Finding the Key to Happiness Part 1: Gratitude

     There has been so much written about happiness and what makes some people live in a perpetual state of contentment, and some people constant grumps.  In reading these articles, and through my own experiences, I see a common thread that really shows us the best road to living the happy life.  Let me just preface this with saying that I am not necessarily a "happy all the time" person.  I have days when I feel sad, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, and any other negative emotions that come my way.  However, I am not a constant grump either, and if you've ever run into someone like that, you can't help but to feel sorry for them and the miserable cloud they seem to live under.  Negative emotions are part of life, and part of who we are as people, so I don't think you can totally run away from them, but with practice, there are ways to change your way of thinking to allow more sunshine into your life.
     One thing that I see listed time and time again on the traits of happy people is gratitude.  It is recommended to list things that you are grateful for everyday, even if this list is as simple as a roof over your head, a safe place to sleep, and food on the table.  Our culture and perhaps human nature in general gives us the inclination to be very self-focused.  Our daily problems seem less significant when you stop to realize that whatever you are dealing with that day, an unexpected big bill, problems a with a co-worker, hurt feelings, major traffic on the way to something important, etc..., someone, somewhere has it a lot worse and would gladly change places with you.  Sometimes you just need a little perspective.  I am not trying to sound preachy.  Believe me, I grumble about the small stuff, too.  One of my frustrations is lack of time to work on the things I would like to work on, so I get frustrated with things that consume my time.  I found myself grumbling about having to take my car in for an oil change. Is it really some great burden to hand my car keys over to someone who will toil over it in the heat of the day while I sit in an air-conditioned waiting room and page through an outdated magazine or two? Another thing I grumble about is grocery shopping, which some people seem to really enjoy but I simply do not.  Do I really have any right to grumble about having enough money in my wallet that I can go in this gigantic store full of food I buy what I'd like?  Sometimes, it really does take I little bit of thinking adjustment to keep that sense of perspective.
     In the world of art, there are many frustrations, and things that can get us down.  We spend a lot of time trying to learn a new technique, only to have failed results.  We can wake up at 5am, truck all of our wares to an all day show and sell absolutely nothing.  The list could go on and on, and it is easy to let these things turn us into grumps.  We must always take a few moments to realize how truly lucky we are.  My way of dealing with my lack of time frustrations is to be grateful for my creativity and the fact that I have any ideas at all, because it is far better to have too many ideas and not enough time, than to have too much time and no ideas.

Dare to Dream

    
This necklace was inspired by the famous dancer Mata Hari.  I have long admired women who had the courage to live their lives without apology and be true to themselves, no matter what hardship was thrown her way.  Her story is a tragic one.  Escaping an unhappy marriage to a much older man, she managed to reinvent herself as a dancer, and made quite a name for herself in Paris.  In 1917 she was executed by firing squad on charges of spying for the Germans during World War I.  It has been said that she refused to be blindfolded as she bravely faced her death.  I'm sure that some people will always believe she was a spy, but many historians now believe that there was simply not enough evidence.  We have a long history in many cultures of holding women who made their living independent of men (like dancers) in great suspicion,.  This, I believe, was her real crime.  At a time when women's options were so very limited, it took great courage to try to live her life as she wanted, not in the way that was expected of her.

     We all still face a metaphorical firing squad when trying to pursue our dreams.  That line of critics ready to fire away at our heart with doubt, discomfort, self- criticism, and frustration.  Do we put on a blindfold and cower in fear, or step bravely forward and face the onslaught?  Art takes courage and the ability to venture out of your comfort zone to take a few risks.  As for me, I am trying to keep my blindfold off.

The Art of Puttering

     Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines the verb putter as "to move or act aimlessly or idly; to work at random; tinker.  Personally, I have perfected the act and state of  working aimlessly.  It is the thing I do when my house gets overwhelming and I can't seem to focus on one certain task. When this happens (which is often), I resort to aimless puttering.  Start by sort that pile of papers on the kitchen counter (oh, there's that school paper I was supposed to send in yesterday!), I end up finding an important paper which needs to be filed upstairs.  Going upstairs to file that important paper will result in me noticing I need to organize the computer desk.  Organizing the computer desk, I notice some CDs I put in my iTunes library that need to be put away.  Putting away the CDs will result in me noticing we still have Dora the Explorer VHS tapes stacked by our TV (my daughter declared herself too old for Dora a while ago).  I put the Dora tapes in a box to go in the garage ( until I get time to putter in there).  While in the garage I notice something else, and so on... You get the idea.  It begins to sound like a grown-up version of one of those "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" books.  Yes, it is aimless, but certainly not idle.  Running up and down the stairs to put things away is very far from idle, and always makes me realize the ludicrousness of those StairMaster machines.  Even if the act of puttering lacks a goal, I still actually get things done.  I find things that are lost, fill up our recycling with outdated papers and magazines, and things eventually start to look just a little bit neater and under control.
     The same thing happens from time to time in my studio when I feel unfocused and overwhelmed and I'm not sure what to work on.  I putter in my studio and start going through old jewelry I haven't gone through in a while.  I find things that were lost, and think about new uses for things that have been laying around.  These earrings are the direct result of aimless puttering.  They are comprised almost entirely of recycled vintage and newer jewelry.  Things that have long been discarded by its original owner get a new chance to come back as something else.  Even the chandelier components where once multi-strand necklace connectors.  Each one of them becomes like a little puzzle I have to put together to make them just right.  I have made and sold many of these earrings, and each one I've made I've been tempted to keep because I love them so much.  They are truly original and one of a kind.  So my advice is to indulge in a little aimless puttering every now and then.  Sometimes the result can be pretty cool!

Time Flies

 

     Time flies.  Isn't that always the truth?  It is fitting that I write this on my daughter's eighth birthday, as nothing possibly reminds you of the quick passage of time then the marking of age.  It is true that those eight years seemed like a whirlwind, but when I really stop to look back what has happened in her life during those years, they seem way too full to have passed that quickly.  She has learned so many things in this short time to grow into the wonderful person she is becoming.  Yes, the years have flown by, but they have been years full of amazing things.  The same feeling applies when I look back on the last eight years of my life and celebrate all that has transpired.  I have watched my children grow, go to school and become more independent.  I have traveled, developed my jewelry business, learned a wealth of new creative skills, learned to bellydance, read many great books, met many amazing new people, and have been published in a national magazine.  My advice is to not worry about how quickly the time goes, just enjoy the ride as much as possible.
     I made this necklace using one of my new skills, metal etching.  The centerpiece was made with a rubber stamp.  I hangs on a beaded necklace with some extra chain pieces draped in the background.  I loved the way this came out so much that I had to make a similar one to keep for myself.  It is a great reminder to take advantage of the time that is given to me.

Spring Fever



     It's that time of year again!  It's that time when even those die-hard fans of winter start dreaming about warmer days ahead.  I've always enjoyed the spring the most out of any of the seasons.  There is just something about making in through the cold winter months and seeing those first few buds bloom on the trees that gives a deep sense of appreciation for the cycles of life.  I've never believed in making resolutions on the new year. It's still cold and dark in January that the only thing I want to do is stay inside and eat more chocolate.  Spring always seems a time of renewed hope and fresh start.  It's a time to clean out the closets and try new things.  I have been trying to use some more color in some of my designs.  After working so much in the sepia tones, I think just as I am craving the sight of the first crocuses, I am needing to add more color in my creative endeavors.  My favorite new piece is the necklace on the far left with the purple fairy.  I wear it with some of my neutral toned clothes and, just like the first flowers of spring, it adds just the right surprise of color.   I know that everyone is complaining about the first day of spring being so cold, but I know that warmer days are ahead.  It's still enough for me to know that within the next month will come days when I can shed jackets and replace my boots with sandals.  Even though Phil lied, keep being patient.  Spring is coming!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

     I recently started reading Twyla Tharpe's book " The Creative Habit".  It explores the challenge of making creativity a habit and getting through "writer's blocks" and other such difficulties.  I have only just begun it so I still have a long way to go.  At the beginning of chapter 3, there is a questionnaire called "your creative autobiography" which asks you to explore your creative history in order to understand your "creative DNA" (I'm not going to explain this, just read the book).  Anyway, the first question is "What is the first creative moment you remember?"  This was a very hard question for me to answer for I have to go way to my childhood, before I even thought of myself as a creative person (that has only been very recent).  The moment I came back to had to do with my Breyer model horse collection.  Being a horse crazy kid, I had a healthy collection of them that I loved to play with.  One day when I was in the toy store with my mother, I saw the great barn set, complete with tack, fences, jumps, and probably anything else you could possibly think of.  Basically, it was a deluxe doll house for toy horses.  Of, course I pointed it out to my mother for a possible gift. Never got it.  I pointed it out to my grandmother. Never got it (and you know if grandma didn't get it for you, nobody would).  I don't know why nobody bought it for me.  Perhaps it was tremendously expensive or looked poorly made to my mother, but whatever the reason, I am thankful that nobody purchased it for me.  If they had I would never have spent an entire rainy Sunday afternoon constructing a barn and fences for my horses out of cardboard boxes, and saddles and bridles out of cloth and elastic from my mother's sewing stash.  This was the first time I remember creating something without help, directions, a kit, or any other guidance of that sort.  I simply created what I so desired out of the resources I had available to me.
     This is how it sometimes goes with the creative process.  Often the desire for something very specific sparks the fire of innovation.  I know many people who have gotten into beaded jewelry making because they wanted a certain color or style of necklace to wear with a special outfit.  So it went with some of the belly dance accessories I have created recently.  The first tribal fusion headdress I made came out of a need for something to go with certain costume pieces.  I have since made two costume bra tops, and many hair accessories.  Some very special pieces I have sold to other dancers and have enjoyed watching them perform with something beautiful that I created.  This last piece I made is also for sale, and I'm sure it will look fabulous on the lucky dancer.  It was made with love out of up-cycled jewelry pieces and vintage ribbon and lace.  As I continue to become more involved with the dancing, I'm sure I will have many other creations to add to my collection of belly dance costume accessories.  Stay tuned!

Finding your Own Petite Trianon

     I was very blessed to have the opportunity to take a brief trip to Paris, France just last week.  It still remains my favorite city.  Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the splendid Palace of Versailles.  What was most interesting about this visit was the opportunity to visit Marie Antionette's Petite Trianon, which was completely closed the first time I was in Paris.  This small palace was given to her by her husband Louis XVI as her own personal retreat from palace life.  This building was still quite grand and not at all "petite" by our regular living standards but compared to the main palace one can understand the name. On the grounds and gardens behinds this little palace, lay the remains of what looked like a little peasant village, which was in fact, a regular working farm that she like to stay at to escape life at Versailles.  It is endlessly amusing that one could live in a palace with all the adorable shoes, fancy clothes, and grand meals you could possibly desire and still need such an escape.  On the other hand, I get it completely.  We all get busy and overwhelmed with our lives and need to escape and simplify.  Life at Versailles, as grand as it was, must have been very overwhelming at times.  I think I would want to escape it sometimes too.  One thing that I always notice when I travel to Europe is is how much simpler they all seem to live.  They just don't seem to fill their lives with as much extra"stuff" as we do here in the states.
     This bracelet has nothing to do with Marie Antionette or Paris, but I created it as a reminder to find quiet and peace in life.  One does not need a little palace, or a house in the Poconos to find your own Petite Trianon.  Finding and making time to do things you enjoy is important,and shouldn't always be put last on the priority list of life.  Make time in life to read a book, tend a garden, learn something you always wanted to learn, take walks, or just take a moment out of your day to write in a journal.  Do this and you will feel rich enough.  This bracelet is a mix of two of my favorite techniques, metal etching and resin.  The collage at the center made out of a discarded watch back.  The etchings on the copper piece were made with my favorite collage stamp.  It is my hope that any future owner of this bracelet be reminded to slow down, and not get too overwhelmed by the loudness of our lives.