Like many of you, I watched the Social Dilemna last year. My reaction was very focused outside of myself. I was angry. Mostly that big social media businesses were manipulating the masses - including myself. The result was a few “can you believe it,” conversations with friends and family, a few weeks of avoiding social media altogether and then…a gradual return.
It wasn’t until learning about my own addiction to social media that I came to see social media as more than just an ingenious marketing scheme. Learning about the addictive properties of social media, and my choices along the way, has given me the motivation I needed to take responsibility for myself and seek recovery through abstaining.
And that is where you find me today. According to my “Streaks” App, I am on day 17 without social media. Mostly, I have found my mind to be more free. I have recognized my self destructive tendency to replace one addiction with another (which is why I am also abstaining from all News - apps, podcasts, websites - everything.) I am less tied to my phone. More present. More aware of all the many times I used social media to fill the spare moments of my life to avoid boredom at any cost.
I cannot offer anything but a middle of the road report. No shiny life improvements or new goals met or revolutionary realizations. All I can offer is a confession. After years of using social media in my job and progressively, as a drug, I am drying out.
I’ve wracked my brain for ideas regarding how to stay in touch with people and the best I can say is that I will probably use direct methods with more enthusiasm: text, email, written letters (time to gather addresses!) and maybe blogging without the after publishing flurry of posting to various social channels.
And…that’s it. It may seem a shallow vice. If it does, I am glad for you. It means you do not find yourself ensnared by the algorithms both online and embedded in your own human brain. But…if like me, you find yourself fighting an addiction to social media online, take it seriously. Take a pause.
If you are interested in the science of addiction and the way in which our society encourages addictions, I highly recommend the work of Dr. Anna Lempke and Dopamine Nation.
All the best,
Erin
]]>Friends -
Are you ready to slow down and see your life with new eyes? Let's do it together!
The #31ordinarydays art challenge does not require new art supplies. There is no bar for entry and anyone can join. Simply pick a place in your environment that you will paint, draw or write about for 31 days in March. That's it!
Please also commit to joining the #31ordinarydays community by posting pictures with our hashtag.
I can't wait to connect with you and see everyone's creations throughout the month.
If you don't already follow me via Instagram, here is where I hang out:
Please also make a note to listen to the weekly podcast which can be found HERE or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
All the best,
Erin
]]>My dear friends. You are reading this because we share a history. Maybe we have connected through art. Maybe we have connected through life. Maybe we've run into each other on social media. Whatever the connection, thank you for being an important part of my life.
I want you to be the first to know about my new storytelling project. A podcast called, Thank You For Making That. This podcast is dedicated to creative humans across the creative spectrum and will be a good guide for creativity, failure, resiliency, and best practices. We will hear from a diverse set of creative people who will give good advice and provide encouragement on a weekly basis.
Maybe you are the next guest? Maybe you have a question you want to ask me? If so, get in touch at thankyouformakingthat@gmail.com.
The best way you can support the podcast is to rate and review the podcast in Apply Podcasts. Thank you in advance!
Take care and talk to you on the podcast next week!
All the best,
Erin
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We are a nation nursing a collective emotional hangover and while I understand the instinct to drown a few Tylenol and go to bed -- it is more important than ever to finish this fight.
And all that must be done is to VOTE. I assume there are precious few people still deciding HOW to vote at this point. BUT there may be those who remain unconvinced that a single vote counts. Let me tell you that in my corner of the world TWO races were decided by a coin toss last year. A COIN TOSS! That means that the races were tied after mandatory re-counts and the remedy was literally to toss a coin. If only one more voter on either side had added their voice - a different ending might have been written. And if you are interested in the coin toss saga, here is a local story: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/election/local-election/article238055219.html
I don't share this local story because I wish the results from the coin toss had been different. I share because I am horrified to think that a coin toss was necessary in the first place. I am horrified to think that apathy can have such an oversized impact on the future of our towns, cities, states and country.
Friends, there is no one like you in this world. You must use your voice to communicate your best vision for our country. We cannot let apathy continue to have the kind of impact it has had of late.
Your vote matters. Let's stay in the fight.
All the best,
Erin
]]>I started this particular book in April 2020. I have drawn, planned and written my way through this year and today arrived at the last blank page.
My three-year-old daughter Josephine woke up with a vision for that page, "Mom, I want to draw a rainbow in your journal." I said no. I wanted to use the page to end the book with something profound...something to mark the end of everything this year has been so far.
And then...I realized what she had asked. A rainbow. She wanted to draw a rainbow. Her drawing is the perfect way to wrap up my journal today. A rainbow is a promise. It is a hope. It is pride. It is acknowledgement. It is future.
My girl reminded me of the future today. We've been through an epic year...BUT we're staring down the future.
Here's to starting the next book with the promise of a rainbow!
All the best,
Erin
]]>But, some things do not change. I woke up coughing last night. I recognized this cough. I’ve had a version of it at this time of year for most of my adult life. This morning, as we welcome the second day of Spring, I grabbed the Costco sized Claritin I’ve had for years. The ritual has begun: Spring allergies are no match for my faithful over-the-counter symptom buster. After swallowing a tiny pill with my coffee this morning, I glanced at the expiration date. Can it be? Expired in 2012? I am not a big believer in expiration dates - I see them mainly as guidelines. BUT...even I must admit that a medication expired for EIGHT years may need to be replaced. In normal times this would be an easy trip to Costco. Today...I will go on using my eight-year-old-Claritin-thank-you-very-much.
When the list of certainties are dwindling, seasonal allergies and expired Claritin stand as solid markers of normalcy.
And don’t worry. Expired or not...my Claritin is doing wonders. I feel better already!
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While preparing ourselves for the near future means procuring extra supplies for our pantries, I suggest we also prepare for the passions and hobbies that give us life in normal times. We do a lot of art making around my house so I know that will need to continue. I did a bit of preparation today and I have a few tips to share.
1. Surfaces. Painting and collage work are two easy projects for artists of any age. As you plan upcoming projects, consider free surfaces that might be hiding around your home in plain sight. If you are like me, you have a million Amazon boxes laying around - grab a pair of scissors and create a stack of “canvases” for your little artists. Cereal boxes work great for this as well.
2. Tools. Paintbrushes are nice to have but if you don’t have any on hand, I guarantee you have all the tools you need to make art. In my own art practice, I use all of these tools when I paint. Get creative! Here are my favorites:
3. Paint. If you don’t paint already, you are less likely to have this on hand. I bet you could find a homemade recipe for paint BUT I will leave that to you. I recommend purchasing paint. Here are a few basic Tempera paint options available right now on Amazon:
I am wishing you and your family health, safety and all of the creativity you need to stay in good spirits as you find new ways to fill time and stay entertained. Art can be an important part of that. As Brene Brown says, “Art has the power to render sorrow beautiful, make loneliness a shared experience, and transform despair into hope.”
All the best,
Erin
]]>January in Washington State is the weather month that we all just have to get through. Well...I guess February fits this bill as well but...January is particularly ferocious. Cold and dark and rainy and...sometimes snowy...this time of the year can make you forget that spring really will appear. I think our infamous gray sky has more to do with the general gloominess than anything else.
Despite the winter doldrums, there are upsides. For example, while the storms rage outside, it's almost impossible for me not to hunker down inside my house and tackle projects that seem too mundane when the sun is shining. And for that...I am grateful for the special way that January motivates me to stay inside and get to work!
I used this month to plan and get myself ready for business opportunities throughout the year. I challenged myself to apply to more art shows (more on that when I know where I am going to be this year), work on my website(s) and take care of a few other administrative issues I've been meaning to work through.
But...it wasn't all paperwork and planning this month. I I also shared a new collection of paintings inspired by Shakespeare. The collection is fun and whimsical and I am really proud to send it out into the world. If you are wondering...you can find that full collection here.
I also transferred an inspiration to canvas and board to begin a new collection that is based on movement and figure and a limited color palette...I'm still in the middle of this particular series of paintings...more to come!
I can't end my report of January activity without mentioning painting with my kids. One of the activities that I enjoy most in life!
What does the weather look like in your neck of the woods?
All the best,
Erin
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]]>I have a few additional commission spots open before the holidays - I would love to take on a few new portrait commissions!
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If you’ve been following for the last week, I have introduced you to a few ladies with moxie + mantra...I was reminded by a sweet friend recently that each lady has a bit of mess too...I was so inspired by her that I decided to tell a bit of the messy side of these ladies too...so....
Meet, “I forgot my kid at Kindergarten Kimmy.”
Who forgets their child at Kindergarten? This girl. The saints who staff the office at school give both grace and a phone call when it becomes clear: a parent has forgotten the 1/2 day. Oh, boy. Home for Ice cream and a million apologies to the kid and...that child has forgotten what mom never will. She’s juggling it all. Mostly without dropping the glass balls...but sometimes...she forgets her kid at Kindergarten.
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This is Nice Girl Barbie. She thinks people should be kind on social media. She thinks everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. She thinks it would be good for everyone to remember that we are all just people. She thinks that the politicians that you hate are just like you, your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, your friend. She thinks we can disagree without attacking each other personally. She thinks we might be better off if we imagined that people are generally doing the best that they can. She sure is!
]]>All art featured at 6x6NW is just $36. A fantastic price for an original piece of work. Take a piece at these whimsical little beauties. Which one will you take home?
I'd love to see you at the event!
Best,
Erin
]]>1. "Only art can take the holler of a returning soldier and turn it into a shared expression and a deep, collective experience."
2. "Music, like art, gives pain and our most wrenching emotions, voice, language, and form, so it can be recognized and shared."
3. "The magic of the high lonesome sound is the magic of all art: the ability to both capture our pain and deliver us from it at the same time."
4. "The transformative power of art is in this sharing."
5. "It's the sharing of art that whispers, "You're not alone."
And...my favorite:
6. "Art has the power to render sorrow beautiful, make lonliness a shared experience, and transform despair into hope."
Beautiful words. Any artist will recognize the truth in them and I hope reading them here prompts you to read the full book which can be found here.
]]>For those outside the Pacific Northwest area, Spokane is a city in Eastern Washington. It is a city of four seasons with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. From our current home in Ferndale, Washington, a drive to Spokane takes about seven hours.
We spent a week in Spokane recently visiting family and taking the kids to visit various favorite spots. I brought watercolor supplies along for this trip as I didn't want to bring my entire acrylic painting operation.
Watercolors were a rewarding experience. Not only do they lend themselves well to the easiness of vacation, but they were a fun way to include my kids in the process as they were eager to join in.
A few favorite spots:
Riverfront Park. The park is a testament to the gem of Spokane which is the Spokane River. The river runs right through the City. We spent a beautiful afternoon downtown complete with a Carousel ride and a spontaneous run through the fountain.
Kendall Yards. What was once just sturdy, practical brick is now part of the trendy, urban landscape. It makes my heart happy to see the new Riverfront neighborhood, Kendall Yards flourishing with shops and restaurants.
The Red Flyer Wagon. We love to visit the giant Red Flyer Wagon. An enormous play structure sited in Downtown Spokane, the kids have endless fun climbing up the stairs and sliding down the handle of the giant wagon.
Maple Street Bridge. I may be like a mother admiring the many wonderful traits her children exhibit, but I like to think that Spokane's bridges are particularly charming. They are certainly a big part of the fabric of Spokane as they form a connection from one end of the city to the other.
I think any place can be remarkable. I encourage anyone with the slightest inclination towards creative endeavors to bring watercolors along on your next family vacation or outing. What seems ordinary can be an important inspiration to an artist who is looking for the subject of their next painting!
I will have Spokane watercolor prints available on my website soon.
All my best,
Erin
]]>As an artist, I think that I already have a bit of an edge when it comes to experiencing failure. In my personal experience, a lot of bad art is made on the road to breakthrough. What separates the artists that do, in fact, break through? Willingness to keep failing. Willingness to keep showing up. Willingness to not be a "natural." Willingness to admit that you are still growing. Willingness to celebrate the process. Oh my. These things are not celebrated tendencies in our modern culture in which genius, 'giftedness' and 'natural ability' are prized above all else.
Embracing growth mindset, for me, has meant that I no longer say things like, "I don't paint xyz." or "I only paint xyz." It means that I try things that I might fail at. It means that I share things that I have failed at. It means that I keep getting up at 4:30 in the morning as I continue leaning in to improvement.
If you are a parent, an employee, a spouse, a friend, or....well...a person in this world...you need to read this book. I absolutely guarantee that it will transform the way that you carry yourself and the way in which you support the people around you.
All my best,
Erin
]]>I will tell you that it doesn't happen accidentally. I decided this year that painting was too important to me to skip doing it even in this very busy season of life. What that meant for me is that I had to create a time that I could paint every-single-day. And...early morning was the most reliable time for that.
So...I go to bed really early (last night I was asleep by 8:30 p.m. - ha!), I take shortcuts to preserve time (Instacart is my friend) and I plan.
The best thing I do for myself right now is to get up early. I'd love to hear from other early risers. What time do you get up? What do you do in your life to help preserve this precious time for yourself? AND...what inspires you to get up in the first place?
All my best,
Erin
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