Art Focus: Living from Commission to Commission

Hello my lovelies,

I thought i would take a moment to discuss the ups and downs of working from commission to commission as an artist. If you'd like to check out my work, i'm most active on Instagram and that main acts as my portfolio these days. https://instagram.com/bethanyrogersart/

There are many different kinds of artist. I would describe myself as an evolving artist, one that is willing to learn a new skill just to complete your commission. You see, a lot of artists specialise and nurture their craft until they are an expert at one particular area of art.

I've never really been into that. I love spending time on a particular skill, but the idea of doing that one skill, repeatably, for the rest of my "career" kinda scares me.

I've always been someone who wants to learn - very ironic seeing as i didn't go to university. Maybe i should say i'm someone who constantly likes to increase my skill set. Quite often, that just means i teach myself how to do something. But this lends itself well to commissions in the 'Art' world.

I will do anything to help someones dream of a piece of art come true. I am pretty much up for anything. I really don't think i'd enjoy being an artist if i wasn't this way. It's really fun! You never know when you're gonna get a message from someone saying they'd like a piece of art the size of a person or a little quote the size of your hand. The sky is the limit and if you're thinking about being an artist, i couldn't recommend this way of life more.

Don't think it's all sunshine and roses though. With commissions come deadlines, pressure, stress, expenditure, very odd work hours and the determination to constantly learn.

Art should be accessible to all, whether you want to become an artist or you want to have a piece of art made, i want to break down the barriers of this far off world of art that seems out of reach to the everyday person.

If you've any thoughts on the subject i'd love to hear what you think in the comments.

Much Love, Beth xxx

My Week: Live life through my eyes //The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Hello dear friends, I hope you are all well!

A couple of weeks back i got an idea to keep a diary for 7 days, documenting what it's really like to manage everyday life with a chronic illness.

Inevitably, some days were better than others, hence some of the blog posts were better and longer than others.

If know someone with a chronic illness, extreme fatigue or even chronic pain, i'd ask that you please read some of these diary entries. When you have a chronic illness, all you want is someones understanding. This is my way of giving people the opportunity to understand what life is like from MY perspective.

Day #1 - 'not my usual start to the week':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of.html

Day #2 - 'sleep is wayyy too important':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_20.html

Day #3 - 'a busy work day & driving!!':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_21.html

Day #4 - 'the "Meh" days' :
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/live-life-through-my-eyes-open-diary-of_32.html

Day #5 - 'changing up my diet':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-5-live-life-through-my-eyes-open.html

Day #6 - 'Work hours are non-existent':

http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-6-live-life-through-my-eyes-open.html

Day #7 - 'social situations can be stressful':
http://bethanyrogersbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/day-7-social-situations-can-be.html


Please let me say that these diary entires are personal to my circumstances. This doesn't blanket cover all people with chronic illness. We are all in different circumstances, some better, and some worse than others. I would consider myself somewhere in the middle. If you know someone personally who is going through a tough time or tiresome circumstances, i would encourage you to go and talk to them. Give them the opportunity to open up to you and give them time to voice how they feel.

Have a great day!

Much love, Beth xxx

Day #7 - 'social situations can be stressful' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

I know, i know...i'm a day late with this diary entry but i have a good excuse, i was being social. Considering how bad my anxiety was last month, i'm proud of the steps i'm making. Mind you, i couldn't have been out last night without my brother and my 2 best friends. But still, i'm happy i went.

So seeing as i spent some of today recovering from one... let's talk about having a chronic illness and going to social events. First off, for anyone with illness or pain, you have to make sure you definitely want to go. All that effort just isn't worth it if it doesn't appeal to you or doesn't seem worth it.

Then, on the actual day you have to pray you won't have a flare up or a random 'no-sleep' night beforehand. I really feel like the people around you help to make social situations less stressful for chronic illness sufferers. You need atleast one person who truly understands you and your situation with you. Even if its just a 'how are you?' during the evening, it's important to feel like someone is looking out for you.

Make sure you brace yourself for the next day. Forget work, it's not going to happen. Don't make any solid plans for the next day. As always, surround yourself with people who love you and understand what your going through. The day after is always hard, that's why you've got to make sure the initial event/party is worth all the effort!

Pace yourself over the next fews days. Pushing yourself and ignoring your body will only bring on a flare-up. Take it easy and make sure you have plenty of fun!!

This week of blogging has completely flown by for me. Usually, at the end of every week i find myself reflecting on the past week and all i have accomplished. Most of the time, theses reflections mean i ponder on how i should be more organised and be more productive. I know i need to start being more positive and easier on myself.

But i always look forward to a new week starting, it's a chance for new beginnings. I received tons of orders over the weekend, so i need to get my act together and get organised.

Have a great week,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #6 - 'Work hours are non-existent' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

it's nights like this i am reminded that i run my own business. I know it's 12:30am on a saturday night. I should be asleep or enjoying the weekend, but i'm doing work on my laptop instead, and i don't mean blogging, I don't consider blogging as work.

The difficulty with having a chronic illness is timing. I should've done all my work this afternoon but i was out all morning and absolutely exhausted by the time 2pm rolled around. My eyelids were shutting on me so i took a 3 hour nap.

Most people can say, i'll work 5 days a week, 9am til 5pm,  and then i can enjoy my evenings and weekends. But with an illness it's extremely hard to have a routine. You can plan your week but then you have a bad day or a flare up and it puts the whole week out of sync. So you take what opportunity you can.. even if that be after midnight on a Saturday.

Otherwise today was fairly successful. I didn't do anything too crazy today as i know i'll be busy all day tomorrow. Literally i'll be up at 8am and i won't be able to chill until midnight. A lot of it is social events but i discovered recently that i'm something called an introvert. Basically it's a great way of explaining how much social events drain me and are a challenge for me. So tomorrow will be a challenge but i've got some great friends who really get me and understand me.

Right, I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I've got half and hour more of work to do then i'm gonna pray i get to sleep straight away... big day tomorrow :)

Much Love, Beth xxx

Day #5 - 'changing up my diet' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion

Days like today just fly by. We all get them and i think i truly know the day has flown by when it's 11pm at night and i'm only just starting to think about dinner.

I've been debating changing up my diet recently. I've cut down on bad fats and sugars recently which has brought down my overall calorie intake and i can feel the difference. I eat fairly 'clean' and healthy. I always try to cook everything from scratch but i never think too much about food 'groups' and whether i'm having an equal amount from each. Recently i'd come across an article on how a diet high in natural fats has helped some people with chronic illnesses.

I know, it sounds completely wrong. Adding fat to your diet can help? well apparently yes. And i know what your thinking... Ahhhhh...i'll put on 2 stone with a diet like that. Well that's where i was surprised, Many people found when lowering carbs, which can be translated into sugars and absorbed in to your bloodstream, and upping healthy natural fats, their body actually started letting go of their fat reserves and they lost weight. Which kind of makes sense when you think about it. Your body holds on to things it deprived of, like its afraid it won't get it again. But if you give it a regular fat intake, it starts a cycle where your body doesn't need to hold on to as much fat. Weight loss is definitely a benefit for me but the bigger appeal was that people noticed their side effects of chronic illness lessening.

Anyway, read up on it yourself. There's a lot more science behind it and it's a lot more eloquent than my ramblings.
The most important thing i'll need to consider is the impact it will have on my overall health. Most people can adapt well to new diets and quickly get into new routines but it takes a lot more thought and effort for me. When i try something new like this i have to think about whether i'm ready to take on the challenge yet or not.

Back to today...I got a little work done but it definitely feels like another day has whizzed past right before my eyes and I'm trying to catch up. Still, it was a much better day than yesterday.

Thank you for reading my ramblings, let me know your thoughts on chronic illness & diets/ high fat diets/changing eating habits... any of that stuff :)

Much Love, Beth xxx

follow me on instagram: www.instagram.com/bethanyrogersart

Day #4 - 'the "Meh" days' - Live life through my eyes: The open diary of a chronic illness champion Day #4

"Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again" - Anne Frank

Today is tough. Not that it's been much of a tough day but rather it's tough to write about. But, I am thankful i have my little blog post to write today.

This morning I was blessed with the horrible curse all women get monthly. Whoop! whoop! Mood-crazy, sugar-craving time of the month! (SARCASM)
I kind of knew how the rest of the day would most likely pan out. When you add in this monthly blessing on top of existing pain and tiredness, it wipes you. Its frustrating though, you're forced to little, not out of choice or as a consequence of doing too much the day before but purely out of circumstance. It sucks...

It sounds extreme but at the end of day's like today you can very easily find yourself questioning what you even do with your life. It only takes 24 hours of having to stay in bed for your brain to turn on you and start viewing everything negatively.

But, you also ponder a lot of things. I often find myself thinking about my friends and wanting to spend more time with them. I think about my family, all they do for me and how i want to spend more time with them too. Most importantly, i think about the past. Many people tell me not to hold on to the past and to focus on the future. But, looking at the past gives me hope. I think of all the experiences i've had in my 21 years, all the times in the past when i did things i thought were impossible and that gives me hope. It reminds me that, today may not be so good, but who knows what i may accomplish tomorrow.

Speaking of which, i have alot of packaging up to do tomorrow. I had an auction on my Instagram account at the start of the week, so i've got some artwork to send off. I often give myself little goals to accomplish for the next day. Tomorrow's is to package up orders. If i get to the post office as well, that'd be a major bonus!

Thank you for reading this,
Much Love, Beth xxx

Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethanyrogersart