Feed your artist soul: guest post

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Pastel landscape painting En plein air
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I’ve written about my attempts to feed my artist’s soul. Just heard from a subscriber about how she feeds hers—she invites others to join her on trips to Europe. Pretty cool.

Nina Weiss has been a professional artist and educator for twenty-five years. In all that time teaching she’s had many single women students at various stages in their lives and careers. She says she noticed that no matter how busy, stressed, and swamped they were, these women seemed compelled to find time somehow to attend an art class or carve out a weekend to attend a workshop.

“The women who attend my workshops come from all walks of life, including lawyers, architects; executives, and homemakers. They realize and honor the knowledge that no matter how fulfilling their jobs may be, they still have urges to dig a little deeper into their creative selves and give those urges an outlet.”

What happens when you honor these urges? Nina says, “Our creative selves are quiet, but they’re very important to our happiness and well-being. Creativity is a process that is not necessarily linked to outcome.” It’s more about the process, she says, and how that process makes us feel. “It can be something just for yourself and not meant to please anyone else…fulfilling and pleasurable regardless of how it turns out. Acknowledging the creative process can lead to a deep contentment that cannot be overestimated!”

Nina teaches classes and workshops throughout the United States. In case you find yourself with the urge, the time and the money, check out Nina’s European Landscape Painting and Drawing Workshop coming up. She’s been doing these workshops for ten years and says they offer a wonderful opportunity to give your creativity “free reign in a comfortable setting of like-minded travelers and artists under the tutelage of a compassionate and experienced teacher.”

BURFORD, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 21:  A view do...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

This year the workshops include a visit to the Cotswolds in England. I’ve been there and can tell you  it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I actually did a watercolor from a photo I did there—and sold that picture right away. You can check out a catalog of Nina’s workshops here and visit her website at www.ninaweiss.com.

“Whatever you do, be sure to go make some art and feed your soul!” says Nina. I second that thought.

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Earth Hour – and WOW, what an idea for a business

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Did you turn off your lights last night from 8 to 9 in support of the million-strong Earth-Hour movement to make a statement about global warming? Well, even if you didn’t, if you understand that we humans have the power to make change where it’s needed–to stop consuming so much of our earth’s resources as to leave it ravaged for our great-grandchildren–you can still get involved by changing small things in your daily rituals.

Surprisingly, studies show that leaving electrical appliances (chargers, etc.) plugged in when they’re not in use can increase your energy use by up to 10%!! So that’s an easy one–well, for some of us it might take a bit of thought to realize all the things I do leave plugged in…

And meanwhile, what do you think about the idea of having a business where your role is to provide “art vacations”? To go along with a bunch of interested single women and give them art instruction in places like the North Atlantic seacoast and Galway, Ireland, or in and around a restored monastery in Umbria, Italy? I love this idea that Nina Weiss has developed! You can find out more by visiting her art vacations website and downloading a catalog.