kerrytopjun.com Blog

I’m finally slowing down a little after participating in folkfest this past weekend. The show was amazing – almost too much to put into words – and, as expected, Creative Clay put on a wonderful event. I’ll be adding photos of art that I created for the show to my website within the next few days, so be sure to watch for them!

I’ve been working long days to prepare for Folkfest. I can’t believe it’s only a few days away, and I can’t wait. I feel like a kid who gets to go to Disney World. The adrenaline kicked in early, and I only hope that I’m not worn out by the time the show gets here. The whole preparation process has been very energizing so I think that will keep me going. I have been moved beyond words by the amount of support I have received from family and friends – it seems boundless. I am so blessed and so grateful. All I can say is a very humble thank you and see you at the show!

The last few days have been incredible creatively. It felt great to be on a roll… One thing just seemed to flow into the next and before I knew it I had completed several pieces of art for my show. One piece in particular just seemed to come out of nowhere, although I know it had to have come from a force larger than myself – I merely gathered the elements and put it together. When the idea to create this came to me, I was looking for something completely different. I was digging through my parts & pieces for something (I don’t even remember what it was now) and happened upon something else – finding this one element brought an entire vision to my mind and I started pulling together the other elements to create it. It’s almost unbelievable when that happens, when you feel as though you are channeling the creative energy of the universe. Very hard to describe.

And so that was last night and this is the next morning and I’m looking for that inspiration again. I know if I give it time, it will come. In the meantime, I have to get ready for my day job…

Habit is defined as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.”

Since I posted my new website, I have been working on making a habit of blogging. It seems so difficult sometimes to start or end a habit; we are all such “creatures of habit.” The start of something new or the end of something not so new becomes a practice one must stay diligently aware of. In a way, I guess maintaining the awareness becomes habit in itself – at least until that point when the behavior becomes second nature.

But what I wonder is this: Do our habits make us too predictable? Do we need to shake things up sometimes so as not to bore ourselves and the people around us? Would our lives take on new meaning if we could break out of our habitual ways and do something spontaneous? Considering the fact that I have been prone to behavior my family jokingly calls “planned spontaneity,” I’d have to answer in the affirmative.

And so, I will regularly follow my newly acquired behavior patterns until they have become almost involuntary.

I finally posted my website this weekend and still almost can’t believe it. The journey getting to this point has been so incredibly rewarding. Each time I think “Can it get any better than this?” the answer that comes back is a resounding “Yes!” I guess that’s what happens when you finally decide to live your dreams…

Just getting started with my new blog. I’m hoping it will be a good way to keep everyone up to date with what’s going on with me and my art. More to come soon!