Thursday, February 28, 2019

Inspiration Transformation by Guest Blogger Sandra Duran Wilson, Author of Awakening Your Creative Soul Book and Online Courses

Your art will be found in the hidden corners and crevices of your soul. It won’t hit you over the head, it will whisper your name. Learn to listen and see with fresh eyes. Expand your perceptions and invite your muse to join you in a grand adventure. Taken from chapter 1 of Awakening Your Creative Soul by Sandra Duran Wilson.

Click HERE to go to Awakening Your Creative Soul Courses


 I believe that everyone has creativity dwelling inside them. Acknowledge this creativity no matter what form it may take: music, dance, cooking, storytelling, painting, writing, decorating or even listening. Everyone has something they are good at and enjoy. Art is a life saver and inspiration is the seed that grows into creativity. Inspiration begins with looking, listening, seeing and feeling. I have synesthesia which is a crossing of the senses. I associate colors with music and numbers have sounds. Sometimes a memory will have a taste, or a shape will trigger a response to a memory. Most people can make similar cross associations when they try. Smell is the most primal sense and it can awaken a long-forgotten memory. A flower whose scent reminds you of your grandmother, or someone’s voice awakens a memory of a long lost relative. When we take the time to pay attention a whole new world opens.

 I grew up in a small town and in a time where there were no AP classes. I have been an artist my whole life, but I never had art classes in school. I had mentors, but I didn’t take an art class until I went back to school in my 30’s. In some ways this was a boon for my inspiration. I learned to tap into my imagination and exercise my creative muscle. The most important art lesson I learned was how to leap from one idea to the next. You may have heard the saying when all you see is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. But, when you can imagine other uses for a hammer your imagination gives rise to inspiration. So how do you develop imagination and transform it into inspiration? I have come up with a few beginning steps. These have to do with transforming perceptions, but it is also important to take care of your physical needs and to allow space for inspiration to be born.

 1. Working your imagination muscle is just as important as working out the other muscles. We do cross training to help our bodies be in the best shape and this is also necessary for your inspirational development. Try learning a new skill, try a new medium or take a class that is fun but different than your usual form of creativity.

 2. The best gifts come in the strangest packages-Take a hurdle and make it a blessing. When I look back over my life the most important lessons I have learned did not come easily. I remember them because there was a struggle. The struggle opens a new door, a path I might not have followed otherwise. When a painting feels like it is a mess, feel free to partially cover it up and begin again.

3. Focus on where you want to go, do or be. Just like in downhill skiing, where you look is where you will go. Change your thoughts; change your beliefs. If you have been listening to negative self-talk, then change the story you are telling yourself. Post positive messages where you will see them throughout the day. Like a note on your monitor that says you are on the journey of your dreams. On your bathroom mirror it may say, smile, and in your studio, it may say, your paintings bring joy and beauty to others. Share them with the world.

 4. Get in synch with the light. Sleeping between the hours of 10 to 6 have scientifically shown to be the most advantageous hours to renew your body, recharge your mind and enhance your thinking powers. I used to work nights when I was young, and I never slept in synch with the sunlight. When I changed jobs, my body gravitated toward sleeping from 10 to 6 and my creativity, health and energy blossomed.

 5. Technology dos and don’ts-Know when to use it and when to lose it. I use a photo app for transforming my own images into something that will inspire a painting or sculpture. I put aside my electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime and I never have them in the room with me when sleeping.

 6. See with new eyes-This is from another chapter in my upcoming book. As a visual artist I am always looking around me for inspiration. I love textures and I use my camera to capture cracked surfaces, peeling paint and wonderous clouds. When I see the familiar images with fresh eyes, it jump starts my imagination. We used to play a game where we would take a common object and come up with new uses or ideas for it. They didn’t have to be reality based, just creative. A beret could become a frisbee, a swimming pool, a bowl or even a space ship.

 7. Mute the inner critic and let go of judgement. Dumb ideas reframed become limitless possibilities, which can lead to brilliance as we see in the previous exercise. But, the critic is going to want to raise its head. Imagine you have a remote control and when the critic pops up, hit the mute button.

 8. Invite Curiosity out for a date and remember to see with the wonder of a child. Allow yourself a play date to follow your imagination. Perhaps you go to the zoo or the park and play on the swings. When you allow yourself to see with the curiosity of a child, you will see wonderful things.

 9. Most importantly, dump perfection. When you let this go, then anything is possible.

 Remember to enjoy the journey, this is what creating is about.


Thursday, January 31, 2019

What is Art - Inspire Article by Holly Hunter Berry

What is Art?



This question was asked by my Art History Professor and I believe we never came up with an answer that satisfied her and all the class. “What is Art?” and “What is an Artist?” are two questions that can be polarizing and in today’s world with so much division it is not necessary or helpful to create yet more  divisions. Let’s agree that there are many opinions and they range from academic scholars with numerous letters after their names to the heartfelt opinion of an individual just wanting to express appreciation for an object created that is pleasing to them.

I create art and I have added the label “artist” to my business card because I believe it is a truth. As a child I was always fascinated with the idea that I could create something that gave me satisfaction not only in the process of creating it but also find pleasure in viewing the finished creation.

My inspiration was objects around me that I could spend hours staring at and patiently rendering on paper with pencil, crayon or paint. As time went on I developed my own “signature” of application style and of course it has and will always evolve in alignment with my growth as an artist.

As an adult my position as a self described artist is one of a business owner and also as just a human creating as I was created to do. We all create, period. Why do I call myself an artist, why do say I create art? I can’t separate the creating process from my belief that I was created by God and that the act of creating is spiritual in it’s purest form. I call myself an artist because I am a painter and I create paintings to the best of my ability and am aware that the label “artist” is self appointed.

I believe that although I am capable of pursuing various other careers I was made with the passion to make things of beauty and my chosen form of expression is with paint. I look back over my life and now see that when I wasn’t able to express myself with my materials then there was an anxiety and sense of loss.

I, like most people, have experienced losses both emotional and physical and they have impacted me in such a way that I was either not available to paint or I was not capable. These were dark times for me and I felt I didn’t recognize who I was. 

What are the steps that I took initially to become someone that aligns themselves with the title of artist and what are the steps I took after suffering severe injuries and other traumas? The answers are fairly similar due to the extreme loss and sense of starting over after the events.

First, to anyone that is interested in pursuing the act of creating I believe that we are gifted with the passion to create and to honor that we are to trust that we are capable and teachable. Yes, I said teachable because I believe that we are not necessarily gifted in the knowledge of how to create but simply the desire to. We can all learn the “craft” of painting or your chosen form of expression but the passion keeps us going and tells us we are right where we belong. We have to spend time learning how to express ourselves either in a classroom, with a mentor, by self exploration or a combination of these. The journey of learning and growing in your abilities as a creator is filled with joy and sometimes deep frustration but yet we feel alive when pursuing and lost when absent from our tools. Constantly working to improve our work and to push ourselves to best express our intention is part of the process as an artist. As an artist our internal growth is viewed by our outward expression and as a painter I find it interesting to look back over the years and view my growth and reflect on where I was during those years and look forward to new growth in the future.

Having to re-learn how to paint after a few injuries and traumas was very difficult and even depressing at times. I had no way of knowing if I would ever be able to paint again but what started the process of coming back was the unstoppable passion to paint that was planted in me. That passion pushed me to slowly take the baby steps needed to either remember how I used to paint or teach my brain new paths to use. Anyone that has experienced loss understands. I have not given up and I prefer to look at the times of struggle as a gift that pushed me harder and taught me to appreciate the passion for creating that lives in me.

Identify what method you would like to use to express your need to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. There are many forms such as gardening, engineering, writing, singing, etc. and I am very happy that painting fills my soul and is my choice for expression. I have been able to  surround myself with my paints, brushes, canvas and watch paintings appear. There are stories and inspiration behind each painting and I leave it to it’s new owner to find the inspiration and/or add their own life experience to it’s meaning. The pleasure to  paint is amplified when a painting I  make finds a new home and is enjoyed by it’s new owner. We all win! 

I encourage anyone that has a curiosity about painting to look into learning the basics of painting and not give up. The method of painting that suits you will appear and will fill you with such satisfaction! I am so very grateful to live as a painter and to also be able to work as a teacher and thus give back by helping others find their creative voice!


Holly Hunter Berry




Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Inspire, Where ART Lives with Kimberly Conrad


 Sincerely,
 Kimberly Conrad
 CEO/Where ART Lives






 Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Art Gallery
 220 East 7th Ave (Governer's Park)
 Denver, CO 80203
 303.881.2258

Monday, June 4, 2018

Why Blogging is NOT DEAD!! With Life-Art-Business Coach Kimberly Conrad

There has been a lot of talk lately in the art world about whether or not blogging is dead.

I am here to tell you that blogging not only is NOT dead, but is more critical now than ever. 

BLOGGING ...consistently and on multiple sites is the BEST and QUICKEST way to build a strong internet presence.


WHY BLOG? 

#1 I have always told my clients, there are people who collect art, and people who collect artists. Those who fall into what in this post is referred to as "online art collectors" peruse the internet for the perfect piece of art at the perfect price. They care not about the story behind the art, or the artist who created it.
As artists, we very much appreciate these collectors, as they bring many of our online sales.

There are also those who collect artists. In this case I am referring to those buyers who usually first connect somehow with the artist. They read your blog and your newsletters. They are interested in who you are as a person, what you do, how you live  what you believe in. They are inspired by what they see and read. They connect on a personal level and purchase your art because they feel and value that connection, and want to bring that inspiration into their home.

Blogging is how you create that connection and allow those people a glimpse into who you are.

I know there are many artists who have no desire to create that personal connection. They blog the image of their art, size, medium, price, and a link to purchase. That is perfectly okay.....however, if that is the case, reason # 2 is still critically important.

 WHY BLOG???

#2 Blogging is a powerful VEHICLE for building a strong portfolio in GOOGLE IMAGES.

 WHY DO I CARE ABOUT GOOGLE IMAGES???

My years of experience show that most people searching the internet for art go FIRST to google images. This is true of Individual Collectors, Galleries, Interior Designers, Art Consultants and Art Licensing companies. They click on an image that they like, which takes them back to where that painting originated from, where it was originally posted. 
Most people upload art periodically to their websites, which periodically enters their data into the internet artosphere (my special word). Bloggers, when posting consistently (as the serious ones do) are consistently, usually daily, even multiple times daily, (when posting on multiple blogs) entering their data into the artosphere, blogosphere, googlesphere...you get my point. Blogging is how you drive traffic TO your Beautiful Website, where you have a well organized cohesive body of work exhibited. Always place a link to your website in your blog post.

WHY NOT JUST POST ON MY OWN BLOG??? While having a blog of your own is a MUST ...if it is the only place you are posting that image and those keywords make it into the search engines that one time. If however, you are posting on multiple blogs ( including group blogs) your image, name and keywords are going into the search engines multiple times, as opposed to one. 


Side Note... There are blogging communities that help to facilitate the above. For example, on the Where ART Lives community blogs, every post autoposts to the WAL Facebook, linked in, google plus and twitter platforms, and also go to the WAL Pinterest platform and the homepage of the WAL website.
That's a lot of mileage for each post you make!

WILL I SELL ART IF I BLOG??? The answer to that question is most likely.......eventually, and in many different ways. While we all desire to sell paintings directly from our blogs....and many do...once you have a strong portfolio of your work in google images (which takes time and diligence) and if your art is "marketable" the sales will come. The sales will come in many forms: commissions, new gallery representation, art licensing contracts, direct deals with interior designers, and of course the intentional and the spontaneous collectors.


 WHAT IS MARKETABLE ART
???
That is quite a loaded question, and the answer is not so simple. By marketable, I mean sellable. Art is very much relative to the viewer. If the price is competitive, and you work hard to find your particular audience, AND become a keyword expert in your category of work......you will most likely find someone to purchase your art. If people are purchasing your art, you can consider your art marketable. The biggest common denominator I find with artists that DO have a strong internet presence that are NOT selling art, is that their work is not competitively priced for where they are in their art journey. Plain English...their art is over priced. I have been contacted by, and do consistent business with all mentioned above, Galleries, Interior Designers, Art Consultants, Art Licensing Companies and individual Collectors... and every one of them found me online by googling Abstract or Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Abstract or Contemporary Seascape or Aspen Tree Paintings...which are the keywords that I most post under. I ALWAYS ask them how they found me!!



  Blogging is KEY!! Key Words are Key!! Frequency is Key!! Consistency is Key!!


I hope you found this post helpful!

If you would like to set up a coaching session with me, or learn to speed blog, so that you can blog on multiple platforms without spending hours at your computer, you can reach me at lifeartbusiness@consultant.com


 LIFE - ART - BUSINESS


 Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Art Gallery
 220 East 7th Ave (Governer's Park)
 Denver, CO 80203
 303.881.2258

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Monday, April 2, 2018

Inspiration,Where ART Lives, with Kimberly Conrad



 Sincerely, Kimberly Conrad CEO/Where ART Lives
 http://KimberlyConradFineArt.com



 LIFE - ART - BUSINESS


 Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Art Gallery
 220 East 7th Ave (Governer's Park)
 Denver, CO 80203
 303.881.2258

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Happy Spring, It's Time for a Brand New Experience!

Happy Spring!

Spring is a season of phenomenal renewal for all living things. It is the season of new beginning's, of firsts. Think of our earth; the grass becomes green, the trees show off brand new leaves, crops sprout from the earth, and beautiful flowers bloom.

As I am writing this we have recently welcomed our second grandson Oliver. He made his entrance into this world three weeks early, blessing us all with three extra weeks of loving him. It has been amazing to watch all of his firsts, for every day there is a new one. It is been beautiful to watch his parents experience all of their firsts as well.

There is such joy and excitement in the birth of something new and this includes for us as artists, the birth of new ideas, new pathways of expression. Our jobs, more so than many, really do afford us the opportunity to have a brand new experience every single day! In fact there's really no excuse not to have a brand new experience of some kind every day in the studio, if you commit to the idea! You can do it!

 It can be as small as a new color combination, different music, but every time we give birth to something new it creates in us a desire to have yet another new experience, and isn't that what life is all about?

Sincerely,
 Kimberly Conrad CEO/Where ART Lives




 LIFE - ART - BUSINESS


 Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Art Gallery
 220 East 7th Ave (Governer's Park)
 Denver, CO 80203
 303.881.2258