Monday, 7 March 2022

Friday, 4 March 2022

March 4, 2022 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   As my (free) email account is reaching its capacity limit (again!), I spent the past three days - in between working on this issue - deleting old emails. Some I remember keeping “just in case,” and some I don’t remember keeping at all (and would swear I deleted at the time they arrived). There are also emails that I saved to read “later” that haven’t been read in over 6 years! Note to self: just because you can keep something doesn’t mean you need to!

   I focussed most of my digital declutting efforts on emails from 2016 and 2017, which was a time in my life when I experienced a massive health setback, so that may also be why I have a large email backlog.

   It was interesting to see what interested me (lots of health related topics as I tried to figure out what was causing my health issues) which no longer do, and what was just becoming an interest (lots of subscriptions to artists’ email lists) as I started to transition to a new phase of life.

   The most interesting find during the email purge was a handful of emails, from an artist I admire, who had pictures of her artworks at the bottom of each email. Of the ones featured in the saved emails, I have copies of her paintings in her art & poetry chapbook that I did the interior layout for, and two of her original paintings now hang on my wall!

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lBNq9BxW-lBOsZVk_QWdA70fnUeWXESE/view?usp=sharing

   Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 20 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it.  If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available: 

Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!

And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua   

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

The less time you have to do something, 
the more you will focus on doing what is important and seeing it through,
 on account of the pressure.  
The result will be the same as or better 
than if you have an indeterminate amount of time 
to do it and take things too easy.  
 - Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles

Monday, 28 February 2022

Friday, 25 February 2022

Challenging our comfort zone is something 
that comes naturally and instinctively from the moment of birth.  
It allows us to grow, learn and mature.  
Children are always venturing into the unknown, until they become adults.   
 - Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles

Wednesday, 23 February 2022

It may be that when we no longer know what to do, 
we have come to our real work, 
and that when we no longer know which way to go, 
we have come to our real journey.
 ~ Wendell Berry

Monday, 21 February 2022

Friday, 18 February 2022

February 18, 2022 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, there is still a few more days to view my art exhibition: “Persistent Creativity Everyday: a whimsical journey” at the Corridor Gallery (in the lower level of the Recreation Centre at 4501 47a, Red Deer) https://www.reddeer.ca/recreation-and-culture/arts-and-culture/art-galleries/current-exhibits/

  At the time of this writing, I’m almost 4 weeks into the 7-week vocal/singing/songwriting program.  While I really enjoy it, and there is a very lovely supportive group of ladies participating, I have not done any singing outside of our weekly Zoom gatherings.  I want to sing, I love to sing, and the point of joining the program was to enhance my singing (and help with some song writing), but for some reason I find it very difficult to actually let myself sing.

  I say “let myself,” because truthfully, the only reason why I’m not singing is because I’m not letting myself for some reason.  Fear?  Lack of support in the past (I’ve had people tell me not to sing in public before)?  Over-thinking and making it seem harder than it really is?  All the above?

   As part of the program, we are to create a project over the seven weeks, and while I have lots of ideas of what I could do, I decided that the best area for me to focus on is creating a small daily singing habit as that will ultimately (potentially?) lead into the other ideas I have.  One has to learn to crawl before they can even consider running a marathon, so this is a good first step for me.  Fingers crossed.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XEtIrt8mPIwYvYLK0NrBozl7kCfnAGKs/view?usp=sharing

   Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 20 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it.  If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available: 

Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!

And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua  

Wednesday, 16 February 2022

Human happiness comes not from infrequent pieces of good fortune,
but from the small improvements to daily life. 
 - Benjamin Franklin

Monday, 14 February 2022

Friday, 11 February 2022

What should I STOP doing?  
What should I KEEP doing?  
What should I START doing? 
 - attributed to Prof. Phil Daniels

Wednesday, 9 February 2022

What is the one thing I really need to do 
that I am avoiding?
  - Donna Smallin

Monday, 7 February 2022

Friday, 4 February 2022

February 4, 2022 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   My art exhibition: Persistent Creativity Everyday: a whimsical journey runs till February 28, 2022 at the Corridor Gallery, 4501 47A, Red Deer AB (in lower level of the Recreation Centre).  More info/hours can be found here: https://www.reddeer.ca/recreation-and-culture/arts-and-culture/art-galleries/current-exhibits/

   My selection highlights not only my whimsical playfulness, but also the simplicity of my practices: a sample of crochet food (patterns used from “Tasty Crochet” by Rose Langlitz and“Yummi’ Gurumi” by Christen Haden & Mariarosa Sala), canvases based on whimsical drawings I originally completed on mixed media paper with Crayola wax crayons and Sharpie/Posca paint pens and how I created the original Deep Truths deck, a simple daily 2-panel cartoon strip in ball point pen in handmade folded books, card decks I produced digitally - including the font, grids showcasing a selection of my many sky drawings - produced on the iPad - and how my skill has grown and developed.  As well, in 2020, I was inspired by an art journal exercise to create archetype dolls in crochet: the nurturing mother (Mother Nature), the Muse (Artist Princess), feminine energy (Southern Belle) and the Spirit of Hope (Christmas Belle).This past fall, I started playing with drawing flowers and leaves with watercolour pencil on mixed media paper. (third picture below courtesy of Josephine de Beaudrap)

   This is truly an amazing and exciting opportunity for me, and I sincerely hope you get to view it.

Beth 






Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q9y-8rEbCKcqb7dzFUSNAwM4morWgQgU/view?usp=sharing

   Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 20 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it.  If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available: 

Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 

E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com 

PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount) 

   Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!

And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua