#twitterartmarathon

By on 2011/06/28

So at 0630 this morning I decided to join Kesha Bruce and her #twitterartmarathon and I have been a machine today! It’s been all about process, for me that is. Just doing, not thinking, DOING.

I realised the other day that most of my art making background/education has firmly been rooted in concept/conceptual art, as a starting point. Which has served me well for A LONG time. But these days I’m not super interested in continuing along those lines. Which started 8 summers ago, in Toronto when I started drawing just for me. Painting has been a hard fight for the past year or so, and today feels like a break through. Because I’m doing, not thinking. We’ll see what I flush out in the next while.

Follow us on twitter with the hashtag #twitterartmarathon

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#Trust30 Day 12 Holy Crappers!

By on 2011/06/13



I say “Holy Crappers” about this prompt as it cuts close to the bone. How many of us go there, you know that dark scary place where we hold our fears and REALLY look at them? Most of us don’t ask ourselves these kind of questions, but imagine how much more fulfilling our lives could be if we did.

Fear by Lachlan Cotter

These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is fear holding you back from living your fullest life and being truly self expressed?
Put yourself in the shoes of the you who’s already lived your dream and write out the answers to the following:

Is the insecurity you’re defending worth the dream you’ll never realize? or the love you’ll never venture? or the joy you’ll never feel?

Will the blunder matter in 10 years? Or 10 weeks? Or 10 days? Or 10 minutes?

Can you be happy being anything less than who you really are?

Now Do. The Thing. You Fear.

{… in case the answer ISN’T obvious…. NO! None of that matters, and yes we must be nothing short of our most brilliant selves}

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#Trust30 Highlights Day 10

By on 2011/06/13



To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eric Handler poses this question:
What is burning deep inside of you? If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say?

Your life, your time in this body, in this lifetime is short and far too precious to be so fucking precious about.
Unfurl those wings, beam love and light from your heart, be brave dear heart.
Grab joy by the lapels and enjoy the ride! Life will be so much richer if you do.

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#Trust30 Highlights

By on 2011/06/10



I’ve been away for business and pleasure since Day 3 of #trust30… I’ve fallen behind, got caught up again to fall a bit more behind. So I’ve decided to just add some highlights as I go along this journey.

Day 4 prompt

That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Turn one of your biggest challenges into a question.


Good question! I’ll get back to you with an answer….

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Ho’oponopono – forgiveness for myself and others

By on 2011/05/24

I love you
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you

Life has gotten a bit messy these days. No qualifier or explanation needed. Just lots of change, and well, that tends to get messy. Truthfully, I’m the one that is changing. Trying to weed-wack the “stories” of old, bring the dark bits to the light, heal, forgive and move into something fresh, new, bigger and better. As I’ve reconnected with that beautiful inner voice I am allowing myself an openness that I’ve never felt brave enough for before. Death-defying bravery could be considered my theme this lifetime, and consequently it has been a sort of mantra. Yet I’ve struggled to embrace that from a place of love, it’s way easier to dig your heals in and prepare for battle.

Spirit keeps asking, telling, demanding me to be more me, more authentic, all while being more open. Basically a call to death-defying bravery. At my lowest moments I wonder how the hell does one do that without turning into a doormat and having people take advantage at every turn, and the fear sets in, and the resistance, and then the stubbornness. Because let’s be honest, I don’t want people to see the contents of my satchel of crap – thankfully it’s no longer a steamer trunk, but it is still my inner most baggage, the stuff I think people will not accept, the stuff people will judge and label. And why do I think this? Because I’ve had over 30 years practice kicking my own ass! I’m the “people” I’m talking about.

I woke up this morning kicking my ass. Knowing I wasn’t able to harness that “death-defying bravery” when I needed it most yesterday. Sinking into the realisation that I let the stuff in my satchel run the show – and my heart is heavy.

And as I wondered how to “fix it” I remembered my friend Tori talking about the power of Ho’oponopono yesterday.

So here is my answer on how to be more me, more authentic and more open, all while honouring myself and my boundaries, which in turn will allow me to honour others – I let my heart shine, radiate love, cultivate inner body bright and repeat……………
I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.

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The wrap up! aka The Update

By on 2011/04/26

Oh how I wish I was going to display a bunch of artistic brilliance right here, right now….
~sigh~ Not to be. But I have an update none-the-less!

While I could argue that Kesha Bruce’s In House Residency was too tough to pull off, in truth it could not have come at a better time. The first week + was amazing, then it was down hill, to rock bottom! The good thing about being knocked on your tuckus is the view. I couldn’t figure out why I was butchering paintings with such gusto for weeks on end! Then drawings took a hit. Then I didn’t want to make or do anything in the studio. I didn’t even want to make the drive there. It filled me with dread.

Being away from my very complicated studio arrangement and a good kick in said tuckus from my dear friend Carl Abad set me straight. I was miserable. Spirit was dying inside me. It was time to really move on, find a new studio space and commit to me.

Which is just what I’ve done. May 1.

One day I finally listened, really listened to spirit. Yes spirit, lovely gentle spirit stopped whispering ages ago and she started yelling, screaming some days. I could no longer drown her out, it was time to really figure out what I want. What did that look like now and in the future. Whom did it include – and well what had been outgrown. It was time to stop all that wasn’t working…. time to step back into me. The loud, colourful, playful, potty-mouthed New Yorker, who had gotten put on a shelf for safe keeping when I moved back to Canada to clean up my mess.

It’s taken 7 years to clean up my mess, heal my deepest of deep wounds, love and be loved, get lost – or rather abandoned myself, live in the chaos, pretend, heal, hurt, laugh, dance, sing and scream my way to… Emancipation. What a joyous place to be, emancipated.

As for closing this chapter, moving on to a new live work place, well it wouldn’t have been possible without this step. I am grateful, so grateful for all I’ve gained, lost, experienced and learned in this situation, with a lovely human being… it’s just that our paths are diverged, and it was time to walk on our own.

Big thank yous to far too many to name – you know who you are.

This song by Braids says it all. (Glass Deer)

I found my place in the wishing well
I found my place not feeling well
Now I’m at such great heights here
Now look at me, my dear

Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up

I found my place in the wishing well
I found my place not feeling well
Now I’m at such great heights here
Now look at me, my dear

Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up
Oh, I’m fucked up

Here, just right here
And it’s all ah

Here, just right here
And it’s all, ah

Oh
Oh

And it’s background
Describing my house
‘Cause God knows,
God knows what I do best

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