Hi! I am back! Miss me? I sure missed you!

Heeeeeeeeeeelllllooooooooo..... (echo)! 

I've missed you, dear Creatives! 

Wow, it has been almost 3 years since I posted on this blog. Oops! Sorry about that. 

Time flies when you are exploring your inner world, having crazy intense relationships, training for new careers, and generally finding out who you are and what you love. 

AKA Living. 

And like all things in life, some things fall away and never come back again. And sometimes, they come back unexpectedly in a way that is both familiar and new. 

That is what is happening with my art career. 

To paraphrase someone brilliant that I can't find no matter how much I google...

To be an artist - make art for 12 years. Then not make art for 12 years. Then you will be an artist. 

Well I didn't make it 12 years away from art... but I did take a break for about 3 years, especially from Encaustic, my beautiful waxy mistress.  

And I have the best excuse in the world: No studio space. (wahhhhh!!! Let's all have a pity party for Jaime and all the artists in the world who have no studio space.  Ten seconds of hissy fit throwing. Go!!) 

Deep breath! Okay are we done crying over lack of space to create? Awesome. What else is possible here? whee! 

I still don't have a studio space. But it is time to create again. And it ironically started thinking about what I have "successfully healed from" so that I could find the people I wanted to work with. 

Turns out the people I want to work with were already in my life.  Those people are you. Your friends. My crazy twitter followers. 

Creative people who followed me years ago because they saw a passionate young woman willing to announce that she is an emerging artist, grab a blowtorch and whatever was close at hand, make some art, and teach some things online. 

I had no idea what I was starting. And I had no idea the VALUE of Connection I built those many years ago. 

I just wanted playmates. People to talk to as I created. People to show what was bubbling through me so that it could be acknowledge.  

Art making is a journey. That is what I called this blog when I started. 

And sometimes not making art is a journey. 

I have been on the path of both making and non making for years.

I was going to give up this blog and lay it to rest. Yet as I move into the next phase of my creating, I realized that would be doing you a disservice by not telling you where I am in case you want to connect. 

So I am letting you know, I am home again! Hi!!! 

If you get this out of nowhere and aren't interested in my work anymore, then feel free to remove me from your list with so much love and respect. 

For everyone else who choses to stay, or join in, man do we have some fun to have! I wonder what is possible now?!

My Facebook Fan page remains the same, so if you would like to connect, leave a comment here or on my page. I would love to feel you and see what is going on with your art making journey. 

More on my journey coming up soon! 

Have a beautiful Sunday! 

Love, 

Jaime  

A year later, my core message is the same

"I am loved" Copyright Jaime Lyerly, September 2012

It has been almost a year since I posted on this site.

It has been an amazing year with all kinds of shifts in my personal growth and life.

I am still creating myself from the inside out. And that journey has been personal. And I have shared it on Facebook, but tried not to write while I have been in the thick of it.

But I have honestly never been happier in my life than I am at this time.

So I started blogging again, and going back on my twitter, and seeing what is alive for the people I left all silently as I grew. And I have been working on rebranding myself under the title of Expressive Goddess Play Leader. I started a brand new wordpress blog at Expressive Goddess. And a meetup group for San Diego women to come play with me.

But all that I am trying to dress up my monkey to dance for you, what I am really offering you is a piece of myself. A piece of Jaime Lyerly. A core message that is the essence of my being.

My message is Creative Expression Heals.  

So I invite you to find time today to do something creative. Even if for just five minutes. 

And we will play again soon. Either on this site or some other.

Thank you for being a part of my journey. Even when I am silent, I know I have your support.
~ Jaime Lyerly
 

Top 10 reasons why Spiritual Practice makes you a better Artist

Praying Hands by Albrecht Durer

Spiritual practice has become an important part of my life. And I want to encourage you to make the connection in your own. 

Whether you pray, meditate, practice yoga, do rituals, walk in nature, chant, sweat out your prayers via dance, or just sit and breathe, it all helps you feel connected to the Divine. 


But can it make you a better Artist or more creative?


I say YES! 

Read on and see what resonates for you: 

Top 10 reasons why Spiritual Practice makes you a better Artist. 

1. Spiritual practice keeps you CONNECTED to the Divine
Connection to the Divine is one of the top reasons why you a daily spiritual practice can be crucial to being creative. 

When you pray, what do you feel? How about when you dance? Or sing? Or Meditate? Each time you tap into the power inside of you, a connection is made to the divinity inside of you. 

Even if it feels like a faint whisper of spirit, it is there. Breathe. Listen. And know it is there for you always. The Divine is waiting for you to tap. Once you tap into the connection inside of you, the ideas for your artistic practice just flow out. It is a channel that you open each day with your breath. And that channel gets clearer the more you open it.    


2. You are more AWARE

The "devil" is not in the details - God is! By slowing down, you see details you miss when you rushing.

Do you know the softness of your cat's fur? How about the texture of rose hips? The sound of a hummingbird's flutter? The smell of eucalyptus bark? The curve of your beloved's hips? The color of your mother's dress in a faded photograph? These details can translate into inspiration or textural details in your art. Even if your art work is abstract, it will be influenced by the details you observe. These details ARE the magic of life.


3. You are more IN YOUR BODY
 The spiritual practices of dance and yoga move you more fiercely into your body that you may even expect. And healing emotional blocks makes you want to STAY in your body more. When you are in your body, you can move and create with more freedom. 

Some people say that it takes your whole body to draw. If you are fully in your body you can create with a freedom that you never knew. 

4. Time EXPANDS

Have you ever gotten so lost in the moment that time slowed down to accommodate it? That is the magic of "Shamanic Time." 

This happens frequently for me during Shamanic Journey. Shamanic Journey uses a monotonous drum to get the brain and body into a trance state so you can can do deep healing and talk to your spiritual guides. In a typical 15 minute journey, you can have an entire movie; a revelation; or just a great healing nap. 

By getting yourself into a trance state, you can also expand time while making art or creating. Crocheting naturally invokes this trance state to me, but so can drawing or anything else that is repetitive. Get lost in time. See what happens. 
 

5. Your IMAGINATION SOARS

Shamanic Journey can create a state that is similar to daydreaming or lucid dreaming. You know that you are in a dreamlike state but you have full control over the situation. However when you surrender to the magic of the experience, you see things that you never would have thought of on your own. 

Maybe it is a raccoon where a top hat and smoking a cigar. Or a tulip that protects your safe space. How about a star being with a penchant for rubies, and talks in a British accent? Whatever it is that comes to you in journey space can spark an idea for a drawing, painting, sculpture or creative writing.  You can't make this stuff up. It is too bizarre somethings.

Other forms of spiritual practice such as meditation, or dance may invoke images that you would have never been open to before.  Once you connect your third eye of intuition, it will give you amazing insights and be fodder for your creative expression.

This fodder is a wave of new information, but not like the images we digest each day from the Internet. It is new, fresh and uniquely you! This imagination is what MAKES YOU AN ARTIST. 


6. You TRUST YOURSELF more
Do you trust yourself? Because it takes a lot of trust to walk a spiritual path or an artistic path. 

Both require a dedication to growth that is almost supernatural. Stagnation is the antithesis of growing. Which do you want to do?


By connecting with a spiritual path, you begin to trust the messages given to you in daily life. Messages can be more than just a fortune cookie phrase. They can be seen in the animals that cross your path, or the repetition of a number, or many other signs that resonate for you. 

When you trust your own intuition, that trust flows into trusting the colors in a painting or any other creative endeavor that you can imagine. 

Decisions made from your own gut about life and art are the most powerful. If you trust yourself, you can do these things no matter if the people around you think you have lost your marbles. 


7. You feel more SUPPORTED
Spirituality thrives in COMMUNITY! Sure, you can do any of these practices alone, but why not gather a few like-minded people together? My Apache teacher talked about the power of prayer in a group, and how the energy was measurably raised when 3 people connected hands to pray.

There are also things like rituals which are so much fun to have more than one person join in. It becomes a community event. A connection that is made with not only you connecting to the Divine, but connecting to your sisters or brothers and feeling THEIR connection. The connections I feel after doing something magical with other people is so profound. 

Feeling supported as an artist is so important. We artists tend to work alone, in our studios, without a lot of collaboration with others. It can be lonely but it is also where the work gets done. So by building a community of like-minded people, you have a place to feel completely loved even if your art isn't moving the direction you want it to. Building a community as an artist is a different subject, but it has its roots in gathering 3 or more people together to support you in all your awesomeness.



8. You take BIGGER RISKS
Now you are all juiced up with support! What does that do to your self-confidence? Right! It goes shooting through the roof. And that makes you bolder. 


It takes courage to have a spiritual practice. To come everyday to a meditation and look deeply into yourself. To feel when your breath just won't loosen up. To see the days when it doesn't work. To BE in the space of NOT getting it right. Of struggling. Of not knowing when it will get better. The fear that all of the good shit has already happened in your life. The wanting of something better. To completely SURRENDER to divine will to take care of you anyways. To give up all trying and TRUST it will happen because you are protected and loved. That is a space of great courage. 


That same courage is what you will need to sustain a creative practice too. It is about showing up. And showing up with a curious and experimental nature that cannot be satisfied. It takes courage to be an artist. To show your creations to the world. To try new ways of making and know that they are leading you to path you cannot even imagine.  Take a breath. And LEAP.



9. You know it is a PRACTICE
Practice. Practice. Practice. Just show up. That is all you have to do in life. In spiritual work. In art. It is all the same. "You must be present to win."




10. You KNOW that Creativity is ENDLESS

Yes, you know this. Think about how many ideas you have when you are sitting quietly? Probably more than you want to admit! Creativity can only slip in if there is space to go into. You cannot pour more into a full cup. 


As you tap into Divine inspiration each day, you know that that source is endless. You can feel it with each breath. Now breathe into your creative ideas? Same breath of inspiration. Inspire = to breath into. 

And know as one idea floats away or is not feasible at the moment, don't worry. Just breathe. Another idea is on its way, along with a hundred of its friends when you are ready to make space in your body to receive them. 

BREATHE TO RECEIVE!

Any bells go off from this list? I would love to hear about it. Share in the comments below.

Breathing my way to a more creative me ~ Jaime Lyerly 

Free e-Book "Exersighs" - Self-esteem Workbook for Artists by Artella

Shared by Sally Evan's Embracing Creativity newsletter. Check it out!

Artella's free giveaway!

Free copy of Exersighs Exersighs is a 10-page ebook of guided exercises and inspiration, with 16 exer-sighs-es to boost your self-esteem effectively and immediately, triggering momentum for your next creative project, and breaking down blocks FOR GOOD.

Artella Freebies Page

~ Jaime Lyerly

A Thousand Ways to Draw a Tree: Expressive Drawing Workshop in San Diego this Sunday 2/28/2010

Here is a workshop taught by San Diego Women's Caucus for Art member Valerie Samuel Henderson. Got some free time this weekend? (okay...I know free time doesn't exist...) Come to this workshop. Check it out:

RISKY BUSINESS! Draw Fast and Loose.

An expressive drawing workshop this Sunday, Feb. 28 10am-3pm

It’s called “A Thousand Ways to Draw a Tree”. You get to invent the ways! You get to think like an eight-year-old and draw outside the lines. Experiment, do quick sketches, and try working with new materials like charcoal taped to a stick, graphite crayons, and mixing oil pastel with India ink. Get inspired by Rembrandt, Van Gogh and your kid sister.

Here is the information from the website:

An expressive drawing workshop... Drawing trees is the theme and the focus is intuition, spontaneity and invention. You’ll do lots and lots of quick sketches using memory, observation and imagination. Find ways to draw trees by playing with line like you might play a melody on a saxophone. Experiment with different kinds of drawing tools from graphite sticks to long straws dipped in ink. This is an opportunity to try new things whether or not you have ever taken a drawing class before, or if you’re looking to refresh some sparks.

$62 members / $72 non-members Materials fee $10

Monday, January 18 10am – 3pm

Sunday, February 28 10am – 3pm

Sunday, April 11 10am – 3pm

Taught by an inspired mixed media artist, Valerie Samuel Henderson (BFA in Painting, Mass. College of Art. MFA in Visual Art, U.C.S.D.)

Bravo School of Art. 2690 Historic Decatur Rd Studio 206. San Diego , CA 92106 . 619-223-0058

workshops@BravoSchool of Art.com

www.BravoSchoolOfArt.com

Happy Art Making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Out with the Old! Bringing in new energy by cleaning

I am feeling hyper, motivated and inspired to do the unthinkable - CLEAN and GET RID OF STUFF - Including ART SUPPLIES!

This feeling hardly ever comes. And when it does, it usually lasts only for a hour or two. Then I get overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes and I avoid it again for another year or so.

But all the energy in my life is telling me that it is time for a change.

I need to LET OUT THE OLD TO ACCEPT THE NEW!

There are so many examples and descriptions that I could go into for why this is resonating with me that I would end up spending the whole day writing blog posts about it. But there is cleaning, returning and organizing to do and I have to strike while the iron is hot. Iron...encaustic...painting...mmm...oh, distractions.. how I miss you already. No! Focus! Okay, one quick example.

In my Japanese class, we talked about traditional activities surrounding the New Year. (I am just going by memory here, so if I get it wrong, please forgive and correct me!) Each year has a specific animal sign (adapted from Chinese Zodiac), and a new deity that is welcomed into the home by cleaning every inch of it. Getting rid of old things, cleaning, writing New years' cards, and putting up decorations is necessary. The first three days of the new year, everyone has off (with one exception). New years' cards are sent to everyone you know and are delivered on New Years day by mailmen who are the only ones that work. New years eve at the Shinto shrine, the monks ring the gigantic bell 108 times to release the 108 sins or demons inside every person. More about Shinto New Year bell ringing here. Going to the Shinto temple for blessing is common within the first few days of the year. Bathing and cleansing are very important for the house and the body. To the left is a picture of Chris and my friend Joyce cleansing their hands and mouths before going into the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo during our Japan and China Study Tour. They even wear new clothes on New Years' day. It looks like an amazing tradition, and one that I am going to adopt and modify to fit my own life this year.

So back to what has been occupying me for the last few days - cleaning out the old. I am getting rid of all the clothes, items and even art stuff that no longer fits me. This includes lots of watercolor stuff, acrylic paintings and maybe even art books (although those are harder to part with). And as I get a notice from my health insurance company that starting January 2010, my health insurance per month will be raised to $295, I am thinking about the barter system. Maybe I need to trade some of my art supplies for other services? Maybe trade art for something more practical? Maybe trade of acrylic supplies for encaustic wax that I need to continue my projects for the new year? I am already making a trade with my friend Starry to help me regain my sewing skills, but we haven't worked out the details. I am looking for options in the new year, and I believe that this new energy will not do me harm. Anyone looking for a trade of art supplies? Email me and we can work out a deal!

I have spent too long on this post, but I am still energized to make room in my life for more abundance! So if you don't see my posts as often as I usually do, trust me, I am still here and working away on my art and life. I look forward to sharing more of my life and art with you in the new year!

Happy cleaning and Welcoming the New Year! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Back from the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Retreat!

Encaustic painting set up at home © 2009 Jaime Lyerly

See my encaustic paintings here.

Just a short note to let you all know that I am back from the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Annual Retreat, which was last weekend, November 13 - 15, 2009.

I have lots of pictures and stories to tell (don't worry - nothing embarrassing for the wine-drinking ladies,) but this is a super busy week for me with something scheduled everyday and I won't get to them until probably Sunday.

Since this retreat is for women only (because of the close sleeping quarters), it had an abundance of feminine energy, which is similar to my monthly San Diego Women's Drum Circle. However, I have never spent a weekend devoted solely to making art, meeting new people and being out in nature before. Usually, I am trapped inside with my school books (Japanese is killing me....) and spend what little time I have outside of that with my partner Chris and almost 13 year old son, Xen. I couldn't even tell you the last time I had been alone, which is a sad fact in itself. Although I did attend Ellen Benefatti's Healing Family Constellation Workshop on Friday, I have to admit that I left early during Judi Burnett's Portrait Painting Workshop so that I could be alone outside in nature. I sat on a fallen tree branch and wrote in my journal for a hour, before heading off to lunch and then to teach my afternoon workshop. More about these workshops and pictures later.

After a relaxing lunch of mushroom risotto, I came back to set up to teach Encaustic Painting Technique on Saturday afternoon. My workshop went very well, although I am not sure how many people I converted to ways of the wax, yet. We set up the stations outside to keep the smell away from the more sensitive members, and to be outside. What I wasn't counting on was how quickly the sun would go down and how cold it would get! The pictures look like I gave this workshop in Alaska, instead of Julian, California in November. The winter gear and people huddled around the heat guns will give you a hint of the weather change for all of us.

It was an amazing weekend and I look forward to sharing more about the workshops and activities, as well as the stories and general fun we had this weekend. Missing this year's retreat? You can come next year! It is an annual retreat, and while this was my first year going, I know it will not be my last.

Until then, why don't you join us in the WCA/SD Facebook Group page? I am trying to get all the members, prospective members and people who just want to know what we are doing to join this group. You can post your events to our wall, and know that you have an audience that is active in the San Diego Arts community. Share with your friends! They need to be a part of this too.

Happy art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Artist Lisa Bebi Paint Over Demo added to the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Retreat in November 2009

Paint Over Technique, Star Glam © 2009 Lisa Bebi

We are honored to have Lisa Bebi to join us as a demo instructor for the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Retreat on November 13 - 15, 2009 in Julian, California! Get ready to have some fun and make some art.

Here is all the information. Hope you can join us!

The retreat offers a special time to make art, make new friends and reconnect with old friends.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

THE FAMILY FIELD AND CONSTELLATIONS, group healing session with Ellen Benfatti
PORTRAIT PAINTING with Judith Burnett
ENCAUSTIC TECHNIQUE with Jaime Lyerly
(More details about the workshops below)

Now Added!
PAINT OVER DEMO with Lisa Bebi
See Lisa's innovative Paint Over Technique on her blog, Pimp my Spleen, and in Somerset Studio's Workshop Volume 4.

When: November 13, 14, 15, 2009

Where: Camp Stevens in Julian
1108 Highway 78
Julian, CA 92036
Phone: (760)765-0028
We will be staying in the new Wolterstorff Lodge.

Fee: A $135 (member), $155 (non-member) or $180 (retreat plus basic membership) fee covers registration, 2 nights and 5 meals (organically grown and prepared by Camp Stevens), and all workshop fees. Note: There might be a small materials fee.

Directions:
From San Diego: Take highway 67 to Ramona, then Highway 78 east to Julian. Camp Stevens is located 2 miles east of Julian on State Highway 78.
There is a “Camp Stevens” entrance sign on the left side of the highway exactly 2 miles from Julian.

REGISTER EARLY!
A deposit of $35 (refundable before November 6, 2009) is required to secure your reservation, and the full amount of $135, $155 or $180, is due at registration.

Registered participants will receive a detail map, a packing list, schedule, and other details via mail. Please let us know if you require a special diet, or have physical restrictions.

Note: There is no cell phone service.

Workshop Descriptions:
(A WCA/SD membership is NOT required to participate in the retreat)

The family field and constellations; group healing session with Ellen Benfatti
There is a “life force” that flows through families, generation after generation. This force is one, which relates family member’s to each other. This is part of the family field of consciousness. We call it the Family Soul. Ellen will be facilitating a healing session which works with the energetic patterns held within the family. Come ready to heal and restore balance to your body, mind, and soul. The time spent together during this workshop will most likely change your view of yourself, humanity, and your family in a way that fosters more love, compassion, health, and vitality.

Portrait Painting in oils with Judith Burnett
You will learn a basic portrait painting technique. You will learn how to pose your model in order to get a good likeness and a satisfying painting; what materials and colors you will need, and how to mix and apply your paint.

Encaustic painting with Jaime Lyerly
Encaustic is beeswax, damar resin and pigment applied to a surface hot and fused using heat. You will be learning the basic techniques of encaustic painting is this workshop. We will cover history, materials, substrates, tools and safety. We will explore layering, collage, incising, embedding, and transfers. There will be plenty of time for hands-on experimentation. Bring your own collage elements and get ready to try this “hot” way of painting. (see more of my encaustic work)

About Camp Stevens and WCA/SD retreat
We will stay in the new Wolterstorff Lodge, which is built from the ashes of the Bishop’s Lodge; destroyed in the “Angel Fire” in September 15, 2007. The lodge has 24 beds; 4 six person rooms with shared bath, and a meeting room with a fireplace. Outdoor Facilities include a tree house, outdoor chapel and other outdoor meeting and gathering spaces. Visitors can also enjoy a swim in the pool (seasonal), a stroll in the botanical garden, games on the lawns, basketball and volleyball, or an evening campfire.

For more information, or to register for the Retreat, contact Jen Bottoms at (619) 892-3429 or via email.

If you missed my encaustic workshop in Escondido, you can join me for this one! Hope to see you there.

Happy Art Making! See you at the Retreat! ~ Jaime Lyerly

P.S.
I just did some Lisa Bebi-style draw overs (like her paint overs but with oil pastels) last night, and I haven't decided if I should share them on this blog on my fan page or just keep them trapped in the journal I did them in. They would definitely fit more into my category of an Art Action, since this is a new style I am trying on. Anyone here interested in seeing them?

5 Art Actions for Busy Artists to Ignite the Creative Spark and Keep it Burning Bright

"I'm so busy!"
"I have no time to make art!"
"If there were only __ more hours in the day, then I could make art!"
"I'm so tired after my long day, all I can do is watch TV..."
"My brain is fried... how am I supposed to be creative, NOW?"

I have heard them all before. I have SAID them many, many times. And with this semester's schedule, I really don't have much time to make art. I am so busy that all you will get in this post is words, not how to pictures. So what can we do to keep the creative fires burning or ignite the creative spark that has dwindled? ART ACTIONS to the Rescue!

My idea of Art Actions are a modified version of SARK's Micro-movements, laid out in her book Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day (and awesome book with a ridiculously long title!). Micro-movements are about making an movement toward your goal by doing actions that take no longer than 5 minutes. Each action gets you moving without the pressure of having to do it all. Brilliant! To learn more about how SARK helps artists and writers, Click here to visit Planet SARK.

Art Actions are my own way of tricking myself into making time for art. Even though I love to make art, it can be overwhelming to even get started on project - especially working in encaustic which takes me 45 minutes even to set up and heat my wax! While these Art Actions make take longer than 5 minutes, help push you towards bigger and more complex projects, while keeping the creative fires burning. They also can BECOME larger projects or a series if you love what you are doing. Or they just can be a way to keep your hands moving. I admit to doing all of these Art Actions while watching movies with my family. TV time gives me about 1 - 2 hours worth of uninterrupted creating time. Not bad!

The trick is NOT to put pressure on yourself to make art. These are just exercises, like word association and free writing for writers or blind contour line drawings for figure artists. Onto the actions....

Top 5 Art Actions to Ignite the Creative Spark:

1. Organic shape cut outs
Materials: exacto knife, cutting mat, Bristol board or thicker colored paper

Action: Grab an exacto knife and some paper and start cutting. No straight lines; no rulers; no thought. Keep flowing like a smooth line of charcoal, and see what shapes come from your subconscious. Cut out a shape; put it aside. Cut another one out. Cut out a hole in that one. But no trying to make it look like anything! That can come later, if desired.

2. Abstract Oil Pastel coloring
Materials: Oil Pastels, smooth paper (such as Bristol board or poster board)

Action: Choose a pastel, and scribble on the paper. I call oil pastels "adult crayons" because they have all the excitement of being able to lay down color quickly and easily like crayons, but use artist grade materials instead. So color all over the paper and then when it is filled with color, blend them using your fingers covered in paper towel. Again, don't stress about what flows on the page. I lean towards abstract color blotches because the moment I try to do something with a figure or object, it becomes too analytical. Try coloring in the organic shapes that were cut from Bristol board.

3. Paper art re-purposing
Materials: Old art, drawing exercises, or "failed attempts" on paper, acrylic or mat medium, brush, substrate (board, canvas or paper)
Optional: Scissors

Action: Have lots of art that didn't turn out as expected? Rip it up and make it into something new. I choose to rip things up because it is freeing to separate it from its original intent of being art. Now it is just a scrap of paper - nothing intimidating about that! Glue down the ripped pieces onto a blank piece of paper, canvas or board. Or you can add it directly to another "failed attempt." It is wonderfully freeing. The pictures can become a background for something else, but don't stress about that now. Just rip and glue it down with the mat medium.

4. Stamp Carving
Materials: Blank soft rubber carving blocks, carving tools, pencil
Optional: Transfers or images, tracing paper

Action: Stamp carving is so much fun! It requires a little more attention to what you are doing so you don't cut yourself, so make sure that the TV show you are watching isn't too enthralling. I found this wonderful Stamp Carving Tutorial which will help you with the basics. Personally, I don't do transfers onto the block; I draw and then carve using one of two bits. These are addictive. I wait until I have more time to actually ink the stamp and use it.

5. Intuitive Knitting
Materials: Yarn and knitting tool of your choice (mine is the Knifty Knitter)

Action: Grab your favorite yarn and knitting tool and start knitting. Leave all your patterns and stitch counting for another time. Just explore what the shapes you can make with your tool and the rhythm of your stitch. I set limits for myself to work in; such as one type of yarn, and use a 8 inch rectangular Knifty Knitter loom. Just knit. Have curiosity about what is going on with the piece, but don't try to force it into any shape - especially into something functional! That is the easiest way to kill the creative spirit is to try to give it a function. They can become fiber art pieces later, or hidden inside something bigger...it is up to you!

Ready to ignite the creative spark? Try one of these Art Actions! Turn off your analytical mind, send your inner art critic out on an errand and intuitively make something. It is the act of creating, even for a few minutes that will keep you connected to your art even on your busiest days.

Your Turn: Try one of these Art Actions or one of your own design. What kind of Art Actions do you do to keep your creativity alive? Sketching? Collage? Sewing? Taking apart typewriters? Whatever it is, keep doing it! And share it here with us. I would love to hear your ways to keep the fires burning so that when you do have time, it flows out into beautifully crafted art.

Happy Creating! ~ Jaime Lyerly

The Creative Person’s Hierarchy of Needs by Cynthia Morris

I believe in synchronicities. Whatever you need to hear or think about will come just when it needs to happen. I have been stressing over how unbalanced my life is this semester. For those who don't know, I am a full-time undergraduate student at San Diego State University, studying art. Granted, it is stressful every semester, but this semester is already killing me and it is only two weeks in! It is hard being a mom, a student and working to make a living. But add being an artist to that mix and you have no time at all!

I have been feeling out of sorts and I know it is because my exercise and creative habits are being neglected. Intellectually, I know this. Yet I cannot seem to make myself do all that needs to be done. I admit that I have been choosing playing video games and watching movies over making art. I have only been working on art for my college classes, instead of doing my own work in encaustics. However, I am confident that all those ideas I have in my sketchbooks and projects that I have started will come into realization. I just need to reassess how what I am doing meets my creative needs.

Along comes this blog post by Creativity Coach and Travel Blogger Cynthia Morris. If you are not in the know about her blog Journey Juju and her free e-zine Original Impulses, it is time to be informed! I wrote about her wonderful e-book "Creative Toolkit for the Traveler" in this post about my preparation for my Japan and China tour.

So here is the blog post from Cynthia Morris called "The Creative Person's Hierarchy of Needs" Enjoy!

Perhaps you’ve heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In a nutshell, as humans, our basic needs are: Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization. To read more, go here. To hear about the creative person’s needs, read on.

Creative people, those who are making things – books, businesses, design, art – have additional needs. Recognizing these needs and making sure they are met are essential to applied creativity.

When we don’t acknowledge our needs, we’re allowing life to dictate our experience. Knowing your needs and being willing to take action to make sure they are met will make the already challenging work of creating much easier.

In more than ten years of coaching and almost twice that time creating things myself, I’ve identified at least ten needs creative people have. But unlike Maslow, I don’t prioritize them. Each person will have their own hierarchy for these needs and will also have their own needs to add. Here they are:

1. Need for creative space, as Virginia Woolf called a ‘room of one’s own’. Depending on what you’re creating, you may not need as big a space as you think you do. Write or draw out your ideal space and then assess how you have elements of that in place now.

2. Need for creative peers. When you’re on the leading edge of creativity, you need other creative people who understand the risks you’re taking and who encourage them. We need creative peers to talk, share, get insights and ideas and to encourage us. Commit to connecting with people who ‘get’ you more often. This is one of the most common reasons people hire me, because I ‘get’ them and what they are trying to do.

3. Need for creative fuel. In her book The Artist’s Way Julia Cameron calls this need ‘filling the well’. I get so inspired when I am out in the world seeing what other people are doing. A favorite source of inspiration for me is museum shops. The Tate Modern shop blew me away and gave me an idea for my work that I love. You can get inspiration from books, magazines, blogs art galleries, and other well filling activities. Wherever you get it, get it often. (This is where you’d list coffee!)

4. Need for imaginative space. This is different than physical space. It’s the time we need for noodling, doodling, wandering, and gathering thoughts. While it appears to be the antithesis of productivity, it’s actually vital to a productive creative cycle. Don’t pack every moment full of activity.

5. Need for the body to be expressed. We’re out in the ethers most of the time, us artists. We need to remember to take good care of our bodies by walking, dancing, practicing yoga, playing tennis, or whatever moves you regularly. I get so many of my ideas when I am exercising. Get moving on your terms, but get moving.

6. Need for your creative edge. Solving problems, pushing boundaries, developing something new is at the heart of the creative process. Rather than despair about how difficult it is to write a really good article, embrace the challenge of your craft. While you’re at it, embrace the challenge of your creative industry. For instance, publishing a book traditionally seems nearly impossible these days. Take that challenge on by either figuring out the publishing game or self-publishing. Relish the creative edge – you need it.

7. Need for ample amounts of faith and belief. When we’re making something from nothing, we need to be able to rely on faith and belief in ourselves and our work. Without this we can operate from despair and give up before our work is complete. Tap into your belief that you are on the right track, and do it often.

8. Need to have our work responded to. Whether it’s ego or a deep desire to share your creative work, most of us need for our work to be seen and received by others. This will vary for each person, some wanting just close friends to see our work, others wanting a wider audience. Just be sure to get feedback from the right people at the right time.

9. Need for certainty. Ironically, one of the needs for artists is the ability to live in uncertainty. Traveling the creative path can make you feel lost most of the time. That’s why certainty in other areas of life: home, relationships, income, can help you have a sense of being held while you soar. Have some rootedness so you can be ‘out there’ as much as you need to.

10. Need for time. This seems to be the need that people struggle with the most. If you never get any time alone to work on your art, your life will be filled with other people’s ideas and thoughts. Make choices that allow time for your art. The laundry, your e-mail, your garden will all be there an hour later, after you have spent time with your art.

Again, I did not prioritize these. While I believe we all share these needs, everyone will have their own sense of the needs’ hierarchy. On my blog, tell me which needs have priority over the others, and add a need you have that I haven’t mentioned. To go further, make a list of your needs and assess how well those needs are being met right now. Brainstorm one thing you could do to work toward having those needs met, and then do it. This article is part of my year-long series of top ten lists to celebrate ten years in business at Original Impulse. Stay tuned until the end of the year when I bring all the articles together in one place for your creative enhancement.

Copyright 2009 Cynthia Morris. Cynthia coaches creative people to confidence and completion and inspires life as a creative adventure. Visit http://www.originalimpulse.com to get an infusion of inspiration for your art, writing and life.

Your Turn:
Are your actions supporting your own creative needs? Do you recognize when something is off? More importantly, how to you take the steps to correct this? I would love to hear what you think!
Happy Art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Women's Caucus for Art, San Diego Annual Retreat

IT’S TIME TO REGISTER for the 12th ANNUAL Women's Caucus for Art/San Diego (WCA/SD) RETREAT for 2009!

Here is all the information from the WCA/SD Retreat Coordinator Jen Bottoms:

The retreat offers a special time to make art, make new friends and reconnect with old friends.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

THE FAMILY FIELD AND CONSTELLATIONS, group healing session with Ellen Benfatti
PORTRAIT PAINTING with Judith Burnett
ENCAUSTIC TECHNIQUE with Jaime Lyerly
(More details about the workshops below)

When: November 13, 14, 15, 2009

Where: Camp Stevens in Julian
1108 Highway 78
Julian, CA 92036
Phone: (760)765-0028
We will be staying in the new Wolterstorff Lodge.

Fee: A $135 (member), $155 (non-member) or $180 (retreat plus basic membership) fee covers registration, 2 nights and 5 meals (organically grown and prepared by Camp Stevens), and all workshop fees. Note: There might be a small materials fee.

Directions:
From San Diego: Take highway 67 to Ramona, then Highway 78 east to Julian. Camp Stevens is located 2 miles east of Julian on State Highway 78.
There is a “Camp Stevens” entrance sign on the left side of the highway exactly 2 miles from Julian.

REGISTER EARLY!
A deposit of $35 (refundable before November 6, 2009) is required to secure your reservation, and the full amount of $135, $155 or $180, is due no later than Sept.13, 2009.

Registered participants will receive a detail map, a packing list, schedule, and other details via mail. Please let us know if you require a special diet, or have physical restrictions.

Note: There is no cell phone service.

Workshop Descriptions:
(A WCA/SD membership is NOT required to participate in the retreat)

The family field and constellations; group healing session with Ellen Benfatti
There is a “life force” that flows through families, generation after generation. This force is one, which relates family member’s to each other. This is part of the family field of consciousness. We call it the Family Soul. Ellen will be facilitating a healing session which works with the energetic patterns held within the family. Come ready to heal and restore balance to your body, mind, and soul. The time spent together during this workshop will most likely change your view of yourself, humanity, and your family in a way that fosters more love, compassion, health, and vitality.

Portrait Painting in oils with Judith Burnett
You will learn a basic portrait painting technique. You will learn how to pose your model in order to get a good likeness and a satisfying painting; what materials and colors you will need, and how to mix and apply your paint.

Encaustic painting with Jaime Lyerly
Encaustic is beeswax, damar resin and pigment applied to a surface hot and fused using heat. You will be learning the basic techniques of encaustic painting is this workshop. We will cover history, materials, substrates, tools and safety. We will explore layering, collage, incising, embedding, and transfers. There will be plenty of time for hands-on experimentation. Bring your own collage elements and get ready to try this “hot” way of painting. (see more of my encaustic work)

About Camp Stevens and WCA/SD retreat
We will stay in the new Wolterstorff Lodge, which is built from the ashes of the Bishop’s Lodge; destroyed in the “Angel Fire” in September 15, 2007. The lodge has 24 beds; 4 six person rooms with shared bath, and a meeting room with a fireplace. Outdoor Facilities include a tree house, outdoor chapel and other outdoor meeting and gathering spaces. Visitors can also enjoy a swim in the pool (seasonal), a stroll in the botanical garden, games on the lawns, basketball and volleyball, or an evening campfire.

For more information, or to register for the Retreat, contact Jen Bottoms at (619) 892-3429 or via email.

If you missed my encaustic workshop in Escondido, you can join me for this one! Hope to see you there.

Happy Art making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Let your Creativity Shine! Ten Ways to Let Your Muse Out to Play

Here is a wonderful article by creativity coach Cynthia Morris who writes a blog on traveling as an artist called Journey Juju. It inspired me to think about how to spend my summer. Enjoy!

Summer's Creative Exuberance:
Ten Ways to Let Your Muse Out to Play

If summer isn't the best season to foster creativity, I don't know what is. Okay, you could make a case for the cocooning qualities of winter. You could say that the freshness of spring inspires even the most jaded artist. And then there's the release of fall, which could provoke me to give up art entirely.

But summer, with its uncontainable exuberance, is the best season for the creative. Who wouldn't be inspired by the bounty of a farmer's market? How could the light pulsing off the highway in the middle of the day in the middle of the country not extract a deep sense of mystery in any artist? And then there's the sense of freedom that you get when all you're wearing is a tiny bathing suit and there's nothing to do but dip yourself in the pool one more time.

I vote for summer as the season most likely to inspire creative thinking, being and doing. Summer invites us to return to our purest child-like impulses. We all know that to be deeply creative means connecting to that child in us. It's that part of us that loves messes, that doesn't need to know where we're going, that has no concept of the bottom line, let alone a concern for making money.

Reach out with both arms like an eager child, and immerse yourself and your Muse in summer. Make this your most creative summer yet with these ten tips.

1. Get messy. Mess is necessary for creativity. Eat watermelon and let the juice and seeds splatter all over your shirtfront.

2. Linger outside. Sit in the grass with no agenda. Stay there for a few hours with a book, a notebook, or whatever melts you into a creative puddle. And speaking of puddle...

3. Get into water. Being around water stimulates our Muses, who love to give us ideas in the shower. Find a pool or a lake or a puddle and get in just because you love it and it feels good. Splash around. Choreograph a water ballet. Play.

4. Relish the night. Don't you love how summer days just go on and on and then when the night comes, it's even better? The air is so warm and the sky so full of possibility. Get out in the night. Ride your bike or take a walk. Go pool hopping or star gazing or moon bathing.

5. Try a new art form. Maybe it's origami, or pastry baking or watercolors. Stretch out of your normal creative rhythm and try something new.

6. Use the summer as a frame to explore something. Perhaps you'll read a few classics this summer. Or give yourself a creative challenge like making art every day. How can you use summer as a frame for your creative abundance?

7. Immerse yourself in color. I love love love color and summer gives me ample opportunity to really soak in bright, saturated colors. Tune your vision to the brilliant greens, lush reds and vibrant blues of summer.

8. Plan outdoor excursions with friends. Picnics, markets and art fairs, sketch crawls, all offer an opportunity to fill your creative well. Doing it with friends is even more fun.

9. Allow for a sense-fest. The reason I love summer so much is the way it opens me to my senses. A breeze wafting in the window, the smells of freshly cut grass and barbeque, the sound of a baseball bat hitting a ball, the amazing freshness of the fruits and vegetables of summer....mmmmm. Your Muse loves when you pause and pay attention to your senses.

10. Be prepared for inspiration. You already know this, but I'll remind you: carry a notebook with you always. Use it to capture your ideas and impressions. Give yourself permission to slow down and relish life.

Unleash your creativity and let your inner child out to play this summer. Your art making will be enhanced and if not, at least you've enjoyed yourself.

Copyright 2009 Cynthia Morris. Cynthia coaches creative people to confidence and completion and inspires life as a creative adventure. Visit http://www.originalimpulse.com to get an infusion of inspiration for your art, writing and life.


Your Turn: What kind of activities do you have planned this Summer to inspire the muse to play? I have my big Japan and China trip but after that I have only three precious weeks until I have summer school classes. Why would I do this to myself? Oh, because I am trying to get a minor in Psychology. So I plan to use that three weeks for cleaning of the house and the spirit! What will you be doing?

5 books to help Artists to Live their Creative Dreams

I asked myself today: "What inspires me?"I love to read and cannot get enough of books about creativity, art marketing and how to live a creative and artistic life.

A search on my county library system for "creativity" shows a list of 230 books. Living an artistic life falls under "self actualization" and that search shows a list of 423 books!

What is an artist with limited time to do? Jaime to the rescue!

I have narrowed down the enormous selection to 5 books worthy of your precious time away from the studio. Not only are they all fantastic, they will help you to live the life you dreamed of.
Note: All images swiped from Amazon.com where all these wonderful books are sold. The links go directly to the authors' personal sites.

Read and be inspired!
1.Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day by Sark

Sark’s charming art, handwriting and refreshing honesty will delight you. She helps all of us to choose what we love and do it!

Highlight: “Micromovements” help you go move towards your creative dreams, even when they seem overwhelmingly big. They are short tasks to get past your inner perfectionist and to move procrastinators (like me!) into action.


2. I’d Rather Be in the Studio by Alyson Stanfield

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It helps with everything from social networking, business planning, artist statements, and marketing yourself as a professional artist. An absolute must for any artist.

Highlights: Tie between the Artist Statement and Social Networking sections. Write an exciting artist statement to tell about yourself, your art and your process. The social networking section will help you get out there in the world to tell them what you do. Better get that blog and
website rolling!

3. The Savvy Crafter's Guide To Success: Turn Your Crafts Into A Career by Sandy McCall

Don’t let the term “Crafter” throw you off: this book is for artists too! Interviews with artists who are supporting themselves by making and selling art help inspire you to think outside of the gallery.

Highlight: Full of lots of beautiful artwork throughout the book. The forms (such as a workshop contract) that you can use as a template to prepare your own documents are priceless.
4. Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists by Rice Freeman-Zachery
See inside other artists’ studios and learn through photos and interviews how they work. Spark your own creativity with prompts that are fun and inspirational.

Highlight: The “Try This” section! Prompts which address different aspects of the living the artist’s life and how to keep the creativity flowing out into phenomenal art.

5. The Creative Entrepreneur: A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real - Lisa Sonora Beam

Using visual journaling, you explore the aspects of business that usually make artists shudder.

Highlight: The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis section helps you figure out your business strategy in a fun and non-threatening activity. The business work that creative people can enjoy!

Your Turn: What books inspire you to live your best, fullest and most creative life? What keeps you coming back for more? Share with us!

That's my job... Support for Creative Dreams

photo by Jaime Lyerly

Today I spent time chatting with another studio art major very close to graduating. As she worked some dipping plants into ceramic slip, I found out that she was majoring in multimedia. She said once she started taking ceramics, she lost interest in multimedia. But being so close to graduating she has a to make a choice of what she wants to do. As we talked about choices and long stemming family influences on our decisions to be artists, we connected as artists do to one another.

I encouraged her not to settle for what is easiest and to live her creative dream. She thanked me for encouraging and supporting her, I say "Your welcome. That's my job."

"That's my job." I have said it dozens of times in reference to supporting people to live their creative dreams. I say it without thinking but know it is completely true. I say it because I feel that helping other people to express creativity, get over their anxieties or supporting them when others do not is one of my gifts and purposes in life.

But what if that was actually "my job?" The job that pays the bills. The job that I get to talk to people about their dreams, hopes and plans. The job that gets artists together with one another so connections can be made. The job that I can teach others what I know and have learned about making connections online. The job that heals my clients and nurtures my own creativity. Is there a place in the world where this job actually exists?

The smARTist Telesummit that I attended this January had a dozen people who do this job. Each has their own spin on it - social media, business marketing, envisioning your dreams, but all are supporting, helping and nurturing artists. Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Coach newsletters and her book "I'd Rather Be in the Studio" are geared toward the business side of showing and making art. Her book is to help clear the confusion of art marketing and artist statements so you have time to make art. Another resource is a book I just started reading called "The Creative Entrepreneur" by Lisa Sonora Beam which focuses on creating visual journals to dissolve your fears about the business of art. These journals will be your safe and creative place to explore the business side of art and a way to envision the direction you want your business to go.

These resources tell me that "my job" does actually exist. I am not sure how to get to the point where I can help many instead of just one at a time, but I am confident that this is one of my purposes in life. It is part of my journey.

Your Turn: Do you love to help others to express their creativity? Have you had a breakthrough moment when you realized that you needed to share this information with many? Any tips for me on how to continue on the path towards helping artists connect to each other, themselves and their businesses?

Preparing for the Creative Journey - Haiku

Forbidden Palace, pic from Wikipedia

My big news that I have been bubbling to write about....

My partner Chris and I are going on a two-week cultural study tour to Japan and China!!!

It is through San Diego State University's Art Department, led by Associate Art History Professor Dr. Johnson. The focus is the traditional culture of Japan and China. We will be going to four different Art colleges, two in each country and interacting with former SDSU international students who live in these countries. We will also be hitting a few of the major tourist highlights such as the Great Wall and The Forbidden Palace.

We are so excited to start this journey, which begins at the end of May. It will be jam packed with learning and a condensed adventure.

I have been waiting to blog about it until I had some real exciting way of putting it, but gave up. So this is what you get. Words and exclamation points!!

In addition to studying the language and culture, I am working on how to get the most creativity out of this adventure. I found an e-book online today through the Art Biz Coach called "Creative Toolkit for the Traveler" by Cynthia Morris. Cynthia's blog is very inspirational for those of us looking to explore creativity where ever it goes. She writes a blog called "Journey Juju" about her creative travels. I am in love and envious of all her adventures. But since my blog is also focused on the JOURNEY of making art, I can explore that journey even when I stay close to home.

Through Cynthia's Toolkit, I was reminded of ways to express creativity even while I am stuck in my hometown. So for the next week, I am going to post some very Americanized Haiku to gear me up for my creative journey.

Here are today's Haiku
1.
Stuck at my work desk
Body's here, but Mind is not
Need an Adventure!

2.
Computers all day
Type, print, daydream & know that
Art won't wait till 5

3.
Buddha on my desk
Blessing me in hopes I will
Take him to Japan

Creativity won't wait! Get started on the journey now!

Your Turn: Do you have some adventures planned for the summer or near future? What are you doing to get the creative juices flowing so you can be (as from the Toolkit) "transformed from ordinary tourist to traveling artist?" I would love to hear about your creative journeys!

Creatively yours! ~ Jaime