i he(art) seattle

This past weekend… and yes, time has been flying by for me… I experience two polar opposites. The easy breezy tranquility of a Lavender Festival on Saturday and obstacle laden glory of the Warrior Dash on Sunday. It was actually awesome.

The Lavender Festival was nice, the only beef I had was with the weather it was overcast all day and about 60-65 degrees, and it rained a few times while we were there. This weather has also effected the lavender itself and we saw smaller stalks and less overall, but it still smelled great and was very pretty. I love lavender for it’s relaxing scent and its healing, calming properties overall. The festival had all things lavender from spicy chicken rub seasonings, lavender and raspberry pancake mix, to spicy mustard with lavender. Of course there was the lavender lemonade (which sadly used a premixed lavender syrup), lavender ice cream, oh and other fun stuff like BBQ Oysters and Corn on the Cob.

The Warrior Dash was also on a cloudy overcast day but I was a bit warmer out, maybe 63-68, so I pulled myself over to the event. My friend had a computer malfunction that morning so I was not sure if we were going to make it but we did! We ran in the 4pm wave and I thought I’d have less energy that late in the day but by the time we finally arrived all the crazy costumes and music and fun going on got us ready to roll! I wish I’d have taken more pictures didn’t want to get my camera too muddy. Next time, I will need a friend that just wants to watch and take pics come with. It’s really fun even if you don’t run.

So the Warrior Dash itself was only 3 1/2 miles but there were 11 obstacles in between the start and finish line some of them being as simple as a field of tires and busted up totaled cars and as difficult as flames (yes, I had to leap over fire!). My favorite obstacles were the climbing wall, the web of ropes we had to climb over, and the planks we had to slowly walk over (with great balance!). Overall it was awesome… I think I am ready to move on to something a bit more serious like a triathlon which has been my not so secret desire for the past few years. I’ve always been worried about my swimming skills not being up to par but I think I should maybe just do it! I’ll probably need to stick to 5 or 10Ks for awhile while I’m in grad school though.

We shall see!

Today I attended a Get Motivated! Seminar in Seattle WA. At first I was not going to attend but the lure of seeing Bill Cosby and Colin Powell speak in one day won me over. Those two were not even the only greats that spoke there… it was a full line up of business, leadership, team building, and finance focused folks that motivated and inspired a full house in Key Arena to get up get out and get something. Motivation is good for the soul!

Here are 8 top tips I learned from this even that I’d like to share:

1. Persevere. This was touched on by mostly all the speakers but Colin Powell said it best when he reminded us, “It isn’t where you start, it’s where you end up.” I would add to that that it’s not even where you may be right now… it’s where you are headed. Make that vision for yourself and keep at it daily.
2. Recognize others. Powell also said he writes notes on index cards with his name on them to people often just saying “Job well done” and “Thank you for your service.” That personal touch and appreciation can go along way and it makes you feel good to notice others giving it there all. He also mentioned discipline in teams and if a person is not caring their weight calling them on it. I think so many times we let people get away with things and it effects us. Stand up for yourself and your values and speak your mind to others. At least you and they know where you stand.
3. Laugh at yourself. Bill Cosby joked, “So you guys need to be motivated. You need us to come up here and tell you to get motivated.” His entire speech was full of quips like that and it helps me to see that, well, it’s funny to be de-motivated. I mean, this is my life and it’s my job to stay encouraged and get myself back on track if I’m not. BUT it’s also not the end of the world if I need a little help… just smile and dust yourself off and keep it pushing.
4. Believe in yourself no matter what. A very weird white guy (he’d love that I said that) named Jack Smith had a lot to say about confidence. He told us how he didn’t do too well in school and his teachers said he wouldn’t amount to much. They gave him the typical speech on how he wasn’t qualified for this and that as a career and he said he really didn’t listen to them. He said the difference between people who never gave up and people who did was that they didn’t listen to any naysayer’s and just did it anyway. They just believed in themselves no matter what. Sure we always have our down days but after you take the blow… don’t throw in the towel.
5. Walk with your passion. Powell spoke on this and how important it is to walk with an intensity of belief in yourself and what you do.
6. Trust others to follow. Powell again spoke on how a good leader empowers his troops to have what they need to get the job done. This is even helpful in finding mentors or people to follow… do they empower their troops?
7. Keep someone in your corner that challenges you. Funny thing is, all the men, Cosby, Collin and Dan Rather talked about their wives and how these women challenged them. They spoke on how their wives keep them humble and reminded them of their humanity even when the rest of the world saw them as perfect. Its so important to have a partner that inspires you to do and be better and reminds you from where you came. It’s great to see great men speak of the great women that are in their corners and not at the door playing the mat.
8. Change every day. Krish Dhanam spoke on spirituality, love and God. He was a student of Zig Ziglar and said that Zig had a prayer basically asking God to work in his life each day changing him in the ways that he needed them. This speaks to how everyday we wake up with a new chance to move forward and grow and be changed. We are works in progress with the privilege of growth with God (or whomever we believe in).

This weekend was amazing! It was a 4-day extravaganza filled with some of favorite things and favorite people… I got some sun, didn’t get rained on, and had a blast! Check out my review, some pics and some links too:

• Yoga at Sound Yoga in West Seattle
• Coffee break with my planner pad
• Friday night Comedy Show and dress up with the girls
• Early morning run on Beach Drive
• Cloud staring and sunbathing near Alki Beach overlooking the Puget Sound
• Tea time with the ladies at Healing Garden Tea Room in Tacoma
• Rare and out of print bookstore finds in Tacoma
• Sorting and organizing of art supplies
• Entire box of art supplies ready for garage sale
• Mid-day relaxing yoga sequence
• Lazy Sunday of obsessively watching Ancient Aliens History Channel series on my iPhone Netflix App
• Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (YUM)
• Early morning dance party with Raphael Saadiq’s Pandora Channel
• Family Seafood Boil Potluck (Double YUM)
• S’mores!!!!!

My favorite places to chillax and enjoy the sunset is Lowman Beach Park. It’s is small, but has some surprises… it includes about 300 feet of rocky, saltwater shoreline a few blocks north of Lincoln Park. Above the beach is an acre of grass with tennis courts, swings… view of the Olympics, Alki Point, and Williams Point.

I waves are gentle but restless, the air has a chill but is fresh and breezy… I enjoyed the sunset along with a cute couple and their dog playing fetch, an older woman paddle surfing with ease, sun bathers, and snorkelers.

This past Saturday was the Pratt Fine Arts Center’s 28th Annual Fine Art Auction and I, along with hundreds of other generous artist from the Pratt family, made a donation of a piece of work. There were over 300 works of arts at the auction and it was a wonderful event! There were 3 silent auctions and a live auction along with dinner. I can happily say my piece was bid on multiple times and the winner kept an eye on the piece until the close of the bid to make sure he took it home! YAY

This was my first time donation a piece, and even thought it was hard to see it go… I was happy to donate to Pratt and happy to see it so well received and going to a happy home! Makes me want to run back in the studio and make more art!

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010.

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Going.

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Going....

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Sold! To the highest bidder!

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Red balloons & high ceilings at Hanger 30.

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Wine & good times.

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Salad.

Pratt Fine Art Center Auction 2010. Artist: Kamla & Amy Lee

My favorite First Thursday’s Art Walk are always in the spring… when it stops raining. So you’ll catch me there May – September Seattle’s drier sunnier months. This one was special, I saw plenty art – too much to share sadly but I did mange to grab a bit

Kamla Kakaria Mixed Media

Rickie Wolfe Mixed Media

Rickie Wolfe Mixed Media

Rickie Wolfe Mixed Media

David Weed Lights Installation

David Weed Lights Installation

Tatanya Brown, Flower Fairy

These artist on the walk were great too, I just didn’t snap a photo: Sara A. Everett, Kate Vrijmoet, Howard & Lorraine Barlow, and Jody Joldersma.

Happy new year 2010, originally uploaded by Selva Ganapathy.

Yes!! The new year is upon us and I’m pretty excited to say good-bye to 2009 and hello to 2010!! 2009 was full of personal growth and many learnings for me… I realized my creative talents are not limited to visual design but I also enjoy and am capable in code and technical creative problem solving as well and I love it! I also learned how to better work with other creatives, follow a lead for deeper understanding of a creative project, and test ideas more deeply to find the best solution to visual and technical projects. I also enjoyed reaching out to other talented creatives across the board in photography, design, programming, idea generation, and the written word. Really creating a closeness that results in the exchange of wisdom and even more creativeness!

There are so many artist in the world, exploring their talents, sharing their gifts, and discovering new pathways of self expression. I love getting together with other artists and hearing their journeys and lessons, failures and successes. And the beauty of this town I live… Seattle… is that it’s chock-full of creatives honing their crafts and forming communities of creativity and unity. Perhaps this is why I heart Seattle so!

(2+0+1+0 = 3 Awesome Months On Flickr, Sept-Dec ’09), originally uploaded by potophlayer.

And I have started journey in personal health; in my mindset, eating habits, and physical strength. For years I have practiced mediation and being on a spiritual journey for understanding of my spiritual truth… and towards the end of 2009 I attended a yoga class with a friend. I always expected yoga to be a missing piece of my journey but, I honestly fallen in love with yoga. I am so much more connected to it than I expected… it’s such a beautiful method of self-control, meditation, connection to God, connection to the others, it’s a wonderful discovery for me. And my eating habits and daily routines have also be touched by this awareness and discipline I have taken on. Not to mention I want to run a triathlon in 2010! Not totally random, I’ve been a runner most of my life (did take a bit of a break in the past few years, just getting back into it this year) but I have been challenged with swimming in lakes… so much harder than the traditional pool swimming of my youth in Ohio. So I wanted to push myself and take swimming lessons and put for the effort to become a better, stronger swimmer. Then in my mind, I keep hearing a voice saying, “Run a triathlon, Amy Lee!” So there it is… gonna get right on that for 2010.

Well, thanks for reading and can’t wait to post more artwork and get right back into Seattle inspired art and artists in 2010. Bring it on!!!

PiG PaRaDe FoR a HaPPY NeW YeaR, originally uploaded by insashi.