Osho Talks About Selling Bliss

What an intense character he was!
I can't decide what I think about him in person. I love his writings, and I really like his divination cards as oracles. But in person? I'm not so sure. And what an interesting interview.

I made a sale at Cafe Press!

Actually I made two sales! So that was nice. My mom bought two things from my Cafe Press Store, a package of greeting cards and a mug. I have a really great mom! These are gifts for friends of the family. I was totally surprised by what she picked out.

Now here's the stupid thing: Instead of being really happy about the sale, I am only moderately happy because there is this really silly insecure part of me that wonders if she had a really had time finding something that she liked well enough to buy, the ridiculous insecure part of me that wonders if this is what could be called a "mercy sale". Why can't I just be happy with the sale?

Just the other day I was telling my sister about how I was trying to think up an "I would be happier if..." and couldn't come up with anything, that my "happiness meter" was over the top, and that while I could come up with "It would be nicer if..." there was no "happier" if. Then, something good happens, something successful happens, and suddenly I'm thinking I would be happier if I could just let myself be happy (with the sale) ... which sounds insane!

So, what's up with that?

I am now an abstractionist!

I found this post at Flickr, and since I have done "The Work" on sabotaging every good thing that comes to me and how I should stop it now, I thought I'd act on it instead of sit on it:

Pedro C. says:

Hi, Just released a new online gallery, and we would love to have your art there. abstr.actioni.st. We are looking for a few people that want to show their work. The site is integrated with PayPal for all payments processing. And its absolutely free for those who choose to join now, but beware that paypal does charge a small commission (around 1eur for each transaction, check PayPal for detailed information on this).The site is its initial version so we are looking for some people to join in, promote themselves and at the same time help us improve the site reporting problems, or making suggestions of things you would like to have on the site. So, feel free to browse around and you can signup for a free account .

Between other things, you can also have your own domain name instead of abstr.actioni.st. Just drop me a line if you want to do so. You can report any problem or suggestion to the following email:pedro@abstr.actioni.st thanks for your time and hope to hear from you soon

Pedro Costa.

ps. feel free to pass on this information to who ever you think may be interested. Posted at 4:33AM, 26 November 2007 PST ( permalink )

I signed up right away. Check it out!. I only have a few things up today, and the plan is to put up a something new every week until there is a nice selection available.

I sold something!

I made a sale at cafe press! How cool is that?
This is what I sold: The Abundance Mandala Ornament

This handmade flat ball shaped ornament measures 2 7/8 inches across. Made of high quality porcelain in a classic holiday shape. Red ribbon included.

• High quality porcelain
• Round 2 7/8" diameter circle
• Ribbon for hanging included

Feedback on my big idea

Here is what my sister had to say about my "Best Idea Yet", which basically consisted of running away from home and becoming a Gypsy Witch.


I have no talent for predicting good ideas versus bad ideas! But I do hear bits and pieces of an underlying theme here - you really want to get away, out, out from under, out into your authentic life...? What about your life right now is inauthentic? Do you really want to sell your property but you are stuck in the idea you can't? Do you really want to move away?

I have been getting so much insight from writing my thoughts down in 'the language of need...' I keep distilling these needs (always asking myself - is it true? etc using The Work), so that I'm clearer and clearer. When I have my clear and true need down, the manifesting starts happening in lightening proportions.

So, in the language of needs, I am wondering what your e-mail says about what you need - but since I'm not you, I'm not that clear about it. I think when you know what you truly need it will be so much easier to proceed toward manifesting it. For instance, if you need to sell your property and move your life along - if you really know that is what you need - then the fear is drained away and your can proceed patiently and the universe can and will make it happen. And in the practical sense, you will know the next step - call a realtor and have it valued - see an attorney and get clear about what you can and can't do -

If you find out that the urge to leave is really the manifestation of your need to get out from under the debt, then you will know you don't want to leave your property and you can make an appointment with an attorney and find out your options.

This is the best I can offer as far as a plan and I think it is brilliant by the way - you really need some solid ground as your launch pad. I don't see how you can go much further without really sitting quietly and touching your own wisdom. You are really and truly very extremely wise, so much wiser than you even know yourself to be. You are even wiser than the Red Jesus and all your friends put together. I know this to be TRUE.

If you were to ask me what I want to know?

What I want to know is what would happen if you got still for an hour - maybe two. Coffee and notepad a pencil, quiet time, quiet mind. I want to know.

If you were to go to the next step, I would be even more enlightened because your insights about yourself are clearing the way for insights about myself. You can write down your judgments about yourself - I am anxious, frightened, angry and confused about blah, blah, blah. I need blah, blah, blah. I never want to experience blah, blah, blah. I should, I shouldn't, blah, blah, blah. I am angry and disappointed with myself because of blah, blah, blah. Don't try to sugar coat it or make it sound more evolved than say a 13-year old...

Then you can know something really amazing and thoroughly true for you by doing the work on what you wrote... I love you and I know WHATEVER you do will be perfect.

Now that's some good advice, and I wonder why I still haven't done it.

My greatest idea yet!

This morning while writing an email to my sister... I had an awesome idea of how to solve my financial problems and my job issues. I decided to post it here because I just might actually do it, and I want to document the day my life potentially turned upside down.

Well, the windshield wiper motor is really expensive... The least it will cost is somewhere in the neighborhood of $100.. the wost case scenario is $300. It all depends on whether the motor itself is broken, or if the wiper mechanism just came off of it. I'll probably have to wait until I have some significant boarding money before I can have it fixed. I lost several hours of pay the day it broke because it was raining really really hard, and I couldn't drive - so my paycheck was short. And I'm looking at a shut off notice from the electric company even as we speak. I can pay the electric bill - but when I do, there will be no money for the car.

Part of the reason I'm coming up broke this month is that Bank of America took $300 out of my checking account for the line of credit. I wasn't expecting them to do that until next month - it's their yearly fee that I pay in order to have the pleasure of being reamed by them for another 12 months. So, the money that I had saved out for the rental car and the trip just disappeared... but I went anyway, and I paid for it by NOT paying a number of bills. I had the expectation of my dog class and my computer class taking up the slack... But both of them got canceled for 2 weeks which put me $240 less than expected.

And Daphne (no surprises here) doesn't have her "rent" money because she lost her job. Did I tell you that her car is now about to crap out? I wonder what they will do.... It's a curious thing...

Talking about this, and thinking about this activates all my fantasies of how to weasel out of it. Like ... selling the property ... and not putting the money in the bank ... and just being a nomad for a while... maybe even a long while... I could buy a van... make it into a Vardo... and be a Gypsy Witch for a while... traveling from place to place... hooking up at state parks... at friend's houses... etc... maybe I could sell snake oil... .... ... I could visit you and we could do art... I could visit Arkansas and dig for crystals... I could visit Michelle and make cool medicine wheel mojos... I could visit my friend Marsha in California and do native american drummings and sell those crystals and the mojos... I could dress like a Gypsy... say to hell with being ordinary and sane ... For money, I could do animal communication and shamanic healing and reiki ... I bet I could sell my art then...

OH MY GOD... THAT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!!! I think it might even be my best idea yet! I like it so much that I just might make a plan to accomplish it! The more I think about it the more appealing it is. I could still see Sydney regularly... I could even keep the blogs if I wanted to. Just put up a disclaimer explaining my life style, and then post when I'm at people's houses... and not post when I'm off in no where... I could keep a stash of books, art supplies, and other "important" stuff at Michelle's... Maybe I could keep a stash or a "room" at your house also?

My expenses would be limited to: food, gas, upkeep and maintenance on the vehicle, clothing and misc necessities, dog food and routine animal care, art supplies, cell phone, my yahoo account, cafe press stores, domain names and hosting at godaddy, and camping fees when needed.

I could run away from home and become a gypsy!!!

I want it! I want to do it!
Have I lost my mind?
What do you think?

Here's something else.... I had the van idea on my way back from Oklahoma. I asked the Red Jesus last night to give me some guidance and a good idea of how to navigate my precarious financial situation. Now I'm in the grip of this really cool idea... Do you think it's guidance? Or do you think I'm just nutty? Would you be willing to help me come up with a plan of how to accomplish it? Like... a step by step thing?


They did it!
Why couldn't I?

Now I'm so caught up in the fantasy... and the idea that I can't focus on anything else. So, I'm off to make lists, and plan massive garage sales, and research real estate prices. I've got a lot of stuff to get rid of! And even more to do - if I actually do it, that is. Right now today, it's just a really cool idea... once the cold light of reality blasts down on it, it just might fade and die. I'm curious to see what happens now.

I made a sale at Cafe Press!

Someone bought one of my journals at Cafe Press. How cool is that? Here is what it looks like:

This is the background information on the picture:

Shirley Gibson, age 5, with best friend and constant companion, Chit Chat. Macuma Ecuador 1956

This little monkey was traded for medicine, and we instantly fell in love with each other. He rode around on my shoulder almost every moment that I was outside. My mom wouldn’t let me bring him into the house, but he did have a nice little home of his own on our back porch.

This is the info on the journal itself: Best Friends Journal, $12.99

AVAILABILITY: In Stock, will ship in 2 business days
Product Number: 94331918

Product Information
Scribble important stuff - lyrics, recipes, addresses, and more. Our Wire-O bound, 160 page journal is unlined and measures 5" x 8", a handy on-the-go size to fit in your backpack. Go creative and let the muse flow.

Back cover made of thin black flexible textured plastic, measures 16/1000" thick. Front cover made of 12pt glossy paper, coated for scratch resistance. Filled with 60lb bookweight (24 lb bond) blank paper - NO LINES.

My Etsy Store

I was on a website today, and I noticed that they had this really cool widget with their Etsy stuff in it. So, I dashed over to Etsy... spent an inordinantly long time trying to remember my user name and password. Finally got that figured out, and went in and looked at my store.

I hadn't been there in a really long time, and was surprised to see how nice it looked. I think I was expecting cobwebs and dust and stuff... Anyway, I then uploaded 2 new mandalas, and found the script for this cool little widget. I'm going to put it in the sidebar over at Mandala Madness.

So, what do you think? Is it cute or what? Doesn't it just make you want to BUY one?

I made a sale at Cafe Press

I made a sale at Cafe Press! How cool is that?

Here's what I sold. It's an I Love to Paint Sticker.

Now, admitedly it's a cool design... but why doesn't it say "I love to paint"? That's just stupid! I have a whole bunch of designs with this same image - all tagged with the title of "I love to paint" and not a single one actually says that ON the item itself.

Clearly, I need to get in there and redo a whole bunch of stuff! If I can sell that sticker, with no advertising, and it doesn't even say "I love to paint" on it... then I can sell the rest of the cool stuff once I get the words on there and the design advertised.

So, interestingly, instead of being happy and excited about making a sale - I'm freaking out and embarassed that the item I made wasn't even better than it is. And that's just dumb! Maybe even as dumb as NOT putting "I love to paint" on the acual items!

I think this calls for a six pack of beer and a movie! maybe even two movies!

Middle of the Night Art prints for sale

And then I had to make a decision about my "Middle of the Night Art" series. My plan is to eventually get it published as a book. I have an idea of creating an art book using the original art, cool leather bindings, doing it all by hand, and then auctioning it on eBay and making a gazillion dollars. Stay tuned to see how that works out. LOL.

For now, I have decided to sell prints of the Middle of the Night art. Just prints. Nothing spectacular, nothing limited edition. I may change my mind later, and there is still time to do that since I haven't yet put them up anywhere. At any rate, here are the Middle of the Night Art pictures that I pulled out to print and sell.

Driving my car off the road into nowhere.This picture is an all time favorite, and really defines my approach to life.

-oOo-


Melting PotI just love this one. For me, the little witchdoctor represents the "master of the universe", and the idea for this picture came from a Rumi poem about being cooked in a pot. I'll upload a copy of the poem here in a few days, and put a link to it here, so you can read it and see what I'm talking about.

-oOo-


Can the problem of bovine illiteracy be solved with prescription eye glasses?An excellent question, and as you can see, it is an important one as well. I too, often stand cow-like and dense, unable to read the signs.

-oOo-


Life in a nut shell. This pretty much sums up my views on life on earth as a human woman, and it also looks like a fairly accurate portrayal of my house.

:)

These are wax pastels and colored pencil on acid free black cardstock. The originals measure 8" x 8". So, here they are. Now all I need to do is figure out where to put them so people can buy them.

Mandala Art For Sale

The mandala art is all digital, so there are no issues in terms of packaging and shipping. I am planning to sell them as 16" by 16" limited edition fine art giclee prints on canvas. Here they are:

Abundance

This seemed an appropriate choice, since abundance is what I am wanting to achieve here. And also because this is the first mandala that I made.

-oOo-


NamasteI like the message, (Namaste means peace) almost as much as I like the image. Not only that, it really pops out on a web page, so I thought it would be a good choice for that reason as well.

-oOo-

Samadhi This one is so beautiful. I love the blue in it so much. It reminds me of water and stained glass together. Wouldn't it be cool to have a small reflecting pool with this image under the water? Maybe even with a few little orange koi swimming through it? Yummy!

-oOo-

MeditationI shared with a small demo print of this image with a coworker and she likes to keep it at her desk, it really pops out at you when you walk by. My sister, who is an incredibly gifted artist, made me a beautiful piece with an image similar to this, only she used colored glass and did a mosaic.

Abstract Art for Sale

My selection of the four abstract art pieces was based on how much I love them, how easy they would be to scan (for prints), and also for how easy they would be to pack and ship. This is what I came up with. If you want to see them bigger, click on an image and it will enlarge:

Blue Fish

This is pigmented india ink on 100% rag premium paper. I love the colors in it, and when ever I look at it, I just want to go there. It's small, only 8" x 10".

-oOo-

HalloweenThis one is one of my all time favorites. It's mixed media on watercolor paper. Another small painting, this one is only 9" x 12". The wonderfully creepy interesting textures and colors give it so much depth and flavor, don't you think?

-oOo-

Owl MoonI always see new things when I look at this painting. It's like a shamanic dream. Today it looks to me like there is someone sitting under the moon, hidden in the shadows. Cool huh? This one is a 9"x12" mixed media on watercolor paper.

-oOo-

Cosmic IrisThis is the largest one. I had to scan it four times and then merge the scans, but it was worth the effort. This one is ink and acrylic on rice paper, and is 9" x 13". It has a wonderful translucent quality.

Getting Started with Selling Art

I got some great feedback on my question over at Question of the Day, and it helped me to make up my mind which paintings to put out there first. I found it impossible to pick two of each one, and I have lots of favorites, so I chucked the idea of starting with six paintings, and decided to start with twelve - four of each. And because the styles are so different, I thought it might be a good idea to "market" them separately.

The abstract pieces chosen are: Blue Fish, Halloween, Owl Moon, and Cosmic Iris. You can take a look at them here.

The mandala art that I picked: Namaste, Abundance, Samadhi, and Meditation. You can take a look at those pictures here.

And from the Middle of the Night Art series, I chose: Driving my car off the road into no where, Melting Pot, Can the problem of bovine illiteracy be solved with prescription eye glasses, and Life in a nutshell. Take a look at them here.

So, there they are. The top twelve, armed and dangerous, ready to voyage into the cyberspace of "Art Online". The next thing to figure out is where to send them.

Selling Art Online

Ok, so I want to sell my art online. And this is my year. So I'm going to do it. Hmmm, what should I do first?

I guess first I need to have art to sell. Lets just take a look around the house... Well, let me see... there is art on the walls, art leaning up against the walls, art in the closet, art in front of the closet, art in the other closet, art in the computer, art on the computer, even some art under the computer. There is art on the dining room table, art on the art room table.. There's even art in the dresser drawers. There is so much art around here, I almost don't have room for me!

There is so much art, I don't even know where to start. I guess that's going to be step two. Figuring out what paintings to start with. So... should I start working at selling paintings in alphabetical order? Favorites first? Start with one series? Put forth a variety of styles and colors? Do a weekly pick 6? Run around the house blindfolded and just grab something?

I think I'll just bop on over to the "Question of the Day" and see if I can get any valuable insights or answers.