and the winner is!!!

My heART is full a new year and a new start!   Thank you all for coming to my Studio Warming! It fully warmed my heART and studio! As you know that in exchange for your attention, for bulletins such as these, I gave hourly door prizes and the chance to win the grand prize! Without further ado, the winner of $150 voucher towards a Class* or Workshop* of your choosing is..... Kendall Titchener of Pixelated Pinto! Congratulations, Kendall, contact me and we can discuss!! *a class or workshop facilitated by Paula Timm  ________________________________________________________   Four years ago, when keeping my dreams a secret was no longer serving me, I announced to the world that I wanted to be an artist! I started by participating in #yycarts events, sharing my work, facilitated workshops and even had articles published! WOW!! Then, one year ago, I was suddenly in need of a new art facility to teach my weekly art class from. Coincidentally, I was visiting a friend; sharing the greatness of the #YYC arts community and an unique arts hub that was soon to be looking for tenants. It was then that it hit me, like a tone of bricks! I hadn't even given a second thought to applying to this arts hub! A throwback to my old self limiting belief system had crept back in without my notice!  It just seemed like an unattainable option for me. However, when I looked at the monthly lease, square footage, and location; it wasn't unattainable, it was more than perfect. So, I applied, and I, was accepted as the first tenant of studio suite #125 @cSPACE King Edward. I have just moved in to this amazing LEEDS Gold restored, 100 year old, sandstone school!! My vision for my studio is to grow my art career, be it my own art practice, facilitating workshops or extending my space for others to pursue workshops! I could not have achieved this dream without the constant and loving support of my husband, friends and family. #attitudeofgratitude See below for a few candid shots taken at the Studio Warming, by one of my fave supporters, Rick Bjerke. p.s. the address and such can be found at the bottom of this newsletter or on my website.

Pitch an idea to rent or collaborate in the studio! Read what student, now friend and facilitator Rachel Rose had to say about taking my class in a recent interview Workshopmuse.com ! "...offering freedom to her students and a process to cultivate our creative instincts rather then wade through the technical bits of colour theory or illustration (although there is some of that there too!) Her approach felt refreshingly safe, allowing me to play at art and drop the intimidation and pretension that stifles so many other creative environments." Register for Class! Collectexhibition+sale  I will have a variety of original works to meet your budget and splurge allowances! 534-9ave se   SAVE the DATE! RSVP for First Pick Party  Mar 10   5-8:30pm   exhibition+sale Saturday Mar 11   11-6pm Sunday Mar 12     10-2pm

2016 - What's in a year?

I have had so many very cool opportunities this year! I have been able to: exhibit my art, hone my skills as an creative arts instructor, published articles for super cool Canadian magazines and blogs, apply (and get accepted) to creative arts incubator @cSPACE King Edward, created brand illustrations and marketing materials,  and designed and facilitated public art collaborations!

If you weren't already aware of the in's and outs of this creative bombshell of a life of mine..allow me to summarize. Always a creative person, never an Artist. Until I got a chronic auto immune disease. I would get sick with a flare up of u
lcerative colitis, I would take time off work to be hospitalized and convalesce at home. When well enough, I would pass time creating art. When sufficiently healed up, I would return to work and the cycle continued, despite my best efforts to change my habits.

My body grew tired of the routine, I had my colon removed, major surgical incident occurred, the pearly gates were previewed, I returned home to convalesce, do art and hopefully not repeat the pattern.

It has been six years since the surgery, and apart from the hardest thing I have ever gone through there have been some benefits.  I have learned to share my creative self, became an art instructor, sold my art, published my writing, and practically earned a honorary degree in cognitive behaviour therapy. I am even facing the future of my own studio, where I will teach and share space with the city's bravest entrepreneurial artists and creatives. I could barely dream of any of this paragraph ten years ago let alone yesterday. So I am grateful for every choice, be it a fall or a leap.

I am preparing my body for more alterations, they may have to come surgically, definitely they are coming through therapy and a lot of hard work. I have tried and will continue to try non traditional approaches to my healing. I still hold space for miraculous healing and or pixi dust.

As I count my blessings, I am so grateful for a team of doctors and practitioners which I trust, a spouse that holds the most compassionate space, and a new community of friends to love and support me.

The Other Side of Pain

The second story in "Muse Worthy" features ME!

Visual Artist, Creative Instructor, Wellness Advocate, Writer & Presenter

"Anyone who has suffered from a chronic health condition will likely relate to the perseverance and courage she shares. Her battle with ulcerative colitis and its many complications led her to an unlikely place, a strengthened creative voice that has both healed her and propelled her to new places in life. I hope you enjoy her story and find as much courage and inspiration in it as I do."

The very cool Rachel Rose of Workshop Muse is creating a series on artists whom inspire her.

I am so very honoured to be selected this round in the series Muse Worthy - read here for the full article on her blog.

Her words start reflecting from the time that she met me in my art class to sighting my healing journey with art. I have reread a few times to capture her insights and will continue to re read to capture perspective on my life.

have a read here.. and make sure you read to the bottom for some Question&Answers by moi!

- it is so very beautiful, thank you!

Follow her Facebook Page, Workshop Muse for workshops, creative prompts, and thoughtful articles.

read the full story

Spark Festival

I am so grateful for the amazing efforts of so many in our fine city of Calgary, like the annual Spark Disability Art Festival. Every year they seem to make it bigger and better with five locations, presentation, and two projects with the U of C.

This year, I participated as a juror for over 250 pieces of art! View the three pieces of mine that were juried at the locations with asterisk below!

Spark is curating  some amazing works at five locations across our city:

• *ACAD MAIN MALL LOWER LEVEL
• *IN-DEFINITE ARTS SOCIETY 
• *STUDIO C
• LOFT 112
• ARTS COMMONS TINY GALLERIES

Neuron Forest: The Art + Science of Life, Art, and Earth

 A Neuron Forest for the Trees

How is a forest similar to a neuron?

a comparison of my art above and a wiki image of a neuron

Fascinated by the recent conversation I had with two Neurologists, from University of Calgary, about a piece of my art as they saw not a forest but a bunch of neurons. I did some research on how neurons compare to forests.. and I now I am even more amazed. 

from WIKI, "A neuron is a nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system. Neurons are similar to other cells in the human body in a number of ways, but there is one key difference between neurons and other cells. Neurons are specialized to transmit information throughout the body."

from WIKI," The forest is a complex ecosystem consisting mainly of trees that buffer the earth and support a myriad of life forms. The trees help create a special environment which, in turn, affects the kinds of animals and plants that can exist in the forest. ... Plants provide habitat to different types of organisms."

Lastly, a short while ago I listened to a podcast on a Canadian Forester (female too!). She made a discovery on trees and forest communication. It seems that different species of trees in the same forest (limitless in size), send nutrients, health warnings, and when they are about to die, they send their carbon and minerals out to the rest of the trees. Listen to the full episode link below.

http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/…/podcast-radiolab-from-tree-to…/

Muse Worthy - by Workshop Muse

Muse Worthy - by Workshop Muse

The very cool series on Artists who Inspire Her.

The very cool Rachel Rose of Workshop Muse is creating a series on artists whom inspire her.

I am so very honoured to be selected this round in the series Muse Worthy - read here for the full article on her blog.

Her words start reflecting from the time that she met me in my art class to sighting my healing journey with art. I have reread a few times to capture her insights and will continue to re read to capture perspective on my life.

have a read here.. and make sure you read to the bottom for some Question&Answers by moi!

- it is so very beautiful, thank you!

Follow her Facebook Page, Workshop Muse for workshops, creative prompts, and thoughtful articles.

thanksgiving in Canada...a melting pot for your assimilation?

We recently visited the Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg... I cried at learning how deep racism runs in this country. We are not the amazing melting pot of culture I was taught to believe in school. We are, however a place where you can melt away your culture to assimilate.

As I read the atrocities against the Doukhobor, Ukrainian, Austrian, Hutterite, Roma, German, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, or First Nations, Metis; I thought to myself,
"how is this different than what we are thinking, saying, and doing in present day Canada?"

I hear the fear of different cultures entering Canada, because they might be terrorists... actually they are fleeing a terror. They are fleeing a tyrannical leader supported by countries who think it's right. Reminds me of the supporting days of Hitler, and there were years of world support.

It's time to make amends and speak our past to heal our present.

I am grateful to be living in a safe country, city and home. I am grateful to those before me that died building my roads, bridges and buildings. I am aware that I have been steeped in so much much racism that growing up the Hutterites were bad, Indians were to be feared, and that Chinese were scary.

I see now that different is beautiful, brave, and strong. I see now that 'they' paid for my safety with their blood, sweat, tears and 'their' lives.

I give thanks for their ancestral pain. I give thanks for new families to come to Canada in order to teach me gratitude and humility.

to your traditions and our healing,
happy thanksgiving.