Aspiration

This week has been about aspiration.

I’ve been working on a love piece for Dick Blick’s, which is filled with aspirations about love.

On Thursday I attended a Chicago Artists Coaltion‘s Collector’s Circle talk at Perspective Gallery, where Katsy Johnson explained her process for creating her beautiful encaustic photographs in the “Schools Out Forever” series. The combination of encaustic and color photographs is lovely. Thus far I had only seen encaustic works with black and white photo transfers. Katsy Johnson photographs abandoned buildings (schools, churches, theaters) to preserve these structures before they are torn down. She feels the encaustic adds a connection for the viewer.

“To me the [unstaged] photograph almost looks fake,” she said.
With wax, it seems more honest.”

We were also treated to a slide show of Contemporary Art Photography by Chris Schneberger, which had me ponder my own photography skills. While I have taken some formal photography classes, I currently think of myself as a snapshot taker. I love nature scenes but I do not set out to make a statement with what I shoot. To me it is a preservation of a memory, and a documentation of my life. So it was interesting to listen to a discussion of how professional fine art photographers use their lens as social commentary or to make a statement.

As Chris Schneberger referred to collectors, I felt a tug that I both want my pieces to be collected, and then when I make the big bucks (some photographs sell for six figures up to $1 million!) I’d love to become an art collector myself.

With that lofty goal in mind I set out to the monthly Women’s Innovation Network meeting the next day.

I was early so I browsed the third floor of the 900 North Michigan Shops. Lululemon had pasted hand-written 2012 goals in their window, which mesmerized me.

I was glad to internally check off “go to grad school,” “sleep more,” “eat more sushi,” “become a published writer.” I was touched by “live in the moment,” “be bold,” “listen to my lady,” “use positivity to describe my body.” And I identified with “sell 5 pieces of art” and “fall in love.”

It made me think about how we all aspire to something, and no goal is too trivial or too big to commit to.

I then entered the lovely L.K. Bennett store (Kate Middleton is known to shop in the London branch) where the Ladies of WIN gathered for our meeting. I promptly aspired to start earning money again so that I can purchase the lovely shoes and dresses on display in the store.

Linda K. Bennett could not find the shoes she was looking for, so since her father conveniently owned a shoe manufacturer, she set out to design her signature kittenheel. After that became a hit she expanded to ready-to-wear. The Chicago store was the first U.S. Branch to open, in April 2010, and other branches have opened in Atlanta, New Jersey and Houston (some Bloomingdale’s stores carry her too).

In addition to the guest speaker and innovative tips (which I will blog about next), we were given a Money and the Law of Attraction card, which gave me goodness and balance to aspire to:

The back reads:

The aspiration to be the best I can be will continue throughout this year, and I look forward to each day as I take more steps to become that harmonious and good self.

ADDENDUM: As of March 10, 2013, I no longer support the WIN Board and its actions. However, I do support small business, women-owned businesses, and the gracious hosts of past WIN events.