Random Link Pack

Stay High

I don’t blog like I used to. I shifted to what so many others do — I micro-blog on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you want more content from me you might want to follow me on those channels. However, the stay-at-home orders have allowed me a little more time so I’m going to TRYYAH to blog a little more. Let’s start with a random link pack.

I’m watching Mrs. America. I N C R E D I B L E cast including Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan and Uzo Adub as Shirley Chisholm. I even like the opening scene.

My friend loaned me Lindy West’s new book — The Witches Are Coming. Lindy is technically a Millennial and I’m a Gen-Xer so I don’t actually get some of her popular culture references but what I do get is that Lindy is smart and brave and she is challenging us all to be better people.

One of the things I miss most about pre-Covid life is thrift shopping. I’ve taken to The Real Real for virtual window shopping. I love that Mister Mort did a Maine Man edit.

I was infatuated with sweat suits as fashion before Covid-19 and I have a Pinterest board to prove it.

Surf Point is achingly beautiful. I’ve never seen it in person but it is on my short list. It’s located just up the road from me in York, Maine. The story behind it is interesting too.

I stumbled upon With Wendy on Youtube. I especially like her THRIFT FLIP video series where she upcycles thrift store finds into fashion. Like the one where she turns a sleeping bag into a puffer jacket and the one when she turns a blanket into a Cecilie Bahnsen inspired quilted wrap coat. #NotEasy

I asked about buying weights on my Facebook page. My friend recommended just filling gallon milk jugs with water which equals eight pounds. Works for me! Here is a milk jug workout if you are interested.

This absolutely gorgeous 6,000 SF brick firehouse in Rochester, NH was listed for $149,000! Sorry, It’s under contract.

This make-up got me searching for vintage Colorforms on Etsy. Wouldn’t it be fabulous to create a make-up collage masterpiece on your face for a next-level at-home selfie photoshoot! I die!

GIVE to 3S Artspace because ART!

Creative Mornings PKX – Community

I have been reading Tina Roth Eisenberg’s blog (SwissMiss) for years. I read along as she started the Creative Mornings lecture series. It was thrilling to learn that it spread to my own community as Creative Mornings PKX.  I’ve wanted to attend many talks over the years but unfortunately, I am always at work.

Late last year, one of the organizers (Noelle Grattan of Five Line Creative) invited me to speak. I was really hesitant but also interested in accepting the challenge. I teach computer classes but I don’t have any experience giving talks. I thought — I could really embarrass myself!  (nervous emoji here!)

How it works is — each speaker around the globe is speaking on one common topic at essentially the same time. When it came time for me to pick a month to speak (and in so doing pick a topic to speak about) I was in the midst of organizing Project Upcycle. One of the options that was presented to me was “COMMUNITY.” When I heard that it felt right so I went with it.

Like I said, I didn’t have any experience presenting and I thought I could really embarrass myself so I decided to get professional help. (big smile emoji here). I reached out to Mike Teixeira at DECK Presentations for coaching. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. He gave me real concrete direction on how to improve my presentation and how to actually present it. The whole experience has opened my eyes to how helpful a coach can be. If you are struggling with something — get a coach!

Kate & Keith Photography

So without further ado, here is my Creative Mornings PKX talk. During my talk, I played a video about Project Upcycle. It is NOT spliced into the talk below.

THANK YOU!
Thank you, Noelle Grattan, for inviting me to speak. I wouldn’t have done it without your encouragement. Thank you, Keith Tharp, for being patient with me for the photo shoot thing. Sorry I was late! 🙂 Thank you, Raya Al-Hashmi and Miles Woodworth. Your energy reminded me of that final scene in Captain Phillips when Tom Hanks is being cared for by a very capable nurse. Your positive energy really bolstered me that morning. I really needed it.  And thank you, Monte Bohanan. It is always nice to see a familiar and supportive face. And thank you to that tech guy ( I don’t know your name) who made sure the audio worked on my video. Thank you to the whole Creative Mornings PKX team. It was an incredibly positive experience!

xo jam

 

Anna Hepler

I wish I’d seen this Anna Hepler show at the Portland Museum of Art back in 2010.

Love her work, her style, her process. So inspiring.
Especially love the Double Hung wire sculpture from this 2017 exhibition. Cheeky.

Installation view, Hardwired, Staniar Gallery, Washington & Lee University.

It makes me think of Ruth Asawa’s work. There is a new book out soon about Ruth Asawa. We have it on order at the Portsmouth Public Library. You can place a hold on it here.

Image via RuthAsawa.com

I was reminded of Anna Hepler’s work via a post on Remodelista about The Soot House on Spruce Head Island in Maine. Follow the links to a post about the 1754 Cape to see Hepler’s work in the wild.

Image from Remodelista.

Click over to Remodelista and follow all the links. It will inspire you to turn off all your screens and do some work.