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Making Art
It's about recognizing that every facet of your life can contain wonder and that inspiration can lie in unlikely places.
Your attention and awareness are the most valuable things that you have. You can't allow other people to fill up that space with input that you don't really need or want. You're making choices that point you towards wonder, instead of making you numb. Monitor your inflow. It matters.
Feel the fear and do it anyway! There's nothing interesting about perfection.
As an artist, you too are flawed, and imperfect, and awkward. You'll be plagued with insecurities. But the fact that you're insecure doesn't mean that you shouldn't make art, or that you're not a true performer. On the contrary, it means that you are sensitive, alive, and deeply human. Share your whole, imperfect self in your work. Share your fears and embarrassing insecurities. Share your desire to be liked and the trauma you carry. Share your own unique brokenness. It won't take away from your work. In fact, it will actually make it resonate more with other people who share those same feelings.
Often, the most difficult step is to start. It's okay to lower your standards!
When you're feeling too overwhelmed to begin something, the best thing you can do is lower your standards! Tell yourself you're not making a Rembrandt.. right? In fact, give yourself permission to just freehand something. Anything. Knowing at the start that it isn't going to be anything fabulous. You're just going to DO! And you get what you get. After all, you don't have to show it to anyone! You can keep it, hide it, or, throw it in the garbage! But, at least you did it! Tell yourself that you just need to show up, and put in the time. Whatever you make is irrelevant! Seriously, it's not like someone is going to kill you or anything, right?
Allow yourself to enjoy the process of creating without being fixated on the results. As long as your consistently doing the work, the results will come. All you have to worry about is showing up.
Finding Beauty in imperfection
I pride myself on conducting business in a manner that is beneficial to all involved. This means paying a fair price for the beads I buy and purchasing from many different co-ops, vendors, and craftspeople. By providing a market for the wonderful beads of the artisans of the world I am able to help enhance their lives both financially and creatively. This allows them to house, feed and clothe their families, something they might not otherwise be able to do. I feel it's important to let you know my personal view regarding fair trade and explain some of the ways in which Urban Muse strives to help improve the lives of the people we do business with and those my trusted suppliers encounter during their travels. Because they personally import nearly all of their beads, they are able to interact with people of many different cultures. Most of these people live in countries that are relatively poor and have no welfare system in place. The production and sales of handcrafted items, including beads, are often the only means these people have of providing food and housing for their families. Urban Muse considers these suppliers to all be labeled as fair trade companies in every sense of the word. Do I belong to a fair trade organization? Absolutely not! I choose not to be affiliated with any organization. I realize that in most cases their intentions are good and they may benefit the people in developing countries, but unfortunately, there are many administrative costs involved and they are unable to fully monitor the business dealings of their members, which at times can lead to misrepresentation. It is not my intention to insult or degrade any fair trade organization, this is only my view based on what I've experienced.
Look Fabulous, Make A Statement
Whether it’s a classy accessory for a memorable event or a ring to prepare you for the most magical day of your life, we have the jewelry you need to truly stand out. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service and top-quality jewelry at affordable prices. Jewelry is our passion, and we guarantee you will love our unique selection. Browse our site to see all the dazzling jewelry we have to offer.
