From Freeze to Flow

The cave is comfy- I Iike being alone, even if it’s lonely sometimes.. 

Noticing the Freeze

Keep it simple. Yet, if I admit it I feel frozen. So much so I don’t even make it to the keyboard. For all the preparation, research, ongoing learning and exploration. Here I sit. It’s a mixture of anxiety and overwhelm that prevents the first words being typed. All the rest that goes with it, and how to get going.. How to stay present to what is in the moment. Ok then it’s being a bit frozen in overwhelm and that is my present state, and so I begin to unthaw.. 

It Tingles 

Maybe all the rest really isn’t that important. Just put it out there and see where it lands? Maybe I don’t need everything to be absolutely perfect yet. Maybe it can be a bit raw, maybe that even makes it better. Well if in hiding camouflaging, or driven from distraction to important gripping distraction-  ready or not, here I come. Out of hiding into seeking. 

Let the words flow and begin to form meaning. It can even be a bit rough copy, because it will become something completely unrecognizable by the time it’s edited to death. So ok word count, go for 5 minutes, checked and 750 words, ok this here is.. Already 185, 186, 187.. 

Some Distractions are Inevitable

Life happens and it’s a good thing. We get busy. Some of the distractions really are important, kids are growing and we want to watch it and be there while it happens. Maybe we want a little scrolling break and to look at all those pictures we took … battery dies, okay back on (just curious- word count 243 ) 

What is a CTA?

The course said only one call to action… “CTA” per email-one. This isn’t an email, this is a blog post.. But okay dear reader - Here it is-I'm laying it on the line, for me it is always: to get -SHOWING my work & if it fits -SELLING my work. Just writing this brings up a level of anxiety for me, but I sit up and take a breath. Showing and selling, showing and selling.. Showing and selling… But have you ever even seen my work? There’s a good chance you have not, and so I have to first concentrate on the showing and be ready for the possibility of selling. I understand not everyone who sees my work is going to buy it and that is to be expected. SO my blog is about show and tell , but my website is about show and sell. The Call to action then is to having more people seeing what I create, so it can find it's way to the people who are genuinely interested. What I should really say my CTA is please Show and Share? That might be what helps the most.

Overwhelm

It’s easy to hide as an artist. I wonder why this is? It kind of defeats the purpose of creating if no one ever gets to have a taste of what you create. The thing is in this day of fast mass production, it’s just plain hard to keep up! It’s just the way it is. We are not machines, you who I reach out to are not a machine. We have lives, we see things and we have bodies and then our busy busy minds..... oh ya- "Take the thinking levels down!" Right okay that feels better- probably the most helpful advice I’ve heard for a long time.  Let me tell you, I am committed and this does help, but I don’t know what the future holds..  I really am just winging it here. It is amazing what you can discover hiding out as an artist.

We Showed Up

But I just can’t take the bait for another free webinar, time is too precious- but I probably will!!!…."Be selective!"I tell myself. 5 minutes of good value is hard to turn up.. 

It will become clearer I promise myself, until that time I will keep writing- creating- Thanks for showing up again - I tell myself and I tell you too Thanks. 

Allowing for Imperfection

In closing I will tell you.. A few things I’ve learned: 

Starting a blog takes more than 15 minutes, no matter what any other blogger tells you! Writing is transformational, and I agree artists should get paid for their work. But first you have to be willing to be seen and showing your work can be scary as hell! 

But it is a process. So allowing for this, facing those fears, letting go of perfectionism let’s take another step into the unknown. See it’s not so scary after all! Ok so maybe it was but you find out you really are stronger than you think. 

Much Love,

Holly 

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Holly Kirkpatrick Ulrich is a art jeweler from Canada 

Living deep in central switzerland with her 

Dear husband and darling son. 

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from 

Alberta University of Art 

&

A Bachelor of Education from

Simon Fraser University,