Meri's Musings

Too many people flounder, wondering for years what their life's work will be and what kind of life  they'll build. Hint: notice what you love and figure out how to turn what you love into a calling and work into play. As for what kind of life you're destined for. . .  well, it seems to me  that we build the life we're destined for by our everyday choices. Want a brilliant, satisfying life? Practice kindness. Be grateful for all your blessings. Cultivate and express your talents. Learn to delay  gratification to reach a long-term goal. Recognize  that life is precious and fleeting. Love with gusto. Laugh until tears run (or until you snort). If you lack a supportive family, build one from your dearest friends. Be present. Learn to accept what is (and to change what you can). Teach others to treat you well. Honor your word. Go for walks. Spend time in nature ...

It's been a while since I worked in my "real" art journal, the one I collage and draw in after having painted the watercolor paper pages with liquid watercolors. Well. . .  painted is probably not an accurate depiction, since I usually saturate a wadded up paper towel  and smear the damp paint on, or maybe sponge it on. And then wait. And wait. Waiting for the page to dry. Then I begin to glue various things onto pages with Yes paste or acrylic gel medium. And wait again. It can sometimes take two or three days to find just the right things for the page, adhere them, and wait for the layer to dry so I can build in the next one. Meanwhile, the thickness of my art journal expands like an unruly waistline. Digital art journaling, on the other hand, is much tidier. And quicker. And just as layered and nuanced. I make these babies on Polyvore.com. If you're interested in learning how, email me (meriak@y...

We all have something to contribute. It may be our compassion, a quirky sense of humor, our capacity to be truth tellers. It may be the beauty we create  with our hands, words, or voices. It may be the peace we create within and radiate outward. It might be our unique way of problem-solving, the way we laugh, how we help others connect  with just the right people, our curiosity and enthusiasm. But like Dr. Seuss said, there's nobody who is you-er than you. Celebrate you. You're one of a kind.

The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box.  ~Henri Cartier Bresson

What inspired JOY in me this week? Using my talents to help a project I believe in, one that will benefit the art museum and the community as a whole. We're working on a redesign of the entry areas, plus partnering with the city to make the downtown corridor more pedestrian-friendly, beautiful and welcoming. Hearing the latest Logan-isms from my son, his daddy. Scheduling studio time to work with encaustics. How about you? What's on your JOY list? To play along and share the joy: 1. do a post that tells and shows us what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post  and paste it into the  Mr. Linky box  along with your name. 3. visit other players -- as many as possible --  and let their joy infect you.   Leave them a comment about their post. Let's start an epidemic of joy!

I feel joy  when I create something new from bits and pieces Pieces of Asia #1 © 2010 Meri Arnett-Kremian when I spend time with friends for chai or movies or art dates When I find heart-shaped rocks Love on the Rocks © 2010 Meri Arnett-Kremian when I try something new (this is the interior of the clamshell-shaped glass piece I blew -- with a lot of help from a wonderful tutor) and when the sky is blue with little powder puff clouds. Will you share your joy? ------------------- To play along: 1. do a post that tells and shows us what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post and paste it into the Mr. Linky box along with your name. 3. visit other players -- as many as possible -- and let their joy infect you.  Leave them a comment about their post. Let's start an epidemic of joy!

I don't know why. Perhaps it's a function of springtime,  when new life blooms and pushes through  all around us.  Maybe it's my upcoming adventure  in Italy that has my creative juices  running like a river. Whatever it is, I can hardly keep up  with the flow of ideas and opportunities.   Is this a fertile time for you, too? What new growth is emerging from your creative abundance?

You cannot govern  the creative impulse;  "Wallflower # 8" © Meri Arnett-Kremian 2010 all you can do is to eliminate obstacles  and smooth the way for it.   -Kimon Nicoliades Are you making room for creative expression or are you letting obstacles stand in your way? If you tell yourself there's not enough time, commit to perform one random act of creativity each day. A poem. A quick sketch. An arrangement of flowers in a vase. Cook with flair. If you already keep a gratitude journal, here's a thought: take one photo per day of something you're grateful for. Add it to your journal. If you keep the journal on your computer, it's easy to integrate photos with text.

Each of us has a distinctive way of seeing the world and representing it through imagery. Jan Phillips, God is at Eye Level "Everywhere I Look" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian Everywhere I look, I find little miracles, grist for the creative mill.  Things unfold perfectly, just as they were intended, even in the least fertile ground. How do you see your world? How do you represent this to others? Tell us about it.

In case you hadn't gathered, I'm drawn in so many ways to mixed media art. "Memories in Bits and Pieces" - copyright 2007 Meri Arnett-Kremian. I love studying mixed media pieces to see what new tricks I can learn. I relish collecting pieces that speak to my heart. I'm drawn to putting little bits and pieces together in ways that no one ever dreamed they'd be combined, until the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and the bits and pieces are unified. Collage is a life metaphor, in my worldview. Myriad scraps can be combined in limitless ways, each one unique. A paper fragment a splash of paint just a touch of metal leaf, something for texture, all integrate to form a new unity. In collage, you play with possibilities until you find the exact arrangement that speaks to your soul. "Dreaming of Immortality" copyright 2007 Meri Arnett-Kremian. In life, you take the experiences you're dealt and create meaning, overlooking the jagged edges and ...

Even with a house full of guests this weekend, I found a pocket of quiet time just for me. Blessed stillness while everyone else slept late. Just me, up early. Sunday morning, when I was putting off packing for the girlfriends trip to Mexico, I just had to play with images because I knew I'd get twitchy if I went too long without that kind of play. So here's the result. A new variation of the iconic fractal design I love, a warm and watery dreamscape. Enjoy. "Circling Time" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian. All rights reserved.

I woke this morning to a symphony of rain. It was clattering down, vivace with the resounding clack of snare drums. Then it trailed away, pianissimo. Right now, I think we're entre-act. But the rain has formed diamond drops at the points of the vine maple outside my window and washed away all the words that I had saved to accompany my paintings. So -- without excess words -- here are the paintings in the order that they are meant to be hung (left to right) in a show. As I said yesterday, I think the name of the series is "Personal Truths." Well, actually, I said personal truth yesterday, but today I'm adding an "s" to truth. Because we all have more than one thing that we know in our gut to be true. Any suggestions for individual titles? I'm lusting for titles as rich and interesting as Mary Jane Rivers' series that she called "The Elephant in the Room."

I may be quieter than usual for the next few days because I'm away from home, partaking in a painting workshop. "Edge of Passion" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian. On the other hand, I might be able upload "process" photos on my laptop and publish a few short posts in the evenings that is if I'm not too exhausted from making all those creative decisions. I might just go back to the hotel and fall asleep as soon as I wash off all the paint and jump between the sheets. We'll see.

To work magic is to weave the unseen forces into form; to soar beyond sight; to explore the uncharted dream realm of the hidden reality. - Starhawk ( Tango: Dance of Self-Discovery ) "Electrifying Possibility" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian. All rights reserved. When we paint, assemble disparate bits into mixed media or assemblage, photograph things, write poetry or novels, design invitations or floral arrangements, create a new dish from items in the fridge and pantry, make up a story for a child, or any of a multitude of things, we truly weave unseen forces into form. Creative expression is your birthright. Claim it.

The object of art is to give life a shape. - Jean Anouilh, French Playwright (1910 - 1987) Art and the creative process keeps me sane, engaged, and totally present. It forces me to look at things in unconventional ways. What part does art and the creative process play in your life? And if you're not allowing room for art or writing or photography, how would your life change if you made serious time for creative play? You won't have more time in the future. The only time any of us have is right now . Are the choices you're making shaping your life in a way that pleases you?

There was a time, about five years ago now, when I started playing with images and saying "what if?" What if I crop this image and try this filter? What if I layer this altered image on top of a scan of one of my mixed media pieces? It was a time when I was trying to stay afloat in a sea of emotion. I couldn't alter my situation, but I could alter images, making them softer, more romantic. I could take my sorrow, merge it with creative energy and make myself into something new. A survivor artist. I could create meaning and come fully into my power as a woman of wisdom. I could speak my truth in visual images and words from the heart. From the ashes, a new life. How have you used sorrow as an impetus for transformation?