Many years ago, I wrote poetry as a way to facilitate an honest dialogue with myself.
My rationale was: by writing down my thoughts and feelings in a stream of consciousness, I could train myself to be more honest with my true motivations in life and not what I thought I ought to do or say.
As a result, I nearly filled 3 sketch books with copius amounts of poetry. The only rule was that each book would need to be started and completed within one year. Each book is entitled “L’annee de creative 1, 2, 3 etc…I made it to the third year, then became side tracked by motherhood and the busy aspects of family life.
I have resumed my poems lately. One of the astonishing things I have found is that my voice is much better than I remember. I have written the prose well, and even made good efforts to rhyme some lines!
I took the time to illustrate a scene for a poem I wrote a few years ago, and I have posted it below.
If you enjoy my illustrated poetry, please like and comment. I have much more to share, but it means so much to me to hear back from you, and to know whether there is anyone out there in the void of space…
I am so happy to announce that I have been awarded an Ontario Arts Council Grant for my work at a recent exhibition!
Albion Branch- Toronto Public Library System
I achieved a one month exhibition in a high traffic area of the Albion Public Library in Toronto. After liaising with the branch manager via telephone to confirm details of the exhibition, I attended and installed select pieces of artwork in a glass enclosure near the technology and meeting rooms of the library.
I set up signage within the display including my contact details which resulted in one member of the community reaching out to me on Instagram. This community member expressed their enjoyment of my artwork in the library and a desire to see similar things in the future. I was able to impact at least one community member with my colourful and inspirational artwork, which I am really proud of.
At the end of the exhibition I gifted a few pieces of my artwork to the library in gratitude for the experience. Furthermore, I formed relationships with community stakeholders who can further the promotion of the arts in the Rexdale community.
All of this has become possible with the assistance of the Ontario Arts Council. Their support has helped to create opportunities for artists to exhibit their work for the world to enjoy. I am so thankful for this award, and for the experience.
My latest publication: “Tips For Success in Blog Writing” is an instant hit.
I wrote this publication to help prospective bloggers to start the blog they have always dreamed of.
In this free ebook offer tips and tricks to get over that first hump of beginning the process.
I show readers that they have the potential do the things they really love, by planning ahead.
This week I am happy to announce that “Tips For Success In Blog Writing” has made it to #7 on BookAuthority.com’s list of 2019’s Best Books to Read About Blogging.
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Book authority.org review of Tips for success in blog writing by Stephanie Konu
I am very happy to have made this ebook and am so pleased to know that it is being enjoyed by others.
Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more educational content!
Do you want to create personal fashion that is cutting edge? Do you fancy the idea of people stopping to compliment your unique style so much that it gets mistaken for something from a runway fashion show? Here are some helpful tips to have your personal fashion designs noticed and featured on trend blogs.
Photo by Godisable Jacob on Pexels.com
Be as daring as possible.
Many times what sets the fashion of Alexander Wang vs another label like Joe Fresh is the willingness to be daring and approach a conventional garment with fresh eyes.
Admirers will say “Wow, I had never thought about that before!”, and you may have trend watchers considering your design as a novel concept all together.
Tip: Be creative with garment closures and embellishments. Approach them in an unconventional way.
Photo by Alexandra Maria on Pexels.com
Colour is your friend
Even if the folkways dictate that your colour scheme clashes- continue on. Softer hues can often take the edge off, and don’t forget to consult the almighty colour wheel to see if a “bluer” tinge to your steely grey could give the effect you are looking for.
One trend we are watching this year in 2018 in home decor is eclecticism. Eclectic trends allow you to mix a contemporary lamp with a mid-century modern side table- or floral pink and yellow peonies against a dark navy backdrop.
Tip: Have fun with colour, and when in doubt, go back to the first tip!
Photo by Fancycrave.com on Pexels.com
Emulate scarcity and promote luxury in your runway style fashion design
Ever notice how much Crocodile and snake skin bags can go for? Somehow, the manufacturers use small amount of this material and price their items very high. The underlying idea here is that as a luxury material, there is not enough crocodile and snake skin to go around. But really, the numbers of these animals in the wild is astonishing. Not an unending resource by any means, but more than enough for the cost of my wallet to be 75% cheaper.
When making your runway style fashion design, another strategy is to use a material that is super to begin with, and that exudes the feel of luxury. Then use a small amount of it to emphasize the delicate nature of the material, and to covertly express the exclusive nature of having access to it. Think about most of the clothing you have ever seen made with raw silk. Mostly lingerie, scarves or other small items are made from raw silk- and you will rarely ever see a large garment. The idea here is to think exclusive, original, and not cheap.
Tip: Skimp on the quantity of materials, but use high end quality and make it finely.
Photo by Nicolas Postiglioni on Pexels.com
There you have it!
Create your own runway-style personal fashion that will have trend watchers thinking “Was that resort Balmain 2019?”, or better.
Inspiration comes in many forms; and for this piece I was inspired by love and the heart.
St Valentine’s Day was last week, and as usual we become inundated with images of cutesy cartoon hearts, and cherubs with messages telling us to show love to our friends and family by spending money.
Most of what we purchase are useless trinkets that do very little to further any true affect for our loved ones, but fills the empty space of an average cosmopolitan existence. I suppose that is a topic for another day.
My latest piece is a reflection of the heart, without the fake imagined sentiment. The heart beats. It supplies blood to organs, and for most of us we can only pray that it does not stop beating too soon.
My waking hours have me up by 6 am most days, and I can usually take my time to rise slowly and appreciate the beautiful landscapes as they are kissed by sunlight cascading from the rising sun.
Hamilton Ontario at York Blvd
Mississauga Ontario sunrise between condos
Sunsets are great too, don’t get me wrong, but they are busier and the worries of the day often cloud any appreciation of their beauty.
Sunset sky over 401 near Kitchener Ontario
During this holiday season, take time to appreciate things that you may have been overlooking.
It may not be a sunrise or sunset, but I think that those are perfect analogies for phenomenon that are always present in life, yet are not always noticed. Be present in your holiday moments.
Thanks for reading and have yourself a merry little Christmas.
The creative process is one where sometimes you have to walk away from your work, do something else, and return later with fresh eyes. A friend recently told me this, and I agree with it- it’s just basic science. If you stare at the picture for too long your eyes will go crossed. Just like those 3D photos Scholastic used to sell at book fairs in elementary school. I never had one myself, but our teacher would usually buy one for our class.
I have been taking an opportunity to do that these last two days. I completed 3 aprons in one day during the weekend, and since then I have worked on painting my mural, taken photos of my products, and just found other things to do apart from sitting at my sewing machine. I know that I have a lot of things to work on, but I am trying not to immerse myself so deeply in my tasks that I resent them ad quit altogether- or take a long long break from it where time is wasted-which is sometimes just as bad. I can’t say enough how important it is to stay focused on what you want (if you are fortunate enough to know what that is). Knowing what you want takes a tonne of soul searching. But it feels like the same things that make us wake up the morning, like free-will and individuality, are the things that keep us constricted in fear and inevitable indecision.
I read a story once- in a comic book- about a beautiful woman who lived on a planet that was on the verge of technology that would take its people to an entirely new plateau of existence. They would soon evolve to become advanced beings, and so, the lord of the dream world fell in love with this beautiful woman who lived on this planet. In this story, he took this woman as his lover- and in the beginnings of their courtship, took her to a gathering in another realm.
This gathering was attended by other magnificent beings-including the manifestation of her planet’s Sun. She did not know who he was at first, but felt as though she had known him her entire life. The story concludes with the Sun declaring that he had loved her, her entire life, and that he watched over her and kept her warm from afar. And, that if she would have him, he would love her forever more. Sadly for the king of dreams, she accepted, and the two left the gathering together to be as one.
I find this type of romance to be the most alluring. Longing, devotion, declarations. Not to mention the idea of someone loving you from afar. If these things happen in real life, they are hardly ever admitted to- and if they are, a restraining order usually follows. It seems as though few people open their heart. I know that there is so much hurt in the world- and that if you open your heart some of the bad things may enter just by chance. So we close ourselves off. We harden. We brick each other off with each breath so that we may protect our inner selves from the cold grasp of sadness and hurt.
I wonder if there is a way to keep an open heart, but still remain protected?
Lillybochic 