2011 to 2012: Let’s Get Ambitious

Posted on January 6, 2012 by LB

Well hello friends!

So, my last post was in Nov. 2011, before my life disappeared down the rabbit hole (literally) of wardrobe and costume work for ODC Dance’s 25th Anniversary of The Velveteen Rabbit, trying to keep up with the ODC Dance Jam, holidays, and travel. Happily, everything went smoothly and I even got to spend time with my wonderful family and amazing friends in CO and CA.

And here we go! Not even a full week into 2012, and already things are starting up again in full force. But before life gets too crazy, here’s a fun and ridiculously long list of my resolutions, aspirations, and projects for 2012!

IN LIFE

I want to be more direct, straightforward, confident. Go for what I want!
Plan ahead more.
Take control of my personal finances.
Get out of the city more often! Hiking, day trips, seek wilderness!
Go see more local shows (music, dance) & art
Learn more Spanish!
MORE: art, dance, music, food, books, travel, love!

IN DANCE

Make a weekly class schedule & stick to it!
Choreograph & present new work
Audition, seek collaborations
Ponder: Teaching? Yoga certification?

IN ART & COSTUMES & FREELANCE WORK

Continuing work with ODC: Dance Jam & Costumes!
I want to focus more on my drawing & designs. (Webcomic?!! SF Zine Fest 2012!!!)
Ponder: Ways to sell – Etsy shop development? More festivals?
For this site: Continue Successful Artist Interview series, pages of portfolios/galleries, keep experimenting & developing!

Let’s get ambitious about 2012.

Happy New Year! – LB

New Postings, Happenings & Upcomings

Posted on October 28, 2011 by LB

Hello Friends!

It’s a Friday and I’m at home! I renewed my health insurance today (yay health insurance)! The sun is shining in the Mission and my boyfriend has promised to make his amazing enchiladas tonight. Things are good! Things are BUSY…

I have lots of new postings, happenings and upcomings in my life that I’m very excited about.

ODC Dance has hired me to be the wardrobe head for their annual holiday show, The Velveteen Rabbit. It’s a big, lovely show with lots of intricate costumes, and I’m so excited to be apart of it! What will I be doing? Inventory of costumes, fittings with dancers, overseeing any repairs and alterations, loading in and out of the YBCA, and making sure everything goes smoothly when it comes to costumes at every live performance!

I’ll also be starting the costume work for Lick-Wilmerding High School’s winter dance concert next week. This will be my 3rd concert with them! I always love working with their enthusiastic dance students.

Today, I added 2 new HellaScarves to my Etsy shop: ronddejambe! Please say hello to Raw White

& Sea Creatures

Mmmmm… fancy!

Next week, on this blog I’ll be starting a new series featuring an interview / zine project I did this summer about successful artists. This zine series premiered at this year’s SF Zine Fest, and I can’t wait to finally show it online, too.

I’m continuing my fascination with color research, I bring you shades of…

Sea Foam Green

On Etsy & On Pinterest

Lastly, I’ve added a portfolios and galleries page to this website, where I’ll be featuring photography of myself and my work. These pages are still under construction, but I’ll let you know as things progress.

Enjoy! And Happy Halloween weekend!

- LB

bits of Aug & Sept

Posted on October 5, 2011 by LB

Dear friends,

I like to pretend I’m a photographer. I like photography and taking pictures. I’m not really a photographer, but for some reason, someone thought it would be okay if I had regular access to a camera.

Sometimes things just strike me and I have to capture them. Then, when I dump my camera’s guts onto my computer (a messy business), I end up with random bits that don’t belong to a specific event or time or place.

So here you go, some extra photography bits that I like from this August & September. Now that I look at them laid out like this, it reads kind of like a poem… Enjoy!

(click on pics to enlarge)

baby basil

pre-SF Zine Fest prep

color bundles

a lot of coffee, ready to be iced

(for our 1 week of summer)

(don’t worry coffee snobs, it was the pour-over method, but more than one round)

artichoke – who knew your insides were so beautiful?

—–

In other news, I’ve become obsessed with finding perfect shades of the color

Olive Green

On Pinterest & On Etsy

I’m thinking of doing more color-centric boards and treasuries like these. More on Sea-foam Green soon.

Thank you,

Wait up, September, wait!

Posted on September 21, 2011 by LB

Dear friends,

I’m still trying to catch up from the last couple months, not to mention catch my breath!

Around mid August, before things really got crazy, I decided to take on a little crafty fabric recycling project. I had two tank tops in the same style that were getting really worn out in the arm pit area, and a sports bra that was also getting a little worn out and just needed some extra reinforcement. The final product, a sports tank top, is great and I’ve already worn it to a couple dance classes. Haven’t popped a seam yet!

At the end of August, beginning of September, My Colorado BFF, Megan Q, came out for our 3rd San Francisco Zine Fest. We had a great time shopping in the Mission, frolicking on the beach, eating many tasty treats, and of course, rocking our table as The Calico Umbrella Collective at the SFZF 2011! We both had new zines (more about that coming soon), and also hosted our 1st SFZF forum. We got a good-sized group of artists to discuss productivity and time-management skills. We were very excited to share our table with KokoroKara and Pinup Brooches this year. They are both lovely artists and friends!

The next weekend, my brother Geoff came out for a quick visit. In one day, we went from Ocean Beach to the Bay and several places in between, making the mandatory stops at Kid Robot and Upper Playground. And Geoff managed to get us ground-level seats for the Giants vs. Dodgers game! We also delighted in delicious dim sum downtown, Mission burritos, and sore feet!

Photos:

In between guests and work and what not, I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend Matt and my 2 year anniversary with this amazing city!

My internship as the ODC Dance Jam intern, or, “Jam Sister,” got into full swing mode with the audition, first meetings, and rehearsals starting.

I’m working on the look and feel of this site, and tying together my other online outlets in a cohesive manner. Any feedback is appreciated!

Thank you,

the ol’ yakety yak hour

Posted on July 21, 2011 by LB

Well now! The lovely Catherine Reece of Village Clayworks on Etsy featured my Ska FabCuff in this “dark impressions” Treasury. I really like this Treasury’s theme and items, especially this antler embroidered throw pillow by autumnmodest. It’s also available in other colors…. YUM!

Whew! That was a link-heavy paragraph! You’re welcome.

And oh yes, I am officially a member of the SF Etsy Street Team. Hopefully this will lead to an exponential rise in AWESOME. Heyo! Check out the awesome blog, too, please.

But despite all this excitement, I’ve been having one of those weeks where I KNOW I have a lot to do and a lot coming up, but motivation is seriously lacking. I’ve been super tired from working closing shifts, and super distracted. In a positive bent on this lack of productivity, I always remember one of my favorite dance professors and choreographers at CU, Mr. David Capps, telling me that in order to be productive, your brain also needs time to wander. Sometimes, you just need time to stare into space, mull things over, plot and dream.

I’ve been thinking a lot about projects and priorities and ye olde social networking. In early June, I heard this interesting feature on NPR about “Dunbar’s Numbar” and the magical number 150. Then, I read this “Quit Your Day Job” Etsy blog post featuring the Vermont Branch Company. What struck me about this article?

When asked the question, “What advice would you give someone considering a similar path?”, one of their points was, “We…don’t use any social networking tools, which I imagine would take up much more of our time. We haven’t found it necessary.”

Blew. My. Mind.

Seriously.

One of the things that I’ve found really difficult about starting an Etsy shop and wanting to create products to sell online is a lot of the advice that pops up seems geared towards online social networking. “Tweet sales!” “You need a Facebook business page!” Now, there’s nothing wrong with these pieces of advice, and yes, I have tried some of them.

On a good day, I see the obvious advantages of networking and connecting with folks. And who doesn’t like discovering new online visual, informational deliciousness! I’m actually pretty into my Twitter account and who and what I’ve connected to using it. I’ve been online and exploring my love-hate relationship with the Internet for long enough that I know - one of the keys to online social networking is experimentation. Make it work for you, baby.

However, I also hate it some days. It drains my time and energy. It really sucks you in, and as a dancer, one thing I don’t want to be doing is sitting and staring at my computer for hours. If I’m going to be sitting at all, I need to be sitting and creating. Or not sitting at all. You know what I mean. For me, sometimes, online social networking can feel pointless and shallow and narcissistic.

And new social networking sites and “opportunities” pop up everyday, to cover every interest and function. (No thanks, Google+.) What to do?

Yesterday, I was talking to Mister Boyfriend about it, and we both said how much we barely use Facebook anymore. FB started when we were in college, and now we feel like we’ve grown out of it. But I actually like that my parents are on it, and friends from childhood, and that dancer I just met in class yesterday. I don’t want to call it quits. I enjoy seeing pictures from people who I no longer see everyday. The problem stems from too many “friends.” So we applied Dunbar’s number to FB. And it was shockingly easy. Matt got down to 109 friends. I’m at 130. And Facebook feels… (dare I say it?) FUN, again. When I look at my newsfeed, it’s actually people I know and am interested in continuing to know! What an idea!

Here’s the thing. The great World Wide InterWebs, can be a tool, or an escape. It’s tricky and balance is necessary (if you care, I guess). For myself, I want to keep my life simple, balanced, and focused on people, things, and projects that truly matter to me. Like this website, for example. What do we really gain from spreading ourselves thin online and in life?

…says the lady who was just offered a new project and accepted!!!!!

I am very excited to announce that I am the new intern for the ODC Dance Jam, Fall 2011!

And on that note, I’m feeling more productive…

Hot diggity.

Old Toms vs. New Toms

Posted on July 13, 2011 by LB

I don’t write about fashion on this blog, as there are many, way more capable bloggers for that subject. However, as a dancer, there is one item in particular that simply must be addressed: my shoes!

I’m not what you would call “super into” shoes. I really wish I could be barefoot most of the time. And sure, I think heels are fun for dress up, and I like adding color to my wardrobe, but in general, I take the practical, comfortable, monochrome, route. And as a dancer in her mid-20′s, an active city and rural walker, and a working barista who regularly stands for 8 hours shifts on concrete, I’ve become increasingly aware of how my shoes affect my posture, comfort, and health.

Now, when it comes to “go-to” flats, my favorites are my Toms – for running errands, interviews, or parties – they get the job done and they go with most of my outfits. Also, I’m a big fan of giving back, and the Tom’s One For One Movement is simply, amazing.

The pair I’ve been wearing for the last year finally reached the end of the line and it was time for a new pair. For fun, I took some comparison photos! (For the pictures below, click to see the larger versions in the pop-up gallery.)

Featured here are the Classic Olive Canvas Toms that I wore very consistently for one year, and the Classic Chocolate Canvas Toms that are brand new, literally: right out of the shoebox.

In this picture, the Chocolates are on the left, the Olives on the right. You can see how worn out the Olives are in comparison. Look at those lovely stains!

Side by side, the Olives are looking pretty ragged. You can even tell how the shape has changed from so much wear.

Wow! Look how sad the soles on the Olives are, compared to the solid Chocolates. You can learn a lot about your posture and feet by checking out the bottoms of your shoes. Where do you distribute your weight habitually? From my Toms, I can really see how I tend to be on my heels and outside edges of my feet.

Speaking of heels… Yikes!

I can tell that I put more weight into my right foot, than my left. Here are both the right and left shoes of the old Olives pair. The heel edge of these Toms wore out pretty quick, and at some point I used Hymark thread and did some stitching to hold them together. You can see it better on the left shoe because the stitching remains. I wore out the repair on the right shoe!

Back to our comparison: I almost forgot how the soles of Toms are supposed to be textured! The Olives are almost completely bare.

I’ve already started the process of breaking in my new Chocolates, and had to bid farewell to my Olives. The new Toms are definitely more snug, but overall, my feet feel great! I’ve even worn them to work a few times, something I had stopped doing with the old ones, as they just didn’t offer enough support for hours of standing. I also love the Chocolate color! Though I think I prefer to call it Coffee…

The Fourth and a Little Extra

Posted on July 6, 2011 by LB

Our Fourth of July was an adventuresome affair! We took the bus up to Twin Peaks, the highest point in San Francisco, and picnicked all afternoon, despite strong winds. I scouted about and found us a sunnier, more protected spot. Despite the chill, and thanks to many provisions and silly games, we managed to survive until the fireworks started.

The views were incredible and it was a rare clear night. We could see fireworks way off in North Bay, all over the Mission, way across in Oakland, through the fog and over the waters in Sausalito, and of course, San Francisco’s own show: twin trumpeting bouquets of color explosions…. Ahh… They were worth the wait and the cold! I didn’t get pictures of the fireworks, but there are other fun pictures of friends and things.

Lastly, I totally forgot to mention this, but recently, I was interviewed by and featured on the Kyoto JET’s Unofficial Webzine, the Ganbatte Times. Woo! Here, please read it!

Happy July, freedom, and summertime adventures, one and all…

Goodbye, Crazy June, Lazy June

Posted on June 30, 2011 by LB

June has been an intense month!

One big change up was saying, fondly, gratefully, “goodbye!” to the cafe at House of Air and, breathlessly, excitedly, “hello!” to Coffee Bar. Working both jobs was a bit of a trick, and I’m happy to now be exclusive with the lovely CB. I’m so pumped to be apart of their barista staff.

A big highlight of the month was participating in Hecho Local, a new arts fair that has sprung up in the Mission district at SubMission arts space. It was amazing to be apart of the first round and I’m looking forward to be apart of its growth. Here are some doodles and pictures from the event:

Psst! I hear there’s gonna be another Hecho Local in August! Sadly, I will not be there, but GO ANYWAY!

Today is the last day of the online event, 30 days of creativity! This was a great event. It was so much fun to keep track of my creative ways and to see others who embraced the month’s goal. Please, check out my board on Pinterest: This is where I showcased what I did everyday this month.

Happily, I finally got a few days off in a row this week. I was able to catch up on important things like sleep, emails, manga, and doodling. It looked a lot like this…

And this…

What’s coming up? An indie film shoot, the Hot August Tour of CO & KS, and SFZineFest 2011 (oh yeah, we’re gonna be there)!!!

30 Days of Creativity!

Posted on June 7, 2011 by LB

I’m taking part in the online event 30 Days of Creativity this June! So far, it’s really fun to keep track of my everyday creativity – from sewing projects to cooking to photography. It’s also great to connect with other creative folks and see their creations.

Check out my Pinterest to see each day!

Oh, the creative life…

Recently

Posted on May 27, 2011 by LB

I’ve been absent for the past couple weeks due to a system overload. My system, to be exact.

I was working for Lick-Wilmerding High School’s dance program to help create their spring dance concert. I helped them last semester with their winter concert, and jumped at the chance to work with them again. I really enjoy working with teenagers, and the Lick-Wilmerding high schoolers are a special breed. Not to mention their incredible dance program director, Zoe Fyfe, who truly is the mama brand glue that holds it all together! In short, this spring: 45 students dancing in 32 dances for 2 performance nights = whirlwind!

My process with LWHS Dance is to come in about a month in advance of the show, talk with every choreographer – student, guest, director – and get a feel for what the concert needs. Then I check out what’s available in costume stock, get choreographers’ aye or nay, and then start ordering and shopping. This time around, I also did some sewing work for them, which was exciting. I created Japanese style obi’s, swamp zombies, and figured out how to pull off a Broadway finale quickly and on a budget. Of course there were stressful moments, but somehow, as usual, we pulled it off. The concert was great and I felt truly blessed to be part of such an amazing process. And, it’s all really worthwhile when the students get you up on stage and give you flowers in front of the whole audience – both performances!

What else is new? Oh, I turned 26 and Mr. Matt took me to see the Giants. And they won (just for me, of course!) and it was a fun night.

The same night, actually, as he finished his masters’ program at California College of the Arts. The next weekend, he graduated!

All of this has been jumbled together, and I’ve managed to survive despite coming down with a bad cold and juggling my part-time job on top of it all. This week has been recovery, and sitting down to reassess other projects and future goals. My Etsy shop has been updated, and I’m also now using my Flickr account to showcase more of my work. More, to both these sites, coming soon!

Lastly, I simply must tell you this extraordinary story of karma. A little over a month ago, my bike Gonzo was stolen. Gonzo was a very special bike, as he had been owned by my Dad, then me, in CO, then brought out to San Francisco, CA and had lots of work done to him over the years. I heard, from multiple bike mechanics in SF, “They just don’t make bikes like this anymore.” Of course, I had just gotten him perfectly tricked out just for me when he was stolen in front of the SF Public Library Main Branch downtown while I was at a dance performance. I filed a police report, put up notices on Twitter and Craigslist, and posted flyers at local bike shops. I also mourned, but my brother and my Dad insisted I should get a new bike ASAP. My brother and I ordered a fancy new road bike for me, but when the box arrived – it was the wrong bike! Then, I was in the midst of dance concert show week, and couldn’t even deal.

Then, out of the blue, a local woman emailed me. She had seen the flyer about my stolen bike in one of the bike shops. She didn’t have any leads on my stolen bike, BUT she had a perfectly good, newer version of the type of bike that had been stolen, just sitting in her garage. And she wanted me to have it.

And that, is my incredible story of karma and the generosity of San Francisco bicyclists.

Thanks, universe.

What’s on the horizon? 30 days of creativity, Hecho Local, a summertime trip home, a film shoot, and SF Zine Fest 2011!

The Movements of Dancer-Artist LB

( Liz Brent )

Category Archives: Extraordinary Everyday