Yes, we all go through it...that time where life seems to take a detour and before you know it you are putting stuff aside, creativity is kind of in neutral and one day you feel like something is missing. I felt that way recently about writing. I have been creating loads of jewelry (my new passion) but I realized that I missed my little blog and my post. I missed making the connection between art and healing. So, I apologize for the radio silence. I took a break in January to rest from some hard work around the holidays and then January turned into February. Funny how time flies! So, what I have been up to? Jewelry creation, plotting and planning with the other admins of the Handmade Collective and juice feasting! Yes, I have decided to juice feast for a while until I get hungry again. I can never get over how open I become doing a fast from solid food. My heart opens more, I get more forgiving and more silent. I recycle and rewind. I want to reorganize myself and my life. Its a fun journey. I am thinking of taking a few turns on my sewing machine, breaking out my loom and getting hold of some pins. I like to break up my creative ventures. I am also thinking of a Spring Line for my Tribal Destiny shop! I have been tinkering around with some curios. Well, you will see me back on here rambling, creating and healing! Here are some hand painted earrings I made recently! They are called the 'Naranja' Earring and are on sell in my etsy shop! I LUV these things!! They are very meditative to make too. Such fine lines and wild paint brushes on a small canvas.
Mind can accept any boundary anywhere. But the reality is that, by its very nature, existence cannot have any boundary, because what will be beyond the boundary? - again another sky.
That's why I am saying skies upon skies are available for your flight. Don't be content easily. Those who remain content easily remain small: small are their joys, small are their ecstasies, small are their silences, small is their being. But there is no need! This smallness is your own imposition upon your freedom, upon your unlimited possibilities, upon your unlimited potential. --Osho
***Happy Holiday! I love cooking and being creative in the kitchen around this time of year! I especially like making traditional soul-food recipes into healthy vegan versions that tastes AND look good! I hope you give this a try! Let me know if you made any additions or adjustments! ENJOY!
1. What is your earliest memory of being an artist?
I’ve been singing all my life – since before I could speak. It’s something I think my mother brought out of me early on. But I think the moment I knew singing was something special to me, and the moment I knew I was good at it, was when I was 6 years old, in the back seat of my parents’ truck, harmonizing to a gospel song they had playing. I think it was “Shout To The Lord”. I was harmonizing with the melody of the song, and my mom turned around all excited and told me, “You’re harmonizing!” I think I already knew. It was a good feeling, and it was something that came organically – almost magically for me.
2. How has your idea of what an artist is and what an artist does changed over the years?
I didn’t begin thinking of myself as an artist until I began attending SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Even when I applied and was accepted, it hadn’t occurred to me that what I did was an art form. I was just trying to get into college. I study performing arts in school and in my acting classes, my professors really want us to think of ourselves as artists – our bodies tell stories, send messages, and are essentially what help to make us money in the industry we seek to be a part of. My idea of my art and my artistry changes all the time. Between writing, acting, and singing, I’ve come to learn that there are no limits to what an artist does and can do. We help run the world, really, with our creativity and our talents.
3. What modalities of art/creativity interest you and why?
As an actor, I’ve always been attracted to the medium of film and recordings. I like it because it’s immediate, but it doesn’t immediately fade. Once you have something on film, or recorded, it’s there and it’s permanent, unless it’s lost. Film captures the motion and emotion of life itself. I love photography and painting. I’m also very interested in forms of music and literature. I think the history of all those art forms is so rich, and so complex.
4. Can you describe your routine or ritual for getting into a creative space before you create? What inspires you?
When writing a story or a song, I usually isolate myself from most everything around. Sometimes I go to my bathroom, or the laundry room or a stairwell in the back of the building – those places have good acoustics and I like the way my voice sounds when I sing there. With acting, creating a character and getting into character before a performance takes work. I usually like to start with the emotional or physical attributes I think the character may have, and then go deeper from there. And then, a lot of the times things are impulsive. I don’t like to think too much about what I’m doing when I create, and usually with music, I don’t have to.
5. If art could heal anything in the world, what would you like it to transform?
I think people’s minds. If a work of art can make people think, or re-think something about themselves or the world, I think that’s amazing. If it can make them feel differently than the way they did before encountering the work of art, that’s awesome too. I think swell art is very capable of changing moods, and minds. The best art touches people’s hearts.
6. What creations are you working on right now?
Along with school, I’m working on my music. I just sent about 24 of my songs to be copyrighted, which is exciting because these are songs that have been and are a part of me. There is one I wrote when I was 16. I’m excited to share them and see how people respond – will people like them? Will people relate? Folks ask me, “Is there a site where I can listen to your stuff? Do you have a demo or an EP…a SoundCloud?” I’m working on that!
7. How can people reach you to find out more about your work?
This has been such a busy month for me. I finally launched my new online shop called Tribal Destiny. The response has been great! So much goes into having your own business. I think often we think that it is just about making the product but it's more than that makes your creative business successful. I find that jewelry making and art creations are the easy parts. Details like supplies, postage and presentation of your final product can be more time consuming. I find myself constantly thinking of my customer's experience when they receive my creations. Was the packaging right? Did my creations make it safely? Tonight, I was getting a package ready for a mailing tomorrow and I wanted my customer to get more than just a jewelry box wrapped in paper. So, I remember seeing somewhere (I don't remember where)reading an article on making stamps from foam sheets and wooden blocks. I gave it a try and was somewhat pleased with the turn out. I cut out random shapes and then I glued them to small blocks of wood you get in the crafts store. Wah Lah! I didn't have a really thick acrylic paint but it was a descent turnout. If you have tried this, let me know what you think? I may still work on my stamp designs to space them out more...maybe larger blocks of wood. The ones I used were 2x2". In the meantime, I took a paint brush and painted the top adobe red then created some nice mudd cloth marks using ivory white paint.
My Adobe Design 'Clan' Earring -SOLD but more designs to come! www.TribalDestiny.com
Opening up my own shop online has ramped up my busy schedule AND it has infused me with even more creativity. I now am working on finding the time to design more and create more. I was speaking to a friend online and she said that it is important that we continue to boost and uplift the image of handmade creations. Many people have been conditioned to think that buying from a store with mass produced goods means great quality. I can't help but think the opposite. Being part of the Handmade Collective, I see such beautiful artistry created in consciousness and pride. It's hard nowadays to tell if the people who actually make your store bought good were even treated right or paid a fair wage. If you buy it at the store new for $5.99 then what did that worker get paid? Have you ever seen the movie Baraka? It is a beautiful film that documents how humans interact with their environment. Here is one 10 minute scene that reminds me completely of the 'WHY' of the re-emergence of Handmade...I don't think we are meant for this massed produced life...
Here is the link for the video (if you are viewing this from your email: http://youtu.be/0FsHC52a6x4)
I posted a question on Facebook: "I am looking for 101 Reasons to Buy Handmade, can you contribute?" I have received some very beautiful, insightful and powerful answers (which I will share later). One that struck me tonight:
"...buying handmade items are very spiritual to me.. Its like they are sharing a piece of their soul love with us.. you know how someone cooks with love, and when you taste their food..you say they put some love in this food! The same as buying handmade you get your handmade item or items plus some free soul love.. ~Unity"
Why do you Buy Handmade? What is a good reason to do so?
When I think about it art has always been my first love. I would draw and doodle a lot as a kid. When I graduated from high school I went to art school and even though I had this thing for working 9 to 5 jobs, I would always stay in the creative zone. I love to create - to make things that I have not made before and to be somewhat successful at it. I sat down over a month ago and decided I was going to make jewelry. It came out of my early explorations of using myself as my own muse. I begin to ask myself questions about what things interest me. I am this lovely and unique combinations - I like vegan food but I am not really against wearing leather, I am not very 'girly' but I like to get my nails done, I love to be in nature yet there are times I can spend all weekend at home -reading, writing, doing something creative. When I thought of the jewelry I wanted to design, I wanted it to be things that I actually wear.
A fellow artist mentioned this great organization a few months ago called Bead For Life. When I went to their website I was immediately interested in working with them. They assist impoverished women in Uganda with developing their own business selling paper beads. Bead For Life purchases the women's beads at a 'fair-trade' amount and folks like me can buy the beads or have bead parties to help sell the beads. Not really knowing how to make any jewelry I purchased a small bag of beads from Bead For Life. They were so beautiful and vibrant. I really found joy in continuing the creative process of another woman from around the world. It was deep to think about a woman in Uganda molding this tiny bead into a work of art from paper.
So, there is a story behind these small works of art I call earrings. They are composed of hope and faith of Mothers who wish to help with families and communities. I am featuring some of my creations using Bead For Life beads. My commitment is to take 5% of the sales of my creations using Bead For Life beads and reinvest in more beads and materials they sell. You can find more examples of the beads in my online shop: www.TribalDestiny.com Please take time to visit me on Twitter: @TribalDestiny Facebook: www.facebook.com/arthealsus Pinterest: pinterest.com/camarameri/tribal-destiny/
