The Secret to Success in all Things

The secret to success in all things. That's a lot to deliver, right?

This little altered board book is going to do just that.

Are you ready?

There you have it. Work diligently, patiently, and persistently and you're bound to be successful. Easy peasy, right? It's pretty simple when you think about it.

The trouble is that working diligently, patiently, and persistently is pretty tough in a world where faster is usually better and so much is measured in terms of speed and ease. Modern living has made the click of a button or mouse the standard by which we expect all things can and should be accomplished.

Diligently, patiently, and persistently takes time. Lots of time. Painting this little book took a lot of time. There were moments when I felt like it was taking more time than it could possibly be worth.

For me, the process of making art is incredibly slow. I wonder how so many artists can be so prolific. So successful. Now I think I know. They work diligently, patiently and persistently. We don't necessarily see that. We only see the result of that.

Work diligently.

Diligently.

Work patiently and persistently.

 Patiently and persistently.

And you're bound to be successful.

Bound to be successful.

Keep it moving!

The Secret to Success - Book 3

  

Here is the third and last in the itty, bitty secret to success series. They are tiny little books with massive messages. Life is not as complicated as we sometimes try to make it. It's really just all about the love.

It's all about the love.

Spread the love.

xoxo

The Secret to Success - Book 2

Here is book #2 in the itty, bitty secret to success series.

Achieving success is really quite simple, isn't it? After all, success is just a state of mind.

Spread the love.

xoxo

The Secret to Success - Book 1

There are many secrets to success. I made a series of itty bitty, tiny books to share just a few of those secrets with you. Here is the first book.

Simple, right? Give it a try today and see what happens.

Spread the love.

xoxo

This Horse Isn't Dead Yet

 

I've always liked this quote that I pasted into a collaborative journal I worked on long, long ago. I think it's a good reminder that when things are no longer serving their purpose it's time to just let them go. This little blog has been sorely neglected for the last few years and I've spent a lot of time wondering if it's time to "dismount." It's not that I lost my art-making mojo. I'm still creating. Possibly more now than ever before. But I've spent a lot of time wondering about the purpose for this blog and whether it serves a purpose at all. A lot of time. Heaps of time. So much time. 

Here is what this blog is not. It's not a marketing tool since I don't sell anything here. I don't have an Etsy site or online shop. It's not a promotional tool since I'm not trying to interest anyone in my latest book or online class or workshop. I don't have any of those things. I'm not even sure I want any of those things. At this point in my life, I'm not trying to turn my passion for making things into my livelihood. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just not my purpose. 

So why am I here? What's the point?  

To share. And hopefully, in some tiny way, to inspire. To spread the love. That's it. And it's enough for me. 

In light of that conclusion, I can now say this horse isn't dead yet!  

Hop on as I gallop off to search for love, truth, and beauty in the world and to share it here with anyone who cares to travel along. 

Peace and love to you my friends.

xoxo

Random Acts of Art

Recently I started making and leaving little pieces of art in public places as a way to spread around some positivity. They are random acts of art meant to surprise, delight, and (hopefully) inspire total strangers.

I've probably left at least a dozen in the last few weeks in and around the building where I work. I place them on ledges, windowsills, walls, benches, tables, and other places where I think someone is likely to find them. Sometimes I go back a few days later to see if they are still there, and I'm so happy whenever they are GONE. I truly and sincerely hope that whoever finds them really needed to hear that particular message on that particular day.

If you've never done something like this before, I recommend giving it a try. It's actually a lot of fun and the world could certainly use more art, more surprises, and more positive messages.

Think Good Thoughts

Think. Good. Thoughts.

This, my friends, is the secret to...well, everything.

Simple, right? You bet! Easy to do? Not so much.

That's why I put these words in a frame right on my desk. To remind myself to keep an eye on my thoughts. Good thoughts are good. Negative thoughts are not good.

Think good thoughts.

What do you do to remember this simple, but important, concept?

Our Purpose

Illustrating quotes is one of my favorite things to do. So when Lesley Riley put out a call for submissions for a book called Quotes Illustrated: 100 Works of Art Inspired by Words, I answered the call. And guess what? The quote above will be published in the book!

I can hardly wait to check out all the quotes and artwork in the book.

If you want to check it out too, Quotes Illustrated can be purchased from Amazon or directly from CreateSpace.

Give Thanks

Good advice any day--but especially today. Wishing all my friends in the US a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Abundance

The Optimist Creed

If you are a long-time visitor to lost and found, you might recall a post I wrote about a little German book I was altering called Die schonsten Sagen des Rheins. You can read the original post here. My attempts at altering the book were disastrous and I came close to pitching it on several occasions. In spite of what I put it through, that little book hung in there and just wouldn't give up. When I was finally ready to add some text, The Optimist Creed seemed like an appropriate choice.

I actually finished altering the book a while ago, but the wonkiness of it makes it nearly impossible to photograph properly. I finally gave up and scanned it instead. I hope you enjoy viewing Die schonsten Sagen des Rheins in its entirety and reading The Optimist Creed. It's wonderful advice for everyone to live by.