Well we are just about halfway through 2014 and I have almost caught my breath! 
The first few months of this year saw me taking up residency in the 'slow lane' with pregnancy making itself well and truly known to all of my usual energy reserves. I certainly cannot say that those 9 months were blissful or that I am a fan of being pregnant, BUT yes it was all worthwhile and we happily welcomed our first child in March. I can honestly say that once she was here my energy levels, motivation and MOJO came right on back. Sleep deprivation aside!

After taking 6 months off from my full time job of high school teaching early last year, I was energised, inspired and determined to make the most of my precious 'me' time. I had my home studio set up in the third bedroom of our little Mountain abode and my 'to do' list looked a little like this:

1. Give back to OTHERS 
Declared my head to be shaved and in doing so raised $10,600 for the Leukaemia Foundation along with proceeds from organising the Group Exhibition and main EMPOWERMENT event.

2. Give back to MYSELF 
After shaving said head and committing to mammoth fundraising efforts, by April I found myself feeling like an unfit 90 year old woman. I could barely walk from hip and back pain, I was constantly needing more and more sleep, suffering from migraines, emotional melt downs, panic attacks and just running completely on empty. I had every blood test under the sun only to find out there was nothing out of the ordinary and so my Dr suspected Fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disease (that may have hit my nervous system after contracting Ross River Fever 6 years ago) with no known treatment or cure. GREAT! I had promised myself that I would put my health first during this time off and so I looked to my diet. I Quit Sugar at the start of May...as an experiment. By July my pain gradually disappeared, my energy levels soared, my mind cleared, I lost 12kg and I 'fell' pregnant.

3. Stay motivated 
I came up with monthly challenges such as 'Birds of May', 'MAKE-DO-BE' month to create new work each and every day. Happy to say I didn't skip a single day and in doing so my ideas grew bigger and my confidence did as well.

4. Get my website PIMPED 
CHECK....successfully happened thanks to the genius vision by Pixelle Graphic Design. 

5. Have another solo exhibition 
CHECK...Feature exhibition 'Insight' at D'Bar Gallery, Coolangatta in May.

6. Get my MAKE DO BE illustrations published
Did not happen! Despite looking into a few options for publishing, it is still on the back burner.

7. Get my Art Studio designed and built
Did not happen! Boo hoo.

There were many other small and large  goals I had set for myself and some were achieved while others are...well...still waiting to happen! 

I was annoyed at myself for not making them all happen, and most upset with myself for letting my dream Art Studio slip to the end of the long growing list. I had been saving my pennies for so long to make this goal come to life and yet I just couldn't quite get it to happen. I ran out of time and I temporarily had my MOJO  shelved. I reminded myself I was after all growing a life...but I just don't like to sit idle, waiting and this wasn't good enough. I worried that having a baby would mean that I could no longer chase my dreams. What a stupid thought. By having this thought though, I was even more determined to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

So when life was about to change (dramatically) with this little one's arrival, I put everything else on hold and focussed on getting this studio here...preferably before she did. This all happened thanks to my Husband Matt. I do think he knew his life would greatly improve as well if he kept his moody, pregnant wife happy. So he took on the role of Project Manager...and he did it like a BOSS!

So my Dream Art Studio is here! There are a few small finishes to be added before I dust off the champagne glasses  and send out the Grand Opening invites...but it is ACTUALLY a real physical thing.

Here are some progress pics of the MFCP headquarters and its journey so far.

I would like to start this blog post by asking you to consider what a ‘Good Life’ in fact means to you?

I want you to think about this first and foremost before you read this blog post, and throughout the post (should you make it to the end without losing interest) so that I don’t annoy you too much or come across as a giver of UNWANTED ADVICE….ick!

SOOOOOOOOO if you just made it here and are already thinking twice about reading on… then perhaps don’t. Or be brave and read on. Or don’t. You have a choice, in fact we all do. So always remember to make your decisions wisely.

For me Life is pretty bloody GOOD at the moment! Not just ‘Good enough’, I’m talking ‘GOOD-GOOD’.  In fact I’m finding it near impossible not to smile, feel happy, blessed and grateful.  Our gorgeous baby girl Thea arrived on March 20, my dream Art Studio commenced construction the very next day and was completed two weeks later. I had my Husband Matt at home with us for 32 whole days and the weather has been incredible. So good!

I have a few gripes to make about being a new Mum, but these genuinely all stem from outside of myself…ahem… ‘Negative comments’ from others about kissing sleep, fun and all types of personal indulgence good-bye and…well…. ahem…’UNWANTED ADVICE’ about child rearing in general from all kinds of strangers. That’s the thing about UNWANTED advice!!! Don’t get me started.

Another thing that really pings me off (yes I said ping) and has for a really long time now, are the ‘Oh you are so lucky’ comments in reference to me seemingly having stumbled across all of this ‘good fortune’ and ‘circumstance’ (PLEASE detect sarcasm). 

Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not for one second suggesting that I’m not lucky, because yes I am very lucky! Lucky to have had this beautiful baby girl and even more ‘lucky’ to have found a partner who I can depend on for endless support and who is actively and ably raising this child with me each and everyday, in equal partnership, without having to work distances away. Mind you, I would like to point out that he (being Matt) wasn’t gifted to me! We chose each other and so far we have both stuck with that decision.  

I am also exceptionally lucky to have been genetically gifted my artistic ability. Yes I’ve worked at improving my skills and I have sought further knowledge and higher Education to keep my creativity alive and thriving, but certainly and undeniably this creative ‘genetic gift’ runs in my family, so yeah that makes me lucky. What I would, however, like to draw attention to is the fact that all of us are essentially lucky, in a number of different ways and often we are far more lucky than one thousand million other people that walk this Earth (if they in fact have able legs to do so).

No single person chooses the parents that created them, the Country they were born into or the living conditions they find themselves surrounded by. So yeah, if like me you have a roof over your head, have regularly experienced the feeling of love, have access to Education, Employment, Healthcare, clean drinking water and food each and every day…count yourself lucky too!

One can argue ‘Experience’ plays a vital part in the equation of a ‘Good Life’ and it certainly sets a number of us apart from the pack. I would argue however, that experiences are not always sought after and in fact some are very hard to get over. Some of us have great experiences, some of us have disappointing experiences and too many of us have tragically horrible experiences. In many ways the latter comes down to being in the wrong place, at the wrong time often with the WRONG people (again these are factors that are out of our control)…this is what we actually refer to as UNLUCKY and UNFAIR! It is important though to remember that no good comes from judging others for not having had the same experience as us. Good or Bad. So leave envy, resentment and arrogance out of it. 

A wise friend of mine shared this thought provoking meme on Facebook just a few days ago and it really left a long lingering thought in my head (long lingering enough I finally decided to write a new blog post…yes long overdue I know).

If we are all told that the recipe to achieving rewards, good results and essentially a ‘Good enough’ life comes down to HARD WORK, then how do you possibly live with the guilt of knowing that potentially more than half the World’s population, are plain and simply being hugely gipped?!?! I for one thought of myself as a hard-worker until I saw this. I thought, “Yep, I’ve worked hard and I deserve my paid holidays, my comfortable and clean home, my nice, semi fashionable clothing”.  But you know what, it’s safe to say (hand over heart) that I’ve never NEVER worked as hard as these women do each and every day to merely survive. NOPE not a single day of my life have I ‘worked’ this hard, not even for some kind of financial incentive. So where is their LUCK? Where is their reward of ‘down time’ and a ‘good enough’ life?

So back to this discussion of LUCK…. are you feeling lucky yet?? Well I sure hope you do. Luck is out of our control, so don’t go chasing it (well you can if you want, who am I to give unwanted advice. Go on then keep buying your weekly lottery ticket. You’ve got to be in it to win it right?!?). 

What I really want to draw attention to; is the importance of being aware of the opportunities we have available to us as the lucky ones.  They are seriously everywhere and you can even create your own!! They are the things you can take a hold of and use to your advantage. Opportunities are the key to making your own luck, feeling happy and being well on on your way to a ‘Great Life’. For many there are limited opportunities available and for many more there are zilch. If anything, make the most of the fact that you have access to a butt load more opportunities than some of the World’s population. Having access to the Internet alone to read this incredibly long-winded, and potentially uninteresting blog post makes you lucky. Those without access are missing out on this particular opportunity ;) 

I hope there is a point coming across from all of this, I really really hope so, because otherwise I have just wasted the precious hours of time I have between feeding my baby and nursing her back to sleep…NOOOO!!! This is a personal luxury I choose for myself…as a new Mum. Actually writing this blog post. One of many I plan on taking in the days, weeks, months and years ahead because I believe there are still great personal opportunities to be had EVEN after having had a child. Again this is not luck, this is CHOICE…and undeniably this is possible by asking for help when I want to take some ‘Me time’ and preferably before I ever desperately need an out! I will admit I am LUCKY here because combined, Matt and I have four sets of parents, that all live within close proximity to answer our call for help…well close enough and yet far enough away to not drop in unannounced, yes we may have intentionally chosen to live on a Mountain for this very reason! They have also been very forthcoming with offers of help and we are lucky to have them all.   

It is true for most of us that we have the choice to have children, or not to, and yes babies and children come with their added challenges BUT you have the choice to view this time as a ‘crisis phase’ or as a ‘fleeting phase’ in your life (that will come and go so quickly you will soon be considered an ‘Empty Nester’ and wondering what to do now that your children only call you once a fortnight…if you’re lucky). In the five and a half weeks since we officially became parents (that still feels weird to say) we have learnt to carry on, cherish it, stay positive, make our own rules, trust each other, trust ourselves, trust our decisions, trust our child, RELAX and trust our instincts! Baby Thea has certainly made the transition pretty smooth for us so far with her chilled ways, solid sleeping and her undeniably cute self. Is that LUCK? Maybe, PROBABLY! Whatever it is, I for one am grateful. I also realise there are many more days of Parenthood to come for us, with many more hurdles and obstacles to trek through so please do not assume that I'm thinking I know it all or that it's going to always be manageable. I'm NOT I promise you. that's Life though...it's always unpredictable. 

You can design your own life BECAUSE if you are reading this then you have access to more resources than those African women working their butts off to provide food and water to their children. If they had a spare few dollars and time I highly doubt they would be seeking out an Internet café to check on their Facebook notifications…again count yourself lucky that you can do this often, in fact more than once a day and it will come without irreparable consequence.  

So here it is! The end of my blog post…thank goodness!!!!
My equation to a ‘Good life’ looks like this:

Be thankful for all that I have, all that I can do and all that I am  
+ SMILE
+ Share what I know and can do with others  
+ Give back
+ Celebrate aging…it’s a privilege
+ Give my heart and my time to the right people  
+ Remember that this LUCKY life is not a race or a competition
+ Make the most of my down time…turn that TV off!
+ Look after my body
+ Feed my mind
+ Seek knowledge
+ Spend wisely
+ Make plans and see them through
+ Keep my word
+ LOVE + ACCEPT + CHERISH
+ Basically I promise not to take a single day of my LUCKY life for granted.

Artist
Fundraiser
Event planner
Small business owner
Promoter
Product designer
Courier
Photographer
Curator
Finance manager
Graphic designer
Sales woman
Public relations manager
Volunteer
Secretary 
Website developer
Teacher
Marketing manager
Applicant
Researcher
Wife
Friend
Daughter
Sister
Sister-in-law
Auntie
Unfit person
Back pain sufferer
Foodie!

How am I enjoying my time off?? 
Well while it's time off from formal teaching in an educational institution, it's not time off from hard work. Not only am I starting a small business to expand my capabilities of selling my own Art, I'm trying to continue to actually make Art while also attempting to dominate as a fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation. Yes I said DOMINATE! 

I love that I can devote all of my thoughts, time and energy to my personal projects without the guilt of 'a real job' hanging above my head. What is a 'real job' anyway?? Is it something you have to do between fixed hours at least 5 days a week. Do you have to front up to a physical place of work and get paid a consistent wage to consider it a 'real job'? Do you consequently hate Mondays, refer to Wednesdays as 'hump day' and feel exhilarated when Fridays rock up? Because clearly I am not having to do any of those things and I am not feeling any of those emotions towards certain days of the week. I am however doing a hell of a lot of jobs! 

I have observed a few interesting reactions to news of my current choice of lifestyle. Yes, for now I am calling it a lifestyle. Facial expressions of shock, delight, bewilderment and even disgust. Followed by questions; "Oh so you are not working!" "Why?" "What are you doing?" "Are you pregnant?" "Are you trying to get pregnant" Are you going on a holiday?" "Do you not enjoy teaching anymore?" "Do you not need the money?" "Are you unwell?"

I wish I could say I was getting used to these reactions and questions, but I am not. When I tell people that I have taken time off teaching to launch my Art practice as a business, I have had the following responses; 
"Oh wow! That must be a dream come true!"
"Oh okay, so are you good at art?" 
"So I knew you sold a few works, but I didn't realise you were doing that well." 
"So you will be painting at home?"
"Good on you!"
"You know that you don't have to set up a business? You are technically a hobbyist?"
"I know someone that did that, it didn't work"
"So your paintings must be really expensive?"
"But what will you actually be doing?"

I guess I am surprised that so many people think that being an Artist equals 'failure'. I should not be surprised as I have dealt with these negative attitudes for a many number of years. As an Art student you are always encouraged to consider another pathway. So I chose Education. As an Art Teacher you are constantly challenged by students, colleagues and parents to explain the value of studying Art. People assume that there are very few opportunities available for artists to make money. I won't lie, I believe that Art is massively under valued in our society but I don't believe that means it is impossible for Artists to make a living. You have to make your own opportunities, just as you would in any area.

When I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life, I knew it had to involve Art. I didn't want to teach (initially, despite finding out later that I loved it) I wanted to just be an Artist. This was never well received by parents or teachers. They would say "It's very hard to be an Artist Tamara." They were not wrong!! It is extremely hard to be an Artist. Firstly you have to have time to do what you love most...which is to make ART. This often means turning off the television, getting off the Internet, getting out of bed a bit earlier, cleaning off your desk for space, not hanging out with your friends and family as much. For some these things are hard to do. For Artists this is what you must do! You don't make excuses unless you are genuinely blocked creatively...in which case you should then buy a copy of  Julia Cameron's 'The Artist's Way' and read it.

I have to admit over the past two years I made 'making time to paint' a priority in my life. I would declare to my Husband "I am painting tonight!" "I am not going anywhere on the weekend, I am painting!" "I did not clean the house because I am painting!" "I don't have time to go the gym because I am painting!" Yes it's selfish and massively indulgent, but it was what I had to do to allow myself to do what I love most. I had a full time career, but if I didn't get to make Art I was unhappy. 

Artists don't make much money! Some do and some don't. Few would have sold their first piece for what it was actually worth, but some have devoted their life to increasing the buyer's opinion of it's value. By that I do not mean they died and then their work sold or increased in value. Sadly for Vincent Van Gogh this was the case. What I mean is that many look for opportunities rather than waiting. They  take them when they come, they might fail, they might succeed but they just keep on trying.

What I do know is that when it comes to Art there are no rules. So as an Artist, that also loves to collect Art I believe Art should be for everyone. Yes my works are cheap and I should more than likely increase the price, but for the time being I am happy to sell my work to those who truly love it and are willing to part with their cash. I paint fast and I paint often and this will only increase. I am the first to admit that I want to be described as 'prolific' I relate no negative connotations to being labelled this. To be an Artist you MUST make art everyday, if not everyday than at least every few days. I firmly believe this. So who wants all of this work piling up around them? I don't and neither does my Husband, he can barely find enough space to plonk his butt on the couch. 

So I am doing my very best to get my artwork out there, online, on cafe walls, on restaurant walls, on dress shop walls, on hair salon walls, in exhibitions, in competitions, on gift cards, on T-shirts and ultimately on walls in permanent homes. Call me a whore if you want (well an Art Whore anyway) but just know that it is bloody hard work and believe it or not I am sometimes picky about where I will and won't hang my work. I am making up my own rules for my own approach to being an Artist and it absolutely involves hard work, devotion and belief in yourself.

Did I know it would be hard work? 
Yes! 

Do I now get to lounge around in my PJ's and paint? 
No. I at least have to shower first!

Am I loving it?
Yes!

Could I do this full time?
Yes!

Is it going well?
Yes!

Am I making a lot of money?
No! 

Do I think I might never go back to teaching?
No!

Do I want to give up teaching?
No!

Am I good at what I do?
Yes, in my opinion. Which also happens to be the only opinion that really matters.