I read two books recently that made me think a lot about my life and my creative journey, The Seat of The Soul by Gary Zukav and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Actually, I didn't read them, I listened to both through Audible and with the authors' voices. Isn't it amazing! Let me tell you, I love Elizabeth Gilbert's voice so much in this audiobook as well as the book that I can even listen to it before bed and it is relaxing.
I was encouraged to read Big Magic because I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert's books and it was on my reading list, but mostly because my younger son, Gabriel, a very creative and talented photographer read it, yes, just for that.
He is a very busy photographer and cinematographer, he is not an avid reader. He has a family (wife and two daughters), the girls are in homeschooling and I know he dedicated time for that, and yet he read it. Of course, I had to read it!!
I love books but I don't read as much as I would like, meaning I put in a lot of thinking when choosing a book. I just can't sit just to read unless I am on a plane, a train, a bus, a doctor's office or on the beach and I don't do any of those often. I tried reading before bed but didn't work. Reading one line each night was not a good deal for me.
I learned about Audible and listened to both books this way. It was a match made by heaven, the perfect match. I wish I could find my perfect romantic date this easy. I listened to both books while driving or making ceramics. It was a win-win for me because my mind gets really tough to deal with while making ceramics. Listening to the books worked as a buffer to negative thinking or worries and to the anxiety feeling when I have to make the same pieces over and over again.
It is not possible to explain everything I learned from those to books in just one post but I will focus on one thing on each that changed the way I make my creative business and even the way I manage my day to day life.
I was inspired to read The Seat of the Soul by Oprah. I can't recall why, how, and where but I am certain it was her. In the 25th edition of the book, she wrote a Preface. Maya Angelou wrote a second preface. Isn't that great! Those two women have contributed a lot to this world and also they are some of my favorite people. This fact added more curiosity about the book.
In the beginning, I felt overwhelmed listening to the book and it was really hard for me to understand anything in the book until I listened to it for the third time and then focused on the chapters about Intention. If you want to learn more about setting an intention just listen to Oprah talking about that here.
Setting my intention for almost everything I do changed my perspective of life. I can recall that something like that crossed my mind when I was in college a long, very long time ago but with no real meaning.
Connecting the meaning of setting an intention with what I learned in the book Big Magic, about the importance of creating just to please you (sort of) and to not ask your creativity to support you financially really resonated with my desires and dreams. Of course, I started thinking more and more about "what is my intention" and my life as an artist and the need to create a living with what I do.
At first, and after everything in the book Big Magic resonated with me, I felt that I was doing all wrong, and maybe I found the reason I was not in the place I wanted at this moment of my life. Then I listened to both books again and again and each time I learned a bit more. It was time for a change.
It was not the time for guilt, for shame, for punishment. I was not happily producing ceramics and each time I felt tired, bored, or frustrated I forced myself to wrongfully remind what I thought was my "mission" with my art; "make people smile and help others earn money from my art". But what about me? That was a wrong "intention".
I, too, like Oprah, was always trying to please everybody, still am, but now I know that I am the one that has to be pleased first, to be loved first in order to love others.
A few months after listening to both books I got sick. I am very healthy and I have never been sick for more than three days. This time I was sick with a virus and bronchitis and weakness that lasted almost 45 days. This was before setting my intention and making the big decision to change the way I make my art business and conduct my overall life. Lying in bed and very weak I found the way. A phrase came to my mind at 4:00 am after one week in bed, "it doesn't make sense". I knew the meaning of that phrase, it was time to set my intention and change.
Changing my intention, connecting with my soul through God helped me find myself in a different path, still a creative path because that is what I am, what I am good at, what I believe I was born to do but with the right intention; creating art that makes ME happy and in a way I feel at peace and happy.
Setting my intention guided me to my first love since I was in high school; drawing, fabric design, and making things with fabric. Finding my true love brought me a sublime sense of belonging, of joy, and peace. Changes and results will not come overnight but the path is definitely smoother and happier.
Now I feel I can share more and create from a different source, a source of inner peace and fulfillment. I have faith this path will lead me to the right direction. I am committed to sharing my path, my creative journey, the new products, new offerings. I am inspired to share more and soon you will find tutorials and classes, do it yourself kits, downloadable art for you to enjoy, and print over and over. It is time to share and connect. I know it is a lot of work but doing it from a different place, from the heart, makes it a lot easier.
I gladly invite you to visit my new Etsy shop here for printable art. It is in the first stages but there you can see how I will share more of my art in products you can download and print for your delight.
I will also share tutorials both in Video and PDF for you to learn how I make my products and how to use the printable products in the store. For now, I am proud of the banners I designed for both stores and the logo for the new one.
Do you like it?
Many possibilities have arisen after this change of path. I will share all of them at the right time. Stay tuned by subscribing to my blog at the end of this page. For an update on products follow me on Facebook and Instagram
Elizabeth Claire
**************************************************************************************If you want to connect with me regarding my products or for licensing purposes please send me an email to info@elizabethclairestudio.com
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