WORDS THAT INSPIRE

People and
rubber bands
have one thing
in common:
they must be
stretched to
be effective.

Author : John Maxwell

If so, I'm currently .... one 'effective' lady!

WORDS THAT INSPIRE

Be like a
steam kettle,
Though up to
its neck in
hot water,
it continues
to sing!

Author : Unknown

Busy with 'Spring-cleaning' and getting ready for the Christmas holidays ... and for the descenting hordes of family and friends ... visiting us, resting and cooling down here at the Coast!

So today my 'motto' will be "Even if I'm up to my neck in hot water (cleaning) ... I will 'continue to sing' ... knowing that I will soon be seeing and having ...family and friends, in my 'clean' home ... to treat and spoil to my hearts delight!

AND hopefully I'll have some WIP photographs up ((by this weekend) .... of some of my creative endeavors I'm currently working on ... only then I would feel that I'm, 'Blogging' to the full extent of the word!

BE CAREFUL

Be careful of your thoughts
For your thoughts become your words.

Be careful of your words
For your words become your actions.

Be careful of your actions
For your actions become your habits.

Be careful of your habits
For your habits become your character.

Be careful of your character
For your character becomes your destiny.

Author : Unknown

About 25 years ago ... as a young teacher ... I was asked by my Principal ... to each week, put up something 'inpirational' (on the Notice Board in the Staff-room).

And 'above' was the 'first' of these 'inpirational thoughts' that I was lucky to found in our local library... because since then 'this' was 'one' of the most important 'rules' ... I governed my life by... AND ... it was also, one of the first 'Nursery Rhymes' ... LOL ... I taught my children!

Well, today, one of my kids said ... that 'above' is so true! ... and so very obvious in 'his' life!

So my 'thanks' and gratitude, goes today, to this 'Unknown Author', who have not only unwittingly shaped my life but that of my children!

It seems that 'Blogging' forces, one to reflect.

Since I started with my blog 2 days ago ... I was very surprised at the paths my mind was wandering on ... and I came to realize that as a dabbler of all things arts-and-craft, unavoidably, the novelty of it soon wore off ... usually just as soon as I mastered or perfected that, particular art-or-craft form ... But with practicing the creative process of 'doll art' I have not only found my creative niche but it also have been ... the one constant 'thread' throughout my creative life and also 'that' of which I'll never tire off.

I also came to understand, the reason why I create dolls, ... it was not only to illustrate but share with other people my reality - the magical world of 'my imagination' and of the wondrous 'little' -characters, -fantasy creatures and -critters who exists, 'there'.

There is just nothing more satisfying for me as, to create, each of these, with its own distinctive personality and mood mostly also full of whimsy. The sense of joy and accomplishment I experience when I watch how people's facial expressions change from surprise to smiles of awe. I know that I and my little creation standing or sitting before them, have succeeded in taking them to a magical 'place' in time or to a 'land' of wonder and enchantment, if only for a moment.

I became totally obsessed (still am) with the idea of creating these one-of-a-kind fantasy figures and the fact that in the creation of these works, I would be able to use and incorporate all the many different art-and-craft -skills and different -mediums that I have done and enjoyed.

Without any formal art training or instructional material and doll classes, which even to date are virtually non-existend here in South Africa ... I pretty much developed and invented 'Doll Art' for myself, only to discover through the Internet that the foundations for these (original, modern, contemporary art doll making) were pretty much created and developed in the 1970's (mainly) in America.

I will never forget 'that' day, the end of 2004, when my family were hooked-up to the Internet for the very first time - through our 'dail-up-link'! That was when I found - that I was not the 'only one' in the whole wide world, that make 'these' dolls ... but that there were literally hundreds of us, scattered over the world!

I was pleasantly surprised - that just like me these doll makers chose to rather make contemporary art dolls, than taking the route of making - reproduction porcelain dolls, using moulds or wobbly-necked cloth dolls (toys) ... BUT ... what amazed me and my family the most was that the 'doll art' - techniques and skills that I have pretty much developed in isolation for myself, through sheer persistence, determination and through trail-and-error with what ever materials and tools were at hand ... - ... was in some cases very similar but at the same time, still many of mine were still uniquely only tried and done by me ... BUT .. at the same time this new found 'info' on the Internet, afforded me - the ability not only to learn about, new doll making processes, techniques, media, materials and tools ... in some cases it even brought 'instant' solutions to some of my design and doll making dilemma's.

I was so inspired and motivated by these (then for me very 'new') doll artists, doll magazines and the wonderfull original one-of-a-kind dolls that I saw on the Internet. It made me to again launch into doll making with a renewed passion, devouring everything (suddenly) available on the subject, importing books, speciality supplies and subscribing to almost every international doll magazine out there.

I desperately wanted to be part of this new found International Doll Artist Community (all keeping in touch with one another, via the many doll groups on the Internet). I consequently applied for membership to these online doll groups, introducing myself and my work by signing up and entering different challenges hosted by different Yahoo-doll-goups ... Goes without saying that I was just more than a little bit pleased when my dolls ... as the new comer from South Africa won all, but one ... I even had the opportunity to participate in my 1st International doll swap.

These, online doll making groups not just opened up, the Doll'Art'World for me but has given me a whole new direction. It not only afforded me the ability to continually learn new processes, techniques and by doing so expanding my knowledge but was also the forum where I could share (the same) in turn, not to mention all the wonderful, like minded friends that I have made - everyone working together, promoting contemporary art doll making.

So, in my mind the time is right, for me to start giving back (pay-forward) to this ever growing International Doll Community ... and the plan is to use this blog of mine, as one of the tools, to do so!

Please allow me the opportunity ... to thank each and every-one of you who have helped me ... in, (either word or deed), ... these last 4 years or so ... I often remember 'this' ... and ... I want you to know ... I carry you in my heart and consider you my friends, even though we have never met face-to-face.

So, please feel free to visit my blog ... and if you find anything of 'use' in the future ... you are welcome to it!

Wow....I'm Blogging...and doing so, all by myself!

INSPIRATIONS

When you are inspired by some great
purpose, some
extraordinary project, all your thoughts
break their bounds;
Your mind transcends limitations, your
Consciousness
expands in every direction, and you find
yourself in a new,
great, and wonderfull world. Dormant forces,
faculties, and
talents become alive, and you discover
yourself to be a
greater person by far, than you ever dreamed
yourself to be.

Patanjali (Second century B.C.) Philosopher