![]() Now is the time of year, I sit back and evaluate the year that was. I look at what worked well, what needs improvement and plans for the following year. Reflection is a good thing. It allows us time to look back on the year that was and take stock of the intricacies of where we have been. As I sat and evaluated both my personal and professional journey, there were some moments of pure joy and moments of challenges. In 2024, hubby and I decided to bite the bullet and get some renovations completed at home. We had just lost our beautiful fur baby of almost 16 years. It seemed like the right time to get things done as now it was just the two of us to consider. We needed to completely empty the house for the workmen to come in and remove our old flooring and to lay new flooring. The garage and enclosed patio, also affectionately known as “Art in the Garden Room” were filled with the everything from the house. Along the way there were a few little hiccups, such as new toilets to be installed which we hadn’t planned. The dust was unbelievable as the tiles were jackhammered out. Thank goodness we had our caravan; this became our temporary home for five weeks. The flooring was finished, and the painters arrived to paint the inside of the house. They would return a few weeks later to complete the outside. It was all systems go. Hubby and I still had both of our businesses to keep going. As the enclosed patio was filled with our belongings, Creative Circle needed to be moved to another location for a term. The mid-year Open Studio was put on hold, with only the summer one being held. Looking back at my art business, I was pleased to see growth even with the renovations taking up a lot of bandwidth for a period of time. In 2024, I launched the free monthly pain outs. The first month was just three of us meeting up in a local park. Although, a very chilly morning, the sun was out, and we had a fabulous time. Since the first paint out more creatives are joining in as we venture to some of the beautiful locations in the City of Kingston. I have been fortunate enough to meet the most amazing creatives along the way and connect with wonderful people. I have entered several art shows and had my artwork accepted, sold a record number of artworks, and run over 100 classes each year and this is to increase in 2025. Taking stock of the year that was, now is the time to set up plans for the year that will be. Do you assess your year? Do you make plans for the following year? Leave your comments below. Featured Artwork: Unnamed - available in 2025
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![]() As much as we would love everyone to like our art, it's impossible. We all have different tastes, budgets and opinions. Did you know if you have an artist in your life, for that matter anyone with a small business, you can still support them, it's not just about the sale. Your support is just as important as the sale. Here are 5 ways to support a small business or the artist in your life. Follow the business on the socials. Social media plays an important role in helping to grow the visibility and reach of the artist. If you share their posts and work, this has a huge impact on them being able to build their community. Liking, loving and commenting on posts also assists with the algorithms on the different platforms and shows you value their contribution. Go to the show. Artists participate in open-call exhibitions, solo exhibitions, and open studio events. Attending an artist's show or event is one of the best ways to support them. By showing up you are supporting them, showing you care about them and their work. There would be nothing worse than going to all the effort of putting on an event and there are very few people in attendance or no familiar friendly faces as moral support. Word of mouth is one of the most valuable forms of advertising. Talking about your family or artist friend to others is a great way to introduce new people to their art. Ask if they know the artist, if they don't suggest they look them up, or even better, share a link to the socials. Attend an art class. I am a bit biased on this, as you probably know, I run over a hundred art classes a year. It's a numbers game when it comes to running classes. Classes going ahead generally come down to the numbers being enough for a class or program to go ahead. If you have always wanted to join a class, why not enrol for a class? You never know, you might find your passion for art. Shop local. Have you ever been stuck with having to buy a gift for a surprise invitation? Local artists often have framed artwork ready to go. Check in on your local artist, to see if they have an artwork to your taste and budget. If you are local, they may even offer to deliver on the day. There you have it, five simple ways to support a local artist, family member or friend. You will be surprised how much they appreciate your support. How do you support your local community, small business or artist? Comment below. Featured Artwork: Cityscape on the river ![]() At the time of writing, this morning was the monthly paint out on a cold, windy and drizzly morning. It would have been oh, so easy to snuggle up in bed and not venture out into the Melbourne Autumn weather. Yet, eight of us rugged up, packed up art supplies and made our way to the park and gathered under the rotunda. We all came with varying degrees of art kits, chairs, cushions and layers. For some it was the first time to paint en plein air, for others, it was a familiar way to spend a Saturday. We were all there for the enjoyment of spending some time to indulge in our love of creating, being outdoors and most importantly connecting with like-minded creatives. The monthly paint out sessions is not about who makes the prettiest work, the best kit or has the best skills, it is about the enjoyment of connection, and the people, it is about painting and creating too. I believe the biggest benefit of the monthly paint out is putting ourselves in the priority seat. It's great to take two hours once a month on a weekend to say hey everyone “I’m not available on this morning, this is my morning of meeting up and doing what I enjoy.” The pleasure that is derived from being in the fresh air, chatting with familiar friendly faces and losing yourself on the page of the sketchbook is so fulfilling. Sharing ideas, tips, and stories and finding out more about each other is building a new group of people to enjoy. As we pack up and finish our hot drinks, the chatter reaches a crescendo of last-minute info and well wishes until the next time we meet. We all head off back to our various tasks for the day, helping each other to take our bits and bobs to the car, and then off we go. And that is what meeting monthly and painting outdoors is all about, painting, people and priorities. Do you want to join us? It’s free and everyone is welcome. Visit here to register for the next one. ![]() "The stories of our mind, become the stories of our lives." I'll never forget this saying; from the CEO of a company, I was involved with a few years back. What we feed ourselves comes out in our skin, hair, nails and our figure. Yes, let me tell you, I have a sweet tooth and know if I give in to the chocolate cravings, the scales find out very quickly. So too is what we feed our brain. You know, the little nasty conversations we have with ourselves. Those snippets of useless information such as, I'm not good enough, no one will like this, I have no talent, I'm a fraud, I'm useless at this. Toxic conversations we have with ourselves. We would never talk to our best friend, family member or neighbour this way, yet we allow ourselves to participate in this one-way hurtful conversation. What if we turned the conversation on ourselves and spoke as though we were speaking to our nearest and dearest, replacing admonishment with praise? Hurt for joy, negative for positive, sadness for happiness? Imagine how we would feel about what we do in life. It doesn't matter if we're talking about creating art, gardening, writing or any matter of hobbies or tasks. Being kind to others starts with being kind to ourselves. Next time you are about to have a nasty conversation with yourself, take a breath and replace the negative chitty-chatter with a healthy dose of positivity and praise. You know you can change your story, it might just change your life. Do you have positive conversations with yourself? How do you stop negative self talk? Let us know in the comments below. |
AuthorLee Cummins is a mixed media artist, workshop and art class facilitator. Archives
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