I've moved my blog and my website over to

www.TheExpressiveArtsCoach.com

Come visit over there!

My Creative Life is a weekly interview, with the same five questions, with folks who are living authentically, creatively, and making a living out of their passions.

This week I’m honored to have Washington DC's Analiese Bendorf, a Grant Writer and Researcher. She's the first creative administrative interviewee I've had and I am so excited! I've worked in the arts advocacy world and also with many, many nonprofits, and know how CRUCIAL Analiese's job is for the arts to thrive. She is passionate about her writing and her work! Be inspired by her answers, especially #3!

Drop her a line at her blog, Tulips and Tea
Twitter = @analiesemarie

1. What do you do? (career wise - whatever you want to share) I work as a Grant Writer and Researcher for an art museum in Washington, DC. I meet with staff members from all departments of the museum to learn about upcoming programs and projects that need funding. This could be anything from launching a contemporary installation series to designing art-integrated educational programs to acquiring new equipment for the museum's art conservation lab and more. I research and identify funding sources for these projects, then write grant proposals to foundations and government agencies. Once a grant has been awarded, I'm responsible for writing reports and other pieces of correspondence to keep the funder informed of the impact of the grant. I've always been passionate about both writing and art, and I feel extremely fortunate to be in a position which combines the two. It's a joy to know that my work helps enable the museum to serve the Washington community (as well as a national and international audience of visitors) and to impact peoples' lives through the power of art.

2. How did you prepare for this career? (formal and informal education, books, workshops?) The arts have played a significant role in my life from a very young age. As a child, I spent hours drawing, painting, and crafting, and also took dance lessons and piano lessons for many years. My parents took me and my younger sister to museums, concerts, and plays, and strongly encouraged my artistic leanings. As a result, the idea that creative expression should be honored and supported was ingrained in me from an early age. At George Washington University, I majored in Cultural Anthropology, studying how humans communicate and interpret meaning within and across cultures. The school's Anthropology program benefited from a unique partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, and I had the opportunity to take classes on-site at the various museums, taught by Smithsonian curators. I became interested in the way museums express their unique knowledge and mission to the world, and began to seriously consider a career in the museum world. With my love of art, it became clear to me that using my writing abilities to further the mission of an art museum was a natural fit. I continue to learn everything I can about my craft by taking classes and workshops (such as those offered by Foundation Center); talking to other individuals in the field (I've connected with some through Twitter!); and reading numerous blogs and publications (see #5 below for some examples).

3. Besides living according to the values of creativity and independence, what other values are you honoring by following this path? Service. I feel that I am using my abilities in service of a cause larger than myself, which is to advocate for the importance of art, and to help make possible the kind of artistic experiences that empower and inspire people and contribute to making Washington, DC a culturally vital community.

4. What struggles or challenges do you face, if any? In this difficult economy, securing grants is more challenging than ever, especially for the arts, which, in times of great need, are sometimes viewed by funders as less important than basic human services. However, with this challenge comes a great opportunity as many museums and arts organizations are being forced to innovate in order to attract new audiences and fulfill their missions with fewer resources. The organizations who use this crisis as a catalyst for rethinking how they can provide relevant and robust programming in a more efficient way (by forming partnerships with other non-profits, for example) are the ones who will emerge scrappy and victorious on the other side of this mess, and they will be better for it.

5. Can you give some advice to folks who would like to do what you do? You can spend forever "preparing" for your life's work, but the best way to begin is to begin. For example, if you're interested in writing about art, start writing about art and submit your writing to a couple publications. If you want to work in the non-profit world or a museum specifically, schedule an informational interview to learn more. Find a mentor, get an internship, volunteer...just start doing. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to have a specific type of educational or work background. Degrees and other types of formal training are useful, but enthusiasm, discipline, and a willingness to learn count for a lot, no matter what field you're interested in. That being said, if you want to work at a museum, it wouldn't hurt to learn more about the museum world by, of course, visiting lots of museums and reading blogs, books, magazines, etc. One of my favorite museum-related blogs is Museum 2.0, by the fantastic Nina Simon, who designs participatory and innovative museum experiences. You can also stay current on topics in philanthropy and the non-profit world by reading publications like the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Philanthropy News Digest. The Foundation Center offers free classes, workshops, and webinars geared toward those in the non-profit world. I also recommend the very excellent book Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative NonProfit Fundraising.

Eat a pomegranate, if you dare!

It's a force to be reckon with.
Burgandy juice, crunchy seeds.
It makes you slow down.

It demands your attention.


Crack it open. Savor it.


Need a break? eat a pom.

Succulent.

S-l-o-w.


Every break exposes tiny jewels of sweet goodness. A treasure hunt.


Many napkins.

What to do with all the excess juice?

Paint with it.



The apple and banana are so pedestrian compared to the beauty of
The Pomegranate.


Eat it with someone you love.


Red fades to purple.

If given the proper attention (and reverence),
it is cooperative.

WANT TO USE THIS POEM IN YOUR BLOG, E-NEWSLETTER, OR WEB SITE?

Okey dokey! But please include the following paragraph. If this is for printed materials, please contact me first.

Gabrielle Javier-Cerulli, MA is The Expressive Arts Coach who uses the creative process for clarity, self-discovery, healing, and enjoyment with her clients. On December 1, 2009 she will announce her new Life Purpose EXPRESS program and in February 2010 she will be launching something really special - so stay in touch!

Twitter = @TheArtsCoach

A few days ago I had a fitness assessment. The sad numbers weren’t a surprise, as I know I have a lot of work to do on my physical Self. The trainer advised me that the #1 word I cannot use while exercising is “comfortable.” If I’m comfortable, I’m not going to get the results I wish for. In order to change, I must get uncomfortable and pretty often. I need to sweat, move my body in ways that are different, be consistent, and try new things.

The same goes for expressive arts coaching, life coaching, expressive arts facilitation, and even therapy at times. If your goal is to find your life purpose, then you need to get Uncomfortable by way of really evaluating your life, hiring someone to help you, and also be open to taking some risks. If your goal is to get more organized, you need to get Uncomfortable with filing those papers every single day for the next 21 days until it becomes a habit even though you can make up excuses why those stacks can wait for another time. If you are suffering from an addiction, in order to cross over to the other side of it, there will be many days of being Uncomfortable, and that’s where the breakthroughs live.

So to summarize,

Comfortable = status quo

Uncomfortable = growth and progress

My Creative Life is a weekly interview, with the same five questions, with folks who are living authentically, creatively, and making a living out of their passions.

Sigh Dance inspired by MuseCubes from Jamie Ridler on Vimeo.

	Enacted FY09	FY10 Final Interior Appropriations Bill	FY09 vs. FY10 Difference
NEA	$155 million	$167.5 million	$12.5 million increase
NEH	$155 million	$167.5 million	$12.5 million increase

The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 2996) was passed in the House by a vote of 247­­-178 and in the Senate by a vote of 72-28. Please play your part and send a quick e-mail to your members of Congress at the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center and let them know how much the arts will benefit from this funding increase.

My Creative Life is a weekly interview, with the same five questions, with folks who are living authentically, creatively, and making a living out of their passions.

This week I’m honored to have Holly Friesen, a creative woman with paints and with poetry. Most of her paintings reflect the natural environment but it's her figure paintings that really got me hooked on her work. Be sure to check out her lovely, calming creations at www.hollyfriesen.com.
Twitter @Holly59

1. What do you do? (career wise - whatever you want to share)
I am a working painter. Inspired by the living, breathing landscape around me, particularly the ancient rocks of the Laurentian mountains in Quebec.

2. How did you prepare for this career? (formal and informal education, books, workshops?)
Formally I studied Fine Arts at John Abbott College in Montreal where I was able to explore every medium from photography to printmaking, sculpture to performance art. From there I went on to York University in Toronto to study Fine Arts majoring in painting. I found the university environment to be stifling and confining and after three years, cashed in my scholarship, bought a motorcycle and headed for California. This bike trip was the beginning of my career as an artist. I carried a portable watercolor kit with me wherever I traveled. I learned to observe closely, to see beneath the surface and reveal what I saw in paint. I traveled and looked at great Art everywhere I could as well as studying with many different artists in different mediums. I sat with the rocks, rivers and forests and listened.

3. Besides living according to the values of creativity and independence, what other values are you honoring by following this path?
I am following what brings me spontaneous joy! This is both a blessing and a curse but I have no choice. I am following the path of all those who have gone before me and all those who will continue on ahead of me. The path of most resistance, the one where everyone keeps telling you not to do what you do so you have to be sure enough of your vision to follow it anyway. I have learned to trust my intuition and let it guide me.

4. What struggles or challenges do you face, if any?
Doubt. Always the gnawing doubt that I am not good enough to call myself a painter. Also,the images that evolve and want to express themselves come from deep within and reveal themselves through dreams and visions. Revealing these inner images can leave one feeling vulnerable and exposed. Viewers negative or positive criticism can be disruptive to the process so there is always a need for shielding & balancing the inner with the outer visions.

5. Can you give some advice to folks who would like to do what you do?
Do whatever it is that brings you joy, the rest will follow naturally; leading you to work
many, many hours with an unparalleled discipline and and devotion to what you do. To learn what you need to know, do what you love, live your passion!