As the cold air in the morning struggles to warm itself in it's sunshine bathe, i feel myself slide into a familiar, and somewhat retrospective mindset. Autumn is like that. Time seems to slow, and so does everything around me.
Where i live there is no snow. Our's is a mild winter by many standards, but the change of the season is as if someone is playing with your mind more than obvious changes. Sure, trees become leaf-barren, and the mercury drops, but the most obvious change to me is the sinking feeling that creeps up, until you suddenly become aware that you're in it.
I wrote a poem called "Winter Solstice". That best describes the creative shift that i feel coming into this season.
Still, a few more weeks before i am kissed by her.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Creative Tension
...that's what my friend Clare calls it. I'm refering to the stalling tactics i use on myself to avoid doing the very thing i love doing most of all...writing music.
I can go for weeks doing everything BUT working on my music. There's plenty of distractions...and i tell myself i know what i SHOULD be doing. But i don't go there. I keep promising myself i will, but can always find the perfect avoidance tactic at the perfect moment.
Apparently i'm not alone. It's something that a lot of creative people i know experience. It's an angel-on-the-shoulder experience for some, knowing full well that you would be far more productive getting that project out of your head and started already!
"You need creative tension to release the beast", says Clare. maybe she's right. It's gets to the point where it becomes almost unbearable, and i finally give in. THEN, the rapture! The momentum! Everything just pours out, and i envelop myself in it's bliss. It seems to come from everywhere all at one, and magically spills out of me.
"Maybe if you didn't experience it, you wouldn't have such powerful outpourings," says Clare. Maybe she's right.
So for now, i will just explore it's possibilities. Easy to say that when it's pouring out of you. But i have written this to remind me, and anyone else who needs reminding, that maybe she's right. Maybe it's a good thing after all.
I can go for weeks doing everything BUT working on my music. There's plenty of distractions...and i tell myself i know what i SHOULD be doing. But i don't go there. I keep promising myself i will, but can always find the perfect avoidance tactic at the perfect moment.
Apparently i'm not alone. It's something that a lot of creative people i know experience. It's an angel-on-the-shoulder experience for some, knowing full well that you would be far more productive getting that project out of your head and started already!
"You need creative tension to release the beast", says Clare. maybe she's right. It's gets to the point where it becomes almost unbearable, and i finally give in. THEN, the rapture! The momentum! Everything just pours out, and i envelop myself in it's bliss. It seems to come from everywhere all at one, and magically spills out of me.
"Maybe if you didn't experience it, you wouldn't have such powerful outpourings," says Clare. Maybe she's right.
So for now, i will just explore it's possibilities. Easy to say that when it's pouring out of you. But i have written this to remind me, and anyone else who needs reminding, that maybe she's right. Maybe it's a good thing after all.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Art of ones life
Creative minds get inspired essentially because of what happens in their lives. It comes from an experience, a happening, a realisation, an experiement. It's a simple equation. A+B=C.
We all create our lifes based on our experience, regardless of whether we persue a creative outlet or not. We base daily decisions on our lives by such things as how much money we have in our pocket (shall i take the train or drive today?), how we feel about people (yikes! i don't want to bump into him!), and our attitudes (I love doing this!). And these perspectives were themselves born out of experiences and earlier perspectives, which in turn came from earlier ones, etc.
Some people make a living out of helping people trace back those steps to identify significant events in their lives...but what about those stepping stones ahead? If you look to the past, it becomes clear that your own choices lead you down your path, and so it makes sense that the choices you make now and tomorrow will create a new path into the future.
So, let's experiment.
How about changing one specific choice for one week, and see what happens to you, how you feel, and what your experiences are. It might be a complete change in dress style, listening to completely different music than your normally would, or hanging out with people you wouldn't normally speak to. The key to the exercise is that it needs to be a significant change, and one that will most likely redirect you for that week. You might be surprised at what happens.
Ok, what's the point? Well, our lives are a bit like a sculpture, each experience chipping away at our present self, and shaping our future self. Many people underestimate how much control they have in this somewhat artistic process. Some artists like to do these kind of experiements often, to keep their experiences and perspective fresh. I often read stories of how creative people came to do their projects, and it makes for facsinating reading.
Maybe after your week, you might have something facsinating to tell aswell.
We all create our lifes based on our experience, regardless of whether we persue a creative outlet or not. We base daily decisions on our lives by such things as how much money we have in our pocket (shall i take the train or drive today?), how we feel about people (yikes! i don't want to bump into him!), and our attitudes (I love doing this!). And these perspectives were themselves born out of experiences and earlier perspectives, which in turn came from earlier ones, etc.
Some people make a living out of helping people trace back those steps to identify significant events in their lives...but what about those stepping stones ahead? If you look to the past, it becomes clear that your own choices lead you down your path, and so it makes sense that the choices you make now and tomorrow will create a new path into the future.
So, let's experiment.
How about changing one specific choice for one week, and see what happens to you, how you feel, and what your experiences are. It might be a complete change in dress style, listening to completely different music than your normally would, or hanging out with people you wouldn't normally speak to. The key to the exercise is that it needs to be a significant change, and one that will most likely redirect you for that week. You might be surprised at what happens.
Ok, what's the point? Well, our lives are a bit like a sculpture, each experience chipping away at our present self, and shaping our future self. Many people underestimate how much control they have in this somewhat artistic process. Some artists like to do these kind of experiements often, to keep their experiences and perspective fresh. I often read stories of how creative people came to do their projects, and it makes for facsinating reading.
Maybe after your week, you might have something facsinating to tell aswell.
Friday, April 3, 2009
It's nice to be nice to the nice :)
There's been a lot of talk recently about big business learning from small business, and for years there's been a quiet evolution going on. Now that the shit has hit the fan, and big businesses are tumbling like dominos, many are sprouting about the "new way" to do business. But is it new, and is it radical?
Since 1996 i have been running my own micro business, and have kept to a few basic principals. I treat customers and clients with personal respect, and give them a say in their dealings with me. It's not difficult, in fact it's very gratifying. It's also not new. Village businesses for thousands of years have been trading in this way focusing on the person rather than "the deal". It's a trade. Someone needs/wants something that they can't make or provide for themselves, so they seek out a source. It's about an energy exchange, and sometimes it comes in the form of a swap of product or services, or more often an exchange of money.
And what is money anyway? If I keep chickens and have too many eggs than i can eat, i might swap some each week with my neighbour, who plants excess vegitables to exchange with me and others. Now we both have eggs and vegies. No money needed, just pre-planning. But the honey man doesn't need eggs or vegies, but i need honey. So i give him cash so he can swap that for something he does need, that i can't provide for him. So money is a way of exchanging an equivelent value of something which cannot be bartered. This simple perception of money is no different today. It's the spending of virtual money (credit) which makes things complicated and unstable.
I sell a lot of Tania Rose CDs via online auctions. In this way customers get to choose the value of the CD for themselves. A cd to one person might be worth far more than it is to another, so a customer can have a say, and only buy at the price that suits them. I like this feeling of fairness and bartering. It's also about the customer's experience during their purchase too. I like to have fun when i buy, and i think a lot of other people do to, so i like to share that in our communications and service with each customer.
But the feel-good doesn't end there. Once we're all happy with the exchange, and everyone has had a sense of fun, THEN we get to hear from people saying what a pleasure the whole experience was. You can't imagine the joy i feel when i read emails, messages and blogs from people about their possitive experience. Its like icing on the cake. Here's an example from Libby Varcoe
So, doing business with passion and personal detail isn't new. It's the old way to do business, just as if you are trading with your family or neighbour. There should be a feeling of satisfaction on both sides of the fence, and if your not feeling warm and fuzzy, then chances are neither is your customer.
Since 1996 i have been running my own micro business, and have kept to a few basic principals. I treat customers and clients with personal respect, and give them a say in their dealings with me. It's not difficult, in fact it's very gratifying. It's also not new. Village businesses for thousands of years have been trading in this way focusing on the person rather than "the deal". It's a trade. Someone needs/wants something that they can't make or provide for themselves, so they seek out a source. It's about an energy exchange, and sometimes it comes in the form of a swap of product or services, or more often an exchange of money.
And what is money anyway? If I keep chickens and have too many eggs than i can eat, i might swap some each week with my neighbour, who plants excess vegitables to exchange with me and others. Now we both have eggs and vegies. No money needed, just pre-planning. But the honey man doesn't need eggs or vegies, but i need honey. So i give him cash so he can swap that for something he does need, that i can't provide for him. So money is a way of exchanging an equivelent value of something which cannot be bartered. This simple perception of money is no different today. It's the spending of virtual money (credit) which makes things complicated and unstable.
I sell a lot of Tania Rose CDs via online auctions. In this way customers get to choose the value of the CD for themselves. A cd to one person might be worth far more than it is to another, so a customer can have a say, and only buy at the price that suits them. I like this feeling of fairness and bartering. It's also about the customer's experience during their purchase too. I like to have fun when i buy, and i think a lot of other people do to, so i like to share that in our communications and service with each customer.
But the feel-good doesn't end there. Once we're all happy with the exchange, and everyone has had a sense of fun, THEN we get to hear from people saying what a pleasure the whole experience was. You can't imagine the joy i feel when i read emails, messages and blogs from people about their possitive experience. Its like icing on the cake. Here's an example from Libby Varcoe
So, doing business with passion and personal detail isn't new. It's the old way to do business, just as if you are trading with your family or neighbour. There should be a feeling of satisfaction on both sides of the fence, and if your not feeling warm and fuzzy, then chances are neither is your customer.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Creative PMT & the madness of being
Being a creative person has it's highs and lows.
On the positive side ...well, it's pretty awesome to start out with absolutely nothing and fill that nothing with a something that previously never existed. It's a feeling of total satisfaction...for a brief moment at least...and in my case it's very brief, as my need to create is insatiable.
The journey is always unique, always significant personally, and each project seems to capture and freeze a time frame in my life (which can be good when you're feeling great, or bad if life was feeling pretty shite at the time).
The preceding process is almost always filled with angst, confusion, and other crappy vibes. In fact, they're usually the first signs that i know a project is about to be born. It's like a kind of creative PMT. If i don't get on with it, that PMT can last for as long as it takes before i finally birth that baby! I also find that i preoccupy myself with everything BUT starting something, distracting myself with anything i can possible think of and making myself sink further into the abyss. We could spend a lot of time debating why it is i do it to myself, but my guess is that it probably stems from my boredom as a child, which is what encouraged me to create my own stuff. So perhaps i'm subconsciously trying to bore myself until i can't stand myself any longer. Whatever the reason, i seem to take on a dual-personaility, half artist and half mad-woman. i must be a pain to live with at times!
Once i've thrown myself in the deep end, i'm quickly committed. I truly enjoy the process of creation, starting out with something raw...an idea, a skelaton, a fragment, or perhaps nothing but the moment itself and a big empty. I enjoy the crafting of it, the tweeking, the exploring...it's like an adventure in a new place, unknown territory. I love to flirt with serendipity and chance, and make the whole thing feel like it has a free will of it's own. I become dedicated, somewhat fanatical, and definately obsessed with it's exploration. Until there's a technical problem, or more likely I become the technical problem, stubbournly dig my heals and then sulk...briefly... until i find a way to let go, relieved and content with serendipity's kiss.
As with many artists, my internal world is filled with contradictions, fears and passion, which manifest in numerous ways when i work. But most days my world is filled with motherhood, business, and friendship, and my creativity brews under the surface, growing and festering under my skin.
Life is good
Monday, March 23, 2009
Too Good To Be True
Recently i've tried to give away a random CD to a random person.
By saying that i have tried i mean it literally. People are often suspicious of you offering something for nothing, out of the blue. They suspect there's a catch.
So i've been trying to give away a cd, and it has proved to be very trying indeed. Has marketing and consumerism sucked the life out of the power of a random act of kindness? Is it too much to take in that someone just might give you something because they can? Don't people believe in karma or serendipity anymore?
Try it yourself. I hope you have better luck than me. I DO live in the hope that we can beat this negativity by more of us offering random acts of kindness in our day to day lives. It doesn't have to be much. Just opening a door for a mother and her children, offering your good shopping trolley to the elderly person who is struggling with their runaway, or offering some of you homegrown tomatoes to your neighbour. It really is as much a joy for the giver as it is for the person who embraces your kindness.
By saying that i have tried i mean it literally. People are often suspicious of you offering something for nothing, out of the blue. They suspect there's a catch.
So i've been trying to give away a cd, and it has proved to be very trying indeed. Has marketing and consumerism sucked the life out of the power of a random act of kindness? Is it too much to take in that someone just might give you something because they can? Don't people believe in karma or serendipity anymore?
Try it yourself. I hope you have better luck than me. I DO live in the hope that we can beat this negativity by more of us offering random acts of kindness in our day to day lives. It doesn't have to be much. Just opening a door for a mother and her children, offering your good shopping trolley to the elderly person who is struggling with their runaway, or offering some of you homegrown tomatoes to your neighbour. It really is as much a joy for the giver as it is for the person who embraces your kindness.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Did ya ever dream?
Remember when you were a kid?
Remember the excitement and anticipation of becoming an adult. "when i'm a grown-up, I'm gonna.....". So what was it you were going to do? Whatever it was, it was pretty exciting, and you couldn't WAIT to get started, holding onto the magic of the idea and all it's merit.
So, now you're all grown up, did you do it?
Why is it that adulthood often quashes the dreams and aspirations of childhood? Why can't we indulge in a passionate reality, where we believe in possibilities and aspire to greatness? Surely we don't have to take ourselves so seriously all of the time. There is still so much to explore, create and discover. After all, aren't adults just older children?
Hold onto those dreams. Allow yourself to breathe life into them. When you were a child, the only thing holding you back was not being old enough to do what you wanted. Now the only thing holding you back is you.
Remember the excitement and anticipation of becoming an adult. "when i'm a grown-up, I'm gonna.....". So what was it you were going to do? Whatever it was, it was pretty exciting, and you couldn't WAIT to get started, holding onto the magic of the idea and all it's merit.
So, now you're all grown up, did you do it?
Why is it that adulthood often quashes the dreams and aspirations of childhood? Why can't we indulge in a passionate reality, where we believe in possibilities and aspire to greatness? Surely we don't have to take ourselves so seriously all of the time. There is still so much to explore, create and discover. After all, aren't adults just older children?
Hold onto those dreams. Allow yourself to breathe life into them. When you were a child, the only thing holding you back was not being old enough to do what you wanted. Now the only thing holding you back is you.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Family & The New Year spirit
Like most folks, the New Year to me symbolises a newness, an opportunity to throw off the excuses and execute a fresh and new approach, where each step is one closer to the unreachable "grown-up" within. It's a time to proudly look back, and with excitement look forward. It's a time when a part of me wants to rush ahead without looking down, and crash through my own boundaries, even if it means grazing my knees.As for the year that was, i am happy in many ways. In the case of recordings, the year finished with the recording of a children's CD, in which all of children and my husband Mark were involved. It was sprint to the finish, but we made it, and all still with laughter intact, and have a very special recording to share as a result. It's the favourite in our house...can't understand why...
2009 is shaping up to be another year of experimenting, and indulging in ideas that i have had for many years. A water album, perhaps (to follow on from the music of the air - Feather's Breath)...Serendipity is certainly playing her part in this, as she always does, literally handing me instruments and gadgets to record with. I also plan to spend more time recording songs, and see this as a major aspect of my time in the studio this year. There is much to achieve.
My friend Clare and i are still scheming with our photography projects, and have a lot of ideas and plans in the pipeline. Living in different parts of the country isn't easy, but we are planning to get together when we can and stuff ourselves silly with photo shoots and editing. Looking forward to getting my hands dirty!
There are lots of other opportunities to work with some fabulous Artists this year, and it's hard not to say yes to everything. I'd like to get back into drawing this year too, something i've been promising myself for some time now, and my sewing projects have now taken over half the house! None of them finished, of course.
So, less time online, and more time frontline, i think one could say. Maybe i need to turn that into a sign for my office....
Saturday, October 25, 2008
FEATHER'S BREATH CD is here!
Yep...how busy has it been here!
I began this recording well over a year ago, and though i feel weird releasing two recordings so close together, when you look at it, it's just that they both came to be finished near the same time.
A good part of my time is spend jumping from project to project...I'm a fire-stoker, you see. I have never been able to only focus on one project from start to finish. I like to keep my perspective fresh, and this is the way i've evolved my work.
i used to worry that i was never going to finish things. After all, i have cupboards filled with half knitted jumpers, half-sewn clothes, unfinished pictures, and less-than-completed songs. But somewhere amongst the chaos of leapfrogging from one thing to the next, things grow, until overnight it seems they are finally finished.
I am particularly fond of this recording, as it's the first public recording i have made with no electronic instruments, something i have been meaning to do for a while. This recording is one for the breath..
I hope you enjoy it as much i i truly loved creating it.
smiles to you,
Tania
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Meditations have Arrived
It's proving to big a big year.
I have just finished recording FEATHERS BREATH, which holds a special place in my heart. It's the first public recording i have made without any electronic instrumentation of any kind. It happened out of the blue, without plan, without thought. In a few days it will arrive, and i am sooo excited.
Talking about an arrival...The SECRET HEALING CD arrived a few weeks ago. Here is is fresh out of the box...
I can hardly keep up with things at the moment. The CD went berserk in the first week, which is why i haven't even written a post here yet to let you know it's arrived!!
It's all a bit daunting when i'm waiting for the first run of a cd. I get a bit scared of how the artwork will print, and wonder if the recording will live up to expectations. It's all the paranoid stuff that creeps it's way into my psyche. I usually distract myself while i'm waiting by launching myself into other projects...but the wait alwasys seems endless...2 weeks feels like months.
I'm very humbled by so much support, and do apologize this news isn't hot off the press. Don't worry, for those of you hanging out for these meditations, we have plenty of them, and will keep plenty of stock in reserve.
If you click Secret Healing CD album cover, it will take you straight to our Artscope Music ebay store. I promise to be more prompt with giving you the heads-up when Feather's Breath arrives.
Smiles to all of you for your generous support, and wonderful emails.
I remain your biggest fan...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
SECRET HEALING MEDITATIONS CD almost complete!
Yes, it's finally almost here. In a few weeks SECRET HEALING MEDITATIONS, my first spoken guided meditation cd is complete...so if you were planning to join the throngs who have been emailing me to ask when it will be released, you will no doubt hear about it soon.
As usual i've been working on several projects at once, and am getting very excited at them all nearing completion within the next few months. A second spoken meditation CD (no title just yet), and a long awaited recording FEATHERS BREATH will be following on the heals of SECRET HEALING.
It's been quite a productive time recently, though i have felt quite snowed-under with other things. The CORAL SEA DREAMING 2 film is nearing completion, with plans for release in 2009, and an assortment of other bits and pieces which may become more tangible projects in the next few months will keep me very busy for the rest of the year.
As usual i've been working on several projects at once, and am getting very excited at them all nearing completion within the next few months. A second spoken meditation CD (no title just yet), and a long awaited recording FEATHERS BREATH will be following on the heals of SECRET HEALING.
It's been quite a productive time recently, though i have felt quite snowed-under with other things. The CORAL SEA DREAMING 2 film is nearing completion, with plans for release in 2009, and an assortment of other bits and pieces which may become more tangible projects in the next few months will keep me very busy for the rest of the year.
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