STAYING GROUNDED IN A BIG CITY OR BUSY WORLD

From Daily Om

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.

ARTISTS: ALYSON STANFIELD'S BOOK IS GONNA ROCK YOUR WORLD

I'd Rather be in the Studio! The Artist's No Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is a smart, well-researched, and well-lived
book of advice by Alyson B. Stanfield.

She calls the Table of Contents the Table of Excuses, writing a chapter to address each the main excuses artists use to avoid leaving the studio to get themselves and their work out into the world.

Some examples from the Table of Excuses:

Excuse: "My art speaks for itself."
Action: Differentiate Yourself: The Power of Your Artist Statement
Action: Fill the Rooms: Speak and Teach to Become an Expert

Excuse: "I don't want to bother people."
Action: Send a Killer Newsletter that Begs to be Read and Reread
Excuse: "I'm an introvert."
Action: Get Involved Rather than Waiting for Life to Happen

In the book, she flushes out and expands upon the actions, giving artists step-by-step tips to sticking their necks out and connecting with the world at large.

I signed up for Alyson's weekly email tips and find those quite useful as well!

READ THIS BOOK

Seth Godin is the author of ten international bestsellers, including The New York Times bestseller, The Dip. Text from the book flap says what needs to be said about this little gem:

The web can do amazing things, but it can't provide leadership. That
still has to come from individuals - people just like you who have a passion about something. Anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at her fingertips

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RE-INVENT YOURSELF?

By Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster Of K Squared Enterprises

How does a 25-year veteran advertising executive reinvent herself as she watches her industry shrink?

Where does a 15-year magazine production manager go when magazines everywhere are folding?

What happens if you get laid off and realize that your career hasn’t fulfilled you for years anyway?

Welcome to the age of opportunity disguised as loss. When industries shrink, erupt or otherwise change, it provides the survivors an unforeseen opening into new and different frontiers for work.

Do you find yourself in an industry that is dwindling? Is it hard to see a place for yourself in the current state of your chosen profession? You may be in a position where re-inventing yourself is the best option.

The difficulty with re-inventing yourself is twofold:

1) You have to weather a temporary loss of identity. YOU are no longer defined by your job title. Your former employer and industry do not equal your definition of self.

2) You don’t have another identity (a New You) to jump into. For the time being, you have to tolerate a period of identity limbo.

During this kind of career transition, you can construct an interim, more general definition of your talents, skills and capabilities. This short-term identity is based on the skills that you want to continue to use as you enter a new industry.

For example, if you’ve been selling mortgages and you like the activity of customer relations, you can define yourself as an expert in customer service. Or if you are the V.P. of IT for a shrinking bank and you excel at completing projects on time, you can bill yourself as a project manager and look for greener pastures in other industries.

In some cases, re-inventing yourself may involve returning to a long-term interest and getting the skills or training you’ve always wanted. After years in the retail industry, you may yearn for a degree in library sciences. As you prepare to move away from a career in accounting, you may pursue a childhood passion for electronics.

Why is it so difficult to re-invent ourselves?

The short answer is most of us hate uncertainty. It’s much easier to stick with what we know and who we know than it is to forge into new areas. This includes self-definition. And who wants to be a beginner again? Re-inventing yourself requires some tough exercises. You have to engage in self-assessment. You have to determine where your talents lie. And you have to be willing to transfer your well-worn skills into new realms.

Here are some tried and true tips for re-inventing your work identity
1) Appreciate that it takes guts to re-invent yourself. Give yourself credit from the start.
2) Get help in defining the skills and talents that you’d like to apply to a new position within a different industry.
3) Consider interning, volunteering, getting trained or educated to build your credibility.
4) Find like-minded people who have either done this successfully or are in the process of re-inventing themselves, and let them support you.

It’s not easy to re-invent yourself, but it can be very exciting and ultimately rewarding. We encourage you to take the chance. If you can weather the discomfort, a new, more fulfilling career path awaits you.

Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster are the authors of the national bestselling book Working With You Is Killing Me – Freeing Yourself From Emotional Traps At Work. Acclaimed speakers, seasoned trainers and skilled workshop leaders. their company, K Squared Enterprises offers real solutions for managing workplace relationships. Their next book, Working For You Isn’t Working For Me – The Ultimate Guide To Managing Your Boss, will be released in Fall, 2009.

PAPA DAVE'S 56 THINGS TO DO BEFORE HIS DAUGHTER IS BORN

This just in from my friend Dave Castillo at Blue Barn Pictures. To stay updated on the progress he makes checking items off this list, go to his blog - THE BARN.

I have, FOR as long as I can remember, done something completely different on my birthday, be it climbing a mountain, get a tattoo, spending it in quiet seclusion, inviting everyone I know to celebrate with me, getting high on the Great Wall or completely ignoring it (last year).

I will share this year’s birthday with my daughter who will be born April 17ish, a month and some change after my thirty-third birthday.

Birth, like everything else in life, is not predictable so I have given myself a a ten day window before she rightly steals the show, to accomplish this surmountable task I have laid out for myself.

To celebrate my birthday and my daughter’s, I have laid out 56 things that I would like to do before I meet her.

In no particular order, the list:

1. Be more patient with people and with myself

2. Read Pablo Neruda’s poetry in Spanish and write the ones I like in green ink.

3. Support the Brooklyn music scene by going to concerts

4. Go to the MoMA

5. Restart the mix CD group

6. Go to the gym 3 times a week

7. Play more

8. Take yoga classes

9. Read ‘Your baby’s first year’

10. Learn how to make sushi

11. Shoot a short film for myself

12. Make the bed every morning

13. I will speak more Spanish at home

14. Scan old photographs and post them

15. Build the baby’s crib

16. Make a stop motion video

17. Cook more

18. Make time to relax

19. Eat sitting down and enjoy my meals

20. Take a hot bath once a week

21. Drink more water

22. Listen to my body

23. Photograph the Brooklyn Bridge

24. Fix the breaks on my bike

25. Keep my desk clean

26. Organize my storage space

27. Sell or give away what I don’t needed

28. Sew the buttons back on my coat

29. Call friends I have not heard from in awhile

30. Spend 5 minutes a day with the belly

31. Write more in the black moleskin

32. Go to the MET and look at a Caravaggio

33. Stop looking at Porn

34. Learn how to say No

35. Stop checking work emails on the weekends

36. Listen to more classical music

37. Write down my dreams

38. Take more time explaining my ideas

39. Realize stress is self induced

40. Free my photography from my self imposed rules

41. Take more pictures

42. Eat more vegetables

43. Write down the names of the wines I like

44. Go to art gallery openings.

45. Organize my digital photo library

46. Pay more attention to my grammar

47. Speak to my father

48. Contribute to other blogs

49. Discuss in depth the finer points of Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Ave Gardner, Sophia Loren and Grace Kelly over Ketel One martinis.

50. Take my wife out on dates

51. Visit my mother’s grave

52. Start drawing again

53. Take my shoes off when I get home

54. Spend an afternoon listening to vinyl with my friend Jim

55. Document tackling this list

56. Have drinks with friends at the Brooklyn Inn on April 6th and look at the list

SHOW THE LOVE AND SHARE THE LOVE

Valentines Day can be anything you want it to be.

I think it's the perfect time to show the love and to broaden your idea of who you can show the love to.

Valentines Day is not just about showering "that special someone" with chocolates and flowers. It's about SHARING THE LOVE with all the special someones in your life - grandparents, clients, customers, fans, colleagues, neighbors, shop owners, people who show kindness to you and your children - anyone whose relationship you value.

I sent my brother's family a care package with all kinds of Heart Day goodies in it. His boys are gonna get cool red Snoopy race cars filled with candy. I wrote each person in his family a separate note to let each of them know I love them.

I sent my mom and dad some goofy foil-covered candy in the shapes of fish and lips.

I'm sending simple, hand-made valentines to clients, friends, and family to let them know I am thinking of them.

Who in your circle could use a little show of love in a card, a phone call, a kind word?

Make it happen.

GO TO SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT FOR FREE!

Ordinarily, The Small Business Summit taking place next Tuesday Feb.3rd costs between $129 and $149.

If you volunteer for the event , YOU GO FOR FREE!

As a volunteer, you would work from approx. 7 am to 4:30 pm. Location: 55 Broad St. in the Wall Street Area.

INTERESTED?

Call Raymon Ray @ 917-685-3920

Ramon Ray
Technology Evangelist & Editor,
Smallbiztechnology.com
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/

SAVE THE DATE: SAT., FEB 21, DUMBO ARTS CENTER PARTY AND RAFFLE

Dumbo Arts Center I Heart Art
Auction Party and Raffle
6:00- 8:00PM

The Silent Auction will be on view and open for bidding in the gallery and online from February 14 through February 21, 2009. Dumbo Arts Center's annual Benefit Auction is its most important fundraiser and helps sustain its year round programming, keeping it open to the public and free of charge.

Check back soon on their website to view and buy works.

THE BIG BREAKUP

For the past 16 years, I've been a member of eight (!) gyms. I'd join one, barely go, and then join a new one, thinking "Okay, this is going to be the place I love to come to to get into shape! This is it!" And maybe, once in a while, I'd go a bunch of times in a row and be proud of myself. But guess what? It never lasted.

Two days ago, I was on the treadmill at the YMCA. I was bored out of my mind, and the surrounding scenery - grey walls and the backs of people's heads - was utterly uninspiring.

"Why do I do this?" I wondered. It wasn't the first time I had asked myself the question, but this time the question became a decision: "I'm going to quit the gym." And by "the gym," I meant any and all gyms.

Then another question arose in my mind: "What will I do and where will I go to get into shape?" And another thought came to me: "Just trust that if you close the door, a window will open. The right opportunities will present themselves."

The next night, I went to Brooklyn Arts Exchange to take a dance class. The teacher was nice and the music had a good beat. I was doing something that was interesting and that required me to pay attention, not just pound my feet on a conveyor belt like some mindless robot. (Sorry, treadmill fans! No disrespect meant!)

Then my cousin told me she was going to take a class at The Mark Morris Dance Center at Brooklyn Academy of Music. I went to their website and, lo and behold, they offer a whole bevy of fun-sounding dance classes!

This means that my dream of dancing again is coming true. I see a whole future of having fun and connecting to music and people while getting back into shape.

I know I could be stuck on the thought, "Geez, why didn't I figure this out sooner?" But, as they say in Spain, "Mas vale tarde que nunca!"

Photo credit: Andrew MacPherson for British Vogue, March 1993

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET ORGANIZED!

Hey there busy New York moms, artists, and professionals!

I'd be delighted to help you:

* Cut down on clutter

* Create more space for you and your family

* Learn and implement simple time and paper management tools.

Call today to chat about your organizing needs!
917-499-7395

INSIGHT MAGAZINE LAUNCH PARTY ON FEB.7

F.O.K.U.S. will be re-launching INSIGHT, their quarterly magazine later this month. The group will commemorate the event with a launch party as part of its Off the Wall art series on February 7, 2009 at Deity Bar & Lounge in Brooklyn, NY starting at 8:00 p.m.

Attendees will be able to view works from Destroy & Rebuild whose work is also featured on this issue’s cover, a skateboard deck designed by Jeff St. Romain of Structure NOLA, photos from New Orleans a few years following Hurricane Katrina and more.

Copies of INSIGHT Volume 2 Issue 1 will be distributed at the event. This event is sponsored by Fresh Industries + Deity Bar & Lounge.

What: INSIGHT Launch PartyWhen: 8:00 p.m on February 7, 2009

Where: Deity Bar & Lounge – 368 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Press Contacts:Atiba EdwardsF.O.K.U.S., Inc.mailto:Inc.press@onefokus.org

INSIGHT is a quarterly F.O.K.U.S. publication that offers a platform for artists and their talents. Through the inclusion of interviews, feature articles, photography and more, we present a tangible survey of art to the world.

F.O.K.U.S., a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 2003, creates diverse networks through the use of the arts. The organization has produced concerts, film screenings, workshops and more with artists including John Legend, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Jeff Chang, the Blue Scholars, Buff 1, Kool DJ Red Alert, Justin Bua, Michael Skolnik and many more. For more information, visit http://www.onefokus.org/

THIS IS A FUN CLASS - COME ON OUT!

After deciding to bag boring classes at the gym, I ventured over to Brooklyn Arts Exchange on 5th Avenue to try out Pene's Hard Core Dance Workout.
I was a little nervous about going, because I'm out of shape. It was a lot of fun and Pene is a great teacher!

Here's an update about the class from BAX Director, Mayra Warshaw: "I am delighted to announce that HARD CORE WORK OUT taught by Pene McCourty will CONTINUE. There is one more class of the current series (February 2) The class will then continue on Mondays February 9, 23, March 2 and 9 from 7 – 8 p.m. NO CLASS ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 16. The workshop is available for $40 (for 4 classes) or by the class as a drop in at $15."

HERE IS THE CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Imagine a hot sweaty dance party does a major mash-up with a structured dance class. You learn new steps, get to do your own dance and de-stress.This class will get your adrenaline pumping, your soul groovin' and your core working.No push ups or sit ups. Just some bad-ass music so you can get your groove on.No prior dance experience necessary.Just bring your bad self!

I'M IN LOVE WITH ONLINE STAMP-BUYING

As much as I like to go to the post office to view their array of stamps from a living breathing person, the local post office branches often don't have the stamps that I'm looking for. Because I love stamps, tiny works of art that they are, I am picky when it comes to picking them out for a big mailing. It's just not worth waiting in a LONG line, only to be dissappointed by the selection available.

For my Valentines Day mailing, I really wanted the Love: All Heart stamp and I knew the post office branches wouldn't be carrying it because it's from 2008. So I hopped online and ordered a whole bunch of them from the USPS website.

It took all of five minutes to order the stamps online! I'm gonna remember this in the future.

SPOKE THE HUB RENTING SPACE TO TEACHING ARTISTS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

Spoke the Hub (STH) is now seeking the area's finest massage therapists, acupuncturists, Alexander teachers, nutritionists and other kinds of bodyworkers to join our fabulous team of independent teaching artists and health practitioners in our newly renovated facility in the heart of Park Slope.

Prime movers and shakers in Brooklyn and beyond since 1979, Spoke the Hub has offered creative arts and fitness classes to legions of infants through adult professionals in Park Slope for over three decades. With the completion of our recent massive renovation and expansion of our Union Street center, we are now able to broaden the spectrum of what we can offer to community residents, as well as redefine the interface and interconnection between art, spirit, community and health. Please join us!

The STH bodywork room rental includes ---
a separate entrance and intercom system,
use of a shared waiting room, bathroom and shower,
wifi access,
a washer/dryer onsite**,
discounted rent (25% off) on small adjacent meeting room and the two bigger studio spaces for group sessions, special workshops, master classes, and private movement sessions**
plus inclusion options on Spoke the Hub's website and in future Spoke the Hub mailings and promotional materials**

Short term rentals: $25/hour (4 hour minimum; non-refundable)
Long term rentals (6-12 months or more): $250 a day/month; 2 months security required.

**These amenities only available to long term rentals

Please send letters of interest , work and client references, and your resume to: Elise LongSpoke the Hub Re:Creation Center748 Union StreetBrooklyn, NY 11215

Also, please feel free to make arrangements to preview the space in person on Mondays or Tuesdays with Spoke the Hub's space manager, Rachel Odoroff at: Space@spokethehub.org.Space will be available for rent beginning March 1st.

WHAT I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU DO IN 2009

* Put pen and passion to paper: I’ll help you document personal and business goals for 2009 and set you in motion to reach them.

* Create networking and marketing strategies to grow your on-line and off-line community of clients, customers, supporters, donors, and readers.

* Develop blog content and practices to expand your fanbase and get your message out to the world. It’s a new day!

Call to set up an appointment! 917-499-7395

SOME THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT GOING AFTER YOUR DREAMS

What do you yearn for? What is brewing in you?

Structure your yearning as a question – e.g. “How can I create more space in my life for making and spending time with friends?”

A goal is a dream with a deadline – e.g. I will have a gallery showing of my paintings by June 1.

Put your goals in writing and/or in images.

Expect to get what you want.

Be specific in naming what you want – e.g. "I want to make friends with three new sets of couples that Mike and I can socialize with" (versus "I want to meet more people"). By being specific, it is easier to track your progress and to recognize when you’ve reached your goal.

How do you want to feel emotionally and physically when your goal comes to fruition?

What kind of choices do you need to make so that you can have what you want? What do you need to say no to? Yes to? Decide where you want to put your attention and energy and put it there.

To stay focused, name the year – e.g. The Year of Fun, The Year of Creativity, The Year of the Body, The Year of Making Friends.

What will help you sustain momentum in going after your dream, especially if/when you get discouraged, fearful, or distracted?

Ask for help from different people. Ask, ask, and ask some more.

Accept help that shows up. Allow others to share their energy with you.

Listen to your inner voice. Make time for silence.

Share your energy with others by helping them to achieve their dreams.

When you hit a spot where you stop going after what you want, ask yourself “What am I afraid to give up?” (Some possible answers: comfort, an old image of yourself, etc.)

Keep a Gratitude Journal. What you focus on expands.

Keep a Dream Binder. Document what you want in words and pictures.Design pages which assume that you’ve already reached your goals.Create pages which celebrate victories along the way. Fill it with all that inspires you.

NAME YOUR YEAR

I am a proponent of naming your year: give it a theme, a title, a slogan - whatever helps you stay focused and inspired.

For me, 2009 is The Year of Creative and Profitable Collaborations.

What are you going to name your year?

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH 15 SECONDS?: LAURA ALLEN CLUED US IN!

At the end of MLK Day, Mike and I went to In Good Company (a space for women entrepreneurs) for Laura Allen's 15 Second Pitch workshop. We both wanted to learn how to speak more effectively about the work we do. Evidently, so did the other folks who showed up. The motley crew included a magician, a jewelry-maker, a trademark lawyer, and a baker of organic marshmallows.

Laura, with loads of entertaining anecdotes from her 7 years of experience as Queen of the 15 Second Pitch, explained the need for developing a pitch that is easy to pass along. "Smart networking," she shared, "is about having a story that other people want to pass along. A pitch needs to be specific and compelling."

Laura had us get started on answering the four questions that build a good pitch. They are: (1) Who are you? (2) What do you do? (3) Why are you the best?/What makes you different or interesting? and (4) What is your call to action?

Laura also explained that while many of us might be good at doing many things, it's not so great to go into a networking event and say "Hi, my name is X and I am a dog-walker, graphic-designer, basket-weaver, and Reiki master."

Guess what's going to happen? The person you are talking to is going to slowly back away as their eyes glaze over. The alternative? Become known primarily for one thing. Also: it's great to have a separate pitch for each kind of work you do.

RICKI M. GOES INAUGURAL

Ricki McGlashan is an old family friend who lives in San Mateo, CA.

"Well, friends, I made it! We got Obama sworn in! The summary has to be that it was an experience of a lifetime--so packed with adventures and inspiration (and PEOPLE!) you wouldn't believe.

The short report is that there were three dominant elements to the whole cram-packed two days. First of all, starting from SFO, the excitement of the zillions of people embarked on a shared, positive, hopeful experience was overwhelming. It absolutely pervaded every minute of the time, even when we were stuck, stuck, stuck, in some long line. All positive and electric, no kidding.

Second was the momentousness of what we were witnessing. All the hoopla aside, we each deeply felt the import of this event, this new presidency and ALL its promise.

Third was the serendipitous nature of the experience. Never have I had to adapt to such rapidly and unpredictably changing circumstances. Our best laid plans . . . it was astonishing how opportunities and hurdles presented themselves in a flash. I was among those who got a ticket to the swearing in (18 hours before the event!) only to be stymied outside the entry point, forced to head out onto the Mall in search of SOME place to at least hear the proceedings. My college friend Miri and I made it in the nick of time to a Jumbotron.

There were many, many people who had this happen to them, and we all agreed we would do it all again it was so exciting and momentous to be there. I'm sure I've never been on the move, pushed by stress and happy anticipation as much. I bet if you checked my adrenaline level right now, it would read ZERO, all used up.

Now we just have dreams that our hopes and expectations will come through.

GOBAMA.
xoxoxo"

BRIT IN BROOKLYN COVERS THE INAUGURATION

Adrian Kinloch, author/photographer of the blog Brit in Brooklyn, experienced the inauguration from Foley Square and had this to say about the experience:

"It was hard deciding on a spot to watch from in this huge city, but I settled on Foley Square as there’s amazing governmental architecture all around and it was pretty laid back. Well, until THAT speech!. Times Square would have meant corporate logos in the background of every shot!I was blown away by the intensity and range of emotion. Never seen anything like this."

Check out THIS LINK to see all his photos of this event.