Mel Edwards Featured on KSVY Sonoma 91.3 FM (Again!)

Date: Sunday, November 23, 2008
Time: 5-6 p.m. Pacific time
Station: KSVY Sonoma 91.3 FM
Online: http://www.ksvy.org/home.htm

Theme: Worlds of Imagination
Each teller creates a magic space where the stories take place, a world of imagination where anything can happen!

Featured Artists:

Jill Laméde (U.K.) - The Blue Feather
Jamie Crawford (U.K.) - Dauntless Little Joan
Mel Edwards (South Carolina) - The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage
Olive Hackett-Shaughnessy (California) - The Queen Bee
Dr. Mike Lockett (Illinois) - The Leprechaun's Gold

Here's how you do it (for now)
Go to
http://www.ksvy.org/home.htm
Click on
High or Low speed in the upper right-hand corner

You should be switched immediately into the program in progress.

Have a good listen!
Best...
Jackie B.
Story Lovers World (Program Host and Selector of Content)
http://www.story-lovers.com

One Step with Your Dream, Leaps for Your Future

Synergy seems to be the key to a creative life. If you follow your creative dreams you'll be continually handed opportunities to share that dream with others. Because I elected to attend a business lecture, I met several more women who I can share the Votre Vray mission with. Today's Women's Empowerment (at the yW) lunchtime lecture/workshop given Mike Cannon of PWC Group in Greenville, SC. The best part for me was that Mike gave all attendees a copy of his co-authored book The Selling Machine so the information he taught us can be referred to after we get home and new questions begin to arise. As an creative woman and entrepreneur, I found the information he provided to be exactly what I need to be able to take the next serious steps in bringing the work of Votre Vray and Shout: Kiss My Art to a larger audience. (That means more people will know the creative women I've had the pleasure of meeting this year, and hopefully, that name recognition will result in more business for everyone.)

One of the ladies who sat at my table is a woman who sells "uplifting note cards and large prints" of original photography. Her name is Kathryn A. Preston and her business is in Taylors, SC. If you're looking for a unique little way to share your love, admiration or respect, I believe you should be able to find something at RK Originals that meets your needs, and since she's a woman living the creative life, you know her heart is in what she does!

Another attendee invited me to a bi-monthly networking group that allows guests to give a one minute introductory "pitch" about who we are, what we do and what we desire for business opportunites. I'll be attending that luncheon this Friday.

A third woman shared that she is closing her business after 16 years in the industry and 10 years of owning her own company because she is ready for a new, exciting, creative adventure that allows her to follow her dreams. She's excited and surprised by the amount of energy that she has since she's made the choice to close the doors on her company.

Who have you met today because you were following your dream?

Or, if you haven't started your personal journey to living a life of your dreams, what opportunities did you miss out upon today because you haven't made that step?

Until next time,
keep creating!
-Mel.

Vicki Lawrence on Tour!

Did you grow up watching Carol Burnett and Friends?
Then you know and probably love Vicki Lawrence!
Go to her site to check out tour dates and locations.

Motherload Tour Set

Amy Wilson and Julie Kramer have teamed up for the one-woman off-Broadway show Mother Load staring Betsy Stover.

From their website:
"Mother Load is the hilarious off-Broadway hit that mixes comedy with true confessions from the front lines of motherhood. Based on creator Amy Wilson's own experience as the mother of three children under five, this one-woman show has audiences lining up from coast to coast for a night of laughs about everything from prenatal yoga to preschool applications. From organic baby food to self-important lactation consultants to the perils of “mommy and me” classes, this laugh-out-loud show is an exposé of the fruitless and ever-challenging quest to be the "perfect" mom."

2009 TOUR DATES:
Jan 18 - Feb 2
Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale Performing Arts Center

Feb 11 – Feb 16
Richardson, TX: Eisemann Center

Mar 2 – Mar 9
Des Moines, IA: Civic Center

Mar 10 – Mar 15
Minneapolis, MN

Mar 22 – Mar 30
Huntsville, AL: Merrimack Hall

Apr 13 – Apr 15
Pittsfield, MA: The Colonial Theatre

Apr 13 – Apr 20
Springfield, MA: The Symphony Hall

May 4 – May 11
Schenectady, NY

May 11 – May 18
Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

May 19
Melbourne, FL

May 20 – May 21
West Palm, FL: The Kravis Center

May 22 – May 25
Ft. Lauderdale, FL: The Parker Playhouse

Party with Tramp Skirts and The Admirals Club!

The other night my husband dragged me to Spartanburg (SC) to see a female band I never heard of before. They're called the Trampskirts and they just blew me away! The ladies are all business on the stage and just nice women on the floor after their set. Ashley, the lead singer has the whitest, most perfect teeth I've ever seen and can that woman scream! Lauren, guitarist -- far left in the picture -- also sings. I think she sounds like Janis Joplin, but being too young to have ever heard Joplin live, older rockers might have grounds to argue with me. The band is rounded out by Jacki on drums (third in image) and Jade (far right) on lead guitar. Their sweet merch girl even gave me a free bumper sticker.


The other great part of the evening was that I also got hear a set from The Admirals Club, and meet a few of the guys afterward as a bonus. (Hi, Ben! Hi, Marshall!) Both bands are are signed with Supernova and they can really play (not just all showmanship with no substance). If you want to hear some of their work check out their MySpace page. Otherwise, I've posted their tour image above so if they're coming to your area you can see them. If you like loud, hard, intense music, you won't want to miss them!

Losing Sleep Over Art?

Dear Votre Vray Friends,

What art issues keep you up at night?

Seriously.
I want to know.

Are they issues over your own creative process?
Do you think only of the sales of your work?
Is there a global or local issue that needs to come to the fore?

Tell me. I'll research what I can and get the word out. Maybe together we can help you find a way to sleep better at night.

-Mel.

Narrative Magazine Contest

Narrative Magazine's 2008 Fall Fiction Contest

First Prize of $3,000
Second Prize of $1,500, a
Third Prize of $750
...and ten finalists receiving $100 each.

Deadline: November 30th.

Enter Now.

Cheap, Good, Fast: Postcards for Artists

As of late, I've had quite a few people ask me who I use for online printing and I've been at a loss because I don't do the same type of printing that a visual artist might require. On Tuesday night, at Shout: Kiss My Art, a local artist gave me her card. It has four color images on both sides and also functions as her business card. I asked her who she uses and if she's satisfied with her service. She said, "I use nextdayflyers.com. They are cheap, good and fairly fast." Of course, do your own research and be an informed buyer, but this is one place you might want to check out if you're in the market for new postcards.

Use another vendor that you absolutely love? Then say so in a reply to this post and help out a fellow artist's search for a new printer!

Until next time,
keep creating!
-Mel.

Poetry and Prose Contests -- Call for Submissions

From time to time, I get updates on contests for literary artists and other folks. From now on, I'll be posting them here when they arrive. If you're running a contest that has been around a while, feel free to add me to your mailing list. Just be sure to put Votre Vray Artist Contest in the subject line to make sure it doesn't end up in my spam folder.
Below is a notification from John, also of Lulu.com.
-Mel.
***********
Both The Margaret Reid Poetry Prize and The Tom Howard Short Story, Essay & Prose Contest are now open for entries. For this coming year, the prize pool for each of these contests has been increased to $5,350 (including a First Prize of $2,000), yet entry fees remain pegged at $7 for every 25 lines for the Poetry Contest, and $15 for each short story or essay up to 5,000 words in length.

You'll find full details at respectively http://poetrycontests.exactpages.com and http://shortstorycontest.0catch.com Alternative sites are http://www.geocities.com/rastar330 (for poetry) and http://www.geocities.com/rastar330/prose.htm

As these contests are sure to attract many hundreds of entries from around the world, I'll make three suggestions to help you enter the Winners' Circle:

1. Submit your entries early. The judges will have more time to really appreciate and evaluate your work.

2. Submit more than one entry. Don't pin all your hopes on just the one. The judges are only human, after all. They may not like the way you've treated your subject matter. In fact, they may not even find your subject appealing at all. For instance, it's no use sending the greatest baseball story ever written to some judge who doesn't know Babe Ruth from King Kong. However, we like baseball stories. Comic and humorous stories and essays too. Mystery, science fiction, romance and other genres are also most welcome! (And the same goes for poems!)

3. Take a look at some of the entries that have won prizes in previous contests. The latest anthology of prize-winning poetry is "Sailing in the Mist of Time". This beautifully printed, large format book actually contains 106 poems, including 50 major award winners, and usually retails for $16.50. Even the publisher is selling copies for this price. Currently, however, it is still "on special" at Amazon for only $9.95. I don't know how long this "special" will continue, but it's probably a good idea to use this link direct to Amazon and buy your copy right now. If you are one of the contributors (you'll find a link to the list of authors at http://poetrycontests.exactpages.com ), here's a book that will make an ideal present for friends and relations.

Only $9.95 at Amazon: SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME: Fifty Award-Winning Poems

The latest short story anthology is "Watching Time". This also can purchased from Amazon at this link: WATCHING TIME: Anthology of Prizewinning Essays & Short Stories

All my very best to you all!

John

Alice Walker to President-Elect Barack Obama

A friend, and former professor of mine sent this along to me via e-mail. It is an interesting set of ideas...even if Ms. Walker didn't write it. Hope you enjoy.

-Mel.

**********

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States . You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas . Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet . Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

Meeting New Artists

How long has it been since you went out and actually met a new artist -- especially one who does work that is absolutely unrelated to what you do? Here in Greenville, SC, we had the auspicious opportunity to meet 106 different artists during Open Studio the first weekend of November this year. Nothing inspires creativity like seeing the work that others are doing. 

One artist I was unable to meet during Open Studios just happened to be able to attend Shout! Kiss My Art! this past Tuesday. The minute she showed me her business card I said in recognition, "I've seen your work at the MAC!" (MAC is our Metropolitan Arts Council.) She smiled and said, that indeed it was her work I'd seen and she was quite gracious while I excitedly called my husband over to meet her and show him her card. It was a moment of synergy that highlights what the Votre Vray Creative Women project is all about. 

My question to you is, since you've heard about, and maybe even participated in the project, how many other artist have you met? Did you look at each other's work and give compliments or encouragement where it was due? Or did you only look to see where your name came up and ignored everyone else? 

I honestly believe the greatest resource all people have is each other. That is what life is all about. We need mentors, inspiration, kind words and friendship to help us through our life's journey. Are you a helper or do you suck up all the resources without giving back?

Ways you can give to others:

• Look at each other's work and give compliments.
  
• Read about what other artists and creatives are up to and tell anyone you can about what excites you in your field.
  
• Go to open studios, performances and sales and introduce yourself. Maybe you'll make a new friend, not just a network connection.
  
• Read each others' blogs and websites and tell the creator what inspires you.
• Buy each others' work.

These are just the beginning, but I want to strongly encourage you to talk to each other. Being creative is a lonely road sometimes. Your head is so full of what you're solving and re-solving that you cannot see all the beauty that surrounds you. The most beautiful resource we have is each other. 

Thanks to Laura Blume of Skirt!

Here's a special shout out to Laura Blume, Greenville, SC, editor of Skirt ! magazine. Laura generously added Shout: Kiss My Art! to the November 11th calendar and gave Votre Vray a nod. Thank you, Laura!

If you have never read Skirt! Don't despair. There may be an edition in your hometown! Visit Skirt ! and find out today.

Gift Bags Set for Shout: KMA Night!

I'm happier than a kid at Christmas, and for a Jewish woman to say that, is something remarkable indeed. I just finished packing the gift bags for the attendees of Shout: Kiss My Art on November 11th, thanks largely to the generosity of the Votre Vray community and friends of Votre Vray.

The gift bags are all a little different, but the items that everyone gets are:

Girls Fight Back: The College Girl's Guide to Protecting Herself by Erin Weed

Postcards and Pearls: Life Lessons from Solo Moments on the Road by Gina Greenlee

Three gift certificates (one each) from Creativity and Business Coaches: Sian Lindemann of Sian Design, Wendy Keilin of The Prosperous Artist, and Ariadne Moisiades's Sound Strategies Coaching and Consulting.

Also lucky participants may walk away with one of the limited copies of other books:

Mindfulness and the Art of Choice: Transform Your Life by Karen H. Sherman, PhD

The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference by Irene Watson

Waltzing Australia by Cynthia Clampitt

I've also tossed in some creative items from fancy fur yarn in wild colors to boxes of crayons, and books from other women I had on hand and thought people would love. 

Also, all attendees will walk away with a Shout: Kiss My Art T-shirt and information from the local yW's Women's Empowerment classes for entrepreneurs. What a night this will be!

In Greenville, SC and not signed up to attend? It is not too late. Just message Mel at MelEdwardsConnect (at) yahoo (dot) com and identify Nov 11th in the subject line. Even though there will only be 30 gift bags, there are some extra goodies on hand and seats for 40 attendees. The show will be at the Hughes Branch of the Greenville County Library (downtown) with free parking. The show is at 7 p.m. Tuesday night and lasts one hour. See you there!

Until then, 

keep creating!

-Mel.

To Know TED is to love TED

Okay, so the headline may cause you to ask who on earth is TED but I admit, being the bugaboo that I can be, I was trying to mislead you a tad. TED is a what.

If you like online video but are sick of the drivel that you can come across on other sites, TED may be your new favorite video feed. A storytelling friend of mine, Tim Lowry, said, "Anybody who's anybody or ever been anybody worth knowing in their field, is on TED. " Then he warned me, TED is addictive.

I admit, I've watched beat box poets, physical science theorists, Eve Ensler, political leaders, authors and several people I'd never heard of before but now want to learn more about. I believe as an artist I can learn a great deal about the way this diverse group of people express themselves on topics that mean the most to them and their lives.

What I love about the TED conference is that there are no break-out groups. What one person sees at the conference, everyone sees. What a remarkable idea that the collective audience gets to walk away with all the same input but their own take on what was heard and seen!

Anyway, I know I'm being cryptic and not telling you much of anything about what TED is and is not. I'll leave that to those who built their site. Go to TED. It will amaze you...and the best part is, if you sign up as a free member you'll get a message in your inbox each week with at least three segments highlighted for your curiosity and viewing pleasure.

Have fun and know that I LOVE TED!

-Mel.

Sian Designs Offer to Votre Vray Creative Women

Sian Lindemann, of Sian Designs in Monument, Colorado, is an accomplished artist and visionary, and brings to the arts and entertainment community, 29 years experience in arts promotion, marketing, and career development for artists. An accomplished artist, in a variety of mediums, Sian is equally responsible for contributing to the success of hundreds of artists during her career, to date. Notably, as VP, Dolphin Galleries, Inc, Maui, Hawaii, Sian provided practical and financial expertise to an industry which is known to lack the ability to generate consistent revenues. Her capacity to promote, produce and launch successful showings of the artists in her care, Sian, contributed to the growth of Dolphin Galleries over a 10 year period, taking the company from 200K per year, to annual sales in the millions of dollars. Additionally, she contributes innumerable skills as they relate to all aspects of arts cultivation and artistic career development. A master mentor of the creative spirit, there is nothing short of wizardry she imparts to support the artist in the creation of new ideas, new works, while simultaneously encouraging growth, depth, and scope in the artist with whom she chooses to focus. And finally, Sian, is considered visionary in recognizing the most practical applications by which these works can then be sold or placed.

Adept in purchasing, gallery design, show design, professional and creative display, sales and sales training, creative framing, creative placement of public works, stage design, costume design, image design, vocal coaching, and, finally, an extremely refined skill in accessing the people for whom these works would hold the greatest value.

An award winning designer of environment, landscaping and floral design, Sian is masterful in her ability to create an awe inspiring, sensory rich experience for the viewer, the artists, and the company.
************
Sian has been featured earlier in this blog but since then she has sent gift certificates for the attendees of Shout: Kiss My Art on the November 11th date. This information is provided again in her company's branded information and in thanks from me, creator of Votre Vray. Together, each and every one of us as a team, we can stand tall for creative women everywhere.
-Mel.

Shout: Kiss My Art's Big Debut!

Tuesday, November 11th at 7 p.m. at Greenville (South Carolina)'s Hughes Branch (Downtown) of the County Library will host Shout: Kiss My Art!

Pre-register:
The first 30 women who pre-register via e-mail will receive a gift bag complete with a Shout! T-shirt, books from creative women (so generously donated by the authors) and gift certificates from creativity coaches -- all for FREE!

This show is made possible thank you to all the interviews of the Votre Vray Creative Women and Friends of Votre Vray, with the support of the Metropolitan Arts Council.

Ladies, this will be your first night to shine! You are the inspiration so many other women need. Cheers and kudos to you all!

-Mel.

Creative Ways to Love Your Body?

October 15th, yesterday, was NOW campaign's Love Your Body day.

One of the T-shirts they designed said "I LOVE  MY THIGHS" and it got me wondering, how can we as creative people combat the messages some fashion folks stoke that we must look a certain way to be beautiful? What art or craft do you make that honors what women ARE instead of what we are not?

I know Carla Sanders does a lot of work honoring the feminine form...but her work is not for everyone (perhaps too spiritual/sexual/New Age for some).

Unessalyn Sweet's My Junky Trunk honors women with rounded backsides by having thier images as inspiration instead of hiding them.

I admit I've addressed child-rearing as a "must do" attitude but not my body....hmm....perhaps today that will be my inspiration.

Best wishes, Creative People. May you love how your maker/mama made  you!

-Mel.

Reunion. com Invite Apologies -- Computer Glitch Spam

Dear Friends of Votre Vray,

It seems that Reunion.com has sent spam to everyone in my address list without my permission. I received an invite from my dear friend that I'd known since I was four years old, so I "joined" the Reunion list. Then, the list manager asked if I wanted to automatically invite everyone in my address book. I clicked the choice that said no, I'd invite people manually, but alas, it started to do its thing anyway. I tried to stop it, and thought I did so successfully until I received a barrage of messages and calls from friends, family, business contacts and former colleagues stating they'd been invited.

Please know this will never happen again. It was absolutely unintentional and I know that we're all too busy to mess with all of this social media all of the time. I do not have a paid membership with Reunion.com and at this point do not intend to. 

If you want to follow me and what I'm doing, the blog is the best way or ask to be put on my monthly Constant Contact newsletter list. I did just join Facebook at the invitation of a fellow local poet that I admire and am a member there if you're interested in being on my "friends" list. Honest, though, I am not sure I'll use Facebook much at all. The Votre Vray project eats up all of my spare time (in a good way).

Again, I'm sorry you were spammed and it will not occur again.

-Mel.

Arts in South Carolina

Even if you live in one of the other 49 states, or another nation, if you're a savvy artists you're always learning about what the art would is up to, from the solo artist to the huge endowment/granting institutions. Here's a link to Arts Daily, a website that lists all the arts going on in South Carolina, and other states. Arts Daily is provided by the Carolina Arts Commission, and allows artists to list their events for free, and has a regular spot on National Public Radio in SC.

New Writers Join Friends of Votre Vray

Recently, I posted a gift bag request to Peter Shankman's Help a Reporter Out and had several authors volunteer to send books for the audience of Shout: Kiss My Art on November 11th. In the near future I'll be blogging about their work in detail, but until then, I wanted to post their names and book titles along with a really large

THANK YOU, LADIES!!!!

1. Erin Weed, author of Girls Fight Back (Erin was not only able to send enough copies for every participant, but she sent me a DVD to learn self-defense, and stickers for every participant!)

2. Dr. Karen H. Sherman, author of Mindfulness and the Art of Choice - Transform Your Life, not only sent books and has agreed to be interviewed for the blog at a later date, but her publisher sent a few from another woman Irene Watson, author of The Sitting Swing -Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference. 

3. Cynthia Clampitt author of Waltzing Australia also joined with her supreme generosity to inspire others by sending her story as well. If you ever wanted to chuck it all and live life by your own terms, Cynthia has walked that walk!

Every day I am humbled by the generosity of the people who support women wanting to follow their dreams. Never stop reaching out to each other. We are our own best resource.

Blog Action Day - Oct 15th

Blog Action Day is coming on October 15th.

Topic? Poverty.

I invite all Votre Vray creativity-minded folks to create art that addresses poverty on October 15th. If you send an image to my e-mail of what you create, I'll post it and give you full credit, as credit to our work is our livelihood.

What will you do?

-Mel.

(MelEdwardsConnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com)

Dream a BIG Dream

What is your BIG creative dream? 

Not the one create full-time and make enough to pay the bills. That should be a must-do, not your no-holds-barred BIG dream. I like to say BIG stands for Best Ingenious Goal.

Ask yourself:

If money were no object, and no one would stop me, what is the largest impact I can imagine my creativity could have upon the world? 

Then, expand that vision. That's right. Don't settle for the first vision that pops into your head. Stretch it to its limits. Make it so outrageously large that you giggle when you think about it. If you can't giggle over it, it is too small. From now on I'll call this the giggle test.

Example:

My first big dream was for the Votre Vray Creative Women project to be so big that I'd get to do it for an HBO special.

Expansion: 

• We would have a national "Shout: Kiss My Art Day" with everyone in sky blue -- the color associated with the campaign -- with communities everywhere staging SKMA shows, where all artists could display their works and tell their stories.
  
• Then, we could have celebrities and politicians and other world leaders also shouting Kiss My Art.
  
• There would be a whole series of books, like the Chicken Soup series, where you could Kiss the Art of painters, sculptors, novelists, poets, actors, metal smiths, and so on. 
  

This is a pretty big expansion, but let's go up another notch because I'm not giggling yet:

• Have Shout: Kiss My Art action figures of heroines of the art world
  
• A cartoon show of art figures as action heroines
  
• Kid could dress up as art heroines for Halloween
  
• Lunch boxes and other collateral material could be marketed to promote art across America!
  

Artists, how does that sound to you? Not giggling? Okay, now imagine YOU are the person the action heroine looks like! Kids in your neighborhood run up to you and shout your name because you're an art celebrity! I can tell you that makes me giggle with delight. 

So, now you try it. What is your BIG dream? 

Until Next Time, 

Keep Creating!

-Mel.

Shout: Kiss My Art Preview Night TONIGHT!

Tonight, dear Votre Vray Creative Women, your name will be spoken in Simpsonville, SC!

Barefoot Annie's Coffee House and Tapas Restaurant 

7 p.m. doors open

8p.m. Show

Admission is free, donations encouraged

What is a preview night?

It is a dress-rehearsal open to the public and press. Hopefully, tonight's work will spur several to join you in living a creative life. 

When will the show be up "for real"?

November 11th is Community Night in Greenville, SC

This night is also free admission, but reservations are required by e-mailing Mel at

MelEdwardsConnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com

The first 30 women who register will be given a gift bag of goodies, including some amazing donations (to be discussed later this month) and a free Shout: Kiss My Art T-shirt!

Talks are in progress to bring Shout: Kiss My Art to a Greenville, SC theatre.

Do you want Shout: KMA to come to your area?

E-mail Mel and get the ball rolling now! The show will begin touring Spring '09!

Where is Your Head Today? With the Government, Your Art or Both?

For the past several days, many people I love and admire have only been talking about the "bailout bill" and if it will pass, should it pass, who is responsible, etc.

Dawn Clare of Spise Bliss said she believed one line said by most CEOs who are part of the economic chaos would help, "As CEO of X, I vow to take a $1 salary until...." 

Chris Nandell of Boshevo sent out letters to the press that she had heard the Orphan Works Act was being pinned onto the bailout bill, and she was angry. Chris has been ripped off once by someone mis-using her work without consent (a.k.a. copyright infringement) and fears the Orphan Works Act will make it easier for people to rip her and other artists off.

I state here, for transparency, that my parents and sister have the last name Leahy. My dad was born in Vermont. That means we're distantly related to Senator Leahy. I've never met the man but worked with several who not only know him, but know him well. He is closely linked with the Orphan Works bill and my take is that the bill is more for those of us who have done due diligence and cannot find the creator of the work...especially old work as found in archives. I will never be for privatizing of all copyright databases, and the wording of the bill is not for it either, from what I have seen. As an artist, I believe we all need to make sure we list our names and claim ownership of our work. Then, we can address issues of infringement legally. (This bill still allows us to continue to do so, but not claim outrageous/disproportionate sums in court.)

Please look at both of these bills for yourself. Links to their full text appears below. I know it is easy for your heart to override your head and react with fear. To that, I leave this quote: 

"Fear is the path to the dark side. 

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, 

hate leads to suffering." 

- Yoda

May your life NOT be filled with fear, anger, hate or suffering. My you do your art and share it endlessly (with full credit noted and given when due). It is my wish in the Jewish New Year to wish that we are reap blessings today, tomorrow and always. L'Shana Tova.

Until Next Time,

Keep Creating!

-Mel.

Bailout Bill Full Text

(Courtesy of the Huffington Post)

Orphan Works Act Full Text

Copyright office's Take on the Orphan Works Act

Peter Pamela Rose is a Friend of Votre Vray!

Dear Friends,

It is my extreme delight to say that I just had the pleasure of interviewing the creative woman, actress, film maker and gem of a woman, Peter Pamela Rose about her work as a life coach and "chiropractor of the mind." The interview will appear in its entirety in a few weeks. Until then, please visit Peter's site and see what she has to offer. You won't be disappointed.

-Mel.

Artstock 11th Annual Open Studio Tour

Opening Reception at Connie Logan's Studio (the largest home studio in Greensboro).

October 11th 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

October 12th 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

1206 W Cornwallis Drive,

Greensboro, NC

Music to be provided by Kristy Jackson.

For for information and a look at Connie's work visit:

www.cplogan.com

(Connie was the FIRST Votre Vray creative woman interviewed for the project!)

KSVY Sonoma, CA, 91.3 FM to Stream Mel Edwards' Tale

It is with humble pride that I announce that Jackie Baldwin, radio host of Story Lovers World radio program has selected my porquois (French for "why") tale, "Ian in Arabia" to be featured this Sunday, Sept. 28th at 5 p.m. PDT. My work will appear alongside U.K. teller Jamie Crawford, Irish teller Richard Marsh, and Missouri teller Mary Garrett. 

How to access the streaming

• Go to KSVY
  
• Click on high or low speed in the upper right corner.
  
• You should immediately be switched to the program in progress.
  

Jackie Baldwin has earned a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to storytelling and the promotion of the arts. To be included, yet again, in any work that she touches is an honor that cannot be equalled.

(FYI, Mel has appeared in two Story Bones publications that Jackie has created. For more details of Jackie's work visit www.story-lovers.com)

Creative Women Honored and Call for Submissions

http://www,free-press-release.com/news/200809/1222548725.html

Attention all media outlets, a press release about Votre Vray and the Creative Women project has been posted on the above link. 

*****

All Votre Vray Creative Women will be honored by having their names, art modality and websites listed on this blog, in the programs for "Shout: Kiss My Art" and in the book, whose working title is Votre Vray Creative Women. 

It isn't too late to share your story. 

Yes, the interview portion is over, and your story won't be part of the play, but much like the Chicken Soup books, you can still write your story and submit it for consideration in the book and in this blog. Tell your friends and colleagues.

Guidelines: 

Submissions should not be longer than 2000 words.

Send as inline text or as an rtf document to: MelEdwardConnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com by deadline, November 14, 2008.

Your personal story should include (but is not limited to):

• What is your art?
  
• When did you realize you were a creative person?
  
• Who supported your art/creativity?
  
• What advice have you been given or can you give to someone who is trying to live a creative life?
• Also submit your contact information (address, phone, e-mail) in case there are editing questions.
• You may submit your website and business name for inclusion in the final product if your work is chosen.

What you write should be something that does not appear in any other media format (online or in print). If it is found to be a duplicate story it cannot be used in publication as you cannot give first rights to Votre Vray.

No submission of stories about other people, please. This must be original work sent directly from the woman who wrote it.

Thank you for supporting each other and the Votre Vray project. With you, the whole world can know that your truth is your way!

Metropolitan Arts Council Grants Votre Vray!

The Metropolitan Arts Council of greater Greenville County, SC, has quite generously granted the Votre Vray Creative Women project funds to put "Shout: Kiss My Art!" in front of three local audiences the final quarter of the year.

This is a dream come true, as every woman who has been interviewed, and each woman who has answered questions or shared her story in her own words outside the interview process is receiving validation. Your story is important and others need to see your, hear of your success and know they can follow in your footsteps. 

Thank you most certainly to the grant committee, the board and most of all, to all the Votre Vray Creative Women who have been part of the project thus far. You each give me another reason to count my blessings every day. 

-Mel.

Raising Money by the Storm, What Other Options Do We Have?

This week I received the following quote in one of my Foundation Center e-mails:

"I would like to live in a world where we're not fundraising episodically with each storm Our mission is so much bigger than these epic storms. Our mission is to be there for the American people every day." - Gail J. McGovern, president and CEO, American Red Cross (in the Washington Post, 9-12-18)

This quote seems to reach far beyond the plight of storm victims to the way many of us tend to live. We don't have a store of funds to go to when we have a storm or major life event that hits us somewhat unexpectedly. Sure, we realize that life is full of surprises, yet we fail to plan for them. Then, we bemoan our fate and shake our heads in despair when we're unprepared.

What Other Options Do We Have?

I had a friend named Joe who worked for the Forest Service in Eureka, Montana, where we used to live. He knew every few years he would need a new vehicle because of his lifestyle in living in near wilderness and understood he often had much more available funding during the summer when fire season was busy. So, instead of living it up each summer, he put away the equivalent to one car or truck payment per pay period. When the time came to buy a new vehicle, he had it in CASH. How many of us have paid in cash, upfront for a new car or pickup? 

Don't have a job like Joe's?

You still have other options. Creative people usually have a season when marketing their work traditionally goes much more easily than the rest of the year. This could be during a season or a shopping period such as the holidays. Instead of using the money you've made ahead as funds to pay the bills the rest of the months you're filling your creative well, find an additional way to passively market during the lean times or to recycle the work you're already created. Visual artists who traditionally use flat surfaces can license their work to be in a variety of product from checks to screen savers. Performance artists can still sell recordings of their work.  There is always an option and if you have the guts to follow the creative path, you've also got it brains to invest in learning how to make money at what you do every day of the year.

Until next time,

keep creating!

-Mel.

Lily Pottery and others at Art in the Park Greenville

Art in the Park, Greenville, SC was a success at Flour Field this past weekend. I'm happy to say I picked up some business cards from some wonderful creative women and two fabulous creative men. I'll be blogging about them in upcoming entries, but one I wanted to mention now since I'll be heading to the South Carolina Arts Alliance in Education conference on Wednesday and won't have time to write much beforehand.

Lily Pottery will be moving to her new location this Friday, Sept. 26th and having an open house from 5-9 p.m. at 1203 Pendleton Street. If you can't make it to the launch of her new fall line, visit her on the web at www.lilypottery.com!

Votre Vray Creative Woman Launches Blog

Votre Vray Creative Woman Bailey Earith, of Bailey Fiber Art, has launched her blog. Please visit her at: www.baileyfiberart.blogspot.com!

Women Express Selves in Baghdad

Most of the world has an erroneous image of how other cultures live based upon old news footage, inexact or incomplete coverage and sensationalism about the actions of a few. I'm willing to bet most women in other countries feel we live like the celebrities they hear about or the hurricane survivors across the southern coast because those are the only images they see of our nation. It is quite easy to have such a misconception. In fact, when I was a teenager, a youth exchange group from Florida came to northern New York state for winter break. When they arrived, they quickly looked relieved to see we were a lot like they were. Then we all laughed when their group leaders said, "The only images they see of New York are of violence in NYCity." The teens thought we wore leather jackets, carried knives and were street-tough kids. In reality, we were living in a former mill-town on the Hudson River and none of us lived a life remotely close to the media image.

So, imagine my joy this morning when I listened to Morning Edition on NPR and heard author Dexter Filkins, NY Times reporter, promoting his latest book The Forever War. Filkins, who has spent four years in and out of Iraq, said that when he was there recently he visited a park in Baghdad that a few years ago was a dark, dismal place with razor-wire, gun carrying men all around. This time he saw hundreds of Iraqis enjoying the park including women without head coverings, showing their sense of style by wearing jeans! I cheered for the women and said a silent prayer that this is becoming the norm.

My question for the rest of us is this, "What misconceptions do you have about yourself (or others) that may be holding you back from expressing yourself creatively?" I think it may be time to stop holding on to falsehoods and embrace our truth individually and collectively. Don't hold back if it can make the world a better place for even one person -- yourself.

******

See more about Filkin's book by clicking the title link below:
The Forever War by Dexter Filkins, Hardcover, 384 pages Alfred A. Knopf List Price: $25

Community to "Shout: Kiss My Art!"

On Tuesday, November 11th, regardless of who the new president-elect may be, Greenville, South Carolina women will have a chance to "Shout: Kiss My Art!" The Votre Vray Creative Women show is based upon the answers of the 75 interviewees and surveys from over 80 local women taken at the Upstate Women's Show. "Shout: Kiss My Art" will begin at 7 p.m. at the Hughes Branch of the Greenville County Library. Admission is free. (Please note this show is about adult women's lives, and is not suitable for children.)

I'm so excited to be able to offer this event free to the public. I truly want to reach out to populations that normally would not be able to afford or interested in attending a regular theatre event. To encourage women to come, the first thirty women who e-mail me at MelEdwardsConnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com will get a gift bag of goodies from sponsors and a "Shout: Kiss My Art" T-shirt with the blog address on the back. The goody bag will also have a listing of all the women who have been part of Votre Vray as well as their websites, even if they didn't get to do a full-blown interview. Basically, if you signed a release, gave your input on the launch questions, and got it to me in time, you're in! This is win for all involved!

Thank you, Votre Vray women! This is your chance to be seen as creative mentor for others who dare to dream!

Visual Arts Contest Seeks Entries

Calling all Votre Vray Creative Women and Friends!

Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation Seeks Entries for Visual Arts Contest

Deadline: Dec. 1st, 2008

"As part of its mission to identify talented artists who are in need of financial assistance in order to reach their goals the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation (www.jdutka.com) is sponsoring a juried visual arts contest.

Artwork must fall into one of the following categories: oil, acrylic and mixed media. All subjects and styles are eligible.

Cash awards will total up to $5,000. Artist will have their work exhibited and offered for sale at Madison Avenue's Hollis Taggert Galleries.

Entry requires a non-refundable application fee of $25. Visit the foundations website for complete entry guidelines and information on the foundation's other programs."

This information is forward to Mel Edwards' Votre Vray via The Foundation Center:

http://fconline.foundationscenter.org/pnd/15014999/jdutka

Eileen Favotire, Creative Woman Accepts No Excuses

I recently had the pleasure to interview Eileen Favorite, writer and instructor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago about the creative life. I began by asking her if she believes we’re all creative, and artists are heart. “That’s a good question. If a banker is called an artist, then they’re in engaged in their art all of the time. That concept conflates a certain consciousness about what one does. What is art? Kindness? Perfection? Awareness? Engagement with something materially? I guess I’d have to say I don’t see a banker as an artist because mindfulness + creativity does not necessarily create an artistic product.” She goes on to acknowledge that the same banker might create art outside of his/her work life.
What makes one an artist? “Artists must be engaged in the practice of their art. That is elemental. If you’re not trying to create something all of the time, then you’re not really living the life of an artist.”

How does an artist keep going forward on the path? For Eileen there was encouragement from friends, teachers and family, the main core of her personal relationships, and the one group that many artists feel they need kudos from to feel supported in their art. “Nobody can keep making art without any success at it,” Eileen admits. Adding, “Ultimately, I couldn’t rely solely upon outside sources (to be encouraged to continue). The power to create and persevere in the face of rejection and discouragement came from within myself. It has to. If you expect the outside world to push you, you’ll get nowhere. You need encouragement here an there to keep going, but the world is accomplished through nothing but your own initiative and the desire to create.”

What is her best advice to artists? “I believe the world is discouraging art making. You must value it even if no one sees it. Success in America is measurable. You can’t change the world’s perception of art. You can only change yourself. It is harder than most work, but it is not going to come if you’re not engaged in the process. Find joy in the process but be disciplined in the amount of time you devote to it. Take risks. Play. Create as if you think no on will ever read/hear/see your work.”

I asked her if it seemed like many artists see their desire to create a lot like building a castle in the air. Eileen agrees for many it is a far off dream that is romantic and wonderful, but it can also be a burden to keep up that castle. “Ask yourself, what can I do now? What resources do I have? Don’t wait for a time when you’ll be able to have all the trappings of a writing office or you’ll never get there.”

Ketra Oberlander, A Woman of Possiblity twice over

Ketra Oberlander was a writer and editor for years when she was dealt a hand most literary folk would consider a spiritual death knell. She became blind at age 40, after years of deteriorating vision in her 30s. “I see the glamour shot view of people, that soft focus, no color, no edges. There are many levels to vision loss that cannot be corrected. My vision was never great.” What would you do? Ketra began to walk to adult education classes just to get out of the house. “I did a few paintings, joined the local art club, and then a miracle happened.” No, she did not regain her vision. “People liked my work,” she beams. “I picked up a paintbrush and my life changed.”

Last January, after five years of increasing her recognition in the art community, Ketra founded an art licensing agency that represents physically disabled artists exclusively. She did it, “so we can connect with a broader audience despite our limitations.” She assures me that she lives a “fully integrated life” and I certainly believe her, even before she offers evidence.
What is her advice? “Emily Dickinson was hiding all her work. I just don’t get that at all. That’s masturbation. There’s a lot of good work that needs to get on a surface where it can be shared and enjoyed. Some people use the word ‘balance’ as an excuse not to do. If it comes out badly, throw it out. So what. If you’re tired, go to sleep. Then get up and do what you want to do as long as it is a contribution. We need more displays of affection, love and goodness in humanity.”

Is there a market for what you create? “The market can’t tell you the value of your work if you don’t put it out there for others to see. Do it to your comfort level. It is okay to be a hobbyist if you don’t want to sell it, but share it. Make your own choices about your work. Not knowing what you want to do with the final product is okay. We change. Ideas can be revisited. I know a 72 year old who just now was ready to show her sculptures for the first time in her life. Life is not an either/or proposition. Being a painter is not my mission critical. My main focus is to be a conduit for love, which usually starts with me giving.”

What about those who don’t create because of other commitments, including stay-at-home moms, or working mothers who are expected to also do all the care taking and cleaning of the household? “You CAN be a writer and a mom, or have a full-time job and be a musician. Do I care if I don’t have balance? No. If my house is a mess, it doesn’t matter. I’m blind!”

See more of what Ketra is about via her site: Art of Possibility Studios

More Votre Vray Creative Women Featured

Hello, and good day, creative folks. (With an extra prayer and blessing to all those in Ike's path.)

I'm happy to present more Votre Vray Creative Women today.

Colleen Bronstein
When a woman is told she will probably never have children, sometimes she feels a void, a creative space has been taken from her, and she must develop something personal to fill that place. This is how Colleen Bronstein came to the world of a metal smith.
Little did she know, she would be blessed with a daughter, Juliet, who is now a grown woman. Just when all seemed right in her creative world, Colleen was given a new hurdle. She was diagnosed with melanoma. It may not be a surprise to readers to know that she has a pool and has gone twice a year to the islands for years. Her love of the sun and disregard for sun safety nearly cost her no only her livelihood and recreational activities, but her life as well. Thankfully, she has been cancer free for some time now, and is checked twice a year for recurrence. “There is no reason anyone should get skin cancer,” she says. Her newer company Sunsafe Designs helps others remain skin cancer free.
Back in 2005, after her diagnosis and recovery, Colleen reevaluated the way she did her metal working. “I changed the entire process. I now carve the piece, send it to a caster, have it cast, and have the caster do the finishing.” Her reasoning? “I looked back at (my metal working) and thought there could be a connection to all the chemicals I use for my art and the processes that were used in school. Some used heated tar, and that was extremely toxic.”
So, what keeps her going? “As a parent, I wanted to spend as much time with my daughter as I could. I wanted to give her a parent, a mother at home, to be there for her.” As an artist, she was spurred on by her own determination to make it. “I’m a competitor. If I saw and opportunity to put myself out there, I did it.”
How does she interweave the world of a Sunsafe Clothing and sun safety advocate with her art? “My art has a new focus. The sun, sea and sand. It is connected to my passion. My new work is around those images including crabs, Irish moss, seaweed.”
As a creative woman, how does she recharge and have energy to move ahead? “My ideal, complete and total relaxation, is a beach chair, the beach, the ocean and a book.” In the end, her truest peace comes from knowing who she is, what she loves and what matters most to her. That’s all anyone could ever hope to achieve in a lifetime.

Small Art, Big Idea

TradeArt.org has a project entitled Experimental small works. Artists are asked to donate a work that is 4 x 6 inches, approximately the size of a standard post card. The objective is to help Trade Art do outreach to artists in countries where extreme poverty is an issue.

Visit www.TradeArt.org for more details and an entry form. (Found under "What's New" and the link of "Donations of small art works needed for solidarity project")

Individual Artists may also become a member of TradeArt, a 201 (c) (3) for $60 per year by visiting their site, click on "participate" and then "Become a member." Once you select a membership category, your PayPal bill will pop up in a new window.

Ann Hamilton, Amazing Woman Artist Wins Heinz Award

What is the dream of your creative career? Getting a grant? Juried into a show? A local, regional or national award? Today, Ann Hamilton, Ohio State University Professor has her name in headlines around the world as the Arts category award winner for the Heinz award, named after Mrs. Heinz Kerry's late husband who died in a plane crash in 1991. 

Ann was born in Lima, Ohio in 1956. That means, she's not a newbie artist by any means, but a woman who has found her truth and lives it to the fullest. Her artistic signature is creative experiential art that begs and answers many questions about human interaction and space. 

Visit her studio site to learn more about this amazing woman who began in textile arts (with a BFA degree) and moved onward to sculpture (MFA degree) before using a variety of media including spoken word to create her artistic surroundings. You'll soon understand why this woman won (2007) the United States Artists Fellowship and many more prestigious awards and grants.

Congratulations, Ann! 

Vote for a Creative Woman with One Click!

Britt Menzies, creator of Stinky Kids.com is being considered for a Home-Based Business Top 100. Those who visit this link will cast a vote for this Votre Vray Creative Woman's inspirational enterprise. On top of it all, Britt is also a mentor for Unessalyn Sweet of MyJunkyTrunk.com! This our shot to give to one of our own, for free, and help her reap the rewards of a job well-done.

What does the winner receive? 

Britt says "a media storm that includes recognition on local and national TV, radio (coverage) in newspapers and magazines, and on some of the largest, most influential websites" (including MSN and StartupNation)

What do you say, folks? I already cast my Votre Vray vote!

Crash, Slip, Decree - Other Gifts of Destruction

Two Votre Vray Creative Women, Toni Quest (http://www.screamingwoman.com/) and Dawn Clare (http://www.spisebliss.com/) had life interrupted by a devastating car crash. Ketra Oberlander (who will be featured later this week) became blind after years working in print media. Many Votre Vray women received or handed out divorce papers. Sometimes these seemingly destructive events change a person's life for the better. Out of the ashes, so rises our phoenix of personal focus and creativity.

When the message doesn't get through, sometimes you get told more frequently with vehemence. Let me give you a personal example of being too hard-headed to understand the messages. Nearly 12 years go I ruptured my post-tibial tendon (it is the one that runs from the inside of your knee, under the arch, back up toward the outer knee area). I was not a good patient. I insisted upon working when I was told not to. In the end, the doctor said he was putting me in a cast, sending me home for a month and when I returned at to have it removed, he'd not only yell at me, but put me into surgery and keep me out of work for at least six months. Okay, I stayed at home for a month, spent most of the time sitting and knitting, and went back to a job I hated, that was at least 85% rote and lacked creativity.

I realized I needed a change, so I switched jobs within the year, and returned to teaching in public schools. Within weeks I was overwhelmed by all the energy I was giving others, and began denying my own creative needs again. I became a ball of stress, but the next fall, as I began saying to myself, "This isn't working for me," I was given a chance to go for free to the National Storytelling Festival. Once at the festival, I learned of the master's degree program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University. By the next fall I had resigned my position to be a full-time student of storytelling.

So enthralled with my creative life, I completed all my coursework in two semesters and one summer session. I then spent several semesters writing and re-writing my thesis (a topic for another day). While I worked on my thesis, I returned to public education as a teacher, and again found myself drained of any creative energy because I was giving all I had in the classroom. Soon, I found out I needed a partial hysterectomy due to tumors, one was the size of a tennis ball! (Just this past summer one of the Votre Vray Creative Women, Chris of http://www.boshevo.com/ told me she'd read those same tumors were considered signed of blocked creativity! I've since confirmed this research and heard that several self-help doctors agree.)

After my surgery, I yet again returned to public education, giving more than I had to give mentally, emotionally and spiritually to my students and job. I became clinically depressed. Then, and only then, did I say, "Enough!" and begin living the creative life of my dreams.

It took three hiatuses from work before I realized that loving the students and wanting them to be successful was not enough. I needed to care for my own health and success first. Now that I do that, I'm feeling better than I've felt in over a decade. I'm just sorry I was such a stubborn fool and that it took me so long.

Next time: I'll talk about fear and creativity.
Until then, keep creating!
-Mel.

Hurricane Season Interrupts Creativity

If you haven't noticed her comment below, Votre Vray Creative Woman, Rachelle Matherne of GreenKangaroo.com is alive and well and just barely returned home after evacuating for Gustav. Now, she and millions of others wait to hear if Ike is on the way.

The question that comes to mind is, how many of us not directly in the path of the storms this season fitter away time as we watch the storm path again and again on the Internet, the news and listen to it on the radio. So often, the craziness of an event grabs at our consciousness and won't let go...unless we do something drastic about it.

Timothy Ferriss, famed author of The Four-Hour Workweek advocates keeping business e-mail to one hour per week, not multitasking (so we can pay attention and appreciate the moments in our days), stopping repetitive tasks (like checking the aforementioned e-mail countless times per day...or in the case of the hurricanes, looking for hourly updates on a storm's progress) and having a brief list of must-do activities per day. [If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it, especially if you say you have no time to live your creative dreams.]

Even with a hurricane streaking toward your town, you can do ONE thing per day that is creative, even if that means packing a notebook or sketch pad for something to put your ideas and observations in once the storm knocks out your electricity.

May you all be safe, well and peaceful and at ease today, and in doing so, find some space to make your creative sanctuary in times when we have no control but must wait to endure the process and results.

-Mel.

Nancy Digman, Votre Vray Creative Woman Joins Gallery

wUG LAKU'S STUDIO AND gARAGE is proud to announce the addition of a new artist to the gallery and studio. Nancy Lee Digman is a metalsmith/jeweler of extraordinary talent and vision. You can see her creations as part of the 'Earth Poems' exhibition during the upcoming IDADA First Friday gallery tour, this week on Sept. 5th from 5-9 p.m.

The STUDIO AND gARAGE is located at 1125 Brookside Ave, Suite C7, Indianapolis, in the Circle Center Industrial Complex. Look for the IDADA banner outside the door, and be sure to tell Nancy that Votre Vray sent you!

Bill Status - Paycheck Fairness Act

H.R.1338 - Paycheck Fairness Act

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
Introduced: March 05, 2007
Status: Voted on by House
Next step: Voted on by Senate
Latest action: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D, CT-3]
View Bill >>News Coverage Blog Coverage
Powered by OpenCongress

Votre Vray is not a political site, but the Creative project this site is focused upon is all about women, creativity and living the life you desire based upon your truth. No one can tell you how to vote, what to think, who you should put your trust in or follow politically. That said, I thought many of the participants and readers here would be interested in knowing about this bill, who has passed it, abstained or voted against it. Please do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. Then, remember how it all turned out when it comes to election day. May you exercise your write to vote and may that vote mirror the image of the world you want to come to pass.

Until next time,
keep creating.
-Mel.

Secret Passion become Creative Goal

For many, following a creative path does not manifest as organically or easily as you might expect, or hope. A person can be born with an interest or affinity for creativity and never see that creativity as more than something he or she does for themselves. Sabine Garvey was no exception. She kept her work to herself, away from all friends and her own husband, for most of her life. “I wrote my first poem as a young teenager and shared it only with my mother. My writing was kept secret from the world for many years. Approximately fifteen years later, I wrote my second poem and again shared it with only her.” 

Sabine admits her faulty perception kept her work in the shadows. She felt that poetry didn’t seem like an accepted form of self-expression and she feared others would laugh at her work. “I came across a website of poetry and then I realized there was a bigger community.” Community is what sustains everyone, in some form, knowing we are not alone in our hearts and minds and that others find joy in some of the same creative pursuits that we do. Once community has been found, the path becomes a bit easier. “While writing is my passion, it is not currently the main means by which I make my financial living. It is my ambition, however, to change this sooner than later. It is my passion, my dream and my destiny.”

Best wishes to Sabine, and all other creative souls who walk the same path.

-Mel.

What is art?

Some of the women who have participated in the Votre Vray Creative Women project are fine artists (painters, sculptors and the like) with a lineage of forbears that easily come to mind. The invention and subsequent mundane use of the personal computer has also opened up a world of creative forms not previously available. Purists say, “Anyone who has then fingers, a mouse, and good software can call themselves an graphic artist, but that doesn’t meant they can draw.” This argument doesn’t make many friends in the world of graphic design, advertising and media promotions. 

Michelle Poe began in charcoals and photography and then grew into her graphic design business. “I started with high school yearbook photography and learned page layout. I believe you have to be born to do this type of work. It is demanding. I went to the Art Institute in Phoenix and then transferred to Vegas.” After serving as intern at a large agency, she realized this was the right path for her, stress and all, even though photography is still a source of passion for her.

Michelle is now co-owner of Kherize5 Advertising and Marketing Agency of Las Vegas. She may be reached via www.kherize5.com

Gustav Impacting Votre Vray Artist

Dear friends of Votre Vray,

I know of at least one Votre Vray Creative Woman, Rachelle Matherne of GreenKangaroo.com that is directly impacted by the potential threats of Gustav. Her home was flooded and she lost her entire business during Katrina. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, as well as all others in the storms path (days past, and present). 

I have personally messaged Rachelle that if she needs anything after the storm to let us know. I believe this community would reach out to her. Creative women are the kindest, most empathic women I know.

-Mel.