sharing our story

It's not often an opportunity comes along like this so I feel really grateful that Monica of Smart Creative Women invited me to share our story. I'm really quite shy and tend to get a little nervous in these situations, but Monica truly put me at ease with her relaxed, conversational style in a way that almost made me forget we were 'live' ~ well almost. :) 

What's even more fun is that several of our wonderful teachers, both past and current, have been interviewed on the show too ~ Amy Butler, Janine Vangool, Liesl Gibson, Jenny Doh, Flora Bowley, Marisa Anne ~ so please do check them out as well!

~xo

an inspiring evening indeed

We are just filled to the brim with excitement to tell you that the cherished Jenny Doh will be speaking her beautiful words at our Opening Ceremony at the Makerie this year! Jenny has been an incredible supporter of this event before it even came to be (and yes, she took a chance on us by including us in Creative Pilgrimage before we had even held our first event ~ no pressure there :).  I have had the wonderful chance to share meaningful conversations with Jenny since the inception of our little event and every single time I am left with thought provoking advice and words of wisdom that always seem to stay with me. Our talks are open, heartfelt and honest ~ three of the things I cherish the most. Jenny's resume is quite impressive and extensive, the author of seven books (and counting!) and the former Editor-in-Chief and Director of Publishing for Somerset Studios, among a plethora of other fabulous accolades. Of the many things I love about Jenny, I adore how she can sum up her resume in one sentence ~ "I'm the head of Crescendoh and I'm crazy about art." Her wealth of experience in our creative community plus her deep understanding of what creativity does for our lives on a personal level is quite a stellar combination, and one that I can't wait to be able to share in such a special way with all of you. She's working on her talk as we speak and I just couldn't imagine a better person to kick-off our event. Thank you Jenny ~ for everything! What a gift you are to the Makerie in oh so many ways.

xo

it's here ~ creative pilgrimage!

We shared a few months ago that we were featured in a book (yes, a real book called Creative Pilgrimage!). Well it just arrived in the mail and to see it actually in print was quite a fantastic feeling. Never in a million years did I think our new little event would be part of a book, let alone a totally gorgeous one! To be in the same publication alongside amazing retreats across the county and incredibly inspiring artists and their projects has left me over the moon with excitement and quite frankly, disbelief!

The book not only shares many wonderful opportunities for creative retreating, but also features a plethora of fantastic projects and tutorials by the very special souls who teach at these events ~ Flora, Maya & Sarah just to name a few. It's really a remarkable combination that Jenny Doh has put together and I highly recommend checking it out! Of the many things I love about Creative Pilgrimage, one of the things I cherish the most is that my mom's photographs appear in our feature and her name ~ Linda Winski ~ is even in the credits! We have always talked about how neat it would be do a project together and low and behold, here were are. (For those of you coming to the retreat this spring, keep an eye out for her. She'll be the beautiful little ball of energy wandering around with a camera strapped on her shoulder.)

What really says it best is the most lovely dedication by author Jenny Doh. I've shared it below.

"I dedicate this book to the courageous spirit of discovery within us all ~ the spirit that helps us put aside our insecurities and imperfections as we take a leap of faith in our quest to learn, to teach, to grow. May this book remind us that the time will never be perfect, but the time will always be now, to embark on pilgrimages both big and small." 

With enormous gratitude to Jenny for believing in the Makerie enough to include us in Creative Pilgrimage. It's certainly a dream come true.  

xo

the amazing jenny doh

Jenny is the mastermind behind the ever-inspiring CRESCENDOh, whose mission is to "ignite creative passion, authentic community, and focused compassion." Her site is a wonderful gathering spot where like-minded creatives gather to showcase the best projects and ideas from the online world. In addition to the lovely links, CRESCENDOh helps tell unique and heartfelt ART SAVES stories from successful artists who serve as Guest Curators throughout the year. If this wasn't fabulous enough, Jenny was the former Editor-in-Chief of Somerset Studio and has authored four books, including her most recent one which we are so thrilled to be a part of ~ Creative Pilgrimage. 


The two terrific Crochetologie workshops will be taught by Jenny and what a treat her students are in for! Her classes will not only leave you completely inspired to crochet away, but you'll also come home with multiple fantastic finished projects in hand. It was so much fun getting to know Jenny through the interview below. We love that her hubby cooks for her! 


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The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Coffee. These days, I make it with my French press. Makes two perfectly delicious cups for me that I add with whole milk. I drink this while checking emails and such, while the kids get ready for school.

Some favorite ways to relax?

Love to knit, crochet, and er … um … watch The Housewives of (fill in the blank). They are terrible shows but for some reason, very relaxing for me to watch.

What's for dinner?

Usually, The Mister cooks. He’s a total foodie and very experimental so we eat very well and very diverse types of food.

What is the best meal you ever had?

Whole steamed lobster and steamed clams on the side … in a great restaurant in Maine.

What are you most excited about lately?

My new art studio: Studio CRESCENDOh.

A favorite spot you’ve traveled to?

Love New York. In the summer, in the winter … I love New York.

What makes you laugh? 

My daughter. She and I crack each other up regularly with all of our funny impersonations and different voices that we come up with.

What, in your mind, is a recipe for disaster?

Not paying your bills, eating too much, mismanaging your time and therefore missing your deadlines. I can spot these types of folks from a mile away and I usually stay clear of them. Disasters I’ve seen happen.

Any tricks for finding life balance? 

What’s balance?

If the world ended tomorrow, what would upset you most about the person you didn’t get to become?

Singer/songwriter … and a Professor of art.

Favorite books from your personal library?

White Oleander (Janet Fitch)

The Outliers (Malcom Gladwell)

Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely)


Thank you Jenny!

pinch me please

We have some pretty exciting news to share over here. The Makerie is going to be featured in a book! Creative Pilgrimage is Jenny Doh's latest title ~ featuring superb art projects with stunning photography by 14 incredible artists and inspiring behind-the-scenes look into some of the most celebrated art gatherings across the nation. Pinch me please! It is SUCH an honor to be in the company of these outstanding artists and events I admire so very much. One of my favorite ways that Jenny describes the book is this.... "to help all of us realize that the time will never be perfect, but the time will always be now to embark on creative pilgrimages big and small." The book will be released on January 1, 2012 and is now available for pre-order at Amazon or you can reserve a signed copy directly from Crescendoh here (that comes with a sweet little free gift!).

Speaking of Jenny, I had the absolute honor of guest curating at Crescendoh last week and was asked to write an Art Saves story to go along with that. I have been an avid reader of the wonderful words other Art Saves authors have shared over the past year and have been incredibly inspired and touched by their countless, powerful stories. So you can imagine that when Jenny asked me to be a part of her special series, I couldn't wait to share the gifts that creativity has brought to my life too. Writing the words to my story validated the essential nature of honoring my passions, especially in and amongst the busy, beautiful life of motherhood. If you are interested, you are welcome to read my words and thoughts here.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Jenny and her team for believing in our creative gathering enough to be part of this beautiful book and for inviting me to become part of the awesome creative world she has created at Crescendoh. If you want to meet this fabulous woman in person, you should really come take her Crochetologie class at the Makerie this coming spring. It's bound to be a day filled to the brim with inspiration, laughter and love.

guest blog post :: the first stroke

Well we could not be more excited to introduce the very first Makerie guest blog post! We are incredibly honored to present THE Jenny Doh, who we admire in absolutely every way.

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Not so long ago, when I had my daughter in my studio, I gave her a stretched canvas for her to try her hand at painting. She sat there staring at that canvas, transfixed, and unable to move. After a few minutes, I asked her what was happening and she said “I’m scared I’ll mess it up.”
 
“So what?” I asked Monica. "Who cares? So what if you mess it up? You don’t think I can get anther stretched canvas? You don’t think there will be any more paint left? Even if you mess up this canvas and the next one and the one after that, trust me, there will be more canvases and there will always be more paint. It’s OK.  Go ahead and paint."

So my cautious little Monica started. One stroke. Then another. In the end, it wasn’t a masterpiece but it was her first piece. And the thing is, no matter who you are, you’ll never get to the 100th piece unless you complete your first.

I think the blank canvas can symbolize other things in our lives that can cause us to be gripped with fear. Fear of meeting new people, fear of pursuing a new project, of making changes in our personal and professional lives.

There's a saying that I love. It goes like this: "Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's conquering it."

Whether it's fear of the blank canvas or the strange noise in the middle of the night, fear is fear. And if courage isn't the absence of it but rather the conquering of it, the question of course is how do we conquer it? How do we get out from under the covers to get to the bottom of the strange noise? How do we transition dreams into tangible plans to make changes that we know we need to make in our lives?

I think the answer is as easy and complex as taking that first stroke ... that first canvas ... that first step. And how once the first is taken, the second, third, and more are just around the corner.