Illuminating Blogger Award

How exciting! CJ from Food Stories has nominated me for the Illuminating Blogger Award.
I have to say I was quite chuffed to be nominated, as it means that CJ considers my blog 'illuminating' and that's pretty much what I'm going for. I really do believe we have unlimited potential and I'm so happy to know that at least one person has found my blog inspiring in this way.

I am always on the look-out for fellow bloggers with much the same attitude and would like to make my own nominations. These are blogs I find incredibly interesting, touching, and inspiring.

The Art of Non-Conformity - A fantastic example of loving what you do and making what you love how you make a living. He has just recently published a book and is on tour in the UK.

300 Pounds Down - This blog is brilliant. I love this woman because she is an example of standing up and taking control of your life. She knows that enacting change is scary but necessary and in the end, completely worth it because you'll be stronger for it.

How To Work From Home - This is a fabulous resource for the self employed. It's a collaborative blog so there isn't a single author to credit but many thanks to Judy for setting it up.

Wired to Worry - Christine is an incredible psychologist and very talented cartoonist. Her blogs are both entertaining and thought provoking.

An Accident of Hope - 'The Artist in the Office' is a fantastic resource and Summer's blog is an extension of that and so much more. She's a polymath and a fantastic example of creating a life you love.

I'd like to thank all five of these bloggers for sharing their insight by nominating them for the Illuminating blogger Award.

Trees for Life

I do love trees.

2011 has been declared the international year of the forest and a Canadian artist living in Scotland has decided to put on an exhibition celebrating these magnificent plants. He's sent out a call to all artist via his blog and my partner picked up on it and forwarded me the details.

Today I sat outside, enjoying the warm May sunshine, and made this piece.

The text reads:

And so he sat under the tree and endeavoured to obtain enlightenment.

I'm really happy with the end result given that, when I started, I really had no idea what I was going to create. I usually have a pretty good idea of my work in my mind's eye, but this time there was nothing. Just the feeling of contentedness I have when sat beneath a tree or up in its branches. I love the feel of their bark beneath my hands, the gnarled roots below, the canopy of green above. I hope I captured that feeling with this.

Adventures in Blogging!

I used to dislike Blogs because I felt like anyone and everyone could have on and most of them seemed to go by the wayside or be of little importance to anyone but the writer. This was probably because my personal experience with a blog was my very own diaryland account, where I expelled my teenage angst throughout high school and into my young adulthood. I used it for my own whims and much of what I wrote on it held a voyeuristic quality I no longer adhere to. When I chose not to continue with it, to lock it permanently and cease entries, I felt my days of online self expression were over and done with.

I'd begun this blog at that point but I was making a staunch effort to keep it Just About Art. It was stale and I didn't like writing in it because it felt so scripted. My psychologist (bless her) pushed me to use it more, explaining the benefits of it as a social media tool for ones personal business. I paraded out excuses for not wanting to partake but she always had a block for them.

Eventually I gave in and I'm so glad that I did. I've discovered the benefits of them in their full force. I find advice between the lines; direction, tips and tutoring from fellow artists; amusing anecdotes and wonderful opportunities. Blogs opened up so much to me so quickly and every week I find myself visiting the same few. I'm working on it, working on maintaining my own in a healthy way, but also working on how the ones I follow can feed my creativity and business sense.

I've got loads of blogs saved to my RSS feed, but today I began copying those links to my own blog. I know how important this exchange can be and for anyone who has ever felt that no one would want to read what they have to write, remember that there is a huge audience out there. You need only find yours.

The Nature of the Blog

Occasionally I will get an e-mail or comment from someone who reads my Blog asking if it's O.K. that they read it. Generally I'm just amazed and pleased by the breadth of readers I apparently have. I also appreciate the compliments I get, regarding what and how I write.

No, this is not 'private' by any means. I have a personal journal which accompanies me most everywhere, into which I compose my thoughts of the day. Very often the words written there make it to this Blog, but I don't share anything on here which isn't open to anybody or everybody to read. Indeed, the more readers, the merrier! I'm always pleased to hear that someone enjoyed something I'd written and I love that people are interested in my work and adventures.

It's one of the most important things that fuels me in what I do. I can be the greatest artist or writer, but if no one looks at my work and no one reads what I've written, then what does it amount to?

When I started this Blog I was quite hesitant about it. There are so many Blogs out there and so many people using Social Media for personal marketing that the idea of going this route intimidated me. Of course it was just another excuse not to do what I truly love. Another excuse why I couldn't be leading the life I wanted.

The trick to Blog writing is to be different. Yes, there are billions out there and there are some more prominent ones with large followings, but that doesn't mean they have mass appeal. Indeed, they may only have fifty or sixty followers, but each person counts and each person is someone who appreciates what they've found. For the Blogs I follow, I know it has nothing to do with how many other people read them. I follow them because I like the artists work or what the Blogger has to say. I appreciate their way of writing or what it is they're writing about.

I love that my Blog is interesting, as that is what I hope for it. I love going about my day, pondering what to write about next. Is it going to be a new London Journal entry? More about the music that inspires me? Have I completed a painting or project which I'm eager to share?

Today I'm just happy to write about how much I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to read this. Whether you read every post or your drop in only occasionally, your interest is a great motivator.

So thank you.

And now...as I've just bought the stuff, I'm going to go play with Gouache.