Blog

A very long time ago before I could create my own website and before Facebook Pages or Instagram even existed I had a blog. I enjoyed it. I did not mind sharing what was going on with people via the internet… people that wanted the information and people/customers/friends I know and have like minds and like likes, etc….

Over the years blogs have kinda gone by the wayside and mass social media has taken over a blog space. I am not that comfortable with social media. It’s over the top for me on a personal level. So, we figured out how to attach our old blog to our website. Our old blog posts are on there and our new emails are all in there. So you can see all the content.

My goal with this is to just interact with you and not do it on social media and not just email you with a jewelry sale or buy now buttons… but email you with just fun conversation.

We are more than a jewelry business. Kali and myself are artists. We both work hard at being artists. Skyla works her brains out trying to keep it all straight. We want you to know how much we care and how hard we work for your smiles when you open the box.

I want to share with artists and customers goofy stuff and daily life without it being on social media but just on our website. I realize this can be seen by anyone but they would have to seek it out.

We want it to be personal.

So here is something personal…

Work Ethic & Creativity

I often read an artist’s post about lack of drive to be creative or just getting stuff done. They simply ‘don’t feel like it.’ Which happens to everyone. If you have a ‘day’ job there are certainly days that you ‘don’t feel like’ going to work, but you go. These three books are excellent reads to combat that.
Leonardo Da Vinci was trained in a studio that students did reproductions over and over for sale… he began there as a young boy. His curiousity had no end. He studied his work as a scientist, journaled everything and worked constantly. (I have read this book 5 times.)

Kali had me read Twyla Tharps book as she is a famous dance choreographer for Broadway musicals. She does the same thing every morning as a routine even though she is not dancing herself she does the work she’s asking her dancers to do. She details her work ethic and routine that keeps her focused on the current project and the next one.(Kali has a degree in Dance Choreography and works with me from 8-3 and runs a dance studio after school for kids of all ages to learn ballet, tap and jazz.)

The War Of Art really is a hard look at procrastination and work flow. One key thing: starting one thing and making sure you have the next thing started before you finish the first one. Zero down time to ‘think’ about what’s next.

Tips from a working artist…

1) I do not think that people are talented. Sure you have some natural inclinations to be good at one thing or another but ‘talent’ I find is just more time spent. The ‘10,000 hours’ theory. If you do it a lot you will be good at it/get good at it.

2) I do not thing you should be a starving artist. I think that is very defeating. If you cannot make a living at your art have another job until you can. Maybe money is no issue for you but that is not the case for most people. I worked for almost 20 years as an RN and also as jewelry artist. In the last years I did not take a vacation for 3 years as I was trying to make my business stand alone.

3) Please!!!!! keep a little note pad (in your car, by your bed, in the kitchen drawer, everywhere) or use your phone and write down every single fleeting thought about your art. These fleeting thoughts are important and will help you when you seemingly don’t have any creative thoughts.

4) Have a work week. If you have a ‘day’ job then schedule when you are going to work as an artist and keep that schedule. *** If you do not have a ‘day’ job you need to work 40 hours a week at a minium. You need to work as if your job said be to work at 8am and you get to leave at 5pm… You can create your own hours if you’re a nite owl but it needs to be 40 hours. During your work hours you are not doing laundry, cleaning the house or running errands. You do that on lunch break which is scheduled or a day off which is scheduled just like at a ‘place of work’. Make a schedule and stick to it. If you don’t have to earn an income none of this really matters but it might matter if you want to be better at what you do. Work 40 hours and you will get better. *** I am at work from 8-4 and often later now that my children are grown. I try and work Saturdays from 10 to ? unless I have some other thing planned like a wedding. Sundays I purposely do not work at all (unless I am at an art show.) Sundays are a day to rest my hands. ***If you have school age children that is a job in itself. That comes first. Recognize that.***

5) Task Days… Have tasks for days that your creativity is at a low so you can still be productive. Make a list of those things. Schedule days for office work. Schedule time for photography of your work and social media time. Your phone/social media is the opposite of help for creativity and productivity. Stop scrolling… you could not do that at a ‘day’ job so don’t do it at your job.

6) Take ‘mini vacations’…. What the hecks a ‘mini vacation’ ???? It’s whatever that is to you that keeps you whole. For me it’s an amazing cup of coffee, a hot shower, a walk in the woods, watering my flowers, eating a few bites of really good food, or rigorous exercise. For some people it’s smoking and drinking. I am not here judge… you do you. You need mental balance so whatever that is for you, do it and appreciate those moments as a mini vacation during your day.

7) Set goals. Set a 2 weeks goal. Set a 3 month goal every 3 months. Set a one year goal. Set a 5 year goal. Set a 10 year goal. Plan an exit strategy. Write it down. My exit strategy is odd because I am an artist I don’t plan on retirement but I have one. How do you retire from art? Not possible.

A mini vacation moment… taking some photos.

Kali and myself grabbing some Jimmy Johns for lunch in Emporia Kansas. We appreciated their sign. We just took another engraving class at GRS and it really was what we needed to achieve some success in engraving. Learning is good.

Kansas is beautiful and easy to travel in… zero traffic.

Our Kansas freiends. Tanya is an amazing engraver. Her husband Greg is equally amazing person. Love these two people and I hope they will take a trip to Wisconsin someday.

Awesome mini vacation above… delish!!!!! How can Emporia Kansas have amazing sushi??? I have no idea but they do…. Hagaya Sushi & Ramen Shop

Have an amazing day everyone and hope to have another blog post for you soon. Once a month is my goal. It’s 8:55 and time to get to work.

Love what you do and do it with all your heart. xoxoxox joy

What you do and do it with all your heart. xoxoxox joy
**** hey it’s my anniversary today I better tell Big Bill that he’s the best.7/19/2023ps: I am not going to proof read these blog posts. Sorry about the typos or grammatical errors. I don’t have time for english composition class. I have art to make. Taz says hi.