Sometimes the small things mean the most...

One of the quotes from my interview with Abbie that she really liked

I was contacted a few weeks ago by a young girl named Abbie Johnson who is 12 years old and a girl scout locally in Burlington County. She had been in my gallery previously with her mom and aunt and now she was working on a project and needed my help. The project was for her to choose a woman who had a job she admired and was interested in learning about. Once she chose the person, she had to interview them and then put together a presentation about the person's job, based on the information gathered during the interview process.

She made an appointment to talk to me and came in to Creative Genius and sat with me for about an hour during which I answered numerous questions about running an art gallery and being a woman in business. Not only is Abbie a very nice girl, she is also polite, well-spoken, and comes across as very mature for her age. She was fun to chat with and I looked forward to hearing about her presentation. 

At the end of the interview she handed me a hand-made invitation to a Sisterhood Tea that her troop was hosting for all their guests of honor. I thought that was really nice and made it a point to be available to go. Normally it would be no problem to be available but in the midst of the holiday season and having a nasty cold to boot, I was definitely pushing myself  to be alert and awake by the evening of the tea. Once I got there, I was happy I was able to be there.
The tea was really lovely and the girls and their leaders and guests were all really fun to chat with. We drank tea, snacked on cookies, cakes and tea sandwiches and shared information. Then each girl in the troop did their presentation. I have received awards in my past career but being chosen as having a job that a 12 year old girl thinks is interesting was just as special as any award I have received. It is a job I created and was one of the biggest compliments I have received. Abbie was a gracious host and I got to chat with her mom a bit too which was nice. It was obvious to me that all of these girls were definitely unique. All of them were very intelligent and very poised, even when speaking in front of a group of people. And all the presentations were interesting. In addition to an art gallery owner/photographer, presentations were made about a construction company owner, an architect, a naturalist and others. The diversity was interesting. 

Posing after the interview

The whole experience was a very important reminder for me about why I actually do what I do. Yes, I know, everyone gets caught up in the nuts and bolts of their job. It is an easy thing to have happen, especially when you are as busy as I am on a daily basis. Seeing my job and experiences through Abbie's eyes was a reminder that I really do this because I love art and want to connect people with it in a positive way. I didn't leave my corporate career to just work another job. I left it to follow a dream and I have successfully followed that dream for a really decent chunk of time. Her perspective actually made me feel proud of what I have accomplished in the past nine plus years with the gallery, from community outreach to connecting people to each other to helping people grow and pursue their own dreams. I think it takes someone special to make you slow down and actually pay attention. That is exactly what Abbie did for me. 

Presentation Board!

I have to say I really liked Abbie's presentation (of course, I AM a little biased-haha!). She loves art and hopes to pursue an arts related job some day so her presentation was colorful and attention-getting. I thought she did a great job and she even presented me with her presentation board before I left along with a candle holder that each of the girls made for their guests. The presentation board is on display at Creative Genius and I really hope people ask me about it. I will look forward to telling them all about Abbie and how special she made me feel.

Creative Genius Camp Highlights-2012

I have been away from blogging, mostly because of that wonderful, once-a-year occurrence known as CAMP SEASON at Creative Genius. 

So far we are 60% completed with our camps and have had a blast. All the camp groups have been terrific and the creativity shown by the kids has been nothing short of inspiring. Included here is a peek of some of the camp groups and their fabulous creations.

Clay Camp 2012

Clay Camp for Little Ones

Digital Photo Camp In Action

Digital Photo Camp 2012

Digital Photo Camp

Portrait taken by camper

Portrait taken by Camper

Too much cool photography camp made campers act goofy!

Clay Happy Head

Breakfast made out of clay!

Coil Heart Vase

This will be a clay chalk board some day!

Painting and Drawing Camp

Coming up in the month of August to finish out our camp schedule: 
MIX IT UP CAMP: includes projects in a variety of mediums each week. This is different from our other camps because most camp weeks are based around a specific medium (DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CAMP, CLAY CAMP, PAINTING AND DRAWING CAMP, etc). MIX IT UP includes different projects including clay, painting and drawing, upcycling, etc. I am looking forward to a fun week of interesting and unique projects. 

Sneak peek of some projects from UPCYCLING CAMP-coming up in August!

UPCYCLING CAMP: includes projects utilizing different items that might be considered trash by some. We will take different items each day and create cool art. This camp is awesome--we had a blast last year and I am really looking forward to it this year. 
There are still spaces for the following weeks:
Upcycling camp-Aug 13th-Aug 17th
Mix It Up Camp-Aug 20th-Aug 24th

To register your child, just give us a call or email me at jbaselloholt@verizon.net

During camp season, we here at Creative Genius specialize in HAPPY CAMPERS! 

Group bench painting project--it came out great!

Keeping Your Creativity Alive

It's a busy world we live in. People have kids/jobs/spouses/hobbies/chores (and in many cases, all of the above) and it is a real struggle to remain true to oneself and stay in the moment while enjoying one's own spirit of creativity. I have often found myself and many other creative people often need to take time to re-energize their inner selves in order to continue to be as creative as they are fully capable of being.  It is a difficult thing to choose to do, especially these days. But it can be done!

I came across a blog from a Brooklyn blogger named Eleanor Traubman about maintaining creativity in the crazy world in which we all live and thought it relevant enough to share some of the highlights. A big thank you to Ms. Traubman of Creative Times, a blog for artists and entrepreneurs.

1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the . You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.

2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.

3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.

4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.

5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.

6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you don’t have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members – loved ones, friends, or neighbors - can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.

7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way that you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.

8.. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.

9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.

10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often "on the go" and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.

A new way to look at wood...

We're very lucky here at Creative Genius because we get to work with some truly high level folks who excel in their craft. Today's selection of additions come from Andy DiPietro. We already carry his hollow forms and now we've added his wall art to the mix. And folks, this artist's work is quite an assortment to view and appreciate.

We've already featured some of his hollow forms on our facebook page and today's blog entry features his wall pieces, which are fabulous and right up any collector's alley. There is a fluid quality to the wood in these pieces that is even more striking in person than any photograph could really depict. The inspiration was from sails and it is evident, especially when viewing the pieces together that this is the case.

A little glimpse of Andy's wood turning resume includes featured articles in WoodTurning Magazine, Creative Wood Magazine and the Burlington County Times. He has exhibited in shows from New Hope and Philadelphia, PA to Delaware to MN to Trenton to right here at Creative Genius in Medford, NJ. He has provided instruction at numerous workshops and wood turner events and also provided demonstrations. And his professional affiliations are listed below:

2006 – Present, Member of the American Association of Woodturners
2008 – Present, Executive Vice President, Del-Val Woodturners in NJ.
2010 – Present, Collectors of Wood Art
Member of Bucks Woodturners in Newton Pa.
Member of First State Woodturners, Delaware
Member of the Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pa.

And Andy is no slacker by day either....by trade he is a Senior Mechanical Engineer!

I have seen a lot of engineers succeed in the arts...it must be something about attention to detail that attracts them to art forms like wood turning, pottery and photography where there is a measure of science entwined with the art medium itself.

We're happy to have the new additions from Andy and we're sure some very lucky collectors will be very happy to take these new additions home.

Fun with Glitter, Glue and Cardstock (or why Thursday morning turned into a craft project!)

Most people who know me know that I am not a crafty person. There's nothing wrong with being crafty but it just isn't how I roll :)  We tend towards fine craft in all of our class offerings, etc and I just don't have a lot of excess time with which to dabble in assorted fun projects. That being said, I took a look at my gallery window this morning and knew that a little craft project was in order.

Although I am creative and have big, life-sized ideas, I am always on a budget. So this morning, out came the glitter, glue and card stock. I had to dig through a box to find the hot glue gun-yes, we do own one here, although it doesn't get much use. I had to rummage through another box to find the glitter-my least favorite artistic substance on the planet. Why, you ask? Because I am a photographer and glitter is the arch enemy of camera equipment. Then on to the idea......hmmm....

So I came up with an Easter/Bunny theme but Creative Genius style. That means it is not over the top in terms of easter whimsy and has a slightly (and in this case, slightly is the key operative word) modern edge to it. The idea came from a line drawing of bunny ears I came across in someone's cutesy email signature. The bags someone gave me and they were colorful and color attracts attention. In fact, I got more attention for my gallery window when I put white boxes with blue and purple tulle bows on them in my window than with anything else I have done. Incredibly simple but color pops and gets noticed.

Okay, so it is a little crafty but who doesn't love little bunny ears, right? So here's to Spring/Easter...warm weather and sun would be great but for now I will settle for colorful bags and bunny ears...and now I'm off to pack away the glue and glitter...hopefully for a while....

Technical Difficulties...

This morning when I got into the gallery, I answered the phone and directed the caller on signing up for a workshop. She informed me that the Creative Genius website was not working and nothing showed up when she went to it....well, that was unexpected and I immediately checked it out, only to discover the same missing website that my client had experienced.
As it happens, it was an easy problem to fix which took approximately 90 minutes to accomplish. That's right, NINETY MINUTES. Somehow, when you have to fix any sort of problem that involves calling someone these days, inevitably you are met with a bunch of choices (select option one for billing...blahblahblah) and just as inevitably you are left waiting for a long time once your selections are made. And if you are fortunate enough to have someone answer the phone right away, that person generally fits into the following set of options:
a-can't solve your problem because they are actually in the wrong department
OR
b-doesn't speak english well (probably because they are in a call center somewhere far far away) and therefore you can't understand them to begin to resolve your problem
OR
c-that person disconnects you by accident, of course, and you must resort to starting the entire process over again.
It's a wonder we're all not crazy...
Thankfully, the Creative Genius website is now up and running...at least until next year, when some other unplanned atrocities could strike again.
Someone should just shoot me when that happens....

Candy Canes for the Cure!

I have been thinking over the holiday season plan for a while now and it occurred to me recently that I needed to incorporate some giving into my holiday plan too. Thus, Candy Canes for the Cure was created as part of our Creative Genius holiday plan.

We are handcrafting candy canes using two different types of clay (each individually made) and will be selling the candy canes as ornaments throughout the holiday season at Creative Genius. At the end of the holidays, we will be donating the profits from these whimsical ornaments to the American Cancer Society.

It is our hope that all of our wonderful customers incorporate at least one candy cane into their gift giving this year to help support this endeavor.