Last evening I finished the third and final door for Liesl's studio. I wish I had more time to work on it and get it done for her so she can make work. She misses it terribly. So do I. I wish we had more time to spend in our studios. Our son Quinn is in pre-school three days a week, which I'm very grateful for but it means we only get to work part time. We are both very passionate about what we do and are very fortunate to have discovered this passion. Some people let life pass them by without ever discovering their passion or if they have discovered it they don't have the nerve to try making a living doing it. It's a tough job when you have the time to do it full time let a lone only three days a week. Liesl, Quinn and I have moved four times in less than two years and have moved studio spaces and equipment three times. We organized the move and did most of the work ourselves.
I'm very proud of what we've achieved in this time with only three days a week to do it. We've both written articles, we maintain our blogs, we enter exhibitions and shows, we've developed a business plan for a school, we teach and finally we make work while raising our son. Through all of this madness we have tried to keep a calm household so the transition for our son was easy. We both raise our son. Either one of us could easily not participate and leave the rearing to the other but neither one of us is that archaic. This isn't the 1800's. where the little lady stays at home and the man only works. Today both parents play a role in bringing up and raising the children.. I love my time with my son and I love it when he runs into my arms and gives me a huge bear hug. He wants to spend time with me and misses it when he can't. If you're a parent out there who's children don't want to spend time with you then maybe you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself why? It's never too late.to make changes I hate hearing excuses. A lot of people always have an excuse for everything or always play the victim. If you need help get help' If you want to help, then help, If you dislike your job, change it. If you want to lose weight, then lose it, if you drink too much, then stop' No excuses these days.. There are plenty of organizations and resources out there too get help for anything.
It takes a brave and courageous and strong person to try and make a living as an artist/crafts person these days, especially in these tough economic times. You not only subject your personal work to scrutiny and critique, because there's a lot of people out there who love to give their opinion and scrutinize what it is you do, yet they could never stand there and take their lumps. You also subject yourself to scrutiny from people who feel your not working an honest job, etc,etc. These people have a lot to say but could never and will never do what we do. They just don't have the nerve. So they criticize or throw out their opinions easily without ever trying and always making or having an excuse. They are so unhappy and miserable so it's easier to bring others down and to criticize others instead of rising above it and getting the help they need or make the changes they need to make in order to live a healthier and happier life. I'm very proud of what Liesl and I have achieved and will achieve, all the while only being able to do it three days a week. Our passion is making objects, it's what centers us and drives us. Have you ever noticed that even though it's incredibly tough , the people who follow their own path and do what their passion is are always happy and can find a reason to smile. Liesl and I have had to borrow some money to get by this past year and a half. We are not proud of it. We have had friends ( without provocation) who have just sent checks to us because they understand and they want to help. These people are also folks who can't afford to do so, they have had the bottom fall out themselves. Some people have everything, money, the time to do anything they want to yet they are very unhappy and look to others or things to make them happy. It's true what they say " money can't buy you happiness". I'm not proud that we have to borrow money at times. We only ask for the minimum. Like so many people have to do these days we buy our clothes and our furnishings at the Salvation Army or the Goodwill and we go to the food bank once a month for groceries. So many people have everything and yet are still unhappy and for some reason want to bring others down with them instead of applauding their courage and strength to follow their dreams and passion. Fear is just as bad as prejudice. We get the mainstays like bread, milk, etc at the grocery store but this is what we have to do in order to make a living in this tough time.
I'm proud of Liesl. She has discovered her passion and is trying her best to do it, all the while making work and doing her part raising our son. She doesn't make excuses and tries not to rely on people. Some folks walk through life with blinders on. They turn around and all of a sudden they find that their children are in their thirties and not fifteen, yet they treat them like they are because that is all they know and what they find comfortable. I'm proud of us, we lost our jobs, lost our house all only less than two years ago and with a new baby yet you would never know it. We don't ask for much and we don't make excuses or when someone says that they had it rough we don't say "Oh Yea" "Well we had it this way or that". Use that experience too make you wiser and stronger and help people. It's not a competition. I'm very proud of our friends. They are beautiful, honest people who I admire and they admire us. Our friends respect us and I respect them. I strongly feel that you can tell the true measure of a person through their friends, the company they keep, or more importantly what kind of people your friends are. All of our friends are nice, honest people. Like minds attract like minds. So- when people try to dump their emotional baggage on us I look at Liesl and our friends and I know we are doing the right thing and we are good people. We hold our heads high and are proud of ourselves. If your someone who doesn't have any friends, or who doesn't have friends who just randomly come to visit because they enjoy the person you are then you should ask yourself why? It's never too late to make changes.
I'm tired of people who want to add to our pressure of trying to make a living and raising our son. It's been a rough two years, we don't need any more heaped on us and why would you want to?. If people really want too help then help, no more I'm going to or I should be, or because of this and that. Just do it, no excuses and for no cost or kick back. Like I said earlier, thank you to all who have helped. I mean it' Without you folks we wouldn't be able to have a roof over our head nor would our son be in daycare, especially thanks to those who did it randomly, without us having to ask. You have never mention it nor do you throw it in our face and remind us of how generous you've been. When that happens it takes away from the kind, random act and makes it seem like the motivation to help was for false reasons.
Giving someone money or giving them a loan doesn't then give you entitlement. Relationships are earned, no matter how old you are. Bad, unhealthy relationships can be severed. It doesn't matter if it's a parent, daughter, lover, older or younger. You earn a respectful relationship. So- to those who want to interfere, don't'.' Live your life and let others live theirs and keep your opinions to yourself. It seems that the people I meet in life who have nothing and have had to work so hard for everything are the most generous and humble people out there' Some folks have had everything handed to them and yet they want more and are so unhappy,or blindly can't see how they have had so much opportunity provided for them and yet they still play the victim and expect more. Like most things this type of ignorance stems from fear. When you do nothing all day it's easier to get wrapped up in the goings on of other peoples lives than make something of your own. I don't understand it.
In the words of Wendell Castle
There are three types of people out there
There are those who make things happen
Those who watch things happen
And those who wonder " what happened"?
Which type are you?
My apologies for the rant. I like to keep the blog about projects I'm making, not opinions. I just want to have the energy too keep making without having to deal with other stuff, life is hard enough. I just wish people would keep their oppinions to themseleves, either do something or be quiet, we don't need to hear it, Just respect what we're trying to do. I don't care if you disagree with it. We're not on this planet to please you but to live our own lives. That's our right.'
There are many types of people in the world and we can all make a living doing what we choose. I don't crticize what path anyone follows in life or what they do for a living. Let us do what we choose to do and be who we are.
Thank you'
That's it- no more rants just projects and craft news.
Thanks for following this blog and thanks to all of the artist and crafts people in the world for making life colorful and interesting, and thanks to those who have had the nerve to stand alone and carve their own path and blaze a trail for others to follow. Thanks for having the balls to stand alone and do it..
Bravo
Back to projects.
Here is the third door I made for the studio. It's made out of salvaged wood
No comments:
Post a Comment