MURAL-A-THON 2014... summer edition!

I don't even think I told you guys what I'm up to this summer yet! Well, remember the Walla Walla murals? I'm doing that again...but here in Portland!!

This project is insanely cool. I'm working with a company that builds retirement communities and memory care facilities. They are known for the murals inside their buildings - they're everywhere! They help the residents relax and feel at home. So I'm getting to fill their newest memory care facility in Portland with murals! It's still under construction, so I even got to help choose the paint colors for the walls, before I mural them! It's going to be my biggest collection of murals inside a single building, ever. The people I'm working for are giving me so much creative control, it's kind of unbelievable. They even trusted me (when I didn't trust myself) to try using a paint spray gun for the first time, to paint clouds all over the ceiling of the "great room" in the main living area. And use a scissor lift, which I've also never done. I just.... I feel so incredibly grateful. I feel like I can't believe my luck. But then also, I know I've worked my ass off to get to this point. From painting my parent's kitchen wall into a tropical garden as a high schooler, to charging family friends $10 an hour to paint their walls, to getting clients I didn't know personally, to making a business name and filing taxes as such, and now working as a legit professional contractor on a huge project. It's been a lot of soul-searching ("I know I'm an artist, but what should I DOOOO?"), rejections, and doing the "starving-artist" thing. I was thinking about this today while I was painting, and I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude, I wanted to cry. Janet Jackson in the headphones, burrito in my belly, paintbrush in my hand, doing the thing that makes me so indescribably happy, and knowing that it really, truly, is my legit job and business now. I feel blessed beyond belief. I guess if you can figure out what your really wanna do most, and figure out the order of the steps you can take to get there, and take them a teeny bit at a time, you'll get there eventually.

That's me, totally covered in white paint, from my paint sprayer. Need to invest in goggled and a respirator, asap!

I'm also happy to report that I'm off the scissor lift, and painting at ground level again! Ahhhhh the sweet, sweet, ground! Stay tuned for pictures, but I'll just say right now that it's about the most Portland-y mural ever - Mt. Hood, roses, and the city skyline. :)

Goodnight Portland... **Thank you**.....

Faux Kickstarter Campaign: Let's Do This!!

So awhile back, a talented journalism student from the University of Oregon used me as a subject for an assignment to write about art education. That article is here:

http://blogs.uoregon.edu/shagyg1w13/turning-points/

A month or so later, she contacted me again for another class project.  This time, she and a couple other students were assigned to create a kickstarter campaign for one of their previous interviewees. They asked me if I was interested, and had any projects brewing that I might want to get funded.  Um, duh!  They created an entire website for the project I proposed, and filmed and edited a video that could be uploaded to kickstarter, whenever I'm ready. Their assignment was only to do a mock, hypothetical project, but said that I can make it "real" when and if I chose.  (Kickstarter is a website that helps people fund their small (or not so small) projects.)  Here's the link to the site:

http://blogs.uoregon.edu/ledeg3spring13/

If you know what I've been excited about lately, you can probably guess what my project proposal was about.  It's to get funding for 10 more murals for Madagascar, done by elementary students here in Oregon.  The pilot project went awesome, so 10 more would be a dream!  I'm heading back to Madagascar soon, and will network with folks while I'm there to start getting the go-ahead for this. Once I'm all set up on that end, I plan on posting their video and content as a Kickstarter campaign to get the funding.  Then, fingers crossed, more health-related murals for Madagascar!!!!!! Yahooo!!!!! Big shout out to these girls who made all this for me. You guys are awesome!!

(**disclaimer: the only mistake I found in the website says that there are no art teachers in K-12 schools in 4j. I know there are still some, and some great ones at that!)

Feeling grateful and super excited for future projects. Yay!!

My "Stunning Seattle" Mural Proposal

So, I've been presented with a couple different opportunities lately, coming in the form of friends posting them on my facebook (thank you!).  One of those opportunities was a Portland neighborhood looking for artists to do a mural on their community center's wall.  All I had to do for that one, was send them a link to my portfolio.  The other opportunity, was an organization called "Stunning Seattle" , looking for artists to paint 4 walls in Seattle.  BIG walls.  For this one, you had to submit a design proposal of what you would paint on one of them.  My designs for this are below.  If chosen, I would go up to Seattle sometime between late August and early October, for 2 weeks, to complete it.  My best friend lives there, so that would be an awesome added bonus.  

Last Summer, while I was doing my internship with the Mural Arts Program, I got a brief introduction to the world of submitting proposals for murals of this scale.  Some of these projects' budgets run in the tens of thousands of dollars, and artists often apply to them from all over the country.  I think these first 2 things I just applied to are on the smaller side of that scale, but still represent my first steps into this whole deal.  Excited to apply to more and eventually, hopefully, get to do a mural that's this big and public someday. :) Wish me luck!

Art Career Rambling....

So I'm by no means already "making it" as a full-time artist.  I haven't yet "arrived" at the place I want to be with my career.  But, I can say that the last couple months have been busy as hell, and when I pull myself out of my art-cave to take a breather, I realize "hey, I'm not a Barista anymore, and I'm keeping a full schedule on making murals and teaching art!"  I am my own Boss.  That, to me, is an incredible personal victory.  Even though this insane busy-ness has only lasted for a couple months, I'm trying to keep the momentum going and the dream alive and well fed.  I know there will be slower times where I'm not working as much, and times that are even busier than the last month.  I repeat, by no means am I already THERE, but it feels amazing (if it's not too cheesy and cliche to say this...) to know that I am following my heart.   I feel I am on the right path, putting one foot in front of the other.  Along the way,  I think it's important to stop and look around every once in awhile, and appreciate where I've been able to get to thus far.  In this economy, a person is lucky to have a job that keeps food on their table.  I'm lucky enough to be in a situation where I was able to actually pursue my passion, and go to school to study it.  And now, I am in a situation where I don't have any huge debts, child care costs, or bad mortgages keeping me from taking the giant leap to ACTUALLY TRY.  I am actually trying really, really hard.  I'm trying to build a life for myself where I will be happy and fulfilled in my work that I do for a living.  I figure, it will be OK if I fail and have to move onto something else, as long as I know I tried as hard as I could to make my #1 first choice career happen for myself.  Because why not?  If you're in a creative field, check out this article on goal-setting to make your career happen.  It's baby steps.  It's knowing where you want to go, and putting one foot in front of the other until you get there.  Good luck to us all!

Dreams and Plans

I mentioned in my last post that I was recently interviewed by a UO Journalism student.  I thought I would share that interview here.  Click here to read the short article.   The pictures below are pictures that were taken of me to accompany the article. 

I've recently been contacting other mural artists that I've found online - those whose work I admire and who seemed successful in their fields.  I've had this list of questions for them, mostly about marketing and pricing, but also some about their career trajectories.  It's been really interesting to learn about these different artist's lives and how they got to where they are today.  No one had a straightforward path to follow.  It's been difficult trying to figure out the best way to make my dream job(s) happen in my own life.  It's not like my sister's career choice (physical therapy) where there is a more clear path set out for you. You go to school, you do your clinicals, you get a stable job.  Not that that path is any easier, because it's just as much if not more work than mine.  But from what I can tell, I've chosen a path that's shrouded in fog, not lit up by street lamps the whole way.  I've been reaching out to others, and doing tons of research on the internet about mural-ing for home and business and even the public art world.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get there, but what I want is this: 

To make a decent enough living to support myself and children someday by having a career that is half made up of teaching art residencies in K-12 schools, and half made up of making murals for clients.  

That is what I want.  I know without a doubt that both of those parts do in fact make me extremely happy.  I know everyone says that they don't care about being rich, they just want to be happy.  That's true for me, too.  I would rather do something that makes me extremely happy for 8 hours a day and come home to a modest home and modest "things", than do something that makes me feel like a numb zombie for 8 hours and come home to a ton of nice crap in a big, dreamy house.  It just makes more logical sense to me, to spend your work life happy, rather than working hard and hating it so you can be happy in your down time.  That's the goal and I'm working hard to achieve it.  If I fail, at least I'll know that I gave it a shot, and then will have to look for something else that might make me moderately happy instead. ;) 

This post is turning super "journal entry", so I'm going to end it here.  But I will say that I believe there is something to be gained by writing down and telling others about your dreams and plans.  Do it.  Tell someone your dreams.

working away on a painting in my studio

my "studio"

Admiring the kid's work at Walterville Elementary

Newest work out of the studio

Good news!

I haven't updated this since I was in Philly?! Oops.

First of all, the idea I talked about in my last post is beginning to come together.  I wanted to do a mural on fabric with my students here, ship it over to Madagascar, and have a Peace Corps Volunteer finish it up and install it in their village with their students and/or villagers.  Part International art project collaboration, Part a way to get word out about important topics. (The murals would have to do with Malaria prevention and be mostly visual communication for those who can't read). 

So the update is, I've gotten the "go ahead" from both my old supervisor from Peace Corps Madagascar AND the arts council I work for here.  People have responded really well to the whole thing, so that's exciting!  I've got a few 4th grade classrooms that are interested in being the pilot project!!! AND, a current Peace Corps Volunteer who wants a mural in their village! A perfect match!! Only thing is, the time that the 4th grade staff has available is in early December. That's like, a month away.  And I still have some questions and specifics to work out with the volunteer getting the mural....but they have  sketchy phone service and no internet.  They are relaying messages to and from me, bush-style, by relaying messages to people who know other volunteers who DO have those modern conveniences.  I definitely know what that feels like, and am sympathetic to that.  It's just that I don't have a ton of time to plan this thing.  I want my first project to be PERFECT and GORGEOUS and WORK SMOOTHLY so that it will bring many more murals for Madagascar....or Africa....or even more of the world!!!! ...Someday.

What I think is the strange part is this:

#1: This idea first hit me like a lightning bolt in the middle of the night and energized me like no other.

#2: The perfect match of having a classroom AND a volunteer be ready for it came at about the same time.

#3: The idea for the project logo came to me and got sketched in about 5 minutes. Unusually easy.

#4: I ordered the fabric that we will paint the mural on, experimented with it, and liked it.  But I needed some more.  Without my account being charged, I found another box of the fabric on my doorstep today. Shipped for free, by mistake. 

I think that something out there wants this project to happen and is using me to channel all the creativity and good luck that it can provide.  The universe seems to be on my side.  All good signs that I should pursue it. Cool.

Here is the logo I designed for the project (someday, organization?).  I painted this on some of the fabric we'll paint the murals on. I want to make sure it can adhere to a wall using glue made out of just rice.  Rice is something that Madagascar has PLENTY of, so it would be great to have a glue recipe that's super easy and affordable for people to help them install their murals. We shall see... I'll be making a trip to Eugene's graffiti wall this week with this puppy.  :)

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In other news, I'm getting my calendar filled out pretty good for teaching this year.  I was hired to teach art lessons for 3rd, 2nd and 1st grades this year at Holt Elementary.  And I have a few school mural residencies booked throughout the Winter and Spring.  While teaching my last lessons with my 3rd graders, something hit me: I get the same "high", happy, fulfilled, joyful feeling from teaching kids art, as I get from painting murals by myself.  Discovering...or rather acknowledging this to myself was really special.  This means, if I can just figure out how to combine BOTH a freelance mural painting business AND being a teaching artist into a full-time gig, I could probably be happy career-wise for my whole life.  That's pretty cool to figure out.  I've struggled so much with trying to find a direction.  It's been stressful and hard.  To just "do art as a career" seems like a direction, but it was too broad and I was scattered and not getting anywhere.  I toyed with trying to become a tattoo artist, an illustrator, a graphic designer, etc etc.  Now, I feel like I know where to put my energy and my motivation and feel that it's right in my heart.  I have a SPECIFIC goal, and it's cleared up my mind a lot and leaving space and energy that I'll need to make it all happen. 

Ok, rambling.... just wanted to share the good news for those of you who were so encouraging about my last post!  Thanks you all for your support.  It means so much, you don't even know!!

Corie

I think I need to make this happen.

So, I've had this idea cooking in the back of my mind for quite awhile now.  I think when I get home, it's gonna be time to make it happen for reals.  The exciting part is, I found a grant to apply to that might help me make this easier, and spend less of my own money to get going.

This is what I want to do:

Malagasy Cultural Night/Art Exhibit/Benefit:

- I'll finish my Madagascar painting series (trying to have like 10-12 BIG pieces, and some smaller ones). I've done a few already - they're all inspired by different aspects of my experience in Madagascar with the Peace Corps. Everything will be for sale, along with a ton of 8 x 10 prints that I'll sell for like $20.  All or most profits will go to the organization, PSI  (Population Services International), and will be directed towards their branch in Madagascar. (This organization provides health education, birth control education and supplies, hygiene education and supplies, and things like mosquito nets for families, etc. They're just awesome, and hands down the organization I was most impressed with while I was there....besides Peace Corps of course...haha).

- I have saved a huge pile of the best art that the little kiddos made while I lived in Madagascar. I have pictures of most of the kids who drew them, so I'll have some framed kid art on display also, with their photos and a short blurb about them, beside each one.

- I might give a little talk and/or have a slideshow running of my Mada pictures.

- Of COURSE, there will be Malagasy music going...so good!

- I might invite the UofO Peace Corps Recruiter to come and have a little table there if they want.

- Food, drinks, duh!

- No cover, but a donation jar for $$$ for PSI.

-Try to pick a venue that is on the First Friday Art Walk in Eugene, so lots of people come!


So, that's it! I must do this, no?  I've been chipping away at the series, slowly....painting when I feel like it....but I think this needs to happen soon, while Mada is still sorta fresh in my mind. Yay!!

EXCITING NEWS!!... And making big decisions.

OMG. I have some EXTREMELY EXCITING NEWS!!! I am going to be an intern for the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia this July and August!!!!

A mural made by the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia

So I guess on this blog I haven't gone through this whole story of my Career Crisis and this Happy Event following the Crisis.

Well.  Since awhile now, I have been considering as many career options as I have considered places I would like to travel in the world.  That is a lot.  Things I have considered doing range from tattoo artist to animator to illustrator, but I knew I at least wanted to be an artist to make my living. I was doing the Artist in Residence thing and totally loving it.  But I knew that someday I will move out of Eugene, and try to have another Big Art Career to do along side with being an Artist in Residence.  I guess I was at sort of a crossroads and not sure which way to focus, so I emailed an old professor and asked for advice. Which career direction did he think my art was best suited for? Well, he didn't answer that question, but pushed the notion that I really should probably narrow it down. A lot. So I gave myself a deadline. A few weeks down the road, I will have thought long and hard about this decision. It's a really scary notion, making this big of a decision. What if I am limiting myself and closing doors by picking just one area of focus for my art career?! I worried but then thought, no, this is just for NOW. I will pick one focus for RIGHT NOW and if at some point I have given it an honest shot, I will pick something else later. So I wrote pro and con list after pro and con list for each career option.  It's a funny thing, trying to make a decision this big, by being this systematic.  Once all the lists were made, it was like I didn't REALLY need to look over and consider them that closely.  Just the act of making these lists was enough to hear what my heart had been whispering to me all along. Now that voice was louder, with the facts all written down instead of floating around chaotically in my brain. A Muralist, that was IT.  With murals, I can work with people.  I can help people brighten their spaces, get more business in their places of business, work with kids sometimes, and paint REALLY REALLY BIG.  Murals are so BOLD! I love almost everything about this whole business of making them.  The answer was in my heart, it just took some focus and some dedication to trying to hear my inner voice, for me to come to the right decision for myself.

So after I had come to that, I felt, for lack of a better cliche, like a huge weight had been lifted. I felt happier and lighter, knowing I only had to try as hard as I can to succeed in this ONE area, rather than continue to dabble in and spread myself too thinly in so many others.

Not even 2 weeks after, I received a call from the Mural Arts Program, letting me know that there was now another intern spot open and would  like to have it?  (I had previously been rejected after making it to be a finalist). YES I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT! I screamed in my mind but calmly spoke over the phone. I applied to this last year and didn't get it. Then I applied this year, made it to the finalists, but no cigar. NOW, I was being offered this AMAZING opportunity. It is something I want SO BAD. It's just so funny to me that once I decided this is really what I want to do whole-heartedly, the Universe turned around and gave me this gift, almost seeming to back up my decision, telling me I'd made a good one.

So turns out that sometimes maybe we have to choose a path, and choose it with clear purpose. I heard somewhere that "we can do ANYTHING we want, but we can't do EVERYTHING we want." It sounds scary, like again, maybe we're limiting ourselves.  This has been a good lesson for me though, that choosing something and trying to put all the "what ifs?" and the other roads you DIDN'T take out of your mind, can be a really powerful thing. It's like I've given myself permission to just put ALL my career-starting energy into this one area. Greater things will probably happen this way, than if I just try everything. Sort of like being able to spin one plate better than 7.

I know this is long and preachy so I'll wrap this up. Just wanted to share this bit of good news and a lesson learned recently, with you guys....whoever is out there reading this. :)

One plate for now,

Corie