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I kind of took a sabbatical when it comes to my art. I quit painting for fun and started trying to paint what I thought people wanted. I started comparing my art to everyone else's. I started to get so frustrated that nothing I made was selling. And I quit! I quit creating anything for about 2 years. because let's face it... that shit is toxic. I had to step away.
What I allowed it to do, once again, was make me doubt my ability to create. But this time it only lasted about a week. And then I gave that entire thought process the big FU finger wave! It wasn't others judging me, it was that self doubting little voice that I spent years strangling to death and burying. Bitch tried to come back to life!! Ah hell no!!
So those are just a tiny few lessons I have learned in the past couple of years. All that being said, I do have a web page with art for sale. Look, don't look, buy don't buy. I dig it, and that is really all that matters in my journey. Maybe you'll just enjoy looking at it and wondering what the hell I was thinking when I painted it?
Peace, Love and Funk y'all. www.suebrassel.com
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I know, you all are probably tired of my Dancing with the Montgomery County Stars post. This is my last, probably, maybe….. Saturday night when Jim Amidon leaned the mic over to me, my mind went blank. I had just survived dancing in front of 800+ people without falling on my ass, not once but TWICE…. And now they wanted me to talk?! OMG what’s next? I actually had a bunch of thank yous all planned in my head, but I really don’t do crowds. I talk a LOT one on one as anyone who has ever come into contact with me can tell you. But this was asking way too much. So here goes a long winded blog….. 1st of course I can’t thank Memo enough. I was terrified (and I mean heart thumping, hand trembling, freaked the hell out, terrified) of doing this in the first place. He held my hand, encouraged me, shouted dance moves at me, hugged me, he may or may not have watched some tears slide down my cheeks, and made me feel like I could pull it off. It wasn’t easy for him. First I tell HIM what song I want to dance to and HOW I want to do it. I am sure that is NOT what he had planned when he asked me to partner with him this year. It seems that I am a bit head strong, and he is too. So I got a bit of sadistic pleasure out of seeing who would win. Compromise. I compromised and wore a wig, I compromised and worse a dress, I compromised and wore heals, I compromised and wore more makeup than I ever have, including false eyelashes…. Do you see where this is going? Yes folks, Memo is always right. With his guidance I was able to twirl, grind and be lifted up into a beautiful swan like pose, all without losing my wig or crying! I still looked like I was killing bugs instead of doing graceful salsa moves, I had a look of terror instead of smiling, but damnit I DID IT! Thank you Memo. Thank you for putting up with my sarcasm. Thank you for pointing out I am a lot like Dori! (the silly fish in Nemo who can’t remember anything and gets distracted easily.) But most of all thank you for making me feel like Baby! I also want to thank my bestie Dianne Magstadt for sewing the perfect “Baby” dress for me. A lot of hours and fittings went into that. Oh and thank you for fixing my the strap on my dance heels when I decided to put them on with a little too much force Friday morning before the final practice. You truly saved the day! Thank you to those sweet gals up in Indy who helped me pick out my very first wig. I really think I could have rocked the Howard Stern look, but yes this choice was more fitting! Thank you to my hubby Drew for putting up with me. Never questioning the fact that I was driving to Lafayette repeatedly to practice at Columbia Park. Thank you to the geese at Columbia Park for moving out of the way when I asked, so poor Memo could get by you without being pecked. Your hiss was impressive but "I" knew it was all just for show. Thank you to my kids and and to my family for supporting me. Mandy for laughing like a hyena every time she watched a practice video, Sammy for telling me to breathe and smile, Jon for rooting for me from Florida and Andi for listening to me go from being so excited by the process to talking me down when I had a meltdown about it all. Thank you to Heidi Gambrel and Brian Bartlett for listening to me whine and bitch at every group practice because I couldn’t remember the moves. It was truly a fun dance and was never your fault that my brain could not absorb all the quick moves. (See mention of my Dori like qualities above) And thank you to all the pros and other dancers for encouraging me and telling me it would be ok, I could pull it off, no I wouldn’t land on my ass, or fall off the stage, or make a complete ass of myself. And one BIG final thank you. So far this has been all about me. When in reality none of this was ever about me (well a tiny little bit was but I digress). It was about fundraising for the Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau. Thank you to EVERYONE who donated money, silent auction items and time. I thought about you all when I went to an adoption hearing this morning. There were smiles and laughter and a few tears. Without the support from our community I would not have been that little girl’s CASA. I would not have been able to fight for her rights the last 3 years. Maybe she would have still been adopted….. maybe not. I can tell you for certain she would never have had anyone fight for her, agonize over her best interest and celebrate her joy as I did this morning. So Montgomery County let me thank you for being there for her, as you are for so many other youth in our community. By supporting this fundraiser you supported them! Kudos to you!!!
Anyone who knows me well knows I shake and my voice tremors when in a crowd of people. So why in the world would I say yes to dancing in front of 800 people!?
Well, for one it is for a wonderful cause. We have an awful meth and heroin problem in Montgomery County, as do other counties. There are over 130 kids that are suffering because of this issue. They are placed with relatives, or in foster care with strangers. For now they are safe, but not necessarily happy. Most kids just want to be with their mommies and daddies no matter what the issues are. These drug addicts are not only parents, they are someones child, sister or brother. People love them too. Sadly, they have made some very messed up decisions that led to their addiction. But while they are trying to get their lives straight (some never do) we can advocate for the kids and make sure they have everything they need. Each sibling group is appointed a CASA Volunteer. Without this fundraiser we couldn't help all of these kids, not to mention the kids in our other programs. So there is that..... Another reason: Do you ever get tired of sitting on the sidelines watching others have fun because you are too scared shitless to join in and put yourself out there?? Well last year I decided to challenge myself in new ways. Since that time I have self-published 3 grown-up coloring books, made new friends, and just had a lot more fun. Dancing with Memo in Dancing with the Montgomery County Stars should be the ultimate challenge! Our short term challenge is to reach our goal in our GoFundMe account before the other 11 couples. For everyone out there who has been too shy to jump in and have fun..... help a sister out. Every penny will go towards helping Montgomery County kids. $5, $10, $20... it all adds up. Peace and Love, Sue There is nothing wrong with C'ville, I love my little town. But I think it might be time to "take it on the road". Time to get out an meet some new peeps. I found what looks to be a cute little market place at the Southport Antique Mall. I will be there October 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Come see me. It looks like there are some really cool vendors!  If you read articles or bios about me you'll already know I have been doodling for years. Lines here, circles there, eyeballs and feathers... pure random craziness. About 6 years ago I decided I wanted to put my doodles on t-shirts. That little idea resulted in a high dollar direct to garment printer. Go big or go home, right? What I discovered during this adventure was I suck at marketing. Another thing I suck at is creating designs and being directed on how to do my artwork by others. I also discovered unless you are doing mega business your high dollar printer will keep clogging up and cost you even more money ruining t-shirts! Finally one day the printer had a major error message, I packed it up in the box, a VERY big box I might add, and said I'm done! If I have learned anything in my 55 years on earth it is when something is over, it's over. Don't waste energy crying about it and analyzing why it didn't work. On to the next adventure! Time is wasting. I probably only have another 45 years on earth, I need to get on with it. (Yes you read that right!) During this t-shirt adventure I was elbow deep in mixed media as well. Papers, paint, wood, metal... throw it together and a beautiful piece of art emerges. I put doodling on the shelf because in my mind it was a lesser form of art. "Seriously anyone can grab a piece of paper and a pen and do what I was doing." I thought. The next few years I created mixed media, sculptures with stuffed squirrels, and even a bit of stained glass. What I learned during this period was I love trying all kinds of mediums and mixing things that other people don't think belong together. I also discovered despite buying all the proper stained glass tools I find it way was too tedious and less forgiving. I still doodled occasionally. By now I found out others called it Zentangle® inspired art. People online create all of these Zentangle® patterns. Well that enhanced my doodles just a bit. The problem was I still felt like it was a "lesser art form". So continued working with paint and canvas because those are true artist tools. Keep in mind all this shit is in MY head, ok? No one is telling me these things. I have always wanted to publish a book. The trouble is I am not very wordy. I write like I talk, and I really could care less if I am seen as professional or educated. I am ME. What I lack in intelligence I make up for with cleverness. So what in the world do I have to offer the world? Well peeps, I came up with the answer. I bought some new Micron pens, some nice Bristol paper, a drawing desk that I set in front of a flat screen tv next to a window … and I doodled my ass off. I doodled every spare moment. I lovingly scanned these doodles into my laptop after each was complete. This was making me happy. Doodles were NOT a lesser form of art. Especially when they are going to help others reduce their stress, slow down, and just BE in the moment. I taught myself to format a book (see how clever I am?) and Wanderlust the coloring book was born. I didn’t even take a break. I started right in on the next one. I did decide that having a theme for the books was stifling my creativity. I love random. I embrace random. So after a month or so Random Doodles V1 was uploaded and available on Amazon alongside Wanderlust. Now here is where it gets crazy. Out of all of the funky art I have done (I have also learned to embrace the fact I am an artist and my work has value) these damn things are selling. I mean I am not on the best sellers list or anything, but women are snatching them up and asking when the next will come out. They are learning to let go, relax, just color and be in the moment. Coloring books? Doodling? Whodathunk? Moral of the story: When the Universe puts ideas in your head, opens doors and things flow freely, go with it! Get out of your own way. Don’t get hung up on the negative thoughts in your head. They are YOUR thoughts, not necessarily reality. And if you get bogged down by those negative thoughts and doubts that is exactly what you’ll attract. If you change your thinking, and put positive thoughts and confidence out there the Universe will say, “Hell, let’s reward her with some good shit now. She finally gets it!” Grab a copy of Random Doodles V1Click on the book below to go to Amazon. Use coupon code EFDQCJGR to receive $1.00 off. My thank you for reading my rambling thoughts today!  Misty from Indiana is the winner of the Wanderlust coloring book. You can get your copy by clicking on the cover below and ordering from Amazon. If you are local visit me at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and get a copy for a discounted price of $8.00. Happy Coloring! 
Lately there have been numerous articles on the therapeutic benefits of coloring. Ask any artist why they paint, draw, play music, or craft. More than likely they will tell you that is because it helps them deal with stress and it soothes their soul. Most of us artists HAVE to create, it is ingrained in who we are. It's how we express ourselves.
Now anyone can reap the soothing benefits of creating art. All it takes are some fun designs and some colored pencils. Here is your chance to try it for free. Enter below for your chance to win Wanderlust. Enter by Saturday at midnight and I'll announce the winner Sunday. Comment on this blog. When was the last time you colored. And then leave the name you commented with in the entry form. You can enter gain by visiting my Facebook page. Show me a little love if you feel so inclined and "like" my page.  For years and years I have doodled. It helped me focus in class as a kid. As an adult it has got me through numerous meetings, and calmed me when things were a bit tense.
For awhile I set my doodling aside and took up mixed media. I treated doodles like they were a lesser form of art. Something to do in the privacy of my home. I have tried many mediums and always come back to my Micron pens and Bristol paper. They give me comfort. Doodling slows my mind down and let's it wander. I can't tell you how many ideas have came to life as I doodle. How many problems I have worked through as my pen glides over the paper. Coloring is as soothing as doodling. I realized this as I grabbed my colored pencils and made the doodle come to life. Everyone is racing here and there. Parents are like taxi drivers. Sometimes you just have to STOP.... and COLOR. I am not kidding. Try it. Go to Walmart and grab some colored pencils. (I love Prismacolor, but they aren't cheap!) Surf over to Amazon and pick up a copy of Wanderlust. Grab a glass of wine, turn on some good tunes, sit down.... and COLOR. It eases the tension in your shoulders, relaxes you and frees your mind. It truly is a new form of meditation. It's also a lot healthier than a lot of things you could do to ease the stress in your life. (I am NOT going to give examples. Use your imagination!) And because I want to spread some love, here is acoupon code for 10% off. L4QHXKC8 Happy coloring, Sue 
Meet Hugo (squirrel) and Zeke (bird). They are ready to fly into your world from parts unknown. Zeke is a beautiful bird with a funky steampunk flair. Hugo is a perfect little squirrel. The taxidermy on this little guy is superb. He has a messenger bag filled with treasures from his travels, including a journal. And yes....he is throwing the world a peace sign!! This sculpture was so much fun to create. The pictures do not to it justice. There is so much detail and it is so funky and fun!
 I haven't written a blog in what seems like 100 years. Life sometimes gets in the way. I also haven't painted in a few months. THAT is the hardest for me to believe. If I don't have time to totally immerse myself in a painting I just won't start it. Drewbie and I planned a trip to Pensacola, FL this month to dip our toes in the surf and get sand in our suits. If you have never seen or felt the beautiful, silky white sand on Pensacola Beach put it on your list of destinations. Our lodging in Pensacola is among some of the finest in the nation. The Walton Inn. Never heard of it? LOL Millie and Fred are the most thoughtful hosts. This vacation is more than sun and sand! It's having the best time possible with our long distance besties. This could account for the lack of painting. When we planned the trip we just said, "Hell with it, we'll find the money!" You know, sometimes the Universe just steps in and provides. So I got the beads out and got busy. Because while the Universe does step in and make shit happen, it just might need a little cooperation from me. I have been setting up every Saturday at the Crawfordsville Farmer's Market. This is my first year for this and it is really a pretty cool Saturday morning destination. Walk down Pike St. and you'll see veggies, flowers, plants, eggs and maybe even a hen clucking! There is a coffee vendor and the gal across from me sells the most amazing breads and cinnamon rolls! If you have always wondered if pigs fly... I am here to tell you they do! I see one each week at the BBQ truck. You can even watch artists from Athens Art Gallery getting their creative mojo on. If you haven't been to the Farmer's Market get down there this Saturday morning and support your local folks. I'll have funky new items each week. Feel free contribute to the Pensacola or Bust fund. I won't be mad about it :-)  |
AuthorWho am I? Wife, mother, grandmother, friend, quirky kinda chick with a laugh that is too loud and a sense of humor that is at times a bit warped. Archives
April 2019
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