Opening to our deeper expressive selves

...if you are willing to unclench your fist
Originally uploaded by Julee Herrmann

Ever evolving art an open dialog:

Do we know when our work is evolving? I have only been SURE about that in retrospect as I've been doing some soul searching recently. Here's what I've noticed:

This past Spring when I had a large order to fill for a dress shop I ran out of the precut small glass that I had been using and the manufacturer was hopelessly back ordered. I was just able to fill the order, but then I was in a panic as I couldn't figure out HOW I would fill future orders. I had another order on the horizon and when I filled that order the last piece in the order was my new answer.

After research, trial AND error, not to mention high expense remedies I had found a darling way to stay within a good cost ratio and still make my soldered glass jewelry without relying solely upon the manufacturer or having to cut my own glass. Upon this discovery I also found a lovely lot of even bigger glass AND my now infamous HUGE lot of German Bisque Dollies.

This Fall I introduced the bigger pieces as my clock crystal holiday ornaments in craft fairs, with my regular customers and in my Etsy shop and then turned them into my newest obsession. Boy in a Bauble – I am 100% IN LOVE!

Its a funny thing when you think you've come up with something “NEW” only to find that someone else has come up with something “NEW” at the same time... in fact, they did it before you and your idea isn't at all new... what's that saying something about “there are no new ideas only new variations on old themes?” and the concept of the 100th Monkey where when a certain number of people gain a specific awareness it leaps to the consciousness of the larger mass? That has long been an intriguing concept. So, after I was all giddy on my Facebook the other day about my new fabulous idea I busted out a half dozen Baubles and then headed to bed with my newest Somerset (FINALLY getting a chance to snuggle down with the fun publication full of inspirations!) I pull the pages apart only to find someone else had the SAME idea well before I did! So fun... I loved seeing the other take on this same use of old clock crystals, I giggled wondering how many of us must be stalking ebay trying to grab up the clock crystals these days! Well, apparently we're plugged into what some of my friends refer to as the “Witchy SuperHighway” or the “Sam”e wave.

I'd love to hear other people's take on this concept, have you ever been the 100th Monkey as this talented artist clearly was?

My take is to go in this direction (and if you're still with me, bless you! :) I feel like the 100th Monkey concept has much to it in the way of saying if 99 of us dream of peace and act out peace in our lives the 100th Monkey WILL also open to the idea of peace and that peace – not war and love – not hate will become the commonplace reaction. I wonder if its the same idea in art. If we share our “consciousness property” (to use the verbiage from Keyes work) to raise awareness where will the bring us? Will we have more enlightened work, will we grow and evolve more quickly into finer and finer artists? Is that how the Impressionists worked?

It is in this vein that I am excited to launch a new “how-to” aspect to my art blog. I want to share that which I have within my awareness field, I'd love to play with you all on this, let's start with something fun most people have familiarity with DOMINOES...

Get ready to Alter Dominoes Julee style... did someone do these first? I don't know, but I met a lady this weekend that does them very similarly... hey ROSE!!! We swapped best practices - love the art community's sharing ways. My next post will have pix and descriptions on just how to Alter your Dominoes!

Have fun!
xoxo
jul