All Creativelike: An Interview with Actress Whitney Avalon

Working in TV and film production for many years I discovered that sets can be either magical or miserable places depending on who's working the show, how much pressure they're under, what the budget is like, and, even, what the weather is doing. Having people there to help you pass the time, stay sane, and remember the magic of it all is important. Whitney and I met while working on a film many years ago. I was struck immediately by her professionalism, good nature, and overall capacity for joy. In short, she's a gem. Today Whitney gives us some insight into what it's like being a Hollywood actor, how to maintain your creative equilibrium in an ever-changing job, and more.

Whitney, how would you define creativity? For me, creativity is that endless drive to reach others, to make the world a better place with art, to find my own spin on a subject that can also make someone else feel less alone and more understood. Forging connection through original ideas.

Tell us briefly about your career as an actor. What types of acting projects have you been involved with? I’ve been an actor since I was six years old, when I was in a local musical theater production, and have spent a lifetime on stage and in front of cameras. I’m incredibly lucky to get to do exactly the things I’ve always loved most (performing, singing, making faces, playing dress up, writing) for a living as a grown up. I’ve done a huge number of musicals, including several world premieres in Hollywood and the national tour of Sesame Street Live!, but also deadly serious plays like Proof and Macbeth. I’ve been fortunate enough to appear on television (The Big Bang Theory, recurring on Days of our Lives, 50 national commercials) and in a wide variety of web videos (usually doing very silly things like shooting a melodrama in an IKEA store, or piloting a giant cardboard robot). Plus, I write and perform in my own short films and comedy songs.

Whitney Avalon in The Big Bang Theory.

Acting is so collaborative. Can you speak a little about what it's like to work with other people, not just other actors, but writers and directors as well? There’s an enormous level of trust required to give a good performance, no matter the medium. Trust in what the other actors are giving you when you look in their eyes, trust that the crew has ensured the set is safe and the shot or stage picture will look right every time, trust that the words you’ve memorized are going to make sense to the audience, and trust that the director has a vision that will serve the project well. It’s a large, intricate machine, and any actor is just one small cog, no matter how big his or her role. It took a while to realize that my take-charge, type-A nature would sometimes make it sound like I was questioning the rest of the team’s expertise, and that I had to make sure to clarify my phrasing so it was a query or suggestion, not a challenge to others’ authority. Ultimately, this is why you often see directors and performers working together multiple times; they have found collaborators who they truly trust.

Where do you draw inspiration from when you're working on a character? Everywhere! People I’ve met, news stories, my past. The internet is a spectacular resource that wasn’t available that long ago. It’s now possible to browse a near-infinite set of videos to look for vocal or physical quirks, how real people of your character’s type actually move, and how those with similar experiences describe their situation. Of course, sometimes a character just makes sense from the moment you read it, and develops out of your own understanding.

What's the most challenging part of being a working actor? Even when you’re making a comfortable living, no matter what level of the business you’re at as an actor, there is never a steady paycheck. That’s the trade-off for the luxury of not having to spend 8 hours a day in a cubicle: you do something different every day, so a life that’s pre-planned is out of the question.

What's the most rewarding part of being a working actor? As I said: every day is a new adventure!

What's it like being in Los Angeles in terms of the creative community. Is it supportive, or competitive, or both? Definitely both. It’s one of the most competitive markets in the world (in that it’s the national capital of commercial, film, and television development and casting) with talent from all over pouring in and fighting for work, but it’s also made up of smaller communities of creatives, all of whom arrived from a small hometown, who understand and support each other's need to make things. I’ve been so delighted to get to know hundreds of talented artists, including, not only writers and actors, but also musicians, cinematographers, make-up experts, sound mixers, editors, and FX gurus, all working together to create their visions and help each other with theirs.

It’s gratifying to feel like those around you understand your unavoidable need to chase your creative dreams – because they’re doing so too!

Any daily habits or practices? Yes. I’m a big believer in turning amorphous “goals” into specific daily systems where one’s priorities are turned into small check-box steps that lead continually in the desired direction. So I not only make certain I’m doing physical good habits like flossing and working out every day, but also grander good habits like learning about subjects on my list to better master, improving the comfort and organization of my home, and making sure I’m leaving time to sing and create. Keeping track in writing of daily and weekly habits (built from carefully prioritized larger goals) is a major tool in any creative person’s arsenal; otherwise, it’s too easy for the unstructured nature of our lives to take over.

Advice for aspiring actors? Train and study the craft, in whatever flavor makes sense to you, until you are ready to compete. If you skip this step, even if you get auditions, you won’t book jobs. Spend as much time as you can on stage or on set. Ask questions, don’t complain unless there’s a safety issue, and be kind to everyone. Find truth in the moment. Somewhere in the midst of all this, you’ll either realize this process isn’t for you, or fall so deeply in love with acting that you’ll chase opportunities to do so for a long, long time. Don’t let anyone tell you that artists are less vital to the world than any other job. Work hard in pursuit of your dreams. They are worth fighting for!

Whitney Avalon is a bubbly Los Angeles-based actor, singer, and writer who has spent a lifetime on stage and on screen. She makes her living acting in television and commercials. Whitney’s original comedy music, available on iTunes, has been played on numerous radio stations and podcasts. Perez Hilton once called her “hilarious” so she’s got that going for her. Find out more about Whitney here.

Living on the Vulnerable Edge

Last night I taught a workshop to ten folks at this sweet, little yoga studio in the southern New Mexico desert. The class was called "Creating a Path to Financial Abundance." Despite the fact that I teach this material online, I'd never done an in-person workshop about the topic. Admittedly, I was NERVOUS. Of the thoughts going 'round in my head, "What if I freak out and make an ass of myself?" "What if I don't know what the hell I'm talking about?" "What if someone asks me something and I don't have an answer for it?" and "What if I come across as ridiculous and naïve?"

To help calm my nerves I pulled an oracle card (one of the ways I connect to Spirit) and asked that I be a clear channel for information to come through, and that everyone in the class receive a piece of information that would help transform them.

Ultimately, the night unfolded beautifully, with laughter, serious admissions about the truth of our financial lives, and much discussion about how to bring abundance into our lives. And, miraculously, I did not make an ass of myself. When it was all over the wonderful folks clapped, as though I had delivered a spectacular performance and not just facilitated a conversation among people.

It was a great feeling, and it reminded me of the truth about growth - we must go to our vulnerable edge, to that uncomfortable place if we want to grow. It's crucial if we want to fight against stagnation. And, as creative people, we do, don't we?

When's the last time you did something uncomfortable or vulnerable for your creative work? How did you feel before and after? Tell me in the comments.

All Creativelike: An Interview with Fiber Artist Lynn Krawczyk

I've never had the pleasure of meeting Lynn Krawczyk in person, but I follow her on Facebook where she delights me to no end. She's not only a talented artist who freely shares her process and art making experiences, she's also a witty wordsmith. Since I know very little about fiber arts, I'm thrilled I got to interview Lynn about what it's like to stamp, stitch, dye and create art with fabric.

How do you define creativity? Great question! It’s such a personal thing, that definition. For me, creativity is about the willingness to constantly question what I do and be willing to reinvent when needed. Living a creative life takes a lot of guts because we constantly expose our inner thoughts on fabric, canvas, photos – whatever your chosen medium is. It’s the ultimate connection of spirit and mind so sharing it with others is a brave thing to do. To me, that’s at the crux of being creative.

You got interested in working with fibers and fabrics after a back injury. Can you tell us about that moment, and how it lead to finding your passion? It was one of those, “Wow, how did I not know about this??” moments. I’m the kind of person that has trouble sitting still, I’m always doing something. So when I had back surgery and was forced to really slow down, I was constantly searching for ways to fill my time and TV turned out to be one of them. One afternoon “Simply Quilts” with Alex Anderson was on.

It was the first time I’d really taken a moment to listen to anyone discussing quilt making. It was a thunderbolt moment, instant connection, instant love. I did a lot of reading about quilts, because I was still recovering from surgery, and became hooked on crazy quilts. I liked all the options it offered for creativity – embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, beading, lace making, etc.

I moved on after a couple of years to art quilts and then to surface design, but there is still a strong influence of crazy quilts in my work. My collages are a celebration of pattern and print, and I can’t tear myself away from wanting to hand stitch everything. I'm fascinated by the layering and mixed media processes you employ in making your work. Can you describe your various art making processes for those who may not know about fiber art? Absolutely! As a surface design artist I draw a lot of inspiration from traditional printmaking techniques – for example screen printing and monoprinting. My work always starts with fabric I’ve printed with these techniques. I use these fabrics to create a collage, cutting pieces and fitting them together. It’s a work-as-you-go process. I don’t work to patterns. The last thing is to add stitching and additional printing over the top. I love artwork that you can just sit and study and always find teeny details. That’s what I work to create in my pieces.

Color and pattern play a big part of your work. Where do you find the inspiration? Absolutely everywhere! Since I’m an abstract artist, it’s so easy to find inspiration in the close up details of little things around me. But, I have to be honest, I get most of my ideas for work or projects when I just daydream. I know it sounds sort of cheesy, but I’ll put my headphones on and just zone out.

I think our day-to-day lives just cause too much static in our heads. Sitting still – which isn’t always easy to find time to do during the day, and which explains why my art brain goes into high gear right when I want to fall asleep! – just lets all that nonsense fall away. I’m not talking about any kind of formal meditation. Just put on your favorite music and close your eyes. It’s amazing what will shake loose when you just chill!

You have a new book coming out. Congrats! Please tell us more. Thanks! It’s my first book and I’m so excited about it! It’s called Intentional Printing and its focus is on learning to print fabric tailored to the project you are working on. That way you are sure to be satisfied with your surface design efforts. There are several surface design techniques and projects to get you started on your printing journey. It’s a really accessible book for anyone looking to start working with paint and fabric.

It’s also about having the confidence to use your artistic voice and trust yourself. I think that’s the first step – letting go of the idea that we have to be perfect. Instead just make stuff. Some will be good, some will be bad and each one will be worthwhile.

On your website you say that when you print fabric it's "the most honest part of your day." Tell us about that. What's honest about it? I guess I call it honest because there is never any other agenda when I’m printing fabric. There’s no goal to impress, no pressure to perform. Even when I’m working on a project that has a deadline and I really, really want it to come out well, the fabric printing is always stress free.

That’s because when I really embraced surface design, I promised myself that I would not assign the need for perfection to it. Because that whole business just strangles the joy of it. So when I put paint to fabric, I completely enjoy every part of it and it’s so great! Favorite artists? I honestly can’t say that I have favorites because there’s so much art to enjoy out there, I seem to bounce around with what is new and exciting to me. Of course, there’s Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, many of the Abstract Expressionists.

Daily habits? I have a full-time, non-art day job so I’m not able to say that I spend all day in the studio. But, I do make sure that I incorporate art into every day. Whether it’s working through the details of an idea in the notebook I keep with me, reading the blogs of artists I admire, writing a little bit, or stitching in the evenings, there is always something. One of the habits I have is to do prep work for projects on the weekends when I work in my studio. I split up the elements of a project into what needs to be done in my studio and what I can work on when I’m hanging out on the sofa in the evenings with Carter (my doggie) unwinding with a TV show. There are so many elements to the art we make, managing them so that they fit into our schedules is a great habit to develop.

Any advice for aspiring fiber artists? Don’t be afraid of making bad art. I’ve learned just as much from the stuff that doesn’t work as I have from the stuff that did.

You give failure too much power if you become afraid of it. It just means you try again.

And, be persistent. Everything takes time. I’m not so good at being patient when it’s something I really want, so I understand the desire to go quick and be successful immediately. But it rarely works that way. Instead just be yourself, do the work, and over time, things will fall into place.

Lastly, I couldn't let an opportunity pass for you to talk about your second passion - coffee! What makes the perfect cup? Oh yes! Love my coffee! I bet you could ask a hundred different people and get a hundred different answers. But, I will tell you how I like to make my favorite cup. I use an electric percolator. I have this weird belief that non-plastic coffee makers make the best tasting coffee. I like to mix unflavored coffee and flavored ones. My absolute favorite flavored is Northern Michigan Cherry from Paramount Coffee here in Michigan. I like sugar and sometimes creamer. But more often than not I drink it black. There’s just nothing better than a good cup of coffee!

Lynn Krawczyk is a surface design artist and writer living in Southeast Michigan. Her textile work consists of collage, hand stitching, and multiple paint printing methods. She believes art will heal the world. You can contact Lynn, see more of her work, or read her insightful blog at her website, Smudged Textiles Studio.

7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Advance Your Creative Career

Anyone who's been plugging along at this creative lifestyle thing for a while knows it ain't easy making a living in the arts. You've got a lot of people vying for what few paid jobs there are, cultural assumptions about the work you make, a widespread belief that you are creating something that isn't considered a "necessity" by most, no clear blueprint for success, self-doubt and/or inner demons, and much more that may be working against you. It can be hard to remember that there are always things you can do to help yourself along. The powerlessness that can creep in must be regularly and consistently kept in check in order to stay focused on being creative. How do you keep it in check? By getting into action.

So, here are 7 actions you can take right now to move your art career forward despite all else:

Change Your Mind. Your mind is your greatest asset. It's also your worst enemy. How you act in relation to your creative career starts with your mind. There's an old saying that goes, "Whatever you believe, it's true." Right now take stock of where your mind is. What exactly do you believe needs to happen before you can "make it" or move forward? Chances are those beliefs - especially the ones that create limitations on you -  are only deep-seated opinions based on your personal or, even, familial or cultural history, and have nothing actually to do with what's possible. Once you change your mind about creative possibility - and expand your viewpoint of it - doors open, energy shifts, opportunities appear. The truth is, changing your mind leads to other changes as well.

Be Decisive. Most artists I know are multi-passionate and full of ideas, so it can be hard to nail down what to do and when to do it. One of the big ways artists hurt their careers is by procrastinating, waffling, or otherwise being wishy-washy about creative decisions. Remember, it's worse to make NO decision, than it is to make an incorrect one. You can always adjust your sails or redirect the course you're on. You can't do anything when you simply remain rooted at the crossroads. Take stock of where you've avoided making decisions, then get in action around that.

Enlist Support. Maybe it's hiring an intern. Maybe it's working with a mentor. Maybe it's getting a web designer or copy writer to firm things up with your online presence. Whatever it is, you need support. (Because we always need support in order to grow.) Take a look at your weak spots - the things you prefer not to do but do anyway or avoid altogether - and figure out a way to get help.

Get More Visible. Think of the all the contemporary artists you admire and are inspired by. How did you ever hear about them in the first place? They got visible in one way or another. They didn't hide in their homes, offices, or studios making their work waiting for a "magical" opportunity to arise. I guarantee, they put themselves out there. We must stop looking at getting visible as self-centered, and look at it instead as service, because the more people who know about you and have access to your work, the more you can support them with your creativity. It's not serving you, your career, or those who would be moved by your work, to keep playing small.

Invest in Yourself. Investment is so important for moving your career forward. Every successful person has invested in themselves, whether it's by purchasing equipment to enable greater efficiency or quality, or investing in a creative coach who supports you in moving to a higher plateau. The trick is to know the difference between an expense and an investment. An investment always pays for itself and then some. Distinguish what you need to go to the next level and get invested.

Eliminate Distractions. Distractions come in many forms - doing more research, reading, going to a movie, the kids, the dogs, the historic preservation committee meeting, the party your friend is having on Saturday night, etc. I'm not suggesting that we don't live life to the fullest. Not at all! We need a well-rounded, full life to keep informing our work and, of course, to be happy. But, there's a point at which all that life stuff adds up to a boatload of distractions, and those distractions push you further and further away from your ideal art career. Someone once said (okay, it was actually Michelle Pfeiffer in a magazine), "You can have it all, but you can't DO it all." So, you gotta make clear decisions daily, weekly, and monthly about what's important to you and your creative career, then eliminate or curb the distractions that get in the way.

Find Community.  Every now and again I hear an artist say something like, "Yeah, but that sale doesn't really count, because she's my friend." Guess what? MOST of your clients, customers, and supporters will be friends. Somehow we've become accustomed to the idea that the "real" people out there, whoever they are, are the true supporters who will validate our creative work. Even if your creative circle grows wide enough to include a boatload of strangers, you'll still have an inner circle of supporters who will be the most consistent. So, it's important to nurture the community around you, as well as expand your circle of acquaintances. Find an online forum, go to an open studios event or an open mic night, start a writers group. Supporting other artists and being supported by them is key in a lasting creative career.

Image by Impact Hub//cc.

All Creativelike: An Interview with Comic Artist Dan Blouin

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Ever want to punch your friend in the arm and hug them at the same time? That's how I felt when I found out Dan Blouin was so talented. I'd known him for almost a year before I inadvertently discovered his comic strip online. I couldn't believe such talent had been sitting there under my nose for so long. Since I don't want you to have to wait as long as I did, behold Dan's work here, and read on to hear some clever and insightful thoughts about the inner workings of a comic artist. How do you define creativity? Creativity is a thought process, right? It's the fire that keeps you moving from project to project and gives life to your ideas, but that's the real goo at the center of the Creativity Cadbury Egg - having the ideas is just the first step. It's taking those thoughts and ideas and bringing them to a place where other people can share them. It's making things, creating. So, how do I personally define creativity? It's very much this sort of white whale. I find myself constantly coming up with ideas, but very rarely do I see them through to completion. Throughout my creative existence, the Comic Book Dude and Vegetarian Girl comic strip is one of the only things that I've managed to both produce as a complete thought, and then maintain. Even this answer is sort of an unfinished thought. But is it creative? That's for the folks at home to decide or.. define?

How did you get into drawing comics? Ever since I was a kid, I loved reading comics. And you always try to do the things you love, right? Even if you're not great at it. But you keep on keepin' on. Eventually I was in a position to produce a comics section for my college newspaper. Content was not abundant, and so I often had to cobble things together just to make the section look full. Some things clearly had more effort put into them than others. One of those things became Comic Book Dude & Vegetarian Girl. I've had several other start-up projects over the years that have competed with CBD&VG for my time, but nothing really took off the way this did.

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Tell me more about Comic Book Dude and Vegetarian Girl. Basically, it's a semi-autobiographical series about a bunch of awkward twenty-somethings, who, in the start of the series, all have serious character flaws, and are kind of lousy-people. But over the course of things, rude awakenings happen, as well as general silliness, and they start to realize that the misconceptions and prejudices they were harboring are incredibly unjustified, and everybody gets all close and cozy. It's really not anywhere near as sappy as I just made it sound. In some ways, they're still flawed, horrible people - just not towards each other. In other ways, they're just like people you know. Who love vegetables. And comics. Oh, and this series is FILTHY with hidden references to various comics, movies, books, TV shows, really, everything that I love. But mostly comics. There's also a talking goat.

Do you draw, ink, and write all of your work? I do if I can help it. I don't think I'm a very good collaborator, with a few notable exceptions. This series in particular started out as a one-man show. But my good friend Jessica (the real life Vegetarian Girl, for the trivia nuts out there) became so involved in the planning and plotting stages of things, that we decided she should try her hand at writing, and so, for much of the series, I took a back seat to the actual dialogue side of things, leaving the characters in her more-than-capable hands. I've since gone back to being a solo act, but I'd welcome her help in a second if she wanted to give it. On the illustration side of things, I've always worked alone. This strip began as something I'd pound out during class with a Sharpie, getting it ready at the last-minute before the newspaper went into production. I didn't really intend on working on it ten years later, so the early installments are very primitive. These days, the entire thing is produced in Photoshop- all the “pencilling” and “inking” is done with a tablet.

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Where do you find inspiration for the themes and content of the comics? CBD&VG is a big love letter to everything that's important to me - my friends, my family, major life experiences (good or bad), the creators and tasty pop culture bits that have shaped my mind and personality over the years. It's all represented in one form or another. Specifically, the three main characters are all based on close friends, combined with pieces of me. All of the jobs Vegetarian Girl has had were my jobs, and very soon they're going to find themselves as the owners of a small-town bookstore, which is where I've been working for about 3 years now. It's always easy to tell when there's a new element in my life - be it a new friend or acquaintance, or maybe I've discovered a new television show - because I'll totally find a way to bring it into the strip. I mentioned that I've been working on this for about ten years. I've grown as a person since coming up with the idea, and I'd hope that my characters have grown, too. I'm in my early thirties, and people around me are getting married, having kids. The spaces between our lives are getting wider, and I feel like soon, that's the sort of thing that should be reflected in my strip.

Daily habits or practices? Hmmm. Not as much. I try to work on it for at least an hour a day. Sometimes that means breaking down the panels, sometimes it means working on the finished art. Lately, it means writing. But this is the white whale I mentioned earlier, I don't work on it anywhere near as much as I'd like to in a week. I try to compensate by organizing my thoughts when I'm at work, or about to fall asleep. I can be a pretty spacey guy.

Favorite artists? For comics? All time favorites are Jack Kirby, John Romita Jr., Kevin Eastman, and Bill Watterson. No question, they've had the biggest influence on my individual comickin' style. For newer favorites- I'm really digging guys like Stuart Immonen, Ross Campbell, and Olivier Coipel. If you like comics, or comic art, and DON'T know who those dudes are, I highly suggest looking them up. And Emma Rios, too. She's wonderful. For non-comic artists? Jim Henson. What a guy.

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Advice for aspiring comic artists? Draw A LOT. Read A LOT. The most important thing to remember about comics, (to me, anyway), is that it's a form of storytelling. It's awesome if the pictures are pretty, but really, if you're sacrificing a coherent narrative for fancy illustrations, then you're probably not going to be happy with it when you're done. And no one will want to read it. If you really want to draw comics try drawing storyboards for a movie, or a play. Even if it's something you've already seen or read. The goal should be to understand what's going on, even without dialogue. Also, don't be afraid of publishing your own stuff on the internet. It's what all the cool kids are doing these days. I'd like to say it worked for me, but I'm just getting started.

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Dan Blouin is a 31-year-old comic artist who lives in Rhode Island with his cat. He's won the 82nd annual local Farmer's Market award for “Most Tomato-like Head”, drives the only car on Earth that runs on love, has bungee jumped from the moon, and is a liar. He's about to complete his 100th comic, and can be found online right here.

8 Signs You're a Burnt Out Artist (& What To Do About It)

Burn out is an insidious artist ailment that creeps in quietly and slowly wears you down over the course of time.

It doesn't always present as a fried, frazzled, bags-under-the-eyes kind of affair. The worst kind of burn out, in fact, is subtle, allowing you to keep on plugging for much longer than you should be. Eventually, though, burn out will grind you down - financially, emotionally, physically, and in your relationships. And, when you finally wake up to the fact that your circuit board is fried, you can't believe you didn't recognize it earlier. 

Here are eight signs of burn out, and what to do about them:

1. You're physically tired on a regular basis, and you don't have an illness. Being tired without being sick is a big indicator you've been pushing yourself too hard for too long. Driving ambition is great when you're 25, but give it another 15 to 20 years and it  will take its toll. There's only so much GO GO GO we can take.  Remedy: Engage in some self-care (salt baths, yoga, deep breathing, long meandering walks in nature, etc.) and take a break until you can get your energy levels back up.

2. It's hard to muster up passion for the work. Where you once expounded effortlessly and at length about a creative masterpiece, you now mutter, "Eh. It's alright," when someone asks you about it. Or, you sit down to work and heave a heavy sigh thinking,"Come on now, I can do this. I can do this." Listen, if you're an artist and you aren't feeling passionate, this is a BIG red flag. Passion is your greatest fuel. Without it, you're steering your ship toward the rocks. Remedy: Stop working on anything you aren't passionate about and take a break. Come back to it when you really feel moved by the work. Don't put a timeframe on this. It might take weeks or months to get the mojo back. Let it unfold. 

3. You feel bitter or jealous when you see other artists succeed. This one is a particularly accurate burn out indicator if you aren't usually prone to those kinds of feelings about other people. It stems, obviously, from being tired of not having your own success (whatever success means to you) and watching your peers (or, God forbid, your students) catch up and then pass you by. Remedy: Look back at your creative history and identify the places where you succeeded. Take stock of them and remember that there were others jealous of you then. When you're done with that, take break from comparing yourself to others.

4. You feel like things will fall apart if you stop moving. Artists prone to anxiety will identify with this one. In this scenario you're a juggler trying to keep all the balls in the air. You know that once one ball drops, the rest are soon to follow. If you feel like this, guess what? The balls WILL drop no matter what you do because you're coming at things from a place of fear and not from a place of love. Remedy: Enlist support, whether it be hiring someone or asking a friend to help, and take a break from the mania.

5. An offer comes your way that you would've jumped at in the past, but now feels more like a burden than an opportunity. I'm not talking about moving beyond an opportunity, which is a natural part of an artist's growth. I'm talking about something that would actually be good for you, but you just can't be bothered dealing with it. Remedy: Reassess your goals, visions, and dreams. Take a break from your creative work and come back to it when you're energized.

6. The business end of things takes up more time than the creative end of things. Of course this is unavoidable on occasion, but if you find yourself consistently dealing with administrative tasks, business meetings, plans, strategies and such, MORE than you're making your creative work, it's a big red flag. It's possible you're even using the business end of things to avoid making your work. Hmmm. Didn't think of that, didja? Remedy: Get an intern, or hire a part-time admin person. Take a break from the paperwork and give yourself some time to get into a creative groove again.

7. Inspiration is few and far between. Lack of inspiration is frustrating for artists. You know inspiration is all around, but you can't find it. Everything seems to have been done before. You've seen it all. SIGH. Remedy: Try something different than your usual MO. If you're used to going to a gallery for inspiration, spend some time in nature or listen to a podcast interview instead. Hang out with children (a.k.a. Inspiration Grabbing Machines), or consider taking a course to learn something new. And, take a break while inspiration finds you again.

8. You feel very alone in your practice. This happens to artists who don't work collaboratively or in a group setting. The sad truth about life as an artist is most people don't care about what you make. Just the same way you don't care about their accounting job. (I know, I know, your artwork is SO much cooler than their job! It is! But they don't know that.) Remedy: Find your community. Go to a class, or a studio tour, or an open mic. Get out there and connect. Start a writers group or a meet-up. Take a break while you find your tribe.

By now you've realized there's a common thread to all these remedies for burn out - take a break! No one is going to give you permission. Only you can do that. I can't stress enough the importance of this. I mean, what would you do if your car ran out of gas - would you get out and push it where you wanted to go, or would you simply fill it up with gas again? Taking a break is the equivalent of going to the gas station, friends.

What's that? You're terrified at the thought of taking a break? The secret no one tells you is this: it will all be there when you get back, and if it isn't you won't miss it. Trust me, I've been there.

And, while you're taking this much needed break, spend some time figuring out how you got fried in the first place. It's likely a combination of factors. For me, it was not taking care of myself financially over the course of time + unrealistic expectations about my creative work + not having enough support from a creative community. When you take stock of how you got to Burn Out Land, you can be sure to avoid that destination in the future.

Up with creativity, down with burn out!

Photo by Tim J Keegan//cc

All Creativelike: An Interview with Seamus Hames

Sometimes I feel like my life is an embarrassment of riches. There are just so many talented, unique and special people in it. Seamus Hames is one of those lovely folks. I am so thrilled to introduce you to him and his work today. How would you define creativity? Creativity is the ability to envision alternatives. Some people conform to the world they're born into and some just can't. Those that can't, see the world from a distance. It's a lonely place, so they assert themselves, and eventually new voices and cultures emerge. It's really a search for love, for the bridging of distances. Conformity was essential for early human survival, but there's always needed to be alternatives. Time moves on, people change, and things need to change lest all becomes stagnant.

Some will advise you based on what they've seen, on the world of the past and of experience, while others will lead by what they can imagine: the inner world.

After all, they've been on the sidelines asserting themselves, they are used to envisioning what the future could be. That is the root of creativity. Where those inner visions come from is as mysterious as life itself. Why the search for love? It's almost as if we've been blessed with the ability to manifest something to receive and reflect our own love. Perhaps that's all we are, created by the universe to receive its love. I see that as proof there is love for all things, simply because we can imagine it.

When are you at your creative peak (be it time of day, season of year, etc.)? I like mornings best, they are the most celebratory, but most often I work in the evenings. Big ideas, seed ideas, come at night, often in dreams or just on the threshold. Summer is inspirational in terms of being outgoing and collecting material, drawing outdoors and exploring, but winter is the time of year I seem to make the most and get the most done, being stuck indoors. That's when I write a lot, imagining worlds from my warm home.

You're working on two series - one of Irish mythology drawings and one of little abstract paintings. Can you talk about each of them and what's compelling you? I love mythology from all over the world, and am currently obsessed with Celtic mythology and Irish history in general, and as I've been reading about it I've decided to illustrate my favorite moments, almost as a nightly drawing exercise. The little abstract paintings are also exercises in translating my pen work into paint, specifically practicing my line work and washes. So both are actually work I can do where I don't have to think much once I'm doing it, just have fun and cut loose, since they aren't necessarily smaller parts of a greater picture, as some of my writing projects are.

Tell me about the little 'zines that you make and send out. I've always thought that was such a generous act. Do you see it that way, as an act of service? I've always loved comics and cartoons, and mail art, and the idea of mini-comics as something small, for a few dollars and sent through the quaintness of the old-time postal service, is very appealing to me as a medium. When money is removed from the equation there's nothing left but the love, and things like that are certainly public services. With my mini-comics I get to write in an episodic fashion, to draw quickly, pontificate about things I care about, and send it regularly as gifts to others, which is all a lot of fun. The comic I'm working on now is called The Mystery, and it's about the landscape of southern RI where I grew up, combining nature poems, stories about high school, and local ghost stories and lore. It's supposed to be the celebration of the soul of a place, the way a landscape informs you, but also a coming-of-age story within that landscape. I'll be very sad when it's over, I have it planned for twenty-one issues, which will run about five years, but I'm also excited to start a new fantasy comic I've been planning.

You're the director of an art center for developmentally disabled adults. How does their work inform yours? I'm inspired daily by the work the artists do at Top Drawer Art At The Brass. I always think of the Keats quote "Poetry should come as natural as leaves to a tree or not at all", and I see beautiful leaves every day, in every color and hue at Top Drawer, when they are helped to express themselves clearly. It is the work I'm most proud of, helping them realize their potential. Their talent is limitless as long as they have the support, and that is an important job. Their work and their insights are like refreshing draughts of morning air in a world that can be stifling and bleak. That is the best kind of public service, providing cool air and leaves, what more could you possibly ask for?

Any daily habits or practices? My daily habits are coffee drinking, drawing, writing, pontificating, pacing, smoking, and kissing my son's sweet marshmallow head. I like to play the banjo also, old-time clawhammer style.

Who are your favorite artists? I love the classics like Dubuffet and Klee, Van Gogh, ancient painters like Sesshu. I also love writers, poets like Han Shan and Kerouac, Walt Whitman, and I recently discovered the classic fantasist Lord Dunsany and am collecting as much of his work as I can, which I also once did with Richard Brautigan. I love Outsider artists like James Castle, Hiroyuki Doi, Minnie Evans. I love writer/artists like Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak, British cartoonist James Jarvis, and artist/writers in comic form: classics like Ron Rege Jr. and John Porcellino, and newer artists like CF and Leon Sadler.

Any advice for aspiring artists? Be yourself, become yourself. Listen to the things that call for you and go to them, celebrate them and invite them with you. Stay happy through your work and seek to please those who you love through it. Be proud of yourself and never question the practicality of your actions. Represent the ineffable. Never give up.

Seamus O. Hames was born in Warwick, RI, in 1979, and raised in the seaside town of Narragansett. He received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts at the School Of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2002 with a focus on Film Animation and Outsider Art, and he currently self-publishes mini-comics as well as creates artwork for gallery exhibitions. He lives in a studio/cottage in Wakefield, RI, with his wife Arleen Aguilera and son Ronan Michael, and for nine years has worked as the artistic director of Top Drawer Art At The Brass, a studio and gallery for artists with developmental disabilities in Warren. Check out his website here.

Starving Artist No More Testimonial

As I gear up to launch the Starving Artist No More e-course again next month, I thought I'd share a really beautiful testimonial about the program from an incredible poet, author and teacher, Jennifer Lighty. Jen was part of the inaugural SANM course back in October with 12 other participants. It was truly humbling and awe-inspiring to see the amount of inner shifts and breakthroughs people had around money, self-worth, and the importance of individual creative expression.

Here's what Jen had to say about it:

"Before I took the Starving Artist No More e-course with Leigh Medeiros I probably referred to, or thought of myself as 'broke' at least once a day.  Over twenty years of following my calling to be a writer had brought me little to no financial benefit, and a load of debt that seemed overwhelming. But some voice inside said, 'You need to do this.'

I registered and paid for the course and immediately began to talk myself out of the possibility that it could work, which I continued to do through the first two weeks of the course. However, I applied myself to the exercises and was amazed to discover how quickly my attitudes and beliefs about money began to shift as I became curious at how those beliefs had been shaped by my parents, culture, and personal experience.

I was wary of New Age 'woo woo' practices that promised quick fixes without considering the deeper underlying problems, problems that I believed, stemmed from money itself. Money caused people to do terrible things to each other and the earth, but I needed it to live. Not only that, I wanted it. I lived in a constant state of worry and frustration. This conflict about my desire, layered with shame about not having enough money, resulted in constantly feeling that I was not good enough as an artist or person.

Through working the Starving Artist No More program I was able to repair my self-esteem and shift my perspective towards money in ways that feel miraculous when I look back at how I felt before the course. My relationship with money has totally shifted. I no longer feel 'broke.' I believe in myself, and though the course has just ended, I have begun to see results in the material world as well as the emotional.

The support, enthusiasm, vision, and encouragement that Leigh Medeiros provided throughout the course was generous and grounded. If you, like me, have ever felt that money is holding you back from your dream of bringing your creative gifts to the world, take the leap and sign up for this course. You will not regret it. You will probably be writing a testimonial for it yourself!"

WOW. Thank you, Jen, for your amazing dedication, spirit and kindness. 

Art and Money: What Does Your Money Look Like?

A year ago I decided to be done, like really DONE, with being broke. I've documented some insights on the journey toward a new relationship with money here in various blog posts (including this one that went viral), and I've been teaching what I learned to other artists in the Starving Artist No More program. It's been an incredible 12 months of learning and expanding. Without the dire straits of being on the brink of brokeness, my energy has begun to level off. I'm not rolling in the dough, but I'm not struggling like I used to. I know better what I'm worth and, more importantly, how to create and co-create money. It's times like this - calm, satisfying times - that I know I really have to keep up the work. While peacefulness is my favorite state of being, it can lead to complacency, which is the pre-cursor to backslide.

So, my practice for this week has been to recognize what money looks like in my life. I've found that when we stop obsessing on the acquisition or loss of little green pieces of paper two things happen: 1) we realize our lives are more abundant than we thought; 2) we focus on end results instead of on an inherently worthless thing - money. After all, money is only a tool that represents potential. In and of itself it shouldn't be the goal.

The other day when my boyfriend and I were in the car talking about finances I started listing what money looked like in my life right now. Here are a few of the ways it's showing up for me: 4 to 6 hour work days, three months of gas money for traveling around New Mexico, hiking at various (insanely gorgeous) National Parks and natural spots, donations to animal rescue organizations, the purchase of paints and canvas, the ability to be somewhat spontaneous with my schedule, red and green chile enchiladas at delicious local restaurants, a new dress for my best friend's wedding, a piece of handmade horsehair pottery, getting my storytelling fix with Netflix TV shows at night, delicious and healthy vegetarian food, and more.

You see, money doesn't look like money. Money looks like feelings, experiences, beliefs, lifestyle choices, and sometimes, yes, things.

More than anything, money, for me, looks like freedom. When I look at what money creates in my life I feel abundant, which is the opposite of how I often feel when I only look at numbers and financial transactions. It might seem small, but it's a shift in perspective - the perspective of abundance.

It's not to say that we shouldn't look at our finances, we absolutely should. It's just a reminder to look too at the results of those numbers going up and down. Those results add up to our quality of life, our ability to serve, and the ways we can express ourselves in the world.

So what does money look like in your life? Look around and make a list! Acknowledging your abundance in whatever forms it shows up is one of the first steps to bringing more of it in.

All Creativelike: An Interview with Writer Daisy Abreu

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a fun, witty, talented college roommate who can rattle off the titles, actors, and songs from classic movies of the 1940's and 50's like nobody's business, but I was. That person is my friend and fellow writer Daisy Abreu, who has gone on to pursue writing with dogged determination and great passion, becoming published along the way. Below she doles out some solid wisdom about the act of putting pen to paper, and tells us how she's been exploring her Cuban-American roots in the process. How do you define creativity? I struggled with this one. For me, creativity is having a vision and figuring out how to make it work. I love to brainstorm because it pushes me to focus and everything else is out of my mind but the subject at hand.

When do you feel at your creative peak (whether it's times of day, seasons of the year, or otherwise)? Having time and space to work while I was at the Vermont Studio Center in October allowed me to look at my writing time as a full 24-hour period. I didn’t have outside obligations to use as excuses for not writing. During those four weeks, I found I was most productive in the late morning and early afternoon. That said, my favorite time to work is late at night. I feel more focused when everything outside my window is quiet.

Last we spoke you were writing about your Cuban heritage. I've heard some people say all storytelling is a search for identity. Does that ring true to you or not? Absolutely true. When I started working on my essay collection, I was working solely from my memories. I wrote what I remembered from my childhood, stories about being around my family and community. The deeper I went into those stories, the more I discovered about my family and myself. Even though I grew up in a community largely made up of families similar to my own, I uncovered so much working on the collection. Not just from research and reading and looking at old photos, but from talking to my peers about how we grew up. I did a series of interviews with former classmates for my third semester project (part of the requirement for graduation from the MFA program) and was surprised to learn how similar and dissimilar our experiences had been. The men and women I interviewed were all my age, and I assumed they had the same experience I did. I assumed they had all been born in the United States, all had siblings that were much older than they were, and that their parents had all fled Cuba in the same way. Only one person out of the four had an experience that was remotely similar to mine. I also believed I was the only one whose parents had been reluctant to share the stories of their journeys, but every person I spoke to said they had not been able to get their parents to talk until they were much older.

The essays also gave me an opportunity to go deeper in conversation with my siblings and my mother about their personal histories. My siblings helped me get my mom to talk about her life in Cuba. My sister sent me copies of documents I didn’t know existed: a telegram my father sent to an aunt who was already living in America, paperwork from their stay in Florida, all of this ephemera that made their story—my story—so much more real.

You received a master's degree in writing a few years ago. What were the pros and cons of that experience? Pros: spending time with other writers and being full-on word nerds for ten days at a time, learning how to talk about the work, learning how to give and accept constructive criticism, professors who pushed as much as they praised, being introduced to writers whose work I might not have discovered on my own, developing the discipline to come home and read and write after a full day at work.

Cons (challenges): trying to balance a full-time job with full-time schoolwork, pushing through the writing of difficult scenes (lots of writing and crying), getting past feeling like an imposter “Why am I doing this? What makes me think I can?”

What do you find to be the most exhilarating part of writing? Two things. First, reading a great sentence. The kind of sentence that makes you reach for a pen and a notecard so you can copy it down. There is a sense of possibility in that for me. It inspires me. Well, it makes me want to give up. But then it makes me want to work even harder.

I write in longhand when I am trying to sort out an idea or a scene. When I’m typing things up later, I sometimes come across a sentence I don’t remember writing, and I think it’s a good sentence. Not a great one necessarily, but a good one. That is exhilarating.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? Not knowing where or how to start a piece, and allowing the not knowing to keep me from starting to work.

What are your goals this year with your creative work? To say “I’m a writer,” when people ask me what I do.  To get back to writing every day for more than one hour at a stretch. To send my work out and collect an awesome stack of rejections (and hopefully a few acceptances).

I’m also leaving my full-time job in two months to pursue freelance and contract work. Ultimately, I want to create a space for writers in New Haven that provides studios, opportunities for collaborations with other writers, workshops and classes, readings, and tutoring for students. That’s the big dream.

Any daily habits or routines? I carry index cards and a pen to write down questions I can use as prompts or passages from things I’m reading that I think are beautiful. I am not writing every day (yet), but I am reading every day, usually before bed, which is something I’ve done since I was very young.

Advice for aspiring writers? Share your work with other writers and be open to giving and receiving constructive criticism. Read your work in public every chance you get. Keep reading. Keep writing.

DCA photo by Chris Randall

Daisy Christina Abreu is a first generation Cuban-American born and raised in West New York, New Jersey. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hartford, and an MFA in Creative Writing at Fairfield University where she served as co-editor of creative non-fiction for the online literary journal, Mason's Road. Her work has been published in the online journal Label Me Latina and The Arts Council of Greater New Haven’s Arts Paper. Daisy lives in New Haven, Connecticut. She can be reached by email at daisycabreu@gmail.com or via her blog here. Top photo by Matthew J. Feiner. Bio pic by Chris Randall.

Eleven Things I Know About Writing

It occurred to me this week that I haven't said nearly enough about writers and writing on the blog.

Perhaps that's because I find the how's and what's of the writing process a tricky thing to identify and nail down. How each one of us engages with this strange human act of trying to accurately convey our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and ideas with written language is as varied as our own backgrounds. That said, I've been stringing words together for almost as long as I've been alive, and there are a few things I've learned about the process.

1) It's much more than crafting words into paragraphs and paragraphs into pages. The writing process is akin to the birthing process. There are stages of conception, gestation and birth. As with actual pregnancy, writing must first be conceived then be given time to grow. That time of growth includes note-taking, outlining, having imaginary conversations with characters, cultivating ideas, mulling over theme, and more. Though there's often not much tangible output during the gestation phase, it must be considered as important as the actual writing. In fact, I consider that stage to be part of the writing process. Allow your creative writing the time and space it needs on the front end and you'll have a more fruitful writing experience overall.

2) The inner editor is the ultimate frenemy. Having a solid inner editor is hugely important for crafting a tight work, but if you can't turn that voice off while you're writing, your work's in danger. The editor should always be in service to the writer, not the other way around. That means, most importantly, when you're writing a first draft, don't re-read and tweak as you go along. Allow the work to be birthed in all of its messy glory before trying to fix it. Do your best to be a writer when you're writing and an editor when you're editing.

3) Everything has a beginning, middle, and end. We all know that stories have a beginning, middle and end, but so do chapters, paragraphs and sentences. When you keep this in mind at every stage of writing you can craft work that feels whole and solid to the readers. Rereading and editing with beginnings, middles and ends in mind also helps you identify where there may be holes or flaws in the work.

4)  It will cause pain. There are many famous quotes about the pain of writing. Dorothy Parker's is among my favorites, "I hate writing, I love having written." I don't know why writing can cause us so much pain at times, I just know that it does. The pain is not an indication of a person's ability as a writer. It's merely a by-product of the process. Don't let pain stop you if you have something to say.

5) Let it be bad when it's bad.  We've all been there, that place where we reread what we've written and think, "God, that's bad." One of the worst things you can do as a writer is to allow bad writing to stop you in your tracks or derail your project. The more you do this the more you know that bad writing is inevitable. Since, as they say, "all writing is rewriting," there is no need to concern yourself with bad writing. Let it be. It will get weeded out later. For now, just be glad that you're savvy enough to know when something's bad. The real problem occurs when you don't.

6) Passion requires protection. Passion is the engine that drives good writing, whether it be passion for a particular subject matter, for the story or for the act of writing itself. When we spend too much time doing things like looking at industry statistics, studying a publishing model, comparing ourselves to others, trying to get more money, etc. we can cause our passion to dwindle. And when our passion starts to dwindle, we're on a slippery slope because this is hard work and, oftentimes, we're not getting compensated for it. What else do we have then but passion? So, do whatever you can to protect it even, and especially, if that means shutting the outside world out for periods of time.

7) Know the destination at the beginning of the journey. For those who want to make a living as a writer it's important to think about what that end game looks like. Do you want to be published in a literary magazine or have your trade paperbacks in bookstores? Do you want to be respected by a small niche of peers in your area of expertise or sell a million copies of an e-book? Probably it's a combination of many of those things. The trick is to have an idea of what you want going into to it. Why? Because writing is hard, time-consuming work and when you do it you actively disregard other things in life that you could be doing like, you know, crocheting, or cooking, or sleeping, or hanging out with friends. When you know the destination on the front end it will save you time and energy along the way and keep you focused on what projects, bodies of work, themes and opportunities are important. Simply put, the destination informs the journey.

8) Don't share until your ready. I never share a project when it's in the first draft phase. Ever. Feedback in the first draft stage can very easily derail a project since first drafts, by their very nature, need a lot of work. Do what you can to get the work to a solid point before sharing with others. Feedback should always only move you forward, never prevent you from moving ahead.

9) Share as much as you can. Once the work is ready, however, share it far and wide. The best way to revise and tighten your work is to find the commonality between the voices giving you feedback. The more voices you have, the better. Beyond that sharing oneself in this way is a brave thing to do, and bravery requires practice. Plus, you're writing this work for others to enjoy, aren't you? So don't be shy. Get it out there and let them enjoy it!

10) The more you write the less precious your work becomes. It's easy to get crushed when someone doesn't respond enthusiastically to something you've written, particularly when you don't have many works under your belt. When you write a lot and often each piece becomes slightly less precious. When the work is beloved but not precious it's easier to look at it more objectively.

11) Not everything is meant to live on and on. This goes hand in hand with #10. The more you write the more you realize (usually in hindsight) that some works are practice works, some are writing samples, and others, if we're lucky, are meant to live on as published works. It takes time and space to fully realize a work's destiny, but the more you do it the more you'll make peace with the fact that some of your babies were born only for your own pleasure and enjoyment. Embrace this fact and keep on writing.

Photo by E. Streit.

Tracking Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost

I've wanted to live in New Mexico since 1997, when I stopped through Taos for a bit on a three-month cross-country trip. I turned 40 last year, and it really hit me just how quickly life moves along. I committed myself then to getting back to this rugged, dry, majestic place. A month ago - aftermuchplanning and manifesting - my boyfriend and I trekked from New England to New Mexico for a desert winter. I don't know why this place has beckoned me for so long; I just know we should never ignore a persistent call of the soul.

Last week we drove to Ghost Ranch outside Abiquiu for a hike and to contemplate the late, great Georgia O'Keeffe, who called this place home for many years. It's been said her life changed when she moved to New Mexico from New York. Surely, her relationship to the land seemed more intimate than her relationships with other humans. Of the Pedernal mesa (a famed subject of her work) she remarked, “It’s my private mountain. God told me if I painted it often enough I could have it." It's a nice thought, isn't it, that if we create enough work about a place we love that we'll be able to claim it as our own?

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"The cliffs over there are almost painted for you—you think—until you try to paint them."

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"Color is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living to me and as I have come to think of painting it is my efforts to create an equivalent with paint color for the world, life as I see it."

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"I said to myself 'I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me - shadows and ideas so near to me - so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn't occurred to me to put them down.' I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught."

Artists who wish to channel the Mother of Modernism can visit Ghost Ranch to hike or stay overnight. The organization there offers workshops and retreats, as well as horseback rides to places where O'Keeffe painted. More about them here.

How to Make Sure Your Art Looks Good On the Wall

When I owned a gallery one of the most challenging aspects was physically hanging all the two-dimensional artwork. At any given moment there were upwards of twenty artists represented, and each one of them seemed to employ a different hanging mechanism on the back of their work. Many times these mechanisms weren't appropriate for the pieces, and that made my job quite a bit harder. Trust me when I say that having a gallery is not easy. There are very steep overhead costs, lots of humans who come through the door with only a tiny percentage who buy, big administrative tasks from inventorying to maintaining dozens of bios/resumes, managing and training sales staff, copious amounts of marketing and advertising, the physical labor of hanging shows, and much more.

I mention all that because when an artist makes a gallery owner's job harder, it doesn't usually bode well for the artist.

During the many years I worked in galleries I heard the owners say over and over, "I'd much rather work with an artist whose work is just good, but who has all their paperwork together, gets me stuff on time, and let's me do my job, than an incredible artist who's disorganized and a pain in the ass."

Whether you're repped by a gallery or not, someone is going to end up handling your artwork. Out of respect for them you want to make sure they can present the work easily and safely in a way that allows the work to shine.

So let's talk for a moment about the mundane - but necessary! - topic of hardware. 

Eyelets and Wire The traditional method of hanging a two-dimensional framed work is two eyelet screws secured into the frame or stretchers on back about one-quarter of the way down from the top (as flush to the frame as possible) with picture hanging wire strung between. If you work on stretched canvas this is the way to go. (You can also use D-rings instead of eyelet screws.)

If your work is heavy, you want the wire to go through and around the eyelet twice so that the weight of the work won't cause it to slip. Wrap a significant extra length of wire tightly around itself to secure.

Also, don't make the wire so long that the work pitches off the wall too far, or shows above the frame top. You want just a little give to it, but not too much. Ideally the peak point of the wire, when taught, will be a few inches from the top of the frame for small to medium works, and a bit more for larger works. (More here if you need help.)

Sawtooth Hangers Sawtooth hangers are great for smaller works, especially if the works are done on box frames. When using a sawtooth hanger make sure it's centered, and make sure the jagged side is down. (Yes, I've gotten work sent to me with upside down sawtooth hangers.)

If the edge of your box frame is not wide enough the person hanging the work will probably have to use two level nails (one nail and the work will fall off the wall if bumped or a breeze blows by). I've seen some artists tape string or wire across the back of small pieces. It certainly makes the work easier to hang, but the beauty of a box frame is how it sits flush to the wall.

Keyhole Hangers Admittedly, this isn't my favorite hanging method. It's a pain in the butt to line up the nail with the hole, for one, and secondly the work can totter on the rounded edge of the hole. Some pieces have two holes and, well, that's even more of a pain trying to level two nails and line them up. That said, if you have no other option you can use this. I'd try for something else first though.

D-rings These work for medium and large works. Drill or screw the d-rings into back sides of your stretcher or frame so that the rounded part is pointing upwards, of course.

These can be a pain to hang as it requires measuring tape, a level and a good amount of finagling, but if your work is very heavy it's a great option. If it's not too heavy, consider stringing wire between the D-rings (as you would eyelet screws) for easier hanging. In that scenario the D-ring top is facing inward instead of upward.

French Cleat The French Cleat is great for works done on, say, aluminum or wood - works that are, essentially, frameless. The idea is that the backside of your artwork has one beveled piece of wood secured to it. A companion piece of wood with the opposite bevel is then secured to the wall, so the beveled piece on back of the art fits right over it. This is not hard to hang, but can put significant holes in the walls, so make sure this is most appropriate method to your work before using.

L Pins For lighter frameless works - piece done on light wood or on glass  that cannot be strung on the back - L pins may be the best way to hang.

In this scenario the long end of the nail is (gently) hammered into the wall, while the short end secures the work.

If you aren't hanging your own work, include four L Pins and instructions when you sell the work, or when sending to a gallery, so the buyer/gallery owner can hang it successfully.

Bumpers Obviously bumpers aren't a hanging mechanism, but I figured I'd mention them since they can be important to the presentation of your art. If a piece is pitching forward off the wall at the top, add bumpers to the bottom corners. This will move the bottom of the work away from the wall enough so that the work looks more flush to the wall. Of course, if the work is pitching forward off the wall significantly, you may be using the wrong hanging mechanism. Try tightening the wire in back or using a different method.

No hardware? A lot of folks making small affordable works use ready made frames or cheap, easy-to-assemble metal frames. There's nothing wrong with that - except when it makes the artwork a pain to hang.

If that's the case with your presentation, do your best to cleanly jerry-rig the frames for easy hanging, or include suggestions for the buyer. And, by "suggestions" I don't mean something like, "Bang nail into wall. Wedge head of the nail between the frame edge and painting edge." That's not cool.

Some Etiquette * If you make odd shaped work, like draped linen or free floating paper cuts, for example, include hanging materials with your shipment or, at the very least, include recommendations and instructions.

* If a gallery or buyer requests different hanging method on future works than the one you're currently using and you have a good relationship with the them (meaning, they sell/buy your work) do what they say. Unless, of course, there's a very specific and thoughtful reason you wish not to. In that case, have a convo with the owner/buyer and explain why your method is best.

*In general, try to keep the back of your work as clean as possible. Avoid crazy or dangerous wire ends sticking out, a million pieces of tape, protruding eyelet screws and the like. Bring some care and attention to the process. If you can paper or felt the back - great. Whatever you can do to make it NOT look like a child or madwoman put this together is ideal.

Getting it ON the wall Finally, for those who want to know how to actually get the work on the wall and what to use, this article is fantastic and covers all the nitty gritty of hanging and securing your work.

All Creativelike: An Interview with Painter Whitney Knapp

It's an amazing thing to watch someone blossom as an artist. Many, many moons ago I worked in a gallery with Whitney Knapp. She was just starting out as a painter then, and over the years I've watched her go through years of art schooling to hone her craft and become an art educator herself. Her work continues to astound me, and I find her deep dedication to it hugely inspiring. Read on for her wise, insightful words about artmaking, education and creativity.

How do you define creativity? Creativity, to me, is using the imagination to generate unique, fresh, and inventive ideas.Within a visual language, I think this translates to innovation in approach and technique.

There’s an important distinction for me between creating versus making. I consider making to be the production of something from something, whereas I define creating as the construction of something from nothing. This difference places me in the position of a maker, an idea that is really at the heart of my own artmaking.

What is it you love about the medium of paint? Color is what I most love about paint. I have a greater affinity for oils than for other materials and for more specific reasons. I’m interested in the physicality of oil paint… the way it can be layered, mixed, diluted, blended; and the flexibility that this ultimately provides.

When I was in art school I was challenged to consider why I was using oils, and how they could be best employed to convey my subject.  I began thinking about building up the texture to suggest grass, allowing my paint to run when describing water, scraping, dragging, pushing, pulling, etc. I find the infinite possibilities of approach so appealing.

A lot of your canvases are significant in size. What is it about a larger canvas that draws you to it? My larger work requires significant time to complete and I am attached to the ambition of these paintings. There is a power generated in bigger pieces that is absent in my smaller paintings. I enjoy the sense of being in my work during its construction, and recognize that the energy in my large pieces reflect this immersion. My larger work allows me to inhabit the paintings and I feel more invested in them.

This is due in part to of the amount of time spent painting, but also to my involvement in their entire execution. For these pieces, I cut and tack raw canvas to my studio wall, gesso the canvas, and later stretch the final piece. This hands-on approach continues to be a more intimate experience than working on pre-prepared small canvases.

How does nature play a role in your work? Nature plays a tremendous role in my painting because my work is really about my own faith, as reflected through the natural world. I consider the emulation of our natural world to be an act of reverence to the Creator. This undertaking reminds me of my subordinate position of maker. My work is also about place, and I paint in order to acknowledge places that have been significant in my life.

Finally, through painting I am able to encounter a heightened understanding of my own environment. This might be one of the most exciting things about making art.

You have an MFA and also teach art. In what ways has education (and being an educator) informed your work? Working toward my MFA was instrumental in shaping me into the artist I am today. Art school challenged my aesthetic and forced me to address difficult questions about my own work. It also provided me with the opportunity to discuss my convictions and explore new ideas. The critiques were often painfully honest, but provided valuable feedback.

Perhaps most importantly, I was exposed to a community of artists I deeply admire.

Being an educator has impacted my work equally. By providing students with an introduction to various techniques and media, I am inevitably inspired to employ them myself. Also, I learn by observing my students. Oftentimes their approach varies significantly from my own in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Teaching also provides my schedule with a sense of structure that can often be missing for self-employed artists. Finally, I’ve found that facilitating critiques and providing feedback has fine-tuned my ability to problem solve in my own studio.

Recently your work had a shift to a more impressionistic style. What accounts for that shift? I believe that artists should never become too complacent with their own work, because this will ultimately lead to the production of stagnant and stale paintings. If one’s process has become too easy or too mechanical, then I think it means one has been in the same place for too long.

I recently began painting with a knife in order to experiment. Working with a knife has contributed to the thick paint application and more vivid color relationships that make my new work feel more impressionistic in style. I find that my colors don’t become muddied working in this capacity, and I like the thicker, layered textures that a knife can generate.

I’m also interested in edges developed with a knife, and enjoy negotiating transitions in this sense. I’ve had to surrender a sense of control working without my brushes, but find it to be liberating. I feel as though I’ve just begun to scratch the surface with this approach, and have a lot more territory to explore.

Any daily habits or rituals? Unfortunately, I’m much too disorganized to have any daily habits, but there are things I’ve found to be helpful in the production of my work. I make a point of looking at other artists’ work: in books, galleries, museums, and online. This serves both to inform my work, and to provide me with inspiration.

I also take photos constantly. I’m primarily a studio painter so I find images to be helpful as reference. Life is busy and oftentimes I can’t begin painting the moment I feel inspired. I take photos to document my inspiration, which enables me to revisit it later.

Favorite artists or influences? I’m influenced by a stylistically varied group of both historical and contemporary artists. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the following are some of my favorite painters: Alex Kanevsky, Gerhard Richter, Zaria Forman, Bo Bartlett, Ran Ortner, Richard Diebenkorn, Stuart Shils, Antonio Lopez Garcia, Rackstraw Downes, Frederick Edwin Church, J. M. W. Turner, John Constable, Jacob Van Ruisdael, and George Inness.

Advice to young painters? It’s crucial that painters of all ages take their work seriously and make it a priority. A staggering percentage of art students abandon their direction after graduation. I vividly remember making a commitment to myself while I was in graduate school that I would never step away from my work. It’s imperative that you believe you can accomplish the goals you’ve laid out for yourself. It’s important to cling to your convictions.

Artists must build time into their schedule for artmaking, as painting is a craft improved only by doing. Be willing to experiment, to try different techniques, and be open to failure. I’ve learned just as much from what doesn’t work, as I have from my successes. Place yourself in a community of artists, look at as much art as you possibly can, apply to shows and subscribe to mailings.

Finally, know that vulnerability is necessary in order to achieve growth.

Whitney Knapp was born in Connecticut, lived in Surrey, England for nearly a decade, and currently resides in Virginia. She earned her BFA from Denison University, and her Post Baccalaureate Certificate and her Master of Fine Arts Degree from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She is represented by galleries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, and she teaches drawing and painting courses at several community colleges in Maryland and Virginia. You can see more of her work on her website here. 

Guest Post: How an Artist and Her Typewriter Got National Media Attention

So happy to have this lovely guest post today from writer, artist and blogger Anja Notanja. Anja is not only talented, but exceedingly clever. Read on to find out how a simple Facebook post kicked off a chain of events that got Anja national media attention.After graduating with a degree in printmaking and creative writing, I spent a year as a puppet. When I say 'puppet,' I mean I worked at a puppet theater executing ideas that were not my own. When I say 'executing,' I mean consistently maiming my duties: carving too much foam off and getting malnourished horse legs, wasting yards of expensive theater tape, and failing to halt a riot of 5-year-olds before they knocked over the set during a production featuring a bath scene with real soap bubbles. My complete lack of competence and my repressed contrary opinions on what should be done made me miserable in spite of the exciting papier-mâché atmosphere and its many drawers jammed with eyeballs. I quit, moved back to my hometown and passed the next two years crocheting gnome hats and nose warmers while feeling as bland as a plain baked potato, cold from the fridge.

This time last year I was ready to toss all my yarn down the laundry chute and never visit the basement ever again. I had an urge to do solo improv in front of a live audience. So, like most troubled souls of this era I went to Facebook and composed a post: "Hire me to come to your birthday parties to write on-the-spot love letters, insult letters, letters of recommendation, stories, poetry and other requests from my typewriter." Somehow a local journalist came across it and asked me about my business. What business?! I swiftly invented a description and she published it online. I got a gig. I got a gig from a gig. I got a pig from another gig (no, I didn't really), and soon enough the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel slapped me on their front page.

This July I released an online store for my "prosettes," something I did not even know would exist half a year earlier, but for which I was getting an overwhelming amount of orders. Weeks ago, I appeared on live television and insulted the Minnesota Vikings on behalf of the Packers even though I don't give the slightest fig about football. The Associated Press released a video of what is now called "La Prosette" that made its way to the front page of MSN, Yahoo, AOL and USA Today. And my grandma even clipped a hardcopy of it from her small town's newspaper.

For years I've been making and promoting projects, so I've been wondering why people seem to especially dig this one. I've figured that I am doing a creative writing-based project and so journalists have an intrinsic interest in it. If you do something the press wishes they could be doing, they will likely cover you. In fact, the first journalist who covered me was so interested, that she's begun typing custom haikus for patrons from a typewriter. Another of these journalists has ordered a prosette from me four times in the past month.

This project is something I've had to invent from nothing but a wisp of my own desire. Yes, there are other "performing typists" out there, but none of them write "prosettes," or write exactly what I do. It's required equal persistence and foolishness to put myself out where strangers can find me and commission me to insult their ex-lover, or compose a letter from someone dear to them who's died. Serving the public as artist, spokesperson and therapist, it seems I'm constantly needed. Yesterday my grocer asked me to write a polite reminder for her neighbors to shovel their walks.

I am useful and I am peculiar; and I am at last fully employed as me.

Anja Notanja received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2009. She is currently an artist-in-resident at In Tandem Theatre and a writer-in-residence at Renaissance Theaterworks, both in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can order a custom "prosette" from her on her website, La Prosette.

14 Time Management Tips for Creatives

When I work with artists one-on-one I have them fill out an Awesome Artist Assessment Form before we get started. It's a five-page document that asks a series of questions to help me get to know who I'm working with, what their immediate and long-term goals are, how visible and savvy they are online, what drives them to create, and more. On the form there's a checklist asking them what their current objectives are for their creative work.  Folks check all that apply, then rank each item according to which are most important and pressing. Nearly everybody checks off "time management" and ranks it high on the list of things they need help with.

I'll be honest, I'm not a time management wizard. Admittedly, I waste time daily. (Facebook, I'm shaking my fist at you!) But, I never give up trying to stay on track and continually refine a system that works for me. Over the years I've accumulated lots of tools and insights that help keep me moving forward. I present them here as a fancy little list. And, as it turns out, lists are part of the list.

1) The busier you are the easier it will be. You ever hear that quote, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person"? That's because when we're crunched for time we tend to keep moving, keep doing. We don't procrastinate. We're in the flow, so to speak. When we have long stretches of time we can get confused. "Should I paint first, then do the bills?" or "Should I work on that client project, or do some writing?" It can be hard to prioritize our time in those moments. Have a plan. Do not go into an unscheduled stretch of time without one. When nothing is urgent or pressing we dilly dally; we procrastinate; we justify; we allow ourselves to slack. Create an hour-by-hour plan or schedule to keep yourself moving forward BEFORE you head into one of those glorious, beautiful stretches of precious time.

2) Write it down.  I'm talking about To-Do lists, yearly plans, goal lists, weekly schedules and the like. I recommend putting an actual pen or pencil to paper and creating a tangible list. I think the act of writing longhand and the physicality of a paper list is important. But, of course, this is the digital age, so if you know that's more effective for you, go for it. Either way, writing down your tasks and plans will help you organize your brain. A warning: don't be the person with 9,000 pieces of paper. I'm talking about one list or a couple lists, not a visual representation of your scattered mind!

3) It's not about time, it's about expectation. If you're anything like me you need to adjust your expectations around the way that you work. I can't tell you how many times I've fooled myself into thinking I could write a screenplay in a month or do a body of artwork in a week. When we find ourselves getting all wound up by our lack of time, it can often be that we've not set realistic expectations on the front end. When you're diving into a project, check your expectations first and be honest about who your are and what you can realistically accomplish in the timeframe that you have.

4) Do what you love FIRST.  This is where you put your artwork at the top of the To-Do list. Don't wait 'til the bills are paid, the kids are washed, the grocery list is made. The more tasks you put between you and your artwork the farther away your work gets from you. Make your artwork a priority.

5) Say no. Time is the most precious commodity we have. You are literally guarding it - or not guarding it - with your life! Saying no to things, even and, perhaps, especially things you want to do, is important to keeping your time sacred. Recently, I read an interview with Michelle Pfeiffer and she said this quote, "I've learned you can have it all, but you can't do it all." Amen, sister.

6) Get focused. This one goes hand-in-hand with #5. To keep a manageable schedule you gotta stay focused, you gotta KNOW what's most important in your life. Write down the three things that are most important to you. Maybe it's "Art. Family. Volunteering." or maybe it's "Teaching. Travel. Creativity." You get the picture. Whatever those three things are, make sure your day-to-day tasks line up with them. Anything extraneous or additional should be prioritized differently, and by "differently" I mean lower on the To-Do list.

7) Get up earlier. If you're having time management problems, get up one hour earlier than usual. (Ideally you'll go to bed one hour earlier, too.) This is simple, but SO effective. Our brains are in a different state in the morning. They're not cluttered with the tasks of the day. They're fresh and ready. No matter how earnest we are about getting stuff done at the end of the day it's just not the same. Getting up an hour earlier will literally add more time (and checked off To-Do's) to your life.

8) Assume everything takes longer than you think it will.  When making your lists and schedules, build in more time. Add more minutes, hours, days and weeks to your tasks and projects. Pad your schedule with extra time and you'll find you needed it. Or, you'll find you had time to grab a few meditative minutes here or, hot damn, get ahead of some of the other tasks on the list.

9) Change your mind. What you think about you become, so retrain your brain for peace and success rather than a frantic whirlwind. Stop saying things like "I'm crazed," or "Things are nuts here." You know, I'm talking about those constant exasperated phrases that just roll right off the tongue. It's time to practice new thoughts.  Start saying to yourself, "There's always enough time," "I have a good handle on my schedule," or my favorite, "Everything always gets done." (Because somehow it really does!)

10) Slow down. It's hard to slow down when THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO DO. But seriously, slow down. Be still for a minute... or ten. Take a day off. Remember the tortoise and the hare story? The great irony is that when we are more rested and refreshed, we get more done. Oftentimes when we're overworked, burnt out, or Busy to the Max we don't realize that we're less efficient. Slowing down, and even stopping for a bit, will provide a necessary recharge to our batteries.

11) Start your week off with a scheduled time management check in. Once a week, every week, have a date with yourself to go over all your lists, schedules, etc. These are organic, working documents, not rules and laws. They need to be looked at, adjusted, played with. Starting your week with a review and check in of your tasks and goals will make you feel empowered and on top of your schedule. When you feel on top of your schedule, you feel on top of your life.

12) Use tools. There are lots of tools to help you maintain your tasks, projects, goals and schedules. Some folks use a physical hourglass when working. I love to use Internet-blocking software like Freedom for Mac to eliminate the possibility of distracting myself with social media. I know other folks who swear by the Pomodoro Technique. And, plenty of smart artists use coaches or consultants to help keep them accountable and on track. If you're struggling to keep things in order, look for and use tools (a.k.a. "life preservers").

13) Keep it together.Together is the operative word here. I mean, take all your schedules, calendars, scraps of papers, project files, notes, documents, etc. and put them in one place - a system, if you will. Get file folders, binders, clips and sticky notes. Throw out old papers. Put your bills and high priority items in a special folder. Set phone alarms two days before every bill that's due. Organize yourself! If you need help with this part - ask. Have a friend come over for a few hours, or hire a personal organizer. Simplifying is key. You want to create a flow so you aren't wasting time looking for things, paying overdraft fees, sending apology emails and other time suckers that result from poor organization. What's most important is that you make a system that works for you, one you can maintain. If it's not sustainable it won't matter.

14) Make yourself a priority. When you make a dentist appointment, you show up. When your mother-in-law asks for help with her garden, you set a time and you show up. When your kid has a hockey game, you make it there. Funny how when you say you're going to sit down and get your creative work done it gets pushed to the back burner. Why is that? Because you haven't prioritized yourself the way you prioritize others. Know that you are important and your artwork is important - in fact, it's your lifeline! Schedule dates for you to hang out with you. Show up. Don't cancel. This is your LIFE we're talking about.

Now that you've read the list, think about which things you can begin to implement in your life. Don't buy into the hype that artists are freewheeling scatterbrains with nary a care in the world. I'm the Queen of Spontaneity and a serious Hater of Routines, but I know that my plans, schedules and lists are what allow me to be as free as I am. Time is, as the old song goes, on our side. At least it is when we intend and plan for it to be.

 (Hourglass photo by bigbirdz.)

Guest Post: What I Learned from Crowdfunding

Today's post comes to us via the seriously RAD metalworker Leslie Tharp, who shared her insights about her crowdfunding campaign. Check out Leslie's Kickstarter campaign HERE. (Hurry! Today is the last day to support this lovely project.)

My name is Leslie Tharp and I create large metal sculptures. My current project, Lift, is a metal hot air balloon inspired installation created for exhibition in Scottsdale, Arizona at Belle Art in February 2014. The balloons will be created by suspending metal rings. Below each balloon will be a bench, inspired by the basket of a hot air balloon, and created with hot woven metal in the same weaving pattern as a balloon basket. 

This will be the biggest piece I’ve ever created. It will be installed far from my home in Florida. And, it’s the first time I’ve turned to crowdfunding to raise money to help me create my work.

I’m currently wrapping up a Kickstarter campaign to help me raise funds to create this piece, and I’ve learned A LOT of lessons along the way! Here are some of them...

IT TAKES PLANNING. Planning out how I wanted to present the project itself took weeks. It’s best to have a really defined vision and goal so your backers know what they’re supporting. Make it clear; make it honest.

IT TAKES TIME. Just collecting footage, images, and editing the video for the project site took me weeks. The video is the inspiration for your backers, so it’s definitely worth working on, and a second set of eyes is always helpful for these things.

IT TAKES COMMUNICATION. Be prepared to talk a lot. I’ve spent hours upon hours every single day talking with people about the project making sure I communicate its value to me, as well as my appreciation of their support.

IT TAKES PEOPLE. It really takes a lot of people to make this happen. Utilize all the social media outlets you have, and try to get some media attention. You’ve got to get the word out! Nothing compares to speaking with people one-on-one about what you’re trying to do.

IT’S NOT KICKSTARTER. IT’S YOU! Kickstarter is a tool. It's a platform for artists to fundraise for their own projects. This is a tremendous asset for not only the artists but for those who support the arts, those who can now invest in the work they want to see brought into the world! It’s pretty damn empowering, so use it to your advantage. Ultimately it’s YOU that’s making this happen!

IT CHANGED MY APPROACH TO MAKING ART. Out of all the changes that have happened throughout this project the biggest one has been my approach to my art practice. The act of opening up and asking for help to create Lift has required me to grow as both an artist and a person. Every step of this has forced me to get out of my own way, and to stop doubting myself and my goals. I’ve really had to step out of my comfort zone and develop confidence for my work.

JUST GO FOR IT! It’s good to get ready, but in the end just jump in and try it out! I promised myself last year that I would stop telling myself no, that if I was going to really push my career into new territory I was going to hear plenty of no's, so I would need to be the voice of YES. I’ve really had to test that promise during this project, and have faith that this work is worth asking for support to create.

You can see more about my project at Kickstarter.com and LeslieTharp.com

Leslie Tharp is a female metalworker who utilizes both traditional and modern metalworking techniques to create both large public sculptures and unique home accessories. Leslie received her BFA from the University of Florida in 2008. Driven by her philosophy that art is for everyone and should be everywhere she has been working to create public artist ever since. See more of her work at LeslieTharp.com (Photo by Dale Gunnoe.)

What's Your Creative Legacy?

On the most fundamental of levels we were born to create. Every moment of our lives is being shaped by our intention, thoughts, actions and behaviors. Everyone is a creator, BUT not everyone is an artist. I like to think of artists as Extra Intentional Creators, those that consciously take nothing and turn it into something. I'm not a morbid person, but I think about death pretty regularly - my death, the death of my parents, the death of my friends. I don't brood or obsess on it, but rather keep this cold, hard fact in the back of my mind when I start to believe that life is long, that time is an everlasting resource, that it's okay to take people for granted as long as you appreciate them. Keeping death in mind reminds me of these false beliefs and helps me to live better.

The inevitability of death asks, "What creative parts of me will stick around on planet earth after I am gone?" To date, there are paintings and mixed media works, poems in journals (and one in a college magazine), finished and unfinished screenplays, short films, a few courses, artist manifestos and a couple of books-in-process. It's not a bad legacy as far as legacies go, and sometimes, in the Quest for More and Better, I forget all I've created in this life.

Meditating on the idea of a creative legacy has lead me to narrow down what I believe are the two most important aspects of producing a significant body of work: focus and voice.

If we want to leave a lasting legacy, one that will continue to speak after we're gone, we need to tap into these two aspects of our creative process.

FOCUS As a multi-passionate person, I know the ups and downs of having an interest in various mediums, genres, and processes. I've spent my life working multiple projects at a time across a span of media. Though this juggling can be important to early stages of creation, I've concluded that to produce a complete body of work that fully explores an idea, we need to focus. Not just on removing the day-to-day distractions that prevent us from fully expressing ourselves, but also on creating one thing at a time. Paint when you are painting, write when you are writing, and so forth. To constantly toggle back and forth between things is to do a disservice to your work. It stretches your focus, waters down your intent, and interrupts the flow of your process. With focused spurts of time, we can truly get deep and bring forth a Complete Expression.

VOICE Honing one's voice takes time. For every idea, there is a Thing That Wants to Be Expressed. It's our job to determine the medium of this expression, as well as how it will be "said."  Honing your voice is not about one project; it's about multiple projects, months of projects, years of projects. Voice is about the unique fingerprint you bring to the expression. Since every one of us is unique in our history, experiences, and point of view, our voices are unique too. It takes an incredibly diligent creator to ignore the voice of others and reveal their own voice, but this is what's required when building a legacy.

So, I ask you, what will your creative legacy be? How will you bring focus to your days, weeks, months and years in order to fulfill that legacy? What steps have you taken to uncover your own unique voice that will resonate through time?

The Seasonal Artist

When I was in my late twenties I started to get discouraged with my art making habits. It seemed like no matter what I did, I always wasn't doing something I felt like I should be doing. I spent much of my brain space thinking, "I should be writing," or "I should be painting." There was always something tugging at the back of my mind.

It wasn't until I had enough years of perspective under my belt that I realized certain mediums had seasons for me. I preferred to write in the fall and winter when the weather kept me inside, and paint in the spring and summer when I was most inspired by the outdoor sights and colors.

Once I realized my mediums had seasons, I could relax into the rhythm of my own art making.

Six months back I gave up screenwriting for the third time in my life. And when I say "gave up," I mean I let go of the idea of ever writing a script again. I said goodbye for an indeterminate length of time - possibly forever. How I got to that point is a story for another day. Despite the fact I'd been screenwriting for more than a dozen years and loved the medium, my work had become stagnant and forced. I had to stop. It wasn't a great feeling, I'll admit, but I knew screenwriting would come back around if it was meant to.

Last month, out of the blue, I woke up with a nearly complete script outline in my head. I had the basics of a story, the emotional core of the character, the setting, the inciting incident and more. Now I'll get snatches of dialogue when standing in line at the market, or discover something about my character in a day-dream. So I know it's time to start dictating. (Dictating, you may know, is the phase before writing when your work acts as a tyrannical boss forcing you to do its bidding. There's barely any escaping this phase. Then again, who would want to escape it?) The recent resurrection of screenwriting in my life is perfect timing as winter, my ideal writing season, is just around the bend.

As it turns out, there aren't just seasons for each medium, but perhaps times as well. Who will ever know the true mystery of the whens and hows of art making? All I know is we must be diligent in our tracking of it.

If you're feeling a bit unsettled in your work or lamenting a lack of output, consider the rhythms, seasons and times of your own work and how that might be affecting things. Maybe you're simply trying to flow when you should be ebbing... or vice versa.

Photo by Monkia Kostera.

All Creativelike: An Interview with The Unknown Screenwriter

There comes a time in every aspiring screenwriter's life when they discover The Unknown Screenwriter. For many, including myself, it's the moment they happen across a much-needed blog post filled with juicy, rant-y, truth bombs about the craft and business of screenwriting. For others, it's finding his prolific and interactive Twitter feed. (If you stick around long enough you'll surely get a shout out.) The presence of Unk, as he's affectionately known - though I'm sure he'd stare affection in the eye until it slunk away defeated - has brought me both comfort and unease over the years. There is no sugar-coating with Unk when it comes to the industry and the unforgiving structure of screenwriting, but there's always humor, surly charm, and hellluva lot of insight.

Unk, how would you define creativity?  Hard work. Long rides. Long drives. Daydreaming. New. Valuable. What if? Pushing the limit. Living on the edge. Luck.

Explain to those who don't know you - actually, even to those who do - a brief history of your anonymous screenwriting persona. Brief... Okay. I was reading screenwriting blogs back in 2005 for no other reason than because I like screenwriting and there was nobody I could sit around have conversations about screenwriting with. And while I found some interesting sites, I kinda felt that most had very similar ways of looking at the craft similar to what you'd find in a book or article. And while there's nothing wrong with that, I wondered if sharing my own perspective might work for some of those who are tired of the usual perspective that seems to be out there in droves.

I work with a production company and we make films but we also do script consulting on studio and larger indie films. We fix screenplays... Movies you've either seen or heard of. We do this for absolutely NO CREDIT -- just pay -- and business is good since the meltdown because everyone wants to keep their credit. Hence, Unknown Screenwriter.

How did you get involved in screenwriting? No different than a lot of people... Grew up loving movies. I never really thought, "I could do that," or I can do better than that..." I was always thinking, "I WANT TO DO THAT!"

Just started writing with abandon in the 80s. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Bought a couple of screenplays of my favorite films, BLADERUNNER and THE THING. I still have those two scripts today and read them at least once a year.

Between the mid 80s and early 90s, I wrote but I wrote for myself because I was trying to become a filmmaker -- not a screenwriter. I was inspired by John Sayles, actually. I figured out very early on that if I was going to make my own films, I needed to know how to write. So while I had several completed scripts lying around, I knew they were for ME and not for the market. In the early 90s, I finally sat down and wrote my first screenplay that I hoped would sell. This was at the beginning of the Internet and I used email for querying producers. Back then, a lot more producers were willing to post email addresses on websites. I queried 7 or 8 producers and one very well-known producer who I cannot identify here, got back to me and wanted to shop the script around Hollywood. I let her but after a few months, she finally wanted to meet. At the time, I was in the Navy and nowhere near Los Angeles and when she found that out? She abandoned the script which was fine because it validated to me that I was on the right track when it came to both concept and writing.

I kept sending the script out and eventually got some meetings and a few uncredited (do you see the theme here?) rewrites, tweaks, and polishes. I kept reading scripts and now screenwriting books were coming out so I devoured them for years until one day I realized that while I still had a ton to learn about the craft, wasn't going to learn it from reading any more books.

And often, writing a blog post about some element of the craft is what solidifies my knowledge of it. I've read so much good and bad information... Read so many screenplays... Seen so many films that I have all this information bouncing around up here but it's not until I focus, think it through, and write it down that I finally get it. So The Unknown Screenwriter site is just as much for me as it is anyone else interested in the craft.

I've found screenwriting to be one of the most challenging art forms I've ever worked in. Why is it so darn hard, and yet so satisfying at the same time? I think it's hard because it's so different from traditional writing. While it certainly does contain elements of traditional writing, let's face it... You can't write about what's going on inside a character's head and that's often what makes a novel so compelling and whether we realize it or not? It's what makes characters in a movie so compelling as well.

As a screenwriter, we have to figure out a way to SHOW and NOT TELL i.e., through exposition, subtext, and action, we have to show what our characters are thinking. That's yet another perspective a lot of screenwriters don't seem to get. We're simply making the INTERNAL EXTERNAL.

Once you KNOW how and combine THAT with a great concept YOU can commit to? You're going to start getting paid.

You also write books. Was that a reaction to screenwriting, or something you've always done in tandem? I really don't write books. I've written two books. One about Blackjack and card counting and a novella, I guess you could say. It's not long enough to be a novel but it did come from screenwriting. I've always had this IDEA that a screenplay should make a great outline for a book so I took my last spec and used it as one just to see and I was right... Worked great and I would recommend this to anyone having a spec lying around. With it being so easy to publish a kindle book on Amazon, why not give it a try? Not to mention that I've been contacted for a few writing jobs just based on my book and author's page on Amazon.

Having said that... I will definitely write another book especially seeing how the film industry climate is these days. I still have a hell of a lot to learn when it comes to writing a book and at this point in my life, it's best to just write. Write and learn.

Your blog has been a popular resource for aspiring screenwriters. What made you want to support others in that way? Like I said before... I FEEL like I have a very different way of looking at this craft. I started writing before there were any books on the subject. All I did was try to mimic screenplays of movies I loved. I have no way to qualify this -- it's just a feeling but most everything I read about screenwriting -- the craft of screenwriting -- is very similar. And while that's fine for a lot of people, the proof is in the material. I can talk to someone who really seems to have a handle on their knowledge of screenwriting but then I'll read their screenplay and see that they've not applied all that knowledge to their spec. Upon questioning, I find out that they simply didn't completely understand that knowledge. The books, the workshops, the articles, and most of the blogs only go so far... Rarely do you find anyone really breaking it down into bits and pieces EVERYONE can easily understand. I think that's just something that I've taken with me when I retired from the Navy. We always had so many people from so many different places with so many different levels of understanding that we were often taught ways to break things down so EVERYONE can learn and not just a handful of people.

I haven't blogged as much since my brother died a few years ago but I hope to get back to it soon yet the site still pulls hundreds -- sometimes thousands of visitors a day and I get emails almost every day from someone who tells me that they finally GET IT. That, in and of itself is very rewarding. If I can break something down for someone who's having a difficult time with some element of the craft so they can truly understand it and get back to writing? I love that!

What do you consider ideal conditions for being creative? For me personally, it's taking a long drive or a long ride on my motorcycle. For whatever reason, I have my greatest creative epiphanies during these times. After that? It's sitting down in one of several coffee shops I patronize while I listen to music. You will often find me dancing in my chair as I listen to music and write. When I'm moving to the music in my chair? The material just seems to flow.

Any favorite screenwriters or influences? John Sayles hands down. He writes a book, then eventually turns it into a film. How cool is that? Michael Mann. Enough said. After those two, I've managed to meet and talk to a few heroes of mine but the biggest thing I noticed? And this is not a criticism by any means... I noticed we all put our pants on the same way. In other words, they're human just like me. They have problems just like me. The only real difference when it comes to screenwriting is that they get paid more... At least for now.

Best advice for aspiring screenwriters? That's hard because what's best? I think if you want to write for a living and or sell something you've written, then you need to know up front that it really does come down to two SIMPLE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE... concept and execution. Execution comes the more you read and write screenplays and to a lesser degree, structure.

A lot of beginning and aspiring screenwriters don't really understand structure. And while I'm not advocating one size structure fits all, I am advocating that you consider finding a structure you like -- one that works for YOU and become an expert on it.

You can not only use structure to strategically place story elements in your screenplay, but you can also use structure to brainstorm plot twists and character arcs. Then, after your first draft is complete, you can go back to structure and use it to polish and tweak what you've written. Structure doesn't just have to be where you place story elements that elicit the most emotion from your audience... It IS THAT of course but it's also a nice big hammer you can use later hence, I mention it as part of execution.

Concept is something not often talked about nearly as much. You really do need to spend just as much effort on your concept as you do writing the screenplay and hopefully, your concept is high enough for people in the industry to sit up and take notice. If your concept isn't high enough or different enough for anyone in the business to sit up and pay attention, then you'll either have to turn the screenplay into a movie yourself or realize you just spent 6 months writing something that probably isn't going to sell. And even making it yourself? If the concept isn't high enough or different enough? Fuhgeddaboudit.

Will we ever get to know who the "Unknown Screenwriter" is? Who? Look... There's really no point in knowing who I am. I'm nobody. I'm everybody. I'm no different than anyone else and that's really the point of being the Unknown Screenwriter. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Not trying to sell anyone anything. People are smart enough to KNOW if what they hear or read is correct when they hear it or read it. It either makes sense or it doesn't but even when it doesn't? Hopefully it clarifies something they already know about story to finally make sense.

That's the way it should always be.

The Unknown Screenwriter is a screenwriter, producer, and script doctor for hire. He works with director Roland Joffé and a New York Times best-selling author that must remain anonymous as well. He enjoys riding his motorcycle extremely fast and the occasional triple of Wild Turkey.