I like to collect, old tin, old pottery ink wells, my only piece of old chalkware, the chicken on the top shelf. The chicken on the bottom is a wind up toy.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Old Aligatored Pink Cupboard
Years ago I had a booth in a craft co op that was in an old Jail. A woman there had this in her stand and wanted to get rid of it, hated it, and said I could have it and wouldn`t take anything for it. She just wanted it out of her basement. I`ve loved it ever since.
Tiny bear I made, pussy willows from last fall.
One Drawer Stand
I found this stand painted this color, this is newer paint, I had a cupboard in the 1980s I painted with the same paint. The wicker purse on the right I found really early at the flea market one morning, the makedo I made from an old painted piece of velvet ,can`t remember where I got that great hat, hat stand is probably from a porch, and the box is from the flea market too.
Shoes on a Prayer Bench
This is the beginning of my old shoes collection. I love this old prayer bench, it is so worn from people kneeling on it. Love the patina.
Old Handmade Doll ,Old Quilt ,Chair
This old doll, I found at the antique mall in a nearby town. She looks like she was made by a mom for her child, and the child loved the eyes right off, and she replaced them with old shoe buttons. Stained forehead that I like to think were kisses, and human hair sewn on for hair. She`s homely, but she`s been loved. The quilt I found one early morning at a flea market, I was thrilled to find it in my price range, (cheap). And the chair has old pale blue peeling paint with a seat made from rope.
My Letter to you about being Copied -If you feel like someone has stolen your ideas
So many times on the groups on Yahoo, Ebay, etc, the same subject comes up. Someone is frustrated, angry, sad, or some negative emotion about their feeling that someone else copied their work, stole their idea. They are looking for feedback from others , here is my thoughts I shared recently when the subject came up again.
With so many people in the world I think it`s a possibility that more than one person gets the same idea at the same time.
The idea that we own these ideas is what can bring us anxiety. When you own it, you feel you have to protect, keep it from others.
I feel we are meant to bring things into the world and let them go. The more you hold onto something, your arms and hands are closed. When you let it go, your hands are open for something new to come into your life. Do you want to stay with the things of the past, keep giving your limited energy to the past made items, or do you want your energy for the present & future things to come? Take all the things everyone has done to you that you haven`t forgotten, and put them in a suitcase and drag that useless dead weight around with you , or put it down and be free for new things and experiences to come your way.
This copying issue is always a distraction from the present work you should be putting your full attention onto. Do you want to feel bad? or do you want to have peace?
I have a few patterns I couldn`t let go, I had taken a year to figure them out. I put the time in, I figured it out, it was mine. Once I put the pattern out, it wouldn`t be a secret anymore, it would be common. I couldn`t imagine why I was having such a hard time letting them go. I asked Gail Wilson about it and she was kind enough to answer that we are meant to share our techniques with the world, not possess them. It`s my ego that wants to feel important by keeping them, it wants to feel superior . I thought, I didn`t think I had much ego left, but that wasn`t the case at all, it was alive and well. Now I`m just too uninterested to put the patterns out. I tried writing up the pineapple design, but it`s complicated to tell someone else how to do something. It`s naive to think there isn`t someone out there who couldn`t do it too. Our work is like our children, it comes into the world through us, we enjoy it for awhile and then it moves on, lives somewhere else.
How will your life be different from this happening? Did she/he take something away from your work? Your income, you , as a human being? Are you now ruined? made smaller, less important? What if others are out there copying your work and selling at local shows, people you`ll never know have done it. Have they made you smaller? less? Are you a victim of these people or are you an artist who is working, creating, and enjoying the process, the finished product , and all the benefits that come with being able to create what you think of, and not look at what others are doing. Would you rather be the copier or the copied?
You may see what she/he is doing and any others as an offense , but what if they make something like your work, and then move on to their own work, using your influence work as a stepping stone to get to where they will create things on their own.
Not all are blatantly stealing with the intent of harm, many just have never even been told that they have greatness in them, and the ability to come up with their own work. They see your work, then think if they could make that, they will be happy. If they sell their work for a lot of money, they will be happy, if they get recognition, they will be happy. There are many people who have gotten these things and will tell you how it didn`t bring them happiness and sometimes,many times , the opposite.
This is all the ego wanting more and more, and getting validity from outside sources. The work is inside, not outside. Once you start looking inside for your authentic self and authentic work, a whole world can open up for you. But he/she`s not at that place in her life.
I think it`s a management of our energy, we only get so much and if it`s spent on negativity, then we are the ones who are being hurt by it. You aren`t hurting them by having those frustrated feelings, only yourself, let it go and move on.
Do you enjoy putting forth the effort to experiment and create? Because if you are in the moment ,when you create, really appreciate the time you are there, that can be the most important part. Your creation will go out the door, so you`ll have nothing to show, the money will be spent and you`ll have nothing. But if you are really enjoying the experimenting, working, be in the present moment, you will have that still, the experience, knowledge, memory of it, it can be an enjoyable way to make your money , or make a gift, or whatever you plan on doing with the piece you`re working on.
And if you`re keeping your mind on being in that moment and how much fun it can be, or challenging, and even hard at times, you don`t spend it thinking about how much someone else is getting for whatever. And it isn`t for you to judge about their same old design, not your business, you keep your mind on your work. There is no value in that kind of comparing, nothing positive to be gained.
We can make our work spaces special, light a scented candle, put on music, if you `re spiritual, pray God be in my hands, you can meditate for a few minutes to clear your head of all the things of the world, these thoughts about others , thoughts about the rest of your life, and just make it a time to be doing just the creating, and appreciate the doing . I`ve had times I`ve made something, and I know I was there but afterwards, I think , how did I do that? Where did that come from? I was deep in the zone , totally with the piece, the rest of the world fades away, time is different there. Nonexistent.....
People today spend so much time being offended, insulted, being victims of someone or somebody, being various emotions, they miss what is in front of them. Do you know how many people wish they could make something like you do?
I can say for myself , that I would look at someone`s display and wish I had whatever it took to make that display. I would work until I was as good as them or better (in my own mind anyway, not nessarily the truth), and I would find someone else . In my mind I called them my mentor, but they weren`t participating, until the last person I did that to. She and I became friends and I asked her if I could make some dolls like hers, I did , and I could do it, and the desire was over. She knew me well enough that she thought I would take it to another level. I wouldn`t be happy to copy anymore. She was right, but I didn`t know it. To me, in my state of mind, thought if I could make dolls like that, I would find happiness, if I could make a display like that , I would find happiness, see what I mean? I didn`t know it was like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, it was in me all along. My work, my happiness, everything I need is inside me.
Not that I don`t need others, we all need to stay connected, we are all connected, and anything that makes us separate from each other , to me, is not on the right track. To see her mimic your work , and being able to see her in another way, then letting her be, and even forgiving her if you can, this will keep you from separating yourself from everyone. You know, you could probably find a reason to keep just about everyone away for one reason or another, I know I tried, it isn`t preferable, I`m not saying be physically with everyone , just don`t carry the energy that will separate you from another. Forgiving helps you let that energy go.
I hope these thoughts and words are of some help and give you peace. Melanee
With so many people in the world I think it`s a possibility that more than one person gets the same idea at the same time.
The idea that we own these ideas is what can bring us anxiety. When you own it, you feel you have to protect, keep it from others.
I feel we are meant to bring things into the world and let them go. The more you hold onto something, your arms and hands are closed. When you let it go, your hands are open for something new to come into your life. Do you want to stay with the things of the past, keep giving your limited energy to the past made items, or do you want your energy for the present & future things to come? Take all the things everyone has done to you that you haven`t forgotten, and put them in a suitcase and drag that useless dead weight around with you , or put it down and be free for new things and experiences to come your way.
This copying issue is always a distraction from the present work you should be putting your full attention onto. Do you want to feel bad? or do you want to have peace?
I have a few patterns I couldn`t let go, I had taken a year to figure them out. I put the time in, I figured it out, it was mine. Once I put the pattern out, it wouldn`t be a secret anymore, it would be common. I couldn`t imagine why I was having such a hard time letting them go. I asked Gail Wilson about it and she was kind enough to answer that we are meant to share our techniques with the world, not possess them. It`s my ego that wants to feel important by keeping them, it wants to feel superior . I thought, I didn`t think I had much ego left, but that wasn`t the case at all, it was alive and well. Now I`m just too uninterested to put the patterns out. I tried writing up the pineapple design, but it`s complicated to tell someone else how to do something. It`s naive to think there isn`t someone out there who couldn`t do it too. Our work is like our children, it comes into the world through us, we enjoy it for awhile and then it moves on, lives somewhere else.
How will your life be different from this happening? Did she/he take something away from your work? Your income, you , as a human being? Are you now ruined? made smaller, less important? What if others are out there copying your work and selling at local shows, people you`ll never know have done it. Have they made you smaller? less? Are you a victim of these people or are you an artist who is working, creating, and enjoying the process, the finished product , and all the benefits that come with being able to create what you think of, and not look at what others are doing. Would you rather be the copier or the copied?
You may see what she/he is doing and any others as an offense , but what if they make something like your work, and then move on to their own work, using your influence work as a stepping stone to get to where they will create things on their own.
Not all are blatantly stealing with the intent of harm, many just have never even been told that they have greatness in them, and the ability to come up with their own work. They see your work, then think if they could make that, they will be happy. If they sell their work for a lot of money, they will be happy, if they get recognition, they will be happy. There are many people who have gotten these things and will tell you how it didn`t bring them happiness and sometimes,many times , the opposite.
This is all the ego wanting more and more, and getting validity from outside sources. The work is inside, not outside. Once you start looking inside for your authentic self and authentic work, a whole world can open up for you. But he/she`s not at that place in her life.
I think it`s a management of our energy, we only get so much and if it`s spent on negativity, then we are the ones who are being hurt by it. You aren`t hurting them by having those frustrated feelings, only yourself, let it go and move on.
Do you enjoy putting forth the effort to experiment and create? Because if you are in the moment ,when you create, really appreciate the time you are there, that can be the most important part. Your creation will go out the door, so you`ll have nothing to show, the money will be spent and you`ll have nothing. But if you are really enjoying the experimenting, working, be in the present moment, you will have that still, the experience, knowledge, memory of it, it can be an enjoyable way to make your money , or make a gift, or whatever you plan on doing with the piece you`re working on.
And if you`re keeping your mind on being in that moment and how much fun it can be, or challenging, and even hard at times, you don`t spend it thinking about how much someone else is getting for whatever. And it isn`t for you to judge about their same old design, not your business, you keep your mind on your work. There is no value in that kind of comparing, nothing positive to be gained.
We can make our work spaces special, light a scented candle, put on music, if you `re spiritual, pray God be in my hands, you can meditate for a few minutes to clear your head of all the things of the world, these thoughts about others , thoughts about the rest of your life, and just make it a time to be doing just the creating, and appreciate the doing . I`ve had times I`ve made something, and I know I was there but afterwards, I think , how did I do that? Where did that come from? I was deep in the zone , totally with the piece, the rest of the world fades away, time is different there. Nonexistent.....
People today spend so much time being offended, insulted, being victims of someone or somebody, being various emotions, they miss what is in front of them. Do you know how many people wish they could make something like you do?
I can say for myself , that I would look at someone`s display and wish I had whatever it took to make that display. I would work until I was as good as them or better (in my own mind anyway, not nessarily the truth), and I would find someone else . In my mind I called them my mentor, but they weren`t participating, until the last person I did that to. She and I became friends and I asked her if I could make some dolls like hers, I did , and I could do it, and the desire was over. She knew me well enough that she thought I would take it to another level. I wouldn`t be happy to copy anymore. She was right, but I didn`t know it. To me, in my state of mind, thought if I could make dolls like that, I would find happiness, if I could make a display like that , I would find happiness, see what I mean? I didn`t know it was like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, it was in me all along. My work, my happiness, everything I need is inside me.
Not that I don`t need others, we all need to stay connected, we are all connected, and anything that makes us separate from each other , to me, is not on the right track. To see her mimic your work , and being able to see her in another way, then letting her be, and even forgiving her if you can, this will keep you from separating yourself from everyone. You know, you could probably find a reason to keep just about everyone away for one reason or another, I know I tried, it isn`t preferable, I`m not saying be physically with everyone , just don`t carry the energy that will separate you from another. Forgiving helps you let that energy go.
I hope these thoughts and words are of some help and give you peace. Melanee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)