Today: I’m thinking about what I’d love to accomplish, this week, this month, this season in the midst of kittens, sparkles & art school!
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Attending art school has always been a narrative that flowed alongside my life, particularly the Ontario Collage of Art and Design or OCAD (formerly OCA). When I was in junior high, one of my best friends had a dream of going there. At 14 she was already working on her portfolio. She took me down to The Grange, which was right by the art college and, at the time, was a beautiful little warren of exclusive shops and restaurants worthy of artists and their patrons. When my parents divorced, my mom pursued her artistic aspirations as a part-time student at OCAD, studying everything from sound to colour theory. My aunt went to OCAD. My sister Shannon went to OCAD. And my husband, Justin, went, for a time, to OCAD too.
But I never thought it was something for me. Out of all the arts, the visual arts have been the most intimidating to me, the most rife with art wounds. Over the past decade, I’ve given myself many opportunities for healing. I’ve attended all kinds of art classes, both online and in Toronto. I’ve spent hours art journaling, doodling and playing with drawing and painting. Every Sunday we have Art Day.
I’ve held it all lightly, as lightly as I could, and did my best to create for myself the encouraging environment I’d never been able to find.
This year, I’ve signed up for a class at an art school, not the iconic OCAD but a reputable school nonetheless. I’m doing a week-long immersive in collage – starting Tuesday. I’m so glad that I planned this many months ago when the beginning date was far enough away to be less scary. Now that I’m right on the cusp of the start, I’m committed. The decision has been made. The money has been paid. All that’s left is to go.
As I prepare for this next adventure, I’m so aware of all the stories I have in my heart me about art school and what this course is likely to be like. Here are just a few.
And here’s what I know; those are just stories. Sure, they are stories rooted in past experience but they have no bearing on what next week will be like unless I wash everything in their colour.
But one of the things the kittens are reminding me of is just how unpredictable life’s adventures can be. This is why we creative adventurers benefit so powerfully from our practices, so we develop our muscles for showing up and being present to the moment; and from our projects, which nourish our confidence and grow our capacity; and from our performances, where we learn to trust ourselves to dance with whatever shows up and use it as nourishment for our creative lives.
I wonder which of my stories will be affirmed and which will be obliterated. What I promise myself is that I will enter this art school exploration with an open heart and a curious mind. From there, we’ll see what happens. Wish me luck on the adventure.
We are back after our first live show. Thank you to everyone who came out to hang with us live! Today on stART there is a lot of art going on, from painting to drawing to finishing up courses and starting new ones. We also talk through some challenges, including when you don’t feel like doing a project and when to break out of being inflexible.
Yesterday was a very intense day for the kittens and all who love them: their second trip to the vet. That also meant their second time in a carrier and I’ve been nervous about that aspect for days! We tried putting treats in the carrier and were surprised when Shibumi walked right in! Escher, who loves treats, was very interested but very cautious. He needed a push on the bum and a quick-shut door to secure him inside. Our skittish Scout was another story. He looked inside at the treats but the minute he sensed me near, he tried to bolt. I grabbed him as securely as I could and he fought hard but, sweet soul, he kept his claws in and I was able to get him in the carrier.
They were all frightened but Scout was terrified. He howled the entire way, clawing at the door, trying to escape. I held the front of the carrier right up to my tummy to secure the door and limit the visual stimulation of the outside world. We got their safe and sound but I dreaded what was to come.
Scout went first. Last time he threw himself all over the office and peed on the vet when she tried to catch him. With the way he’d responded in the carrier, I didn’t know what we were in for. Amazingly, he stayed still as we held onto him. Dr. Jen was gentle and firm and examined him closely. She was surprised at his size, examined his teeth and ended up reassessing the age of the kittens. It turns out they were likely 4 months, not 3, when we found them and are now at the 5-month mark. (Can you believe it’s been a month?)
Scout shows every indication of being healthy. He still has his baby teeth and has grown from 4.5 to 6 lbs! I pet him as he received his second round of vaccinations and, considering all he’d been through, he was quite content to get back into his carrier this time around.
Escher is the most reserved of all the kittens. He’s nervous and wary a great deal of the time, though slowly he’s shown signs of wanting to be near us. He was still for most of the examination and he’s looking good as well. He does have a tendency to have quite weepy eyes but Dr. Jen assured us that as long as the discharge stays clear there’s not too much to worry about. All of the kittens had blood taken to see if there are any underlying problems and we’ll hear back soon.
Our second little boy also looks healthy. He’s got a grown-up incisor just starting to come in and, like his brother, weighs in now at 6 lbs.
And Shibumi was feisty as always. We managed to keep her still but she was roundly unimpressed by getting two needles. Still, it couldn’t have been too bad because she was purring so loudly Dr. Jen couldn’t get a clear hear of her heart and lungs, LOL! Justin’s right; Shibumi has two modes – angry and purring.
She’s the smallest of the bunch, weighing just 5 lbs, but her adult teeth are the farthest along. She was also the first to get back to normal when we got back home, ready to sit down and have her dinner.
We’ve made so much progress with these three and, of course, I was nervous about the stress of the visit being a major setback. Scout and Escher are still staying away from me today but they were all ready for breakfast, with Shibumi even wrapping herself around my legs in anticipation. I’m sure a few more days and we’ll be back on track with settling in, plus we’ll feel secure that they’ve been well taken care of.
I can’t tell you how blessed we all feel to have been so powerfully supported by this studio community. We are so grateful for all of the helpful advice, inspiring encouragement and the love notes about the kittens. I am especially thankful to all of you who have signed up for Sparkles and encouraged others to sign up too – you are all honourary aunties!
The kitten-dedicated registration fee made all the difference when we were faced with a 4-figure vet bill yesterday. With their spay/neuter surgeries on the horizon, every bit of support helps us in caring for these unexpected treasures in our life. Who knew that one month ago today, when I went out for coffee with a friend, I would end up bringing home 3 abandoned kittens and giving them a home, not only here but in your hearts as well. My eyes are full of tears and my heart is full of love and gratitude.
Thank you, from all of our hearts, for being on this journey with us.
Taking in three abandoned kittens came as quite a surprise – as does three vet visits, three sets of vaccines and three spay/neuter surgeries! So we’re getting creative and relaunching the Sparkles e-course in support of these much-loved rescues! We’ve even made the registration fee adjustable in case you want to add a little extra to their care package. We know they’d appreciate it.
Today: It has been an intense time in the studio these past couple of days – getting ready to Sparkle, getting ready for art school and getting our rescued kittens to the vet! No wonder I turned to my art for some ease and renewal.
If you’d like to see more in the studio pictures, be sure to join me on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook.
Randi Buckley writes and coaches emotionally aware, deeply contemplative women toward finding their truth and finally giving voice to their deepest desires. Her work, through many lenses, helps women to find their truth in life’s biggest questions, and be at peace with it. She is the creator of “Maybe Baby- For Women Ambivalent about Motherhood”, “Healthy Boundaries for Kind People” and the “Viking Woman Workshop”. Her clients call her “equal parts Pema Chodron, Sofia Loren and Clint Eastwood, with a splash of George Carlin.” She’s Associate Dean of Skogfjorden Norwegian Language Village, too, and practitioner of the Holy Trinity of intuition, mischief, and kindness.
Taking in three abandoned kittens came as quite a surprise – as does three vet visits, three sets of vaccines and three spay/neuter surgeries! So we’re getting creative and relaunching the Sparkles e-course in support of these much-loved rescues! We’ve even made the registration fee adjustable in case you want to add a little extra to their care package. We know they’d appreciate it.
Are you aching to bring your creativity to life but simply feel you don’t have enough time? Are your coloured pencils languishing in the corner? Is that journal still blank? Do you keep meaning to write but you never get around to it? Does your body long to dance? Is your creative spirit wondering when you’re finally going to invite her out to play?
Sparkles is for you.
Do you feel like you’re living your life in black and white? You’ve got your day job and lots of responsibilities. Your to-do list seems endless. You look longingly at the art supply store when you walk by but, seriously, who has time for that stuff?
Sparkles is for you.
Is there a little secret seed in you that says, “I’m creative.” Maybe you haven’t told anyone. Maybe you’ve barely told yourself. But somehow you hear that whisper again and again but you’re just not sure what to do about it.
Sparkles is for you.
Or maybe you’re at home with your creativity, maybe it’s how you make your living, but sometimes you just get burned out. You need some creative nourishment, some tasty morsels of inspiration to fill your creative well. You’re hungry for it!
Sparkles is for you too.
For 31 days, you’ll go on an adventure designed to awaken your creative spirit and fill you and your days with sparkle. Each day, you’ll receive a quick-to-read, quick-to-do inspiring creative exercise in your inbox. Lessons come from an amazing array of creative guides from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. photography, writing, painting, sound, dance – even food!) They’ll show you how to get creative, even when you feel like you have no time at all!
And for the first time ever Sparkles is being offered LIVE! From August 1st to 31st we’ll go on the journey together, sharing our adventure in a Facebook group and cheering one another on!
What if I’m not creative?
The truth is: you are. Yep, we human beings are wired to be creative. And then something awful happens, often when we’re young. We start to get ‘sorted’ into the artists and the non-artists. A teacher, a parent, a classmate gives you the message that you’re of the non-singer ilk, that you’re not a dancer, that you can’t draw. It’s not true. You get to do all of that. All of the arts are there for all of us to enjoy. Sparkles will give you a chance to remember the joy of words and colour and sound and movement. You will rediscover what as a kid you knew; you are creative.
I’m already an artist. Will Sparkles do anything for me?
As artists, we consistently need to fill our well. New experiences, new teachers, new mediums, all of these things help keep our creative fire alive and sparking new ideas and that’s exactly what Sparkles provides. On top of that, you’ll learn from some truly amazing teachers.
Do the lessons really only take 5 minutes?
When we created Sparkles, we had several beta testers go through the process so that we could be sure that each prompt was clear, easy and awesome. The feedback we received helped us make sure that each lesson was truly 5 minutes – though we also heard they were so great that often people wanted to spend more and more time with them! And if you want to, you absolutely can.
What difference can 5 minutes make?
It can change everything. When you know, like, really in your bones know, that your creative spirit can be nourished in just 5 minutes, you won’t have to wait any more. You will no longer be stuck in that painful creative limbo, with so much inside of you unexpressed and frustrated. You will know that right now, right here, there is room for your creative spirit to sparkle.
I’ve done Sparkles before. Can I do it again?
Absolutely! The prompts will be the same but the LIVE! experience will bring a whole new element to the journey. Just as we journal, doodle and dance again and again, these sparkles are beautiful to return to.
Still have a question? Email me
Taking in three abandoned kittens came as quite a surprise – as does three vet visits, three sets of vaccines and three spay/neuter surgeries! So we’re getting creative and relaunching this much-loved course in support of these much-loved rescues! We’ve even made the registration fee adjustable in case you want to add a little extra to their care package. We know they’d appreciate it.
Your heart will start sparkling right away with your do-gooding!
