Athena Dreams Design

create . explore . discover

In about 8 days I will be arriving in Lake Tahoe, getting ready to teach at this über-amazing art retreat called create . explore . discover

This is the first year of this event, and I think the first of its kind being held in the Sierra Nevada Mountians–or I should say, the first one I've heard of. Our amazing hostess Sarah Stevenson has put together an intimate, beautifully deep, and crazy fun time for us. I am so incredibly honoured to be a part of it.

Creative sessions will be taught in the mornings by Marisa Haedike, Denice Barlow Brown , Sarah and me! And the afternoons are left open for hiking, communing with the Tahoe area, hanging with friends, soaking in the moments, and whatever else you might want to do.

The setting is Truckee, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the location is the Cedar House Sport Hotel in the North Lake Tahoe area. So not only will there be creative and energising classes, we'll be dining on organic food, staying in a certified green hotel and waking up to this incredible mountain setting each morning. This is an all around ideal fall getaway, the location is a 90 minute drive from  Sacramento, California and a 3 hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, and you can spend 2 and a half days creating and replenishing your spirit.

So if your inner artist is needing some "me" time, or if you're feeling a need to get messy and play, if you're yearning for a bit of rejuvenation and a boost to your inspiration, this could be the perfect place to find it!

If you've been thinking about this, jump on in, there's still a little time and we'd love to see you there!

Going with What's Happening

Much of September has been about throwing away the daily to-do list and going with what is happening for me. I have some deadlines. I have some contract jobs. And then I have the rest of my time. Time that is spent on what I choose to spend it on.

Until this month, I have been blocking out chunks of my days: 2 hours for design time, 3 hours for painting, 1 hour for a walk, etc. Well, this month I changed all that, and opted to experiment a bit with my time and my schedule. I have my larger to-do list, but the day to day one: gone.

I have been spending the time that is not taken up with a deadline or a client, doing what I am excited about in that moment, on that day. So today, I had planned to paint, but, today, I am way into printing miniature images of my paintings and setting them into various and sundry bezels and flats, and pouring resin.

Today, the only brush I am using is the one that's coated with matte medium to seal the ink on my prints, and then it's mixing and pouring the resin, and hovering, waiting for the air bubbles to form and rise to the surface so I can get rid of them. It's what I MOST want to do with the time that is mine today.

I think I might be onto something with this experiment in how I use my time. It's just a bit past 11am and I count 20 something pendants poured and setting.

 

September 2011 .:. Biz Goals

And here we are back to September. I know that we celebrate New Year in January, because come on, that's when the ball drops in Times Square, right. But is anyone else with me on the fact that September REALLY is the start of the new year?

There's the back to school exodus, everyone is out clothes shopping, stationery and office supplies are being purchased, people are getting serious about their goals and their mission in life and squirrels are burying nuts. Maybe that last one doesn't totally apply, but the squirrels here are really really busy after a summer of lounging.

So how did August go?

1. Design projects on deck - one down, a few more to go
2. Create Jewelery Making Goals - have narrowed down my focus (and what makes me most happy) and am making, making, making
3. Work on writing projects - not much happened with this one
4. Finish designing birthday cards - have one more to go! and am done with the astrology birthday cards
5. Newsletter for Etsy shop - will go out this week
6. Paint - yes yes yes, tho didn't get in as much time as I would have wanted to (what's new?)
7. Enjoy the August sun - this is the easiest one to say Yes to

OK well here goes for September:

1. Finish out the 2 remaining design projects over the next month and a half.
2. Make room for lots of jewelery design.
3. Design 3 covers for journal series I want to porudce on my own.
4. Start flower painting series for licensing. 12 images. Seasonal. Pen & Ink and Paint.
5. Allow myself to re-schedule something when I am on a roll with something else. Remember to remember that going where the fire is and re-scheduleing (if possible) is where my best work is going to come from.
6. With whatever free time is left, make things that make me happy, and don't think past that.
7. Take out The Money Book again, and do a thorough read, and thorough note taking/plan for the "new" year/financial assessment
8. Get some Long walks in this month.

Let's go make September the most fabulous new year celebration of life, and creativity, and sustenance, and receptivity, and abundance that has ever been! Here we come!

OH, also, just wondering if anyone else might like to "do" #7 with me. If any of you have been wanting to read The Money Book, have started it but not finished it, are in the midst of financial planning and etc. maybe we could work through it together, and see if we can all make a dent in this thing we loosely call finances and money. E-mail me and let me know if you're interested: liz.kalloch{at}gmail.com

Here are some reviews of the book if you've never heard of it: here and here.

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IF you are new to The Meetup or would like to play along, here's the scoop:

• Post a list of your business related goals for the current month on the 1st of each month on your blog. {If the 1st falls on a weekend, post on the following Monday.}
• Come back over here and leave a link to your goals blog post in the comments of my current month's goals.
• And then {and this is the most important part, since we are a community} visit all the links in the comments, stop in and say hello, have a conversation, meet and greet and etc.