Bravery means daring to get lost. Walking into the unknown, embracing our fears. Putting ourselves in unfamiliar realms like fishes out of water to see how it might stretch us. Bravery means dissolving our identities so that when we face our naked selves, our courage lights us up and we glow with beautiful honesty.
This year I explore what it means to be brave. Walk with me.
8 Ways
1. Eucatastrophe is the honesty of feeling. A year ago I wanted to paint Tolkien’s famous vignette for immense joy but couldn’t . I understand now what I didn’t then, that emotional candor was a necessary ingredient. For the next 12 months I dare myself to plumb the depths of my inner landscape and create searingly truthful works.
2. I will own up to my calling. Years in the making and I’m finally ready to embrace it fully. Why do I do what I do? Because there’s so much of our world to explore, so much beauty to get lost in, so much to be enchanted by. If I could only capture a fragment of that rapture, I’d sail away happy.
3. Big Audacious Goals. In the years past I filled many baskets and tied a safety net under all my endeavors. The prevalent thought was if I do many things and have a backup plan in place one was bound to stick and if it doesn’t maybe I won’t fall too hard or bruise too much. This year I’m trying something different. My proudest achievements in life have always happened because there were no room for what ifs and maybes.
So I asked myself, what will happen in a year if I threw myself into a single big audacious goal? To be brave enough to carry only one passion with no contingency plan in sight? How will things change for me with the onslaught of such daring focus? Simplifying is scary.
4. The Art of Asking. Amanda Palmer is the epitome of brave vulnerability. I dare you to look past her polarizing image and plunge into the artistic gorgeousness that is her book. Best listened to in audio for her beautifully raw narration shot through with unabashedly honest music. Her finely-rendered portrait of personal and creative bravery touched me deeply. Don’t miss it.
5. Uncharted Territory. I dipped my toe in last year with this collection and it’s easily the most creatively satisfying action I’ve taken in awhile. Learning to matt and frame my own artworks, utilizing long dormant spatial design skills from my bygone architectural years to create an immersive gallery experience, engaging with collectors in person. This year I’m diving in again, and then again. Artists and Fleas, February 21st and 22nd, Downtown LA, drop by.
6. Uprooting. For the past 5 years I’ve resisted our moving from almost-urban LA to a quiet little suburb nearer to the husband’s work. Reason? I feared that the bleakness of suburbia would undoubtedly dim my soul. Last November was time and we made a bold decision to brave the change. Never had I anticipated what would happen: a beautiful home nestled in a woodsy, quirky foothills graced by wild peacocks and owls, a dream treetop studio, gatherings with friends, misty neighborhood hikes through the hills, abundant inspiration. When in doubt, plunge.
7. “Explorations Part 2: Getting Lost”. It’s only natural that my Big Audacious Goal for the year is a fearless exploration into the state of getting lost. This will be a collection of large and over-scaled pieces all about plunging into the unknown, losing ourselves in a world of wonder as well as the unplanning and unmapping of our inner and outer selves. Sign up here to find out when pieces are available for collecting.
8. Sharing. To all my dear collectors who’ve asked, my hesitance is over! Over-the-glowing-moon excited to announce that after a long two year hiatus, I’ll finally be able to share tangible pieces of myself with you. The Online Shop reopens with all-new painted curiosities. Paintings on handmade paper. Dreaminess. It will be a completely revamped experience, so stay tuned for more details later this Spring.
(Peekaboo! is sticking around but only for very special, invitation-only online art events. Peekaboo! will feature exclusive pieces not available in the shop. Sign up here to receive an invite when this happens.)