If You Could Do Anything...

If you could do anything be brave.  Jump when you're scared. Laugh hard.  Dream big, fat, luscious, ridiculous dreams.  If you don't, who will?  Don't listen to the naysayers.  Listen to your own voice and surround yourself with other dreamers, doers and be-ers.

I've tried to lead my kids by example.  I was committed to being with them as they grew up.  So I was.  I was committed to living my own dream and following my own path, so I have.  I'm committed to cheering them on as they make their own way.  They just need to know I'm here yelling, jumping, laughing and clapping for them as I always have.  It's my job.  I've been fortunate enough to spend the first part of their lives with them.  Now they're off!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJCOiegKAlY


Andy will graduate from California State University Channel Islands with a degree in Sociology.


He's going to South Korea this summer and will teach English there. Laura graduates from the University of Washington with a degree in Earth and Space Science.  She is going to Jordan in an Engineering program to study water conservation.

They obviously both have the traveling bug.  Since I'm not sure what I'm going to be when I grow up, I don't bother them with questions about that.  I know they'll each find their own path.  It will be fascinating to see what that is.

Andy is an easygoing, warm young man.  He's brilliant and makes everything he does look effortless.  He really believes in helping others and making a difference in the world.

Laura is focused and fun loving, intelligent and determined.  She wants to travel, find adventure and connect with people.  I'm sure they would both edit what I'm saying and I hardly know what to put down.  All I know is I've done a good job and they are remarkable!

My children are my heroes.  I'm happy to say that somehow I've taught them that they SHOULD follow their dreams.  As a lifelong entrepreneur/ artist/ author/ saleswoman I may have shown them a little bit about how to make their own way in the world. I've never asked them to do something I'm not willing to do myself.
They are on their way. Happy Mother's Day to me!!!  I'm a very lucky woman.

So is she!

He's a jumper!

Andy with his friend Courtney in Taiwan

Laura in Thailand

I took a nap...

I took a much needed nap this afternoon. Managing the marketing,  finances, and other start up activities I have going on is a lot to juggle! Product development is critical and I'd like to get mycreative time in too!  

Here's my story for today:  at around 3:30 PM, I took my piles of notebooks and iPad to bed for a nap. (SICK!!!) I fell asleep and soon after, I got a call from a company I'm doing business with.  Their rep called to check in on me to see whether I need some extra coaching. My first response was of course I do! My second, how much?

I shared that I just don't know what kind of help I need and have to be sure that what I spend my time and money on is as effective as possible. The company is Infusionsoft and they are in the client nurturing business.  They proved it with this phone call.

We spent about an hour talking about my business. Their rep was very helpful at identifying next steps with me.  I have some homework to do and we'll talk next week. So I'm getting amazing marketing support before I go near the paid coaching. With people  like this on my team I'm right where I need to be. I'm reminding myself to believe in myself and enjoy the process.  I'm manifesting a dream and I have lots of cheerleaders and partners on my side.  

In the meantime, I'm moving the files out of the bedroom.  I violated one of my sacred rules by bringing them in there at all. It's very bad feng shui.  I'll get some rest now and re-claim my life in the morning.  My life is my art and the universe is bringing me everything I need.  What I need even comes to me while I'm sleeping!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I Refuse to Show You the Rest of the Picture or How to Organize a Home Office

Pretty Teacups and the Paper that Surrounds Them

Isn't the vine in a teacup pretty?  I cut the end off of a sweet

potato and put it in a teacup with a bit of water 

next to my sink.  It sprouted and has now graduated to my desk 

next to the window in the living room. It's quite lovely 

trained around the lamp. 

I'm one of those people who has to live in a beautiful, organized place. I run two businesses out of my 960 square foot apartment so it can get cluttered.  I've come up with a few strategies to deal with it.

1.)  Years of meditation and therapy!  

Seriously, I've let go of my need to be perfect.  A space that's being used will never look like a magazine.  If the bones (i.e. furniture, spacial arrangement and org systems) are good it won't matter.

2.)  Baskets and bags

I've actually had two direct sales businesses that sold these.  (Longaberger Baskets and Gigi Hill Handbags.)   I believe in using what you sell and making money off of what you use.  Think multiple streams of income and feel free to ask me how! Nice.

The desk has drawers for office supplies, 

The baskets hold files and the Mary Clare 

Bag (Available from me now:) holds 

my Gigi Hill supplies

3.) Adaptable working space

I like to sit on the floor and  spread papers around so I can see everything.  I don't fight that.  I have a meditation pod that I use in front of my square (more space to spread) coffee table.  It puts me at a good height and counter-balances the horrible posture I use when I'm reading on the couch.  

4.) Two horizontal surfaces

A desk to work from and another table for organized chaos. I like to see my "stuff."  I have a hard time working in a room where I can't see the working files and piles.  Rather than fight it I make sure I'm able to see them.  It's pretty ugly on the dining room table right now but it's functional.  

OMG!!! Am I really showing you my dining room table?!  

These are my active files. It's time to move those puppies

out of here!  Organized chaos!

5.)  Leave  

Go out for lunch, take a walk at the beach and paint (oh yeah!), drive to Barnes and Noble to work!  Honestly, the hardest part about working at home is that sometimes I don't remember to get up and out.  The Prius I have is perfect for that.  I do keep my paint gear loaded in the back complete with sunscreen and hat.  Life on the road is another story though.  Enough for tonight!

-------------------------------------------->  this is why:)

I'll be adding a newsletter soon so keep your
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Re-Creation

I went to a conference with Peak Potentials called Life Directions this past weekend.  I was able to reconnect with old friends and form new relationships as well as focus on my message.  I have more
work to do to clarify what I want to cover in my book but basically I want to help people let go of self judgement to unleash their creative spirits.  In order to do that one of the things I've done is explore what I'm really good at.

Ha!  No small task.  One of the exercises that helped uncover what I love involved looking back at myself from five to eight years old.  In examining what I'm good at two things stand out.  I am good at discipline, especially related to self care, and at creativity.  While the discipline keeps me on task for the most part, creativity is like breathing to me.

My family was Roman Catholic and from the military. I grew up with a mother who quoted St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine to us from a very young age.  (seriously!)  Critical thinking was a given.

At one point we lived in Gainesville, FL.  I had a lot of
timeto run around on my own.  Mom was obviously busy!

A holiday scene from our time in VA.  I'm in the 

foreground behind Dad's head drinking from the family silver in

refinished chairs.  I think my brother Pat needed his 

elbows to keep from falling under the table!  He's tiny!

As a Naval Academy grad, my father was a stickler for things like sitting up properly at dinner:)    There were four of us so it was an ongoing challenge.  I was pretty wiggly.   I was also very familiar with great art and music, history and rich traditions growing up.  Numerous family members, especially on his side of the family, had formal training in both art and music.  Being Irish there was also a strong tradition of, ahem, storytelling...







The creative side came in part because my mother gave me the opportunity to explore the natural world from a very young age.  Her mother was a biologist, so scientific observation was part of the formula. Mom knew how to create something from nothing or, in her words, to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.  For example, she had us weave baskets from pussy willows and dye Easter eggs with onion skins and beets one Easter.  We composted in our garden with scraps and got loads of fertilizer from the local slaughter house.  (South St. Paul for the Minnesotans who know the area.  I moved around a lot.)  I was able to paint a rainbow on my bedroom wall with tempera paint to match the curtains she made from sheets bought at Target.  One of my memories is of hiding in the back seat of the station wagon as she pulled treasures from the trash people put at the curb.  (I hid in embarassment. Yikes!)  We had a lot of beautiful furniture because she knew just how to fix it up.

Me now

Growing up that way means I see everything as a possibility for re-creation.  All that time running around outside building forts, playing on play equipment, and dancing with my friends has been a part of my life forever.  While raising my children it was natural to model many of the things I learned as a child.  I later brought the re-purposing skills into the home accessories arena.  Graduating to fine art over a decade ago has been the joy of my life.  Now I'm called to share some of this.  Of course there's more.  We all have complex life experiences and amazing skills.  I'm fortunate to have chosen a path doing what I am really passionate about.

 I hope you continue on the journey with me.  

I have BIG DREAMS and I want to share!

Magic Buttons!!!!

This is just plain exciting.  I now have a link that can be used to register for my upcoming workshop!  It's magic!  Click Here

mary-gail king

Fine Art

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Art Marketing 101 Workshop

• Have you ever wondered how you could take your fine art or other home based business to the next level?
• Do you think marketing is a mysterious thing that only certain people can do?
• Have you ever wished you could grow your art business but don’t know where to start?                                                                                                                            

Join Mary-Gail King, Art Marketing Expert Saturday, May 11 from 9-1 for this four hour intensive workshop.  You will set measurable goals for your art business and target action steps you can take to get you to the next level.

1. Define your customers.
2. Create Powerful Press Releases
3. Create new tools to get your message out effectively.

This will be an intensive working session so bring pen, notebooks and your current marketing materials such as newsletters, postcards and business cards if you have them.  Come prepared to network with your fellow artists!  Bring a list of current art organizations you are a member of along with your web site information.  If you don’t have these things DON’T WORRY!  You’re in the right place.  Let’s get started!

Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd, Studio R1, Camarillo, CA

Workshop tuition is $39.  Check, MC, Visa and Cash are accepted.  Free workbooks to the first 10 registered attendees.  Click Here

Birth of a Business

This is pretty exciting stuff.  (For me anyway...)  Here's the logo I'm using for my new company.  We'll offer information on creativity breakthrough techniques using speeches, books, videos, etc.  I'm working behind the scenes on a number of products that will roll out in the next several months but I'm kicking things off with an Art Marketing Boot Camp.

In that I'll help you identify who your clients are, where you can find them and how best to connect with them.  You'll learn how to make them want to stay in touch with you.  Make yourself the "go to" person when your collectors think of art.

I'll make the registration available later this week!  In the meantime SAVE THE DATE! It's Saturday, May 11 from 9-1 in Studio R1 at Studio Channel Islands Art Center. I only have room for twenty-five people.  I'll have workbooks available for the first ten people who register so keep your eyes open!  "Like" my new FB fan page and you'll automatically get my updates: https://www.facebook.com/mgailking?ref=hl  Thanks!

Simple Yes, Easy No

I've been chatting a lot about some of my latest adventures and I'm very excited about the direction I'm taking my life in.  Right now I'm focused on research in the area of creativity.  I've lived what I would call a creative life...basically forever.  Starting out I decided on personal priorities like being a primary caregiver as my children grew up, and used my skill set to have a thriving professional life while doing that.  First I worked in direct sales and then I became a full time artist.

Andy & Laura

Now that my children are both launched (they graduate from college this spring!) and I am on my own, I'm doing both of those things and adding a third element.  I've developed a practical system that brings clarity and focus to what you can do to make your life the life of your dreams.  I know it works because I'm doing it myself.

I've found that the first thing for me has not even been knowing what my dream is.  That's counter-intuitive, but I believe that putting limits on something before I've explored it is restrictive.  So here are the five basic things I ALWAYS keep on my "to do" list.

1. eat well
2. exercise
3. meditate
4. rest
5. connect with people and purpose

When I do these things I have the energy and clarity I need to enjoy my life.  I use them as the barometer to judge how I'm doing.  If I'm a bit off and look at my Fantastic Five I've invariably missed something for a day or two.  Once I get back on track things fall into place and I can clear the space I need to find and live my dream.  

Here's a video that will take me a long time to get tired of.  If I get scared because I listen to the voices that say I'm crazy to work as a full time artist, network sales person, aspiring author and Creative Breakthrough Expert...

I remember that I'm living my dream.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nif01WZ9aI

Simple, yes.  Easy no:)  YOLO