Clay, Crypto and Creative Process with Ruth Frances Greenberg
Hopping Back into the Blockchain World
For 2 years I’ve loved Steemit and Aug 14 was in fact my 2 year anniversary, so when I saw the subject suggestion for Sndbox “Reintroduce Yourself”, it felt particularly appropriate for me.
As far as Steemit is concerned, since June 1 I’ve basically dropped off the face of the earth leaving curation, communications, posting and Sndbox steward duties all blowin’ in the wind! How could I - with my dedication here through thick and thin - let this happen?! I really don’t know and if I could have avoided it, I would have, after all it really has caused me quite a bit of heartache.
There have been good reasons though and unavoidable circumstances in fact, but I really had no idea that moving from the Pacific Northwest to the New York area would more or less knock 2 full months out of my life and result in such a loss of creative bandwidth - not in any one of my imaginings. But all in all 2 months later, here I am, no real work has happened, no money earned, no writing nor curation for Steemit... and it’s time for these balls to start rolling again!
Fortunately Steem is patient, forgiving and still awesome (if you’re unsure, look at the Whisper Gallery, or @ericvancewalton’s latest story, @yahialababidi’ s musings, the latest chapter in @dougkarr’s book or news from @creativecrypto.
Hi, I'm @natureofbeing!
Now for my reintroduction, I am Ruth Frances Greenberg and have been making ceramic art and tile in one form or another since 1986. Clay is my main modality for creative expression and I’ve often said that it has been a teacher, a lover, a healer, a friend; despite my efforts to create in other media, nothing has held my interest like clay.
I make mosaics, vessels, tiles, glaze paintings and more:
I fall in love with the miraculous nature of creativity when I catch a glimpse of how the macro and micro levels of life on our earth mirror each other so it probably makes sense that I also have an insatiable hunger for being in nature. I love bodies of water, trees, plants, animals, all of it and this is very evident in my work. I take a wholistic view on this world of ours and have always been interested in our connection to our natural world and examining who we are as humans and why we do what we do.
My posts are most often an in-depth look at my process because my mosaics and ceramics require deep and sustained involvement and are labor intensive and because in the course of my days I’m routinely asked questions about my process.
A few post showing examples of my process and work:
- https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/line-form-drawing-in-clay
- https://steemit.com/money/@natureofbeing/the-economics-of-a-mosaic-commission
- https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/mermaid-mosaic-part-3
- https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/how-do-you-keep-track-of-all-those-tiles
I also have begun to explore the financial picture behind the life of an artist since there are so many misconceptions about money and art, who makes a living from their work and why more artists don’t, what it costs to make something and why. This is a subject that is of particular interest to me in my own creative life so I’m hoping to continue to address it with some regular and in depth explorations here on Steemit.
With the advent of Steemit in my life, I’ve discovered that writing is an essential piece of my creative puzzle and I quickly set about trying to become a better writer. I have a long way to go in this, but each step is its own reward. The act of creating a post has become this necessary component of making sense of who I am and what I’m doing in the “scheme of things”, and has really helped me to give value to my creative process.
Connecting with the friends I’ve made here, participating in collaborations, witnessing the inspiring creativity, innovation, and bold pioneering happening here on Steemit excites me every single time I open my feed or connect with one of the groups I’m involved with (@sndbox as a steward, @thenewalchemists, @steemsugars, and this helps me keep coming back to Steemit and talking about it to people I know.)
I love being on this path of the decentralized revolution together! Thank you for your friendship and support of my blog, it enables my art making and makes all the difference in my life.
This post was authored by @natureofbeing , a steward of the sndbox incubator. Learn more, follow @natureofbeing or begin a conversation in the comment section below.
Empower artists, writers, musicians, non-profits and community initiatives - delegate Steem Power to @sndbox (using the links below) or follow our curation trail. Learn more about Sndbox - watch our introduction, here.
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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://sndbox.blog/clay-crypto-and-creative-process-with-ruth-frances-greenberg/
thanks @sndbox, really honored to be here :-)))
I’m so glad to see you back @natureofbeing! You are a true asset to Steemit.
I’ve gone through various periods of inactivity here too but there’s always that draw to come back and start writing again. I think, as creatives, we need our periods of hibernation sometimes to regain our spark.
I appreciate you mentioning my article!
Hello Eric, so glad to be back and thanks for your sustained friendship!!
Hello Eric, so
Glad to be back and thanks for
Your sustained friendship!!
- natureofbeing
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
Thank you! I'm excited to hear about what you've been up to!
you were one of the first artists i met here and i felt such a resonance with you... thank you for being you :) ... take all the time you need to return to this space (if ever) and thank you for encouraging us to join the incubator. i hope to spend time with you in person sometime <3
Hello @mountainjewel, thanks for this kind note, it's much appreciated! Glad you feel the resonance, I feel it too and let's keep connected here and I welcome a real life meeting - you going to steemfest?
I love reading @natureofbeing's posts. Bring on those visual adventures with clay Ruth, I have missed them.
I love Ruth's work and her spirit. In fact she is the reason I even knew about @sndbox.
I know your move is more involved then you thought it would be, but I hope that soon you'll be settled and ready to start a new amazing chapter in your life. And I'm also hoping, the Steemit Gods and Fate and Luck and all that allows us to maybe some day put our 'ideas' for digital artists and crypto into action. Or at least in a feasible way down on digital paper :)
Hurrah for Steemit artists! And Brava @natureofbeing!
Thank you dear woman, yes please let's put our heads together and I really can't wait to meet you in person! I'm in VT for 2 weeks (yes crazy moving around, will tell you details) and this is still close to boston. will call I promise :-))
I think a lot of people disappeared from the steem ecosystem in June. I think it was a combination of factors including general negative sentiment of the prices being down, the beginning of summer, and maybe some fatigue with some of steemit's problems. In my case at least those factors played a role ( because I've had a break from steemit as well )
But now I'm trying to put the ideas that floated in my head the past 2 months I've been away like you, to good use.
Hope you can put that time you were away to good use in some shape or form. Cheers!
Glad we've both made it back! My time has been incredibly fruitful in terms of people and connecting in life but work not so much ;-) and of course no steemit. Really trying to get the wheels turning, keep in touch!!
tell me about getting the wheels turning... I'll have to become a mini expert at time managing with work, exams and other stuff going on :P
well not sure I have many words of wisdom since I'm not succeeding so well with it!! my challenge is that we've been without a home but more importantly without the headspace for my senses to resonate and to express my creative spirit for about 2 months. My creativity is flowing all the time, but I seem to need a little peace of freedom for my inner self to express it. It doesn't have to be a lot of time - in fact I can use 15 minutes really well - but it does have to be the right kind of "safe" window of time and space for my mind, heart, hands and spirit to all come together as one. Being able to find this peace in very different circumstances and ones that aren't at all conducive to nurturing this in me has been the challenge for me. So, first I had to stop blaming myself for not doing, and then find the tiny windows to use. I've become a bit of a hard-ass about deflecting distraction or interruption for those 15 minute segments (truly all I've been able to find). How about you, love to hear about your process and challenges and what you've found?
it's pretty simple in my case : I have to get better at time management and work on my focus so I can put my ideas to good use. I'm a nottorius time waster
time wasting can sometimes be fruitful for resting the busy mind, or it can just be a waste of time, lol! when I'm wasting time it's usually because I need something I'm not giving myself like my own undivided attention. once I notice it and do it, I'm focused again. how about you, what makes you waste time?
procrastination and anxiety, and the cure for those is not that simple as far as I can see
Ah yes, I agree, these aren't that simple ;-)), not just about structuring or restructuring!
congrats 2 year anniversary :)
wonderful design idea by nature !
'스파'시바(Спасибо스빠씨-바)~!
It's known to everyone than shifting is not easy but still 2 months is lot of time u have spend. Surely if u have tried this time can be reduced.
My 5 year old son quite found of clay work and use to make lot of new features and faces with clay. It's really nice to know any u.
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"These individuals have taken in not from books, but rather in the fields, in the wood, on the stream bank. Their instructors have been simply the winged animals, when they sang to them, the sun when it exited a sparkle of red behind it at setting, the plain trees, and wild herbs."
The best solution for the individuals who are anxious, desolate or troubled is to go outside, some place where they can be very alone with the sky, nature and God.
indeed true
THANX