heARTfelt update

The purpose of me taking over the blog from Eileen was for me to document my journey in exploring my dream of opening a studio/gallery space. Last January I worked with a small business consultant and book keeper and explored the money side of my venture. I created product for a booth I set-up and classes I taught last fall. I held an artist open house in December...all bits of my grand vision.  I worked pretty diligently to make those pieces the best that they could be. I learned A LOT...

What I discovered was that I became OBSESSED with heARTfelt...It was literally all I thought about! Obsessions are NEVER a good thing. So back in December I decided to let go of some of the obsession. To do this I took on the opportunity to become part of a local non-profit organization whose mission is to help under served children and their families navigate our schools. I also went back to creating just for me. (I am now obsessed with my "moving art instillation" #createpeacebirds- BUT that is for a future Blog post!)  I am taking the steps I need to ensure that my obsessions work for me and my family.

The next step for heARTfelt is to find a space to rent. What I need to do is decide if I can open a smaller version of my vision. Do I have enough energy to have a small studio/gallery which would be open limited hours and still teach full time? Does a space exist which I could rent for a reasonable amount which would allow me to explore this option and not be a financial burden on my family? The space issue requires a bit more energy which I don't feel I can give the project right now. I am NOT giving up on the vision, but I am letting the vision just sit for a bit...I am finding mid winter in Chicago to be a time of just GETTING through!

SO- my heARTfelt adventure continues...just maybe not on the grand scale I had imagined. At LEAST not right NOW...

 

While visiting my mother-in-law in Grand Rapids, I happened upon a version of "heARTfelt." I was lucky enough to drop in when the owner was there and was able to pick her brain. She did give me one piece of advice that I had not thought of; that if you DON'T have an on-line presence your "Bricks and Mortar" space will not succeed in today's business environment. YES, I knew having a website and online registration....was important, BUT she has an ETSY site which she pulls from for her studio. She is not the first person to tell me to look into setting-up an ETSY shop.

Here is a sample of the #CreatePeaceBirds Project. I will devote an entire Blog Post to the process and my motivations soon...

Our Artist Way group held our annual gift exchange recently, which resulted in everyone creating AMAZING pieces of ART.

I received this amazing piece of jewelry from my friend and fellow Artist Laura. She fashioned it after pieces she found in the Sundance catalog-I think it is WAY BETTER than anything in the catalog!

That is it for me this week....Hope you all have a wonderfully creative and blessed week.

                                                                               Lucy