Dedicating yourself to excellence

I have taken the title from one of the section in the book "12 secrets of highly creative women". I connected immediately with Lydia Shire's story, where she said it require her to spend her own money to go to France and visit great restaurants in New York to learn to be a chef. She said many people do not realize it is absolutely necessary to invest in your own future. Far too many people just spend 8 hours at work thinking that's ALL there is. Her commitment to be the best in her field paid off as she worked her way up to be the chef pf a renowned French restaurant in Boston.

I have eaten at a French restaurant once in Shangri-La in KL and know how particular the chefs are in preparing their food and how costly one meal costs so I understand where she is coming from. The willingness to make that extra effort to become better.

Making art is a costly business for me. I am working part-time (only on Saturdays) teaching kids drama lessons. I enjoy the interaction and dynamics of the lessons with the kids but I know painting is my true love. I used the income that I have from there to buy expensive materials to do mixed media artwork. You name it. Distress ink. Heat gun. Embossing powder. canvas. rubber stamps. The thing about art is that there is so much to learn, it seems the tools are never ending! Which is exciting but overwhelming at the same time.

Just when I have decided "Ok, I'm gonna sticked to distress ink for a while now" the friendly boss introduced a new material again! And I've to thank him for introducing me to Yet another fascinating technique and medium but I have to resist the temptation to buy buy buy some more!I have all these excessive creative energy urging me to create and experiment and it is so chaotic and pushy that I have to ground myself being splurging into regret!

I believe artists are fascinating creatures because they can live with the mess of creation, but the lesson to learn here is to have at least some sense of organization. I am committing to declutter my desk more frequently so I have the space to think, meditate, get inspired and paint! I am really not very good with planning and organizing, I believe this makes me a good artist ironically, but I am learning to be less messy, to develop some basic structures and rules for myself to be able to work more smoothly!I have been thinking of visiting IKEA soon to search for some boxes to keep my ever expanding art tools! Anyone with any recommendation?

Signing up for Kelly Rae's e-course is taking another step to dedicating myself to the excellence of making a unique, inspiring and different kind of art! I feel very proud of myself deep down for taking that initiative. This is the first online class I signed up and it feels JUST so right. I always remember why I paint- to remind people the too important things in life-that is, to always be inspired to do what they love, and love what they do. I wish my paintings offer people a healing moment, when magic happens as their heart remembers as I create beautiful art pieces, they're able to re-create their lives! I know it's a BIG vision but I hope my artworks make that happens. =)

I have been feeling rejuvenated to pursue my creative journey. I am really excited about learning from Kelly Rae and all these artists who joined her course. I think there must easily be 500 students and I just have to paced myself to visit all these inspirational bloggers who make wondrous art out there! This is where my patience is being tested, I felt there is so much to know and so little time! But I love every moment in this, each breathe is a meditation in the possibilities of making heart from the sacred space of my heart!