Turning 37 and The Creative Entrepreneur

Thirty-seven years ago today I was born. Today I'm contemplating that and all that I've experienced in my lifetime. I'm grateful to be here and thankful for a wonderful husband and to have been brought up in a very supportive family.

I'm working through Lisa Sonora Beam's The Creative Entrepreneur and above are images from my own visual journal. I'm still working on the text. It's in some places and not in others and I realize combining the writing and the visual image does not come easily to me. It's something I admire in other journals and works I've seen and and so my attempt at it will give me an even greater appreciation.

Something exciting I've learned through this process is that papers or pieces that were treated as "scrap" or "messups" are no longer, they're now given a new life in my visual journal. They are now a page in an actual book. It's curious and makes we wonder about what else I can breathe new life into. What was junk at one point or even garbage and now has a new life because of you?

I'm really enjoying Lisa Sonora Beam's book and the process of thinking differently. I'm working through objectives, strategies and tactics for 2009 and it's much more detailed than I've ever made it. Really exciting stuff. I'm looking forward to the new year and what it brings. Interested in taking a class in Oakland with Lisa Sonora Beam? Visit her website to find out more about her and let me know! I'm looking forward to potentially hosting a class of hers.

I came across incredible signage at the ZTA Architectural Office in San Diego. Click on places, commercial and then ZTA Architectural Office to see pics.

Support Women Artists Now (SWAN) day is March 28, 2009 and is put together in part by The Fund for Women Artists. I'm excited. I'd like to do something to celebrate… something creative and with women. Interested? Let me know! For many years I've been inspired by others who inspire. It hasn't been enough for me to just witness this, I realize that part of my mission is to be a leader, to connect and inspire others myself.

Art, Animal and Food Fusion

"What are you going to be doing on your trip with your sister?"

"Eating and shopping for food…"

"…and what else?"

"More of that and then the art museum…"

On an average weekend, Erin and Dave go to about four markets for food. They say that there was a while when ten was common and twelve has been the record. We arrived in San Diego late yesterday morning and our first stop was North Park Market for Mediterranean feast fixins. Our lunch and dinner consisted of Greek Kalamata olives, French feta, Halloumi from Cypress, homemade tabouli, yogurt cheese with hummus, dolmas, whole wheat pitas, mint-flavored yogurt drink, Poblano peppers, fresh dates and Dave's homemade multi-colored salad with red paprikas from Bulgaria, (I thought this only came in a powder!) grapes, walnuts, Asian pears, frisée, arugula and red leaf lettuce, feta, Mediterranean cucumbers and red onion. Yummy!

In between we trecked to the downtown location of Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego for my benefit. This is one of my favorite museums. I drag my siblings here whenever I can. I really appreciated a particular exhibit entitled: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet. I couldn't get over the story told by an artist who interacted with Kenya children and introduced them to colored pencils. What a treat!

As I'm writing this, we're preparing dinner. It's all about the food. This morning Dave picked up coffee for us from Peet's and Erin cooked us breakfast: aka miso soup with a poached egg, Szechuan peppercorns and primary dashi from a cookbook Tom couldn't put down last night called Japanese Cooking A Simple Art by Shizno Tsuji. After breakfast we headed out to the unique and fabulous Catalina Offshore Products and picked up incredibly fresh swordfish and bay scallops. Just experiencing Tommy and his antics is worth the trip. He grabbed a gift of baby abalone shells for me when he found out I was visiting from out of town. Tom commented that I'd be able to do something with them. It was really funny when we saw an art piece later that day consisting of similar shells.


Above images are the swordfish and the Bay Scallop Ceviche Erin made for dinner.

We returned home with the fish and Erin made buckwheat soba noodles with seared scallops. We dipped the noodles in a noodle dipping sauce (Tsuke-jiru) Dave prepared. (Recipes from cookbook above.) It's incredibly enjoyable to eat and share such wonderfully different foods with Erin, Dave and Tom.

I woke up in the middle of the night, dreaming of getting tattoos on my arms and walking down streets of mismatched houses. I had such excitement, a desirous feeling of getting up and writing, documenting my experience, wanting to capture my emotion, translate it, share it… not that this excitement had much to do with the dream but it was in me just the same.

One of the highlights of our trip was Dave's chai tea. So good… I wasn't feeling well and it helped me feel much better.

Dave has a giant stuffed bear named Sergei and on previous occasions Dave has discussed Sergei's need for glasses. Inspired and working with what we had, I suggested a wire hanger. (I initially suggested we go to the art store but am grateful we went this alternate route.) Dave found a hanger and Tom quickly fashioned it into a spectacle shape. I patiently removed the kinks from the wire and added some copper wire Dave found. We needed something to attach the glasses and Dave came up with some dental floss. Tom tied it around Sergei's head. So simple and fun. I really enjoyed this collaborative process.

Erin and Dave also treated us to the San Diego Zoo. Fabulous fun and such great inspiration for art and fashion. I was really taken by the birds, something I didn't expect. But then I imagine that might have to do with Nick Bantock or Joseph Cornell or Martha Stewart.

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip. I'm inspired to eat some different foods… add flax seed to my morning yogurt, enjoy more birds, stop more often and enjoy life.

Card Catalog Inspiration

One of the highlights (I just love little drawers) at Building Resources in San Francisco plus they have tumbled glass! Looking forward to working on the garden in the spring…