Follow Along My Art Journey

EXCITING NEWS!

Published on December 1, 2024December 1, 2024 by traciblasko2343Leave a comment

This has been quite a year; full of learning, connecting, brainstorming and creating! In my last post, which was quite a while ago, I had shared that I made the decision to enroll in the Milan Art Institute. That was one of the BEST decisions I’ve made. I have learned so much, which has allowed me to significantly elevate my art and has opened the door to so many opportunities.

During this year of learning and connecting I’ve been blessed to grow close to some amazing people and fellow artists. A few of us were brainstorming in early February of this year and by mid-March my husband and I had signed a lease for a building being renovated in the quaint downtown of Newton, NC. It has been a bit of a blur since then! We will soon be opening a new art focused storefront named NoCo ARTS, which will be at 118 NOrth COllege Avenue in Newton!

We’ll offer six artists studios, a beautiful workshop that will offer a variety of classes, and over 2000 sq.ft. of gallery and retail space. It’s going to be beautiful … and it’s almost ready! We expect to be able to open our doors and welcome you in by mid January of 2025!!

In the midst of the building renovations, thanks to the efforts of the Town of Newton officials, the Fire Marshall, our General Contractor and crew, and our artists, we were able to host an incredible event in mid October before our official opening! Thirteen artists in our group of artists who meet regularly were featured in an event put on by The Alchemy Artisan Collective. The event was held at our new NoCo ARTS space! It was a beautiful North Carolina evening, thank goodness because our guests were filling the avenue waiting to get into the gallery! While they waited, they were able to enjoy complimentary small plates, cocktails, custom poetry, and beautiful music and then were finally able to come into the gallery and be surrounded by amazing original art of many mediums; fine art, pottery, jewelry, and textiles to name a few. It was an immersive evening enjoyed by all and a sign of things to come. The energy was wonderfully positive, exciting and long lasting even now, a month later.

If you’re an artist and/or love art, please follow our journey and learn more by connecting with us via any of the following:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nocoartsnewton/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559623073612

website: https://nocoartsnc.com

Wishing you joy and blessings!

The Vulnerability of Trying New Things

Published on November 26, 2023November 25, 2023 by traciblasko2343Leave a comment

We all feel vulnerable at times. Some of us don’t like the feeling of vulnerability at all and allow it to stop us in our tracks; some don’t like the feeling of it, but push through and do “it” anyway; some have overcome the power vulnerability can have and don’t give it much thought any longer. Where do you stand? How does the feeling of vulnerability affect you and your decisions?

It used to stop me in my tracks when I was far too concerned with other people’s opinions. I don’t mean that in a rude way! I love people and thoroughly enjoy learning about other people’s perspectives and viewpoints, whether or not they are in alignment with mine. I’m referring to when I would allow what I imagined other people’s opinions of what I was doing to shake my confidence. Fortunately at a fairly young age I realized those other people really weren’t thinking of me nearly as much as I thought they were and at the same time I was becoming more confident in who I was. I also realized the larger my insecurities were, the more vulnerable I felt. I’ve done a lot of things in my life scared, with butterflies fluttering like crazy in my belly, but the more I pushed through and did them anyway, the easier it became and my confidence grew.

I’d love to say that I completely overcame feelings of vulnerability, although I haven’t. I have my first big vendor market coming up next week and it will be the first time I’ll be putting my art out there for a lot of people to see. It’s a little scary! Although I did have a smaller event in late summer and between that event and some online contacts, I’ve sold a number of my pieces, so that is helping my artistic confidence to grow! You know, maybe it’s good to feel a little vulnerable now and then as it allows others to offer comfort, to feel empathy and to share their own stories with us.

Whatever your take on vulnerability, I invite you to grow your confidence so that it is much larger than your insecurity. That practice empowers us to feel the fear and do it anyway, as Susan Jeffers stated in her book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

Stay strong fellow joy warriors and choose to be authentically, uniquely, wonderful YOU!

Embarking On A New Journey!

Published on November 25, 2023 by traciblasko2343Leave a comment

Is there something you’ve been wanting to do for a very long time, but life keeps steering you in other directions? I have always wished I would have gone to art school. I had an opportunity to do so right out of high school, although I just wasn’t ready to be far away from my family at that time in my life. I’m not sure why I never went, but once I was in my thirties and had a family, busy raising kids, I didn’t have a strong desire to do what it would take to get a four year art degree, I really just wanted to develop my skills and see what I could do. A couple more decades passed and finally, FINALLY I enrolled in an online art mastery program in late summer and I am LOVING every moment of it!!!

I discovered the Milan Art Institute on social media, so was somewhat leery of whether or not it was legit. I did some research, participated in some of their complimentary workshops, loved their story and chose to enroll. It’s all that I have been searching for; learning foundational skills in drawing and oil painting, moving on to mixed media (my favorite) and concluding with setting up an art business. I feel so blessed to have discovered this program and to be able to participate.

I know firsthand that it can be intimidating to try something new, but remember . . . we are brave, we are boldly taking action and we are joy warriors! My wish for you is that if there is something you’ve been wanting to do for a long time, you will discover how to be able to do it and that it will fill your heart as mine is being so abundantly fueled.

It’s good practice to feed our soul!