Mother's Day Special

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th and I am offering FREE SHIPPING on hundreds of products that are made right here in Salem County! Greeting Cards, Canvas Prints, Magnets, Coasters, Oven Pot Holders, Clutch Bags, and Keychains. Use coupon code MOM2020 at checkout.

You can have your order shipped directly to mom and I will include a hand written note from you! If you want this option, please put mom’s address in the shipping address and type your note to mom in the "Order Notes” - I’ll handle the rest.

Offer cannot be applied to previous orders and is valid until May 4, 2020

Staying Motivated and Focused

I have been asked frequently by fellow artists and creative entrepreneurs how I stay motivated and find the time to make art while raising our young children. While I am flattered many people think I am accomplishing a lot, I sometimes feel like I am not doing enough. There is always more that could be done but I constantly remind myself that I am only one person with many responsibilities, just like everyone else. It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination! But I make my art practice and business a priority while still putting the needs of my family first. Below are some the strategies and systems I have found helpful in my art business practice that keep me motivated and focused.

Lists
There is no better way to keep me motivated and on track than a list of what I need or want to get done. I often joke that my lists have lists, which in all reality, they do.  I like to start my week by creating a "brain dump" list of all things I need or want to accomplish in the week. These things include household chores, errands, creative benchmarks, business items, and more.

Then, I organize my week by assigning my to do's to each day of the week. I try to group similar tasks on the same day or on days that I know I will have the time to successful accomplish those tasks. For example, if I know it's going to rain one day coming up, I'll schedule cleaning or paperwork for that day. If it's going to be a beautiful day, I'll run errands. You get the idea. I try to set myself up to be the most productive so I can check tasks off when completed.

This year I decided to combine my yearly business notebook (where I brainstorm ideas) with my planner. I purchased the Big Happy Planner in vertical format and it has been a game changer! Each week has space for my "brain dump" session and each day of the week has a section so I can designate which day I do certain tasks. I love that I can take the pages out and pop them back in place when I am done. You can view the planner I am using this year by clicking here.

Exercise
I know it seems counterintuitive to add another thing onto a never ending to do list, but exercise is a necessity for me. When I started to add in regular exercise to my day, it greatly impacted my ability to get more done and stay focused. By taking time for myself and moving my body, it makes me feel better about myself while providing more energy and motivation to get more done.

I also equate my exercise time to my once long commute when I was a tenured art teacher. I would drive 50+ miles one way to work and it provided me an opportunity to reflect and think. My drive was the best time to prepare for my teaching day by mentally going through all that I needed to accomplish when I arrived. I also had time to think of ways to improve my teaching and dream up projects. Now that I am a full time mom and business owner, my exercise time provides me with that same mental space to think and reflect about what I need to do or want to create.

Working Time
Another way that I stay motivated is by setting regular studio working time. Being a full time mom, it's hard to find the time, so I make it! I carve out nonnegotiable time to paint around my family's needs. For example, I wake up early to get an hour or two in the studio before my kids get up for the day. I also work after they go the bed. Even if I am exhausted after a long day, I make myself work to take advantage of the studio time. It's definitely not easy but it's easier to stick to a designated work schedule to keep myself focused.

Finding the Best Time
Another productivity tip I have discovered is to find the best time that I can successfully do a particular task. For example, I tried to exercise first thing in the morning. However, I quickly found out that it wasn't the best time for me do so. I performed better in the afternoon and could exercise while my kids played. That in turn freed up my early morning to paint in the studio before everyone else woke up.

I also categorize tasks by what I can do with my kids and what is best done with my full attention (i.e. painting). I usually run errands or clean the house with the kids. I save emails or other business related tasks for when they are sleeping or playing independently.

As my family grows and changes, I try to adapt to their needs while still striving to accomplish what I need creatively. It's definitely a work in progress that constantly needs balancing. I find it fun trying to figure out how to fit everything in. If you are an artist or business owner, how do you stay motivated and focused?

Experiencing Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development with Children in Your Life

While I was studying to become an art teacher, I was required to take many child and adolescent development classes since I would certified to teach grades K-12. In these classes we discussed the physical, emotional, and social growth that happens within childhood and how it will affect learning in a classroom setting. In my art education classes we also learned about a different type of child development: The Stages of Artistic Development by Viktor Lowenfeld. Today I am going to briefly describe these stages so you can better understand the ways in which children begin to express themselves visually.

The first stage is the Scribble Stage which occurs when children are between 2-4 years of age. In this stage children begin by scribbling their kinesthetic motions onto paper (and sometimes walls). In the late portion of this stage, children begin to name or tell stories about their drawings. This is the shift from the kinesthetic thinking to imaginative thinking with the ability to visualize pictures.

Children then move into the Pre-Schematic Stage when they are approximately 4-6 years of age. This occurs when children begin to draw images that represent either animal or human figures. They create connections with the shapes that they draw to objects in the physical world around them. The most important aspects of the subject are emphasized and the use of color is more emotional than logical.

The next stage of artistic development is the Schematic Stage which occurs when the children are about 7-9 years old. In this stage, shapes are assigned to objects and they are attempting to communicate with the images they create. Another important development is spacial awareness and the appearance of sky and ground relationships.

Children then move onto the Dawning of Realism stage when they are about 9-11 years old. Realism is more about the experience with the object rather than photographic representation of it. Drawings at this stage also have defined steps to the process. Enhanced understanding of space with the use of overlapping also appears. This is also the time in the development of children where self awareness appears as well as self criticism which can hinder the development of their artistic abilities.

The final stage of artistic development in childhood is the Pseudo-Realistic Stage which occurs when children are about 11-13 years old. In this stage, the product becomes more important than the process. They try to mimic the shapes and values that they see in the real world to create works of art that are ready for "stage presentation". Children will also make visual and emotional connections to the objects from the physical world through their drawings. 

Credit: Laurie E. Meyers showcasing Viktor Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development

As a mother, I am now experiencing the beginning of Lowenfeld's stages with my oldest child, Courtney. She is currently in the Pre-Schematic Stage where she is beginning to draw things that represent people or animals. Below are some unprompted pictures drawn by Courtney. It is so much fun to listen to her talk about her drawings and what she is trying to represent with her creations. In a future blog post I will provide you with suggested art materials and ideas to share with your child to encourage their development in their current stage.

References

Clements, Robert D., and Frank Wachowiak. Emphasis Art: A Qualitative Art Program for Elementary and Middle Schools. Allyn & Bacon, 2010

“Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development.” LOWENFELD, www.d.umn.edu/~jbrutger/Lowenf.html.

“Viktor Lowenfeld's Stages of Artistic Development.” Ms. Lewis' Art Stars, www.mslewisartstars.com/viktor-lowenfelds-stages-of-artistic-development.html.

How Becoming a Mother Made Me a Better Artist

Contrary to what most people would think, becoming a mother has given me the opportunity to be a more creative person. I am lucky enough to be able to stay home and raise my children as well as pursue a career as an artist. Since becoming a mother I have found ways to enhance my artistic interests by noticing more natural beauty, painting more often, and improving my time management skills to be super efficient.

Noticing More Natural Beauty

I have found that motherhood is made up of tiny moments strung together. Within those times spent with my children, I have had the opportunity to slow down and enjoy not only them, but the beautiful things that surround me everyday!

While outside playing with my kids, I often find small details that I probably would have never noticed before. Since my phone is usually handy, I like to capture photographs of those details that often last for nothing more than a moment. Most of the pictures that I take often end up being subjects of my paintings: flowers, sunsets, animals and landscapes. Below are some photographs that I have taken during our walks to the farm or around our home.

Painting More Often

Before I was a mother, I would often find myself yearning to create art, but as a tenured art teacher with a long commute each way, I didn't make the time to paint (besides classroom samples). 

As a mother, I have learned that you really do HAVE to make time for yourself. Since my husband works long hours, I found that creating art is a great "escape" from my everyday responsibilities without ever leaving the house. The best chance for me to work is during nap time or after they go to bed which provides the biggest chunk of uninterrupted time to paint.

Improved Time Management

To me, being an art teacher is about 75% logistics, time management and prepping. Directly after an observation, my principal (then new to our school) was so impressed with my ability to utilize time and organization to get so much accomplished with elementary students.  He stated I achieved more in 40 minutes with kindergarten students than anything he'd ever seen in a high school block scheduled setting. I never thought I could get better at these skills as I had them mastered in my classroom.

Fast forward to being a stay at home mom, I have fine tuned my ability to use time and priorities to be super efficient. (I could probably write a blog post just about this topic). I now categorize tasks by what I can get done with both children in tow, with one child in tow, and when both are sleeping or playing independently. This includes: household chores, errands, creating artwork, and business responsibilities. 

Some days I conquer the world, both personally and professionally. Other days I'm lucky to squeeze by. But I've learned that's motherhood, in all of it's strange glory. 

I'm so thankful for my beautiful children (you'll have to take my word for it as I don't post their pictures on the Internet 😉) and all that they have brought into my life. But most importantly, I am forever grateful for all they have taught me thus far and what they will continue to teach me in the years to come. Of all the works of art that I create, they will always be the most breathtaking masterpieces of my life.