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Ria Sharon

pondering creativity, process, and making art

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The 100 Day Project Meetup in St. Louis

August 21, 2015 by riasharon

100Days

The St. Louis gathering for #The100DayProject is next Thursday, Aug. 27 from 7-9:30pm at Meshuggah Cafe. Please RSVP on the Facebook page so that we have some idea of how many to plan for.

This event is hosted by St. Louis Social Sketch so get ready for an evening dedicated to connecting with other makers and creative souls who just love to draw, paint and sketch. We’ll have some collaborative sketches and prompts to inspire you or feel free to work solo. No pressure, just fun!

Admission is free but space is limited to come early.

Filed Under: process, tribe

We are together, Nepal

April 28, 2015 by riasharon

nepal

“We are together” — we say this every day in Hopeful World. Now is a time to turn those words into action. As you know, Nepal is suffering. I have dear friends there, both in Kathmandu and outside the city.

Jen, my dear friend and partner in Hopeful World (expert at getting funds and refugees across borders) posted this on the HW blog yesterday…

Subhash Ghimire and Sabi Gurung, dearest friends of myself and Hopeful World, are on the ground now, directing relief efforts to the remote regions where traditional and governmental aid cannot reach, specifically the villages in Gorkha, closer to the earthquake epicenter. I have been in contact with them almost nonstop via Viber since the quake, ready to do whatever they ask.

These two are no ordinary people. Subhash’s mother died when he was eight and he left his remote village when he won a nationwide contest to attend the British School in Kathmandu. No child had ever attended this school in the history of his village. Barely 18, he founded Sarswati Foundation, a Nepal-based non-profit in 2009 to support educational and health needs in his home district. Last year, he graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government while Sabi graduated from Boston University’s School of Public Health.

This is the latest update from Sabi from six hours ago…
We have food and basic items ready to be taken to Gorkha. Pilot and helicopter are both ready.

She is asking that we DO NOT STOP, for the sake of her village, her family and friends and by extension, mine and ours.

If you are inclined to support their efforts, we are putting money directly in their hands. You can donate here. We’ve raised $6K in the last 24 hours. It’s something… but the need is great. So for the next 7 days, 100% of the profits from my Etsy shop will go directly to our friends in Gorkha. I have over 100 items to choose from—inspirational sayings, unique party invitations and decorations. You’ll have a birthday party sometime this year, I’m guessing! 🙂

Please help by buying what you need in advance… or buy yourself or someone else a thoughtful gift (Mother’s Day, graduation, end-of-year teacher gifts). Your purchase will have a direct impact on the lives of my friends and their families.

sabi

Above is the gang at Hope House: Sabi on the left with Jen, Stephanie Calabrese (founder of Lens on Life) and Renu Bagaria (also in Kathmandu now).

Filed Under: tribe

We All Have Choices

April 27, 2015 by riasharon

riasharon-brave
If you look at our Facebook friends, it seems that Becky and I have been circling each other for years. But finally (thanks to one of those mutual friends), we met for coffee, then a long lunch and the rest is herstory! Becky is the writer, speaker and dreamer of You Are Not Stuck. Like many of us, she is on a journey towards empowerment and consciously creating the life we dream of.

Over the years, I’ve been stuck in the wrong marriage, stuck in the wrong job, stuck in bad habits. I was not immune to feelings of powerlessness and going nowhere, even as the view from the outside told a much different story. So I said goodbye to relationships that didn’t nurture. I traded a high-stress career speaking for others for a life in yoga pants. And when I’m not teaching on the mat, I’m writing in my own voice and speaking my own truth. ~ Becky Vollmer

bv-bw-e1409747720523It’s my honor and delight to be working on a collection of art printables created in collaboration with Becky. Her truisms are featured on four new pieces in the etsy shop, including the one pictured above.

If you are feeling the need for some encouragement and motivation, head over and see what words speak to you.

ria

 

 

p.s. And if you’re looking for that perfect gift for the awesome women in your life this coming Mother’s Day, I have a collection of inspirational sayings (including Becky’s) that may be just the words someone needs to hear.

Filed Under: etsy, tribe Tagged With: best mothers day gifts, free mothers day cards, free printable mothers day cards, free printables, funny mothers day cards, gifts for moms, good mothers day gifts, inspirational quotes about change, inspirational quotes for moms, inspiring quotes for women, mothers day card, mothers day crafts, mothers day gift, mothers day gift ideas, mothers day greetings, mothers day ideas, mothers day message, mothers day presents, mothers day sayings, positive quotes of the day, presents for mom, printable mothers day cards

I am a dog.

April 12, 2015 by riasharon

iamadog

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.

erwin

erwin3

erwin2

Filed Under: tribe

#tbt and Practice Makes Better

April 9, 2015 by riasharon

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

Filed Under: process, tribe

Happy holiday weekend, everybunny!!!

April 3, 2015 by riasharon

bunny-invitation-template

Happy holiday weekend! Wow! Easter and Passover all rolled into one. Bring out the matzo bunnies!

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with finding the golden egg at the annual Easter Egg Hunt, for the sole reason of winning the real live bunny they awarded the winner! I never did.

I’m clearly a grown up now because I’ll take the Lindt chocolate bunnies over the real live bunny any day! Unless the bunny poops chocolate. Then maybe.

It’s with delight and honor that I’m introducing my bunny birthday collection, inspired by the talented ceramic artist, Alisha Katz Hastings-Kimball of Songbird Studios. You’ll be hearing more about her soon. ;P For now, know that she is the creator of the bunny cake toppers and magic spoons!

bunny-cake-topper-2

Filed Under: design, etsy, tribe

The Gift

December 18, 2014 by riasharon

I’m really ambivalent about Christmas. Note: I added that link because ambivalent is one of those words that people commonly misunderstand. And I want no misunderstanding here.
I LOVE THE SPIRIT of Christmas. Adore it! But I am repulsed by the consumerism and use of Christmas as an excuse for people to mindlessly move junk around.
But yesterday, I got the best unexpected Christmas gift! It was a gift of such thoughtfulness and care that I get weepy just thinking about it.
Here it is, a gift from my dear friend, Sharon Derry of Secret Leaves Paperworks: the Speedball text book published by the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company from the 1950’s. Can you believe it?!?!
I have spent hours and hours scouring the interwebs for just such lettering instruction and here it is, in my grubby little hands. It’s a Christmas miracle! #believe
p.s. I’ll share

© Ria Sharon

Filed Under: learning hand lettering, tribe

My hopeful world

April 11, 2011 by riasharon

I’ve been musing on BELONGING…
I know firsthand what it means not to belong, to skirt around the edges of love and acceptance. I’m certain that my own quest for a “home” is what led me down the path, to join hands with Jen Lemen in Hopeful World.

That was in 2010 and there isn’t a day that I’m not grateful for what we’ve built together: a virtual place in which everyone can experience a radical kind of acceptance and belonging, too. Since 2011, we have been hosting online classes in personal development that are helping dear hopeful souls come home to themselves. Perhaps this is you?

In my hopeful world, your heart is nurtured by the knowing that in those moments when you feel most alive — you also feel that truest self of yours is wanted and needed in the world, no matter how humble or unconventional.

In my hopeful world, you are loved… in both your moments of elation and despair.

So if you feel called for this kind of self-acceptance and belonging, come join us for an upcoming session of The Story of You, or Your Emotional Wisdom. We also publish an self-paced class based on Trudeau’s The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal so you can join the thousands of mothers around the world who have grown from Renée’s self-renewal circles. And, if you or a loved one you is challenged with postpartum depression/anxiety, we publish Katherine Stone’s Daily Hope.

© Ria Sharon

Filed Under: tribe

A little about me

I have an undergraduate degree in art. By day, I work in higher ed and in my free time I'm currently putting myself through DIY grad school.

I teach classes on creativity and inspiration on Skillshare. I occasionally share my original paintings on Etsy and fine art prints on Minted. I've also been known to make puppy portraits.

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