[Guest Post]Life as a Conscious Practice

January 23rd, 2012

‘Everything is practice.’ ~Pele

Post written by Leo Babauta.

When we learn a martial art, or ballet, or gymnastics, or soccer … we consciously practice movements in a deliberate way, repeatedly. By conscious, repeated practice, we become good at those movements.

Our entire lives are like this, but we’re often less conscious of the practice.

Each day, we repeat movements, thought patterns, ways of interacting with others Read the rest of this entry »

Leveraging My Social Network

January 17th, 2012

I have to say that I have seen the light, so to speak.  For years, I have heard about the power of social media; however, this past week, I truly witnessed it in action.

My 2 year old niece and her Father (my brother-in-law) were in town to get my 17 year old niece settled here in beautiful Altadena (LA adjacent).  Anyway, Dad and the 17 year old had a meeting on Monday to which the 2 year old was not invited. We needed a babysitter.

Unfortunately, I could not stay home and all of my friends that I could think of work full-time.  Read the rest of this entry »

[Guest Post] Be Still

January 10th, 2012
Post written by Leo Babauta.

Be still.

Just for a moment.

Listen to the world around you. Feel your breath coming in and going out. Listen to your thoughts. Read the rest of this entry »

Take on the 366 Day (it is a Leap Year) PotteryDaily.com Challenge and Inspire Others

December 31st, 2011
  1. Create a PotteryDaily.com account – the Clay (Basic) Level account is FREE.  If you have a Facebook account, you can use this to create your PotteryDaily.com account.
  2. Once you are approved (within 24 hours) you can begin posting ceramic pieces for sale in your PotteryDaily.com shop.
  3. You DO NOT have to login each day to post a piece of pottery, the PotteryDaily.com website allows you to pick the date the item will be shared with the world.
  4. When you post a ceramic piece to PotteryDaily.com, you also have the option to post it to the PotteryDaily.com Facebook Fan Page and your own Facebook Wall.
  5. Read the rest of this entry »

Creating a Place for Your Ideal Customers

December 12th, 2011

Last week I was in Nashville and I went to the Opryland Hotel to see their world-renowned lights.  I have to say, I was skeptical and my expectations were very low; however, I was blown away.  All of the trees leading up to the hotel are completely decorated in lights.  They also have a greater than life size nativity scene with a recording of the story of the birth of Christ playing in the background.  Now, please keep in mind that I am not the Opryland’s ideal customer, and if I was taken by the Christmas themed entrance – imagine how their ideal customer feels.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Guest Post]The Voice of Patience

December 5th, 2011
Post written by Leo Babauta.

There are moments when other people just set you off, and you lose your patience.

It is the downfall of many of us — coworkers, children, spouses, other drivers, irritating people on the subway — they can grate, they can anger.

And it can ruin your day. You clench your jaw, you replay imaginary arguments in your head, or worse, you snap. And then you feel like crap.

How can we find the patience? Read the rest of this entry »

Inspiration to Action

November 28th, 2011

Lately I have been so inspired by my friend Alisa aka Ducky’s Always Hungry.  It all started several months ago at Cake Day.  Our office celebrates all of the birthdays and anniversaries the last Friday of each month.

Anyway, we were sitting there in the lunchroom chowing down on the delicious Moist & Creamy cakes when she starts talking about this woman, on the food network, who was “discovered” from her food blog posts.

My friend Alisa is a foodie – one who is willing to explore and try absolutely anything, was posting photos of her culinary adventures to Facebook on a regular basis under the title – “I’m always hungry”.  She is also well traveled and writes a travel journal (aka personal blog) that she shares with family and close friends.  Having read many articles that she had written, I knew she could write.

So, after swallowing my mouthful of heavenly Bananas Foster cake, I said to her, Read the rest of this entry »

Living in Gratitude

November 21st, 2011

As Thanksgiving approaches we (as a collective nation) focus on gratitude for all of the good things that have come into our lives throughout the previous year.  After all, this is what the holiday is all about.  Long before Black Friday and Cyber Monday existed, we would join with our family and friends to give thanks to the universe for the abundance bestowed through Mother Nature and our ability to harvest a full cornucopia in order to survive the upcoming harsh winter.

I believe that we should be giving thanks and expressing our gratitude every day, not just on the 4th Thursday of November.  For years, I kept a gratitude journal and before going to bed would write 5 things I was grateful for that day.  Most times, I wrote, I am grateful for:

  • my house
  • my job
  • my creativity
  • my family
  • my dogs

However, sometimes I would reflect on more specific things:

  • a flower blooming in my garden
  • the humming bird chasing me out to the car
  • the clean air after a brisk rain fall
  • a smile from a stranger
  • a reassuring/inspiring email
  • a phone call to reconnect with a friend
  • a great haircut
  • true joy
  • electricity
  • time to read a good book
  • an unexpected sale
  • ice cream
  • my porch swing
  • fruit from my trees

In reflecting on the more specific items in my life with gratitude, I found more peace within myself and a desire to share it with the world.

When I was a child, I was taught to say, “Thank You”.  Although the words are nice to hear, it is even better if they are truly expressed in gratitude.  It is not just about saying the words, it’s about truly receiving/accepting what is offered, reflecting on it and then sharing it back.  This can happen in just a few seconds – a genuine giving of thanks.

I am so very grateful for you, my readers.  I truly appreciate that you take the time to read my articles, leave comments on this blog and send me email messages telling me how you have been moved.  You all inspire me to continue writing more.

So, what things are you grateful for?

© 2011 Heather C. Morrow.  All rights reserved

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?  Of course you can, as long as you include the following with it:

Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth.  Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art.  For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.

Becoming a Visionary

November 14th, 2011

This weekend, I watched one man’s vision come to pass.  I attended the Grand Opening of the new home of the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) in Pomona, CA.  The event was fortuitously scheduled on 11-11-11 and also gave us all the opportunity to preview the museum’s latest exhibit – Common Ground – Ceramics in Southern California 1945-1975.

AMOCA, the only ceramics museum west of the Mississippi, was the vision of one man – David Armstrong.  In 2001 he began laying the groundwork and AMOCA opened to the public in 2004 with the mission to educate by presenting, collecting and preserving significant ceramic achievements of the world’s cultures from ancient times to the present and ultimately to provide a deeper understanding of cultural values and traditions.

AMOCA’s new home is in an old bank featuring a 77 foot Millard Sheets painted mural.  When the grant for the current exhibit (featuring ceramic artists influenced by Sheets) was written, they had no idea that they would be moving into this space.  It was as if the stars aligned when they unveiled the mural.  This magnificent mural would be preserved and become a part of the museum’s history.

So, what does it take to be a visionary?

Looking beyond your immediate needs to the future.  When presented with the opportunity to acquire the bank, David not only stepped up financially to acquire the space, but also knew that the Millard Sheets mural had to be preserved and wrote it into the contract with the bank – lest it be moved and/or tragically destroyed.

Hiring the right person for the job.  David had the foresight to hire Museum Director Christy Johnson.  Christy is an amazing director and has in turned hired the other right people to help grow the stature of AMOCA in the community.

Asking for what you need and being open to what is given.  AMOCA relies on ceramic art collectors to loan and possibly donate their collections.  My glaze instructor, Roger Porter, donated over 4000 ceramic books to AMOCA for their permanent library.

Involving the community.  AMOCA not only supports their local community by being a part of the 2nd Saturday Art Walk, they also regularly reach out to the ceramic arts community (both artist and collectors) for support.  I, and many others, donated toasting vessels for their 11-11-11 fundraiser.

Creating experiences.  Not only does AMOCA regularly have new exhibits, they also have regular presentations from world renowned ceramic artists.  The new location provides them with the additional space to display their permanent ceramic collection and have a working studio.  In the ceramic studio, they will offer classes and other opportunities for those who are interested to experience the world of pottery.

Going with the flow.  I am sure there were many things that did not meet with David’s expectations when the museum officially opened its new doors; however, you would have never known and in the end, it really doesn’t matter.

If you live in Southern California (or will be visiting), I highly recommend visiting AMOCA in Pomona.  You will not be disappointed.

If you don’t live in Southern California, I’ve created a video montage of the photos I took at the exhibit.   The Sheets Mural is at the beginning.  Click here.

Do you have a vision for the future?  What steps can you take today to help build that vision into something greater than yourself?

© 2011 Heather C. Morrow.  All rights reserved

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?  Of course you can, as long as you include the following with it:

Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth.  Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art.  For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.

Taking Risks Outside Your Comfort Zone

November 7th, 2011

I would probably not be considered a risk taker – I haven’t been skydiving or bungee jumping. The thing is, being a risk taker is not really something that can be measured other than by the person taking the risk.  This is because taking a risk is based on your own personal comfort zone.

What one person considers risky another might think is something fun to do on a regular basis (e.g., cliff diving).  So, by measure of my own comfort zone (which is somewhere between the couch and my regular paying job), I take risks on a pretty regular basis.

Why should you take risks? Read the rest of this entry »