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Passion and Purpose

September 16, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Without it life can be so hum drum!  I am a very passionate person but I’ve learned over the years to channel passion in creative ways rather than let it be overwhelming.  I feel

I feel passion in the seat of my belly and sometimes it is a physically overwhelming feeling.  I think that in order to do something really well you have to have passion and purpose about what you are doing.

In order to do something really well, you have to have passion and purpose about what you are doing.

When I am not feeling passionate about a project, a design, a piece of artwork etc…I try and take the time to find that passion again by looking at it differently or by stepping away for awhile.  Sometimes it takes looking to another area of my life I feel passionate about, like cooking and eating good food, spending time with a friend, dancing or taking a walk outdoors with my camera.  When I allow myself this time to redirect and find that spark then I can return with a purposeful intent to complete what I have started.

Finding passion in something or about something isn’t always the same as feeling you are doing something purposeful.   Having a purpose in life, in your career choices, in your relationships, through giving or volunteering with others, that’s what drives us to keep doing something even when we have lost that moment of passion.  Passion is fleeting, purpose is permanent.  I strive to live a life doing things I am passionate about while feeling they are contributing to a deeper purpose.

How do you find your passionate drive and do you know your purpose?

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Sheer joyful color!

September 9, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Inspiration & Education, Photography 2 Comments

Yesterday I was cleaning up a bit in the kitchen and prepping some veggies and as I cut off the top of the yellow bell pepper and set it down I was captured by its sheer joyful color and form!

I went to get my camera and came back to the kitchen and noticed the yellow sunflowers that I’d been meaning to take some photo’s of and then they were in a lovely teal vase (I collect teal pottery and ceramics) and then there were those yellow cherry tomatoes sitting inside the berry bowl by Bridgman Pottery!

sheer joyful color

All this yellow and teal together, a favorite color combination of mine (especially if you throw in a little red also).

For the next 30 or so minutes I just let myself be caught up in the beauty of the moment of sheer joyful color!


I loved the total spontaneity of this photo shoot, not planned just joyful.  How can you not think joyful thoughts when looking at the warm golden tones of sunflowers and the golden veggies of late summer harvests.!

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Out with the Old~Inviting in the new

September 7, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Wellness & Mindset 3 Comments

Lately my mind is on de-cluttering, purging and making space for new things in life. Out with the old!

My husband and I spent the last week going from room to room gathering things that we no longer needed, loved or wanted. We decided we wanted to try something different and gathered all of these items together to head to a local flea market! Our community has a regular flea market (does yours?) and they make it pretty easy to show up just once or on a regular basis.  We’ve had plenty of garage and yard sales but thought we would give this a try. There are a lot of flea market regulars and certainly a guaranteed amount of foot traffic that you may or may not get at a yard sale. Anything is worth a try when you want to get rid of a lot of stuff at once (say for an upcoming move?)!

On Saturday morning we headed out very early in order to go to a flea market and sell a bunch of stuff that’s taking up too much space in our lives. This included clothing, tools, home goods from the kitchen to linens, gardening supplies  and more. Basically, anything you would sell at a yard sale. We have a 10′ pop up tent, which I highly recommend for any outdoor affair.

We had made a decision that whatever didn’t sell wasn’t coming back into the house. At the end of the day, I was left with only a few boxes of items to donate.  The weather was mostly beautiful (a little am mist)! It was fun to interact with other vendors and a challenge to not be tempted, as I was, to bring something new (to you) home.  I got the two antique games below because I love the charming images on them!  I also found a couple small hand stitched textiles. All in all, much more went out than came back!

out with the oldMaking room for “new” can mean a lot of different things but in my case I am not trying so much to make room for physical things as much as new ideas and inspiration.  Another area of my life that I am doing this is in the exploration of old design sketches and concepts I’ve completed to some degree over the last 10 years.  I am really enjoying bringing these designs beyond concepts and sketches and into fully rendered ideas.

Moving through old stuff and ideas can help us to release them and move forward and create space for new creativity!

You can not “hoard” your own ideas, they must be released in order for the new creative ideas to move through you, the same can be said for our stuff!

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Something for nothing?

September 3, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Handmade, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Something for nothingHave you ever been asked to do something for a client only to find out that they can’t actually pay you? If not be prepared to be in that situation sooner or later in your creative career.  As I have started this journey of self-employment I have encountered quite a few opportunities to do something for someone where I was not necessarily “paid” in monetary terms.

Depending on your situation you have to ask yourself a few questions to determine if this project is a good idea or not.

1.  Is this project something I would enjoy or love doing?

2.  Is the client offering me something I can truly use in return for my time and services -is it truly of VALUE to me?

3.  Can this client lead me (or refer me) to other clients who can pay me?

4.  Are the project and the expectations of you and your client clearly defined?

5.  Is this an opportunity to expand in a new direction that you have been wanting to gain experience in?

If you answered yes to at least 3 of the questions above then you may want to consider this sort of arrangement.  I am finding that I am being asked to participate in various types of projects by other entrepreneurs and when someone else is just starting out as well I am more inclined to help them out if they are serious, professional and can offer me something equally valuable (relative to the time I would spend for them).

I’ve also been approached by mid sized/large companies asking me to work a barter deal with them.  Frankly, this is not as appealing to me unless they rarely have something valuable to offer me in return. We all have to earn a wage at some point, here in the US it would be virtually impossible to survive on a barter system alone.

The whole subject of “Free” is one that is continuously being discussed. I’ve participated in a few online discussions over at the former website “Make and Meaning”.  You can find an archive of these discussions on the subject of free over at Crafty Pod. This subject really gets people worked up, they either love or hate the idea of sharing their ideas and services for free or for the exchange of publicity, referral or some other less monetary exchange.

Either way, be prepared to explore the possible advantages and disadvantages of doing something for “free”.

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Creativity and Spirituality

August 31, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

The process of creating can be deeply spiritual experience if I allow it to be.  Going within myself and allowing a creative expression to flow from within me, ideas that my conscious mind may not have thought of.  The process of creating, being an artist or living a creative life also requires a certain discipline that I liken to a spiritual discipline. 

When you tap into intuition surrounding your creative process, you let it flow from you rather than trying to control it.

This can be a difficult lesson to learn for some of us.
Creativity and SpiritualityMany artists and appreciators of art have recognized this connection between spirituality and creativity.   Rothko’s chapel is one such example where the artist was commissioned to create a spiritual and meditative space through the installation of his art.  I find his paintings to be deeply meditative as well as the work of Yves Klein’s Blue series.

Each of us is capable of having a strong spiritual or emotional reaction to art, whether positive or negative.

This reaction may not be related to the artists spiritual or emotional experience of creating the art, sometimes it is obvious the message the artist is sharing and sometimes not.  I often got through dry spells but my creative friends remind me that this is part of the process.  You must recognize the necessity of this still period and allow it to happen, let the ideas gather, build and eventually they will flow again.  There are certain actions we can take as artists to nurture this creative process.  Reading things that may be completely foreign and letting ideas about new topics create sparks of energy.  In my last

You must recognize the necessity of this still period and allow it to happen, let the ideas gather, build and eventually they will flow again.

There are certain actions we can take as artists to nurture this creative process.  Reading things that may be completely foreign and letting ideas about new topics create sparks of energy. In my last post, I spoke about play and collaboration as a way to invoke the creative process.

A natural sense of curiosity can spark many new creative fires.  When we are anxious and our minds are busy processing the many lessons of life we may feel emotionally drained and this is like a big wet blanket putting out the fires of our creativity.

Creativity and SpiritualityThe biggest challenge I face as an artist is to recognize that being an artist is a process, creating art is a process.  It is not about the outcome, the recognition or the completed piece of “art” it is about the need to create something that is an expression of yourself.  Personal and unique and only something you could create, this is yours alone.

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Invoke the Spirit of Play

August 27, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Cats, dogs play and children usually play on a daily basis…why don’t we make the time Invoke the Spirit of Play (as adults)?

Some of us play sports, some of us play board games, some of us play musical instruments.  When I get particularly stressed my automatic response is the opposite of play.  I think of all the things I need to do or that I should be doing.  What I should actually do is make some play time, give my brain a little time off and free myself of all that is causing me stress.  Last year for the holidays I broke down and got my husband a PSP player and I’ve found myself playing video games now and then. I don’t “Play” any musical instruments but love to hear my husband play guitar.

Sometimes play for me means sitting down and creating jewelry, knitting, making something with my hands or taking a walk with my camera and not taking the end “product” too seriously.  

During one of the blizzard we had last winter we lost power for about 12 hours.  One of the most fun parts of that blizzard is bundling up with blankets and candles and playing monopoly on our bed and Humm… my husband still owes me the completion that game!


How do you invoke the spirit of play?

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Modern Women in Design

August 24, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Inspiration & Education, Museums & Galleries, Textiles & Pattern Leave a Comment

One of the most inspiring things I have seen this summer (and there have been quite a few!) is the current exhibit at the Textile Museum.  It is all about mid-century modern women in design and boy are there some fabulous and fun textiles on exhibit!    I tend to be a rule breaker (in some areas of my life only) and when it comes to taking photo’s in museums…I often break the rules.  I do it so I can share snippets with others who I know may not be able to experience the same thing in person.  So enjoy the photo’s I risked my visit to take, luckily that day the security guard seemed more interested in talking on the phone than observing the museum goers.modern women in design

The show is called “Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain” and it ends on September 12, so if you get a chance you may want to make a trip to see it.  The show features a majority of designs by British designer Lucienne Day and two of  her contemporaries: Jacqueline Groag and Marian Mahler.  The work above and below is from Lucienne Day.  Aren’t they just incredibly fresh and fun and honest?  That is what I love about this era of work. The designs are not pretentious, over thought or trend driven.

This is the type of work I love to share because it’s different and fun and the love that the designer put into the work shines through.  
Lucienne Day’s husband (Robin) was also a furniture designer.  I’m certain this contributed to her overall sensibility about good design for home interiors.  Below are some great tea towels she designed.Her are a few shots of the overall show.  All these ladies were fabulous designers who’s designs have stood the test of time.  I especially enjoyed the work of Lucienne Day and was so glad to get to see this show in person.  Save

Collaborative Visions

August 17, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Handmade, Inspiration & Education, Photography Leave a Comment

Moving directly from my last entry I would like to explore the idea of collaboration.  My last project was a collaboration between myself, another artist and the client. Each and every custom design is just that, at least that’s the way I view it.  My job on any custom project is to help fulfill someone else’s vision.  As an artist and designer I am find myself getting stuck on certain projects or pieces from time to time and usually, if I can find a way to collaborate then I can break free of those limitations.  Over the last several years I have been involved in quite a few collaborative projects.  I’ve both been invited to collaborate and organized collaborative projects.  You can view some images of my last project “Collaborative Visions” over HERE.  Collaborative VisionsAbove is a mosaic of several in progress pieces from a previous art project and there are more images over HERE.  These projects never fail to inspire me to look at my process differently.  I love seeing how other’s react to things I create intuitively and vice versa.  We don’t take these projects too seriously, we  have fun with them.  That’s the whole point, to liberate ourselves beyond our own creative process.

I can promise you will be seeing a lot of collaborative work here at HKPowerstudio.  It is something I want to explore in more depth on both a professional level and in a more personal creative way.  How and why do you collaborate?

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A Custom Design is Born

August 13, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Handmade, Textiles & Pattern Leave a Comment

I thought it might be interesting to show the process of how a custom design is born! This is a recent project I worked on and was super fun because my clients; Normans Farm Market; are energetic, young, entrepreneurs who run several farm stands supplying the DC area with fresh produce from many small farms within about a 100 mile radius of DC.  They had a long time friend of theirs, Anne, create the conceptual sketch for their new season re-usable shopping bags and tee shirts.  When I heard they were going to hire a graphic designer to convert Anne’s art I told them I could do it for them!  Here is what we started with, Anne came over and we spent a couple hours together as she was curious to see how a pencil drawing becomes a screen print design.  a custom design is bornNext I worked on “cleaning up” this original piece of art.  I work in Photoshop and an industry program called Texcelle for all my work.  I really want to learn Illustrator, that’s next on my list.  So after I got this basically into a two tone image with the right high resolution and file formats (this will differ based upon your output type and end product) I presented it to the client and it looked something like this.  From here I went back and forth with the Normans several more times to revise text, placement and other elements within the design.  The final design is below and it turned out great, they were happy and that’s the most important aspect of working with a client on a custom design.  I have to say that working on custom design is one of my favorite ways to work.  I love working with people to take a creative idea and make it a real product.  The final product is always a little thrilling to see once completed!  It’s is especially great when you get to work on a project that incorporates something your passionate about, in this case Local Food and it’s even better when your clients are such fun to work with.  Thanks John, Eris and Jeff!

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Metamorphosis and meaning

August 6, 2010 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset 4 Comments

metamorphosis and meaning= transformation or rebirth

I started this blog back in January after many years of fantasizing of starting my own studio. I put blogging aside and even though I have thought over the last 6-7 months about posting here I remained hesitant as I’ve undergone many changes in my life over this period.

At the end of January I lost my job of over 7 years as a senior designer working on custom rug and carpet design. I was shocked, devastated, afraid, excited, angry, hopeful, relieved, worried just to name some of the emotions I have experienced. It is pretty ironic reading back to my early January 1st entry. I will still be exploring this process here but will no longer be doing so anonymously.

I realized pretty quickly that this loss was also a wonderful opportunity to make my own dreams a reality.

Dreams are funny though because sometimes when you come face to face with them you flounder and don’t know where to begin.

I began my metamorphosis by doing a lot of introspection, reading, researching, talking with supportive friends and family and giving myself time to revel in this chance to enjoy my life and recreate it.

As much as I loved moments of my corporate career it had become terribly unsatisfying over the last 2 years as I became bored, unchallenged and lost creative enthusiasm. In hindsight perhaps these were the exact reasons that I lost my job but I also worked very hard and was a loyal employee; something that is becoming more of a novelty in today’s corporate environment.

I decided pretty early on after my job loss that I didn’t want to pursue the same type of career path. I contemplated going into Non-Profit arts, beginning a Non-Profit (which I still aim to do one day), working in a Museum environment or working on a farm. After these ideas of radical change subsided I slowly realized the value in the many years I’ve invested in the world of textile and carpet design. I love so many aspects of design, I love working with clients to create something that evolves from a collaborative vision into a reality.

The process of collaboration is one that I love and am fascinated by. It is something I have explored over the past years as I’ve participated in and organized many collaborative art projects with fellow artist friends. This will be a place for me to share news, sneak peaks, inspiration, and bits of knowledge I will share about this process of launching my dream business.


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