Day 12: Spiritual Man Rising

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 12

Day 11 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $1.975587

Day 12 Growth Idea: Reflections on what is important. The photo shown today is one of my favorite pieces of art. I bought it from the LCVA show and I am drawing a blank on the artists name. But, I love his work. Along with this artwork came a card with the following words. The art is called, "Spiritual Man Rising".

Spinoza once said, "In Every Man There Is A God-shaped void." Plato taught that what one man observes here on earth is but a reflection of a greater reality in some other realm. Both of these philosophers have in them the seeds of a deep spiritual truth. The Scriptures reveal that until the "spiritual" man comes alive within us, we are yet incomplete to live only for the flesh is death, but to come alive in the spirit leads to eternal life, for God is Spirit. This relief shows an awkward "man of flesh", but out of him is rising the new spiritual man, the true man which completes the image of God within us and leads to fellowship with the eternal Father.

This piece has a lot of meaning for me. I have family and friends whom I feel may be misunderstood. Their outer beings do not necessarily reflect the wonderful people they are inside. I think this is true for most of us.

My History: When I first opened my studio, getting set up with suppliers was not that easy. I either needed to order a large amount of glass or show proof of my having worked with other suppliers in the past. Choosing a business name was important. And, it has been a while so I don't even remember exactly why I chose the name, Pictures In Glass. There was a lot to do and it was difficult but exciting for me.

Today's Business: Getting ready for the week. Tomorrow I have to head back out to Ann Arbor. The delivery planned for Friday didn't work out. I'm getting several things ready for sandblasting so when my help comes in, there will be work for them to do. And, I'm checking my calendar to be sure nothing falls off the table. Nothing all that exciting, but I am realizing how planning makes my life much easier.

Pat Deere

Day 11: Personal Power Day 1

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 11

Day 10 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $1.975587

Day 11 Growth Idea: Personal Power Day 1 (Anthony Robbins). Ok, yesterday I found my book. Today I put it to use. This seems like a good Saturday thing for me to do for my business. I've been through the course more than once. My original version is on cassette tapes (yes, I said cassette tapes) so, I'll just follow the book. "Never leave the site of setting a goal or making a decision without taking some action towards its attainment." This is what the blog has been doing for me. Forcing me into action on things I have been putting off!

My History: So, I'm trying to work in a stained glass studio while pregnant, with a one year old at my side, and no business experience really. What was I thinking? I was thinking, I wanted to be able to stay home with my family and fulfill my own needs as well. My passion for art was continuing to grow. I knew the first years would be rough and that I would be learning along the way. I began to give beginning classes because people were requesting them. And those were my humble beginnings.

My Business: As a result of my class, I may have the opportunity to help out a non-profit out of the country to set up a glass workshop/studio. This is verrrry preliminary but a wonderful thing to think about. When I was able to work with the boys at Boysville, it was a great experience for me and I know it was very good for them also. We were able to collectively create a window that will be donated back to the school when it is done and it opened thier eyes to something they may not have considered doing in the past. I look forward to whatever I can do to help out if it gets to that point.

Pat Deere

Day 10: What a class! I need to do more of them.

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 10

Day 9 Donations: $ 1.607503

Donations Running Total: $1.975587
(Looks bigger with lots of decimals!)

Day 10 Growth Idea: Pull Out My Tony Robbins Tapes. I'm watching TV as I type this blog. Tony Robbins is on and I have gone through his program a couple of times. He has some wonderful ideas that I would like to revisit.

My History: So, I rented a room big enough for a 4x8 table, some glass bins, some shelves, and that is about it. I don't remember the exact timing, but shortly after I opened my business, I found out I was pregnant with my second son, Travis. What I remember most is thinking, "How can I possibly love another child as much as I loved my first." My first space was so small that as I gave classes, my pregnant belly would rub up against my students... not good.

Today's Business: Will start by cleaning up from my class yesterday. What a wonderful group of people. I had two people from the church whose window we worked on, a man from Brazil who is hoping to take some skills back with him for a school he and his wife are involved with, a women getting ready to mosaic her back splash, a friend, and another man just wanting to learn. They give me such energy. Thank-you! Then, I'll get my samples to a potential client. The photo shows the sample of a piece of glass I made that is similar to the mosaic they want.

Pat Deere

Day 9: Free Class Tonight!

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 9

Day 8 Donations: $ .

Donations Running Total: $.368084

Day 9 Growth Idea: Offering a free class tonight. Sometimes people will tell me giving free classes is kind of counter productive. For me, it is very beneficial. Tonight we will be working on several projects if I get the number of students I am expecting. This is a lead came window that is almost ready for construction. Because the glass is thicker than the lead, I will have students tonight using a beveled grinder that will allow the edges to fit into the lead easier. They will be finishing a donated window that is almost done. They will be putting foil on beveled glass for kitchen cabinets that are in the process. And, we may be using the torch to create stamens for the flowers for the church window I need to finish. It is a good way for people to see if they like working with glass, and it is a good way to help me get donated items finished at a lower cost to me. The energy of the students really helps me. I think these are win/win situations.

My History: Now we are getting into 1990. My son is 3 months old. I had a brother, David, who died very young due to a heart condition. These things, although they are not directly related to glass, definitely influenced my life and the path I took, how I approach my work and my business, etc. I bring this up because my faith life is very important to me now. I was raised in the church but didn't feel close to God. This death made question a lot of things. I needed to know what I was going to do with my life. I can remember walking down the streets of Tecumseh with my sister, Stacy and my son, Matt. We were looking at a very small space in the Bidwell building... thinking, maybe I should start a small business in glass.

Today's Business: Busy day. Along with the class this evening, I have started putting together my Colorado crushed glass piece. It's 3:00am and I can't crush more clear glass because we have renters that live above my studio and they may not appreciate my sledge hammer. It's hard to stop mid-stream though. My bulletin board of current projects is almost complete. I have a lot to do! So, once done with this blog I am going to try to get some sleep so I can be ready for my 8am meeting at Great Ideas. I have to finish a mosaic sample for a customer before tomorrow. And, I think it's time to make a deposit and finish some of my current projects so I can bill them... not my strong point.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Last announcement for my Free Class tonight!

Day 8: Crushed Glass Preparation

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 8

Day 7 Donations: $ .

Donations Running Total: $.368084

Day 8 Growth Idea: Weld a steel box for crushing glass.

I wasn't sure how many of these crushed glass pieces I would make so I had a flimsy box made of a Plexiglas hinged cover, plastic sides, a copper plate on the bottom, and a material curtain to hold in the glass shards as we hammer them with a sledge hammer to the proper size. If I am going to make these efficiently in the future, a better box for sledging needs to be made. Brandi has been king of struggling with our current system. Today's project has been cut out for me. Previous goals... the form letter has been added, and my bulletin board is full of "works in progress". It's much easier for me to visually see what needs to be done.

My History: One of the last classes I took prior to opening my studio was a Tiffany Style Lamp making Class in Toledo, OH. I purchased an old oil lamp that had been electrified. I designed the shade to match the base, purchased the hardware and glass sconce from a glass artist in Ann Arbor, and put it all together for a beautiful finished look. As I continued to work on glass projects, the thoughts about a studio became stronger. I was hooked. My future was becoming clearer.

Today's Business: Busy day planned. 7:30 am - I start with a meeting with a potential customer who is starting a new business. 9:00am - Meet with a church who is looking for information about possible repair work to their windows. Before the next meeting I will stop by the steel supplier to pick up necessary pieces to create a better box for my glass crushing needs. 11:30am - Meet with my marketing consultant. And, somewhere along the way I want to start a new crushed glass piece using a photo I took in Colorado as my inspiration.

Pat Deere

NOTE: My Free Class Thursday is filling up!

Day 7: Exciting! Adding Forms To My Procedures Manual

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 7

Day 6 Donations: $ .328764

Donations Running Total: $.368084

Day 7 Growth Idea: Adding Form Letters To My Procedures Book

I know, I know... such exciting stuff. But having this organized is making my life so much easier. I am realizing that a lot of my knowledge about proper format for letters, etc. came from the days in high school when I had shorthand and typing. It is not information that much of the younger generation automatically knows like those of us who went to school a few years ago. On the other hand, it is so easy to go to the Internet and type in "Form Letters" and get a whole slew of samples. So, that's the plan for today. Having form letters I can copy and paste, then alter where needed, for our most common responses.

My History: In 1989 we made the move to Tecumseh from Wayne. Loved the property, the Irish Hills that is close, and the solitude of country life with the access to Jackson, Toledo and Ann Arbor being only about 40 minutes away. That was in February of '89. Our first child, Matthew, was born in December. I quit my job at Ford to stay home and raise our family. But, I am not the kind that can just sit around. For those who know me well, I always have to be doing something. During the years leading up to Matthews birth I continued to take stained glass classes and work on projects of my own.

Today's Business: Yesterday was exciting. My latest shipment of furniture from Wyoming arrived. The glass for my glass easels arrived. Our new windows arrived. Today I will be trying to take care of the business I originally had planned for yesterday along with beginning to create glasswork for my newly arrived log lamps and tables. In the photo shown here you can see why I love this furniture. It is made with Aspen and the logs have such character. The bottoms of both of these lamp bases are so unique. Can't wait to get started on the lampshades for them.

Pat Deere

NOTE: Don't forget about my free class this Thursday!

Day 6: Utilizing My Bulletin Board For Something Other Than Old Halloween Photos

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 6

Day 5 Donations: $ .

Donations Running Total: $.03932

Day 6 Growth Idea: Utilizing my bulletin board for something other than old Halloween photos.

I have this bulletin board behind my desk that seems to collect unimportant things... (for example). In a previous job as a Realtor, my boss would have a picture of each home being sold on the board so they were constantly on our minds. That's my goal for my studio. Some projects get kind of lost in the shuffle - out of sight out of mind. I have been putting a reminder on Quickbooks, but there is something about seeing that helps me. So, off with the photo of my brother Jeff, cousins Angie and Amber, and myself from Halloween about 20 years ago... and on with photos of my current projects. I don't know. I might have to keep the Halloween photo there too.

My History: At some point in time, bc (before children), I was invited to take a stained glass class at Delphi Stained Glass in Westland, MI. My friend Sue was taking the class and she invited me to go along. During the class she found out that she was pregnant with her daughter and couldn't solder. So, when class was over, I bought her soldering iron, glass cutter, and grinder. That was the beginning of my becoming a stained glass artist. My first piece is hanging over my washer and dryer. I can pick out a lot of flaws in it but I still like the composition.

Today's Business: Creating glass easels for my Flint Windows. These are my windows that are 14' high. I have purchased 1/4" glass for each of the 5 windows. Clay will be here this morning to make the easels so I can place my cut glass on them and know how the light will effect it. Glass can look very different if it has light from behind, from in front, or no light at all. It also changes with the various forms of artificial lighting. Without easels, I don't know what those effects will look like.

Pat Deere

NOTE: Free Class This Thursday

Day 5: Thanking God for my opportunities.

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 5

Day 4 Donations: $ Will find out when I get into the office tomorrow.

Donations Running Total: $.03932

Day 5 Growth Idea: Thanking God for my opportunities.

Sunday seemed like a good day to show my gratefulness for the opportunities I have been given. You will see throughout this blog that I had a lot of roadblocks, but I also had a lot of opportunities that kept me going. One of them is pictured here. After my studio fire about 8 years ago, we moved everything into the bottom floor of this building. At the time, it was being rented out - one renter on the top floor and another renter on the bottom floor. I took over the bottom and have been here ever since. I love having my studio on our property. Although it could be larger... and I don't know any artist who doesn't feel like they need more space, it allows me the opportunity to come down and work any time of the day or night. And, for me that is a real plus. If I can't sleep, I come down, work for a bit, get the ideas out of my head and on paper, then go up the hill back to bed. How cool is that?

My History: I think #5 may be my lucky number. My jobs lasted for 5 years... 5 years at Manufacturers Bank, 5 years at The Westin Hotel, and the next 5 years were at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. Once back in Dearborn I started back at school. Although I was foolish enough to have the engineers I worked with talk me into taking Calculus. Math was never a strong point of mine and even with their private coaching, I had to drop that class. Drove me nuts to do it... but for me, there was no way I was going to make it through and pass. As in the past, if times got tough, I dropped my art classes. Still trying to figure out why I did this. I guess it was that lack of confidence in myself, my abilities, and the ability to make any money doing what I love. My job at Ford Motor Company lasted 5 years because we decided to start having a family.

Today's Business: Did a little follow up on an upcoming job for a hospital in our area. Things are looking good but I don't want to post the results until I have a signed contract. I have found that getting excited about the possibilities before I have a contract and money is kind of futile. The committee is supposed to meet tomorrow, I found out so maybe I will know this week. It will be a 4' wide x 4.5' tall mosaic with the same feel as the glass panel on this blog. Wish me luck.

Pat Deere

Today's Goal: Better Promotion Of Upcoming Events

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 4

Day 3 Donations: $Will find out when I get back to the studio tomorrow or Sunday

Donations Running Total: $.03932

Day 4 Growth Idea: Better Promotion of Upcoming Events

Over the years I have participated in a variety of shows and events to sell my work and promote my business. In the past, I often would sign up at the last minute either out of concern that "something better" would come along that I wouldn't want to miss, either professionally or personnaly, or I just didn't get my paperwork in on time. I have been known to call a show and ask where my booth is only to find my application and check were never mailed. My latest event I have planned ahead for. I got photos to the show promoter that they are planning on using in their show advertising. Today I will be information about the Cottage and Lakefront Show at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi the week-end of February 28th is listed on my events page in Facebook, my Web Site, and on this blog. I've got limited resources here in our room, so the photo above is lacking, to say the least, but it is one of a new set of windows I have been creating and will be taking to the show with me.

My History: Ok, I stopped on the last blog with my passion. Unfortunatly, my confidence didn't match my passion and I fumbled around with different ideas for quite a while. It got married to my husband Tom on October 16, 1982. I continued to work, go to school, and spend time with friends. I took on a new job downtown Detroit at the Renaissance Center, which at that time was the Westin Hotel. I worked in the personnel office there. Unfortunately, my schooling kind of took a back seat because they didn't pay for it. The bank did pay for my schooling and I was told the Westin Hotel did too... until I went to sign up for classes. Whoops... they thought they did, I was told. So, that was excuse enough for me to stop for a while. Along with the fact that I really didn't want to go to school in Detroit after work and making it back to Dearborn in time for classes was pretty tough.

Today's Business: Not worried about it today. It's Saturday, 6:44am, so the sun will be up soon and we can be on the ski hills at 9am. Sometimes, business has to wait. I did, however, continue my blog. And, that's a good thing.

Pat Deere

Todays Goal: Get Info Ready For Newsletter

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 3

Day 2 Donations: $.03932

Todays %:

Donations Running Total: $ .03932

Day 3 Growth Idea: Newsletter Information

I have been sending my newsletter through Constant Contact but haven't done one in a while. I'm past due. Today I gathered some information that I like to include: Window of the Month from the Michigan Stained Glass Census and emailed it to my office so we can begin our next edition. The photo above is the latest featured church in the census. I am actually skiing at Boyne Mountain with my kids and husband this week-end... so didn't do much but this will get me started. Yesterdays web site additions went well. Dana and I got to put a few new items in and I was able to leave quite a few for her to work on while we were skiing. Without these goals, I may not have done that.

My History: My first years in college consisted of wanting to follow my passion for art, and my sensible self telling me to focus on more practical classes. Whenever things would get too difficult, trying to work full time and going to school in the evening, I would drop my art class. Looking back, I wish I never would have done that but it seemed like the right decision at the time. I continued working for Manufacturers Bank full time and going to school part time in Dearborn. I met my husband during these years and loved his passion for whatever he was doing .. which was similar to myself.

Toady's Business: I was able to leave quite a few products for Dana to add to my web site this morning while we were skiing. Yesterdays goal of creating a procedures page for went well. It allowed Dana to be comfortable working on them while I was out of the office today.

Pat Deere

Todays Goal: Web Site Additions

365 Days Of My Life As a Studio Artist: Day 2

Day 2 Donations:

Todays %:

Donations Running Total: $

Day 2 Growth Idea: Web Site Additions - About 5 years ago I bought into a web site program called StoresOnline because it allowed me total access to my site. Previously I was dependent on web programmers to make changes which meant paying for and waiting for each change. So, I created a Procedures page for our Procedures Manual so Dana can learn to take good photos of my items, put them on the computer, crop them, insert them into my web site, add the appropriate information so they can be sold, and add the information to my Quickbooks program so it will be easy to handle the sale of the items. We have a lot to do today but I will be at Boyne Mountain skiing with my family tomorrow. This will give her plenty to do while I am gone. I am excited about this because, although my web site comes up pretty high during searches, I am not selling a lot of finished items because I don't have enough finished pieces on my site. Most of my sales are for custom work, which I love, but on site sales need to be increased.

My History: After high school I had to decide what to do. Coming from a middle class family, my father worked at Metro Airport, owned a cleaning business at the same time for a while, and helped my mother raise 7 children. I was 3rd. My mother was a stay at home mom and worked for General Motors after my baby brother Jeffrey got a little older. Although we talked about college, the priority when I was growing up was to learn what I needed so I could get a good job out of high school, get benefits, and support myself. During my parents era, and even when I graduated from high school in 1978, you could still get a good job, work there for many years, and retire with a decent income. So that is what I did. I started work at Manufacturers Bank in Dearborn as a secretary, went to school part time at Henry Ford Community College, moved out of the house with my sister and a friend, and began my search of "What do I want to do with my life?".

Today's Business: Giving classes, for me, is a very enjoyable activity. My recent student, Kathy, came in full of energy and ready to go. We started with a traditional stained glass panel, 12 months ago. It was about 8"x10" with a bevel in the center. She took private lessons which allowed her some very devoted time with my instruction. 12 months later... look at what she has done. I have helped her several times in between, visited her home to guide her through some of the difficulty of working with large windows, and talked with her on the phone quite a bit. But, the photo on todays blog is all the work of her hands. Way to go Kathy!

Pat Deere

LINKS: StoresOnline, Stained Glass Classes

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 1

DAY 1 Donations: $0

Todays %: 0

Donations Running Total: $0

DAY 1 Growth Idea: To Start This Blog

Today I have decided to take this blog in a different direction, and intersperse my current projects at the same time. I am doing this for several reasons:

REASONS FOR THIS BLOG CHANGE:
1) This is my year.
2) Writing helps me learn. It helps me to reflect about where I was and where I want to be.
3) Many people are considering starting businesses today. People are out of jobs, mothers (or fathers) want to stay home with their children. I will try to be as honest as possible about the pros and cons of the path I took, the money it cost, the emotional ups and downs, etc.
4) I have found that by blogging, it has helped push me through things in my business that I may not have done. Can't explain it... it just is.
5) I just watched Julia and Julia last night. If you haven't watched it, it is a movie about a woman who loved to write, who loved Julia Childs, and who used her daily blog to combine those loves and get her out of her slump.

GOALS WITH DAILY WRITING:
1) To do something new each day that will help my business grow, no matter how little it is.
2) To reach my goals for charitable donations based on my sales by 365 days from now.

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My History:
A little about my history, I have always loved art. As a child I would draw, paint, did a lot of pen and ink. I loved the detail work but never felt like I was as good as I wanted to be. Never felt that I was as good as other kids in my art classes. And, as a young person never thought I could use my art as a career.

I took jewelry, macrame, painting, drawing, and general art through middle school. I attended art camp. I was fortunate enough to go to Wayne Memorial High School. It is a large suburban school that offered a wide variety of classes. One of their programs was Commercial Art and I loved that class. We made magazine covers, ads for company, etc. and it helped me to realize that art can be used as a means of making money. Guess that kind of got me started! At least got me started in my brain. The confidence to follow through on my passion took much longer.

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Today's Business:
I met with Julie Rhora, an interior designer in Tecumseh (a photo from her web site is at the top of this page). I wish she and I had worked together in the past. I feel like we work very well together. She can kind of give me an idea, and I can go with it and come up with something she and her customers can get excited about.

Today, she came to my studio and home. I gave her ideas for one of her customers that who are considering sidelights and transoms for their entry. We are leaning towards a design that will utilize clear textured glass, blown glass rondels, and glass bevels. She is fortunate enough to have a long standing relationship with this customer. She believes they will love the idea... I'll let you know.

I am also having her work with me on covering our log futon, rocking chair, and window treatments. Right now they will go into my home, and will also be taking them to my Lakefront and Cottage show at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi next month. I'll post pictures when we get that far.

Future posts will be shorter. But each will include: My history, updated goals, and todays business. Until tomorrow,

Pat Deere

LINKS: Great Ideas and Interiors, Tecumseh MI

Where does the inspiration come from?

For me, it starts with the glass.

Todays customer came in excited to change the look of the front of their home. They had a design in mind that would coordinate with windows they purchased previously. Even with that, having the right selection to choose from makes all the difference in the world.

I just love the colors, the textures, and how the light changes the glass as the day goes from morning to noon to night.

Like a kid in a candy store... I just can't get enough.

Pat Deere

CLASSES: Thursday evening classes will be beginning. If you're interested, email me or give me a call. Click this link for class information... but keep in mind, I am very flexible with the class agenda. And if you are interested in volunteering to work on projects in my studio to hone your skills, you can learn for free (space permitting).

Craft Night At The Crazy Wisdom

One of my favorite book stores in Ann Arbor Michigan has a series of events they host. Some are craft related. Most are spiritual in nature. They host musicians, artists, and authors.

I put a link to their web site here. They will be hosting a craft night that I thought might interest some of my readers. If you go, let me know how you liked it!

Pat Deere

Link: Crazy Wisdom Craft Night