Why So Few People Volunteer

Did you ever wonder why funk and funky have the same root when they mean such different things? This keeps me up nights, along with wondering why so few humans spend any portion of their days trying to make the world a better place? This actually angers me, as I spend so much time and money I don’t have trying to save and rescue dogs, and then go on Facebook, and see dozens of selfies and whining about such trivial things. Yes, in my few, they are trivial; they may be meaningful to others, i get that. But when i ask for help, I get, “oh, I wish I could, but I can’t because of x, y and z.” That’s not helpful at all. It’s almost better to not say anything at all, rather than some excuse for inaction. I want to rant at people there, but people would think I’ve gone off the deep end and call the men with the butterfly nets to lock me up. So I spend as little time on social media as possible.

There is a blog I follow, Cold Feet Studio. She is very funny and has great jewelry tutorials on her site. She also gives away every penny she makes to charities. She doesn’t rant at people, either; rather, she just keeps making and selling and donating.

She has inspired me to do the same. I’ve been working very hard at my craft all summer so I can get good enough so people actually will buy my jewelry, cause I am following her lead about the charities. I may even open a little studio at my house so people can come up and buy when I’m working at home. I want to keep helping to rescue dogs, but I can’t take any more. This is a way for me to give something so I don’t feel so helpless all of the time.

Here is my etsy site.

September is always a tough month for me. I’m hanging on, getting ready for a few shows so I can hopefully make some sales to send some funds to some rescues I admire. Be well.

Art and The Passage of Time

I would need five lifetimes to do all I want to do. I didn’t even get started in art until age 48, five years ago! I thought I wasn’t an artist. Now that my kids are older, I’m loving this newly discovered part of myself, but I also feel frantic, because with luck, I have maybe 40 good years left (haha) and that’s nowhere long enough to learn all I want to learn. I don’t know how people are ever bored? I’m frantic with the lack of time, and now my school year starts again, so I really have no time.

Last night, I was looking at my three bookcases of fabric and said, “Hmmm. I feel a quilt coming on.” Then I looked at my wool and thought, “Hats!” My pastels are calling, and I have two custom pieces of pottery I have to make for people. And did I say school starts? Never enough time, and that does interfere with my creativity.

My jewelry teacher told me that when I get like this, frantic, to make bezels. I said, “I’m running out of silver and since I really don’t sell any jewelry, I can’t justify the continued expense.” She asks me how I’m going to continue to improve if I don’t make jewelry? It’s a conundrum. It makes me tired to think about it.

The Creative’s brain can be a scary place to be.

🙂