c. and subsequently following the game of tag all over the interwebs learning more about some really cool    peeps, and finally --that would be 

  d.-- sitting down to report back and deciding who I wanted to tag next!     

  So, the 20 Questions, here it goes:
      Question 1: 

One of the categories in this blog is "Facing Fear;" these are the posts where I muse about pushing through some invisible obstacle in order to get closer to my authentic desires. I had no idea that attending an online blogging workshop would avail me of a collection of gems that directly addressed the fear-factor in my creative journey.

#BelleLive refers to one of the most informative & fun events I attended through Creative Live. 
This awesome class was taught by sassy fashionista April Bowles-Olin; a blogger and
 coach to creative entrepreneurs, who blew us all away with her  insight, charm, and organizational skills.
 
If You missed April Bowles-Olin on Creative Live, I'd say, go check it out from start to finish. It's worth every moment and every dime. BUT FOR NOW let me share with you my favorite tips and how they apply to my creative adventures... {click to tweet moment!}

1. {Start Before you Are Ready}
Fear can bring all good things to a grinding halt. 
Perfectionism can kill creativity... but in reality 'mistakes' are great teachers and a vital part of the learning process. 
My take away? Make your move while the idea is full of juice! After day one of this class, I felt the courage to upload several small pieces to my ETSY shop ... I didn't feel quite ready, but I knew the pieces were!

2. {Give away your best ideas}
This piece of advice encouraged me trust myself & my creative process. 
While you share freely you are attracting others to your brilliant self! 
Besides, engaging, sharing. and giving are 3 of the most important aspects of blogging -- just so you know. 
 ... and for my life this meant writing this post about a project I'd been working on. I kind of wanted to share instructions on how to make my Star Book, but I felt a little nervous about letting it go into the world... 
>>what if this, that, and the other?<<  and in her direct & matter-of-fact way, April convinced me that it was the right thing to do, and the time was NOW... and when I did, I felt GREAT.

3. {Think about your audience}
Always. 
So when you are giving away your best ideas, ask yourself how you can help your reader. 
Offering something of value will establish your readership.
This sparked a whole re-vamp of my videos, free tutorials & class offerings... stay tuned for details, and join me if you want them delivered to your in-box!

4. {Put it in Black and White}
Specific little goals will keep you engaged in your journey and moving towards your vision. If you struggle
 with staying accountable to your smaller building steps, get an accountability buddy.
My friend Amy and I both participated in the class and have since been meeting to identify and declare our goals. Having an accountability partner makes the journey less lonely and a million times more enjoyable!

5. {Focus on showing up consistently and doing better a.k.a. be Patient & Persistent}
When April said, 'the numbers will take care of themselves,' I realized I had been holding my breath with the anxiety of knowing my readership is probably made up of my beloved family and friends. She added "Blogging is a long term game. Everyone starts with 0 readers!" Oh, thank you, Belle!

6. {Put up Pretty Pictures, Please!}
The visual aspect of a Blog is Very Important! Take beautiful Pictures, and if you don't feel confident about your skills, build a daily practice. Have good pictures of yourself on your blog that reflect your authentic self.
I'd had an Instagram account for a while, and it was languishing with 2 or 3 pics. Since the workshop I challenged to myself to post every day. And now I ask myself, "What took me so long?"

7. {Give More than you Take} 
You know, that whole 'pay-it-forward' attitude? Well. it works! When you give freely and think of others, you will not only feel great, but you will be noticed and appreciated. Some ideas are writing a 'thank you' e-mail to someone online whose ideas inspired you, or sharing the link to a newly discovered Etsy shop, or perhaps a Facebook shout out to a product that is making your life more wonderful. A thoughtful acknowledgement to somebody who is just starting out may make a world of difference to them.  
Inspired by the spirit of giving, I made and uploaded a couple of free printable coloring sheets that work well with the Star Book tutorial I am currently filming/editing and plan to share free in the coming weeks. If you are curious about the free printable, here: You can have it too!

8. {Take advantage of every opportunity; you never know where it might lead}
Saying yes to possibilities will keep your mind flexible and your ideas growing... and why the heck not?
So if you are reading this, you might as well know that this is my very first Blog Tour... I didn't even know what that was! But when the idea popped up in the FB group, I decided to take a chance and join the ride!

9. {Be willing to take risks!}
What do you really have to lose when you ask for something you want? The only thing you will probably (gradually) shed is your fear. If your dream is to guest post in a well-known blog, or contribute to a magazine, prepare yourself, and then GO FOR IT! Say it! Ask for it! Pitch it! Contribute! Share! yes, yes, yes...
One of my dreams is to teach in one of those big, famous retreats that everybody goes to. So I looked it up, and the request was so simple, I didn't even think twice about it. The person on the other hand immediately responded with an encouraging e-mail... and now I am working on the application. Wish me luck with that!

10. {Build relationships}
Success in the interwebs is all about relationships. Show up, engage, interact: and do all of these authentically. When others get to know you and you build relationships, you will expand.
This bona fide introverted artist is now meeting regularly with other hermit-y creatives, both in 'real live' and through online connections. And it's been a blast!
 
Along with all of the Do-s, April shared a few don't-s. My favorite addresses another of the "Facing Fear" topics and this is what she said,
                                       {DON'T TAKE REJECTION PERSONALLY} 
"No" is an unavoidable part of the process. Trust it, believe it and move on.

I want to thank April Bowles-Olin for her generosity, humor, and copious amounts of useful information. Also thanks to Creative Live and the live audience of bloggers, and to the community of online participants that is now a vibrant FB group-- you guys are amazing! If you came here through  “What #BelleLive Taught Me” blog tour via Kathy Reilly, you are now invited to visit the blog of designer & artist Vivayne to further explore the take-aways from this class!

 But Before you go...
Will you tell me, which one of my top 10 lessons resonates with you the most?
Please leave me a comment below!

xo
consu

Portland woke up to a windy snowy day today! Since my commute today is merely across the back yard, I made it to work on time!

Remember the Pay It Forward - challenge on Facebook? Well, you may not have even heard of it, but waaaaay back at the start of 2013 I promised to send a piece of artwork to the first 5 people to chime in to the post.  Today I giddily selected and wrapped the little presents. They are now in the mail, and I already look forward to hearing from the friends who will likely be surprised to get some random Joy Mail for the holidays. Giving is Good!

In how many ways are you creative every single day of your life?

In today's post I would like to acknowledge one of my favorite ways for creative expression: playing dress up.
Every day I have a small version of this when I get ready to go into the world and choose an ensemble that mirrors my mood. 


But this is a little beyond that... What follows is a visual narrative of my physical transformation as I got ready to attend Day of the Dead Portland @ Tabor Space and finish the night at the Vagabond Opera's Dia de los Muertos Ball downtown!

Summer 2013 was a delicious summer. Visitors and berry picking; sunshine & travel; hammock reading, ice-cream adventures, bare legs and sundresses... 

I followed my bliss and blissfully ignored (resisted) my year-long project to 'unleash' creatively, and be accountable through my blog.  Meh, what'cha'gonna-do!!  Can YOU RELATE??

So, there was nothing being put out there in July, and just that one post in August... reporting "nothing in July." 

Today is the LAST day in September, and there is no question summer as we knew it is done! I am sitting on the red couch, wrapped tight, like a little chimichanga. I can hear the wind chimes on the back porch, but louder and more furious is the blowing rain against the windows. We are having our first Fall storm: and it's a big one! 

Thus far in this creative experiment, the hardest break-through has been to be 'putting things out there...'  So I regroup, get myself ready, and try to kindly meet myself just where I am.

I have discovered a new toy in somebody else's computer (>wink<) ... a bamboo tablet that does not get along with my Mac, but DOES let me play... These are some of the Personitas I created while learning what it can do... I am thrilled with the results... Somebody said "Holiday Sale" inventory?

OK, so this is a new low!
ZERO blog posts in July.
But, as always, context is very important in Understanding (and Justifying). 

So check out this equation: 
Prfct PDX Smmr Wthr + Rd Trps & Adventrrrrs + Wdding Celebs & Berry Pckn' = Zero Blog Posts in July
It is as true as the summer day is long, I swear!

So we move on, and conveniently today is August First. 
New Month... new attitude? 
We'll see.

And, although it did not show up in the aforementioned equation, PAINTING has been a part of July.
Here are some pieces to prove it!
Enjoy

The little ritual of looking back after every month and acknowledging progress/accomplishments from the previous 4 weeks has been a surprisingly pressure-inducing self-imposed routine.

May was a great month for dragon boat practices, maternal visits, and birthday celebrations. In addition, May has been a month of many starts and few finishes in the studio... Below is a sampling... 

Sometimes things move along more than other times, and we just have to learn to be ok with it!!
Here's hoping for a better (or should I say 'more productive') upcoming month!

I can't say April has been a raging success of a month in my pursuit of unleashing and art liberation... but it hasn't been a total dud EitherI'll take the small gains and resolve to face forward and move on... since there isn't really a choice in the matter and all.

The most nerve wracking part of this whole unleashing 2013 has been staying public with my thoughts and creations, and making myself accountable in a public way. April was a tough one in that the main goal was to 'put something, anything' in the Etsy store that I originally opened in 2008!!! I used the account to buy art and services from fellow creatives, but as of this weekend, I had nothing in it.

So, the truth is thatI met the challenge about 70% of the way. It is open, yes, but the inventory is not new, but a little collection I had finished a little while back. Oh well. I'll keep it going

Another quick mixed-media art-journal page I finished last weekend. About half way into the process I decided to film the activity: you can see an abbreviated version video of it by clicking  here.

The words came out as I was playing with print/fonts; definitely an area of further exploration and development (!). But I like the message of befriending the frog in our throats in order to liberate our song.

I am totally hooked on making little videos since completing Vivienne McMaster's class "Montage." She is an amazing teacher who gives you both inspiration and technical information, all wrapped up in patience and encouragement!! Do check out her offerings!

The beautiful certain someone 
holding the Lady painting.  
So happy 
to know 
she is going home 
with you!