Posted by Anita Bondi on February 14, 2012 under Anita Bondi | 
Last week I attended a workshop at ESU entitled, Designs for Survival. It was taught by Tom Mann, jeweler, sculpture, and creative genius. The workshop was dotted with “makers” from the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, artists working in our area for the last 20 years or more, and many students who probably wondered what all “these old people” were doing there.
There is one thing that the self employed person must always remember: you, the clients, customers, consumers, are the most important part of our creative life. Without you, what we make is just product. With you, what we make is a life line of sorts.
Tom Mann said,”Never forget to say , Thank You.” When I work with my clients I always end the session by thanking them. When I teach I always end my class by thanking each student individually. When I sell
a piece online, I make sure to send a Thank you note. With the world moving so fast because of technology and our ability to “reach out and touch someone” almost every second of the day, I almost can’t keep up with all the Thank you’s that I want to say.
My survival depends on YOU. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“Without you, the puzzle is incomplete.” Happy Valentine’s Day.
Tags: Anita Bondi, art, creative process, creativity, East Stroudsburg University, jewelry, mixed metal, motivational, relationship, Tom Mann, Wellspring Holistic Center
Posted by Anita Bondi on February 7, 2012 under Anita Bondi |
I know, I know, I hear it all the time from my clients, “I don’t have time to take care of myself. There is so much to do for the kids, the house, not to mention my full time job.” Today I am offering a Tuesday permission slip to use for yourself. Don’t give it away to someone that really needs it…you really need it! Print out this picture and give it to your 
kids, your partner, your boss, and then, do something nice to yourself. Even if it is just to close your eyes and watch yourself breathe for five minutes. Maybe you can give yourself a bit more time to sit and stare at something beautiful, watching what happens in your body when you do that. Perhaps you are feeling bold and will claim a full hour, or two, and do something that feels completely indulgent (for me, that would be a bath and a magazine!). Feel free to let me know what you do today to TAKE CARE OF YOU. Believe me, you are worth it!
Posted by Anita Bondi on January 23, 2012 under Anita Bondi |
From my daily reading, The Language of Letting Go.
“Times are changing for the better. Continue on the path of trust and obedience. Be open to the new.”
I am taking Polychrome Jasper along for this ride. Here are its healing properties:
Polychrome Jasper
Use it for:
- Stability
- Balance
- Grounding
All jaspers help balance the emotional energy in the body.
And here is the necklace I made to help me remember (for sale soon, but in the meantime visit my shop):
Posted by Anita Bondi on January 16, 2012 under Anita Bondi |
I love to laugh at myself. I encourage others to laugh at themselves. Selves make silly mistakes, say stupid things, mess up. This (in my humble opinion) is no reason for feeling shame, hiding the truth, or creating defensiveness if caught.
What if we all simply “outed” our mistakes and laughed at ourselves? Whether it be a big thing like hurting someone’s feelings by sticking the proverbial foot in the mouth, or using the wrong word in a sentence, or, _____________.
I’ll start with a small one from my own day (after all ,incrementality is the only way to get anywhere)!
I woke up this morning so excited. I remembered that it was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and that I had just taken a picture of a jewelry piece that had a partial quote of his hand-stamped on it. The whole time I was getting ready for the day, walking the dog, eating breakfast, I was thinking about how I could do a blog post today and honor him and myself in the 
process! (self-promotion is not a bad thing, a hard thing, but not a bad thing.)
I downloaded my photos, picked the best one, and sat down to write what was going to be a simple two sentence blog post.
Suddenly it was not Martin Luther King, Jr.’s face that I saw but rather it was Gandhi’s face. So, here is where laughing at myself really comes in handy. They are clearly not the same person, do not physically resemble each other, and did not live in the same country. I was about to proudly post the quote, “BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD”, alongside the picture of my jewelry piece, and a link to Martin Luther King Jr.
I could have just let this go, after all, you would have never known about it. I caught it in time. This time. What about all the other times that I don’t? Laughing at myself and telling you about my mistakes makes me ask these questions? Do you feel a bit better knowing that “you” are not alone in your mistakes? Do I feel a bit better knowing that you will still like me even though I mixed up two great but very different men? And will this put a big smile on your face right now and cause you to giggle or laugh at me, yourself, and the ways that we are all so unbelievably beautiful in our humanness?
PS. Is there a Gandhi Day? If not, I declare this day the day to “have a dream of being the change you wish to see in the world.”
Tags: Anita Bondi, artist, gandhi, incrementality, inspiration, InterPlay, InterPlay Inspiration Deck, jewelry, jr., laughter, martin luther king, mixed metal, motivational
Posted by Anita Bondi on December 27, 2011 under Anita Bondi |
Nothing is heavy to those who have wings.
a piece online, I make sure to send a Thank you note. With the world moving so fast because of technology and our ability to “reach out and touch someone” almost every second of the day, I almost can’t keep up with all the Thank you’s that I want to say.
Follow Us!