Appeasing The Muse Week 1

To Wonder Is Wise (Appeasing The Muse Wk1) Poster by Victoria Lynn Hall
Available at Zazzle.com/Victoriart*

One painting every week, the muse commanded. This didn't seem so daunting at first. I've completed a painting in a week before...once...maybe twice. After this week, however, I realized that to do it consistently I am going to have to devote a lot more time to the canvas. This may take some time away from other activities, like cleaning the house.

Hmm, maybe my muse does love me after all.

Happy creating everyone!
Victoria

Conversations With My Muse #2

"The Wildest Dreams" By Victoria Lynn Hall

Available at Zazzle.com/Victoriart*

I received the following message from my Muse this morning:

Dear Mortal whom I tolerate for the sake of art,

You are hereby commanded to complete one painting every week. They won't all be good but they will all be good for you.

Yours Truly,
The Muse

Wow, she is such a bitch.

I better get busy. Happy creating everyone!

Victoria

Fairy Tales And Other True Stories

Rapunzel's New Plan Art By Victoria Lynn Hall by Victoriart
See other Fairytales Posters at zazzle

Looking at my art and designs you might think that I am a card carrying fairy tale fanatic but I actually have sort of a love/hate relationship with fairy tales. I, like so many girls, was raised on them and they did indeed cast a spell on me that will probably never fully be lifted. The older I get, however, the more my perspective on them changes.

For example, when I first saw “Snow White” as a little girl, I was so frightened by the evil queen that I ran screaming out of the theater. Now (thanks in no small part to Disney's expert marketing) I find the “Villains” of these tales more likable or at least more sympathetic than I ever expected to.

It's actually the Princesses that frighten me now. They just have so many issues. Cinderella has low self esteem, there is something not right with Snow White and don't even get me started on that lazy Sleeping Beauty. I mean sure, they are all nice people who deserve their happy fates but they just don't seem that motivated to me. In fact, if it wasn't for their princes or their fairy godmothers, they would have been in real trouble. Truly, I would be surprised if their “happily ever afters” were achieved without at least a few years of therapy.

The bottom line is, these women were poor role models for me. I think I am perfectly justified in blaming them for spending far too many years waiting for a Knight on a shining Harley to show up and rescue me. Eventually, however, I realized I wasn't nor did I want to be a princess in need of saving.

And yet, I still want the fairytale. I just figured out that the ruby slippers work better than the glass ones. I want to be less like Cinderella and more like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” these days. Dorothy didn't need a prince or a fairy godmother to save her. All she needed was a good role model to remind her of the power she already had within her. I think ultimately, that's all any of us really need to create our own happily ever after.

So yes, I believe in fairy tales but more than that, I believe in me and I believe in you.

Rapunzel's New Plan Art By Victoria Lynn Hall by Victoriart
Check out other Fairytales Canvas Prints at zazzle.com

Fairy Tales And Other True Stories Custom Spiral Note Books by Victoreeah
Make your own notebooks online at Zazzle

Be Your Own Fairy Godmother - Ever After Art Poster by Victoreeah
See other Fairytale Posters at zazzle

Fairy Princess of Kindness Tee Shirt by Victoreeah
Browse more Kindness T-Shirts at Zazzle

Ever After Cards by Victoreeah
Shop for Ever Cards online at Zazzle.com

She believed Vintage Photo Fairy Tale Quote Card by VictoriaVintage
Design your own card at Zazzle

Wine Princess "Someday My Prince Will Come..." Refrigerator Magnet by Victoreeah
Shop for other fridge magnets from zazzle.com.

Kindred Spirits

Dragonfly Fairy Friendship Card by Victoria Lynn Hall

You can have thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook Friends but, if you are lucky, there will still likely be only a handful of people in your life that you can really trust with your heart. In our quest for success, fulfillment & recognition, we may at times take this for granted. Spending our efforts reaching out to new people and broaden our social circle can often rob of us of the time we spend with those who have always been right by our side. Even people who have hurt or betrayed us can sometimes occupy our thoughts more than those who have been steadfastly loyal and loving to us.

Perhaps it is true that you can't have too many friends, but they will not all be Kindred Spirits. So while you are making new connections, make sure you are also honoring the tried and true ones. Make sure those who know and love you best are getting your best efforts too.

Conversations with my muse #1

I Just Do What The Muse Tells Me Poster by Victoreeah
Make posters online at Zazzle.

So I asked my muse why she always has to wake me up in the middle of the night with her crazy ideas and she said, "That is the only time you really listen to me."

And I said, "What about all those times I sit in front of a blank canvas waiting for you and you never show?"

"That," she said, "is me giving you time off."

And so my wish for my fellow artists and creative people today is that your muse is more reliable and less demanding and snarky than mine.

Happy Creating!
Victoria

Planning a wedding?

Every now and then I get an inquiry about wedding designs and products. I rarely design anything specifically for weddings. However, there are so many talented designers on Zazzle.com who create lovely, wedding themed, customizable stamps, save the date cards, stationary and more. Here are links to a few shops that I highly recommend for anyone who is planning a wedding.

Two Hearts Wedding Shoppe™ offers a simply elegant selection of custom wedding postage, save the date cards, wedding invitations, envelope seals, wedding party buttons & favors, cute bridal party t-shirts and other keepsakes for your celebration.

Here's just one example of what you will find there:

Victorian Romance Save The Date Announcement by twoheartsshoppe
create invitations at zazzle

Kustom by Kris Bridal Boutique - Coordinate your wedding on a budget, but without compromising style. From Save the Date cards and Invitation sets, to address labels and favor cards your big day will be perfectly matched with your budget.

Here's one of my favorites from this shop:

Royalty Save the Date by KrispysKingdom
Browse Royalty bridal suite from kbk Postcards

Ujean's Whimsical World - This collection of wedding designs is truly unique and wonderfully whimsical.

I really love this design:

Two Hearts: Save the Date(modified version) by daphne1024
Browse Save the date postcards Postcards

I am confident you will find just the right designs for you in one of these outstanding shops but if you want to see even more, there are many, many, many more to choose from. Just click here to go to Zazzle's main wedding page.

And if you want to check out the few items of mine which are wedding related, click here.

Congratulations and best wishes,
Victoria

When I Paint...

"My Soul Is A Rainbow"
Print available at Zazzle.com/victoriart

When I paint there seems to be only a tiny part of me that knows what I am doing. Some quiet spark that I am barely aware of dancing in the back of my mind, in my gut, in the corner of my eye. It is very certain about what it wants, very confident that if I follow its instructions there will be some worthwhile outcome. The rest of me isn't so sure. A big splash of red there? Really? Well, okay.

There are numerous reasons why I started painting but I keep painting because I want to know that part of me better. I hope that by doing so I will learn to recognize it, listen to it and trust it in other areas of my life.