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Ria Sharon

pondering creativity, process, and making art

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Jan 13: Bonus day

January 13, 2019 by riasharon

This is the most snow we’ve gotten in at least FIVE YEARS! So no soccer game today. I have a bonus day with no real reason to have a smart phone. I made a lot of art! Not all of it was pretty.

BTW, I’m going under the radar with that for the foreseeable future. I’ll be sharing my process privately with my email subscribers. Why? Here’s the scoop. (TLDR: It’s really freeing to take risks and learn new things when you don’t have to worry about it being part of your public digital footprint AND another symptom of my EMBODY word for the year). If you’re so very interested in what’s going on behind the scenes, sign up in the sidebar —->

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 12: Weather

January 12, 2019 by riasharon

I haven’t been checking the weather app as much either so I missed the whole Snowpocalypse warnings all week. Fortunately, there’s no reason for me to go anywhere. And what better reason to get off the screen than… SLEDDING!!! W00T!

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 11: Phone-free. Really!

January 11, 2019 by riasharon

OMG! I left my phone at home!!! Is this a sign that I’m really weaning myself from the device? I had a lunch date and was gonna confirm with Carolyn this morning but… I COULDN’T because I DON’T KNOW HER NUMBER!!! I pinged her of FB, by email, and in a last desperate move, I looked up her home phone ON THE INTERNET! I can’t believe it was actually right. Scary what info is out there. 😀

Fortunately, she checked email. And then informed me that the work VM I left via ALL THOSE CHANNELS was full.

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 10: Still in muscle memory

January 10, 2019 by riasharon

I’m still annoyed at myself for tapping on that Instagram icon without thinking. And THEN, when I see I’m logged out, what do I do? I check my EMAIL? Whut?!?! Just stop!

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 9: Meetings

January 9, 2019 by riasharon

All day, I left my phone in my office instead of bringing it to meetings. I used to say, I need it in case my kids need me for something but then I have it and end up scrolling around when I’m in a meeting and c’mon, we all hate that person who’s looking at her phone during a meeting. So far, no emergency calls from the nurse!

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 8: Embody

January 8, 2019 by riasharon

I forgot to post this on the 1/1/2019. My word for the year is EMBODY. Hence the less screen time, more “in the physical world time.” I felt it last weekend. An hour-long walk with my neighbor, a visit to the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at SLAM, a trip to the BOOKSTORE, two actually, a massage! On Sunday, I went to a bris to celebrate a new baby and then brunch with a dear friend and then my daughter’s recital. She was awesome.

My intention of embodiment is all about connection. Connecting, rooting. It’s gonna be a fabulous year, I can already tell.

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 7: 17%

January 7, 2019 by riasharon

My smartphone tells me my screen time is down 17% from the week before. I kinda love that about my phone. Boo. And hey, I’ve managed to turn this blog into old style micro blogging. I think it was called Twitter. #StillNotScrolling

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 5: Rerouting

January 7, 2019 by riasharon

Well, I failed. I used Google Maps. My son had soccer practice and I took him to the wrong location, which was of course on the opposite side of town from where he was supposed to be. So I panicked. Again, I probably could have made it without Google Maps but I wanted to know HOW late he was going to be. Like that mattered. #rationalizing #GoogleBlankie #StillNotScrolling

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 6: a real camera

January 6, 2019 by riasharon

new camera

I bought a REAL camera! I love it. I did it because now I can’t use that as an excuse to be tied to my phone 24/7. I love it. Did I say that already?

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 4: Filler

January 4, 2019 by riasharon

Here’s the thing… it’s not like I don’t have stuff to do. I don’t sit around and watch TV. I’m pretty good about being “productive.” I find myself “scrolling” in the in-between’s – like waiting for a meeting to start or after I’ve completed a project and before I start the next one. So whatever found time I have is in increments of 5-10 minutes. What could I be doing with that time instead? Stretching? Meditation? A walk around the block?

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 3: Logging Out

January 3, 2019 by riasharon

I logged out of IG and guess what happened? I can’t tell you how many times I found myself tapping that damn icon just to land on THIS screen:

Insta screen
Yep, total mindless habit. And if I had NOT logged out, I surely would have spent at least five minutes scrolling through the feed. I deleted the Facebook app on my phone but somehow, can’t quite go cold turkey on Insta yet.

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 2: Letting Go of the Blue Line

January 2, 2019 by riasharon

Yesterday, we got back from a 7-hour road trip. No smartphone, no Google maps. My 17yo daughter gasped out loud when I told her.

We’re gonna WHUT?!?!

She looked at me like I was dangerous.

I can understand that for someone who has no memory of traveling without the blue line, this probably feels dangerous.

Obviously we made it. I only missed ONE exit. 😀

Observations: 1) my kids don’t know how to read maps 2) I don’t really need any map at all to go somewhere I’ve been going for twenty-five years. I was just using Google as a blankie.

Filed Under: scroll-free year

Jan 1: A Radical Shift in 2019

January 1, 2019 by riasharon

For the past 8 months or so… I’ve been feeling the tension between the pressure to be present on social media versus the desire to be present in my physical world. Serendipitously, I chanced upon Vitamin Water’s Scroll-free Year Challenge, which asks the question of what you would do without a smartphone for a year. It felt like the sign I was waiting for.

Even if I don’t HAVE TO give up my smartphone, what would my life look like without the endless scrolling? It would be an interesting experiment, at the very least. Perhaps I would just find some other mindless activity to replace the scrolling and it wouldn’t make any difference at all other than I’d have to run by an ATM occasionally.

I’m gonna at least try. And document how it goes.

Stay tuned!

Filed Under: scroll-free year

A new chapter calls…

February 13, 2018 by riasharon

After devoting the last couple of years to drawing animals and creating The Animal Guidance Project, I got a sudden impulse to make a shift. If you’re wondering what guidance feels like, my story will be a good example.

Last week, I had a “walk the talk” moment. During my morning meditation and journaling session, the words “wild and precious” appeared on the page.

Up until that point, I had been perfectly okay with The Animal Guidance Project as the name of this collection.
It was clear and descriptive. I had no inkling that it was a placeholder name until the minute I saw WILD+PRECIOUS.

Immediately, I knew. The words felt so correct! Hearing them out loud felt amazing!
Instead of WHAT, they resonate with WHY!

The WHY behind this collection is the celebration of what is wild and precious–our animal kindreds and that within us that is untamed and unlimited. WILD!

Our connection to our inner wisdom is PRECIOUS.

The wisdom itself and the traditions and rituals of connection that have been passed down, generation to generation, spanning back to prehistory is precious.

And of course, I simply love the homage to the poem by Mary Oliver, which ends with the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
​​​​​​
Within hours, I had a vision for what the logo had to look like and within 24 hours, I was able to register the new URL and update the site without a hitch. Talk about alignment! It was all so clear that it felt like magic!

So it is with joy that I turn the page and begin an new chapter for my work. Introducing…

I invite you to visit the new website! More than anything, I’m most proud of having listened to that quiet voice and ignoring the “practical” side of me that kept pointing out all the ways that such a move would be a pain in the… bum! ;P

To celebrate all the ways that JOY, FAITH, and DREAMING made this milestone possible, I’m offering 4 one-of-a- kind pairings:

I only have ONE of each so if any of them speak to your heart, head over to the WILD+PRECIOUS SHOP or click the links below and grab them. The last offering was gone in less than a minute!

Elk + live your dream

Rabbit + believe

Swan + FAITH

Hummingbird + Find JOY in the journey

Thank you so much for being part of this work. For me, when I dream of what I want to do with this one wild and precious life of mine, I think… THIS—sharing this art and guidance with you! These days, it feels like I’m dreaming with my eyes wide open!

Filed Under: process, products

2018 = YES

January 4, 2018 by riasharon

YES is my word for 2018. As 2017 came to a close, a few words bubbled up but the one that felt most like a yes was YES! 😜 I truly believe that saying yes to yourself is the solution to so many things, perhaps even everything! Look around… take a *careful* peek at your news feed. Can you feel all the shut down places? There is so much fear, so much divisiveness, so much judgment, so much contraction, so many NO’s! What good does it do to add misery and suffering to it? Nothing. What if, instead, you could contribute light to all this darkness? But where would the light come from, you ask? From the only place it can come from… from yourself. This requires a YES! So whatever is calling to you, take one step towards it today. And another tomorrow, and another the next day. When you make a choice towards joy and self-love, you refill your own well, which makes it much, much easier to interact with others in a compassionate, loving way. Can you imagine if there was a groundswell or people who choose to interact with each other in a compassionate and loving way?! #newyearsinspiration #newyearsrevolution #wordoftheyear #riasharonart #yesplease #yeswecan

A post shared by Ria Sharon (@riasharon) on Jan 8, 2018 at 7:07am PST

Filed Under: Uncategorized

News: Black and White and Art All Over 2017

August 3, 2017 by riasharon

I’m delighted to share that I’m participating in my first group art show!!! The show is called Black and White and Art All Over, hosted by Art on the Square, Racial Harmony and Lindenwood University.

If you’re in the St. Louis area, please come join me for the exhibit on September 22 and 23, 2017 at Art on the Square in Belleville, IL, the #1 Art Fair in the country.

I’ll have limited edition prints from my collection, Adarna: Art of a New Mestiza for sale…

as well as animal guidance pendants made specifically for this show.

 

Here’s a little background on the show…

In 2016, Art on the Square (AOTS), Racial Harmony and Lindenwood University joined forces to present the second co-sponsored art show in response to events in our communities. In the previous year, the threats of racial divisiveness and negativity created an environment of mistrust.

The show, “Black and White and ART All Over” was and is predicated on the strong desire to begin “Healing Hearts Through Healing Arts.” With the support of the artist community we delivered powerful and relevant messages of hope.

The message then and now is that art has the power – the voice, to communicate healing, inclusiveness and community. The reception by attendees past two years has been overwhelmingly positive and warm.

On September 22nd and 23rd 2017, we will continue this journey. There will again be an exhibit of a wonderful artistic tapestry woven with the display of works from local artists. Exhibits will originate from a culturally diverse pool of gifted artists.

Works on display will reinforce the sponsors’ philosophy of community and inclusiveness – that art transcends all boundaries and acts as a primary force to pull communities of people together for good.

The art exhibit can be viewed on September 22, from 4-8 PM, September 23, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Some artwork will be for display only, while other pieces will be offered for sale. There will also be a silent auction.
This is a family event for the entire community that will provide an opportunity for you to speak with the artists and to add to your art collections.

As you might wish and expect, there will be live music and refreshments. It will be a wonderful opportunity to visit and revisit with neighborhood and community friends.

Filed Under: shows

New stuff

June 23, 2017 by riasharon

I’m a horrible blogger! I must admit my neglect of this space but in my defense, I’ve been making stuff… which was the original intent of the blog… to keep me accountable in some way to making art every day.

Right now, I’m laser focused on The Animal Guidance Project. It’s been steady progress… making the animals, reaching out to retail partners, dreaming of new products, lining up shows as the collection gets ever closer to completion, and probably most significantly, getting real clarity on the personal significance of this project.

So expect that my presence here will continue to be slim… but I’m a pretty good Instagrammer. 🙂 Please, please do connect with me there. Because, you know, filters! ;P

Got new minicards!!! ??? Aren't they cute? ???? . . #riasharonart #stlouisartist #stlouisart

A post shared by Ria Sharon (@riasharon) on Jun 22, 2017 at 5:09am PDT

Filed Under: art journal

Step by Step

June 6, 2017 by riasharon

Storm last night, no power this morning but, THIS! Breathing it all in, realizing I don't have to know. I can just take a few steps, and more will soon be revealed. . . #makearteveryday #artistsway #artistslife #artandsoul #artprocess #mindfulness #shamanism #spirituality #inspiration #stlart #stlarist #stlouismissouri #stlouisartist #riasharonart

A post shared by Ria Sharon (@riasharon) on Jun 5, 2017 at 9:59am PDT

Filed Under: art journal

Perspective

May 23, 2017 by riasharon

"Sometimes I think it's possible to misread your whole life and virtually everything that transpires in it. To choose one lens and see everything according to its particular distortions. Then one day, if you're lucky, the lens falls off even for just an instant and you realize there are other lenses out there, different shades, opposing visions, even, and the tale you've been imagining as the story of your life is just that: an imagining, a construction. Beware of the single rendition." – RIP Alex Tizon . . This is why I love animalguidance.org Switch things up, try on a new lens. Get out of your own way! ✨ . . #storyofyourlife #storyofyou #artistsway #artistslife #animalguidance #animalwisdom #intuitivewisdom @jenlemen #yourhopefulstory #riasharonart #stlouisartist #stlstyle #stlart #heron #jewelrydesigner #animaljewelry #birdcharm #blueherons

A post shared by Ria Sharon (@riasharon) on May 23, 2017 at 4:56am PDT

Filed Under: art journal, products

Planning for the best

May 22, 2017 by riasharon

Squirrel is about planning ahead — perfect nudge for a Monday morning. My challenge is how do approach planning in a way that is open-hearted — in the true spirit of #Squirrel — with foresight as a gift, rather than because I'm worried or afraid that something won't get done unless I POWER THROUGH IT ??? All you planners, what motivates you to look to the future? . animalguidance.org #squirrel #squirrelsofinstagram #squirrelart #animalguidance #animalmedicine #animalguidanceproject #riasharonart #inspiration #shoplocalstl #shophandcrafted #stlstyle #stlartist #stlart #squirreltotem #stljewelry #stlgiftguide

A post shared by Ria Sharon (@riasharon) on May 22, 2017 at 5:08am PDT

Filed Under: products

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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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