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Showing posts with label article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label article. Show all posts

Monday, August 1, 2011

Manual of power for the artist

I put this on my DA as well if you want to read it there... :)


Dear artists of the world,

Where do I even start? I come online everyday and more likely then not I have to hear yet another person's trails and tribulations about "being an artist". Its either in trying to find a style, trying to stay true to yourself, wanting more criticism, telling people to piss off because of criticism, trying to be popular, wanting to live off by doing what they love, and/or thousand other things.

When the rubber hits the road us artists can agree that being an artist is FUCKING HARD. God forbid if you're on the internet trying to make your way because so many of us is left behind in the dust while a select few makes their dreams come true. Tough world, eat it or get out. Don't be an artist if you can't take consist shit and bricks to your emotional face. Don't even start if you can't handle being judged by the world by what and how you draw (or other wise) because that's basically what you're doing from that moment on...

That last paragraph you just read. Is a complete lie... Everything, every single word, your mind just got blown (or not).

Being an artist is NOT HARD, YOU CAN make your own way on the internet, YOU CAN become popular. YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING BY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE. It is all possible and very achievable for anyone that wants it, but there is one thing standing in your way. Yourself and what you THINK you can and can not do aka your beliefs!

What you think and believe directs your outcome of your life as an artist and life itself.

Think about that second paragraph again. Did you agree with one or more statements, did it completely resonate with you because that's the same thing you have been going though? Well, we are about to punch every single one of those statements in the face twice, but you have to promise to have A LOT of patience with yourself because this is just the beginning. The beginning to finding your own magical world where your true artistic abilities are held and everything else that you ever wanted.

First and foremost stop what your doing, for god's sake get off the internet and bust out some lined paper and a pencil to reinvent yourself! Write down every single thing that you want as an artist and just as a person.

This is not the time to be "humble", you can be humble when your dead, if you want popularity then write it down! If you want to make a lot of money by drawing (or any craft) write it in all caps, engrave it in your mind! Write down every single thing that you want to have right now.

How do you feel about all your aspirations and dreams? Does it feel good just to write them or are you nervous because you made the greatest of sins for wanting so much? Either way, listen to your feelings because they are telling you something. Something important about yourself and how you approach the world.

Write those feelings down or just express them. Good, bad, sadness, or depression it doesn't matter just write them down. Don't just write the emotions down, write the "reason" behind the feelings. Does those feelings come from other people's opinions? Did those feelings resulted in what you were told, or what you assumed in the world? Write the whole story down, make it real again and feel those emotions again.

All those icky feelings, opinions, and beliefs you have about yourself, as an artist or just as a person is the very reason why you can't get what you want. You literally built a stone box (aka your feelings and beliefs) around you blocking you from the sunshine that you seek. You chiseled and chiseled at a small part of that wall to invite a small ray of light. Then you go to another part of the wall and try again. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. But out of the "whole world" that is out there the most you get are the small rays of yellow light. Don't down your rays of light, be proud of them that you can chisel through a godly tough stone wall to get them.

But you're craving more light, more sun, and more of "what is out there" in your unique world of talent. Don't down that part either, if you want more then you are a natural non-corrupted human being. Don't let others (people around you, the media, yourself) tell you that "wanting more" is wrong. Wanting more is grabbing what you have and adding more to it, making it bigger and better then what it was before. So if you want more, say it loud and proud!

Okay, so we out lined what we do want and how we felt about it. We focused on the negative feelings and how its trapping us in this "stone box". Now its time to turn that stone box into a "glass box"! Where you can see your full potential, live in front of you. You can see your dreams literally taking shape and playing back to you like you're in a wicked movie theater. The best part of the glass box is that you don't have to chisel at it for god knows how long just to get a taste of it, you can simply tap the glass and watch the barrier fall.

Before we start, all those harsh feelings from before? Let the emotions go, write/draw/paint your negativity on a piece of paper then throw it in the trash. Tell yourself "I am no longer holding these emotions against myself, thank you for telling me what I needed to work on in myself, you are free to go!". Say it as many times as you want till you're ready to throw some positivity in your new artist self!

Take out another piece of paper and write down your dreams (shorten version if you want) and why it is possible to achieve those dreams! This might be hard for some since we were so focused on the "reality" of things but this is where you rewrite "your" reality.
Where you change your beliefs about what can and can't happen in your life. When you are writing your reasons why, make those reasons real, feel that positive energy about yourself. That is key because if you can feel it, then its real to you in some form. The realer you make it, the more achievable it is!

Make yourself feel good about your dreams and how you can easily get to them. Get that huge ego and embrace it because its telling you, you can do ANYTHING and you don't even have to work hard. When you are positive about something, you are making it real and accessible to come into your life. Things come "out the blue" when your positive, things just go smoothly, and ideas just work out when you're upbeat in mood. Where when you are negative about something the opposite happens.

That's because your beliefs and feelings are dictating what you can and can't do. "I can" means unlimited where "I can't" means limited. When you say either you are stating whether you're enabling or disenabling yourself from what you can or can not want, do, or believe.

Its all a state of mind if you can or can't do it. Open yourself to all what life and what your dreams have put together for you and ride that epic wave. Don't let others take that away from you either because "all this", the old and new found artist self was done by you. No one can change your beliefs unless you let yourself believe them.

No one can take your dreams away and no one can block you from your goals but you! Be persistent, courageous, daring, loving, and head strong with what you want as an artist. Whoever doesn't like what you're doing, tell them to simply "piss of" and don't feel sorry to stand for what you believe in.

This is "your life" take control of it and your creative destiny, never let anyone take that power away because its rightfully yours.

Peace, love, and paint brushes ~

Friday, July 15, 2011

Why change is good


Hey all I just wanted to say how sorry I am for letting this blog collect dust for about 2 months. A lot have happened in those two months that I will go over in the this and in the next post. In this post I used my unicorn  cards to explain change and why its so important. Hopefully you won't be scared off my by new agey ways haha! Anyway enjoy and I hope this post helps anyone that is struggling with changes in their own life.

A message from the unicorns and myself


This started a few years back. I was only 18 and was at a cross road on what to do with my life. I always wanted to be a game designer or something of that nature because of my love for videos games, design and art. At the same time, in my heart of hearts I had something else pulling at my soul, being humble in maintaining my life through a self made business. A way that I can work with my hands, be happy and make others happy too. Its was hard to think of this as a career choice because I learned that it was hard to accomplish, and that I had no clue where to start. But over a matter of thinking and believing in the law of attraction I figured it was worth my life to achieve something that I truly wanted.

Since then things have happened to help support my efforts in my dream of a self made business. I named this new company of mine "The Candy Sanctuary" (the link takes you to the blog) and its been my heart and soul for many years. Everything I did was solely for that one purpose, to see it prosper and to see myself as a self made success. Yet things have been going against my favor for I have gotten caught up in many many opinions over the years. Not to say that everything I did was wrong or that it wasn't meant to be but my heart and brain wasn't in sync. My brain wanted to be the most hippest, different, and cutting edge "clay sweets and kawaii" company of its kind. I fell into the trap of following what I see to steer me into a place where only my heart could take me.

You see, even though I wanted to be the above mentioned things a big part of me just wanted that simple aesthetic of being myself. However my brain told me that I had to fit into certain roles to achieve success like the other crafters I was seeing. I had to have a certain "look" and "feel" that will attract my target market. I also had to think about cheaper prices then I wanted to be paid for because of the economy. All these things and more truly dug into my skin and made the back bone that I relied on to succeed.

In the recent year I woke up a bit to what I was doing and decided to change my style. I made it more "me" but kept in mind what my company was about. I have gotten into communities that did the same things as me and I learned from that also. I learned to be a little more truer to myself but things were still missing, things still needed to change, and I was still holding on the same basic handles of "reality".

 The biggest mistake I made in this was being overly personal with my "brand" and "identity". I was like a mother that wouldn't let her child roam free with the other kids. I kept my brand close to me and didn't do anything that might meant failure or a "rocking of the boat" sort of speak. I felt that this was my very blood and flesh, I didn't want to do anything to tarnish its name because it will directly reflect on me. When I made social accounts for TCS like twitter and facebook I didn't do anything out the box. I wanted to go by my own rules and not do anything that I felt like was "trying to hard". I didn't want to seem like a flake and over advertise my brand as well. It all was something in truth that I was deathly afraid of.

I didn't want to fail in someway, I didn't want people to think ill of me or my products, I didn't want to seem like someone that wanted something so bad. So bad that I would run over other people to get it.

This is just my wake up call that its okay to be outwardly passionate about my crafts. Not just show them to other people but to want to get paid for them. To be a true business and to be true on behalf of my heart, to really strive and take "risks" to get there. I made this journey way harder then it had to be because of me wanting something so bad but not going far enough to get there. I also still relied on the handle bars of reality to make me a success where only my true unlimited self can take me. I know this now and its yet again, time for change.

When I say change, I want to start over again and to build The Candy Sanctuary from the ground up again. Instead of changing the shell I'm changing the concept, the soul of it into something that was "me" from the beginning to end. No exceptions, no outside opinions, no compromises for anything or anyone. I'm making this into something I truly love because I know that I will be loved for being true to myself and my beliefs in life. I have to lead so others can see what "being your truth" means. Not disregarding other people but having enough faith in yourself that your not looking for the answers outside of your heart. You must spread your own wings and fly to your true destiny because that is the only way to get there.

Other people's wings won't work for you, those wings isn't your true desire. :)

Unless you want to wonder why things don't work for you no matter how hard you try.

So now I want to personally ask the unicorns about change and why its so important, since they told me my decision of my change was a great idea. (In fact that reading was the very reason I started this article haha)

The cards that I drew was:

Let Go of stress!

Best Friends

Decide

So here is the unicorns perception of change:

The reason why we say that change is so good because it is happening in everyday life. Everything changes everyday, even your body changes every second of every minute. If you're feeling bored, angry, or sad, you need change. A change in thoughts and a change of feelings.

Change is what keeps us moving forward even if it's as sacred as a person's dream. The very first desire that you wanted to achieve maybe very different from the one you get to, simply because you changed. Something didn't work or something better came along and you changed your desire into something better.

Don't not be afraid of change, its a welcoming force that wants to take you in every moment of its moment. It guides us to make better decisions, it challenge us to see the truth and it makes us into the people that we are now.

If your afraid of change of any kind tell the unicorn kingdom that you need help. We are always there for everyone that need a change of any kind. If you want to move then this is your wake up call that its okay to want that and change.

Change is good, change is required and is open to everyone that wants it. If you resist the changes in your life yes, things will get very difficult and more unpleasant but with an open mind you can make these changes in your life work for you and anyone that you want to see as a success.

Trust us, we had to change too and it was the best decision that we all chose to make. Be strong all of you because a lot of change have been happening, take our hands (or hooves) and you will be guided into your own utopia through change.

Take care and lots of love,

                                    The unicorn kingdom    

Sunday, February 27, 2011

When Your Princess is in Another Castle


How to feel good in time of stress or depression

Its hard to feel good when your seriously down on your luck. I've just had a rough patch myself yesterday and it sucked. I didn't have any energy in my body and I couldn't muster up much creative energy either. Everything just blew monkey butt and I felt sucked dry. All my magic inside me that I had just disappeared and I was left immobile.

I think back on how my emotions can get the better of me and how I make myself feel better. Its really hard because when I'm so down on myself I can't hear any positive things. It just rolls off me like water off a ducks back, when I'm usually very receptive to it. I really have to get there on my own. And even then its a struggle to feel from anger to hopeful. Its such a huge jump I end up falling on my face more then I want to, which adds insult to injury.

"I want to feel good!, I don't care if my surrounding sucks, I just want to feel good!" Is all that I could think to myself yesterday. It was really hard because I did feel trapped because of my emotions. I just felt like there was no way out because I felt so bad when I'm usually not a gloomy person. I can see my way out of things and my life getting better, so when I feel like crap and trapped, I feel like a completely different person. At the same time my wanting to feel good lead me to different ways to make myself feel better. 

Depending on how bad I feel, I use different techniques to help me. The one being my favorite is distracting myself and forgetting what's bothering me. Even though its better said then done at times, it really helps me to feel better at an even pace. Rather then trying to jump from one extreme emotion to the next like "powerlessness" to "happy with everything". Instead, its good to get a step up from powerlessness, to "I know I can do this" or "things isn't that bad, everything happens for a reason". Just anything to lessen the pain little by little.

Some of the activities I do to distract myself include:

  • Playing video games: Usually mindless games or something I have to focus on.
  • Watching anime: Watching someone else's life can give me that lift I need.
  • Collecting cute pictures: One of my favorite things to do really, I can never feel bad when looking at cute, girly images on the internet.
  • Make a custom wallpapers for myself: I love doing this because it gives me that  creative thing to do and that positive focus.
  • Reading manga: Depending on my mood, it can really serve me and inspire me to draw or look at the better things in life that's happening now.
  • Playing with my pets: I swear petting your beloved cat or guinea pig melts away the harsh feeling you my have. There should be a prescription for it in drug stores.
  •  Taking a nap: One of my favorite things to do because it give me a chance to start over. I tell myself "When I wake up things will be different" and when I wake up I feel better and more suited to have my spirits lifted.
  • Full on ranting: This should be done when your on the bottom of the emotional totem pole. Just that something to get that initial anger and resentment out.  

All of these activities are great when you're feeling blue or whatever the case may be. The best part of all of them is that it distracts you from what is annoying you. It gives you a chance to let that emotion go and focus your energy on to other things. Freeing your mind of mental poisons that can really effect you if you dwell on the bad for too long. All of us have things worth getting mad about or just feel "this isn't right" but when those things start taking control of us, we need to step up.

Its up to us to feel what we want to feel rather then let our surroundings decide for us. It might seem strange to do but ignoring common things that get under your skin is a sure fire way of easing them from your life. Even though they very well might be there, you won't react to them making those annoyances invisible to you. Even better when you can find the good in those annoyances, it could make them not as bad as once thought. :)

Everyone deserves to feel good so if your not, don't beat yourself up. Take it one step at a time and get to know that happiness is our natural way. Happiness is always going to be there no matter what's around us. We just have to get up on our paths again and remember how great each and everyone of us are. :)

Thanks for reading, take care!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I can't be positive for you


When positivity isn't enough

I can't be positive for you and no one else can be for me either. When your desperate for something to happen whether is to find a job or something as simple as getting that book your really wanted it can hurt when it doesn't happen.

Often when I really want to be there for someone that's in despair there's nothing I can do or say. I think back to the times where I was in the same position and remember how nothing could possibly pick me up. No amount to words could comfort me, all I wanted to do it is be angry, blame, and be by myself. In fact someone saying "its going to get better" only made things worst. I was at rock bottom or so I felt at the time, it was the end of the world and nothing could get better. So now when I see another hurt or in total pain all I can do it be there and let them vent if they chose.

I can't say be positive, things are going to be okay, or even things have been worst. I feel like I'm giving them a rope that they can't reach to get out of the hole that their in. I can't put myself in a state of despair either to lower the rope because it won't help anyone. The one thing I can say is to have faith and keep fighting for the better days. You might not like it but life does move on and the world isn't going to stop on your feet because you're having a bad day. Take the anger, rage, and blame then channel it to move forward so you can see the better days.

There were many times where I had make the decision after a shit load of BS that tomorrow will be a better day. I had to pump myself up and hold on a small pocket of hope and tell MYSELF that things will get better. I probably won't wake up the next day in a perfect world but I can start feeling like I'm worth something. Its better then crawling under a rock and pretending your life is over. Life truly starts with you and how you feel. If you really want to see the better days you got to climb over your negatively and grab hold to whatever good that comes your way. Grab that good, hope, faith, that fighter in you and keep it moving even if things seem like they are not getting any better. Seeing through the eyes of hope and great expectation is better then seeing in "everything bad happens to me" and hardship.

That's why I can't be positive for you, if you can't see the good, I can't take it out my pocket and show it to you.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

How I learned to follow my dreams

 How to follow your dreams

I was just playing one of my favorite games called pasty passion. Its hard not to be happy when your lining up ingredients to make fanatic looking 2d sweets. I was thinking about how wonderful 2011 is going to be because of all the magic and positively I'm pouring into it but I'm also thinking how I got there. 2010 has been an awesome year but its only because I followed my instincts, changed my attitude, and continued followed my dream.

Despite whatever happened, I never let go to that once small flame that made a world of difference for me. It really showed me that you can achieve anything despite what's going on around you, what people say or believe. I know for a fact that this year will be the best year yet because I learned so much about "chasing" dreams. Its not about chasing them at all because its all inside, you just have to look for those small "stepping stones" to go forward with them.

Before I really held a good grasp of how to achieve my dream I went out of my way to make things happen. Things that I can't even control. I knew I wanted to have my own business, selling things that I made so immediately start checking out similar businesses/ my idols and thinking of ways I can get ahead of the competition. Each business had their own style, identity, and unique products. I would be drooling all over the computer screen because I wanted what they had so bad. I in fact was very jealous and envious too, I can only see where I was at compared to them. 

So to make up for what I thought was having nothing, I try even harder to chase my dream. Which made things harder for myself. There were so many obstacles I felt like I had to get over in a day because I thought it was the only way I can do it. No pain to gain, only hard work can get results but it only burned me out numerous times. Only till I start following advice from some good friends that told me to "relax" and "enjoy life" was when I start seeing results. I still did things that would help me to start a better business for the future but I did it out of joy and not "keeping up with the competition". Not only that but I was much happier with following my dream rather then worried if everything is going to be in my favor because I was going off the beaten path. Once I enjoyed myself and only done things that was fun for me was when the road lit up and I knew the steps that I needed to take. Its like magic when you hear, see and read the exact thing that opens that next stepping stone for you. It never stops either unless you rush ahead of yourself, and believe me I've done that for years.

I know saying "don't work hard" might seem idiotic but it works if you let it. Give it a week or two, just start doing things that really mean something to you and let the other things go. You will see the world change around you and work with you

Saturday, January 1, 2011

5 Ways to jump start your sweets deco and crafts for 2011!


How to jump start your sweets deco and crafts for 2011!

Hey all! Its a new year and that only means another year full of crafting! I know 2010 was a shaky year for my sweets deco because of life in general but I got back on track. My skills are getting better and I can't wait to improve them in this new year. If your deco year was less then desirable never worry because each day is a new day, a better opportunity to kick start those creative juices!

1. Get inspired!

It might be better said then done but it the best way to get the drive and kick in the butt! Go to your favorite deco den site, start listing small goals or even take some clay and start playing with it in your hands. Anything that can give you that  fire back! When I got in my bad hiatus, being inspired was hard to come by, or more just the "drive" to do it. When I looked in my drawer to see my paper clays had harden into a clay rocks it really got me down. Only when I took some action and decide to revive my clay rocks into beautiful piles of usable clay was when the fire got back into my belly. It was like I was reborn again and ready to pick up where I left off!

2. Make some sweets deco space!

So your inspired and ready to go right into deco but your room says different. Clean that sucker up! Just enough that you can make something and still have some clay and main tools around at your disposal. My room is the only place I have to make any sweets deco (besides the share kitchen that I use to work with silicone). I only have one table and that table have one spot I can work on, and I use that one spot for drawing as well. I have a lot of junk and stuff on the table so when I wanted to work with my deco, the thought of my table turned my stomach. It was way too much of a pain because I always have my drawing supplies and tons of papers around. I changed this around by doing simple things so I can work on small projects. I cleaned up the papers, moved my drawing stuff, cleaned my table and just got enough deco materials to make macaroons. It helped a ton because I was able to do my craft again but not stress myself out at the same time.

3. Start small!

Are you an over achiever? Do you like to make a dozen cup cake charms but find yourself burned out afterwards or even procrastinating future projects, start small! One of my biggest problems especially in the beginning was "I was doing way too much". I would want to start whole collections of three different things. By the time the second or third day came around of making charms, I would want to work on something else or be completely uninspired. Mix it up a bit and try small different things that won't take a life time to complete. You'll find that you will get much more done and you will be happy at the skill that you will farther develop!

4. Make personal projects!

The very thing that had me addicted to sweets deco again was making the cutest and very first bag charm. I wasn't worrying about if people will like it because it was mine. I didn't even care if it looked good or not because it was mine. It made me really open my mind to the inspiration I needed to come up with something I loved. Without the noises in my head telling me to go this way or that way, I was able to get in tune with myself and my creatively. No matter what you want to do with your sweets deco like selling or even making a gift for friends, always give time to make something for yourself. You won't believe the untapped resource that will come of it. 

5. Try something new

This ties in very will with getting inspired. When your inspired it feels like you can do anything so why not try something different. It can help you branch out your skills and even improve old ones. Its always a nice feeling that you decided to try something new even if it didn't turn out the way you imagined. I never tried making fruit with air dry clay, so the next time I get down on my sweets deco I'm going to try to make some strawberries!

I hope everyone found this insightful and a way to start of their deco new year right! I can't wait to see everyone's projects. Take care!

Also if you happened to just starting with the craft here are my tutorial posts to help you make ploymer clay charms!







 
Images by Freepik