101010 Project: Jan Avellana
Welcome to day Four of 10 Women, 10 Businesses, 10 Questions . . . and I am thrilled to welcome this next artist to my blog home! Today's answer comes from the extremely talented Jan Avellana . . . otherwise known as the brilliant Hazelnut Cottage. I think Jan is just dreamy, and not because she lives in Hawaii (although I must admit, it helps!) You must take a side trip over to Jan's links below . . . you won't regret it!
Introducing
Jan Avellana
Name of Business:
Hazelnut Cottage
The hardest part about pursuing a dream is . . .
having a vision of what you want to do, and where you want to go, but being unable to pursue it wholeheartedly. Pursuing a dream is also difficult because often, this pursuit entails sacrifice—money,time, emotion—and these sacrifices may affect the people you live with, who depend onyou to be fully present for them and to provide financially for them. Sometimes pursuing my artistic dreams feels too foolish, the price, too high to pay, considering everyone involved. I am finding in my own creative journey, that in order to pursue my creative dreams, I must also find a way to supplement my earnings with an outside job—a challenge to be sure, with two young childrenand a Hawaii-sized mortgage!
Jan's Brief Bio:
Jan Avellana is a mixed-media artist with a passion for art making, books, deep conversations, and seaside adventures with her three favorite men (ages 5, 8 and 42). Jan spent the better part of her adult life trying very hard to be a grown-up with a traditional job. The birth of her two sons released her to follow her heart and reclaim the artist she has always been. In 2007, Jan created a line of silver hand stamped jewelry under the Hazelnut Cottage brand. Today, she revels in mixed-media messes, making heartfelt connections with others through art and words.
In print, you can find Jan in “The Pulse of Mixed Media”, “Inside the Creative Studio”, “Artful Blogging, Winter 2011” and “ClothPaperScissors Studios”. In life, you can find her immersed in the studio or at the beach (with paint in her hair).
Jan's Social Media Links:
It's always amazing to hear how much we all share--the yearning and desire and the setbacks too!
ReplyDeletein 2011 I lost the single mom mortgage! A high price to pay for my children's home ... but the loss of that home and the mortgage brought me/us closer to HIM ... now my creative life has a purpose larger than me & mine ... because of all this loss and all this brokenness ... I'm a bit more open and a little less scared but I ain't there yet cause its all a process! And now I have a studio with Air ... HE knows best. You can trust the whisper that is HIM.
ReplyDelete"Sometimes pursuing my artistic dreams feels too foolish, the price, too high to pay, considering everyone involved." Jan, I struggle with this very same thing. But I think creative people are much happier, and therefore are much better moms/wives/girlfriends/etc, when we are able to share our creativity.
ReplyDeleteOooo, good answer! Yes, I worry so much about the sacrifice and the effect on the members of my family. Is it with it?? Who am I to make that sacrifice? All those things..... So hard!!
ReplyDelete