Tammy Gilley Studios

Gearing Up

 
I've applied to be a vendor at numerous holiday art fairs this coming holiday season.  I'm really excited about the possibility, and of course, really nervous awaiting acceptance.  I thought I'd show you some of the work I sent with my applications.  I've been painting, painting, painting, and having so, so much fun with it.  I hope that will shine through in my applications. 

 
Two of the earliest shows of the season that I applied for have chosen me as a vendor, and I'm thrilled, thrilled, tickled pink!!  I'll be showing my work (and selling it, too!) at the Llewellyn Holiday Market and at the Abernethy Arts and Craft Fair in November.  I'll post more information as I have it, and if you're a Portland local please come by either or both shows.

 
They are both fundraisers for local elementary schools, which makes me feel really good.  As an artist, I'll be donating a portion of my profits from those events to each school.  And we all know how our schools can use every dollar they can get.  So, come, buy, visit, enjoy! 

 
I've heard really great things about both of these events, and there will be lots of art to see, so put November 12-13 on your calendar for the Llewellyn Holiday Market, and November 14 for the Abernethy Arts and Craft Fair.  And I'll keep you posted on other events as I learn about them, which should be towards the end of next week.  I'm really excited.  (And still nervous, so keep your fingers crossed and send all that good juju my way, won't you?)

Creative Soul-Searching (Or "Thursdays With Linda")

 
Every Thursday morning, my creative soul sister Linda and I meet at 7:30 at a cozy little coffee house downtown to talk about our creative goals and dreams and secret whispers.

It has become one of my favorite hours of the week.

We've been friends for years, and our creative lives seem to run on parallel paths.  So we always have a lot to talk about.  When we started our Thursday morning "creative salons" a couple of months ago, I had no idea how impactful they were going to be on my creative life, on giving a supersonic boost to my creative mojo.

I don't know why I'm surprised though, you know?  I believe that when you ask for something, the universe is very generous.  When you ask with a loving heart for something you need in your life, I think the universe opens up, shifts around, and delivers that very thing into your life.  Case in point:

First, some background.  I found myself floundering, flip-flopping around creatively.  I was struggling with goals and deadlines and motivation.  I just lost my way somehow.  I lost my courage, and I lost my confidence.  I knew they were around somewhere, but I couldn't find them to save my life. 

There is nothing I want to make happen in my life more than I want to make my living as an artist.  There.  I said it out loud.  It's out there now.  (Please be gentle with me, dear reader.  I sort of feel like I'm in that dream...you know the one?  The one where you suddenly realize that you're naked and standing in the middle of the farmer's market or in the line at the grocery store, 101 pairs of eyes on you.)

So, my intention when I originally suggested our creative get-togethers with Linda was this:  I needed to be accountable to someone other than myself.  I needed a gentle soul to listen to my fears and help me find the affirmations to turn them into motivation.  I needed to get out of my own way, I knew that, but I needed someone to push and shove me. 

I needed help.

And the universe stepped in, in recognizable and comfortable form, my soul sister Linda.  And in our magical Thursday morning hours we've talked about so many, many things.  My eyes have opened up to so many possibilities that I have felt were so far in the distance, but have been sitting right on my doorstep all this time.  I'm taking teeny tiny little baby steps towards my dream, and each and every little bitty one of them is making me just the tiniest bit braver.  My friend sees in me the things, the traits, the qualities, that I see in other artists, but not in myself.  She's cheering me on, pushing some buttons, and challenging me to do the things that I think I cannot do. 

It's as if a breath of fresh air has been breathed into my creative life.  Like some of the fear has become motivation.  Like some of my insecurity and hesitancy has been replaced with courage and adventure.

All of that from a cup of coffee, a muffin, and a sweet, sweet friend.  If she's getting half what I'm getting from our Thursday mornings, she's getting a lot.