I met Mari Robeson many years ago and am so happy we've managed to stay in close touch despite moves, children, career changes and all the other things that sometimes interfere with keeping connected to friends. Let's begin!

[April 21, 2008] 

My dear friend...I am finally interviewing you!!!  Woo hoo!!!  Let's get on with it!!

I swear, every time I read your blog I need a nap - how on earth do you balance all of your projects, your boutique, your family?
Gosh, that is such a good question. I am incredibly busy but that's my personality. I like to have a million things going on all the time. I just think life is so full, I want to be fully immersed in it.

What I don't mention a lot, and I should, is that I have incredible people around me helping me. My husband, Bill, is amazing and works very hard. My niece, Shaunah, lives with us and is an incredible designer who helps me quite a bit, then there are my parents who live on the property (in their new house we built for them "Pepper Tree Cottage") so my girls always have someone around. I couldn't do half as much if I didn't have these great people around me. :-)

Now I will backtrack - tell me about each of the different projects that are now currently occupying your time.
Oh goodness, let's do the short version of this... Currently, I am redesigning a restaurant in Pismo Beach, named Rosa's. They have delicious Italian food! I am also working on a very large house in Edna Ranch, a remodel on a home in Corbett Canyon, an icredible architectural structure in San Luis Obispo that will be a resort, a gorgeous Spanish Villa by the beach, several nurseries and kid's rooms, several color consultations... OK now, I'm getting a little overwhelmed.... ha ha...
I am also working on new fabric and product designs and last but not least I was just asked, and have accepted, to be the Entertainment Editor for a new and FANTASTIC magazine called Artful Living!!!

What is your Mondo Beyondo dream for Mari Robeson Home?
Well, dream big right? In line with the question above, I want to bring quality and beauty back to people's lives. I wish to expand and grow my product with that in mind. I decided a few years ago, that I was done collecting "stuff". That even if I had just a few things in my home, those few things would be exquisite. I would like people to see my brand and associate it with beautiful, quality, thoughtfully designed items....that inspire and make them feel good.

I have known you for many years now, and while the specifics of your journey as an artist has changed, there has always been a very special thread that connects everything you do...a wonderfully unique sparkle...how would you describe that part of your creative self that has stayed consistent and intact no matter what you are working on?
Hmmmm.....I think it is staying true to yourself. If you stay authentic, then whatever you create will feel like you. I, like you, chose to live an artist's life...whether we are painting or cooking or designing a home...it's all art, right?



What messages about life and creativity do you want to instill in your three beautiful daughters?
To be passionate about what you do. To ask yourself the question, "What do I really want?" often...answer, and then live authentically. I know whatever they choose to do, as long as it's something they love, they will find true happiness....

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions, and thank you for sharing your sparkling light with the world!!!  xoxo...Christine
Thank you so much Christine! You are amazing with all that you do and share. I simply adore you and your sparkle!!!

I found Liza Corbett's gorgeous work recently, and dove right in to meet and interview her.  Within 24 hours of finding her work, I had two prints on the way and an interview in the works!  Lucky for me - and now you - she was game for everything!

[April 12, 2008] 

Hello Liza...I really appreciate you letting me dive right into an interview with you when we only "met" yesterday!  I found your work through Flavorpill and am still drooling over your incredible illustrations.  I can't wait to receive the two prints I just ordered from you!

Let's start with the basics...how long have you been an illustrator and how did you get started on this path?
I studied illustration in college but didn't pursue it in earnest until last year. I had created some small things, including some commissioned pieces and illustrations for design firms where I was working. I continued to do a lot of personal work and just tried to draw as much as I could - but I was hampered by working full time. I started working as a part time freelance designer last year and have just been devoting myself to creating and pursuing work since then.

You connect women with deer in a number of your creations - what is the story behind this particular imagery?
These images of women and animals (deer, bears, boars, etc.) are part of a dystopian world, that I've called FEAST, where ladies of the aristocracy or upper class radically deface nature and appropriate elements of plants and animals for their amusement, for pleasure and fashion. These woman have made themselves into these grotesque hybrids - feral beasts, while still maintaining elaborate coiffeurs and dressing in expensive finery.

 
I have to ask about the piece that caught my eye in the first place - The Confidence Woman - tell me how that creation came to life.
THE CONFIDENCE WOMAN is one of these society ladies whose theft has caused her to take root. To me that suggests some kind of punishment from the gods-- you could imagine it being a Greek myth.

Does your work as an illustrator lean more heavily towards commercial and/or editorial or towards personal work that you exhibit and sell?  
I'd love for it to do both - Commercial/editorial work is great because the projects are like problems that need to be resolved. When the illustration is finished the idea of it being published and seen is so thrilling. But then nothing beats the freedom and satisfaction of personal work.

Your illustration style reminds me of the illustrations you see in the Wall Street Journal, where shadows and contrast is created through tiny dots and simple lines...how did your work evolve into this particular look and feel?
Probably because pen and ink is a medium that is readily available and easily used. I think over the years, having such constraints on my time, having a pen to secretly doodle with at work or being able to quickly pick up in the evening, has caused it to be the tool I am most comfortable working with. Unlike painting, there is no set up or clean up for most of the pens I use. Cross-hatching has an old-fashioned look that i think is attractive. I love building pen marks and creating new shapes and textures that are highly controlled, yet often unpredictable.

In these worlds you create on paper, what are they like?  Do you go there to sit quietly and meditate...to conquer your fears....to dance like a wild bohemian?
Oh no, they are definitely too dangerous to visit!
 
You have created book covers, logos, magazine illustrations...where else would you love to see your work?
I'm working on some t-shirt designs right now, which I really enjoy and hope to do more apparel design, as well as create some tote bags and purses... Lotta Jansdotter Anderson is a huge influence. One of the t-shirts is now available in a limited edition through TastyTshirt. What is really cool about this project is that a portion of the sales go to Starting Artists, which is a nonprofit supporting teens in Brooklyn with hands-on training in arts and entrepreneurship.

When you feel stuck creatively, what gets your juices flowing again?
I have a huge archive of tear sheets from magazines and photocopies from books. I have tried to organize by types, women, fashion, illustrators, flowers, paintings...anything that catches my eye. I also keep dozens of sketchbooks with ideas that come to me mostly in the middle of something else - so I can come back when I have time. It works...most of the time!

Thank you again...I am so excited to share this interview!  Blessings...Christine

Icia Farney at my first official Creative Journaling workshop.  I recently interviewed Icia for Sparkletopia, eager to learn more about her world travels, humanitarian work and devoted meditation practice.

[March 31, 2008]

Hello Icia...Thank you so much for having a chat with me for Sparkletopia, although I think by the time we are done I will be seething with envy (in a good way)!!  I have only heard bits and pieces about your travels and I am eager to know more.  Let's start with the basics...tell me everywhere you've been.

Every where?  All fifty-two countries?  Well I have been to every continent except Antarctica.  Here it goes…France, Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cayman Islands, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil! 

If I am remembering correctly, some of your travels have been for humanitarian work...tell me about that, where you were, etc.

Actually I didn’t travel to any place for prearranged humanitarian work.  However, I volunteered at an orphanage in Chembe Village, Malawi where I lived for four months.  We educated the kids about HIV, tutored them in Math and English, put on plays, and laughed together.  In Honduras I helped out at an orphanage where twenty five kids lived in one room with four adults.  I played games with the children, taught them basic English, and mostly gave them a lot of affection that they yearned for.  In Guatemala I helped severely disabled teens at a hospital.  Most of them were bed ridden or in wheelchairs.  I fed them, brushed their teeth, clipped their nails and accompanied them outside.  All of my experiences were very heart wrenching yet extremely rewarding.  I would like to travel more in this capacity, helping others. 

Where did your passion for travel come from?

I think I inherited my parent’s travel gene!    They are accomplished travelers and even had a travel show in the late sixties.  They are in their late seventies now and still continue to travel.  My sister Katy was also a big influence on me; I remember being in junior high when she went to Costa Rica and being enchanted by her tales. 

I know you also have a devoted meditation practice - how did this begin and how long have you been doing it?

I practice Vipassana Meditation.  It is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation and the path that the Buddha used to reach enlightenment.  I discovered this meditation while traveling in India, from other travelers.  I attended my first ten day course in India, it was the hardest thing that I have ever done and also the most beneficial.  I have been practicing for four and a half years. 

Tell me about your most recent meditation journey/retreat.

My most recent meditation was the advanced Satipatthana Sutta, you must sit a minimum of three ten day courses before attending this one.  It was eight days and very similar to the ten day courses except that the evening discourses carefully examine the Buddha’s teachings.  This was my first meditation retreat in the United States, at the beautiful North Fork center near Yosemite, California. 

I find it interesting that you have two passions that seem to contradict one another - meditation, which is all about stillness, and travel, which is all about movement.  How do these experiences co-exist in your life?  Do they create balance for you or do they more often create internal friction for you?

They coexist beautifully!  Yes travel can be crazy and overwhelming at times and it is so beneficial to sit and meditate after a particularly grueling situation.  Meditation helps me accept reality as it is, and observe rather than react.  I find that they create a balance.  I began meditation a year into my four year journey abroad and I think that I may have handled certain situations that first year in a healthier manner had I known how to meditate. 

What do you love most about each of these pursuits?

They are both entirely about being in the moment.  Beyond that, travel is about going with the flow and trusting, testing myself and knowing that I can adapt to any situation and environment.  I love learning about how others live and getting immersed in the language, sights and sounds of a foreign place and ultimately realizing how little I need to make me happy. 

What I love the most about meditating is the continuous realization that ‘this too will change’.  I know we always hear that everything is temporary and I’ve said it a million times over but until I actually physiologically experienced it through meditation, it was only words.  Now I get it; everything is impermanent and changing! 

In what ways do each of these pursuits challenge you?

Traveling challenges me as I am forced to be flexible and relinquish control, there aren’t any guarantees.  I suppose that is true with everything in life.  I am often in uncomfortable situations like cockroach infested buses where I need to deal with my biggest fears.  I think the biggest demand of traveling is forgoing the comforts that I am used to.  It requires me to be okay without heat, cold showers, limited choices of food, slow internet if any….all the little things we take for granted on a daily basis.

With meditation, my greatest challenge is the commitment to practice daily.  Just sitting down and meditating is the hardest part.  Once I do, I am so happy but to sit still for a long period of time and let my mind run rampant can be quite intimidating.

What is one spot in the world where you would love to meditate but have not yet?

I would love to meditate in Burma (Myanmar). Although Vipassana was discovered by the Buddha in India it was lost there for many years and fortunately the technique was preserved in Burma.  Sadly the government is a repressive military regime but the country and people are magnificent according to my friends who have traveled there.

I am so excited to share your interview on Sparkletopia - thank you again!!

Sparkletopia's most recent Sparkling Guest was the lovely Indigene Gaskin.  If you missed her interview earlier this week, check it out here, and then come back here to take a peek into her creative sanctuary.  Let's start with a walk through the front door, shown above.

Next we'll stroll on over to her just-organized work space.

A couple of close-up shots are always nice...

What a tidy desk!

And of course every artist needs a crowded bookshelf...a studio staple if there ever was one.

Thank you for letting us into your space Indigene! 

Indigene Gaskin is one of the many wonderful creative souls I have met thanks to a lovely thing called the internet, and I am excited to share this interview with her today!

[March 12, 2008] 

Hello Indigene...Thank you for letting me interview you for Sparkletopia!
The pleasure is all mine. I love your website and I love the concept of Swirly Girl and consider myself a swirly girl, too!

On your website, it says you are a "Female Caribbean-American Visual Artist Living in Pennsylvania".  Tell me how all of those elements have swirled together to make you an artist.
 My family has always lived on islands, they consider themselves, the people of the earth and have an incredible love of nature and respect for the land and their countries of origin, with that said, I am a woman, with Caribbean origins, an American whose passion and life is creating art!
 
This is how my background swirled together…
 
My grandparents are Portuguese who left Madeira (Portugal) during the 1800s and settled first in Trinidad and then on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. They intermarried with the few Carib Indians that were still living there at the time.  My parents were born in St. Vincent and they came through Ellis Island in New York.  I am the first generation born in the United States. I love the fact that all these indigenous folks came together to make me, now that’s art of a different kind!
 
My respect and appreciation for other cultures and the environment is something I wear with pride and screams from my core, “Indigene!” (Which is a family nickname for me).
 
Tell me about how your artwork ended up at the Ambassador's Residence in Macedonia.
A friend of a friend, of a friend, forwarded my website to a contact at the Art In Embassy Program and it appears that the U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia who has connections to the Philadelphia area saw my piece, entitled, “Glimpse from the Expressway” [shown below] and fell in love with it!

I was contacted about the piece and a collector in Michigan had the work and was willing to loan it to the Ambassador for the embassy in Macedonia.
 
The piece started as a drawing, I started while stuck on the Schuylkill Expressway, where you can see the Philadelphia Art Museum from your car window. Over the next several months, I would glance out of the window when I passed the museum and add to the drawing. Of course, it helped that I was stuck in traffic a few more times after the initial drawing!

Your artist statement says, "Art for me is an obsession and preoccupation of an idea for an image that becomes so strong that I am only freed from it by completing the actual work."  Explain how this process unfolds.  Where do your ideas come from? 
I’ve always loved drawing, the feel of pencil touching paper, shutting out all other stimulation. As a child, I noted, often, that people appeared to notice their environment, the trees, the buildings, etc., but they fail to notice the actual individuals that cross their path.It’s as if the people or faces are in black and white and everything else is in color. So I’ve blended my love of graphite with my love of people and I’ve colored their surroundings.
 
I often juxtapose color around my graphite faces or figures. I want to invite my viewers to comment or wonder why I do that and that generates conversation about people and relationships, which to me is very important.
 
I work out of my sketchbook and random photos I take on various trips. I love color and textures and that factors in to my work.

I keep imagining your ideas as a bird that needs to be freed from a cage...is this a good analogy or is it something different for you?
This is a wonderful analogy! I remember one occasion when in my travels I came across a homeless man, I caught a glimpse of him and I fell in love with that face! I kept going back to the place I saw him, hoping to see him again, but I couldn’t find him. His face kept popping up in my mind, I even dreamed about him until I painted him, he then left me alone!  He became a piece, entitled, “Ice-solation” [shown below].  It’s like an itch that I can’t reach and it’s not scratched until it’s painted!  Yes, of course my family thinks I’m quite “mad” but they’re used to me.

When I look at your work, it makes me want to travel all the more.  What parts of the world inspire you?
Any place where there are still indigenous people living and carrying on in their tradition. I’d love to visit China, Nepal and Africa. I would love to capture the faces of the people in those continents!

If you could have a studio anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I was in New Mexico last summer, and I would love to have a studio there. There is something desolate about the mountains in Taos, yet you can still feel the spirit of the cliff dwellers. It was a magical and very spiritual trip for me. I took over 500 images and I still dream about it and see many faces that I’d like to capture on paper and canvas!

I love the studio that I have now and I would like to open the door to this studio and be in Taos, New Mexico!

{Special Note:  I will be giving everyone a tour of Indigene's studio later this week in a separate entry!}

What artists are inspiring you these days?
Leo and Diane Dillon are inspiring me. Although they are considered illustrators, each piece they have created over the years has been fine art in my opinion, and they celebrate people and various cultures in the work they completed over the years! I would love to meet them, but I’d probably have a heart attack and die in front of them! I adore their work and when I’m in a creative slump looking at their work snaps me right out of my creative slump!

Thank you again...I am happy we connected!  Blessings...Christine

I’m so glad we connected too! I’ve admired your work and your sense of being for sometime now and it was my pleasure to chat with you! Peace to you and all whom are touched by your website and words. Indigene 

[Artist Shari Beaubien with some of her gorgeous artwork - see more of her work here!] 

Hello Shari...After browsing your website and reading your lovely article in Artful Blogging, I couldn't resist asking you for an interview...thank you!!
The pleasure is certainly all mine!  I’ve been a fan of Sparkletopia since its creation, and I’m honored to be asked to contribute.

Your bio says you are a self-taught artist...how did you get started and where does your inspiration come from?
I’ve really had the pulse of creativity running through my veins for as long as I can remember.  In college, I devoted myself to theatre and earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in both Theatre and Philosophy.  Societal and parental pressures prevailed, however, and I left college in pursuit of more “worthwhile” endeavors.  A string of boring office-type jobs aimed at netting me a “career” left me feeling depressed and unfulfilled.   I turned to other sources of income, such as teaching aerobics, personal training, working for the airlines, and finally beauty school followed by a stint as a hair stylist, to name but a few.  

Then one day I simply woke up and realized I needed to stop trying to please other people and just be who I was meant to be.  But I still didn’t really know who that was...  In an attempt to find out, I quit my job in the salon in order to pursue a business of my own in calligraphy.  This choice afforded me the opportunity to move in more artistic circles, and it wasn’t long before I stumbled upon the world of altered art.

I think it’s critical that I discovered altered art as opposed to any other type of art.  Up until that point, the visual arts in general seemed completely inaccessible to me.  “Art” was something only people who went to art school did.  But with altered art, things were different.  I found I could play and have fun and experiment and no one would say, “Yuck! or “Stop!” I gained confidence and began to take one-day workshops, join swaps online, and attend art retreats in other states.  The more I practiced, the better I got.  The rest, as they say, is history.  I’ve been working full-time as an artist for approximately three years now.

My biggest inspiration comes from the supreme joy I feel in waking up every day, knowing that I get to go into my studio to paint.  There’s nothing on this earth as precious or as motivating as being in love with what you do...

What advice would you give to anyone reading this who has a desire to bring more art and creativity into their life but feels intimidated?
First, realize that we ALL feel intimidated from time to time.  There are days when I am nearly paralyzed with the fear that I’ll screw something up or make “ugly” art.  We’re human and it’s natural to have self-doubt.

Next, we have to push those doubts from our minds and find a way to connect the joy that is creation.  Vincent Van Gogh said, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”  I couldn’t agree more.  No one ever got better at anything by means of inaction.  Sure, you will make ugly art from time to time.  But that’s where the greatest lessons are learned.  Work to fix what went wrong and push onward.  But start.  Then continue to start every single day after that.

When did you begin teaching and what was the motivation to organize so many wonderful workshops?
I started teaching art workshops about two years ago.  Being able to share my tips and techniques with others is a wonderful way for me to repay all those who helped me along in my own artistic journey.  During my workshops, I try to impart as much information and as many new ideas as I can while students work to complete a specific project.  I think my most important role as a teacher, however, is to help my students find their voice.  We all have such a rich history, and I treasure motivating my students to bring forth those stories in their artwork.
 
In your online portfolio, you have a section entitled "Folk Art".  I have always been intrigued by this phrase for some reason - what does it mean to you?  What makes your art "Folk Art"?
I agree that “Folk Art” is a somewhat elusive term.  For me, I think the main characteristic of folk art is that it holds a certain simplicity.  There is an honesty and straightforwardness about it.  I think that the viewer can’t help but sense that the work comes straight from the artist’s heart.  Moreover, Folk Art usually contains colors that are rich and earthy and the overall style is one of nostalgia.  It hearkens back to an earlier, easier time and place.  I feel that my artwork incorporates all of these elements and that is why I have classified much of what I paint as folk art.

Tell me about your assemblage work - I am a huge fan of assemblage and love talking to artists about their process of creating new arrangements with found objects.
I have to laugh because assemblage is something I do just for fun!  Don’t get me wrong - I love to paint and hold a tremendous passion for that process.  But when I need a break or need to give myself a chance to recharge, I really enjoy assemblage.  Not only is it a terrific way for me to use pieces from my beloved stash of found objects, but assemblage poses specific construction issues that I just don’t arise with paint.  I relish the challenge... although I’m not sure my husband would agree as he and his tools often get roped into service!  The final reason I think assemblage appeals to me is perhaps because of my background in theatre.  I approach each assemblage piece as if it’s a mini-stage, and I get to play the role of master playwright!

Share one of the most fulfilling dreams you have realized with your artwork.
I have been so blessed on this artistic journey of mine and there are so many things that I’ve dreamt of, achieved, and am proud of.  I don’t think I can name just one!  It’s been fulfilling to participate in art fairs, have my work hang in galleries, win prizes (including first!), be published, travel all over the country to teach... the list goes on and on.  I think that when you’re passionate about what you do, The Universe rewards you by channeling that good energy back to you.  Actually, it occurs to me as I write this that I do have a favorite thing that has been probably more fulfilling than all the rest.  I love it when a total stranger reaches out to me (in person or via the internet) to tell me that my art has touched them on some level deep within.  That’s priceless!

What do you believe your role as an artist is in this crazy world of ours?
You certainly don’t ask the easy questions, do you, Christine?!?!  I suppose I try not to worry too much about how the world may or may not relate to me as an artist.  Art, in general, is so completely subjective... It’s really up to each individual to decide how large a role art will play in their own lives.  My view of my work in this world plays out much closer to home.  I try to be the best self that I can be.  Moreover, I put my emphasis on creating artwork that is the most authentic representation of my soul that I can.  Beyond that, the world can make of it what it will.  If someone sees what I’ve done and it brings them joy, then that’s like icing on the cake. 

Thank you so much Shari...I am looking forward to seeing your interview on Sparkletopia!
Thanks so much, Christine... me, too!!

I am delighted to present this interview with the lovely and talented Andrea Scher, a woman who has been a bright light in my life for many years.  This creative soul has been an inspiring beacon for people around the world and continues to add her own special sparkle to the world with her jewelry, photography, writing and now teaching.  If like were a gymnastics competition, she'd get a perfect ten from me!

[March 10, 2008]

I have given quite a few people your Superhero t-shirts as gifts over the years, and I always get the feeling that they are especially touched by this gift.  (I mean really, receiving a t-shirt that says "Superhero" is pretty cool!)  Tell me where your Superhero moniker came from...exactly what was it that made that light bulb sparkle in your mind?
It started out as a game with my friend Peter. He chose a superhero name for me, "Dre" (his was Petro) and we would only call each other by those names. He used to say, "You see Andrea, when you get in a sticky situation, you just ask yourself, what would Dre do?" It was like conjuring up the wisest, strongest, bravest part of yourself... and making choices from there.

When I started my jewelry company, the superhero theme came to mind. It occurred to me that if superheroes wore jewelry they would wear big, chunky, colorful necklaces like I was making. I also loved the idea of a piece of jewelry that had meaning for the person wearing it, that a person could actually feel stronger, braver and more confident with this object around their neck. Like a talisman.

and a little secret?
I bless each piece with all of these qualities... I know the peeps feel it. :)

Who are your superheroes?
My superheroes...

What makes you feel like a Superhero?
Connecting with my tribe of creative women
Practicing yoga
Dancing
Being a mom (although I feel less than superheroic at this!)
Painting, writing, taking photos, making things
Hiking
Being at the ocean

You are a painter, a photographer, a mom, a jewelry designer, a coach and a soon-to-be workshop leader...what is the thread that ties all of your amazing talents together so they all feed off of one another?
Oh... just seeing all of those words strung together make me feel a little shy...
It reminds me of something my friend's dad said to me at a wedding. "You better start focusing or you're never going to be successful at any of those things!"  I am haunted by the thought that I do too many things... that jack of all trades, master of none idea.

And yet, I am drawn to all of these things equally and feel like I am good at them.
They all contribute to me and my joy.

The thread that ties them together would have to be searching for the beauty.
Searching for the beauty in each moment with my camera, feeling the beauty and magic of color as I work with beads, helping others to recognize the beauty in themselves and in their lives (or to cultivate more of that) through life coaching, and then with being a mom it's really Ben teaching me to find beauty and joy in the tiniest slices of now.

You have a mighty impressive list of experiences that some people might call coincidences but really they are a combination of your own manifestation, intuition and maybe a sliver of divine intervention....the kind of stories that make people say, "NO WAY!!!" with huge smiles on their faces.  I think these stories help people believe in the powerful energy that exists within and between all of us.  Tell everyone your story of meeting Ben Harper on the bus.
It was about 10 years ago now and I was working at a clothing store in San Francisco. I was discussing Ben Harper's music with a customer and I said to him, "There are artists that you love and there are artists you want to meet. I want to meet Ben Harper."

A few hours later, when I finished my shift, I took a different route home. I decided I needed a little exercise and walked about 10 blocks out of my way to catch a different bus. As I hopped on the Fillmore 22, I noticed that Ben Harper was sitting right next to me. I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you Ben Harper?" I said, my heart thumping out of my chest.
"Yes I am."
"Wow..." was all I could manage at first. "I can't believe how fast the universe works. I just said a couple of hours
ago that I wanted to meet you and here you are..."
"That is really amazing...."
We introduced ourselves, chatted a bit and then I forced myself to actually get off at my stop and not pretend I was getting off where he was.

Not only does the universe provide, but at times it works so quickly. I think of this story when I want to remind myself of the magic.

What are some of the ways you think we can all tap into this energy?
Writing things down is powerful.
Speaking our intentions is powerful.
Sharing with friends is powerful.
Telling the universe (in whatever way feels right for you)
what you are wanting/needing/dreaming of is a powerful act.

I also believe that following your intuition is important...
and trusting yourself.

Are you working on any other dreams/desires/manifestations that feel outrageous or, to use a phrase you've created, mondo beyondo?
I am working away on my book dream! 

How do you refresh & rejuvenate your own creative energies?I do what I'm doing tonight!
Which is staying overnight in the city with my dear friend....
Girly getaways always fill me up and rejuvenate me. My girl
tribe is so inspiring and supportive and helps me to step away from
my life and get a fresh perspective.

Another way I refresh my creative energy is to have a little
adventure... this could be a new dance class, going to a cafe
to write in my journal, or going walking in a new place. For me,
doing anything off my beaten path feels like a little adventure
and is life-giving.

Thank you so much Andrea.  As always, your word and stories inspire me in many ways!!
 

I came across the wonderful artwork of Kelly Rae Roberts early last year at the absolute perfect time.  I was organizing a group show entitled The Girly Show and when I found her creations I knew it was meant to be.  The show was a a big hit and since then Kelly has continued to expand her work, her vision and her success.  I love watching her soar and I am excited to share this interview today!

[March  8, 2008]

Hello my dear...As if you don't already have enough on your plate with a new website, an upcoming book launch and stationery line release, here I am asking for an interview!  Thank you so much...I am really looking forward to sharing this interview on Sparkletopia.
why thank you, christine. i am in love with sparkletopia and am happy to do it!

Your success as an artist has been swift and strong...what do you think has been the magic formula?
i really don't know! a little bit of luck. a lot of hard work. and a passion i hadn't known before until recently. i feel very, very fortunate and with each new opportunity that comes my way, i feel validation that i'm doing what i should be doing - as if the universe is saying "yes, that's it!"  it's a very new feeling for me in my life and i'm learning to trust and love it. there's a quote i read recently that i believe speaks to the experience of what i'm trying to say. it reads, "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no (human) could have dreamed would come his way." -Goethe

Your artist statement says your art was "a dream neglected until (you were) 30 years old..."  What blocked you from pursuing this dream sooner?
when i read my old journals i see the writing of a young girl who very much wanted to learn how to draw and paint. i had long admired my creative friends, but for many reasons (fear, mainly) i choose a more practical career in my 20s. like so many other young people, i was stuck inside personal/societal expectations: go to college. get married. buy a house. get a savings account. it all had me completely distracted by what my heart really wanted. it took me until i was 30 to finally listen. so, yes, i would say it was a combination of fear, not listening, and not dreaming big for myself that kept me from doing it sooner.

What advice would you give to other closet artists out there who haven't figured out how to embark upon their own creative journey?
i would tell people to get really quiet with themselves and dare to say what it is that is calling them. is it art? travel? get a journal. start writing. start visiting art museums, crafty stores. pull out pages of magazines and images that speak to you - tape them up on your very own inspiration wall. create a little space just for you - a place where you can keep your supplies out in full view. and then i would say this: just simply begin. begin that creative project you've been putting off and see where the wings of discovery will take you.

Tell me about the connection between running and being an artist.
as i approached my 30th birthday (now 2.5 years ago), i felt called to do the one thing i never thought i could do. i hadn't discovered art yet, but for me, the one thing i didn't think i could do was running. i had always wanted to be a runner but could barely make it once around the track. when a dear friend suggested i sign up for a half marathon training program, i decided to do it. what i learned during my training was that when we push the boundaries of our potential, our confidence shines. we shed layers of grief. worry. envy. we get to the root of our strenght. so yeah, running sort of showed me myself. when i finished the half marathon, i thought to myself, "ok, done and done. if i can do that - something i never thought i could do - what else can i do?" and that's when my creative life began.

Tell me a little bit about your "day job" and how that work and your work as an artist feed off of each other.
for many years i worked as a medical social worker. i no longer work full time, but i still work a day here and there at the hospital.  my social work idealogy - that we can overcome our circumstances with strength, community and compassion very much informs my artwork. i'm always thinking of these things. about personal growth. discovery. gratitude. it's all connected, i suppose. seeing what i see at the hospital - the desperate situations, the compassion, the strength, the human experience - really inspires me to connect emotion in my pieces.

Is there one particular message you are trying to convey with all of your artwork or does each creation have its own message?
i think the universal message is connection. and meaning. i hope that those two things come through the most.  

It looks like you have been working with a softer palette lately...is this a conscious choice or has it just evolved that way organically?  How do you use color to create the emotions you are trying to convey?
hmm. it was a conscious choice. moving from oregon to california has me seeing things brighter and lighter and more sunshine-y. i'm in love with cottage colors and can't seem to escape that inspiration! for me, i like the softer palette as it coneys a bit more tenderness for me.

Here's my favorite part of your website:  the word possibilitarian.  How did you come up with that?
i LOVE this word, too! the word "possibility" was my 2007 word.  it had a hold of me for the entire year and it very much led the way. i've often thought of myself and the world as one big possibility project. recently, i came across a great quote by dr. norman vincent peale. it reads, "Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they're always there." i've taken his advice, and i've become a possibilitarian, too.

Give everyone a run down of what is coming up for you this spring and summer.
let's see. the most important thing is that my book will be released this summer. it's called "Taking Flight: Inspiration + Ideas to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings" and will be published by the lovely north light books. it was a life-changing process, writing this book, and i'm so happy you contributed to it!  

Any other exciting news or announcements?
i've got a line of stationery products coming out in May! and an article in the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. and we'll see what unfolds for the rest of the year. i would really love to do another group gallery show - maybe in san fran? who knows!  

Thank you again...congratulations on all of your success...you are a bright light for many!!!  Blessings...Christine
thank you, christine. congratulations on all of your successes, too. i love that we have one another to support along the way. you were one of my very early inspirations and continue to be a treasure to me and so many others.
xo

Soon after I wrote this entry about a link to a website that was all about India, I received an email from a lovely woman named Nina McConigley, a writer and Wyoming native who has been working as an intern at Tara Publishing in Chennai, India for almost a year now.  India has been on my travel radar for quite some time now, and our email conversations caused me to seriously consider a spur of the moment detour from London to Chennai next week (by the time this entry is posted, I will actually be in the middle of my London trip.)  I decided to come back down to earth and wait until I can plan a more detailed (and longer) trip, but in the meantime I am savoring every delicious tidbit Nina has been willing to share with me about her travels, her writing, Tara Publishing, and life in India.

Her interview was a bit more relaxed and done over many days and emails, as I found myself asking her a slew of questions right off the bat, not even really considering them part of any official "interview".  Before I knew it, I realized I had my interview!

Here is how things got started, in this excerpt from Nina's first email to me:
My name is Nina, and I work at Tara Publishing in Chennai, India . We are a small independent publishing house in India -- we focus on children's books, visual arts titles, and have a small fiction/non-fiction list, and many of our books are handmade.

I grew up in Wyoming -- but my mother is Indian, my father Irish. I completed my MFA in Creative Writing two years ago, and am finishing my own book about East Indians in Wyoming. I have always wanted to live in India. I only came to India twice before moving here. Growing up, my Indian grandparents had died and most of my mom's immediate family is now in the states. So, we went to Ireland instead.  When I finished my MFA, I moved home to Wyoming to work on my book. I thought that just picking up and moving to India was a little nuts but then I saw one of Tara's books, I wrote them...and the rest is history. I am an intern here, and my internship will be over in April. I'll come back to Wyoming then.
 
Being here in India for the past year has been one of the most wonderful and hard experiences of my life.  It has changed my writing and my book, it has changed the way I look at the world. It has changed the way I see life and death. It's really changed, well, everything. I am a little scared to go back to Wyoming -- where everything is so orderly, and everyone is just in their houses. I say this with such a torn heart, as I love being in Wyoming in ways I can't express -- the mountains, they sky...but it is sometimes so hard to be the only brown face in a crowd. Living here has been the first time I have not been in the minority in my life -- and yet, I am actually very far removed from people as I am essentially American. The streets are so alive here. Every weekend, I take a bus to visit my family and I pass by all sorts of funny sights.  I am humbled every day.
 

What is the weather like this time of year in Chennai?
South India is almost always hot. I was just in Delhi for a week and it was freezing in comparison. Most days are in the 80's and 90's -- and we are now moving into summer, which means many days around 100. Coming from Wyoming, it was very strange for me to experience such warm humid weather all year round. But it was the monsoons that really threw me off. I had never seen that kind of rain. I live with two other North Americans -- and our house flooded three times. By the second time, all we could do was laugh (and move furniture). You can't just tell the rain to stop. But there were moments standing in water in my bedroom that I thought, "What am I doing here?" Here in India, a very common expression is, "What to do?" I think to live here, to some degree, it becomes your mantra. What to do. If you got frustrated by power outages, no internet, things like that...it would make you crazy. So, I love the very go with the flow attitudes of everyone around me.
 
What is a typical day for you?
 A typical day is usually waking up and making breakfast at home. My one roommate does yoga in the early morning, so she usually makes breakfast for the house. We all walk to work together, stopping on the way at a juice stand. There are fresh juice stands everywhere. This morning I got a fresh watermelon juice for 12 rupees -- which is less than 30 cents. We are greeted at work by the office dog -- a stray that seems to just live at Tara (and we feed him, which doesn't help!). I think one thing I have found about being at Tara is there is no typical day. One day, we have Gond tribal artists in showing us their work and collaborating with Tara on books, other days, we'll sit and talk about possible ideas for books, some days I spend sending out copies of our books for reviews or organizing exhibits of our artwork, other times we are out in schools in Chennai doing art education outreach. We get a lot of visitors stopping by from librarians in the US, people from Oxfam, writers...Some people want to check out our books, others want to see our press and check out how the handmade books are made -- as we make books using silkscreening, letterpress and offset printing.
 
I have learned the hard way about being a small independent press and how much harder it is (with almost no publicity budget), to get the word out about Tara. But luckily, once people see our books, they usually fall in love. Since Tara is a collective of writers and artists, the office is always lively and full of conversation. I am so happy that I work for a place that brings a voice to people that perhaps would never be in the mainstream. Most all of our illustrators are not "illustrators" per se -- but tribal and folk artists, cinema billboard artist, textile printers -- we use all sorts of untraditional things as illustrations.
 
Through Tara, I am writing a book on teaching children Gond art. I used to teach, but my own writing has always been fiction or as a journalist. But I love art, so I feel like in some ways, I get to marry my interests. Tara is so flexible. After doing some art education workshops, I was interested in how you could teach Gond art to little kids. Gita Wolf, our publisher, said "Why don't you write a book on it?"  So, I am. I never would get to just say and do something like that in a bigger publishing house -- especially as an intern!
 
After work I try to work on my own book and take a yoga class. I had never studied yoga till coming to India. I don't speak Tamil, so sometimes my attempts at yoga are a bit of a comedy of errors. My life here is quiet. I don't miss the things I thought I would -- TV, internet, a car. It's actually allowed me to work a lot on my own writing.

How did you find Tara Publishing?
I saw one of Tara's books, it was The London Jungle Book. I thought it was such an interesting book -- a mix of art, travelogue, and since it written from the perspective of a man from a small Indian village and his take on London, I found it really different from other travel books I had seen (I also loved the art!). So, I got on Tara's website, and saw that they took interns. At the time I was doing my MFA in Texas, so I wrote to them and kept in touch over the years. But, by the time I finished my MFA, I was 30, and thought maybe I was a little old to be "interning" anywhere. So, I moved home to Wyoming instead to work on my own book, which I had started in my MFA.
 
I love that you traveled around the world...where did you go?  Were you on your own the entire time?  
I was home in Wyoming for less than a year, then decided to travel. So I bought an around the world ticket. They are great, as long as you are going in one continuous direction. My mother is originally from Chennai, India, my father grew up in Ireland -- so one good thing about having a multi-national family, is that I can travel and visit family. I bought an around the world ticket, and went to England, Ireland, and France, then jumped to India, where I stayed for two months, then went to Thailand, then to Australia. My grandmother actually lived in Australia, so I went to be with her as she had not been well. As it turned out, she was really unwell, so I stayed three months with her and was with her when she died.
 
The experience of being with her made me rethink what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to finish my own book, but also knew I wanted to be back in India. Being in India made me feel happy in a way almost no other place has. I would have loved to come to India just to travel, but I really wanted to live and work here -- and experience day to day life. I hadn't grown up traveling to India (prior to moving here, I had only been here twice) as my Indian grandparents had passed away before I was born. I got in touch with Tara again and applied for the internship. I was worried  about being older (as most of Tara's interns are just out of college) but that was all in my head. I am learning more and more to just go out and do things that fill you creatively, even if some people are puzzled by your path.
 
I was alone on and off when traveling. My mother traveled with me some, and almost everywhere I went, I met friends or family. This year of being in India has been a lot more of being alone in India. Which is so nice. I love my Indian family very much, but they don't quite know what to make of someone who is 32 and not married (their attempts to marry me off are a whole other story...) So, they are very protective. My aunt still can't understand why I take public busses in India and not a taxi. It is some times a down side being a woman in India alone. Sometimes, it can be frustrating when traveling on trains and buses, when getting service when eating out. But that said, I feel very safe in the South traveling around.

What has your experience in India been compared to what you thought it might be before you moved there?
In many ways, my prior trips had taught me to have no expectations -- I think when coming to a place like India, which can be very easily exoticized and romanticized, you really have to come with a very open heart and mind. For me, in a bit of a cliché, I hoped I would discover my roots and figure out all sorts of questions from the universe. In that way, I have realized that moving to a new place doesn't automatically make things clear for yourself, in many ways, you can feel more muddled. But you also do learn all sorts of things about yourself when you are stripped of the comforts (or sometimes crutches) you rely on back home.

The ease of the West is something that I never thought about till I came here. It's a given that power works, that you can, for the most part, drink water out of your tap, that when you go to the grocery store you can get what you want. I think I took all of that for granted. Living in a city of 7 million from a town in Wyoming, all of my experiences here have been so far removed from what I have known. I also thought I would pick up Tamil very easily, which, well, isn't quite as easy as I thought...

My idea of India has only become more complex. In that I realize that you can live here for years and years, and only scratch the surface of this country. I feel like I really only know my little pocket of Chennai. When I was in Delhi recently or in Bangalore, they are so different from Chennai. Every city here has such its own feels and rhythms. So, I feel like I have just started a relationship with India, and will continue to come back again and again.

Share an experience where you said to yourself, "YES, this is why I wanted to live in India!"...an experience when you knew you made the right decision to take that leap.
I think it was Vinayaka Chaturthi, or the Ganesha Festival. I have always like Ganesha. Out of all the Indian gods, he seems really jolly. He is the remover of obstacles, and the god of beginnings. During this festival, all these make-shift shops spring up on the roads. They sell mud Ganeshas, which at the end of the festival, are submerged into the sea (or water). At temples, elaborate light sculptures (think Christmas lights as art) tower over rooftops. I got up early on the morning of the first day of the festival. I took a walk to the temple near my house. People were buying their mud Ganeshas to take home and decorate. My landlord had been making all sorts of sweets to present to her Ganesha. The sweet shops had special foods. As I walked around, I just felt part of something much bigger than me. India's culture is so old, so beautiful, and to watch certain rituals makes me feel, well, for lack of a better word, connected. Also, since Ganesha is the god of beginnings, it all felt very auspicious to me.

But, I have to admit, I also felt pretty happy when I finally could get an auto rickshaw and bargain in broken Tamil. I knew my mom would be proud!

What have you learned about yourself while living in India on your own over the past year?
To let go of control. To not worry about time. To laugh. To also be more aggressive – with so many people competing for space, I’ve had to learn to push my way through a crowd. Also, I grew up with a lot of open space around me, so India challenges my notions of space and silence. I’ve learned that I can quite happily move through an Indian street with its maze of people, cows, auto rickshaws, scooters, cars, bullock carts.
 
Do a brain dump of adjectives describing India...
Friendly, dynamic, loud, scented, hot, humid, colorful, joyful, green

When will we be able to order the book you are working on?
The Gond art book will be published in early 2009. I hope my own fiction book will come out soon after that…

Thank you Nina for an extraordinary interview and for sharing so much of your incredible journey!  I can't wait to see where you go next... 

I met Barbara of Hope's Flame last year and we hit it off immediately.  I was thrilled when she shared her latest endeavor with me - a blog called Dually Noted, which is "a daily journal by two friends documenting their lives and their friendship shaped by a single decision: whether and when to have children."

[February 20, 2008] 

Hello Barb & Lori...Thank you so much for letting me interview you for Sparkletopia.  I love the new blog you have started together; I think it is a great topic that isn't discussed enough.  Tell everyone what Dually Noted is about.
Barb: Hi Christine. The pleasure is all ours. Or at least mine. Anytime I can talk about a project I'm working on, I'm a happy camper. Dually Noted is a daily journal by two friends (that would be Lori and me) documenting their lives and their friendship as it relates to a single decision: whether and when to have children. I’m the childfree one. Lori recently added “mom” to her list of credentials.
Lori: Barb is right – Dually Noted is a conversation between Barb and myself on our demographics of childfree and new mommy. However, the motivation for me is more an opportunity to resuscitate my creative self and force me to start writing again on a regular basis. The fact that I get to write about my new favorite subject, my 3-month-old son, is a bonus!

How did the two of you come up with the idea for Dually Noted?
Barb: I’ve been looking for a unique way to talk about my decision to choose a childfree life for a long time. It’s a topic that seems somewhat taboo for some reason and I wanted to give it a face as well as a place in our cultural history. Lori and I have wanted to do something creatively together ever since we met four years ago. We even have our own Creativity Retreat Weekends just as an outlet for creative expressions (as well as a convenient excuse to kick the men out of the house, eat, drink wine, and dance uninhibitedly to music). So when Lori became pregnant, I knew this was a milestone in our friendship and that it would change our relationship forever (insert dramatic sigh here…and I know Lori is rolling her eyes right now). The timing was right and the topic is relevant, not just to us but to all women, couples, and friends.
Lori: It was purely Barb’s idea. I’m just a pawn in her game…in fact, I didn’t realize how important the subject really was for her until she pitched the project to me. I had never realized the contrast, and how much my decision to have children impacted her view of our friendship and of me as a person. It’s been a great discussion.

What was it that compelled you to open the discussion up to a wider audience?
Barb: Curiosity. Just the plain old desire to see what other people think of the topics, situations, and discussions Lori and I have in Dually Noted as well as to give Lori and I a chance to see (and react to) things others bring up. As I said above, childfree people often can’t be heard above the chatter that comes from the “pro-family” or “family-friendly” culture we live in.
Lori: I was hesitant to open it up to a wider audience, as I felt I wouldn’t be as honest if I knew people were “watching.”  I initially didn’t like the blogging idea, and honestly didn’t even understand why people did it, but have warmed up to it over the course of our project. I’m also getting more comfortable with the comments and having people review my work…at first it felt like I was back in school and being peer edited, but my ego has since recovered.

Is there a specific message you are trying to convey to women contemplating the question of whether & when to have children?
Barb: Oh goodness no. Dually Noted is voyeurism at its worst and best. It’s looking at a friendship and how it evolves or stagnates (I don’t know the outcome yet) now that one of the friends makes a major lifestyle change. I’m not trying to convenience anyone that a childfree life is better or worse than one that includes children. But because it is a decision everyone faces, it is something we can all relate to on some level.
Lori: Initially I definitely didn’t have a message, I didn’t even know what I was trying to say. As we continue to blog and my role as mother evolves, however, I find myself wanting to send more of a message…stay tuned, I have my soap box handy in case I need it.

Where does the title "Dually Noted" come from?
Barb: It’s a take on “duly noted,” which basically means to take note of. We just switched “duly” to “dually” to reflect the multiple dualities within the project: two friends, two points of views, two life styles. Our subtitle, “One decision, two lives” also plays off the number thing.
Lori: Enough said.

I think there are endless resources for women who want to have children, but finding resources, support and even honest discussions about the decision to not have children requires quite a bit of detective work...any thoughts on this?
Barb: I agree. When I lived in Minnesota, I felt isolated in many ways because there weren’t many people like me who were proactively committed to a childfree life. And if you talked about being childfree, especially about being childfree on purpose, people just didn’t know how to react to that. It made them feel uncomfortable. I think part of that is because too often the discussion about choosing to be childfree is intertwined with tumultuous settings, like a bad childhood or the inability to live a healthy adult life. Even a book like Molly Peacock’s Paradise, Piece by Piece, one of the first by a mainstream writer to talk about wanting to be childfree, you sort of get the feeling she was trying to avoid something instead of creating or seeking out a certain lifestyle that was best for her. It wasn’t until I moved to California five years ago that I felt I was “at home with my peeps.” Here, I met many women and men whose vision of themselves and their future is one that does not include raising children…and they were happy, successful, mentally stable adults making no apologies for their decision! It was such a breath of fresh air.
Lori: I never really read the resources available to me for wanting to have children, and in fact think we’ve become so overloaded with information on “What to Expect When…” that we’ve really lost the spirit of the whole experience. I knew that I couldn’t imagine living my life on this planet without leaving a piece of myself behind in another human being. I was fortunate enough to not have a problem getting pregnant (in spite of my lifestyle for the previous 15 years) and had a relatively uncomplicated pregnancy, so I suppose I’m lucky in that I didn’t need to rely on the books and websites available. In my opinion, regardless of the subject matter, I meet so many people that reach paralysis by analysis on any decision. My advice? Close your eyes and jump!

For someone visiting Dually Noted who may be struggling with the question of whether & when to have children, what do you want them to take away from the experience of reading your blog?
Barb: I’d like them to consider that there’s a lot to think about, regardless what side of the decision you’re on. It’s a question I strongly believe is the single most important one you’ll ever make in your life…more important than choosing a lifetime partner or a career, how to spend or save your money, what religion to subscribe to or political party to align with.
Lori: Definitely echoing Barb’s response, it’s a HUGE decision and commitment, either way. If you have children, you learn a new level of commitment that you cannot know without them. If you don’t have children, then you commit to a totally different lifestyle as well.

What other resources, blogs, websites or books have you found that might be helpful to someone unsure of whether or not motherhood is their true calling?
Barb: I’m not sure how this is going to sound or come across, but I truly believe the best resource is your gut instinct. There’s no one in the world who is in a better position to tell you what to do when it comes to whether or when to have children than yourself. You need to search within and figure out what you want from your life, what you’re willing to work for, what you’re willing to sacrifice, what lifestyle you’re drawn to, and most importantly, how much of “you” you’re willing to mess with. I don’t believe you can find “the answer” in any one book, blog, or even friend. If you’re unsure about whether or when to have children, then you’re probably unsure about what you want from your future. Figure that out and I think the kid decision will be easy.
Lori: If you’re not sure you want children – then don’t have them until you’re sure. I never really saw having children as a calling, per se, but as an element of my life that I needed in order to feel fulfilled as a woman. Now that I am a mother, I can’t imagine it any other way, but not everyone feels that way. The worst combination is a woman who has children because she thinks she’s supposed to, and then realizes that she never wanted them in the first place. Bad call.

I so appreciate being able to interview you both to learn more about Dually Noted and share your site on Sparkletopia.  This is such an important issue and I think a lot of the questions you are addressing aren't being discussed enough....so thank you!!
Barb: Thank you for your enthusiastic support and interest! Lori and I have more ideas and plans in the works for Dually Noted so we’re really excited to be sharing it with others, getting people engaged, and learning more about ourselves in the process.
Lori: Ditto!

My dear friend and creative soulmate Andrea Scher came down to LA for a visit recently along with Jen Gray and Denise Andrade to help Andrea put together a workshop she had been asked to teach this fall.  Our time together was blissful and I was looking forward to attending her workshop in September, even though all I knew about it was that it was in New Hampshire.  A couple of weeks later, I received an email from the lovely Elizabeth MacCrellish announcing her latest venture, with a link to the Squam Art Workshops site.  I immediately clicked on the link, saw Andrea's lovely face in her teacher roster and emailed Elizabeth back saying, "This is YOU?!" once again giving me that lovely isn't it a small world after all kind of warm feeling.  I seized the moment, asked her for an interview right away and here we are!

P.S.  Registration begins March 7, so mark your calendars! 

[February 21, 2008]

Tell me how the idea for the Squam Art Workshops came to you.
It’s a funny thing.  All my life I wanted to have an arts/creativity center.  I know that it’s been at least twenty years that I’ve been talking about this because on one of our first dates, my husband asked me what I wanted to do (really, wanted to do—as at the time I was just making a living to pay the rent, party on the weekends, etc) and I told him my dream of building an arts center for kids.  Now, looking back I can see clearly that the motivation came from wanting to perpetuate something I had as a kid growing up that saved my life:  the Wallingford Arts Center in Wallingford, PA (www.communityartscenter.org...Oh, look-- guess they changed the name).  Pretty much every Saturday from the age of 8 –15 was spent there.  I have a bumper sticker on my car that I got in Port Townsend, WA.  It reads:  Art Saves Lives.  I truly believe this and want so much for people to have the place, space, support and guidance to tap into this power that can transform your life experience. 

But, life can take you on strange journeys (mine has certainly meandered through the tall weeds) and it wasn’t until I attended Artfest that it all clicked for me and I had the vision to host the same kind of event here on the East Coast for people who may not be able to travel across the country.

What was the image you envisioned when you decided to make this idea a reality.
A place where people sink into a long, sweet day with no distractions of groceries, or making dinner, or running laundry, etc—a place of physical beauty that both nurtures and inspires—a place where you feel you have found your tribe and it feels so. damn. good. 

If I had to sum it up?  A bit of Thoreau in the sense of a natural retreat, a bit of the MacDowell Colony in terms of all your meals are taken care of so that you can focus all of your attention on what you most want to do, with a dash of “The Big Chill” weekend flavor (um, minus the suicide, of course—I’m referring just to the feeling of hanging out with old friends).

Now that your website is up, the registration process is about to begin and the event is right around the corner, what is going through your mind?
Well, the website is still missing the message board and the blog which are HUGE components as that is where people can start connecting and communicating about this- so we are still in the ‘pedal to the medal’ mode to get it finished.  But I understand your question.  I guess, to quote my sister-in-law who is a psychologist and pretty savvy about managing emotions, expectations, etc—I’m trying to be ‘an empty vessel’ where I simply experience what is going on without generating fears or worries or, what have you. 

A couple of weeks ago I had this same conversation with the amazing (AMAZING!) Jen Gray.  I was saying either I could be panicked that no one would sign up, or I could be flattened if there is a deluge of registrations and she said, “everyone who is supposed to be there, will be there.” And ever since that conversation, I’ve simply given over to letting it takes its course.  I’m just the facilitator—this is, ultimately, a collaborative and it will create what it wants to create.  Not only do I have no power to control that—I wouldn’t want to.  I want to see the event develop into its own thing.

What has been the most challenging thing for you so far organizing this event?
Getting my husband to build the website without, you know, getting served with divorce papers.  In order for us to make our launch date of Tuesday the 19th, he worked 4 days straight, including 18 hours on Monday, which was his birthday and he didn’t get so much as a cupcake or a candle.  He’s a mensch, for sure.

What has been easy...maybe surprisingly so?
OMG.  The teachers!!  The TEACHERS!!  I asked if they’d be interested and they said yes!  I never expected that—not at all.  They have been so enthusiastic.  They have supported me and nurtured me and buoyed me—I just can’t even begin to tell you the respect and love and admiration I have for this group of teachers.  They are the best people.

On your website, you have a quote by Kafka that reads "Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."  What does beauty mean to you, and what do you do to tap into it when you need come creative rejuvenation?
First, I need to mention that it was Noel Danforth, the woman who designed the website, who chose that quote and it was absolutely perfect, but that was her idea.

There’s a scene in the film American Beauty when the young videotaping dude says to Thora Birch something like, “there’s so much beauty in the world it just overwhelms me.”  That’s how it is for me.  I can’t take it all in and sometimes it can paralyze me, so I try to keep focused on very small, very, very, very small things—or it will tip me over.

With human beings, it all comes down to kindness.  When people are genuinely kind, it cuts me off at my knees.  Seriously.  And for me, human beauty is all about kindness.

With nature—well, holy hell—I’ll have to refer you back to what I wrote above—it is beyond my ken.  But, if there's one thing that feeds my soul above all else it is flowers.  Flowers are my drug—especially those in a wild, loose perennial garden.  That's my heaven on earth.

What are you most looking forward to about the Squam Art Workshops?
Hmm, well this is tough as I’m not a linear person.  I don’t have favorites or “top ten” lists, or anything like that.  For me, things are circular and ephemeral.  As much as I hope SAW will be a fabulous event, I’m not thinking about living there right now.  In this moment, I am reveling in the energy and excitement and emails I am getting about the planning of it.

I sent a link to your site to my best friend telling her she should go, and her initial response was, "I think I'll be out of my league..."  What would you like to say to anyone who wants to attend your workshops but might be feeling intimidated?
This!  This is the most important question of all.  It really is.  I was that person.  I know that feeling.  I had this desire to create, but the ‘art world’ was some foreign place, some special place that someone like me could only observe from the outside. 

The whole purpose of Squam Art Workshops, its essential nature, is to provide a safe place to tap into your creativity.  Each of has our own spark.  If you set up 10 easels around a still life and 10 people came and drew that still life you would have 10 totally different drawings.  I’m not sure what happens to us as children that our belief in our perspective and creation is no good.  I’m not sure why people lose touch with the magic of their unique self.  I do know that once you get the creativity going it feeds your life—whether it is color, gardening, cooking, clothes, sewing, knitting, deeper empathy with others, greater interest in the natural world, more compassion for animals— creativity is the spring under it all and having more of it alive in your day is not about making “art”—it’s about being alive with passion and joy and pleasure.  Which, for me, is the greatest art of all—living well.

Please, PLEASE tell your friend to email me.  I could go on and on about this--- it’s the inner critic trying to deny us self-expression.  I will happily take on that critic and pound its face into the cement.  With great pleasure, I might add.

If money were no object and your safety were guaranteed, where in the world would you want to go?
Oh la la.  My dream is to live in Paris from October to December every year.  I’d also love to spend a month in New Mexico each year—those are core spirit places for me.  But if I’m doing that, I guess I’d take the whole October – May time frame and buzz about the world—visiting places that are warm and sunny as I am done with Winter.  Done. Winter 2008 has kicked my butt, but good. And then when I’d gotten my equilibrium back—Ireland, Scotland—those are places I have always wanted to visit.  And Portland, OR.  I would love to spend a couple three weeks in Portland, OR.

Introducing the magnificent Nancy Mills!  I found Nancy Mills - founder of Spirited Woman - in my Sparkletopia sleuthing and was very happy when she emailed me to say hello after I posted a link to her colorful, action-packed website.  She is a whirlwind of energy and I am so happy to be featuring this interview with her! 

[February 13, 2008]

Tell me what you envisioned for Spirited Woman when the idea first came to you (and when was this?)
Christine, this is such a good question because what I envisioned and what has evolved have turned out to be two different things. I think that is what happens to many entrepreneurs. Here is the back story. For years, I was a freelance travel journalist. As fate would have it, in 2000, I went on an unexpected trip to Montana, and I stayed at this woman's home next to an Indian burial ground. At the back of her property was a large rock in the shape of a woman. When I commented to her that the rock looked like a woman, she said "we call her spirit woman." I looked at her and said, "This is what I will do for the rest of my life." The name just immediately connected to a deep place within me. She probably thought I was nuts. I resonated more with the name Spirited Woman than Spirit Woman, and then I sat down and wrote a manuscript. So the long-winded answer to this question is that the whole concept is based on a manuscript that I wrote. Even though it was written over six years ago, I just recently found an excellent agent, and the book is being seen by publishers. It's been a long road.

How does your original vision compare with what Spirited Woman is today?
When I wrote the manuscript "Spirited Woman" I knew that it was different. It wasn't a "how to" book or a "self-help" concept. It was a self-affirmation concept based on creative playfulness, empowerment and fun, written in a long-chant form. After I wrote the manuscript my goal was to get a publisher. That was it. But, I completed the manuscript right after September 11, 2001 and needless to say, no one was interested at that time in my concept. So, a very wise friend (who is also an author) said, "Why don't you turn the manuscript into a workshop? And see if the women will come. That way you will know if you have a concept that works." It was the best advice anyone has ever given me. I took her advice, started my first Spirited Woman Workshop in October, 2002 in Santa Barbara, CA, where I was living at the time, and that is how the vision started to evolve. In essence, I went from thinking of myself as a writer to being the Creator of the Spirited Woman Approach to Life and the founder of a women's community. It was very empowering to take that leap, but very scary too, because that is not what I had envisioned.

Spirited Woman offers social events, a community blog, a newsletter, workshops and more (wow!)...for someone who might want to dip their toe into the Spirited Woman community, what do you think would be the best first step?
Well, without a doubt, I say subscribe to our free e-newsletter. It comes out monthly and it will keep you fully entrenched in what's happening in Spirited Woman Land. If you live in the Southern California area (particularly Los Angeles) we have great monthly events that are very affordable. I urge you to take a look at the Events page on our website. Also, for those of you outside the LA area, I suggest that you find out more about our new Spirited Woman Groups that are beginning to form. We're in the process of going national. And please sign up for our Spirited Woman Circle!!!

[Erika Schickel, author of You're Not the Boss of Me:  Adventures of a Modern Mom]

Nancy, tell us about your popular Spirited Woman Circle Tele-Chat Conversation series with famous women authors?
I am so proud of this series you have no idea. This is our third season.  Most of our guests have been on Oprah, Ellen, The Today Show, topped the New York Time's Bestseller list and they've sold more than 20 million books!  The 1-hour phone Tele-Chats (which you can participate in from your home or office any place in the world) are a great way to talk with authors you'd probably never get a chance to talk to. They're revealing, fun and informative. This year, our eight guests range from Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean (Oprah's first book club pick) to Southern Humorist Jill Conner Browne, known for all her Sweet Potato Queens' books and her enormous women's community. These chats are a great way to connect with other women and they're so inspiring. The series begins on March 4, 2008 with author Ericka Schickel and pre-registration is required. You can buy the entire series or individual conversations. I urge your readers to get all the juicy details here. It's so great.  As you can tell it really excites me. I moderate the calls.

Is there a moment in the life of Spirited Woman where you knew without any doubt whatsoever this was the path you were meant to be on.
As I said in the answer to the first question, I just immediately connected to the concept when I saw that rock in the form of a women. And Christine, at this point I would like to tell your very creative audience something from my heart and soul. When you feel something deep inside of your gut - no matter how challenging the road, no matter how rocky, no matter what