Love From Lily

Easter Sunday Discovery

Easter Sunday Discovery
Originally uploaded by LoveFromLily

We were just about to take the Christmas wreath off the front door on Easter Sunday and discovered that a little mama bird and her eggs had moved in. Today, I carefully moved the wreath to a nearby wall and thankfully, mama bird is happy with the new location!

Avoiding Sand Traps

Whelp, here I am working as an artist and sometimes it seems like the 'art' part eludes me. Like every other small business owner in this economy, I'm trying to determine the best course of action for the coming months and create a solid plan—which is hard to do when the base of the economy appears to be built on a pier of SAND!

My mind is spinning with new ideas and ways to execute my creative vision without breaking the bank. Apparently, you can take the girl out of marketing, but you can't take marketing out of the girl.

The great thing about starting a business in bad economy is there is no place to go but up. But the reality is that you are going to find out rather quickly if you're going to pass or fail. Adaptability is key. And sometimes that means changing what you produce, or how you produce what you make. Marketing is a trial and error process. You give it your best shot, listen carefully to the feedback and modify things as you go until you've got it right.

Oh, you mean selling out? You ask?

Not exactly.

I strongly believe that you have to invest your time and money in creating what you love. And I truly mean that. If you don't love it, chances are good no one else will either. This is especially true of art. Uninspired work does not inspire! At the same time, I don't see anything wrong with creating for an audience—as long as you put a part of yourself into your work.

In recent weeks there have been plenty of ideas pondered, executed and trashed in my studio. And that is all part of the creative process for any business. You're going to end up with a few wads of paper in the trash!

Most importantly, I am open to the possibilities of this moment!

In Earnest,
TC

Happy New Year!

And so goes the march of time! Another year is here! And to think I thought I would never make it to age 25, always believing that some horrible accident or disease or random murderer would take me out. I'm on a never ending quest, so it seems.

I'm a little slow in putting together my goals for the new year. Perhaps I'm being a bit careful for once as I feel the time is getting shorter and I've got to pick what I'd like to accomplish a bit more studiously than years past.

I haven't yet worked out the specifics, however my overriding goal in 2009 is to focus on general happiness and the behaviors and actions that will support it. For me this means in a nutshell that less is more. Buying less. Eating less. Stressing less—all with the intention of making more space for the things that are good and create peace and happiness in my life: Family. Friends. Pets. Nature. Art.

Here's to a wonderful New Year!