Book of the Year 2013

As I start this new year  and am making changes to bring more happiness to my business , I would like to share my process with you in this blog...

 As I looked over my posting from last year more here, I am thankful to realize that I have made some steps towards creating my business (my life) to be more manageable for myself!

Since I have just stepped out of the whirlwind, it is still so fresh in my heart and soul, I feel that I almost have to shade my eyes from looking at this previous posting not yet having my new foundation solidly in place!

I also realize that we all create our own paths that we walk, our life is our choices we make- good, healthy, or not... in the end it is our choice to live our lives they way we do. It is possible to change things.

This transition has been a disciplined but better accomplishment for me. I have had to make thoughtful changes to make this all happen and am still working on it! To help me I have found several books to help inspire me along my journey...

The one I would like to share with you is  

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential  

by John Maxwell. link here

 "Is the book simple? You bet. Is it difficult to apply. Of course. But, the framework of the 15 Laws is one model that will help you be more successful in every area of your life. Truly, we cannot lead anyone further than we've led ourselves..."

I have just started this book, but have found it to just what I needed. As you know, I already have the groundwork of my business in place...I know my calling...I know why I am here...which I believe is an important part you have to have in place for this book to be effective. So you can take this information and apply it to reach your full potential and be a positive influence in the lives of others.

In the past, I found that I have had to take steps to ensure that I am financially able to do art which has involved teaching. I am so grateful to my students and clients for so many reasons, one being their never ending support. For 20 years, I have worked hard to create new projects for them and it has been rewarded with seeing them grow into fabulous dollmakers and for me personally, grow as an artist.

So now, it is time for me to walk my own path, to push myself and see what happens...

I can see my path ahead of me and am ready, I beleive this book will help me along my path. Growth can be painful at times. We only grow when we are not comfortable and that is where it all happens!

 The List of The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

1. Law of Intentionality - Growth doesn't just happen.
2. Law of Awareness - You must know yourself to grow yourself.
3. Law of the Mirror - You must see value in yourself to add value to yourself.
4. Law of Reflection. Learning to pause allows growth to catch up with you.
5. Law of Consistency. Motivation gets you going. Discipline keeps you growing.
6. Law of Environment: Growth thrives in conducive surroundings.
7. Law of Design: To maximize growth develop strategies.
8. Law of Pain. Good management of bad experiences leads to great growth.
9. Law of ladder. Character growth determines the height of your personal growth.
10. Law of the rubber band. Growth stops when you lose the tension of where you are and where you could be.
11. Law of tradeoffs. You have to give up to go up.
12. Law of Curiosity. Growth is stimulated is asking why.
13. Law of Modeling. It's hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow.
14. Law of expansion. Growth always increases your capacity.
15. Law of Contribution. Growing yourself enables you to grow others.

Little Rabbits

The whole rabbit/bunny thing just kinda happened...and you know what they say about rabbits...

First it was making rabbit dolls...

Moon Rabbit

 Then started collecting Japanese rabbit fabric... more here.

Vintage Japanese Fabric

Made some more rabbits- even as a hand puppet

Hunny Bunny

And pincushions...and more pincushions!

They are sweet and white rabbit are especially lucky (even if your name is Alice).

Here is one folk saying I like to share with you...

“Rabbit rabbit white rabbit” is a common superstition, held particularly among children. The most common modern version states that a person should say “rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit” upon waking on the first day of each new month, and on doing so will receive good luck for the remainder of that month.

Children...as many of you know I have a young lady, Simone, who comes once a week to be tutored in the art of dollmaking. Her happiness and enthusiasm has brought a renewed joy back into my own personal love of dollmaking! I find it interesting how we can all learn from one another, if we just stop and take a minute to listen!

And now, her younger sister and a friend are coming to take a 3 hour class, we are going to make- yes- you guessed it- rabbits. I did this project (below) a few years ago for a group or (non-sewing) women and we had so much fun...I thought, what a fun project for two sweet little girls!

Completed Bunny Sample

Colors picked out by the girls.

 sewn and ready to go! each side is different, so they can choose the front and back!

The girls, Avery and Elise, each seven, came to the studio. It was an exciting day.

Choosing the front of each, adding the face, coloring, embroidering, hand-sewing!!

completed bunnies

 ...But we still a little time left...hummm...

SOooo, we added tulle skirts, laces, bows, wands and 

glitter for a bit of magic!!!

Bunnies...like these darling girls are sweet and hopping with happiness...you know, it is pretty simple...no wonder I love them so...

My hope for all my students is that our time together will spark a growing creativity and curiosity in them that keeps growing!

Word of the Year 2013

 O waxing moon - 

where are you coming from?
I'm going home*

...to find my soul.

*tikkis 

 

As many of you know, I love to start the New Year with a new word…I find it so interesting how a word can be shown to you through out a year. Normally, I choose a word that will help me with personal growth- something that defines your character as a human being…to become a better person.

I started to think about resolutions for the New Year, and came to discover many of us define our goal(s) of things we would like to "correct"...loose weight, eat right, get up earlier, be nice. What if we took this New Year to grow our already present gifts we naturally have?

It has taken me some time to get to the point where I can step out of my comfort zone (more to come on that in a future blog). To stand on my own two feet with my own thoughts, and to stand my ground to work within myself to create my art that is in my soul. At this point, it is not something that can be easily defined because it is yet to be discovered...self discovery.

wax intransitive verb

Definition:

to increase in size, strength, or intensity

to grow in volume, numbers, or duration

to grow toward full development 

to increase in phase or intensity —used chiefly of the moon

 ok...so yes, WAX, is a very unusual word to pick...but it so describes where I am right now in my life.
 

After much intentional thoughtfulness, I have chosen, this year, to cut back in my teaching so that I may use this time to push myself personally within my own personal artwork.  I realize that I am at a point in my career that if I am going to do this, I better do it now!

My doors to ROotie are open and  I will be taking private lessons to help you individually with your own personal art growth. I am excited to work with these select students to in finding their own creative path.

I feel that if we personally grow than everyone around you grows. It just brings on more happiness to all...and more thoughtful projects to share.

WAX...it celebrates the process and the growth to full potential.

WAX...it helps bring light to our path we chose to follow.

Happy New Year!

Next week: 

I would like to share my 2013

Goals, Yearly Word,

and my Yearly Book (well, two books) with you!

Until then~a thought to ponder...

We tend to be held back from our goals

by the simplicity of our comfort zones...

but just how comfortable are we?

Wouldn't we be more content

 living in our dreams?"

 Michelle C. Ustaszeski