Ria Sharon

pondering creativity, process, and making art

DAY 33: Iris in the big green chair

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Leigh asked the group, “What going on for you at this stage in the process?”

I’d have to say that it feels like I’m settling into a groove of some sort. Perhaps it’s because this 48 Days of Creative Devotion came on the heels of The Artist’s Way and I’m also doing The 100 Day Project (It occurs to me that I might be gorging on art-making. Maybe.)

BUT it also feels like capacity-building. I have these tasks that I just do now. I don’t feel “pressure” to do them. I just do them. Like scales for a pianist or voice exercises.

I’m also not as attached to the end-products. They are just x/48 or x/100. They are not so precious, which is a really, really good for me.

I am a dog.

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In the hallway of my apartment building, many moons ago, a woman stood with an elaborate purple hat. She was on her way to an art opening or some such but I remember being impressed with her flair. She has since become a dear friend, Janet Riehl, “Auntie Janet” to my kids. But this isn’t a Janet story, really. It’s a brief homage to her father, Erwin A. Thompson, who seven years ago at 92 became my Facebook friend (I only mention that because it’s so like him). He recently made his final journey home.

Every year, he would make my kids a little animal whittled out of wood with his pocket knife. We have a small collection of them now and they’ve even managed to make cameo appearances in a few product shots! The first one was the dog you see above—which came with “official documentation” typed by Pop himself on his vintage typewriter “I am a dog.”

Occasionally, we would visit his farm in Alton where my kids would help work the cider press and jump from the hayloft and climb trees and eat berries straight from the bushes. Last summer, he taught them how to whittle.

He is described in this article as a folk artist, philosopher, philanthropist, author, musician and Riverbend historian. We were blessed to know him as Janet’s dad.

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#tbt and Practice Makes Better

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riasharon-practiceJust start doing something you’re interested in now
and see where that leads. ~ @MelissaPierce

I “ran into” Melissa a couple of days ago on Twitter and was reminded of this wonderful conversation we had a few years ago that is still so relevant to me today. Her documentary film, Life in Perpetual Beta won a bunch of awards. What she discovered in the process of talking to the most interesting people is that nobody had a Master Plan. So there.

We are surrounded by well-intended words of encouragement… Dream Big! Live Your Passion! Don’t Give Up Your Dreams!!! But I’m not one of those people who has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut or a neurosurgeon or a dancer from the time I was itty bitty. What then? For me, Melissa’s words are a great comfort… Just start doing something you’re interested in now! This feels like a 200 pound boulder lifting off my shoulders!

I’ve actually gone through a few “releases” even since our interview (my life really IS in perpetual beta!) The double-edged sword of the online world is that everyone gets to watch you “practice.” The first time you do something, chances are you’re going to suck or mess up a lot and that’s out there. And then the next time, you get a little better. And the next time, better still. You’re basically a work in progress with every post and picture you publish online and it’s all there for everyone to see, if they choose to. Everyone can see your left turns and u-turns and windy path.

But the paths are changing too and I can’t help but feel that in this new way of navigating them so transparently, we are not somehow paving new roads as we go along. (In the tech biz, they call that “innovation.”) We’re 10 to 15 years into “blogging” but now it’s called Content Creation. People are being paid handsomely to tweet. I know, right?

The people I “grew up with” blogging continue to evolve but note, their journeys were not planned! And yet, they changed the “blogosphere.” (Is that even what it’s called anymore?) No, really. if you look at Alli and Megan and Cecily and David and Lewis and Danielle and Scott and Jen, they get out there every day, feeding a dream! And it can feel like they’ve known all along that what they were doing was what they were meant to be doing. But trust me, I’m 99.9% sure that they did not know where they were headed exactly. We were all just doing what was right in front of us.

I wouldn’t have my job as a Content Strategist at WashU if I hadn’t spent a good chunk of the last 10 years playing and just being curious and learning online with people like Melissa.

So if you are feeling called to something… painting, ceramics, macrame, knitting, dog grooming, dancing, playing the harmonica, writing on Medium… you know, it’s okay to just start. It’s okay to indulge yourself in an activity that has no seemingly practical purpose. At one point, that was what they used to say about tweeting, remember?

It’s really really okay to let it light you up, whatever IT is! The chances are, if it really really is interesting to you, no one will have to nag you to do it over and over. You’ll just do it because… it’s fun! And after a few (or 100 times), you’ll probably be pretty good at it and who knows where that could lead.

16,000+ tweets later… big hugs to you, @Melissa Fierce!!!! #ToLifeUnplanned #tbt

The 100 Day Project

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In my “spare” time, while getting lost on the interwebs, I stumbled across a familiar name from my days as a graphic designer: this piece by Michael Beirut on Design Observer about his 100 Days assignment at Yale. The point of the project is exploring the ways that people (you/me) balance inspiration and discipline. I’m not sure I can speak to this much more eloquently than Michael can so feel free to read his post.

I found Michael’s post from The 100 Days Project, an online version of Michael’s Yale assignment hosted by Elle Luna and The Great Discontent.

I also happened to touch base with my dear friend, Scott Ginsberg who mentioned his 100 Unit Theory. Scott says, “Forget 10,000 hours. Go for 100 units!” To which I said, “I am! Starting today, actually!”

Because I really need ANOTHER thing, right? But I’m like an addict in recovery. I’m in ART RECOVERY. This is my 90 meetings in 90 days.

As I right this, I realize how true this is. So much of what I learned in the 12-week Artist’s Way book/program mirrors what I’ve heard about addiction recovery… protect your sobriety and all that. Ritual, practice, surrender….

In our COCABiz session on creativity and lateral thinking, Robert asked us to brainstorm as many uses for a chair as we could in 2 minutes. Same thing just… 100 days.

So I’m doing this, along with many others, on INSTAGRAM ONLY. If you want to see how the process unfolds, follow me. If you want to join, tag me or send me a message here (or on IG) so I can add you to my stream.

Visit The Great Discontent for the rules.

Chapter 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith

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SPOILER ALERT: If you want to do The Artist’s Way, start here before reading this post.

The end is always the beginning. We say this all the time in our Hopeful World classes. The end of one thing, the beginning of another. So here we are at the end of The Artist’s Way! I really didn’t plan to have it coincide with Passover AND Easter! What is the cosmic significance of that?! Emancipation and resurrection!!! A little synchronicity right here on the blog, friends!

Recovering a Sense of Faith

What’s funny is that I didn’t realize I had lost my faith but upon reflection I think I did. Around this same time last year, I was really committed to swimming upstream and doing things I had no business doing for the sake of doing something “important.”

A couple of weeks ago, I sat across the table from Danielle and cried. I couldn’t help it. As much as I generally and genuinely want to put on a happy face for the world this process of exposing myself and my art every day has required all my courage. I have to battle that inner voice that says, Oh puleeeease, you’re not starving or in danger of being gunned down by warlords. You’re drawing! And another thing… YOU’RE DRAWING!!!

I told Danielle that for the first time (maybe ever), I feel the wobbliness of being really vulnerable—not hiding behind Suzanne who is supporting moms in the so very important role of birthing and raising our future or Jen, who is creating a whole new Hopeful World! Their “bliss” surely are more worthy of attention. And Danielle reminded me that what I’m doing (yes, drawing!) is important in a different way and showing my kids what courage looks like.

How apropos, seeing as it was my daughter who inspired me to get to this point. She’s always saying, “My mom is an artist.” I finally heard it. I finally saw what she saw, mirrored back to me. And I was scared… because what is an artist that doesn’t make art? How can I expect my children to claim themselves if I couldn’t?

The clarity and wisdom of my 13 year old (who seven years ago picked the name “Faith” as her online persona), the quiet persistence of my elders, and the encouragement of my friends—all of these got me here, to the last chapter of The Artist’s Way in 2015.

What’s different? What do I know now after this 12-week journey? To be honest, I was kind of expecting a big reveal, like on the home makeover shows… when the homeowner comes back and discovers something she never ever expected was possible!!! And yet, it’s still her stuff in the room—minus a few things and plus a few things and put together in a way she didn’t think of before. What did my “person makeover” reveal?

So simple: I’m an artist. I always have been. But now I make art. Every. Day.

That’s what it means to be an artist: make art—good art, bad art, art that people love, art that people buy, art that people don’t care for, art that no one sees—it makes no difference. My job is to make it. That is enough. It seems so simple and yet, not so easy.

Julia’s parting thoughts in The Artist’s Way are on Sacred Circles—of creating a community that nurtures creativity and art. We all need a tribe.

The End is the Beginning

So again, a synchronicity. Without knowing what was coming in Chapter 12, I had the urge to start a monthly art giveaway for members of my tribe. The first Share Sunday is tomorrow, Easter/Passover Sunday!

Also this month, we’ll begin the Artist’s Sketch series. I’m inviting other artists to share their thoughts on creativity and the artist’s life, in short form. Not an hour-long audio or 30-minute video or 200-page memoir. Just a “sketch”— a 5-question Q&A that can be taken in like a warm and welcome cup of tea.

Please Join Me

Please join me in creating a Sacred Circle right here on the blog. If this feels like nectar to you, I invite you to be part of it. Sign up for your monthly gift of art AND a heads up of each Artist’s Sketch as they happen.






Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your presence here holds me up and means the world.

The Artist’s Way Posts

Week 1: Recovering a Sense of Safety
Week 2: Recovering a Sense of Identity
Week 3: Recovering a Sense of Power
Week 4: Recovering a Sense of Integrity
Week 5: Recovering a Sense of Possibility
Week 6: Recovering a Sense of Abundance
Week 7: Recovering a Sense of Connection
Week 8: Recovering a Sense of Strength
Week 9: Recovering a Sense of Compassion
Week 10: Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection
Week 11: Recovering a Sense of Autonomy
Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith