Heather K Powers

Wednesday Wellness::Confronting Risk and Fearlessness

June 29, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Wellness & Mindset 2 Comments

Confronting risk and fearlessness takes a good bit of courage and practice!

I’ve been taking on a lot of “new” lately which requires a healthy dose of fearlessness. I’ve always thought of myself as pretty adaptable to change, but in the last several years the fear of risk has caused me serious pause (paralysis even) at times.

Somewhere along the lines in my corporate design job and suburban lifestyle I got a little too comfortable (in my opinion).

Then the unthinkable happened (loosing my job). This was the thing I was most afraid of (but secretly wished for as well!). Afterwards I decided not to rush myself into anything which was a good choice in hindsight but…

I spent the better part of last year practically paralized by fear of the unknown.

I was unwilling to make a decision about what I wanted to do next because I was so afraid of not doing it perfectly, failing, not being happy with my new choices, not pleasing those around me etc…I’m sure you can probably relate right? I can’t say I was exactly aware that I was paralized by fear but somewhere along the lines when I decided I’d had enough and set my intention on Clarity things slowly began to change for me. I started to move towards risk and allow a little bit of fearlessness to creep into my routines.

Confronting Risk and Fearlessness

What I’m coming to realize now is that it’s healthy and rewarding to invite risk into your life but the consequences may totally upset your balance for awhile. I’m learning to live within this new state of unknown. It is not always easy, sometimes I feel like I can’t get a deep breath, sometimes I am just exhausted and sometimes I need a day with a book or time at the pool to totally recharge and feel that deeper sense of calm inside me.

The big risk of deciding to start my own business in a field that I was formerly almost unfamiliar with didn’t feel so much like a leap off a cliff but now that I’m falling (into grace) I can look up and see how far I’ve come and that I have my parachute attached. Somewhere inside myself I know how to do this, it came so much easier when I was younger but I’m learning to take on risk and to be more fearless by taking baby steps each day.

I’m taking more risks in my art, trying new techniques and approaches and being less judgmental of my own work.

I’m pushing myself to talk about my business in front of strangers on a regular weekly basis!

I am changing my dietary habits to reflect changes in my body (I’ve gone almost totally gluten free).

I’m re-trying things I use to love doing but somewhere along the lines stopped doing (swimming, tennis, bike riding).

I’m attending ART Camp (this is a bucket list item).

I’m growing food for myself (in a community garden plot).

I’m letting my grip on money become a little less rigid. It will be there when I need it but I also need to enjoy the present, not in an extravagant way but I’m also no longer going to deprive myself of certain things-BALANCE.

That last word, that’s what it’s all about. Striking a new balance between risk and easy…

What are you afraid of, what risks would you take if you knew you would not fail? Living in fear is not living well!

Loving & Embracing Change

April 21, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Photography, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Have you ever really pondered how embracing change works?

If you want something in your life to change, you have to change your actions right? I’ve announced here that things are changing as I shift over to my new business face for this blog.

It’s scary, it’s exciting, it’s fun…I LOVE CHANGE! Loving & Embracing Change

Loving & Embracing Change comes rather easily for me. But I realize that’s not the case for everyone.

I use to live by this motto and seek out ways to invite change into my life but somewhere along the lines as I got older and more settled into the comfortable life I’ve created, I’ve also become a little afraid of change.

That’s sad right? I’m looking back and saying to myself, HOW, WHERE AND WHEN did this happen? I don’t like it and I’m going back to Loving & Embracing Change!

Part of why I think I’ve been drawn to my new calling as an Organizer that it’s all about helping people through a process of change. I’m fascinated by what the a catalyst for change are in peoples lives. It seems so often that people don’t change something until they HAVE TO. Why is that? By being more aware can we invite and embrace change? This may be a lot easier for some people’s personalities, astrological signs or nature but I’m convinced that it can become easier to embrace change by practicing it regularly and in small ways, working our way to more “risky” changes.

I’ve always been the kind of person who invites change into my daily life, ask my husband, ask my friends…I re-arrange furniture, artwork and re-organize closets at the drop of a hat. Then I sit back and observe how one change is the catalyst for another. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of making a change to consider creating change proactively rather than reacting to something.

We can invite creative action and can embrace the kind of change that is rewarding and lasting.

Allowing things to change as you react to “stuff” happening in your life isn’t a bad way to go either but if you can decide consciously in action and create an intention for your change then you will shift the change from reactive to creative. Now that’s the kind of change I want to encourage!

This process is so amazing to watch; once you have laid the ground work you can sit back and let the dominoes follow the new pattern you have laid out!

What is a catalyst for change in your life? Is it reactive or creative?

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef at the Smithsonian

April 1, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Inspiration & Education, Museums & Galleries 2 Comments

Today’s post is going to be short on words and heavy on photo’s. “To briefly summarize The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef (HCCR) is a project of the Institute For Figuring (IFF), a Los Angeles based non-profit educational organization whose mission is to develop creative new ways to engage the public with science, mathematics and the technical arts.”- IFF & HCCR Hyperbolic geometry is creatively modeled by the forms created through crochet.

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world.” by Christine Wertheim and Margaret Wertheim

Demonstrations of crochet are on display during exhibit hours.

This ongoing project has had over 10 exhibits worldwide with one of the most recent and current exhibits on view now at the Sant Ocean Hall, Focus Gallery, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History with contributions from over 850 participants who collaborated in crochet and assembling this coral reef. Another exhibit also currently on view is The Bleached Reef at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (NYC, NY). Each coral reef exhibit is a unique installation with different contributing artist and different themes.

Crochet Coral Reef at Smithsonian

If you or your kids are fans of the spectacular wonders of the underwater world I would highly recommend you take a visit. One of the fascinating things about the exhibit is the unique materials that individual contributors used. The majority was certainly various types of yarn but I also spotted recycled plastic bags, wire, beads, VHS and cassette tape, plastic zip ties and various other materials. I’m sure you could make a game of “I SPY” at the exhibit to identify more variety of materials.

I loved the way they arranged this exhibit in colors that spanned the rainbow. It seemed that every color and perhaps color combination were represented. The forms range from super realistic replicas of coral formations to shapes that are beyond the wildest imagination and look to be straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Crochet Coral Reef at the Smithsonian

While we are on the subject of coral reefs I recently got to see the short film “The Coral Gardener”. The purpose of this exhibit and the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is to educate and bring awareness to the world’s disappearing reefs. Did you know that coral can be propagated like a plant and cuttings can be taken and “rooted” to replant the reef? This award winning short film shows how scientists and volunteers in Fiji are doing this. If you get a chance to see it, it’s a truly a sign of hope for the worlds reefs. I hope you will get a chance to view one of these spectacular exhibits yourself!

Mundane Monday::Bread Tabs

March 14, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Inspiration & Education 4 Comments

To continue my post about collecting and using Mundane items in craft and art I’ll share with you a little project I began earlier this year.

I’m an artist and therefore I’m a collector (I don’t really know any artists who don’t collect SOMETHING odd or beautiful!).

Starting with stickers and stuffed animals in childhood I’ve now elevated some of my collections to things a bit more valuable but sometimes I love to collect the “Mundane”. These types of collections usually begin with an idea or something that sparks my interest, visually or otherwise and it runs its course, I explore the possiblity and eventually let go of the collection. Thank goodness for that because I’d probably be considered a “Hoarder” if I held onto everything that ever caught my fancy or sparked a creative idea!

So, I’ve been collecting these little colorful plastic bread tabs (tags, clips, whatever you call them) for about 2 years now, maybe even 3. My friends and family have also been collecting little stashes of them for me. They are always asking if I’ve started to use them yet. “What are you doing with these again?” “Oh, I’m not sure yet.” I say…”I’ll use them in some art project.” Well, I finally am! I was inspired to start playing with them about a month ago. I love the colors and the shapes and I can’t even tell you where all I’ve found them. Most recently I found a whole bunch at the county fairgrounds imbedded in the partially frozen gravel and dirt. No, I didn’t sit there and chip away to get every last one but I got a few. Like anything, once you begin looking you will see them all around. I feel I’m picking up the currency of a future piece of artwork when I find one and this series of work is titled “Our Daily Bread”.

Here are a some of the works I’ve created so far. They are really just studies and play, experimentation with something mundane to see where it will lead. It may lead to more experimentation and it may lead me to a larger work, design or collection of work. For now, I’m enjoying the “mundane” possibilities.

I’m very interested in not only exploring the form/shapes and colors but also some more esoteric meaning I’ve begun to associate with these bread tabs. The title of the series “Our Daily Bread” refers to a Christian passage in the bible (Matthew 6:11) but I’m not really exploring anything associate with religion here. What I am exploring are the practices of breaking bread, sharing meals and the issues surrounding food and agricultural shortage around the world and found currency. If you have any thoughts you would like to share or comments about this new project please leave them here!

Do you collect anything “Mundane”?

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Clutter Free Friday

March 11, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Organize 2 Comments

“Living Empty means we release the things that are no longer in alignment with who we are becoming. The release itself tells us who that is. The emptiness shows us the way.”~Christine Kane

If you have been following my blog this year you may remember my word of intention for 2011 is Clarity! As I clear away some of the physical (and emotional) baggage I’ve been dragging around I’ve recently realized that I want to help people find clarity in their own lives. I will be working towards becoming a Professional Organizer, so this will be a subject you will be seeing more of here. I’m actually surprised I didn’t include de-cluttering in my Wednesday Wellness series! Living organized is living well!

My mission is to help my clients Cultivate creative solutions for a more joyful home.

Do you hang onto stuff because you think you might use it again one day, because it’s sentimental or you just can’t part with it because you love it? There is no right or wrong answer but there are those of us that have a very hard time parting with things. I am not a hoarder by any means and I also don’t consider myself a minimalist (and I certainly don’t think everyone needs to be) I fall somewhere in the middle, which I suspect is where most people fall. I think we all have areas in our homes and our lives that get cluttered and overwhelming and sometimes we need a push to get started. I think it’s a very healthy process to get rid of things that you no longer need.

Making small changes in your home can create big changes in your life!

Every Spring and Fall I go through a period of purging that usually lasts a month or two. I get rid of things that I no longer need, things that are broken, things I just don’t love anymore and things that I know someone else could use more than me. I have a rule that I picked up somewhere, whenever I get something new I have to get rid of something. For example last week I got a new pair of PJ’s but I got rid of a pair (actually like 3) that were worn out and I didn’t really use any more. I also have a rule that I rarely buy books. I’m an avid Library user so I get tons of books from them and I consider all the late fee’s I get my contribution towards the library system. If I can’t find what I want at the library I usually ask around and try to borrow it and if that doesn’t work I may end up buying it myself. I love books but my house would be filled to the roof if I owned every book I read or wanted to read.

So, what are you doing this weekend? Why not get started on that Spring cleaning if you haven’t already. Maybe start with some books and some of those winter clothes you haven’t worn once this winter. Go ahead, give yourself permission to live a little lighter and find a little more joy in your new found space!