Back a brother up

I headed down to Santa Cruz this past Saturday to paint a bit on the beach. I hadn't done this before, at least not with a proper canvas and acrylic paints, so I had a marvelous time even though there's a lot of sand all up in my paint box.

annie-ruygt-paint-beach

I cruised Pacific avenue after a healthy amount of sunshine and seawater, stumbling upon a wellness fair which is right up my ally. After listening to a very stoned man talk about herbal suppliments (which I'm totally into...the suppliments, not the stoned man) I treated myself to a meal at Cafe Gratitude. I love this place with all my heart. It's delicious and vegan, and has a neighborhood cafe vibe pulsing through it's walls.

I thouroughly enojoyed my solo art date and I smiled to myself as I strolled by shops and musicians, feeling elated that I had granted myself the sacred time to make a painting on the beach. Out of the corner of my eye I spied some men in costume. They were dressed in colonial garb and pointing to art prints on tall pieces of plywood. I crossed the street and introduced myself only to recieve a great message at the end of a great day.

The man posing as a founding father was named Alex Skelton and he is an artist. He and his fellow creative were trying to make a point about free speech on the streets of Santa Cruz, and give a clever middle finger to the city for trying to drive them all away.

As we got deeper into his story it was clear that this guy had something important to share. He quit his 9-5 and hit the road, selling his art and living out of his car. You could say he's living the dream, or you could say he gave up a decent life for constant struggle and gosh what a kook he is. But this thing is, he is highly intelligent and he seemed happy.

alex-skelton-art-santacruz.jpeg

"Get involved with your community, get involved with art, get involved with life!" he said. "It's cliqué to say art is important, but it's true. I mean, look at what's happening here. I share my art and it opens a door for you all to come over and talk to me, and therefore we're all connected right now, whereas in other situations we might just pass eachother on the street and never stop."

Now, I hadn't thought of it that way. The part about being an artist that scares me the most is the part where we connect with others. It's exhilerating when you experience it, but it's so very difficult to open that door sometimes. That's what held me back from launching my kickstarter for so long. What made me stop playing music after my tour. What makes me scared for the next leap I'll need to make- the song that's calling in my heart that is telling me to sing loudly and dance wildly even if no one understands.

But when you open the door. Oh....the beauty. I know it's worth all of that, and that's why I'm trying my hardest to push it open.

Just keep going

That's been my mantra these past few weeks. I also like to tell myself, "get comfortable with being uncomfortable."

Sometimes there is a LOT of work that needs to be done, and even though you want to sit in front of the television and veg out on Orange is the New Black, you have to stick to your guns and get 'er done. So I've been sleeping as much as possible to keep the energy reserves up, and dedicating extra time to get shit done. (I found that putting on Orange is the New Black while sketching is a great way to feel like I'm not working!)

These are sketches of some t-shirt designs to promote "The Three Things".  The book will be finished in about 2 weeks, so I'm trying to get everything else made for the kickstarter pledge members!

I attended the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles at the beginning of August. The people were wonderful! Everyone wanted to share their love for stories and art with each other, and the whole time I felt like I was spending my days with old friends. In a way I was because I also got to connect with some really lovely colleagues I haven't seen in forever. We shared our portfolios, discussed the market, talked about art and books and life.

The keynote speakers were especially superb in their comedic timing and emotive perfomances. Every inspiring speech and every breakout session had a thick root hidden inside from which all magic and success stems: perserverence. There is no key, no answer, no "right" way to go about anything. There are smart ways and strategy, but really, it comes down to doing what you love.

These metal sword holders were from the 1800-1850's in an Art Nouveau style.  They caught my eye at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and I used them as inspiration for the t-shirt designs above.

It was a message a lot of artists need to hear but have a hard time doing so. We always ask, "How do I monetize my art? How can I make a living??" But that isn't what artists should focus if they want the muse to visit.

So, I've been working on getting freelance off my plate and the promo images finished for The Three Things t-shirts and what not. Then... Oh, then.... I'm going to start on the next project. And my soul is softly singing for this project. She's waiting for me to stop stacking things in front of her path because all she wants to do is walk on down to Waldan's pond and create freely.

A freelance project I've been working on for a really cool tech company.

A book. A story of a painter. 'Twas a seed planted several years ago.

In time, my friends!

Love,

Annie

Stay sweet y'all!  My sis made some delicious peach jam over the weekend.  Make time to family and enjoying earth's gifts. :)

Why I love Instagram

I find that social media keeps me connected to people in a great way, but most of the time it overwhelms and agitates me. Being an artist and absolutely needing to share your work, social media becomes this big ole "to-do" list. I usually have a flood of ideas of what I want to post, how often to post it, and then that voice inside my head starts firing off rounds of "should do it now! you're not making enough stuff, Annie, what are you waiting for?!" Ahhhh!

Therefore I always give up.

But then there's instagram.

I've made Instagram something different for me. It's not social at all. It's research, inspiration, curiosity, and love. It's not a to-do list, either. I look forward to snapping a photo of a sketch and uploading it.

I do NOT follow friends.

Instagram is the one place I curate my feed to give me something every day. It's a meditation. I can see what other people are creating and how they see the world in a unique way. I can get away from the "look at me, look at me!" and immerse myself in the "look at this, look at that!".

This is not a new idea. I read online somewhere about curating your instagram feed and I tried it. It was so wonderful that I wanted to share the idea with you.

Ask yourself what will make your day? What will remind you to play?

I follow people in several different categorys that include:

  • Illustrators
  • Plant photography
  • Vegan chefs
  • Street Art
  • Donut cats

I've noticed a huge difference in my attitude when I post and peruse instagram. There is less validation, more inspiration. Less superfluous account checking, more intentional viewing. I have warm happy thoughts when I think about Instagram. :)

This may not be a new concept to any of you, but I hope it is a reminder or an suggestion that strikes a chord. I notice people on their phones together at restaurants all the time, barely sharing a word the entire meal. I wonder, if we used social media in a proactive way to enhance and educate us, would we spend so much time on it? Are we just on social sites for the validation, or is it really the best way we can connect with people now-a-days(probably not).

Next on my agenda: how to curate my facebook.

Oh gosh, that's a task.