Thursday, March 31, 2011

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

And it's about time. Thought we were going to float away last week. High winds, torrential rain, hail, thunder & lightning--it was all pretty crazy. We came close to having flooding and there were a few significant mudslides. But now things are drying up, the sun is shining & all of a sudden it's WARM out there. Amazing. WHAT DO YOU CONTRIBUTE? Sometimes we think that what we have to offer is not significant. There are so many huge issues and desperate needs in the world. And maybe your special talents and gifts don't address those particular needs. No matter. Your unique light was meant to shine brightly and be shared. It is not our job to be critics of our own talents---those gifts are meant to be expressed, created, acted out, sung and danced to. Whatever your special talent is---- I encourage you to share it with the world. Image: "Dance of Spring"

Friday, March 18, 2011

LOTUS BUDDHA



Like most people I know, I have been thinking about the recent catastrophic events in Japan. And I have been sending positive energy that way and joining with everyone I know in visualizing a positive outcome to the nuclear situation and help for all the people there who are suffering during this crisis.
I just recently finished this Lotus Buddha painting, which is all about Transformation and Transmutation both much needed at this time. So I thought it was a good time to post the image and share it with you all out there in the blogosphere.

I also have some GOOD NEWS to share: I have been working on a NEW WEBSITE......and I am almost finished. A bit more tweaking, some photos need to be redone and few other things. It is all very exciting. It is a completely new look---very easy navigation and has ALL my work on it, from paintings to prints to cards and magnets and ceramics. I also have a shopping cart, so now it is easy to stock up on cards or magnets---or even purchase a painting! If you want to go take a peek, the address is the same as my previous website: http://christinedecamp.com

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

SETH GODIN & POKE THE BOX



Poke the BoxThis workbook was written to ask one basic question: What would our world look like if more people started projects, made a ruckus, and took risks?

I am one of "The Tribe"---Seth Godin's tribe, that is. I have been getting his daily blog posts for some time & I rarely delete one without reading it. I am often inspired, entertained, educated and thrilled by the ideas he shares. His newest book is called "Poke the Box". And it reminds me of the writings of our American forefathers who were in rebellion against Great Britain to create a new world for themselves. I think that we, today, are at a similar crossroads. Everything is moving even faster now and we are talking global change. Many people I talk to are fearful about what is happening and looking at the dark side. But Seth Godin gives me great hope. He and a following of young internet savvy hip intellectuals are forging ahead to create a brave new world. Kudos to them!
Here are some excerpts from Seth's creation "The Domino Project" which is a new vehicle of book publishing and idea spreading.

About The Domino Project1. What happens when a publisher has a tight, direct connection with readers, is able to produce intellectual property that spreads, and can do both quickly and at low cost? A new kind of publishing, the brainchild of Seth Godin, and powered by Amazon.
The Domino Project is named after the domino effect—one powerful idea spreads down the line, pushing from person to person. The Project represents a fundamental shift in the way books (and digital media based on books) have always been published. Eventually consisting of a small cadre of stellar authors, this is a publishing house organized around a new distribution channel, one that wasn’t even a fantasy when most publishers began.
We are reinventing what it means to be a publisher, and along the way, spreading ideas that we’re proud to spread.
Our core beliefs:Exceptionally high quality ideas, created without regard for what bookstores and middlemen want.
Ideas packaged with cogency and urgency in mind, not a word wasted, no filler.
Permission at the heart of the model. Ideas for our readers, not more readers for our ideas.
Virality first. An idea that requires a direct sale won’t thrive in a world where the most powerful ideas spread from hand to hand. Create content that works best when spread, and then package it so it’s easy to spread.
Reward the sneezers who stand up and spread these ideas.
No patience for obsolete institutions. Bestseller lists are not worth compromising for.
Speed triumphs. Rapid time to market, rapid evolution, rapid response to reader feedback.
Format agnostic. Kindle, audiobook, paperback, collectible… all good.
Different products for different customers. A variety of price points and formats to match audience desires.


As a life long lover of books and ideas and a former bookseller myself, I am happy to see that there IS a future for books---perhaps not how we envisioned it, but maybe how the world really needs it. Christine