10 Random Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me:

    

1.       I like the song “Footloose” and not in the ironic way, rather in the “turn this up, this is my jam way”. 

2.       I am fanatical about toe nail polish.  It bothers me to no end when women wear sandals without toe nail polish.  Gross!

3.       I hoard hair products like they are going out of style, but hate doing my hair.  When the zombie apocalypse happens, I intend to die with great hair. (Note to self: buy more dry shampoo!)

4.       I work messy.  Stuff everywhere, paint flying, scraps of metal and gemstones scattered everywhere.

5.       I tear inspiration pages out of magazines, let them pile up for a year and then go back through them only to forget what I liked about them to begin with.

6.       I get giddy when working in a new medium, like I have found the meaning of life each and every time.  Then I try a new one and it starts all over again.

7.       It weirds me out to have white walls.  We have white walls in our house for the first time ever because I thought a blank slate would be inspiring.  It is overwhelming instead.

8.       I cannot live without hand lotion.  I lotion excessively, to the point of compulsion.

9.       I love a good cry, any kind of cry but I absolutely detest crying in front of people.  In the rare instance that I cry in front of you, pretend like you don’t see it.

10.   It feels foreign to refer to myself as an artist.  This is a term I think is applied too loosely.  I am rather a maker of pretty things who wants to be an artist when she grows up.

Learning Curve

In the adventures of building this crazy business, I have been learning so much, not only about how the wonderful world of Etsy works but also about who I am as a person, a mother and as a maker.  I have learned that my sweet Caroline comes first and family time is precious.  I have learned to set limitations, realizing that there are only so many hours in the day and some have to be devoted to sleep.  I have learned that I can grow and change, but the essence of who I am remains the same.  I have been known to flit from project to project, my studio a constant catastrophe of supplies and elements, projects in various stages of completion.  I have come to accept that this will not change.  This it is how I am.  I love so many mediums and dabble in all things.   Rather than worry over mastery, I embrace the flaws in my work as I embrace the flaws in myself, I prefer to think of them as lovable quirks.    I am treating my shop as I treat my life, appreciating the variety and color that marks my world.  Lots of new things to come…stay tuned to see what hatches next in the crazy, beautiful world that is Belle Reve Designs.

Striving for Balance and Escaping the Creative Doldrums

Sometimes, in doing the business of creating we lose the joy of the creating itself.  Learning to balance both aspects is always a challenge.  Over the last few weeks, I have been really focused on the shop and building the business itself, learning the ins and outs, social networking, taking and retaking photos to get them just right.  I began to feel disconnected from my craft and began that bizarre spiral of doubt that can overtake me and make me question the decision to try and merge creativity with business.  “Will earning my living doing what I love kill my love for it?”  I really needed to put in some studio time to remember the joy of simply making and to get back the balance.  To brighten my dreary mood, I made a few pieces in sunny colors.  Hope their color and spirit make you smile a little.

Fresh Eyes

I have been feeling stagnant lately, both artistically and personally.  In my search for inspiration and motivation to move while the munchkin was sleeping, I began to look through old vacation photos.  Once upon a time, I hated photos that did not have people in them.  I saw them as valueless.  How could they possibly help preserve a memory when there was no face attached?  My feelings changed about two years ago as I began a deeper exploration of my artistic self.  I began snapping buildings, did a flower study, photographed the beautiful and odd around me.  While I am certainly not a professional behind the lens, taking a tour of these photos, these preserved little moments of beauty has helped freshen my eyes.

Opening Up

Those that know me personally can attest, I do not open up easily, making the idea of blogging nearly laughable.  I hope you will all be patient with me as I attempt to open up my life and my art to you.  So let’s just dive right in.  My four month old daughter, having inherited her mother’s sass, has definitive expressions and much of my life now seems devoted to capturing them on film.  She has levels of “Pouty Face,” a name my husband termed for her particular brand of cranky baby expressions.  It can be a regular “Pouty Face” comprised of simple downward and outward turning of the lip or it can be the full blown “Super Pouty Face” which also includes a wrinkled forehead, angry eyes, and a rather interesting whiny noise before she goes into full blown meltdown mode.   In fact, not twenty minutes ago, my husband managed to capture one of these adorable angries with his camera phone while I tried desperately to stave off the mini-meltdown she was barreling towards.  As I made her smile, followed promptly by voluminous spitting up, I began to laugh and feel strangely inspired to share, odd considering how earlier in the evening I was fretting over having nothing to say.    Motherhood has come with its obvious joys and its obvious tribulations.  I have experienced significant creative block or inspiration at odd hours fueled by exhaustion and often forgotten before I could write it down or sketch it out.  There are also the few pieces I have managed to complete in between naps and bottle washing and laundry.   As I embark on the journey of trying to share my adventures in making while balancing motherhood, I seek inspiration and sleep.  I bid you all Bonne Nuit, as I am off to cuddle a baby who has been eagerly staring at me while I finish the first of my blogs to share with you, whoever you are.