Catching Up
Whew!! Here I am after a posting hiatus. The cause of these hiatuses is generally due to an unbalance in my life somewhere. Too much busy-ness in one area of my life that pulls energy from other areas. I’m on vacation from work now, so I have the opportunity to rebalance. And I’m grateful for it. Too many in the working class don’t get adequate (or any) vacation time.
Exciting Things
Now that I’m rebooting and rebalancing, there are some things I’m proud to write about. The main thing being that I’m opening my art and crafts to the broader world!! Like, for real!!
You wouldn’t know it, but I’ve been secretly creating the infrastructure to run Living Daringly as a business for years. And I mean *years*! Fictitious names, ability to take online payments, bank accounts, city permits, etc…
And I’ve done soft offerings. An offering here or there. I’ve also given a ton of my creations away as gifts, which I look forward to continuing!
But now I want to be more intentional about putting myself, my art, and my crafts out there. I’m vending at markets. (My first was a few weeks back. My next one is this Saturday!! Check out the calendar on the main page for other upcoming events.) I’m looking forward to connecting with folks that appreciate unique, handmade art and crafts. I’m also excited to connect with those who might want to learn with me, since I know I want to expand into teachings too!
I’m also challenging myself to get my art out into the world. I’m creating pieces for two calls to artists right now. One for a White Art Party, hosted by Ekeko Gallery. 60% of the piece needs to be white. What a challenge! The second is for Art for a Cause, hosted by DRV Gallery. This one is a little more self-explanatory. I don’t know if either piece will be accepted in the jurying processes, but I love the challenge of creating these pieces. One might be done, and one is getting close.
The Holidays
I’ll be honest: I feel self-conscious about this business thing. I know how hard the holidays can be for some folks. I don’t even like the consumerism of the holidays. The feeling that we *must* buy gifts for our loved ones right around now. I even pushed back against the idea as a child. (I do, however, like giving really thoughtful gifts that I’m pretty darn sure the person will connect with.)
But here I am. Out at markets. Selling my art and crafts. Wondering if I deserve this feeling of maybe being a hypocrite, while also feeling proud
My wish to you is that you spend the holidays in a way that feeds your soul, not depletes it. If buying gifts is part of your winter holiday tradition that you enjoy, and it doesn’t completely ravage your bank account, I invite you to consider my wares. Each is 100% handmade by me: with love, curiosity, and healing. And many of my offerings (check out my shop) can be customized so they are truly unique to your loved ones.
Buying local or from independent artists sure beats buying from the big box stores, who already have too much money and don’t give enough back. I actually pay my taxes, and I donate to worthy causes too. Just saying…
Thank you
If you’ve read thus far, thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of my community. Thank you supporting me through your readership, and I hope you’ll continue to support me as I grow this space!
Take care of yourself over the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond, whatever that looks like for you. You deserve it.
Closing Out
If you are interested in keeping up with the shop portion of the website, you can join my monthly e-mail list here. You’ll be entered to win a free … something … every month, and you’ll keep up-to-date with where I’m vending and new offerings I may have. And keep me in mind for any birthdays, celebrations, holidays you may have coming up. Chances are I can cook up just the thing for whatever the occasion!! (Check out the shop for some ideas.)
May we hold kind thoughts,
kind words,
and kind actions and intentions.
Namaste.