0
0
was successfully added to your cart.

Cart

Tag

Travel Archives - The Jar of Salt

Jan 23 2018
0

How My Art Helps Me Cope With Anxiety Attacks (Especially While Flying)

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

I’m not an easy flyer. The smaller the plane, the more agitated I become. Let me clarify though that I do not fear flying. It’s the helplessness over a constricted space for a duration of time that triggers my anxiety.  That’s why I never attend concerts or go to packed noisy bars. I would take the stairs instead of the elevator all the time if I could.

I’m not sure if anxiety and panic attacks are the same for all but in my case, it usually starts with a physical and inexplicable sensation of dread combined with a feeling of being underwater then it’s just downhill from there.  What compounds the situation, more often than not, is my anticipation that comes with the feeling of dread because I feel I know what’s gonna happen next. Suddenly, everything seems way too loud and I feel like throwing up, and I just want people to shut up and stop talking. It feels cramped and crowded suddenly and I feel suffocated that I need air, a fresh breeze and open space. The sensation oddly seems to start at my knees. That the invisible fear manifests itself so tangibly in such a physical and consistently specific manner is one I still have to wrap my head around.

When I panic, I become hyper-sensitive to the world around me. Inside a plane, everything becomes more than it really is and there are  things that suddenly I obsess about: my seat feels too small. the chair in front of me and the passenger across the aisle are too close (though I’m certain they truly are at this day and age), there’s not enough ventilation, the plane feels stuffy and hot and the flight feels excruciatingly long (they truly are if you’re flying without sleep for almost 24 hours from SG to NYC) and on top of that I feel the plane’s every single movement, bump and shudder and it always feels magnified a thousand times stronger and louder in my head.

Eventually, the panic affects my breathing to the point of dizziness that I feel I’m perpetually falling even if I was sitting down. In the past, I’ve passed out and fainted to the ground several times, thankfully with a friend present (one of those times was triggered by an empty stomach and lightheadedness so that doesn’t really count).  Over the years, it has thankfully fizzled out due to a lot of self-awareness and the ability to mitigate circumstances but it has not been eradicated completely and I could only wish it did.

This is something I need to manage because I do need to get to different points that require flying, whether for personal reasons or work.  In the past, I always drank in the plane. They say you shouldn’t due to dehydration but it’s what helps knock me out to sleep. I don’t take sleeping medication so I’m even more apprehensive to take that 30,000 feet in the air especially when traveling alone.

Last Christmas, I asked myself if there was a way I could divert my attention during the flight to curb my sensitivity to my surrounding. To be honest, the idea came to me during the height of the fidget-spinner craze. I decided to try something different and I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.

I decided to draw.

It was my first time to shift my entire concentration elsewhere and with deliberate razor-sharp focus during a flight. In the past, the only thought running through my head the entire trip was “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”. So  I gave myself a tangible goal, which was to complete one sketchbook spread per flight, no excuses. It was a 3.5 hour ride, so it can be definitely be done.

And guess what, it worked like a charm! I managed to finish both spreads 30 minutes before landing.

Some people tell me to just watch the in-flight entertainment. I am terribly far-sighted that a screen in front of me in a moving plane at such close proximity is just counter-intuitive. And watching a movie to me is still tantamount to doing nothing.  Why not sleep, they ask. Because I can’t and it’s just one of those things.

I usually have at least three full glasses of wine per flight. This time, I had only one on the first flight, and none on the second.  I was so obsessive about my task and achieving a goal that instead of fearing turbulence, I became angry at it because it gave me crooked lines.  Considering it was a bumpy ride, I didn’t notice it at all until the flight attendant said we were flying through a storm.


It was, without a doubt, definitely a super achievement-unlocked moment that I felt like banging my head against the wall asking myself why I didn’t think of doing this sooner. I typically keep a sketchbook inside my check-in baggage as a back-up activity in case I get bored when I get to my destination but it never occurred to me to do it mid-flight  instead.

This great inconvenience is one of the things about myself I wish I can undo but for now all I can do is manage how I think and mitigate my surroundings. Otherwise, it was definitely a first for me to be almost relaxed end to end. And if you are someone familiar with my situation, you would sincerely understand that this was no mean feat.

Okay then. Onto the next goal: what to draw for a 20-hour flight.

 

Sep 04 2017
2

Starting Old And The Emboldened Late Bloomer

By | Uncategorized | 4 Comments

I’ve never been one to shy away from talking about my age. Etiquette dictates that it’s one of the things one should never bring up. Why that is so, I am not really sure. But my age has a lot to do with the story of my work.

This post is dedicated to everyone who set sail in search of new beginnings for a fresh career later in life because not everyone gets to start young.

Since I graduated in 1997, I’ve had a repertoire of jobs in my resume. All are non-creative fields, mostly unrelated but all have a way of unwittingly contributing to my professional backbone You can read about my past life here.

Over the years, I’ve attempted a multiple times to make that one final switch but always with one foot out the door. This explains why my full-time career as a painter and an artist only kicked off two years ago. Most people celebrate 40 with something big, like a glitzy party or traveling to some fabulous, IG-worthy destination.

I spent turning 40 in my studio, furiously painting in preparation for my very first solo, sold-out show here in Singapore last April.

I didn’t realize I have made a number of good friends in the country we now call home and I had to hold back tears as I welcomed each of them who came to the opening night to lend their support. Seeing the red stickers marking the labels of my entire work was just surreal.

What would have happened if I threw in the towel and ditched the whole idea of committing to being a full-time artist? If not for my husband, who sternly told me to stay on track even without tangible results, I would have resorted once again to a mediocre Plan B, C and even D.

Starting old comes with humility.  By this stage, friends and contemporaries are already at the prime of their careers and lives The idea of starting from the ground up past 35 was very daunting, to say the least. And the thought of having to learn something new all over again and the risk of not being up to par was downright terrifying. So when someone closer to mid-life makes that choice to switch industries, that person has made a conscious decision to leave their pride behind as much as they can, with a large dose of humility as their ticket into unfamiliar territory.

Starting old is a privilege.  There is no point wondering how differently my journey would have been had I started right after school. That ship, for a fact, has definitely sailed 20 years ago. The privilege now, however, is the conscious choice to move forward out of your own accord.

When someone decides to venture into a completely new profession, I consider it a privilege because that choice was made knowing that you’ve been around the block and that it will take so much more than a negative comment or lack of results to unnerve and break you. 

By the time you’ve made this choice, you would already have something to back you up, be it a previous career or simply years of expertise in handling adversity.  There is confidence running in your veins, knowing that even if there is a slight chance this might not take off, you have already established that you are good at other things.

We’ve tried new things before and we can definitely do it again.  And there is honor in trying because we choose to take that chance.

Starting old comes with dignity.   By starting late, we’ve earned our medals from the school of hard knocks. We know pretty much how the real world works. We know how to conduct ourselves properly, be it facing a client, negotiating prices or writing a well-voice correspondence.  More than being an artist, we are, above all, professional. 

Not everyone will like our work, we won’t always get a call-back, and not everyone will respond favourably, or if they do at all.  It’s impossible not to be affected, and of course it will annoy and frustrate me for a day or two.  But I’m not going to drag it out and sulk, and neither am I going to whine incessantly or drown my sorrows over a good bottle of wine.  That’s because I know I’ve dealt with far worse over the years and this is but a glitch in the bigger scheme of things. Really. 

Defeat is nothing new. It is inconvenient, it is uncomfortable and it can be extremely disheartening.  However, we know for a fact that this not something new and because of age, it is not unfamiliar.  With age, however, we know how to gracefully move on as excruciatingly as it may seem.

And grace is but a gift that truly comes with age.

May 17 2017
1

Make Instagram Work For Your Art (And Not The Other Way Around)

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

It’s been almost a month since the opening of “Myriad”, my first solo gallery sold-out show. The response has been nothing short of breathtaking, with paintings moving even weeks before the opening. Even after the last piece was declared sold on opening night, the gallery informed me that inquiries were still pouring in from places as far as Greece.

I am overwhelmed, elated, humbled and anxious all at once.

Overwhelmed by the wonderful response.

Elated that my work is appreciated.

Humbled by others’ faith in what I do.

But anxious as I wonder where I go from here.

My husband just shook his head and reminded me to stop, relax and relish the moment.

It started in 1997.

My story as a professional artist began the moment I left university with a BA in Psychology in 1997, and tried being everything else other than myself. Since then, I made half-hearted efforts to break into the art industry but always with one foot out the door, ready to bolt whenever things didn’t go as planned.

And that’s exactly what happened.

When things hit a slump or did not yield the desired result, I quickly went back to my comfort zone and sprinted right back to Plan B, C and even D.

Although I had an exhibit in a bistro and another one in a fine-dining restaurant in 2003 and 2004 respectively, it wasn’t until last year, 2015, that I sold my first work through an art gallery.  While I juggled 3 to 4 non-creative part-time jobs while trying to do part-time art after 2004, my half-hearted efforts would pretty much produce a half-baked career. This was how it was up until I hit my creative block sometime in 2007 and had my breakthrough in 2012.

Fast forward to April 2017, after a long and excruciatingly slow journey strewn with hits and misses, twists and turns, I found my way back to myself.

A body of new work up in my first solo gallery show has come to fruition.

Climb a wall and commit.

For a brief moment, I got into wall-climbing. At that time, I also had the good fortune of coming to the facility whenever the national team came for training.  On my first evening,  I passed the halfway mark of a 40-foot wall, when I was met with a 1-ft indentation jutting directly over my head at a 90-degree angle. I could’t figure out how I could hoist myself up. While I was trying to find a grip, I yelled down below “I can’t!”. Others who were resting heard me and yelled “Commit! Commit! Just commit!”

This meant that I should release my grip, and without fear, hoist myself up with everything I’ve got and commit to another grip with the free hand. It also meant to let go and have faith in the movement.

When I moved to Singapore in 2010, I eventually saw it as a blank page, a fresh start, and a chance to reinvent myself as an artist. It was this brand of commitment that I took to heart that changed everything. I stopped doing things that were not-related to my art. Then, I closed down my Etsy and Society6 shop because that wasn’t what my work was about anymore. I said ‘no’ to a lot of offers which no longer fit my vision.

I narrowed my focus, buckled down and did nothing but paint, paint and paint.

Social media helped. By a mile.

Let social media work for you and not the other way around.

I joined Instagram in 2014 when I got into calligraphy, a craft with a very strong and supportive community around the world. Unfortunately, this was a short-lived hobby but I learned that being part of a community, even though we’ve never met each other in person, made a world of difference. So I stayed on Instagram.

Being on social media gave me a chance to grow my work in anonymity.  It gave me a different kind of validation knowing that my art is valued simply for what it is, and not something born of friendship, affiliation, or a favor.  In 2015, I joined an Instagram class by Melissa Camillieri. This was a game-changer. It gave social media a purpose, a direction, and showed me how something seemingly fun and mundane can otherwise be a powerful tool to connect with the world and build my work.  If there’s one thing that made IG work for me, it would be the sincerity behind both what I post and the art that I do.

Oh, and hey! A little bird told me that she’s holding her next class in a week or two! To see what this class is all about, click here.

Perhaps one of the biggest pitfalls of being on Instagram is relying on it solely  to build your business. While this can totally work  it is an unfair expectation to think that Instagram will do the job for you.  Instagram is merely a tool to be heard by the universe around you. Instagram did not create my art. My art existed independently of social media except it’s like I was handed an extraordinary megaphone to tell my story, loud enough to be heard across the planet.

And, gratefully, they did.

Apr 04 2017
1

When Art Becomes A Little Less Fun (Part 3 of 3)

By | Uncategorized | 4 Comments

In an earlier post, I delved into the changes that happen when art is no longer something you do for fun, when it’s something you have to do because it’s your life, and it’s your job.

Things change when you do art professionally.   When things shift from hobby to industry, we become our own boss. Thus, parameters need to be defined and, like any other 9-to-5, work conduct must be upheld in all our transactions.  The goal of our craft is not simply about getting messy and mixing paints for its own sake.

It becomes about someone adding value in the world.

Art is not free

When I was 14, I hand-painted posters for an event in my local country club. It was something I personally pitched to the manager, and something I wanted to do because I was on summer holiday and I was running out of things to do.  The deal was they provided the materials, and I drew. I honestly think that was the start of my professional career! 🙂

One would think twice about asking a lawyer, a doctor or a carpenter to do work for free.  However, and quite sadly, many people will not hesitate in assuming that artists will be okay to do things pro bono. Up until recently, I still got offered mileage as payment, good golly.  In my opinion, mileage does not pay anymore, not in this era of social media with today’s generation of outspoken artists.  You can read my thoughts on this  here.

I’ll understand if it’s for a charitable cause that is in dire need of support, and it’s also your prerogative if you want to accept work  in exchange for goods and services that will be of use to you.  Be open to negotiations but refrain from doing things for free.  Doing things for a free meal? I say no.

I’ve also read about a lot of people on social media reaching out to designers and artists asking them for free items in exchange for a blog post and an Instagram feature.  It’s easy to get excited at the idea that someone else will talk about your work.

But here are some key questions to ask:  Who are they? What do they promote? How wide is their reach? And most importantly, how robust is their engagement? It’s not always about the number of followers that makes the difference so I’ll talk about this at a later post.  Always be on your guard when offers like these come your way because people who sincerely want to promote you on social media will do so out of their own free will because they truly believe in you.

The practice of doing art for free should be obliterated from our paradigm.

Refrain from apologising

I think a good number of artists have an issue quantifying work. It’s uncomfortable and makes people queasy. But over time, I learned to do this as gracefully as possible, with conviction and dignity. After all, art is work, mine and yours. The best advice I ever came across was in an article on the internet.  I cannot remember whose article it was but she said this: Never apologise for your prices.  

I used to be guilty of this when asked about my rates, ending it with “For the project, it costs $_____.  So sorry!”.   Now that I think about it, I can’t exactly remember why I was being apologetic yet it rolled offf my tongue quite easily.

Like I was apologising that I had to charge for art.

It was only when I accepted and embraced the full scope of my work and that it IS a job,  a profession like everything else and thus requires equal treatment like all other industries. Thus said, setting our professional fees respects global industry standards, ideally. It is rooted on size and materials (if it’s something like a painting), experience,  merit and scope of work. This makes your pricing clear, reliable and fair because it’s objective.  It’s not some numbers you pulled out of a hat or priced based on the level of emotion attached to your work.

The idea of a starving artist must die a swift and instant death right now and never be heard from again.  It is a poorly romanced idea of what makes an artist “real’.  When it comes to being a professional artist, there is much weight on the word “profession” as much as there is on “artist”.

The goal as working artists, aside from making beautiful art, is to make a living by being fair, sincere, trustworthy and credible across varying projects and clients. What our art means to people is just as important as who they’re dealing with, and our sense of commitment and purpose in all our endeavours.

To read Part 1, click here.

To read Part 2, click here.

Mar 27 2017
2

When Art Becomes A Little Less Fun (Part 1 of 3)

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

When my husband came home one night, he asked me how my day went and I responded distractedly with “Oh, the usual. Just work.”   To which he replied “Sounds like a day at the office.”

Don’t get me wrong   I jump out of bed each day eager to start working so I count myself very, very, very lucky.   However, there are some days when it’s just a little less fun than it used to be. Here’s why:

1. It’s a job.

And just like any line of work, you now have real and defined responsibilities and deadlines.  Now that it’s not something I do leisurely, it’s a true discipline. There’s also a huge difference between painting versus doing design work for clients.  When we do the latter, get ready for multiple revisions. In both cases, it’s best to clarify limits and conditions in writing and stipulated in a contract.  As mentioned earlier, it’s a job.

2. We’re not always inspired.

Unlike doing art as a pure hobby when I would pick up the brush when a wave of inspiration washes over me,  I now make art not because I want to  but because I really have to.  In the real world, I don’t always feel inspired day in, day out all times of the day. That’s the truth.

The challenge of being a professional in the creative field, I realise, is finding ways to inch forward and make art even when I don’t feel like it.

3. It’s not always 100% spontaneous.

Yes, there is still a lot of liberty and expression in my work, but creativity has now become slightly calculated.  Now that I’ve agreed to a theme or to a concept, I must deliver accordingly.

4. It’s a commitment.

I owe it to myself and my clients to continuously hone my craft.  This means I must continue to try, to experiment, to be better, to practice and ultimately deliver. Being a professional  demands discipline and accountability. This is also why, in an earlier blog post,  I talked about why it’s also good to not become an artist from the very start.  There are many things one can learn first from a not so artsy background.

5. We need to talk about money.

Money. It’s something I need to gracefully talk about with every transaction — with dignity and conviction. Whatever price I assign for services and/or paintings must be consistent so that remunerations are fair and reliable across all clients. One can’t exactly keep changing fees depending on how one feels about a body of work.   This is the part that makes my stomach queasy and something I wish to ponder on further in another post.  Artists, we’re gonna talk about this more!

To continue reading Part 2, click here

Jan 19 2017
3

A List Of Sketchbooks

By | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

For the longest time, people have been asking me about sketchbook recommendations and what brands I use.

Finally, two new things today:

  1. a video, and
  2. all the sketchbooks and journals I use.

I hope this helps! Sorry it took so long but I’m glad I soldiered on and put this together 🙂

Next video coming up answers the question: “What pens do you use?”

 

Jan 16 2017
6

Make Room For Your Life

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Whenever I have loads to think about, the first thing I do is clean up. And when I say “clean up”, I mean I use it as a time to de-clog and de-clutter my energy by sorting, throwing and donating stuff.

This is a habit that I built for myself since I was in high school (that’s an almost 30 year-old habit to date!), long before Konmari Method became a thing. I have a mental quarterly purging system, one that started when I used to throw no-longer-needed quiz sheets, activity papers, circulars and scratch paper. The ability to purge has become automatic that I don’t notice that I do it quite regularly.

For those who find this to be a gargantuan task (it’s only massive if you allow lots of stuff to pile up), here are some ideas how to go about it without freaking out:

  • Always start within, and start in the farthest corners of our closet by evaluating clothes I have not worn in a year or two. This does not include seasonal travel clothes, however. I’m talking about clothes I say I’ll fit into one day but I know I just won’t, clothes that have seen better days, or idle clothes I’ve been holding on to for no reason at all.
  • I donate to the Salvation Army or to communities who accept second-hand clothes. Anything that’s torn, ripped, stained, snagged or hole-y gets turned into rags. I never give away clothing I myself will not wear.
  • Another space you can go to would be drawers where you stuff bills and receipts. I’m pretty sure many of us have that drawer. Yes, that one. I typically keep monthly bills good for a year for whatever reason. After a year, they all have to go. Receipts from restaurants, take-away, taxi cabs or whatever — if you still have them in your pockets or the inner sleeves of your wallet, ask yourself ‘Why am I still holding on to these?’ 🙂
  • I only buy what is needed, what is necessary, and never in excess. Cabinets are not bursting at the edges. How many pans do I really need? Check the pantry. I’m pretty sure some bottled dried herbs are 6 months to a year past its shelf life.  I just spotted two and disposed of them over the weekend.
  • The only stuff I have a lot of are my paints and sketchbooks, but that’s because they’re consumable and used for work. I also don’t buy more paint as necessary as they will dry up if stored too long.  When people look inside my closet, they’re shocked. Why? Because there’s so much space, and to think it’s a shared closet I have with my husband.
  • I donate and give things away while it is still in working, usable or presentable condition. If you have gadgets, appliances and other household stuff you no longer need, give it to someone who can make the best of it while in good order.
  • Finally, I only buy what fits in the house and things that have a direct purpose or function. If there is no room for it at home, I won’t make room for it if it’s not a necessity.  I simply won’t buy it. When you live in a building apartment where you have a booth for a kitchen, then there simply is no room for that air-fryer  or that dehydrator I’ve been eyeing for quite some time now.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Out with the old.

In with the new.

 

Jan 09 2017
1

Empowering The Professional Artist

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

What do professional artists have today that we didn’t, say, 12 years ago?

Answer: Power.

Today’s artist is a lot more empowered than he or she was in 2005.

The artist of 2017  has the strength to reach his or her client directly easily and effortlessly.  

Back in the day, we were at the mercy of mainstream media editors and TV producers.  Most, if not many, were supportive of fledgeling artists and I found myself fortunate.  Cold calls led to a big break in a major broadsheet, and being spotted in an art fair led to TV features.  For the most part, it was a struggle to be seen and heard as an artist during those times.

What gift do we have at this very moment  that we didn’t over a decade ago? Social media.

2004 saw the birth of Facebook, followed by the inception of sites like Etsy in 2005. These two factors were enough to break some of the barriers that prevented artists from reaching their clients directly.  The biggest game changer was born in 2010. It’s called Instagram.

I regret not joining sooner but luckily I had the chance to catch up.  This, perhaps, is the biggest factor that helped me get back on my feet after a 5-year dry spell of  creative block and absolutely no art.  I became active on Instagram in 2015 and by December of 2016 I have grown to a community of 28k on @thejarofsalt. The numbers definitely mean something because it opens a number of doors and builds highways to clients near and far across the planet at all times of the day. It was when I met Melissa Camillieri that I was able to make heads or tails of Instagram. It was midway through her class when a lightbulb went on in my head that I fully realised my direction and completely re-branded myself as an artist.  I know she has an online class on January 16 and I promise you it will be one of the best things you can do for yourself if you want to be more present online.

The artist of 2017 has more resources today than any time in history.

There are no excuses anymore at this day and age. When we needed to do research before, we needed access to an actual library that holds all these heavy but fantastic art encyclopaedias.  Today, anyone with access to the Internet on their phones or laptop can easily peep into museums through their websites or artist’s personal sites from wherever they art. There are also lots of mainstream articles and blogs dedicated to art and artists (such as this very post you’re reading), offering varying and mostly candid opinions about  topics you might be looking for. Blogs offer a more honest (but not always necessarily accurate) source of information.  It was through a blog that I learned the perils of re-posting photos (even with credits) and how she was sued for it. Now this leads me to my third and last point.

The artist of 2017 is informed.

12 years ago, I didn’t have the luxury of all the information swimming in the worldwide web today. Now, even art lawyers, editors and artists have blogs where I have learned a lot from. If you’re doing research about galleries (I’ve discovered that one that reached out to me was a vanity gallery) or online classes you are keen on, there are so many personal reviews available to take into consideration. Lots of things are listed online today, including material that is in the public domain versus those protected by copyrights, sample contracts, etc. I personally do not undertake a project without a written and signed contract that stipulates all the terms and agreement.  I suggest that all artists and creatives equip themselves with written documentation because it goes a long way and this is what professionals do. Full stop. 

Today is as good a time as any to uphold our rights and value as a working, professional artist and be accountable for making things happen for ourselves in this succulent new year.  Stay equipped and enjoy the creative journey up ahead!

Dec 17 2016
3

Thrive Amidst Your Chaos

By | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Letting go of the need for perfection takes a lot of practice. All the what-should-be’s, ought-to-be’s and all about the self not being enough.  It’s a habit learning to thrive in your own chaos.

It’s this gnawing dissatisfaction, nagging sense of not being able to tick of everything in my to-do and to-be list. But the year that was is coming to an end in less than two weeks, and I feel like I’m still running a race against myself.  Did I mention that I am my own worst opponent? A competitive heckler with a loud, loud voice.

Sometimes, in my obsession of chasing after a never-ending list of goals, I forget and overlook everything that I have achieved. It’s so easy to be ungrateful in the constant need of wanting more.  It was my husband who stopped me one day, and exclaimed “What the hell are you talking about?? Don’t you see how much you’ve accomplished in just one year?”.

And then it hit me.

In my constant need of wanting more for myself,  I realised I have been bestowed so many opportunities that allowed me to grow and flourish — as a working artist and most especially as a human being.

I’ve always thought I had none of that artist’s angst they speak of. But perhaps the creative process has led me to face my thoughts and emotions a bit more sincerely.

The discomfort.

The little aches.

The uncertainties.

The ability to forgive faults, mine and the rest of the world.

In all the mess of my daily endeavours and the awkwardness that comes with growing pains, I found my self.  Slightly rough around the edges but fully functional and equipped to make something of myself one day at a time.

Nov 22 2016
0

The Art Of Gratefulness

By | Uncategorized | 11 Comments

If there’s one thing I learned over the years, gratitude is more than just being thankful in your heart or blurting out a perfunctory nicety. How does gratefulness hold all the pieces of my life and career together?

To be honest, I believe it’s something I tend to take for granted on many days and overlook in my so-called busyness.  Building an art career (or any career, for that matter) is not a one-woman job.  Whatever success I’ve achieved in my life is a result of an amalgamation of creativity, work and faith — mine and yours.

Being thankful, is not just a word or a fuzzy feeling. It’s really a lot of work and conscious effort.

How have I made gratitude real and tangible, really?  Hmm. Good question. Let me count the ways (5 of them, so far).

  • When I first started my art career early 2000s, there was no such thing as self-promotion because social media did not exist back then. Simply put, our careers back then relied mostly on traditional print and TV media editors.  I got lucky and writers sought me out on their own. All it took was one significant write-up in a major broadsheet to get the wheels turning.  Each time a local editor published something about my work, I always delivered a sincere hand-written thank-you note along with a small print or illustration.
  • Over time, whenever I would hit a  major milestone in my work, I would reach out to past establishments, writers and editors, to give them an update to thank them for helping me get a leg up and for giving me a chance to get my work out there.They didn’t have to do anything for me, but they did so because they must have found some value in what I do. And that is what I’m grateful for. I still touch base with many of them more than a decade later.
  • When I come across a book that has a profound impact in my life, I reach out to the bestselling author a letter via their Facebook page or email. I express how their words and insights have moved me in an unforeseen but magical direction.  Them writing me back is of no consequence to me.  But guess what? THEY DO.  Sometimes two weeks late if they’re very busy, but they write back a sincere note with an apology for their delayed response.  And they are equally thankful to hear from you and me.
  • When I used to work in the 9-to-5, I did the rounds of job interviews. And I went to a LOT! Like seriously, even the ones that may seem slightly off-tangent. But I believed in forming links through even the vaguest of job applications. Sometimes the interviewer would deem me unqualified/overqualified for the position BUT knew someone who needed someone like me.  He or she then passed my credentials to others which led me to eventually landing me a job. Every time I’d come out of an interview, I remember sending out a brief e-mail upon returning home (because back in the day you could only email from the home computer!), thanking them for their time and energy. It might not mean a lot, but it’s my way of acknowledging the other that I appreciate them for considering me worthy of their time at the very least.  Gratitude is also a skill to be practiced.  When I used to work in a PR firm, I was taught that all thank-you notes and responses after a correspondence, event or receiving something nice needs to be sent out IMMEDIATELY (no excuses nowadays with social media and smart phones!).  Now that I’m self-employed, I still continue this practice whenever I come home from any sort of  meeting, face-to-face or online,  results favourable or not. I say “thank you” not because I need to get something out of it, but I do it because I think the other deserves to hear it.
  • Finally, I count my blessings whenever I catch myself griping about something that is not up to par with my expectations.  When I catch myself in a spiritual snag, I blurt something out under my breath, sometimes struggling especially on days when things are going nowhere where I want it to. “Thank you for ____ ” or “I am grateful that ____”.  Yes, I whisper it out loud because I need to hear myself say it.  And it can be for anything, big and small, and the most trivial of things: from lying down on a comfortable bed, to having art supplies, to having all my faculties about and being  a fully abled and functioning human being, to having my husband and Jones on the couch with me, or the kind words someone shared with me that day. It’s easy to feel thankful when you get exactly what you want. The days that feel a bit more parched and wanting, however, are what I feel is the real challenge of my own sense of gratitude.

I think it’s also quite easy to dwell on what is not that it really takes will and conscious energy to embrace the is and the now.  The temptation to need and want abounds in many aspects of my life that gratitude acts as my anchor and beacon all at once, to shine the light on who and where I am supposed to be, which  is right here and now.

And that at this very moment, as an artist and everyday human being, I am gratefully enough.