Bloomin away over here!

If you're following this journey and so many of you generous souls are - this is No. 8. I think I'll name the series: "She Speaks For Herself".

I felt like I had a lot of big sisters who flew to my rescue when you found out I had taken some negative comments. Thank you so much for the wise words and encouragement. I go back and read each comment again and again to pull out the treasures left there.

I'm sure the fear (that I'm not good enough) will come back - that's the way it is with creative work. I totally recommend Art &Fear. You can buy it used for around $5.00 and it will be the best tool in your art box.

I love this paragraph from the book regarding fears about ourselves as artists and how we fear that we just don't have that "magic" element you see in other artist's work that you admire or that we don't have any real talent:

Admittedly, artmaking probably does require something special, but just what that something might be has remained remarkably elusive- elusive enough to suggest that it may be something particular to each artist, rather than universal to them all.  The important point here is not that you have or don't have- what other artists have, but rather that it doesn't matter. Whatever they have is something needed to do their work- it wouldn't help you in your work even if you had it. Their magic is theirs. You don't lack it. You don't need it. I has nothing to do with you. Period.      

So my work is being laboriously nurtured and somewhere along the line, as long as I'm not waiting for perfection, my real "magic" is going to emerge along the journey.  I'm good enough- today. I hope you feel the same way about your creative life.

I sent my first 7 girls to a professional printer to be scanned properly and to find out what cards will cost me. But GE--willies, I have to buy 100 to get a good price.

I'm also thinking about making some glass pendants too.

I took 3 girls to have them matted. WOW! I did not realize how much it cost to double matt with 4 inch matt on foamboard! (probably around $50.00 a piece) She said she would give me a discount because I was bringing her several. I know I should learn this process myself, but it looks sloppy when I do it so far.
I'm trying to keep it simple. This is fun, light-hearted art and shouldn't be taken too seriously. But it does deserve a fun, light-hearted setting to shine in. I have several places in mind and I will present by priority until I receive an acceptance. I'll keep you posted.