How to Achieve Well-Being.

I was thinking about what it takes to feel content in this world, as a human. I often think of Maslow's pyramid, which I learned about when I had a brief flirtation with getting a master's degree in psychology and took some introductory classes. Loved those classes, but realized that as much as I loved learning about psychology and the brain, I had no interest in working with crazy people. Good thing for the crazies I figured that out sooner rather than later. But I digress.

Maslow's pyramid: Abraham Maslow studied people he found to be at the height of mental health to obtain a model for what motivates a "normal" human being. He describes a set of needs, organized in a hierarchy from the most basic to more esoteric needs. Wikipedia describes it thusly:

"Maslow's hierarchy of needs is also predetermined in order of importance. It is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the lowest level is associated with physiological needs, while the uppermost level is associated with self-actualization needs, particularly those related to identity and purpose. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are met. Once an individual has moved upwards to the next level, needs in the lower level will no longer be prioritized. If a lower set of needs is no longer being met, the individual will temporarily re-prioritize those needs by focusing attention on the unfulfilled needs, but will not permanently regress to the lower level. For instance, a businessperson at the esteem level who is diagnosed with cancer will spend a great deal of time concentrating on their health (physiological needs), but will continue to value their work performance (esteem needs) and will likely return to work during periods of remission."

The needs are:

1. Physiological (basic physical needs: food water pooping etc etc)

2. Safety (security of home and job and health)

3. Love and Belonging (friends, family, a mate)

4. Self Esteem (confidence, respect for and by others)

5. Self Actualization (morality, creativity)

Spinning off of that, I sort of condensed it into 4 areas of things to work on in one's life in order to be happy/content.

1. Physical health - eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep

2. Mental health - do the above, and take vitamins/medication if anything is wrong with your brain. Pursue intellectual interests, have stimulating conversations, avoid too much tv and media.

3. Spiritual health - do the above, and meditate/pray, journal, take walks in nature, pursue a creative hobby, go to church of your choosing if you're churchy.

4. Relational health - collect positive, healthy friends, find a mate and be good to them, spend quality time with your children if you have those, and be honest and accepting of the rest of your family

Just some random thinkings. What do you feel you need to be happy/content in this life?

Didier Massard and Lori Nix

Just read a great book by Lev Grossman called The Magicians. It's Harry Potter for grownups!
What also struck me, though, was the photograph on the cover by Didier Massard. Turns out it's model he created and photographed, or something like that. His images are so dreamy and romantic - and along those same lines check out Lori Nix.

Autumn Trees by Didier Massard

The Library by Lori Nix

Why my spirit getting broken is a good thing...

....I think.
For the past almost 6 months (!!!) I have been going through a printing drama with Plasticprinters.com. In a nutshell, I presented a business card job to them in June. The colors did not turn out the way my client liked (I gave them CMYK which made them look pixelated), and Steve our sales rep not only agreed to reprint with new Pantone spot colors, but also agreed to some design changes my client asked for. Which was super generous - technically he didn't have to agree to that. But HE DID. So I sent him new colors and the adjusted design - and my client waited, and waited, and waited. Finally a month later, we checked in to find out the "job jacket went momentarily missing". Then two weeks later, the reprint was sent - and the colors were changed, but the other changes that were discussed were not changed. Curses! They somehow used the old artwork. And then blamed me when my client asked about it! So I went to the sales manager, presented the email proof that I had sent the correct artwork, and he agreed to reprint it again. So I sent the correct artwork but now a month has gone by - no cards. So for the past week I've been calling/emailing to find out what's up - and finally I get an email saying the owner of the business canceled the job because he says the second run was done to our specifications and they aren't printing it again.
Annoying on so many different levels.
But here's the part that's good about all this: I don't have time for this kind of bullshit. I am a full time mom of a two year old, and when I have a precious spare moment, I do not want to be dealing with printers who don't give a shit about me and my work. If I was working full time as a graphic/web designer, more than likely I would have found trustworthy printers that I can trust with my clients projects, and I would have time to manage the projects from design to print. But I'm not a full time designer. And part (less than part) time isn't going to cut it - I'm too much of a perfectionist for things to go awry like this. So during my part (part) time, all I am going to do is paint.
So it's official. I am no longer Karin Bolstad Art + Design. Just ART!!!!

Stillettoheights: Artist Jennifer Gordon

Just bought me some new art - They are 4 x 4 mounted mixed media prints by Jennifer Gordon. Aren't they purty? Check out her shop at stilettoheights.etsy.com.

New Show: Caffe Ladro Union, 11/1 - 12/31

I'm hanging a couple pieces at Caffe Ladro on Union between 1st and 2nd in Downtown Seattle for the next two months if you want to check it out! I haven't had a lot of time to do anything new, but I managed to spiff up a couple of old ones that didn't really feel done.

Spring

16 X 20 Mixed Media Acrylic Painting

$375

(You can see what it looked like before HERE)

In the Midnight Garden

13.5 X 23.5 Mixed Media Acrylic Painting on birch panel

$450

(I never took a before picture of this one, but she used to have a huge fur coat and hat. No more)

She Waits Like an Iceberg

18 X 24 Mixed Media Acrylic Painting

$450

(You can see what she used to look like HERE)

Oren Lavie: Her Morning Elegance

Dreamy Places: An Artist Retreat, Whidbey Island

Probably the coolest new construction house I've seen for sale on Whidbey Island so far. LOVE IT.
MLS#29120996, $679K
"Inspired, eclectic Whidbey Island treasure. Meticulously built with unique artistic charm on gorgeous acreage with a peek-a-boo-view-of-the-Sound setting. Open & sunny; gardens galore. 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, fireplace, reclaimed hardwood floors. Energy efficient Loewen windows, electric heat pump, metal roofing, on-demand water heater, water purification system, custom walnut & steel stairs/staircase, Japanese soaking tub, steam shower for two. 40x60 Barn/Workshop, full basement."

James Yuill "No Surprise"

Freakin' COOLEST

Chateau Lamp from Anthropologie.com! How cool is this??? Click on the image so you can see the widdle chairs. The floor is made out of book leaves. Oh, if only I had a spare grand lying around, to spend frivolously...

New/Old

I heart Nytimes.com.

Two articles I found interesting this weekend:

Designed, Delivered and Sealed

 - about modular homes created by New World Homes that are both green AND designed to look 150 years old. I thought this was a great idea because most current modular/green homes are very modern in design, and how cool would it be to have an old farmhouse that was NEW? And GREEN?

Carl Jung and the Holy Grail of the Unconscious 

- about a new (old) book by Carl Jung, which is mostly a journal documenting his experience delving into his own unconscious. What I found really interesting, being the visual person I am, was his illustrations. Whaddya want to bet that before long posters of this art will grace many a psychologist's waiting room, not to mention all the college dorm rooms...

More Interesting Artists

Claire Curneen "Blue"

Bruno Lucchesi "After Shopping"

Some other interesting 3-d depictions of figures - I'm really fascinated by the bas-relief. Perhaps I will play with this before I break completely from 2-d to attempt an art doll - so exciting! Can't wait to get to the studio!

Definitely click on the names of the artists and visit their websites - such amazing work.

My Newest Obsession

Christine Alvarado

Red Nose Studio

Amy Earles

Marina Bychkova

Paula Nerhus

KriSoft

Sarah Faber

This is such an odd obsession for me, because I've always found dolls, well, creepy. Because they ARE creepy. Like clowns.

But there's something about assembling a character - not just painting a picture, but making their bodies and clothing and accessorizing them, and then creating their environments - I think I might like doing something like that. I have always been such an "all over the map" kind of artist, always wanting to try new things and styles - making dolls would satisfy my mixed media bent.

As a child, I loved dioramas, the fashion plate game, and those big barbie heads you could do their makeup and hair - there's some common thread in these interests that seems to also be satisfied by creating little people.

I don't know if anything will come of this, but it has been a lot of fun perusing current doll artist's work!

Some things I've been thinking about

I wish I could post some new artwork, but it's summertime, and I'm home with my darling daughter, doing mommy and child things. No room for doodlin' around with paints and such. Instead, here is a picture my Uncle Gudbrand took of Lulu and I while we were visiting my father and family in Norway this past July. I love it; it will be framed soon and on the wall! As for my artwork -I'm ok with the fact I'm not currently in the art studio, because I'll have time soon, and I'm really loving our new home on Whidbey, and being able to go to the beach with Lulu - every day if we want!  

This morning the whole fam walked to a nearby organic farm - one of our neighbors has two large gardens of vegetables, fruits and herbs that you can wander into and pick from, and then pay for it in a handily available glass jar. Surrounding the garden are horses, llamas, goats, sheep and a donkey. It is a lot of fun for all of us, and picking fresh produce that is cheaper than at the supermarket fills me with glee.

However, the short walk to said farm is along one of Whidbey's more commonly used roads, and as anyone who lives somewhere other than a large metropolitan area knows, there isn't any sidewalks. It's not really a freeway, but it's not a quite side street either. When people cruise down it, they are going about 40/50 mph and not expecting peds. It's a bit harrowing. It's rather ironic really, when I think of the fact that while we lived in the city, it cheesed me that we had to drive to get to any quiet and nature-like nice to walk. I looked forward to moving out here, and walking on beaches and in the woods - right outside my door! But - no sidewalks. So I actually walked more back at home. 

So here's my rant: why, when building streets, just add a couple feet on both sides? For bikes and walkers? Sure, it's more money, but ultimately it just seems like something that makes sense, for bikers and walkers. Which is practically everyone. We all walk, those of us with use of our legs.

My other rant: why can't we invent anti-gravity pods already, so we can drive around in hovercrafts? Then there's room for BOTH walkers and drivers. Screw the electric car. Skip to hovercrafts. 

Dastardly Hackers

I just read that Twitter and Facebook have been attacked by hackers, and this is while I've been researching attacks on Wordpress blogs. I've designed a few sites using Wordpress, and I've even meant to switch from Blogger for a while now. I really like Blogger, but I like how you can sculpt WP into a regular site with pages and such. Well, no more. Because it is open source, hackers have targeted WP in order to inject code that links to Viagra and Cialis sites etc etc. My friend Shelly Mazzanoble's site, which I designed, has been hacked over the past year - first she couldn't upload photos, so I upgraded and loaded up a whole new site, but now when you search her name you get info for drugs and stuff. I can't figure out how to fix it, at least not with spending hours researching and digging through every form and page on her site. Sigh. And it seems even if you DO fix the problem, it's an ongoing battle, and honestly who has the time??? 

This really bums me out, for both Shelly and myself, and all other blogs/sites that have been hacked. I think there should be a special hell designed for hackers. Blast you, hackers! (fist shaking in air).