Daily Courage

You have to know courage to recognize it. In today’s case, creative courage knows no age.

I knew I had met courage square in the face when I rang the bell and Freddy Moran opened her front door. There she stood with her white hair pulled back, and brighter-than-ruby-red glasses crowning her face. In spite of white hair, and at that time a borderline portly figure, she seemed much younger than I was at the time. (Quick note: she decided to “lose some weight” and lost about half of herself which you see in this shot. That pretty much says it without words.) If we’d have swapped driver’s licenses to check ages, I think we’d have discovered about a 28 year divide. But her demeanor, enthusiasm, and whole ‘tude’ made me feel stale and kind of stuck. Entering her house, you are blasted with color.  :)  The inside is painted about 47 1/2 different vibrant hues. (She loves telling you that hers is a perfect marriage, her husband, Neil, is colorblind.)

 She read my energy - or lack thereof. I was there to direct a magazine cover shoot. We quickly raced through the niceties, and were seated in Neil’s office (bright orange and teal, but he doesn’t know the difference). She pinned me emotionally, and called me on being at a creative crossroads. She recommended some reading that I have referred to in previous posts - “The Artist’s Way”. When Frederica speaks, you to listen. She told me she didn’t start quilting until she was past 60 years old. “I had said, I don’t do threads,” she proclaims. Her daughter-in-law invited her to take a quilting class.

The rest is history in Technicolor. Freddy has broken many rules along the way, and while doing so, she teaches us that its better to ignore conventionality and to follow your muse than to conform. In her case its about vibrant color and pattern and not worrying about all the points coming together in perfect symmetry. The best part is that she a world class quilter, author and teacher. And she had not even thought of it until she passed her 60th birthday. 

We give Freddy the Kiss of Courage!

Share on Facebook

Just shipped Malka Dubrawsky’s fabulous book “Color Your Cloth.” Blogs and mags love her dyeing and quilt techniques. check this blog o …

Share on Facebook

There is lots of talk about the importance of “finding your voice” in blogging. Experts will tell you that you need to talk about things of interest, have a unique message, be transparent, etc. Being a print journalist by training (I could date myself talking about things like waxers, and I don’t mean for your legs), I place high value on the importance of communicating a clear message. Like all of us, as this new age of social media unfolds, I have wondered where I fit and what messages would be worth someone else spending the time to read. 

The clouds parted over the weekend, and I had the moment of creative syncronicity I have been waiting for. The Red Lips 4 Courage  blog-Daily Courage-is going to do what I have always done best. Tell the stories of regular everyday women who have had the courage to create. While I was editor of Romantic Homes magazine, I had the opportunity to introduce our readers to many wonderful women and to tell their stories. This created an intimacy among women who would not have otherwise met each other. It allowed the real life experiences of real women to inspire others. 

Not all days are happy ones. Some seasons are filled with angst. What pulls us through is faith and courage. Often, we have to look outside of ourselves and into the lives of others to see how we can find our own way. Daily Courage will tell the stories of women who have had the courage to create. They have had the courage to go against the odds, to appreciate their great gifts, and to have the confidence, and yes, the courage, to share them with others. 

I may have wandered while searching, but I have found my voice! Again. Stay tuned for some amazing stories.

Share on Facebook

Okay, I am trying for heaven’s sake. I know its not like bombs are going off around us literally, but it feels enough like a war zone for my taste. 

The RL4C offices are a lovely spot, but there is an isolation issue seeing as I am permanently in the Employee of the Month parking spot because the rest of the team is scattered about cyberspace. Which means there are no water cooler or coffee room interactions to perk me up about all the negative news these days. (Note to self: Do NOT open the blast from Publisher’s Weekly first thing in the morning.)  

When I first saw this reproduction of the famous war  poster that graced London during the Blitz, I thought it was cute and quaint. Now I think the King and Queen at the time were brilliant. I get it, I get it. Keep Calm and Carry On.

Let’s all try to pull together and do just that. We creative types have a tendency to be overly sensitive and drink things in. We are often easily influenced by environments. It’s clearly in our best interest to heed the advise of the poster of another time in history.

BTW: I found this on Etsy. There are a couple of artists selling them. Be nice and run a search for all the others if you’re shopping.

Share on Facebook

Being a fan of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, I try to take myself on an Artist’s Date from time to time. Because I enjoy scouting for the work of new artists and crafters, I have convinced myself that shopping counts. Not far from my office is delightful Old Towne Orange (CA). The area looks like its out of a small town movie. Actually, it is. The Tom Hanks movie That Thing You Do along with many others. The plaza and intersecting streets are home to many wonderful shops and antique stores. Recently, I discovered Heavenly Hostess, a gem of a store that sells among many wonderful things fabulous aprons and tea towels. THere is an array of gifts, bath products, entertaining accessories, and my favorite–books. 

The best part of meandering the shop was coming upon a display with two of our books: Crowns & Tiaras and Paper Mache Treasures with Teena Flanner. Oh happy day! It was a surprise that made the Artist’s Date just perfect. Heavenly Hostess has been added to my list of favorites.

Share on Facebook

It’s a pretty spring day, and birds are going nuts flitting from tree to tree. Mother Nature is in full bloom. It made me think of this beautiful crown that Ashley Carter created for Crowns & Tiaras: Add a Little Sparkle, Glitter & Glamour to Every Day. Ashley has a touch that is her trademark. I’ve enjoyed making quite a few crowns for friends. I have found that an old light rim make a great base. I keep an eye out for them at flea markets. I am sure people wonder about me when they see me testing the size on my own head when they walk by. In a pinch a wide headband works great too. 

Everyone is the Queen of Something. Which is exactly why every woman deserves a crown. She may not be inclined to walk out in public in it, but you can be sure it will be cherished and displayed in a special spot. Now more than ever, we can each use a little royal treatment. Plan a Coronation for the Queen of Extremes, The Birthday Baroness, or the Sorceress of Secrets. By all means, celebrate and make merry. It beats the alternative. And there is far too much of the latter going on these days.

Share on Facebook