I am working on assembling a report from my Artists’ Survey:  The Business of Art. It is fascinating!  And so much fun to see how other artists think! 

If you’d like to see what other artists think about the business of art – the challenges they face – be sure to sign up here to get the report when it’s ready (early May).

49 artists said they need more time (only 5 indicated that had to do with time management) and 28 said they need to make more art.  I did break these numbers out but I think they’re really the same thing.

We all feel frantic about our lives these days!  I have said more than once to my longest friend (60 years!) that our moms sure weren’t this busy when they were our age!

Well, it’s either make the time or throw some things out the window and I’m not ready to do that yet, so I’ve been practicing unmasking time in all the places it hides:

1. On the computer screen
2. In the buzz and ring of your iPhone or Blackberry
3. In not saying no
4. In allowing interruptions
5. In time spent worrying about not having enough time to get “it” all done
6. In daydreaming about a perfect life without taking any baby-steps toward  realizing that dream.

Sometimes it’s easier to lose time then to make a commitment to yourself to consciously unmask the time you have right in front of you.

The Fairy House pictured above (more about it later) was built in found time,  in spurts of about 15 minutes each.  It meant I only looked at email twice some days  instead of 3 times.  As easy as that.

If you have things you do mindlessly, unconsciously, because it’s a habit, then become conscious.  See if you can find 15 minutes.  See if that 15 minutes can give you a breather, space to make new art, time to prioritize what really needs to be your next step.  After all 15 minutes a day is close to 10 eight-hour work days over a year’s time.  Let me know how it works!

Fairy House

I’ve been in the process of discovering a Fairy House, soon to be situated on the grounds of AnnMarie Garden here in Southern Calvert County.  Here’s a bit of history:

This fairy house, Tams O’Leen (pictured above being restored)  is one of the last remaining examples of the early Bahb architecture.  As such, its discovery has caused quite a stir among archaeologists.  Many who study Fae architecture long believed that all of these habitats had been destroyed by uncaring children and fearful adults.

Tams O’Leen is currently the home of Migda, a Musician whose hand-played reed pipe is said to charm those souls who have forgotten who they came here to be.  She loves all things creative and can be heard singing along with her music (which is often mistaken for wind in the rushes or trees) when she is near anyone who is lost but wishes to be found.  It is said that if you hear her music, you may rest assured that you are on your own path to discovery!

She cannot remember how old she is, but Migda has said in the past that she came from a green air island.  She remembers being born in the clouds caused by an erupting volcano somewhere around Kitty T’ehan.

She inherited Tams O’Leen from her great, great, great x 10 grandmother Belle Kynrd, and moved it to its current location about 2 centruies ago when she discovered a new nest a skh’i dragons.  Migda is known to locate her house wherever she-skh’i dragons abide so that they may exchange stories about possibilities.

Midga is not shy and often pops over to chat if she’s around when folks visit her home.  She has been known to talk for hours and her stories can be quite spellbinding!

While Migda doesn’t at all mind curiosity by BigFolks who want to see what a Fairy House looks like, she does ask that nothing be disturbed.  She is currently experimenting with a new arrangement of ceramic charms (that’s where our partnership comes in).  She hopes these will lure an elusive S’am dragon, a dragon who prefers forest and water.  There are only 3 of them known to be in existence and she believes she has seen the telling signs of one living in the Chesapeake region, where locals have affectionately nicknamed it Chessie.

Wylde Women’s Wisdom:

Once I believed in Fairies and Dragons and magic.  I still do.  Tammy Vitale