SELF EMPLOYMENT AND THE ART-IS-iT

Art is a labor of love.

There is no ‘easy’ in that statement, but there is a lot of fun.

Being self-employed is not just having a dream and putting in when everything is going well.It is an endurance test, a test of self-discipline, a test on you - personally.

One of the best things of being a self employed artist is the choice of when and how I work.  but it can be one of the aspects that can sabotage even my best intentions. It is easy to work when I am inspired and motivated, things are going well and I want to be creative. That is not always the case.

When you are employed by someone else you have your schedule and tasks laid out for you, and your daily routine is set. Eg. 9am – 5pm hours with a lunch and coffee breaks and the jobs that must be attended to during the day. There are other employees to help out and offer support, to socialize or share ideas with. Money matters, such as superannuation, sick and holiday pay, insurance and tax are taken care of by the employer. Websites and other media and marketing are often managed by someone else. Even the general cleaning , occupational health and safety matters of your work environment are attended to by your employer.

For me, the self employed artist is very different because I have to deal with ALL that and more. There is not the option of cruising along working when I “feel the urge” or the “creative juices are flowing” if I want my art to succeed. Making my passion into a business has never meant sitting back and letting it all happen. Although wasting time, and making excuses doesn’t seem to cause any immediate pain it creates a lot of drama for me later on. There is always the opportunity to learn more as well as keep working on creating.

My advice is that if you wish to produce lots of incredible artwork and become a successful artist making a living of your passion, you need a great deal of self-discipline and motivation. Good support really helps and deciding what you can realistically manage. Source those that can professionally assist you, such as a good book keeper and an accountant.

Live your dream I say. Be motivated and choose to be organized. Be productive and see your art as your serious business. It is worth it!

WEEK 8 FREE MANDALA CARD

FIVE WHITE EAGLES MANDALA

”Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down.” Proverb

MOVING ON

This mandala represents change. It is when we ask “Is this all there is?” It is a time when we question our place in life. It may mean a change in job, moving house, travel or relationships.  It can also mean breaking free from limiting situations or beliefs and opening up to new ideas and experiences.

Eagles embody the courage to let go of our limited perspectives, release ourselves from comfortable thought patterns and situations and fly out into the unknown. View your life from an aerial perspective searching for new opportunities and solutions. Do not let the little things get in the way of your bigger dream.

 The five white eagles move outward and embedded in them is a golden heart. This movement comes from a space where you were comfortable. What you needed to experience, acquire or learn from that space has been achieved. It is held in your heart and cannot be lost, only built upon. Further growth necessitates movement, to move outward and expand and discover more in your life. Create a new relationship, a new job, move house, travel or begin changes to improve your health and wellbeing.

WEEK SEVEN FREE MANDALA CARD

I wonder at the inner voice that speaks to me - clearly there is a speaker & a listener. I recognize there are different parts to who I am. Some of them are complimentary, some are at odds with each other and some are just not that nice, and yet somehow 'we' work together.

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MERMAID SONG MANDALA

‘Change is part of every life. Resisting is often as futile as it is frustrating.’

Anonymous

TRANSITION. ADAPTATION.

Water is seen as the source of life itself. As a fluid it moves in the path of least resistance, symbolizing wise action. It represents the power of adaptability and transition, because it is able to change from liquid, to solid, to vapor and back again. Water is symbolic of emotion, intuition and the interconnected flow of energy within all living things. Energy is in a constant state of movement.

The cold blooded fish and the warm blooded human are joined to create the Mermaid. Symbolically she tempts you to explore opposing parts of your personality, and to connect with them.

Seductive and charming, mermaids live in water and lure you with their irresistible song. They are persuading you to risk deeper emotions, risk diving into the subconscious and other primitive realms of your mental perception and to re-emerge with that wisdom. This is a natural process just as breathing is to the mermaid who returns to the surface for air.

Even though the primitive parts of your nature are challenging, you find yourself fascinated and drawn to encounter them just as you find yourself fascinated or attracted to others holding those qualities. You are ready to emotionally accept those contrasting emotions, ideas and urges within. This gives you the knowledge to make different choices in your relationships. You are adapting beautifully to the present changes in your life.

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FREE MANDALA WEEK SIX

Obeying that gut feeling always seems simple enough, however, it is not long before reason, conflicting ideas; the sense of should, must, can I? have to come into play.

Before long I am doubting that gut feeling, questioning my own inner wisdom and can only just hear a whisper of what I was previously definite about. Then the gut feeling turns, "Do I dare?" Answer.....yes I am booking tickets to Europe next year. I am having an art retreat in Southern France and I am excited.

WISE OWLS MANDALA

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.                   Les Brown

INTUITION , navigating the unknown, trust

In ancient times owls were the keepers of sacred knowledge, believed to aid and protect the transition of a spirit departing from the physical world. The owl is here to help you navigate the darkness. Make time to be still and quiet. Listen to your inner self and use your intuition to ‘feel’ and find what you are searching for. Even though the present may seem dark and confusing, you have the skills to find your way through. You are being guided by the light.

FREE MANDALA WEEK FIVE

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
—Anais Nin

Loving someone changes our lives forever. It is a risk because I know that I will never be the same if I choose to love and be loved. Love has shaped and re-shaped me, opened my eyes, opened my soul. Love has taken me on a journey that is exciting and sometimes frightening; one that is intensely happy and at times deeply painful. It is a journey without an end. A journey that draws me to explore far horizons and yet takes me closer and intimately to my inner core.

Through love I have discovered parts of myself, of others and of life that I never knew existed. Love is still a mystery to me, a magical force that colors my life. I cannot live without it.

PINK LOTUS MANDALA

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.’ Khalil Gibran Poet

LOVE vulnerability, trust and transformation

The pink lotus is perfection in itself. The bud does not try to open into the flower. It unfolds gently and naturally like magic. To be open to love requires trust. You need to risk being vulnerable. When we are in love we surrender our heart to another which begins the wonderful and beautiful process of unfolding. Through love you are transformed and with love you transform others. Love is perfect.