Well it’s about time!

It’s been two weeks since I posted my last blog so time for an update!!

SO much has happened in my busy big part of the world over these last few days. But first things first, I have to post some new photos of my latest art pieces. Yes! My photographic images on hand-made flax paper canvases are natural, sustainable art works that are good for me and good for the environment!

I finally got to send these pieces off to two very cool people (well three people actually. Saul, Nikki & their son Toby Tahi) who really helped me to get my systems for my business going. It can be hard for any artist at the best of times to have any sense of structure (you know being creative and all – going with the flow, that kind of thing!) but I’ve realised after having a system in place, I could never be without it.

Workflow Group showed me how to increase my productivity just by having a few systems in place. I no longer sit there for hours with a piece of paper wondering where it is going to go. One rule is: handle each piece of paper only once!

I also learnt a valuable lesson which has probably been an excuse in the past for not being able to be creative at times and that is:

You can actually be creative at any time in any moment if you really want to! No more excuses about having artist’s block, or not ‘feeling’ creative.

Some people might not agree, but this has been my experience and as an artist who is in business, at some stage I need to say, “Ok, I will create because this is my ‘soul’ income. There can be no excuse and if I am really passionate about what I am doing, then how can there be blocks to this passion?

In saying this, I create because this is who I am, this is my passion and this will never change regardless of whether I get paid or not. The money just follows and I can attest to this!

So anyway, these photos of my new work! Check them out here and let me know what you think 🙂

And don’t forget to check out my magic garden blog where I talk about anything and everything to do with my magic garden. And finally, peace2009 – my hope for peace in the world in 2009.

Peace.

Is money the root of all evil?

In my quest to create an income by doing what I love for a living, it has been important for me to trust in the process and to believe that the money will come.

Easily said than done!

everything we need is in our own backyard

But the more I focus on achieving my goals in life to help others and fully experiencing the journey to get there, I am always presented with everything I need at any moment in time.

Having been self-employed for nearly four years I have learnt that the more you try to “make money” the harder it is to actually make money! But if you live life passionately and with purpose, the money will come.

Sometimes we don’t realise that our own pot of gold is in our own backyards – we just need to look and see what is there.

The following excerpt was taken from “Acres of Diamonds” which was originally presented as a lecture by Russell H. Conwell (Feb 15th 1843 – Dec 6th 1925) an American Baptist minister, lawyer, writer and outstanding orator. By the end of his life in 1925, Dr. Conwell had presented this lecture over 6,000 times in towns all over the world.

The idea of this work reminds me of my own endeavours to find out who I am and what my purpose in life is and in order for me to do that I have had to look at what is right in front of me, inside me and around me.

One need not look elsewhere for opportunity, achievement or fortune – everything that is needed is right there in front of you. This lecture of Robert Conwell remains one of the classic inspirational stories of all time.

“”The love of money is the root of all evil.” It is the worship of the means instead of the end. Though you cannot reach the end without the means.

When a man makes an idol of the money instead of the purposes for which it may be used, when he squeezes the dollar until the eagle squeals, then it is made the root of all evil.”

Also, check out my related blog at http://sustainableart.brighterplanet.org