inertia

“It is more important to live intensely 
and love wholeheartedly 
than it is to worry 
whether you’re doing the wrong thing. 
Trust your inner knowledge.

 Slow down, you will deal with the future when it is present.”
~Cassandra Lorius in Mandalas and Meditations

Last week a lot of snowmen melted, and so did my resolve.

Snowman cemetery

As inspired as I was/am from last week’s outings, the inner Gremlins also started acting up, telling me my aspirations are no good.

Even though I get positive feedback and I know I can do this, I’m afraid at the same time.

Art-making is not my sweet spot. Business writing is. So why don’t I go back to what I know I do well, and return to the career I have already established myself in?

“One artist, alone, isn’t going to produce
the rich culture of artists
that prompts the world to take notice.
It’s the variety and abundance of art and craft
that make people want to go to shows, stores and galleries
and buy handcrafted items. 

It doesn’t make sense to worry about competition or fear it.”
~Sandra McCall, the Savvy Crafter’s Guide to Success

I get super-inspired as I watch Ladies of WIN succeed, as I read about trailblazing women, as I ponder the sassiness of Goddesses and Divas gone before. I religiously read blogs by women artists and follow their account of how they reached success and are expanding on that success today. I’m thrilled to discover historical and current artists who are as inspired by nature as I am, and use it in their art work.

And then I get stuck.

“Try not to compare yourself to others. It’s the kiss of death.
It stifles who you are and makes you unhappy.

We are each on our own path, and the
more I pay attention to mine, the happier I am.”
~Susan Rios, Where Women Create Magazine Summer 2010

I know in theory what I need to do, and I am quite good at writing marketing spiels for other people, but when it comes to Maike’s Marvels, I get nervous (also known as Impostor Syndrome). Suddenly inertia develops because I feel much better art by better-trained and more experienced true FINE artists is already out there.

Even though intellectually and intuitively I know I have a valid place in the (art) world, it is still hard to shut those Gremlins down. So I am boosting myself up with a bunch of quotes from my readings, and fortifying myself with the knowledge that the only way to get over fear is to walk through it.

“Please don’t saddle yourself with the pressure of ‘finding your style’.
Just crank out as many experimental riffs as possible.
Your style will emerge
as you become a student of your own processes.”
~Suzanne Simanaitis in Exhibition 36

New laptop skin by Curly Girl Design 

February will be my month of overcoming this inertia, and getting the resources and feedback to develop a viable marketing plan.

“May your sensitivity be a blessing to you and others.
May you enjoy as much as peace and
pleasure as is possible in this world.
And may more and more of the other worlds
open to you as the days of your life pass.”
~ Elaine Aron, The Highly Sensitive Person