Trusting the Still, Small Voice That Whispers: “You’re An Artist”

[Click the link to listen/download to the Audio Version of this post, read by Lisa. / Opens in a new tab.]

The image above is what I’m looking at on my desk right now.

My miniature (travel-sized!) prosperity Buddha and a fortune cookie from my collection.

They are holding the space for writing, for working on stuff that I’m actually really, really, really afraid to put into the world so publicly.

There’s no good segway from that image to today’s topic, so I’ll just jump in.

How Do You Know If You’re An Artist?

Whatever society we live in, at whatever time, the words art and artist will be interpreted based on a lot of other people’s ideas and opinions and cultural biases.

Pretty much every artist I know struggles with their professional identity: Am I an artist? Like, a real artist. What makes a real artist? Do I qualify? Can I dare call myself an artist?

Note: these types of questions do not plague engineers or lawyers or chefs or plumbers or accountants or farmers or hair dressers.

No one even agrees on what constitutes Art.

Which makes our task easier.

Define yourself on your own terms.

Decide what artfulness means to you.

Do the art that calls you most deeply.

It might not seem like “art” as defined by the people around us.

Especially if they are not, themselves artists who are trying to figure out what their art is.

Keep reading if you want to find out why this is stuck in my craw right now. Otherwise, that was pretty much my point.

I’m rambling about this because while I write and publish here online, I do not think of myself as a blogger.

This isn’t a blog. Sometimes I forget. And then I have to remind myself again.

What I’m doing here is writing about my experience as an artist.

The process of creativity is messy, uncertain, and holds my full attention at all times. My process and yours hold equal fascination. This is my most favorite subject: the how and why of what we make.

The resulting art that comes out of all of this process is an artifact of the experience.

At least that’s how I look at the art I make.

I care about the journey more than the destination.

Although, since I’m on deadline right now to get Sketchbooks finalized for publication, I’m a little bit worried about arriving at that particular destination on schedule.

Which I have dealt with primarily by rearranging the furniture and suddenly needing to perfect the art of giving myself a pedicure. (The former screwed up the latter, as I did the pedicure first.)

Anyway.

Like so many of you, I struggled with the identity around the title “artist”. But not until I got older and was convinced by well-meaning, concerned people (not artists) that art wasn’t a practical way to get the bills paid and that artist wasn’t a really believable job title.

Like so many of you, I was born knowing I had to paint, had to write, and to live some kind of life of adventure that didn’t look like the lives I saw being lived (in not-so-quiet desperation) around me.

Up until I was about eight years old, I knew I was an artist. I strongly felt that art was the thing I came here (to this life) to do.

I’m glad I know that again, that I’m an artist.

Because I find that when I’m most bogged down by the things of this world (like earning a living as an artist, for example), I’m bogged down because I am trying to be less artist-like and more business-like.

I know this is a terrible sort of paradox I’m presenting. Bear with me.

When I first started publishing my work online in 2002, I simply wanted an easy way to share my own sketchbooks and visual journals and creative process with the students in my workshops. In the workshops (then all taught in person), the emphasis was on their work. I wanted a place where they could view my work on their own time, only if they were interested.

Over the years, others got wind of my “blog”, which I never thought of as a blog. But, whatever.

There were nice benefits of a wider readership. More people learned about my workshops. I got to meet kindred spirits online who were doing similar stuff in their corner of the universe. An acquisitions editors called me out of the blue and asked me if I ever considered writing books. Why…yes. Many more good things happened as a result of daring to be visible and put my stuff online. But I never did it as a “marketing strategy”.

There is a little more irony to this story because for ten years I did have a boutique Internet marketing and design firm for green and socially conscious enterprises. So I knew and practiced online marketing, but not for my own art.

Many bloggers are struggling with their identities, too. Who is my niche audience? How do I consistently produce epic shit that people want to read? How do I increase my subscribers and comments and Google ranking?

Sometimes, when I forget that I’m not a blogger, I struggle with all of that, too.

Especially since I’m not doing the design and marketing thing anymore, and my income stream is directly tied to selling my art. So I’ve been thinking about “marketing” more. But then I get a bit hamstrung with it all.

It’s like when you are doing creative process work, like what I teach in the Creative + Practice course, but want it to have some kind of tangible, product-oriented outcome. Process and product don’t go together so neatly. Not the way we would like.

How Do You Market Yourself (Online) As An Artist?

It often feels like writing and publishing online is shouting out into a great void of more and more content and less and less attention span. I wonder: is anybody listening? Who cares? Maybe I should get more savvy about marketing my blog. Oh, wait. This was never about blogging.

But since showing up here and over-sharing is an extension of my art (or possibly the ultimate procrastinating activity) then I can let go of the struggle/pressure to have something blog worthy to say.

And just share what’s on my heart and mind.

Which is what I’m looking for when I read other artists who publish (blog?) online.

I’m sort of just revving up on this topic, but before I go on, I’m curious to hear from some of you:

What do you find compelling about the artists you follow? Why do you read them? Or look at their sites / blogs?

What is valuable there to you that keeps you wanting more? That makes you eager for their next post?

Or want more of what they offer?

What gives you the confidence to buy their work, if they have any on their site for sale?

A Working Thesis. Let’s make it up together.

I’m suspecting that what we want from our artists (and their so-called blogs) is different than what well-meaning marketing folks (professional marketing bloggers) are telling us we should be doing. Or not doing.

I don’t think there’s a formula.

I don’t think all of the online marketing advice that applies to bloggers applies to artists.

I expect that some things work well for some artists. And others…not so much.

Marketing online for artists? I’m more confused than ever about all of this.

I don’t know, and that’s why I’m asking for you to help me wrestle with these questions.

I do know that dropping the identity as a blogger is wildly freeing, and makes me eager to see what else will happen if I just keep doing my art here.

Read full story Posted on June 12, 2013 in Comments { 14 }

what i love: visual journal inspiration for you

Lisa Sonora Beam visual journal

what i love:

the blank page / writing by hand / handmade sketchbooks / waking up in the middle of the night with ideas / getting up before dawn to work / bare feet on hardwood floors / the turquoise-painted hardwood floors in my studio / anything painted turquoise /

relishing the sacred silence before the birds are awake before dawn / listening to the sounds of the world coming awake / electric water kettles / sipping yerba mate out of a gourd with a bombilla / deep friendships = family /

writing in cafes around the world / making experiments in traveling light / comfortable shoes that also look sexy / renting a bike in a foreign city / riding my bike in a skirt and feeling the cool air and the material floating around my legs /

riding a bike down tiny lanes through vineyards / taking portraits of my friends so they can see the beauty I see in them / strong rain pelting the skylights and staying dry / thunderstorms / laying around on the couch reading all day / memoirs /

fresh squeezed lemon in water / earl grey tea / peeled grapefruit sections / living in a foreign city / all of my clothing fitting in one suitcase / that art heals / museum cafes / used book shops / frida’s studio

narrow cobblestone streets / walled houses built around interior courtyards / books about writing / teaching creativity workshops / painting on cardboard / street food / eating dinner at the bar and seeing familiar strangers / the sound of wind in the trees /

mountain streams / passport stamps / handwoven textiles / dirty paintbrushes in the sink /the sound of call to prayer crackling through loudspeakers on top of the mosque / the color indigo / unfurling my yoga mat /

a tart margarita on the rocks served oceanside / shopping at the farmer’s market / spicy food and people / tasting the salt on my skin after swimming in the ocean / long rambles through the forest / making an ordinary day feel like a vacation /

sleeping outdoors / secret gardens / documenting the journey / being with and without writer’s block /seeing the beauty here / trusting in the still, small voice / focusing of what i love / appreciating all / sharing it here with you

A big part of what we do in the Creative + Practice online workshop, is learn how to pay fierce attention to what we love, what we desire, what we appreciate.

My shorthand word for this is: happification.

In the act of noticing we amplify what makes us happy.

This simple act of noticing helps us determine what is important to us. It helps us choose what we want to create next. What we want to enjoy more of.

Have you ever noticed how so much of life seems to be focused on what is missing, what is wrong, what doesn’t work, and all the things that annoy and frustrate and irritate?

What if happiness was a state of mind?

And therefore yours for the choosing?

Right now.

Try this quick writing prompt and see what you discover

what i love…

Do it at your computer right now.

Or do your writing in your visual journal or notebook, or my favorite way: in pencil over painted paper in my sketchbook.

My favorite pen is a pencil.

If you’ve ever been frustrated by pens that do not write over painted pages…use pencil.

Plain ‘ol school pencils are one of my favorite art supplies ever.

Graphite! Is anyone else excited by graphite marks on paint?

IMG_1076 - Version 2

what do you love?

Discover how a sturdy creative practice can help you with just about everything >

Some people enjoy reading what I write in my Sketchbooks. So now you can, too >

Read full story Posted on June 6, 2013 in Comments { 0 }

Monthly Review Digest: May 2013

here I am in my studio

If you are a new reader to LisaSonora.com, I like to do a Monthly Review Digest post to reflect on what happened (as a planner I tend to focus too far ahead sometimes) and as a quick and easy way for you to catch up on recent posts.

If you’d like to subscribe to receive these monthly digest posts, pop your name in the box below.

Subscribers to this list only receive the Monthly Review posts, and it’s easy to unsubscribe at any time. No hard feelings.

Now. Let’s Talk About May, 2013.

Creative + Practice opened for registration.

This is my popular digital workshop (you can participate online, anywhere in the world) about establishing healthy and happy creative habits, the very ones that make original thinking and leaps of imagination and business stuff possible. I’d love to share this with you. Check it out. >

While I’m focused on writing (and procrastinating) on my new book project, May turned out to be quite the busy writing and publishing month here at LisaSonora.com:

So. I have an new book out now.

Grab your beverage of choice and hunker down for a cozy visit.

Somehow I managed to compose a 3,000+ word blog post to simply announce that I’m now publishing all 30 issues of Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice, in two different editions for your reading pleasure.

You’ll hear about the technique I used to get past the latest drought of writer’s block

Which lead to my decision to make Sketchbooks available, along with inspiration from sci-fi writer Joe Haldeman, a writer who also paints.

There is also some mention of pot roast (I followed Pioneer Woman’s recipe with excellent results, and I just love the way she writes, too), and a couple of other choice procrastination methods I employ when not writing.

Might you uncover some procrastination signs (and hacks) of your own? Do. Read on. >

Blissful Happification: A Guidebook Gift for You

I’ve had a wild hair for some time now to create a beautiful and useful digital download that would be available free to subscribers on my website.

A little bribe if you will, for taking an interest in my work and caring enough to subscribe. Because I want you to come back. And get to know you. We are kindred creatives or entrepreneurs or travelers… or courage-seekers…maybe all of the above.

I had a lot of fun not only creating the content and writing, but also with the design and layout. Anything where the written and visual come together makes me happy.

To find your bliss, all you need is to begin paying attention to the little things around you that make you say…Yes.

What are you waiting for? Go get your copy here >

Join me LIVE for Soul Art Day

I went on a whirlwind trip from San Francisco to Toronto and back to participate in Laura Hollick’s studio for International Soul Art Day.

In this post, though, I mostly talk about my dear friend Ken, and the power of having creative allies in your life and work. Who are your creative allies? I’m going to share a few of mine, at the end of this post.

I share more about the event in an earlier post:

Let’s Have A Virtual Art Date Together

Last Month, My Work Was Featured Here

Koren Motekaitis, of How She Really Does It interviewed me for her radio show.

In this interview I mention the vulnerability experiments I’m doing these days – that part felt really risky for me to share on live radio.

Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation by Maggie Oman Shannon

In this book, author Maggie Oman Shannon explores crafts and creativity as a practice with enormous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. By immersing ourselves in a craft with intention and mindfulness, we can quiet those voices around us and in us—we can enter sacred stillness.

I love what Angeles Arrien says about Crafting Calm:

“The genius of this book is that it provides a practical and inspirational way of accessing two universal essential forces that sustain the human spirit: contemplation and creativity. A timeless and invaluable resource for anyone!”
—Angeles Arrien, author of The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates to Wisdom

I’m Looking Forward To:

On July 4^th, I’m heading up to Portland, Oregon (one of my favorite USA cities) to attend the World Domination Summit – or WDS.

WDS has nothing to do with Domination as you may be imagining it…I’ll tell you all about it in July.

Why I’m Going: I’m a huge fan of Chris Guillebeau’s work, and over the past few years of WDS, it seemed as if everyone I admired and read online was going. I’m going to hang out with all of them. And make a pilgrimage to Powell’s City of Books: where I’ll do my geeky thing and go visit The Creative Entrepreneur on the shelf and take a picture.

If you are going to WDS – please get in touch. Let’s make a pilgrimage to Powell’s together. Or something.

I Am Appreciating:

Earlier in this post, I mentioned the power of having creative allies in your life and work.

Creative allies is something I’ll be writing and sharing about more in future posts, because having a network of people who love and support you and believe in your work is vital.

So today I want to show you a little poster I made.

It is hanging in my studio, on one of the pin boards (a real pin board, with pushpins and thumbtacks!) that surround my writing space.

Each on of the names on this list is someone dear to me, who is a creative kindred spirit, who is inspiring me right now to rise to the occasion of doing my best work. BTW: Helen doesn’t spell her name HELLen. But it was late when I made my poster. And I like how it looks. Sorry, Helen. You know I’m a weirdo.

These people are on whatever the spiritual version of speed dial is. We are emailing, talking, and visiting regularly. Some of us across distant time zones across the world.

We are supporting each other on this crazy journey of creativity + travel + courage.

By travel, I mean that in the broadest sense.

Life is the ultimate travel journey.

These are some of the people I am honored to be traveling with.

How about you?

Do you have a circle of kindreds who love and support your work – and vice versa?

What ideas, thoughts, questions do you have about creating such a circle? Please share in the comments.

Thanks so much for reading. Your presence here is appreciated greatly.

Read full story Posted on May 31, 2013 in Comments { 0 }

So. I have an new book out now.

In the studio: working on many paintings at once

As a visual artist, one of my tricks to staying unblocked and keeping forward momentum is to work on more than one piece at a time.

That way, if I reach a stuck place in one piece, I can move on to another and keep going.

Just today I had a small revelation while working on my new book.

I’ve been experiencing the drought of writer’s block recently.

And it’s been rather relentless.

Never in my life have I been so clear, mentally, on what I wanted to say in a book, while simultaneously coming up empty of words.

Day after day. Turning into many long weeks.

All of this in front of a small audience of kind and enthusiastic supporters, no less.

The generous people who are in Writer’s Journey experience with me. Watching me choke my way through over a month of wordlessness. Painful.

Anyway, my small revelation had to do with something I’ve been resisting:

working on more than one manuscript at once.

You see, there are several books in the works…and I don’t know why I’ve been set on doing one at a time. Bringing one to completion before starting in earnest on another.

But like with visual art, my creative process doesn’t work that neatly. In my sketchbooks that I keep in my daily creative practice, I’m writing about all sorts of topics that have nothing to do with the book I’m trying to wrangle to completion (or at least a decent first draft) in A Writer’s Journey.

Yesterday, I surrendered to the urge to write on whatever topics I desired.

I dug out a project that I had set aside, uncertain what form it would take.

The project is Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice, which was an experiment I did in publishing the contents of my (very personal) sketchbooks in a twice-monthly subscription format.

In all, 30 issues were written and published.

I never went back and read the issues once they were published. This is typical of my daily writing. I generate a lot of content, and then rarely get around to harvesting it. The writing itself is the practice. The product sort of an artifact of that journey.

However, I’ve found in the past few years that the Harvest is the second most important thing that I get out of my creative practice.

The first most important thing is the writing itself. This is something we cover in depth in my online Creative + Practice workshop. (Don’t worry, about clicking that link yet if you don’t want to interrupt the flow. I have a handy list of shopping opportunities at the end of this post. Read on.)

For some reason, perhaps because I was procrastinating on writing, I was compelled to print out each issue, and then read the whole thing start to finish.

I was a bit nervous to dig into the printed pages of Sketchbooks and read.

How cringe-worthy would the whole thing be?

I remember how fraught with fear I was every time I compiled and edition and mailed it to subscribers.

How I felt like giving up on the whole project until I got to Issue #15 or so.

By then I learned that my biggest form of resistance is fear of being seen and heard.

A difficult fear for an artist to have…which is pretty much how heart’s desire things work: What we love most is always neatly packaged with what we fear most.

Writing and publishing fifteen issues was like dead-lifting weights with no upper body strength.

Or riding my mountain bike up an actual mountain, after months of level riding in town.

And just like working out, or pedaling uphill, the strength came from the doing. Not in the dreaming or thinking about it.

Ah. So many lessons continue to flow from creative practice.

Anyway. I gave myself permission to just read a few pages, or maybe and issue or two. If it was total crap, then I would just look for whatever might be relevant to current book and leave it at that.

While I normally have a half a dozen or so books I’m reading at once, my favorite genre is memoir. With a really good memoir, I’m pulled into the story and usually have to finish it in one or two big gulps.

So what happened when I began reading my own manuscript kind of surprised me (especially since I knew how it all turned out).

I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

I didn’t realize there was a narrative flowing through the thirty pieces, until I read them all together. Well actually, until I read them back at all.

I stayed up reading late into the night with these unexpected thoughts and feelings:

1. Desire. I want to read more stuff like this.

2. Curiosity. Tell me more. This is how I feel when I read a book I really like. I don’t want it to end.

3. Courage. Audacity. I can’t believe she wrote that.

4. Clarity. I want to write more stuff like this.

And:

5. It would be kind of daring to just go ahead a package these stories up, into a book that other people could read.

Something that I can deliver now-ish, and much sooner than the other book, whose manuscript now has a bit more steam to it since looking at a different manuscript.

If that makes even a little sense and you are still following me, here’s what’s on offer.

Pre-order a Digital Edition of the Sketchbooks Thingy (yes, that’s my working title, because I might change the title from Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice, before these get designed.)

You’ll get all thirty issues (!) neatly bundled up, with a bunch of photos and images added, and prettily designed into an ebook (.pdf).

$20. Digital Edition.

Your Digital Edition will be sent out on or about June 13, 2013.

Context: $20 bucks is what generous benefactors paid per month…just to get two issues. Some of them paid $10 for a single back issue.

You know how folks are doing these wonderful fundraising and project campaigns on Kickstarter?

I’m not doing one of those, but I am having a fundraiser, right here on my website.

Sales of the manuscript (digital and hard copy) will help support my writing efforts over the next few months.

Benefactor Version: The Signed, Numbered, Limited Edition Printed and Bound Manuscript.

I will send you a printed and bound manuscript of the Sketchbooks Thingy - just like they used to make when manuscripts were typed up double-spaced and wire-bound for editors, authors and assistants to markup by hand. It’s going to be vintage and old-school.

Doesn’t that sound romantic? And a little weighty? I’ve decided I needed to make one of these for myself, so…why not make 99 more? Especially since RocketMan has generously offered to supervise the mimeographing and shipping.

For $125, you can get your own copy, just one of a numbered edition of 100 copies. I will sign it with a personal message to you or someone who you want to gift it to. From my little post office in Fairfax, CA (population 7,000) shipping included.

You’ll also receive the Digital Edition. And you’ll get your name in the acknowledgements section of my next book. (The other one that is supposed to be finished by now.)

I made this for you who appreciate limited edition, romantic, weighty, personally signed and sent via snail mail things from artists.

Order your copy by clicking that little Add to Cart button:

$125. Benefactor Version: The Signed, Numbered, Limited Edition Printed and Bound Manuscript

Do you shop for books by the cart? I sort of do. Dangerous habit. That’s never gonna change.

OK. So I’m pressing publish on this before I chicken out, change my mind, and take it offline. If you think you might want this, either digital or the special edition, best to get it now.

If I don’t chicken out, I’ll probably make up a proper sales page with chapter titles and a peek at how the pages look once they get designed for the ebook.

Meanwhile, here’s a peek into a few issues (which will be the names of the chapters in the ebook) as a preview of what you can expect.

Astute observers will note that the issues here are not here in their proper order. I’ve re-arranged one of the later issues and stuck in in the middle, so that the uncomfortable truths about my sex life weren’t just dangling out there at the end. In other words. They are out of order on purpose.

You may also observe that all of this is going live on a Friday afternoon of a long holiday weekend here in the USA. In other words, I’m so scared to put all of this out there. Friday afternoon feels safe. I’m pretty sure not many people are going to see it if I publish it now.

Here are excerpts of a few issues. Issues! Yep. I’ve got some.

Issue #1: Money, The Middle Way, and What Fear Taught Me

Excerpt: There is an old groove of no self-esteem worn deeply into my reptilian brain. A soundtrack from old movies of my past. The difficult childhood (wildly understated, buy hey, this is our first issue). How I felt so unworthy, ashamed, disturbed. Something was wrong with me and if you could see it I would be rejected, abandoned, made fun of. In the child’s mind: destroyed. So I hid.

The hiding took a lot of precipitous turns. We’ll get into all that later. What I can share is that my deepest learning came from traveling to Hell and Back. Didn’t buy the t-shirt, but did keep vivid Sketchbooks full of notes and images. The journey out of hiding is what gave birth to my real work.

When I do something I’m really terrified of, old feelings of unworthiness and shame surface.

I love the practice of turning thoughts around. Inviting paradigm shifts. Turning thoughts upside down and inside out and really looking to see what is true.

That’s the practice of inquiry. I do this in meditation, but more often than not I practice inquiry in my Sketchbooks.

Writing and sketching and collaging my way to new insights by playing with image, not just words.

Image uses a different part of our brain.

Image takes us to intuitive knowledge. Kind of the back room of the known.

Issue #27: Hybrid, Non-Perfect, But Directionally On-Course Movement

Excerpt: If I were still in advertising, I would chuck that title and say: Make a title that says something about how this is the issue in which I discuss uncomfortable truths about my sex life. And my finances, for that matter.

But no. My obscure title came to me as I wrote it in text below. It called out as: Title.

It stands. I trust that voice.

Besides…I’m too scared to title this issue:

In Which I discuss Uncomfortable Truths About My Sex Life and Finances (or lack thereof)

Issue #10: Creativity + Travel + Courage

Excerpt: I’m aware of what I fear. How to enjoy life and trust that things will be ok?

All I can think to say about this, after decades of therapy that didn’t really do much for me me to make me feel better, is that: It’s a Process.

Sometimes, like if I encounter a Condescending Stranger or if it’s That Time of The Month, I’ll add an adjective: It’s a Fucking Process.

//

Enjoying life. Not fearing when the other shoe will drop.

This is something Mexico is teaching me right now.

I love Mexico. I love Oaxaca. I love the Mexican people and the Spanish language and how the sun is strong and seems to be melting away the edges of what makes me feel anxious.

//

What I crave is the now.

Being right here now and saying: this is it.

This is my dream and I in no way shape or form have it figured out.

The new is now. It’s a constant reinvention.

//

I’ve shared previously how being in the Mexican culture, especially in Oaxaca, amplifies my intense proclivities. There is so much to be happy about, and there is so much space and ease, that I notice how the anxiety will just be there, suddenly, taking up all of the space of my experience.

And then I breathe, and notice what I’m feeling without judging it. And remember that I have a creative practice, and that I can use it.

Lately, I’ve been hearing this kind of mantra arise spontaneously whenever the fear feels like too much:

Whatever happens, I can handle it.

Whatever happens, and I really mean What Ever, it is something that I will be able to deal with and handle.

I can handle it. Whatever happens. Whatever happens, I will be able to handle it.

The mantra washes over me with the warm voice of a mother who loves her child and doesn’t want it to be afraid.

This is the sound of my own voice, the good mother within me, who has the magical powers to go back in time and take care of the little girl that I was.

Whatever happens, I am here for you, and I will take care of you.

Whatever happens, you’ll be able to handle it.

And I really and truly trust that this is true for me now.

[end of excerpts]

As I was running this whole revelation by RocketMan, he mentioned that his favorite writer, Joe Haldeman (multiple best-seller of novels like The Forever War, (RocketMan’s favorite book) and winner of many science fiction awards and teacher of writing at MIT) works on more than one manuscript at once and is always reading at least five books at a time.

How’s that? A smart, prolific writer and teacher of creative process already doing what I just figured out in my own stumbling around.

But wait. There’s more.

Joe Haldeman is also a painter. Whenever I learn of other writers who paint I feel such a strong sense of validation. My early years fraught with thinking I had to choose one medium. As a writer/painter/musician/dancer…that was…difficult. Anyway.

I followed a wee link in his wikipedia bio and found this, from an interview originally published in Locus magazine:

He also paints, carrying his paintbox with him from Timbuktu to Tenerife, by airplane carry-on bag or on the back of his bicycle. When he has time, he paints figure studies and abstract works of evocative landscapes and still-life studies in delicate watercolor: of course he’s chosen the most challenging medium to master. But it’s undeniably portable, and for your 21st Century Renaissance Man, flying from the Canary Islands to Ireland in a single bound – or two or three or four – portability is a primary concern.

‘‘Comparing painting to writing, and the preparation for both, is kind of talking apples and oranges, but there is a correspondence.

In both cases, sometimes there is no preparation at all; I just start and see where things go. I do sometimes write down notes, or a kind of a free-form outline, for a short story; I guess that would be the equivalent of rough composition sketches for a painting.

Sometimes I write down the central idea of a short story and look at it on the bulletin board for years, until it suddenly crystallizes (that happened with ‘None So Blind’.) There’s no exact equivalent to that, but I do often indulge in ‘mental painting’; visualizing future paintings while I’m stuck in line or in a traffic jam.

A real painter would probably whip out a little pad and make some notes. I wind up with a vague recollection that might surface subconsciously.’’

Red Ovoid. Watercolor by Joe Haldeman

”As for science fiction, I think most of my abstract paintings have a science-fiction ‘feel,’ but that may just be because I’m a science fiction guy.

The paintings I’ve done in a realistic science fiction vein have not made me happy. But then I’ve been enjoying the masters of the form, from Hannes Bok to Jim Burns, since I was a kid, and relate to their work in an emotional way that is different from the way I relate to other art.

I’d enjoy illustrating my own work – when I’m good enough. I actually have two modest projects in the works, which I don’t want to talk about until they’re done.”

…

I certainly hope he’s gotten around to publishing those modest works by now. Time for more Internet searching. Mr. Haldeman, if you are reading this, I cannot seem to locate the proper link to your blog. Please advise.

Meanwhile…

Look what I found on Pinterest…

Source: buzzfeed.com via Cathrine on Pinterest

You know that’s going into a sketchbook this weekend.

So as not to distract you too much from the opportunity to buy something from me today, I’ll list here what’s on offer again.

1. If you’re eager to read what I write in my sketchbooks and are in a benefactor-of- the-arts sort of mood

Get yourself a limited edition of Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice. (aka Sketchbook Thingy)

The Benefactor Version: The Signed, Numbered, Limited Edition Printed and Bound Manuscript

$125. Including shipping.

2. If you’re eager to read what I write in my sketchbooks and you’re happy with digital reading

and were going to go spend $20 bucks over on Amazon or on drinks out or something tonight anyway:

Get yourself the digital version of Sketchbooks: My Personal Creative Practice (When you buy it here, it’s like you just took me out for a drink. Yeah. I’m a cheap date that way. One drink and I’m out.)

$20. Digital Edition, in .pdf format

3. If you want to work on your own damn creative practice

(because perhaps you’re inspired by reading about mine)

I hope so! Get over here and sign up for the online workshop I’m teaching: Creative + Practice.

(If you’ve already taken Creative + Practice…you’ll get a free pass. Keep an eye on your email, please and do the requested opt-in click through).

If you’ve already taken Creative + Practice, please share this post.

Better yet: Contact me and let me know what you love about it. If you want to interview me for your blog, yes…let’s do it! And sign up for the affiliate program while your at it.

4. You can get behind-the-scenes of my current book project: A Writer’s Journey.

Where I’m basically live blogging the manuscript and posting my daily project journals and trying not to freak out about all that. Journey? It’s more like a long, strange, trip…you’ll see. It is: characteristically real, uncensored, and folks journeying with me are learning a lot and….getting courage and creating their own stuff. Exciting!

P.S. I have a groovy rubber stamp that says: Make Some Art Today and Feel Better.

From experience (my art date friends will vouch for this) I know that: When I Buy Some Art Today, I Feel Really Damn Good.

Happy shopping! I hope you are one of the lucky ones who gets a big, fat, old-school manuscript in the mail from me.

One of my other favorite unblocking tricks is to cook up a storm and/or clean my loft within an inch of it’s life.

If you come by and see that the inside of my refrigerator looks like a brand new sort of clean, you’ll know I haven’t been writing.

Same if you find I’ve made baked goods and used the flour sifter.

Today is a little different.

I’m going off to celebrate launching all of this into the world by cooking RocketMan an old-school Pot Roast.

Which will likely inspire a peek into the refrigerator for evidence of procrastination.

Read full story Posted on May 24, 2013 in Comments { 1 }

Blissful Happification: A Guidebook Gift for You

A wise artist once told me,

“Know what turns you on, so you can have lots of it in your life”.

What we are attracted to is not random.

If we pay attention to the specific ways our heart says, “Yes” or “No”, then we are listening to a sort of built-in guidance system of the soul.

To follow your bliss takes moxy and courage.

To find your bliss, all you need is to begin paying attention to the little things around you that make you say…Yes.

To help you on your way, I’ve written and designed a guidebook for you.

You can get it right now (for free!) when you add your name in the box below:

Happification: A Guidebook

Get my beautiful ebooklet: "Finding Your Bliss: 3 Potent Questions to Happify Your Life"
Try the creative practice that thousands have used to get from Idea to Dream Come True.

Note: If you get an “already subscribed” error, please email me, and I’ll get you the link. My lovely aweber forms were working, now appear to not be working. This is our temporary work-around.

The 3 Potent Questions in this guidebook will help you find your way to Yes.

When we begin listening inwardly to the YES…and take a few quick notes…we become more of who we are meant to be.

Everything that Happifies you is right here. It’s right now.

Are you ready to discover your YES?

Look how pretty the pages are in this free guidebook:

There are also printable quotes for you.

That heart pathway photo is from a special place that I first read about in Travel & Leisure magazine.

I cut out the article in the magazine put it down as a visual answer to one of the potent questions (you’ll learn how to do inquiry visually in this guidebook).

A few months later…I was there.

And I snapped this photo to remind me forever of what is possible when we follow our YES.

Typography and design matter when asking and answering questions of the heart. Pretty & printable.

Blank worksheets too, in greyscale…so they don’t use up loads of printer ink.

There is a blank page with one Potent Question (you’ll have to download the guidebook to see the questions) on it. So you can print out as many as you like and keep it like a daily journal.

Play and explore…and watch your life fill with people, places, things and experiences that equal your unique version of bliss.

In exchange I’d like to ask you a favor.

Please share the link to this guidebook freely:

http://www.lisasonora.com/blog/blissful-happification-a-guidebook-gift-for-you/

If you’re a Tweetie Pie, Click Here to Tweet.

Facebook your thing? Share on Facebook by clicking this link.

Link love is the currency of the Internet. Thank you very much for generously sharing the wealth.

If you want to take this further…

If you want to grow something new…

If you need some extra focus and clarity…

If you want to learn how to create something out of nothing…

…and what I do to support yourself as a creative entrepreneur:

Check out Creative + Practice. It happens online and there’s a brand new class starting soon.

If you’re feeling a little bold, I’d love to hear what things happened for you when you played with these questions. Leave me a note in the comments.

Got questions? You can ask those, too. I’d love to hear from you.

Get Follow Your Bliss:

Happification: A Guidebook

Get my beautiful ebooklet: "Finding Your Bliss: 3 Potent Questions to Happify Your Life"
Try the creative practice that thousands have used to get from Idea to Dream Come True.

Simply add your email address, and you’ll be sent an email asking you to confirm you want to receive it, then you’ll get a link to download.

If you are already on my mailing list, you’ll be asked to confirm anyway…to make sure you indeed just asked to be sent this new info. Can you believe there are people (and spambots) with nothing better to do than sign innocent people up for stuff they don’t want online?

One more thing: There’s even a piece of yellow chevron stipe paper that I made for you to play with. Because yellow chevron stripes make me happy and I want to share them with you.

You never know what you’re are going to find here. I hope all this is a good incentive to subscribe.

When you add your name, you’ll get a weekly-ish post delivered to your email, and very occasional updates when there is something yummy to share. Like advance discounts on stuff I make and workshops I teach. People on my Gorgeous Genius List get first dibs and the best deals.

Enjoy the guidebook! I can’t wait to hear where it takes you!

Read full story Posted on May 17, 2013 in Comments { 3 }

Today: Join me LIVE for Soul Art Day & Creative + Practice True Fans Deal For You

Hello Beautiful!

That’s the greeting that my dear friend, Ken has met me with for nearly 30 years, the time we’ve been friends since meeting as teenagers in music conservatory in Chicago.

That’s Ken in the photo, above. He’s a violinist, and also a kind of mad scientist and inventor of electrified violins and musical sculptures. Among other things…

I’m thinking of Ken today because I’m in his home city in Toronto where I’m joining Laura Hollick live in her studio today for International Soul Art Day.

Laura Hollick will be guiding a live vision quest which is expected to attract over 30,000 participatns. How cool is that?

You can sign up for your FREE Soul Art Journey here, http://www.soulartday.com

Join us! It’ll be fun! And you won’t have to travel 12 hours one way and go through customs…*sigh*.

Yes. I am tired from all the travel.

Thoughtfully, Laura snuck a gift basket full of art supplies and healthy treats into my room, including a packet of Lavender bath salts…you know where I am headed as soon as I hit publish.

Laura and her team will be broadcasting our vision quest live, via webcam, and we’ll also interact with participants around the world on Google Hangouts and on Facebook.

To celebrate the brand new vision I am conjuring pre-quest here in my Toronto hotel room, you can get my popular and (many say) life-changing Creative + Practice Online Workshop at a special True Fans discount…

It’s just for a limited time, so buzz on over there and check it out:

http://www.lisasonora.com/creative-practice/

Ken lives in Vancouver, where he works in the movie biz as a sound designer and editor, so we won’t be meeting up in Toronto this time.

Back when Ken and I were starving students and artists in Chicago, we did a lot of dreaming, scheming and visioning (usually over cheap drinks or endless cups of tea, depending) for our future lives as artists, not starving.

It is kind of surreal to have a lifelong friend who knows who you really are and who you always wanted to be. Who I still get to talk to on the phone and celebrate how far we’ve come…and what dreams we still hold for the future. There are always new dreams and frontiers on the creative edge, right?

Friends and like-minded creative colleagues help us see and hold the vision of what we Really, Really, Really want to be, do, create, and contribute.

What I’m sharing in Creative + Practice are the tools help us get from where we are now, to where we want to be.

Even if where we want to go next isn’t clear or even seems a bit scary to consider.

I’d love to help you find and hold your vision…

I’ll be posting live updates throughout the day from Laura’s studio in Toronto on my Facebook pages

http://www.facebook.com/lisasonora

http://www.facebook.com/LisaSonoraBeam

I’m on Google+ here.

I look forward to “seeing” you today in the Google Hangouts…and in Creative + Practice.

Read full story Posted on May 8, 2013 in Comments { 3 }

Let’s Have A Virtual Art Date Together

Let’s get creative!

International Soul Art Day is happening on May 9th.

I’ll be in the studio live with Laura Hollick in Toronto on May 9, where she will be broadcasting our vision quest via webcam.

You’re invited to join me and and thousands of others from around the world who are getting creative for the day.

Last year I participated virtually, and blogged about my experience here: http://www.lisasonora.com/blog/international-soul-art-day-my-journey/

The whole experience lasts much more that a day, more like a week, and it’s all free…

You can sign up for your FREE Soul Art Journey here (http://www.soulartday.com)

I’m so looking forward to celebrating International Soul Art Day with you!

Soul Art is a unique process that opens you up for wild creativity and spiritual vision. You don’t need art experience to do it. You just need the desire to create your life as the full expression of YOU.

Laura is a big fan of my work, and calls my book, The Creative Entrepreneur, a bible for spiritual creative entrepreneurs…

I’ll be blogging about this year’s journey, too. But likely after the event.

It’s a 12-hour live experience, with full travel days between San Francisco and Toronto the days before and after.

I don’t know about you, but I like my transit time to be a sort of suspended animation experience…I’ve never been good about doing major work while en route. This is my chance to leisurely read about five magazines each way.

Of course, I might be tempted to work on my latest manuscript, A Cartography of Higher Purpose, which I’m essentially live-blogging and documenting my book-writing and publishing experience in my online workshop: A Writer’s Journey. That’s still open, if you want to join me. I’m expecting a big breakthrough in my latest bout of writer’s block any minute.

Meanwhile, I’m honored that Laura invited me to participate in person, although it is a little nerve-wracking to be going through a vision quest with an audience.

Kind of like live-blogging my book! Geez!

You’ll be able to view the Soul Art event live from Toronto when you register.

If this sounds like fun to you, I’d love to hear about your experience. I’ll be checking in with y’all on my blog after the event and inviting you to share.

p.s.

If you are reading this in your email (because you are a Gorgeous Genius and subscribed) the following are two links to my most recent posts which were accidentally not sent…still getting the hang of how my new email provider works.

Heart-Shaped Maps: Courage. Daring. Love. Connection.

A very, very long story about inhabiting my space…and finding myself at home…for the first time. Includes a deep dive into material I haven’t yet been able to write about publicly. Grab a beverage and plan to stay awhile, then Read the Whole Story…

Here is Good: Back in the USA and Changes (also good)

Less than three weeks ago I returned to my San Francisco Bay Area Studio from Oaxaca, Mexico, where I’ve been living for the last fifteen months.

This is an update about my unplanned return to America with lots of pretty pictures of my next book in progress A Cartography of Higher Purpose…. continue reading >

One final thing, the marketing department wanted me to mention that I’m doing a workshop in San Diego in June.

It’s called For Love & For Money: and it’s a distilled, potent cocktail of

One Part Creative Block Eraser +

One Part Next Steps to Your Making Your Dream Real workshop.

Here’s what one of the participants wrote about her experience on her (warning: addictively readable blog): Everyday Something

Speaking of potent cocktails…I’m writing this on Friday night, and am off to mix up my famous Margatini’s for a little Mexican-themed dinner party I’m hosting.

Salud! And have a wonder-FULL weekend!

Read full story Posted on May 3, 2013 in Comments { 1 }

Heart-Shaped Maps: Courage. Daring. Love. Connection.

In this moment, I should be sending out a sales letter reminding y’all about my final, upcoming in-person workshops.

But I’m feeling more philosophical.

In other words, I’m feeling more like myself these days.

Less inclined to craft a pitch…even though the Entrepreneur part of being a Creative Entrepreneur requires something of a 50/50 balance of effort to make it all really work.

Truth be told: I’m NEVER inclined to craft a pitch.

I’d rather spend three or four hours writing you a love letter.

Which is what I did just now.

Note: I can feel this is going to be a long post. I hope you’ll read it leisurely. With a beverage of choice. We’re going to have a virtual chat, the way I do with my friends around the world over skype. You can add your thoughts and comment to the convo, below.

A few weeks ago, I arrived back at home base near San Francisco, CA, after living abroad in Mexico for a year and a half.

In preparation for this weekend workshop, I’ve been culling boxes of ephemera and papers and art supplies.

Due to marching orders from my friend and Feng Shui Master / Interior Design Mistress / Soul-Retrieval Physician, Suzy Foy, I am no longer allowed to keep anything boxed up and put away.

My art supplies…and my life…are being unpacked.

This process of living unpacked…of having all of my tools and supplies and…yes…much paper in the form of sketchbooks and manuscripts in process within arms reach…

is profoundly opening doors, windows, secret passageways of my heart and soul…

Open. Wide.

I’ve never Ever before in my life lived without any moving boxes at the ready.

In case I need to move…I kept saying to Suzy. For the first half dozen times she asked me why I was storing empty boxes.

I’ve never fully unpacked and moved into my loft…which is the dream home I bought for myself (and my inner artist) eight years ago.

I’ve actually not even lived here that much. I mostly have lived elsewhere…Sydney, Australia, Los Angeles, Mexico ( a few times), long trips to Europe and Africa, too. I still keep an apartment in Mexico…but will be letting that go.

I want to see what happens when I fully inhabit my space. When I claim it all for myself. It’s been a public / private space, in the spirit of a live/work warehouse. After this weekend workshop, no more workshops here. This is all very different and surreal to me.

In the unpacking, I want to share with you something I found.

For what reason I don’t know.

Especially when I should be writing sales emails. (Is this a bad example to set for my fellow Creative Entrepreneurs?)

Heart-Shaped Maps

If you’re at all familiar with my work, you know I am obsessed with maps, charts, globes.

These elements are constantly finding their way into my visual art and writing.

Above, Back view: My plastic envelope of Valentine ephemera. A message in a bottle filled with heart-shaped maps. And a little booklet of the heart.

Front view: the self-addressed envelope inside…inviting interaction.

The contents of the plastic envelope. (upside down)

This little package was my “valentine” contribution back in 2007, when one of my dearest friends, Carol Parks, hosted valentine exchanges.

Carol had many books inside of her. Ideas that never took form. I am speaking in past tense because few years ago she passed away suddenly in her sleep. I’ve never found a way to write about this loss publicly. Maybe I never really will. I haven’t even been able to write about it privately.

Except to say that life—and what we want to create—is here, and now, and that’s it.

Some day, maybe any moment, someone we love won’t wake up tomorrow.

That someone will eventually be us. Life being a one-way ticket and all.

No one knows how much time they have. How long we get to procrastinate. How many more years we might let fear triumph over love.

Fear being any form of resistance that shows up. Love being code for what we Really Really Really want to be creating or doing or expressing while we are still in physical form to do so.

In preparing for the upcoming for the For Love & For Money workshops, another layer of clarity opened up about this crazy work of Creative Entrepreneurship.

Being a Creative Entrepreneur is mostly about courage.

Courage flows from the heart.

Or it doesn’t.

But then fear, in all of it’s insidious disguises, wins.

My friend CP was brave and courageous and bold. She had a strong personality that wasn’t for everyone. I was intimidated by her. A lot.

CP was generous and a true believer in my work. You can see her work throughout the pages of my book, The Creative Entrepreneur. When I was on deadline, she came up to San Francisco from LA and we rented a hotel suite, ordered room service and she supervised my final edits under the wire.

There was a rain storm so fierce the Golden Gate bridge was closed for awhile. This confined us to work. Instead of shopping and eating, then writing and painting, which is our usual art date.

The Mirror that Reflects Your Beauty and Gifts

She said to me one evening after a marathon talk in front of her fireplace: I tell you things I’ve never told anyone. You bring out a part of me that I don’t show anyone. You help me see my gifts and my beauty.

I took that in. And then I told her: You know…so many people have said that to me. I wonder why that is so?

I’ve learned that that’s what my work is about. Perhaps disguised as business strategy or web design or a marketing plan that works. But it’s really about holding up a mirror and showing you your gifts and your beauty. That’s what we’re uncovering in For Love and For Money.

Creative Entrepreneurship begins and ends with love. Money is a nice by-product of getting certain tweaks of the dial right. That all happens in the middle, like the filling of a sandwich. Love would be the bread that holds it together.

The main thing when it comes to my form of Creative Entrepreneurship concerns what happens in our hearts.

How do we open to the Great Work, that love of our project or idea that wants to take form?

And where to we turn away, or shut it down because of fear? Feeling overwhelmed or too busy? Or not talented or special enough? Or because we are missing just a few bits of helpful information that would set our ideas and passions free?

Carol curated a dozen artists every year to send in valentines. We each make one for all the participating artists, and then a bunch of extras. Carol then boxed up and sent beautiful boxes of valentines to people who were shut in, alone, ill, or had experience a really hard year.

Following is the email I sent Carol to go with my contribution to her Valentine’s Day swap.

It’s a long-ass email. Be warned that there are some choice curse words, which is how she and I talked with each other. There are machinations about my love life and strong words regarding Valentine’s Day. But it goes with the story. It’s how I can share about my relationship with Carol (CP) without writing any more.

Have you ever read collected letters, published by writers and artists? I love correspondence between friends…those people who see us for who we are. Go gently…this is so personal to share.

On Feb 10, 2007, at 12:09 AM, Lisa Sonora Beam wrote:

CP-

There is so much that goes on in the creation of something new.

Probably it’s observing what goes on in my head as I work that is the most interesting thing to me about making art. For the longest time, I never thought of what I was making as art, but that’s another story for another time.

Lately, I’ve been making what I call “liner notes” to go with my work. I think the stories behind the work are as important as the work.

Anyway, my head is clogged with another cold and I’m not so articulate right now, so these liner notes will be somewhat raw.

First of all, I hate valentines day. I hate most holidays. Holidays as a kid always put a glaring spotlight on how abnormal my life felt compared to the rest of the “normal” people outside of my family.

Holidays as an adult have this weird vacuum of disconnection from place, belonging, the rhythm of history. Disappointment of fantasy compared to reality.

I agreed to participate in your valentine exchange because: a) who can say no to Carol Parks? and b) you made me feel like I belonged in this circle of artists you admire. So. Auk. I found myself saying yes.

And then saying, No! I can’t do it! My life is too busy and fucking crazy. And I hate valentines day. I hate hearts and boxed chocolates and doilies and slinky lingerie and red satin and not to mention roses (Am I the only person who hates red roses?) and all the crap that spells romance for those special enough to have a special someone (who is romantic enough to make the overture).

You’d think I was some bitter single woman ranting on, but I have (or maybe had, we’ll see) a boyfriend who is pretty romantic, but for some reason I just haven’t been able to let go and let this guy love me. It’s weird. There is something missing that I want to experience and haven’t yet. But how would I know it’s missing if I haven’t experienced it?

Even though there is kindness…there is this lack of…something. Something missing that I cannot name.

I have often felt there is something missing in me (a.k.a. a heart) that allows normal people to form bonds and not be terrified of good things like love turning into the inevitable other shoe dropping. A few weeks ago we separated and since then, I’ve had this aching pain in my heart. Not because I miss him, per se. But because I miss whatever is missing. The missing part of my heart?

It’s the same kind of pain I started having last spring, when I actually thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out that’s what an anxiety attack feels like, and so that’s what this last month has been. Anxiety and stress a part of my “successful” business that seems to encroach on my life 16 hours a day seven days a week.

Let me try and get to the valentines and the liner notes. I spent the weekend with artist Gail Reike. Finding a kindred spirit in journaling and travel. It seemed humanly impossible to take the whole weekend off, but I did. Was so bleary from all the work and no play. I felt clogged and uncreative.

My stress began to unravel during the weekend. My heart stopped hurting. I felt this genuine love and acceptance for my boyfriend, whatever form our relationship takes.

I fell in love with a dog I met on the street. I could feel my longing for permanent bond, like the kind you would have if you had a dog. Or a kid. These thoughts were scary, but I just felt the dog love and left it at that.

I could see the innocence in the alcoholics I met going in to the Dogpatch Saloon, coming from some kind of meeting (an AA meeting, no doubt) where they had to wear HELLO name tags.

One man had a St. Jude medal hanging around his neck. They let me photograph them in the street in front of the saloon. I explained that I was on a photo safari. That I am documenting the beautiful and teeming moments of life. That I take pictures trying to capture the aliveness I see.

It’s so ephemeral, life. But I see the beauty everywhere. In these men, going to drink at noon. Probably still hung over from yesterday. After a morning attempt at sobriety. Like the fathers in my life. I can see inside them. Somewhere, sometime, before they decided to sucuumb to self destruct, they were innocent and uncumbered. And this is the beauty that I see.

I could see that these men, at some point, did not feel love or let love in. And thus turned elsewhere for comfort.

There before the grace of God go I. Right? At least I know that nothing outside can fill the empty void of love. Not that I haven’t tried. I know you get it.

Something happened in those moments of loving what is, the world, the mistakes we humans make, our vulnerabilities and brokenness. There was a sort of earthquake then in my own open (not empty, but open) heart space…and then I knew what was missing that I couldn’t name before.

Connection.

A feeling of real connection. When you have it, it’s there. When you don’t…the void is gaping and uncrossable. And the lack of connection is what makes me feel so lonely while in the presence of another.

The grizzled men outside the Dogpatch Saloon stood smiling, smoothing out wrinkled jackets and flyaway hair for my photos.

I wasn’t afraid to tell them: I see your beauty. Their eyes sparkled back. One smiled through watery held-back tears. My heart was wide open now. Another gave me his name tag for my sketchbook. I told them my real purpose behing all of the documenting with camera and in sketchbooks: I do art so I don’t totally self-destruct.

Maybe that makes me a kind of cliche, but whatever. It’s the honest truth. Have I gotten to the fucking valentine liner notes yet?

Gail Reike’s Valentine-a-Thon

So Gail has a valentine-a-thon every year at the San Francisco Center For The Book. It happens the Monday after her weekend class. Sitting there Sunday, hearing about it for the first time, my rebel self, said: I’m going to play hooky from work tomorrow and come back. Just to be around Gail’s energy some more. Well, and, I guess I should try and fulfill my valentine commitment for your swap. But I didn’t expect to really produce anything.

On Monday at noon, I arrived at SFCB with a cup of tea and a tuna sandwich from Starbuck’s. By lunchtime, I had already put in a day’s work and took off from the studio not having eaten a thing. But I got there. The valentine making was in full swing. I was proud of myself for showing up.

Gail had boxes of valentine making supplies and other stuff to pick from. There were the usual doilies, hearts, pink, red, vintage naked ladies, ho hum. I sifted through stuff. Took out my bag of papers, ate my sandwich, wandered around, admired Gail, drank my tea.

Nothing was really happening for me. Everyone else was diligently creating with a purpose. Lots of valentines had vintage papers. It’s not a look that resonates. If you see it once, that’s enough. But there are whole ‘zines filled with this stuff. Absolutely do not like vintage music paper. Why does it have to be central to collage these days?

These slightly crabby thoughts abounded as I wandered the room, waiting for lightning, or even just Cupid himself, to strike me with the same crafty fervor of the other valentine makers.

Flipping through a box of books Gail brought for us to cut up, suddenly a graphic caught my eye. It was an illustration in a sailing instruction book. I seized on it, full of amazing graphics, and started cutting out hearts. This kept me occupied for the afternoon.

Having all the hearts made up of weird illustrations in a big pile on the table was more dramatic than seeing them individually. Wish I would have photographed that before I placed the hearts inside sealed envelopes for the swap.

Some lucky person has a heart-shaped map that shows a drawing of a pile of red dynamite under a guy’s ass. Whatever that signifies. Too bad I didn’t keep that one. It probably is just going to be offensive to whatever gentle, doily-loving soul opens up that valentine from the box you send out.

I marveled at these complex and detailed instructions for navigating a vessel on water.

What about our hearts? Our lovers? Relationships?

Where are the instructions? The guidance? The coded diagrams that orient us according to weather, storms, compass points, optical illusions, problems of perception?

What if we had an operations manual of the heart? Wouldn’t that be a handy valentine?

Could I learn how to love the way a person could learn to steer a boat and not crash it or sink it? Cutting out the heart-shaped maps with their hieroglyphic patterns and language of deep waters and high winds made me feel optimistic about such potentialities.

I thought about love and fear and how they’re pretty much exactly the same thing for me. And remembered the Mary Oliver poem about rowing for your life toward that love/fear that, years ago, inspired an entire visual journal.

I made it as an extended love letter (uh, oh, maybe it’s a valentine?) or series of stories to this man I keep dreaming about. Real, night dreams, I don’t mean day dreams. We talk in my dreams, and then I write down stuff we talked about. If I ever meet him, he’s going to get the book. I can’t believe I just told you about that. It’s pretty weird, right?

The negative space the cut out hearts was even more beautiful to me. They needed to be covered in mylar, which I found in the scrap box.

That’s as far as I got Monday at Gail’s workshop. On Tuesday, I kind of worked, but mostly art-directed my assistant designer and then rushed over to my kitchen counter to cut and paste my little poem books with the mylar heart cut-outs together.

These turned out to be kind of elementary school looking and anti-climactic. A paradox of my granola eating, eco-conscious, (not birkenstock wearing) green marketing life, is the simple fact that I have a thing for plastic envelopes. I like mylar. I like plastic covered fabric, like the stuff on the diaper bag you gave me.

Plastic. I like being able to see through, to see inside. I like to make beautiful, intriguing little packages for people to open. I’ve been obsessed with making collage ephemera packs. I like to gather the pieces of things discarded. The edges. The scraps. The discards. The parts. Together, they fit and belong in their little plastic universe. Becomming a part of the whole, a potential waiting to be made new, to become something that has not yet existed.

It’s my message in a bottle. It’s a gift of my seeing to those who can see the beauty that exists in all the seeming random pieces. They are not random. It just seems that way.

Actually, making these bags of goodies is like making a journal page or collage painting, without the glue. I think the ultimate gift (in presents or in art) is to give something to the recipient that inspires them to create something of their own.

So that’s my valentine.

Heart-shaped maps to help you navigate the paths of fear and love. A booklet made of a transparent heart (the metaphor emerged after the fact, not before) containing Mary Oliver’s poem. A mixed plastic envelope of things to create with, and then share again.

My way of “signing” the piece was to include a self-addressed stamped envelope, making it virtually impossible (I hope) for someone to resist sending me something (anything) in the real mail that is not a bill.

The fact that I coaxed my printer into spitting out the envelopes without jamming is a miracle of nature in itself. ok. I’m tempted to re-read and edit this. But I won’t. I’m too tired and clogged and also striving for imperfection. These are my imperfect liner notes that I hope illuminate something of my very first valentine swap process.

This is the Mary Oliver poem:

West Wind #2

You are young. So you know everything. You leap

into the boat and begin rowing. But listen to me.

Without fanfare, without embarrassment, without

any doubt, I talk directly to your soul. Listen to me.

Lift the oars from the water, let your arms rest, and

your heart, and heart’s little intelligence, and listen to

me. There is life without love. It is not worth a bent

penny, or a scuffed shoe. It is not worth the body of a

dead dog nine days unburied. When you hear, a mile

away and still out of sight, the churn of the water

as it begins to swirl and roil, fretting around the

sharp rocks – when you hear that unmistakable

pounding – when you feel the mist on your mouth

and sense ahead the embattlement, the long falls

plunging and steaming – then row, row for your life

toward it.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(West Wind)

p.s. Forgive me, CP, but the line about the dead dog was disturbing, so I didn’t put that in the booklet. I think it takes away from the momentum of the piece. If I were editing Mary Oliver, I would have crossed it out in red ink and told her that.

CP responded:

Brava! I am printing this out to take to the tea! I love you, Lisa Sonora. I really do. If I were a man, you would be mine but I am not so I will just have to remain your big old chartreuse muse! Hug, CP

I wish Carol’s book about her lifelong valentine journey would have been written, so we all could be inspired by it.

What I wish for you is that you have the courage to work on whatever is pulling at you right now.

Especially if its a love letter.

If you are in need of help finding or shaping your vision, reach out here, or somewhere. Ask for help. Seek out answers. Commit to taking the next step.

Cut up or draw a heart-shaped map.

Write a message on it.

Dare to send it out into the world.

We all need more courage, love, connection, daring.

I know that I do.

Read full story Posted on April 25, 2013 in Comments { 11 }

Here is Good: Back in the USA and Changes (also good)

Less than three weeks ago I returned to my San Francisco Bay Area Studio from Oaxaca, Mexico, where I’ve been living for the last fifteen months.

Pictured above is the handmade sketchbook I’m working in for my next book, A Cartography of Higher Purpose.

The floors in my loft are rustic wood from nearly 100 years ago, when my space was originally built as a warehouse.

I dry brushed the old floors in charcoal and turquoise deck paint, to cover up the damaged areas.

Having turquoise floors is one thrill of living here, and I purposely didn’t crop the photos so that you could see for yourself how pretty they are.

You can come over one last time and work with me here.

I’m teaching one final workshop, For Love & For Money, in my studio space this coming weekend, April 26-28.

After that, I’ll be teaching the same workshop in San Diego, weekend of June 14-16.

If you’ve been wanting to take a workshop with me in-person, this is the time to do it.

Due to the demands of the book, and some other exciting projects in the works, these are the only two in-person workshops on the calendar for now.

I’ve been slowly wrangling my workshop materials into a form that others can teach. That’s one of the projects that needs my laser focus this coming summer.

I’m clearing the studio of teaching supplies to make room for the new things that are coming into being. It’s scary to put this out there, but I won’t be making my studio space public any more after next week.

There is a sanctuary studio (name of my first blog, circa 2002) that wants my full attention.

I’m still very much in the middle of the studio clearing and moving process…especially emotionally. So I’ll have more on all that, with before and after photos of the space in an upcoming post.

A Cartography of Higher Purpose is all about finding your “right” way by tapping into the powers of your inner creative compass.

There is no guidebook to the heart, or our soul’s purpose. No charts or navigational devices that map our destiny.

But I think I’ve always secretly wished there were such a guidebook and mapping technology.

Keeping creative sketchbooks and allowing the intuitive feeling channel to open through visual language (rather than purely verbal or analytical thinking) is the closest thing I’ve found to creating such a guide.

And it’s as unique and changing and complex as you are.

I’m eager to share it all with you.

By the way, in For Love & For Money – we create a visual guidebook that maps where you are now to where you want your business or next project to go in the next year. Including income streams and page-at-a-glance marketing and business plans.

Imagine, a beautiful, magical guidebook for the next year of your business. We’re going to create that over the weekend.

If you haven’t yet signed up to receive updates by email, pop your email address in the box below.

Let’s travel together awhile, shall we?

Read full story Posted on April 21, 2013 in Comments { 1 }

A View From My Studio: Paint, Pretty Paper…and Strategic Plans

Hello Gorgeous Genius!

This sunny and crisp Sunday morning I’m back at my work/live warehouse near San Francisco.

After a hike on Mt. Tam, I’m immersing myself in paint, pretty paper, and plans — the photo, above, is what’s on my work table.

This is how I craft the map for where I’ll be taking my business and life in the next year.

Right now, it’s time for the First Quarter check in and tune up. Review the first three months of 2013.

I’ll show you a picture of what this paint + pretty paper + plans look like later this week.

Meanwhile,

if you haven’t yet seen the workshop that will take YOU through this powerful process, read on.

For Love & For Money is an in-person, experiential workshop for creative spirits who want to earn a solid living.

Especially if you get overwhelmed by the financial, business and marketing stuff…

Or you work in fits and starts and don’t seem to be getting anywhere…

And if you’re not making (enough) money (yet)…

For Love & For Money takes the pain and out of what’s been in the way,

clears up confusion and overwhelm,

so you can focus and be more effective on what matters,

while building a solid income stream for your work.

If it sounds like just the thing you need right now, click this link to get the scoop.

with big heart,

Lisa Sonora

p.s. The word I hear over and over from people who have done this is: Transformational.

It’s not a word I throw around lightly.

But I put it out there today, because I know there are some of you Gorgeous Geniuses who need a hit of transformational magic and mojo right now.

If that’s you…take a look at For Love & For Money.

Your Turn

If together we could solve ONE problem in your creative business—for good—in this workshop, what would it be?

Let me know in the comments. If you’d rather, you can always drop me a personal note. I love getting those, too.

Read full story Posted on April 7, 2013 in Comments { 0 }

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