Who Else is Scared this Halloween?

"Pumpkin Love"  Commissioned Painting
Watercolor and Pastel  ©Antonia Ruppert

Yes, Halloween is here.  And though this is a fun time for some filled with pumpkins, ghosts and scary movies, there is nothing more fear-inducing than being a mommy...and an artist.  Maybe you can relate.

Take this week, for example.

What could I do when my little one wanted to put on her costume--just to "practice?"  You know me. The mom and artist in me said “OK” and grabbed my camera.  As she twirled around and around, I think she thought she’d BECOME a butterfly. 

The next day, my big teen asked me for help with her Halloween homework for Spanish.  She had to create a full length cardboard skeleton with her very own attributes.  She had already made an amazing outfit by hand out of scraps of cloth I had.  She just needed the hair done.  So there I was -  at 11pm sewing weave(hair extensions) on her Día de los Muertos skeleton. I’m thinking, “First of all, I don't know how to sew weave and secondly, “Isn't this YOUR project?”  Thankfully, we finished it and she was happy with it.

Mommy's work, like artists’ work means hearing and noticing.

This is what I heard this week:

“Mommy can you help me find my doll’s sippy cup?”
“Mommy come and see my transformer - no come and see!(she was holding playdoh and a broken handle from a drawer)”
“Mommy, guess what Nicholas is for Halloween.  No Guess!”

And this is what I noticed: My daughters are as creative as I am. My teen is directing a skit at church--just in time for Halloween). I'm amazed at her ability to write, direct, dance and act.  

In a recent interview with Darren Hardy of Success Magazine, Paula Deen shares that when she first started out by herself, she sacrificed her relationship with her boys.  I heard that and froze. That scared me.

Yes, Halloween is here.  But there is nothing that scares me more right now than being a mommy...and an artist.

My Ideal Reader

 "Casandra"  ©Toni Ruppert

With a commitment to building a more vibrant blog, I signed up for the 4-week Blog Triage class with Cynthia Morris and Alyson Stanfield.  Today’s assignment is to describe the people I want to visit and read my blog.  My hope is that by envisioning my Ideal Reader I will get focused and get at the heart of what I want to post about.  

Though I had to imagine my Ideal Reader, I’m grateful to my family members, friends  and fellow artists who have kept up with me through my blog.  I appreciate you.

So here is the assignment.  Using the following questions:

• Are they of a certain age or background?
• Do they live in a particular region?
• What are their interests – including, but not limited to art?
• Are they comfortable with the blog format?
• Are they likely to comment?

I imagine that my Ideal Reader:

...is ageless - he/she knows age is just a number.  He may even be like my buddy Gabe who is the father of teen girls which keep him youthful.  My reader might have a rags to riches story in the making - a Paula Deen before she was Paula Deen.  Because of this, my ideal reader exudes light and is a faith-filled person.  My ideal reader appreciates all things creative.  

Thank YOU for being my ideal reader.

You Can Build It At Your Table

Grandma's Recipe ©Antonia Ruppert
Commission for the Markham, IL Public Library
Oil on Canvas, 24x36

Yes, tables are made for eating, playing games and other familial events.  But, did you know that inspiration and dreams can be built --at the table?  After spending lots of time lately at my table painting, I began wondering what other transformers--folks making a thorough or dramatic change in themselves and the world - do at their tables.  

What are you building at your table? I believe many good things can come from time spent "at the table."  Artists have birthed new careers, adventures have been written and families have been nurtured at the family table. You can use your table to:

Build a business.  Sandra Magsamen, artist, art therapist and author, built her business over 20 years ago in her basement.  I recently found out about her and she is now my poster child for artistic success.  While working a FT job, she and her husband's shipping and receiving area was their dining room.  Sandra told her story to Marcia Brixey, founder of Money Wise Women Educational Services in a recent teleseminar.  Many entrepreneurs, like Sandra have built sustaining businesses at their tables.   

Nurture a child.  This week we carved our pumpkin to my five year olds delight.  She watched my every move and asked lots of questions.  This "table time" was precious and reminded me of other memorable times.  I remember my grandmother being a great cook.  She often fixed awesome meals--though I was too young to really appreciate dishes like jambalaya and squash pie.  My cousin and my brothers and sisters just knew that when we returned home from school, shortly thereafter we'd sit at grandma's dining room table (next to the piano) and eat whatever she fixed.   

Meals at the table are fantastic.  Time spent "at the table" can make the difference between something so-so and something truly inspiring being built. 

Can you think of anything else that can be built at the table?  Are you building anything at your table?

Eeeeck! I'm Almost Speechless!

"Heart Stuff"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

 I'm so excited.  Words can not express how I feel right now.  I will try though.  Eeeeek!  Wow!  Yes!  (see) The words come out like that.  I'm excited because the show is hung at Chicago's Flourish Studios's Envision Gallery.  It took a lot to get here.

A mere few weeks ago, I was floundering with this new direction for my personal artwork.  Painting was flourishing in my commission work, but nothing was coming forth in my personal work.  I knew I wanted to talk about healing from fragmented relationships--healing from brokenness.  But it would not come out like I wanted to.  I was surrounded by prayer, paint jars, glue muslin, wood panels, and etc.  All the stuff I'd use to make my pieces.  Enter my success team.

I joined a success team lead by Eileen Kerlin Walsh.  (Look out world--here comes Eileen!)  My success team encouraged me and one of them literally said "Create two panels this week."  I was like, "Okay." After doing this for a time--my goal was in sight.

"Behind Her Smile"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

In Teamworks, author Barbara Sher says, "A Success Team will keep you going, steadily, step by step, week after week...until one day...you arrive right in the middle of your goal." That's what my team did for me.  Further, when I hit a snag with my frames, one of my team mates personally made them according to my specifications.

So...you see words cannot express how I'm feeling. My hope is that whatever you're working on these days will have you so excited --you too will be (almost) speechless!

I invite you to comment (use whatever words you want) on your own creative project or on how you're utilizing a team to making your ideas/dreams happen.