A Room of My Own

A room of one's own is a luxurious thing. My new job at the Springfield Regional Arts Council has its own office, complete with a window, nice lighting, and a chair on wheels. It. Is. Amazing. Part of me wants to set up shop there permanently, and bring my art supplies and easels for when …

Q&A with Crystal Moody

In 2016, I decided I needed to be more intentional with my creative process, but had a hard time knowing how to start. Enter Crystal Moody, and her Year of Creative Habits. It's a guided program to help artists of all media set goals and work toward them in a 365-day span. Crystal checks in …

Dream Diary Project: Black Animals

I started The Dream Diary Project in January as a way to commit to intentional artistic creation, have a theme, a focal point, and a goal. I always dream, and I always dream BIG. In fact, I've been keeping track of dreams since elementary school, writing them in journals. By interpreting dreams visually, I'm able …

Q&A with Michelle

Michelle Houghton is one of those gals that's good for the soul. After some one-on-one time with her, I guarantee you'll feel like you can conquer the world, be an expert succulent grower, and paint until you faint. She makes it look easy, but is honest about the hard work and determination it takes to …

Creative Opportunities in June

Near or far, here are some opportunities that might be up your alley if you are looking to push yourself creatively, desire accountability, or want to finally dive in feet first. For Artists of All Media All Over the World (Crafters, Knitters, Drawers, Painters, Quilters, Photographers, Writers!): Queen City Art Swap Artist Trading Card Registration …

Working Hard, or Hardly Working?

Having a booth at ArtsFest was a great learning experience, a lot of fun, and totally exhausting (I'm hoping to get down my thoughts about it soon!). There's a reason I chose to focus on art over the last few years, and it's because my body gets tired very easily. Working full steam for months …

Newsletters

I am obsessed. I love newsletters. I always have. I love writing them, reading them, making them, sharing them. Here are a few I receive that are worth checking out: AUSTIN KLEON, a writer who draws...or is he a drawer who writes? Either way, his book "Show Your Work" was the cheerleader I needed to get …

Permission

I didn’t get the job. I applied for a marketing position at a local arts advocacy group, and made it to the final 2 candidates in what seemed to be an extremely competitive process, considering I had three interviews with a total of six different people. The job itself came to me by serendipity. I …

End of August

At night, I dream of zombies and being locked in old hotels floating on rivers; of giant tidal waves from Lake Michigan splashing into my 5th floor balcony window, while I am unphased, drinking coffee; of a constant knocking noise that turns out to be a dog throwing a bone at the wall; an airport …

My Kid Could Paint That

"Machine Holding Two Crystals," acrylic and Sharpie on canvas, 2014 Nicole and Jasper   If you can't beat them, let them join you. But only sometimes, because letting kids paint with acrylics and gouache and expensive brushes, for me, is stressful and energy-sapping. I feel less creative when my children paint with me, because I …