New (to you) Drawing

This drawing is about 22 inches by 30 inches. Done in graphite. With a very pointy pencil.

Trying Too Hard

Just last night, I was thinking about the term "trying too hard." Often, when you keep "trying" to do or get something and don't seem to succeed, people will recommend that you stop trying "too hard." This is one of those ways that deep spiritual concepts show up in many people's everyday thoughts. Without realizing, perhaps, what they are referring to, they are acknowledging that when one "tries" to do or attain something, one is actually affirming their feeling separate from what it is they desire. The advice to "stop trying too hard" is a "disguise" for finding your oneness with everything. That is the "secret" to attaining your hearts desires. When you want to lose weight, find love, achieve in your career, build relationships...all these things elude the person who sees them as separate from themselves. If you see them already as a part of you, you relax into that knowledge and your behavior will demonstrate that you have indeed stopped "trying" too hard. Grasping for anything, in its various permutations is usually considered socially unattractive, but underneath that is the truth that it demonstrates a belief in lack and separateness. Next time you feel that familiar tension that means you are trying hard to "get" something, relax, rest in the knowledge that it already exists in your world and trust it to move toward you when you stop trying "too hard."

Creativity, Taking Risks and Fennec Foxes

This animal is called a fennec fox. And this drawing was part of a talk I gave to artists twice this week. The talk was entitled "Enhancing Creative Power For Artists and Solo Creatives." One of the points of the talk was about the need to be willing to take risks, to maybe even look ridiculous. Case in point: For literally eons, Mother Nature hasn't seemed to worry about looking ridiculous at all when she designed the many incredible, yet real, creatures on this planet. In fact, she seems to throw caution to the wind. Mother Nature seems to believe that, like trying on clothes at the store, you just can't really tell till it's on. So elephant noses, hippopotamus heads and fennec fox ears demonstrate that you just never know. I did this drawing of a fennec fox for my talk, so that the little critter could be a symbol - the poster child, if you will - for taking risks and letting the results stand on their own. Here's to you and your creative experiments. Take risks, climb further out on that limb and give that crazy idea, whatever it is, a go.

Looking Inward. . . Creative Introspection

I once worked as an Assistant Art Director for a magazine that did interviews around the country. When the reporter came back from doing the interview, we would discuss which photos to use. Once, a conversation between a writer and myself revolved around deciding which direction we should face a portrait photo on the published page. Should the person face left? Right? We were going back and forth about it and he joked, "Why don't we have him look down?" Pretty funny statement for the dry material we were dealing with. To which I replied, "Why don't we have him look inward?" Ever the unwilling mystic, these kinds of statements would slip out of my mouth at times.

Up to about a hundred years ago, people were very, very busy growing their own food, protecting their homes from wild predators and making their own clothes and furniture to think about much else. That kind of focus then was applied to our jobs in the factory and office as culture shifted in that direction. Up until relatively recently in human history, there were usually just a few, isolated individuals who seemed, by some stroke of fate or luck to be able to not have to worry about the daily grind and could indulge in creative and quiet observations about human potential and higher concepts. They were assigned the societal role of "creative type." Yet they were simply doing what we all, always, have had the potential to do, if there had been any energy at the end of the day.

Often, "looking inward" involves prayer or meditation, for which people have traditionally had leaders that taught them how to do those things; what to think about, what the mantra was, who the ultimate hero in the story was, what your focus should be etc etc.

Clearly this is changing. We live in a beautiful new world which is becoming more so everyday, where each person can be their own "guru/priest/teacher/healer" going on their own inner journey to find their spiritual and creative gifts. This is fantastic. Still, it doesn't mean that we don't need teachers or guides. Taking that journey and looking inward has, like it always has had, a lot of ins, outs, ups and downs. It can be good to have a guide or teacher, or more than one at varying times in life.

But one of the most important things to remember when seeking a guide is that the seeking begins within you.

The questions start with you.

The answers will ultimately be found within you.

You may think that looking within yourself is too "simple," or too "close" for it to be significant on a journey as epic as your own life. In truth, inside is where the most promising treasures are waiting for you to discover them, as your true life journey unfolds.

Drawing of Fanelli Cafe, Soho, NYC, Mixed Materials

The title says it all! 9 x 12 inches, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, graphite on paper

Photo of the Day on marketsofnewyork.com - It's Me!

Back in September, Karen Seiger came by my display at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park in Brooklyn and took some pictures. Next thing I know, I'm her Photo of the Day for today. With a photo of this dog portrait I did. Thank you Karen!

Drawing A Day Challenge, "Big Brother Noogie"

So someone on twitter....(I love twitter!) started a sketch a day challenge for herself and I decided to copy her idea (with her permission of course) and today I started my Drawing A Day Personal Challenge. So here is my drawing for today. It is graphite and colored pencil on a sheet of drawing paper that I treated with a wash.....it's about 10 x 10 inches. I don't know how the image came to me, but I call it "Big Brother Noogie." It makes me giggle a little. btw it looks out of focus or grainy or something. There's some detail that is hard to see....I think that has to do with my scanner. Sorry.

Good morning, maiden blog voyage, my website

Good morning! It is 4:06 am on Sunday November 15, 2009. I am up. Up, up, up. Not the sleepiest in the least. So, hey I thought...why not start one of those blog things I've been hearing so much about. They are all the rage, I hear.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a visual artist who thinks very deep thoughts, am sometimes moody and brooding. But I am also a very outgoing and social person who loves comedy and can even be pret-teh funny myself at times. I will be making comments on this blog on an eclectic assortment of subjects for years to come. Please read on and be sure to come back for more in a few days or so......

Till recently, I have been pretty much an under-achieving visual artist because first of all, I almost never showed my art to anyone until this past year. And I am way up there in age, people. Had a website for years and never sent the link out to anyone! Now for all the world to see, here it is in case you'd you'd like to have a gander. http://industryh.tripod.com/

I made that site using one of the available templates on the host. Most of the templates were hideous, I thought, so I used just a plain black which I think works nicely. There is a form near the bottom of the home page where you can enter your email address and be put on my mailing list for EXCITING updates and special things just for my contact list. Visually, the design of the form leaves much to be desired, due to lack of options at the back end with the host. But it does the job, so please do fill it out and say "hey!"http://industryh.tripod.com/

Nothing lets me know you care like letting me know you want my fabulous newsletter. It will contain cool things like deep thoughts (special deep thoughts, ones that I won't be sharing with just anyone like here on the blog) and other fun and interesting things.

I am planning a new website in the near future with more recent artwork I've been doing. Plus! Within the next few days, I am opening an Etsy shop with some groovalicious earrings I am making. Etsy.com is the site for all things homemade!!! You will be able to search for me as a seller with the name drawingonthemoon.

So I'm happy. I wrote my first blog post. Thanks for reading it. Please leave me nice comments. Have a mahhvelous day!