So Long Cindy • Hello Zia Poe!

Hello Followers!

It’s been a long time since you heard from me!  You know why?  I’ve started a new blog called Becoming Zia.  Sorry it has taken me so long to let you know!

This summer my life took an interesting turn.  Here are a few things that happened.
  • Diagnosed with a tumor on my parathyroid
  • Found out I had to have surgery to have it removed
  • Took a solo journey for two weeks to New Mexico
  • Attended a week long retreat - “Painting from the Wild Heart” 
  • Had a mind expanding spiritual experience and re-birth 
  • Changed my name to Zia Poe
Yes, you read that right.  I changed my name to Zia Poe.  I’d love to tell you why but it’s a long story.  So long in fact that I decided to write a book about it.  Honestly. I am currently moving into the editing process and I hope to have it available on Amazon, Nook and iBook by July! If you want to read the CliffsNotes version click here.

So, this will be my last blog post on this blog.  If you would like to follow me, and I would love it if you would!  You can subscribe to my new blog Becoming Zia by filling out the form below.  Don’t forget to watch for the email to verify your subscription!

Thanks for your support and I'll be looking for you at Becoming Zia!



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In the spirit of adventure,

Zia

What Are You Good At?

Be careful what you're good at --you could be doing it for years.  - Danielle LaPorte

Just this week I read the quote above in a book called The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte and I had an Oprah "ah ha" moment.  I suddenly realized how many things I am good at, but don't really enjoy doing.  Then I started thinking back and here is what I realized.

In the late 70's I was going through a divorce and was desperately looking for a job.  A friend of mine worked at a Rape Crisis Center and told me they were looking for a secretary.  I had no experience as a secretary and told her I wasn't qualified, but she insisted I come in, fill out an app and talk to the Director.  I did, and I got the job.  Since it was a non-profit, the pay was low ($600 month, imagine!) but I would have flexibility and being a single Mom, I needed flexibility.  Then an amazing thing happened - I was good at it.  I was organized, efficient, had pretty good typing skills and was great on the phone.  I kept the office running and the staff supported.  It felt pretty good.

Over the next 23 years and two non-profits later I continued to do what I was "good at", in positions with more and more responsibility, with better titles, and not so much money.  The benefits and flexibility were the extra compensation.  But what I was doing was virtually the same as the job I started with, organizing, supporting staff, tech management, human resources, fundraising -- stuff I was good at.  It never occurred to me that being good at my job was killing my spirit!

The truth is, I never really chose that job.  It fell into my lap and I never stopped to question my own happiness until 23 years later.  In 2001 I resigned my position and chose to follow my heart. And I have been following it through a maze toward finding my true path ever since.  Having the freedom to investigate the maze is the choice I made. And I don't regret it for one moment. 

Being "good" at something isn't enough to build a life or a career around.  Being good at something doesn't make it your life purpose.  We are all good at so many things.  That's not the question.  The question is what do you feel passionate about - what makes your heart soar?  What fills you with excitement and makes time stand still.  That's what you could be doing!

Building your life around what you're good at, and not passionate about slowly kills your spirit. And the sad thing is our friends, family, community and the world at large encourage us to keep doing what we're good at.  It is a standard that was set in decades past.  It's time to expect more.

We are now in a new age, a time of elevating our consciousness, seeking to live with a since of purpose and fulfillment.  It is a gift of our time--this time in history.  It is time to let go of what we're "good at" and embrace what INSPIRES us.  Choose the path with heart, the one that excites you and makes you happy to get up in the morning!  Feeling right, knowing you're doing what you love!  Or, just making a choice, like I did, to stop doing what doesn't fit and giving yourself a chance to explore the possibilities!

Are you doing something right now that you're good at, but doesn't fulfill you?  Are you living a life that's just okay? What are you gonna do about?



Polymer Clay Inspiration - Donna Kato

Fun with Clay!

Donna Kato, Poly Clay Diva
A couple of days ago I was visiting my Mom and  she showed me a website she had found - it was called CraftArtEdu.com.  It is a site of online classes on several different types of art.  One is polymer clay. It's been years since I made anything with polymer clay - but back then I was totally into it and still have all my supplies. I came home and watched a few of the free Donna Kato videos - amazing colors and technique.  After seeing some of the new stuff, especially stuff made by her, I decided to get out my clay and play.   The one thing I remember about clay is what a great escape it is!  Time seems to fly by as I knead and roll and combine colors to make canes.  It is mesmerizing. Plus the colors are so vivid - I love it!

So I thought I would show some beads I made.  I started with some black clay and a few canes I made.


Next I took the lump of black clay and rolled it into a log, and measured it with a special tool (so I can cut the log into equal parts).

Next I cut it into four parts.
Then rolled each part into a ball.
Next, I made a hole through each bead.
Now comes the fun part.  I start adding slices of the colorful "canes".
They still look a little plain, so I added more embellishments.
Here are the finished beads.

These are still a little rough, but I think they turned out pretty good for my first clay play in years!  After that success I made another piece - a heart pendant  . . . .
 and another "cane", that I think turned out pretty cool!

Looks like I'm hooked again!!  Be looking for my new clay creations to show up in my Etsy Shop soon!

In the spirit of creative play,  Cindy

P.S. Thanks Martie for the great step-by-step blogging idea!


All Things AQUA~ A Trip to the Flea Market

Pasadena Rose Bowl 

Crazy, huge, amazing, crowded, fascinating, funky, inspiring.  All words to describe the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena.  It happens once a month and has been for over 40 years.  It has been over 20 years since I was there, until yesterday!  My friend Kat and I went there on a photography adventure.  My goal, to search out all things AQUA.  And there were many!

It was smart to focus on a couple of things, because it is so easy to get distracted.  There is so much to see --and so many strange things!  And lots of strange people, well, let me re-phrase - "interesting" looking people.  I could just sit in a chair and watch all the people.  But there are no chairs (to sit in), nor is there room for any!  There are acres and acres of stuff crowded into the parking lot and the perimeter of the Rose Bowl.  It is quite a sight.  You could find anything here.  If you love junking and finding treasures, than you really need to plan a trip here.

Just went thought all my photos and narrowed it down to 16 things I found that were aqua (it was hard to pick).  I made a little collage to share.  It was a fun adventure, and I look forward to doing it again!  Maybe next time I'll choose All Things Vintage OFFICE . . . . (there was lots of it! and it was soooo cool!) or maybe telephones or typewriters, all things PINK, or . . . . .



In the spirit of beautiful aqua,  Cindy

Blogging Meetup - What a Great Group!

Just returned from the High Desert Bloggers Meetup at Starbucks in Victorville.  There were eight of us meeting to discuss blogging, how to blog, and all the different ideas and businesses we all have.  Quite a bunch of interesting people!  Whenever I go, I get excited and motivated about blogging and promise to start blogging more often.

Here is my goal . . . . to blog at least twice a week.  I have so many things going on right now that I have plenty of material to blog about.  So the only thing that is stopping me is making the time to do it.   Angie, who leads the Meetup says we should be blogging everyday.  Nice thought Angie - but I am aiming for twice a week for now.  She is an avid blogger and is very inspiring!

The next High Desert Bloggers Meetup will be March 17th.  To find out more click here.  Also find out about the High Desert Blogging Workshop to be held Saturday, March 31 in Hesperia.    If you have been wanting to blog and would like to find out how, this is the workshop for you!  I'll be teaching a couple of things, and I am exciting about sharing what I know!

More blogs coming your way soon!

In the spirit of fun, Cindy





ArtBeat Studio - Revisiting the 90's

Crazy, Colorful AretBeat Studio!

Yesterday, while looking through some old computer files, I ran across some pictures from the late 90's.  There were pics of an art studio I opened in a weird little space in an apartment building.  I called it ArtBeat Studio.  I even painted an old car I had to match!  (The pic of the car was on the day it went to the scrap yard - some kids had taken a bat to it and broken the front and back windows and ruined the frame.  The week before that I had been re-ended by a drunk driver - so I think it was an end of a era for that little car!)

Anyway . . . . I love these pics because it was a time that I really let my creative spirit loose and went for it.  I really enjoyed that time.  But WOW how about those colors - purple and lime green!

During that time I taught art classes, was into silk painting and fabric dying, polymer clay, doll making, paper creations, paper mache, jewelry and art quilting.  I spent hours and hours in that little studio.  It was well organized and filled with all kinds of supplies.  Take a look at those wild switch plate covers made from polymer clay.  I am so glad I took these pics so I remember that fun time!  Elisha, Chris and Jeff helped me clean and paint - it was quite a job - but we did it!  You wouldn't believe it if you saw what it looked like before!