The In-Between

 The In-Between

“Watching a tree grow will likely drive you crazy. It’s a boring process if you stand there, impatiently tapping your foot, waiting for it to do something. But if you step away and come back later, you’ll be surprised to see something beautiful emerge. The fact is the plant is doing something: it’s growing. Just not as quickly as you might like. Our culture has conditioned us to expect instant results and overnight success; this impatience runs so rampant that we dress it up in terms like “efficiency” and “productivity.” But really what’s happening is we are conditioning ourselves to get what we want now, all the time. This mindset robs us of the lessons that waiting can teach us, causing us to miss out on the slow but important stuff of life.” 
― Jeff Goins, The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing


The Doorway is cracked and I can see the beyond, yet one foot remains planted in it's comfortable shoe on the side it has always known. The side of the door that is familiar and provides.
They tell me that your foot needs a shoe and to keep that shoe you must remain on this side of the door. If you walk through that door, there is no telling where your shoe will end up or if you will keep it at all.

This Shoe is old, 11 years to be exact, and worn. The sole is tired and weary.
Laces are frayed, yet remains intact, this does not mean that it is always safe to walk in.
Worn out treads can create slips and strain on the body.
I feel the strain.

Always admiring others shoes: are they reasonable, sensible, too costly?

What IF!

I kick the shoe to the wind and see where it lands.

To enter the doorway barefoot and free

Digging my toes and heels into the earth.

This could get messy.

I view the crack in the door - has it opened further since the last time I looked?

At times the mind plays tricks and doubt sounds like the clicking of a lock.

The In-Between 

A baby bird standing on a limb learning to fly.

The In-Between

Standing on the limb Stretching my Wings

The In-Between

wiggling my toes

testing the waters

The In-Between at times is messy, yet soon this worn shoe will fly.

~Nikki 9/19/18

High Arts and the Gypsy Train

Art Competitions can be a crazy ride. The Joy of being accepted, to walking in for drop off and install, you see ALL of the amazing artwork and artists you are showing and competing along side of.
When I received the email that I was accepted my heart was filled with glee, yet then the "old tapes" began when viewing the other submissions.

My head: " yeah like I stand a chance" "don't get your hopes up", and on and on. I take myself aside and have a bit of an internal talking to, reminding myself that I am pretty much a baby in this world of Art and so many people have worked so very hard for years on their craft.
I stand in awe in front of certain pieces that move me or just outright amaze me. These works of Art, these Artists inspire me to continue on, to learn, push harder and grow!

All of the thoughts on how to get votes fill my mind. Voting Parties! Yeah how nice would it be to just have the Gypsy Train flow in with all of MY PEOPLE, just waltz in and cast votes for ME ME ME?!

After much thought, um... that would not be very rewarding. Yes - Winning would be amazing in more ways than one, yet to have votes from those who do not know me and voted because my art/sculpture moved them or spoke to them means so much more than the Train of People walking, bee-lining to the Kiosk without a glance at any other Art in the room.

How, I ask - is that winning?

As for my Submission

I have nestled into the knowledge that "no matter the outcome" I win

If I have touched you

made you ponder

filled your soul

Brought a smile to your face

Lifted a bit of the load

Inspired you in anyway

I Win and So do you

There is so much talent this year, not just in the visual arts realm, but Music, Dance, Theater, and Film. Please take the time to view the amazing works that have been submitted, honor the Artist by casting your vote based not on their name or how well known they are, but on the work alone and how it spoke to you.             High Arts Festival Artists and voting

        ~ Nikki 2017

Time to Fall

Time to Fall

Most days are a time to Plug on, Stand Tall, Hold your head High, yet today I allow myself to Fall.

fall

fôl/

verb

gerund or present participle: falling

1. 1.

   move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level.

   
   

   "bombs could be seen falling from the planes"

   
   

   synonyms:

   drop, descend, come down, go down;  plummet, plunge, sink, dive, tumble;  cascade "bombs began to fall"

   • 
     
   • 
     
   • 
     

     
     
   • 
     
   • 
     

     
     
2. 2.

   (of a person) lose one's balance and collapse.

   
   

   "she fell down at school today"

   
   

   synonyms:

   topple over, tumble over, keel over, fall down/over, go head over heels, go headlong, collapse, take a spill, pitch forward;  trip, stumble, slip;  informalcome a cropper "he tripped and fell"

1. To Fall is humbling. How do you learn to stand if you have never fallen? When down, how many hands do you see offered to lift and support? Look around you and notice that you are not alone, that there are others around you that decided, consciously or not, today was a good day to Fall. Some of those fell hard and crumpled, while others floated like the feather detached from a ruffled wing in flight. No matter the form of falling, you can lay and rest, look to the sky and still take in the beauty. There are days where I wish to spill into life, to tumble freely with no regard, yet the days  of introspection, walking the downward spiral, I cautiously stumble through the dark, taking in and listening to the shadows that wish to purge and move on. This seems to be the law of progress in everything we do; it moves along a spiral rather than a perpendicular; we seem to be actually going out of the way, and yet it turns out that we were really moving upward all the time.  ~Frances E. Willard The process of Falling, for me, is a time to cleanse and purge. To go through and remove no longer needed items that have taken over my sacred space.  These items have been well loved and utilized, yet are now ready for new homes or gifted as donations of inspiration. If you wish to be on the receiving end for Random Falling Gifts, please leave a comment or email me your address and I will be happy to supply! There in no fee in receiving these gifts, yet donations or a "give what you can" is always welcome. Remember: you can Fall hard or gracefully, yet you need never to Fall alone. All my best, ~ Nikki

Photographs and Memories

To Capture Memories you must begin making them!

Lately I have been thinking back of past days, months, years and find that my Soul is in a bit of starvation mode. These past few months have been a bit grueling. In the grueling moments I notice all of this time just floating by without me capturing moments. Moments of time with my family or just the time to sit in silence and be present.

I have always loved looking through old photos with my Grandmother, Mother, and my children. I love the stories of old and wish to create new stories so that my children can pass these along to their children and so on.

Because of this desire and need I have been making many "Memory Jars" and "Gifting Jars"
a place where when you go make memories you can drop in a memento to later look at and remember the joy you had that day or moment. To remind yourself that even through the rough times, you can still smile and make something good and joyful.

These are for Sale and can be purchased online or at my Studio @ACoT Studio 209
I will also customize if you are interested.

Below are a few others that I have created

Renewal

Neverland

 Secret Garden

 Gifting Jar

Time to make some Memories! ~ Nikki

Memory Jars

Renewal $40.00 USD NeverLand $40.00 USD Secret Garden $45.00 USD Gifting Jar $25.00 USD

Aspire Dream Doll Workshop - Fill Your Soul

 The Secret is in the Stuffing

The Story: My Journey Back

It was a Tuesday ~ October 22, 2013 
Week 2 into my Journey back into the Artist Way.
Recovering a Sense of Identity

Through the many lessons within this chapter the quote:
 "In creative Recovery, it is not necessary that we change any of our beliefs. It is necessary that we examine them."

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose ~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

This was a chapter to face the dragons named Crazy Makers and address self-definition as a major component of creative recovery. Drawing new boundaries and staking out new territories as your personal needs, desires, and interests announced themselves. Personal Identity and self-define you. (the Artist's Way)

This threw me into a weeklong of examining "MY STUFF"
I felt so empty with doing and giving and giving and giving that my cup never runneth over - it just ran dry.
I found that instead of replenishing I would just crash.
So again my thoughts turned to "MY STUFF"
What do I hold sacred?
What do I feed my soul?

Me being the lover of words I needed to make certain I knew exactly what STUFF meant
Stuff - noun
a skill, ability, or knowledge that makes a person able to do
capability, gift, knack, talent, makings, potentiality
~the basic elements from which something can be developed
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is.

I came to the conclusion that I have some pretty good STUFF going on and that I needed to make the decision to fill myself with the Good and Sacred unless I wished to watch my already weakened roots shrivel.

Out of this week Birthed my Affirmation Dolls
Raw and Rustic just like my soul

These Dolls are meant to be filled with whatever you hold Sacred inside of yourself. What you wish to feed your spirit. I made the decision that with this week of reading that I no longer could rely on others to fill my cup that it was time for me to replenish myself so that I could be a better Mother, Partner, a better Me.
Some of my stuff that fills me up

A slip of a picture that my child drew
a special rock handed to me with dirty little hands
a flower petal that fell at my feet
A "wish" that landed in my hair
a bird song that floated down from the trees
a written prayer

The little things that I need to remember to just pay attention.

"My Grandmother knew what a painful life had taught her, success or failure, the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." (the Artist's Way)

These Dolls come packaged with a bag of "love stuffing" for better plumping capacity.
A needle and thread for "closure" upon completion of filling
These are blessings to get passed down to your children or gifted to other friends or loved ones who may have forgotten what goodness they DO have within.
They can be reopened and replenished because we at times have to reexamine 
We are always a work in progress and that in itself is Beautiful.

Through this week is where the name 
ASPIRE, DREAM, and JINGLE
 came 
into being.

                                                                                                 ~Nikki

September 23,2016

Come Join me January 7th, 2017 @ Art Center on Tusc Studio 209

 Create and Design your own Aspire Doll

Find your Good Stuff Within 

Fill your Soul

Great for Kids and Adults of all Ages
$30 for Workshop or the Kit

*If you are unable to attend in person I would be more than happy to send you an Aspire Dream Doll Kit to Create and Design at  your own leisure or if you wish to purchase a kit as a gift you can send me the address of the Person being gifted and I will mail to them directly for you. 

During Check out you can supply a message stating attend in person or prefer kit.

Kit Includes:

Hand Sewn Aspire Doll

1 Bag of Love Stuffing

A Needle and Thread for Closure

The Story Behind the Aspire Doll

Gift Bag

and of course your first objects of Goodness to Fill your Soul!

November Thanks and December Give 2016

 HOPE

So it is nearing the end of November and I hadn't put out any offers for this month in regards to Aspire Art Bomb packages.

Even thought the Month of November is rolling to an end the Giving of Thanks should transcend.

Onward to December where the ideas have seem to shift into "I want I want I want", yet GIVING oh the joy of GIVING is so amazing.

So these months I combine and bring you Novedecember - the Thankful of Giving month!

If you like to surprise others and lift their spirits, because we all know the Holidays aren't so Holly for everyone, then think about surprising them with a gift of Apiration, Inspiration, and many Jingles.

This will be a Smash up Art Bomb package filled with my Artwork in the Theme of Thankfulness and Giving. A perfect way to show that special friend or family member that you are grateful for them. To brighten another's day with reminders of all the GOOD things in life that at times are overlooked.

The SMASH UP boxes are available to purchase for $40 a box.

Thank you and Happy Holidays,

Nikki

Just a Reminder - October Aspire Art Bomb packages!

Just a friendly Reminder to all of my subscribers that the October Art Bomb packages are available.

 If you are interested in purchasing you can email me at nikkiart.adaj@gmail.com 

 Below is the link to the Blog that shows what this offer will bring you. 

http://artichokewoman.blogspot.com/2016/10/october-aspire-art-bomb-packages.html

  Thank you in advance! Nikki 

Keep Aspiring!