com which I hope will give us some of the knowledge we need to take it to the next level. It only leaks when we have hot water going to the rest of the house. It's kinda weird.

I'm trying to get over this cold which would be a lot easier with a nice hot shower.

Frightfully Huge Print Update

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:59:43 GMT

Frightfully Good Art

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (a week early) !

There have been
so many changes to Wyrdhaven Studio over the past two weeks, it's
Spooky!! The thought of waiting until my November Newsletter to share it with all
of you HORRIFIED me, so here's the big news:

Wyrdhaven Gallery
is Now Open For Business!

Here's all the frightening details:

ALL LIMITED EDITIONS NOW IN MULTIPLE SIZES!

Though they are no longer signed & numbered,
THE PRICE IS LOWER than the prints I produced myself.
Each image will be retired when the total number of prints sold
reaches the original edition size.

BIGGER PRINTS...SMALLER PRINTS...EVEN PRINTS THAT ARE...

CUSTOM FRAMED TO YOUR ORDER

Choose your own style of mats and frame
and it's shipped directly to you ready to hang!

OR BUY THEM UNFRAMED AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FRAME SHOP

It's totally up to you. You even get to
choose what kind of paper you want it printed on, Enhanced Matte
like I always used, photo glossy, even Canvas!

Discount
on Shipping Through
October 31st!!

New
at Wyrdhaven Workshop

http://www.cafepress.com/wyrdhaven

Saturday
Sprite has arrived, and Lilith is making magic!!

Blog Highlights

I've updated the blog and now you can be a Fantasy Follower!

my blog is located at:

http://bethhansenbuth.blogspot.com/

That's
right, on the right hand side of the page there is an option to
be a Fantasy Follower, I have ONE so far, you'll have to click on
the tiny thumbnail to find out who. There is also an option to subscribe
to the blog, so you can keep up with absolutely all the Fantasy
News from Wyrdhaven Workshop. Here's what I've been talking about
lately:

Irish Fairies...On a Rainy Day...Autumn is for Apples

wyrdhaven studio ~ art gallery ~ gift shop ~ newsletter ~ ecards ~ about the artist ~ contact

Life and times of an artist/working woman

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:55:37 GMT

Being an artist working a day job can be a challenge sometimes. I love the stability it brings to my life, but they think I'm pretty average where I am. I'm used to being praised for my talent, so this has required a bit of an adjustment for me. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it is all. Since I'm 42 I figure I'll have at least 25 years of work ahead of me before I retire and become a full-time artist once again.

So I'm thinking of going back to school part-time since they offer tuition reimbursement where I work. I'd like to get a degree in Psychology I think. This would mean years and years of study on a part-time basis, so I'm not sure how I would fit it into my already hectic schedule. But I would finally get a degree, and it would give me more options as far as career path is concerned. I still would have to check the length and breadth of the reimbursement program, find a school that would take me that offers evening &/or online classes, and get accepted to a school.

A Very Jazzy Friday Night

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:21:43 GMT

Tonight I went directly to Eye of Horus after work for Friday Night Reiki. There was a client all ready and waiting for us to get all set up. He'd read about Reiki and wanted to try it out, and he brought his wife along for the ride too. It was fun to introduce somebody to Reiki for the first time. It was even more fun to hear the Reiki Session mentioned on Jazz88 while I wrote aboout it all in the Reiki Artist Blog. That's cause the client also hosts a radio show at this very cool, independent public radio station.

So I'm grooving to the Jazz on the radio, having pledged at the minimum one time payment level, and just having a wonderful and happy Friday night. This weekend is Pagan Pride and I'll be going on Friday afternoon to hang out with my sister at the Eye of Horus table and join in on the Reiki circle that will be happening there. This is definitely one of those life is good moments, when I'm living it to it's fullest. I've been reading The Tao of Pooh for the first time and it's really making life much more enjoyable when I look at it through the eyes of a stuffed bear. Looking at my life The Way Things Are, and living from moment to moment is definitely the way to go.

Peace Out,
Beth

Happy New Year!!

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:05:29 GMT

Ah the Jewish new year...I've got goodies for you all to celebrate. I completed the Lilith section on Wyrdhaven Workshop, so now there are all kinds of T-shirts, Mugs, Greeting Cards, Bags and more. For those of you not familiar with Lilith, she was Adam's first wife (yes Eve was the trophy wife) and she was created to be Adam's equal. She has since been demonized, and called the mother of all demons, but at another point she was called up to heaven to be Jehovah's wife for a little while. Anyway, here she is in all her glory:

Committed to Growing Wyrdhaven

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:48:58 GMT

Hello again. Today I was busy updating Wyrdhaven Workshop with more goodies, when I realized that I need to invite you all to friend me on Facebook! Here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1213140874&k=YZDZZ5VYS64M5GG1TEV5SW&r&v=2

I'm really enjoying it, I like the design, not all cluttered but plenty of fun apps to play with. I even got in touch with some friends from where I used to work 10 years ago. Pretty amazing huh? The other thing I did was update my website to have E-Cards again. This may just be inviting image theft, but I want it to be FUN again, that's what the web is supposed to be!

Expanding the Workshop

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:44:00 GMT

Wyrdhaven Workshop has been almost exclusively virtual for the past several months. It's scattered in various unpacked boxes on a variety of different floors of the new house. Key components are still at the old house, including my drawing table which I have been missing terribly lately.

After last month's Wyrdhaven newsletter, I got an email asking me if I'd stopped drawing and painting altogether. Well the only way to answer that is to say that it's not intentional and it's only a temporary situation. The Old House will be auctioned off to the highest bidder next month, if they can get anyone to bid on it that is. So we really need to get all of our stuff moved out. Hard to do with just a four door sedan, and me working full-time plus some overtime and my husband working lots of OT all the time just to keep up on the house payments at the New House. There actually is a spot in the new house where the studio can have a permanent home. So I will be able to do both Reiki and Painting in seperate spaces.

But keep in mind, a girl's gotta eat. I also have to get out of the debt I got into when trying to run a Full Time Art Business. I even spent every penny of my retirement savings so now at 42 I have nothing but an aging body and a bit of common sense to make sure I'm taken care of in my old age. It was an adventure, and I have even found myself missing the MN Ren Fest, which surprises me because it was a dismal failure business wise. So to those of you who thought I'd make a killing out there, you don't know what you're talking about.

I paint more when I'm financially stable. It's true, if I didn't have to worry about money I'd be painting every day. But the fact is, my work never sold well enough to pay the bills. It sold well enough to pay for itself and a little extra, but I never was able to make the big leap from hobby business to thriving full time business. Is it because I wasn't good enough? Certainly not! From what I can tell, my realistic style is much admired but not many people want to own something like that. It's just too real for them. I've been doing a lot of soul searching in the past year, including expanding my artistic and spiritual horizons with ReikiArtist.com.

Wyrdhaven Worshop is still going, but it's all online. I'm trying to get caught up with getting all of my artwork in my CafePress store, on all the products I want them on. It's taking a lot longer than I thought, but at least I'm back to regular updates there. The latest addition is a little something for Autumn, my favorite season:

Falling Leaves of Magical Beauty

Can you feel the wind in your hair? Something magical happens when autumn leaves fall, and this witchy beauty is in the middle of it. From an original pencil and pastel painting

Hockey Moms are for Obama

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:25:18 GMT

That's right, I said it out loud. Hockey Moms are for Obama here in Minnesota, at least all the ones I know are. The pundits and pollsters are calling this a battle-ground state, so well I'll teach them a thing or two about us Northern Girls then. When I was a wee little girl living in Edina we had the best backyard in the winter. All the kids in the neighborhood would come and play with us all the time. Why is that you wonder? Because along with our next door neighbor, we had a VERY FLAT back yard, and with the help of packed snow and a garden hose we made the most wonderful Ice Rink EVER. The only obstacle was a very large evergreen tree, but there was room for a little ice behind it. So we would skate around the tree, it was especially tricky when the hockey games got going.

You must understand that I am a Girly Girl myself, and not particularly athletic, but there was nothing quite like being out on the ice at night with the floodlights on. My older brother and his friends would often play hockey at night, which made it pretty exciting especially when the puck went missing by the tree. Then the flashlights would come out or we'd use another puck. Oh yes, I did try to play every once in a while. I wasn't very good, but we really did have a lot of fun. So, hockey is pretty darned important here in Minnesota if even girly-girls play it at a young age. So when Sarah Palin started yacking about being a Hockey Mom, I'd just about had it. Because hockey moms in these parts are not going to have her as a spokesperson.

So I decided to open a new CafePress store for all those Hockey Moms out there who want to stand up for Obama. It was just the right thing to do, and I want to support Obama and make sure he wins in Minnesota!

Everybody Wants What I Got

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:37:00 GMT

The sad thing is that nobody wants to pay for it. I just got an email through my ReikiArtist.com site from a "Reiki Master" who was just told that they needed to get permission to use anything they put on their new website that they found on the internet. Was...just...told...

Well thank goodness for that! I told them absolutely not!!! I worked hard writing and re-writing the content on my website, designing the pages, taking the photographs, and I'm not about to allow my website to be used by other Reiki Masters out there. Capeesh? So I took time out of MY busy life to find a good website to explain the situation to this person in more detail, and the best site I found was this: http://www.copyrightkids.org

I write stuff...I draw stuff...I design stuff...and I own the copyright to all that stuff until I've been dead for 70 years. Well kids, I'm still alive and kicking! People using my stuff without asking is like coming home to find a stranger sleeping in my bed. It makes me feel oooky and kind of violated.

I Don't Need Your Advice

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:32:23 GMT

I know people just want to be helpful...but a word of advice for fellow artists out there....

Until you've done 19 or more art shows in one year...physical art shows requiring that you stand there and sell your stuff...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've been interviewed for a podcast AND featured in a magazine like I have...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've been Artist Guest of Honor at two or more SF&F fantasy shows...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've sold a painting for $2,000 or more like I have...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've driven across at least 5 states just to get yourself and your art to an Art Show...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've had three One Woman Shows in a Gallery...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've done two years of a 7 weekend RenFest in bad weather...DON'T give me your advice
Until you've had to rent a UHaul just to get your artwork back to the state you live in because your transmission went out on your van and you had to sell it for $50.00 to the hotel clerk...DON'T give me your advice

In my few short years as a professional artist, all these things happened to me and much, much more. So show a little respect to somebody who was out there in the trenches working day after day, week after week, and doing the best she could to find an audience for her art.

WTF?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:12:58 GMT

I FINALLY get Blue Moon Faery up and running in my CafePress store and somebody posts it in their Photobucket account, stealing my copyright. Do tell me what I did to deserve this Karmically, because I just don't get it. Copyright infringement of artists is one of the most vile things you can do. Mainly because it's so damn hard to make a living off of your talent. What is clear to me from the image, which I will not link to here, is that it's one of my prints scanned in with my signature cut off, because it's missing the bottom portion of my artwork. It is SO NOT OK to scan pictures and post them on the internet people! The only way I know about this stuff is when somebody emails me.

I hope whoever did this also blows through their life savings at the age of 40 and get's their house foreclosed. Because trying to make a living as an artist brought those two events about for me. Enough already.

I'm Baaaaack...

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:59:08 GMT

I was away a lot longer than I intended. I really needed a break from the web and time to get settled into the new digs. As you can see I got rid of the Wyrdness of the design and title because I want this to be my Everything journal. I still have to make a button for my Fantasy blog, and I'll add that whenever I get around to it. For your convenience I've added link buttons at the bottom of each entry, because I do tend to update my Reiki Artist Blog the most frequently, and I'm actively updating my Wyrdhaven Workshop site right now. There is a backlog of artwork that needs to be added.

One of the changes which you can't see is that I'm now writing this from my Reiki Artist Studio. This is a big improvement over the dungeon that I used to write from. It's much more Cat Friendly and is a lot prettier in decor than my old space. Creatively, I have done a new design for the Reiki Artist Store and finally got around to getting Blue Moon Faery up at Wyrdhaven Workshop. I absolutely encourage you to shop often at both of my CafePress stores, because they have cool products that you can't buy in stores.

So now you can curl up with your bliss or the Blue Moon Faery. Follow Your Bliss is a phrase that was coined by mythologist Joseph Campbell, and if you haven't seen the series of video interviews with Bill Moyers, I highly recommend them. So I'm back, I'm being creative, and I'm getting caught up on the Wyrdhaven Workshop project which began a year ago.

Oh yeah, and I'm not at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival this year, I'm done with that phase of my life. Before last season started I made a business decision that if sales didn't improve by at least 10% over my first year, I wouldn't go back. Well my sales went down, so here I am, cozy in my pajamas in Brooklyn Center looking forward to a fun weekend at home.

I'll be away for a bit...

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:28:45 GMT

...we're moving all the big stuff and that includes my computer, so I'll be gone until I get the internet hooked up at the new place. It'll give me times to paint the rooms a decent color. ;)

Journal as Avoidance Tactic

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:59:22 GMT

I am avoiding packing up my cherished belongings. And all my husband's books and videos...he has a lot of those. But if we're going to get stuff moved over to Apple Wood Cottage (a.k.a. plan B), it has to happen sooner or later. Personally, I'd rather it be sooner, because I'm a Gemini and I Want Change to Happen Now. That way I can get on with doing all the fun stuff that I really want to do, like maybe even do art and paint.

That's right, I said the P word. I've been thinking about it lately, and we've decided that the easel get's a corner all it's own just opposite the ritual space. Pretty neat huh? The Reiki Studio will be all on it's own, except this time the computer will be there as well. It makes it much easier to schedule your next Reiki appointment when all I have to do is log in and call up the Calendar.

But I do get a little wet in the eyes every now and again when I think about things. This is not how things were supposed to go, but I like lemonade and we're making a big old batch of that to tide us over through the hot sticky difficult months ahead. And all the air conditioners will be put into place as well. So I'm not moping, I'm hoping for a new start. The fun part is we will be throwing a big party at the end of July to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. The theme will be Hawaii 5-0. David's idea, and it's his party after all.