Now That's Just Creative Genius at Work. You Can Do It Too

Don't wait for good things to happen. Get out there. Be Creative

I have stacks of fashion magazines at my house. They're full of fun ideas. I enjoy designing clothes, as well as painting. And I use old magazines for art collages. So I keep them around. I was browsing through an old Elle magazine and happened on an article about fashion designer Kenneth Cole. He inspires me. Not just his elegant designs, but the way he uses this platform to share what he stands for. As we know, the beginning is one of the best places to start when we want to understand the magnitude of where someone is today. So let's go back... "It's 1983, and Cole, who planned to launch his collection of women's shoes during New York Market Week, doesn't have the budget to rent a hotel suite to display his wares -- let alone a showroom. Plan B involves borrowing a friend's production trailer. But the 28 year old can receive a parking permit only if he's actually filming a movie. So the designer changes the name of his company from Kenneth Cole Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, tells the city he's filming a full-length feature called The Birth of a Shoe Company and sells 72,000 pairs of shoes in under 72 hours." Now that's creative. Today Kenneth Cole is a $1 billion empire. It just shows me what our creative minds can do.  Every one of us has something amazing to give to this world.  What is it that you are longing to share? What do you have to give that is unique to you? Cole could have thought: "I'm poor. I don't have the backing to do this. I'll have to wait until I have the money. Besides, there are so many shoe designers. Who's going to buy my stuff anyway? What's the point?" I don't know if those feelings/thoughts ever even came into his mind. If they did, he, for sure, didn't let them stay. He didn't sit back and didn't wait for his ship to come in, he swam out to meet it. Cole does way more than design. He's an activist. He uses his fashion ads to declare his truth. He stands for something and he's not afraid to let people know. I respect that! He invites conversation with others, because he wants to know where others stand on social issues as well. He knows that when we talk about things, share our thoughts, we grow. We get somewhere. Yes, there are other shoe designers at New York Market Week, but there is only one Kenneth Cole. He got creative. He figured out a way to show the world what he had. The world is a better place because he's in it. There is only one You. So what's stopping you from following your heart. Make your mark on this planet. Live your passion. Life will inspire you. I promise. And you will inspire others. Want to see what I love to do? Visit Michal Madison Art. 10% of every sale is donated to Childhelp. Creating safety for children and ending abuse is something else I'm passionate about. Find what brings you joy. Follow you bliss. Life is too short to be anything but happy. When we're doing what we love, we make a difference in the lives of others. It just happens. Here's to making a difference in this world~ mm

Copyright © 2014 Michal Madison Art, All rights reserved.

Me? Like a Screen-Printing Nun who Transformed Modern Art and Changed the World? Are you sure you have the right girl?

"There will be new rules next week." Corita Kent   Have you ever received a compliment that was so big you didn't know how to take it in? Here's mine. It came in a text message  from my wonderful friend the Honorable Judge Mary Elizabeth Bullock after she received my painting "Hope": “Michal, you are the sweetest, most talented and gifted person I have met since the loss of a very dear artist friend of mine, Corita Kent. Corita was in a convent for many years where she began her amazing art. Like you, she had the soul of an angel. Your kindness gave me hope, hope in today, hope for tomorrow and importantly – hope in human kind….” To fully grasp the depth of this compliment I’d like to share with you Corita Kent (1918-1986), the screen-printing nun who transformed the path of modern art. (Wouldn’t you like to be known for transforming something? Me too.)   Corita lived with passion. She took what she was given, a tiny art department and some students, and turned it into a global center for design and printmaking. She became pals with Buckminster Fuller. IBM was a client. Activist. Artist. Positive (She was unapologetically positive). Life inspired her. She gathered ideas everywhere she turned: from the Bible to the streets of L.A. She shamelessly copied her artistic contemporaries’ style (Andy Warhol, Shephard Fairey). And under her fearless artistic direction as an art teacher, the Los Angeles Immaculate Heart School became legendary (1947 to 1968). Buckminster Fuller said her art studio was “among the most fundamentally inspiring experiences of my life.” In the late 1960s, Corita became even more of a social activist, focusing her art on civil rights and the Vietnam War. That rocked the boat for the religious leaders at the school. They didn’t like it just as much as they disapproved of the rock music she played during art class. Corita was a mover and a shaker. When the Catholic Church wouldn’t change with the times, allowing women more freedom, she left (1968). I love that she stood strong for what she believed in. I really admire that.  Kent was a nun who established herself and had a prosperous profession. She even was the cover girl for Newsweek. She illustrated the Love stamp for the U.S. Post Office (1985). She’s painted the famous Rainbow Swash mural on a gas tank which has become a local landmark in Boston. I think it is the largest copyrighted art work in the world. Oh & they appropriately honored her, renaming the art studio at Immaculate Hear College Corita Art Center.  I think each of us longs to change the world like Corita did. And we can, by doing whatever it is that we do best and giving it our all. If you need some inspiration, I'd love to create something especially for you, or you can choose from my collection at Michal Madison Art. Ten percent of every sale goes to making a difference in the lives of children (Childhelp). I guess that is something I have in common with Corita. I hope you have a magical day filled with unapologetic positivity, ~m Mary Elizabeth Bullock, I don’t even know how to accept a compliment of this magnitude, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. Corita Kent inspires me. Thank you for introducing me to her life and her art. I love you. You make me feel like gold.   Thanks to Alisa Walker, Richard Howe, David Blazer and Google (Don't you love Google?) for the great information on Corita Kent. If you'd like to receive my email/blog sign-up here.

Copyright © 2014 michal madison art, All rights reserved.

Cats & Kids

What if they could all choose where they wanted to live? Sid adopted me about four months ago. He showed up. He stayed. My home has become a cat haven… When I moved into my condo over two years ago I inherited a mama cat & four six-week-old kittens. They were living on my patio. It was the perfect cat-lady-starter-kit on my door step. I found a home for one kitten, but that still left me with four. Everyone, Riley, Tobi and Tate, got sprayed at four months. Well, everyone except Neytiri (the mom). I couldn't catch her. Then, I watched in horror as she got pregnant. Again! Everyone got locked inside. No boys allowed. Six babies were born exactly two months later. I loved & hugged on those babies every day. They were good therapy. All but Feisty found a new home. I was down to five cats. Finally Neytiri & Feisty were also spayed & everyone was free to go back outside. Suddenly, my Neytiri disappeared. I searched to no avail. Then just before Christmas the condo HOA said I needed to bring all the cat food inside because they were afraid I was also feeding stray cats. I was thinking: of course I am. They’re all stray cats and you should be paying me to feed them.  I've cut down on the cat population by spaying six of your baby makers! Anyway, the food came inside, but the slider stayed open enough for my kitties to come in & out. That’s when I realized I had two other cats. Max. The biggest black cat I've ever seen. Not fat, big as in 44” from his nose to his tail. His body is over two feet long. I think he's part panther. Love that big guy. And the adorable green-eyed ginger kitty Sid. The biggest shock was waking up to a raccoon, looking at me, at night. Yes. In my house. The slider it's now locked in a position that only a cat can fit through. Raccoon problem solved. So back to Sid. I got him neutered. He got his shots. He became a permanent fixture on my couch. A couple of weekend ago. My girlfriend & I hear a couple talking outside. Woman: "Look. It's Joker. He's looking at me. He's inside that house. Joker. Come Joker. He's not coming to me. Why won’t he come? He’s just staring at me." Man: "That cat is no good. Leave him. Come on. Good riddance." Woman: "I can't believe he just left me. Oh well." And that was that. Away they went.  We stepped into the living room. Sure enough. Sid, aka Joker, is sitting at the slider looking out. I ran outside to see if I could catch them, but they were gone. I never even saw them. I wanted them to know I didn’t “steal” their cat. The slider was ajar. They could see that. And Sid wasn’t about to leave. They haven't come for him. I guess he's really mine now. Many of you know, I also take care of my neighbor kids. Since this happened, I’ve been thinking, I bet I'd have a few of them permanently living with me, if they, like cats, could just go where they wanted and stay; where they were loved and fed and cared for. But they can't. I'm glad they at least know they can come here and get hugs and love and food, if they're hungry. They know I care deeply about each of them. There are children all around us, just like my kitties, who are starving for love and a safe place. That's one of the reasons why I support Childhelp. It’s also why Trish and I started Butterfly Dreams for survivors. When you buy my art, 10% of every sale will be donated to ending abuse. It's a win-win for you ~fine art and a worthy cause. Here’s the link: Michal Madison Art Tobi, Tate, Riley, Feisty, Max, Sid and I send love and thank you for helping make a difference in the lives of children. ~m If you'd like to receive my email blog, sign up here.

Copyright © 2014 michal madison art, All rights reserved.

April Awareness

April. Child Abuse Prevention/Awareness. Sexual Assault Awareness.

Child Abuse. Sexual Assault. They've both touched so many of us. Changed us. Haunted our lives. Fearlessness became fearfulness. Confidence shattered. Insecurity grew. Second guessing became second nature. Adrenaline surged. Fight or flight became every response. We have endure one of the most horrific crimes imaginable. We survived.

Years have passed since the trauma was an actual event. But not a day passes that we don't feel traumatized by what happened. Sometimes it's only a brief fleeting thought. Other days it's too overwhelming for words. Our body remembers and rehearses the pain. It takes our breath away. We break down. We break through.

Bravely we face every day. Courageously we fight for the freedom of our souls. We cry out to Creator. We scream "NO!" We ask "Why?" We pound pillows. We kick heavy cushions. As we release the inner rage we become lighter. Our very existence becomes an inspiration to others. We become an Unstoppable Force for Goodness. Truth. Justice.

The wind whips around us. Nothing knocks us down. The rain pours on our parade. We dance in it and march on. In the depths of our spirit is an unquenchable flame. We are truth-tellers. We bring hope We empower others. We live love. We walk with grace. Once again we're fearless. Confident. Brave. We are Survivors.


In this newsletter you'll read on Victim's impact statement "Why? Daddy Why?" The wound go deep. You will learn the Signs Children Manifest when Being Molested. Share them with other. When you recognize a child is being hurt, do something. You will discover ways to empower children. Your eyes will be opened once again to the truth and pain of abuse through poetry by Penny Smith. You'll read words from our the CEO/Founder of Butterfly Dreams, and find out what's on our agenda this month.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.

~ Michal Madison

Here's the link to the April 2014 edition of  Butterfly Dream Abuse Recovery Newsletter... http://1drv.ms/1h1QCXk

Knowing When to Stop

Knowing When to Stop

I just burned another pot of beans. The crazy thing is that they were finished cooking when I added the salt & a few other seasonings. But instead of turning the burner off & just letting the seasonings marry in the pot, I left the heat on thinking that I would help the process along.  It might have been ok, but I left the room & forgot I was cooking the beans. This isn’t the first time I’ve burned food. I need to stay focused on what I’m doing & know when to stop.
The same thing happened to a painting this week. Though it’s not completely ruined like the beans are, I wish I had stopped sooner. I feel that this painting has lost some of its crispness, its edge.
I think it’s an important lesson to learn in life. Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing when to take a risk & charge forward. Sometimes we stay in a relationship that isn’t good for us, way too long, & we end up burned (been there). Or we stay in a job that no longer inspires us & we lose our edge (done that too). It’s good to reevaluate life occasionally & just check to see where you are. Are you still embracing each day with the reckless abandon & joy of a child or are you dreading waking up? If the latter is true, it’s time to stop & seek a new path. That doesn’t always mean cutting ties, but sometimes it does… sometimes it means looking at the situation with new eyes, or seeking counsel. Remember, whatever situation you are in, you are never stuck. Never.
It is important to surround yourself with things that inspire you to live with passion. A meaningful painting on your wall could change your perspective & give you the extra push you need to know when to stop & when to press on. My website is www.MichalMadisonArt.net/galleries.html. If you see something you love, let me know, we’ll work out the details of making it yours. If you imagine something you’d love to have, but don’t see, & think I can create it, let me know, send me a message. I do commissions as well.
Staying on top of your game, staying fresh, vibrant, full of life has a lot to do with knowing when to stop.
Wishing you a day filled with magic & miracles
~Michal Madison

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Happiness Heals

Look for Joy
 

...if it's hiding... find it.

Hi Friends,

I spent a long weekend in the hospital. No, I wasn’t the one in the hospital bed, it was my adopted mum. She was in again, because her counts were down. She has cancer. She’s had it for a long time, but it went into remission for years. We celebrated. It came back. We felt sad. She’s been taking chemo pills. Her hair has fallen out and grown back in. She now has the super cute style that seems to be all over Vogue. It just grew in that way.

Mum is an amazing person. She was the first petite models back in the day. She has endured horrific abuse, domestic violence that also ripped her daughter’s life apart. They survived. They found freedom. She loves Jesus with all her heart. For most of her life she has been a social worker. Working right in the heart of a system we know is corrupt, CPS. She has the attitude, If someone good isn’t in there doing their best, the whole thing will fall apart & it’s the best we’ve got right now. I’m going to do my best to make it better. And she has. Even at the hospital, she was talking about wanting to be at work... for the children. She did not want to be at the hospital & everyone who walked in the door knew it within a few minutes.

I was there when her beautiful Middle Eastern doctor came in and gave her the bad news that her counts were going the wrong way. She held my hand, pulled me close & said, “Madi, I’m scared.” I held her tighter. I knew she was, inside we all were. But we had to face the fear with courage. Because fear never cured anything, only Joy does. They gave her a platelets drip & I said, “Let’s imagine these platelets are little ninja angels going in to wipe out the bad guys and heal your body, making more, happy good platelet guys, so your counts will go up.” She smiled. Closed her eyes & said, “I can see them…”

My girlfriend (her original adopted daughter), her birth daughter & I were all there with her. We were laughing so much & being silly in the crazy yellow gowns they made us wear. She said we were better than TV. Laughter is truly the best medicine. I felt better.

The next day I was like a busy beaver. Mum was cold…she needed a fleece blanket (I’m a wiz at making them now). & She was sad… her room wasn’t helping. So I took a full sheet of watercolor paper and made her a “card”, the one in the picture. My girlfriend & I delivered them that night after she got off work in the emergency room.

Mum sent us a text: “My girls, my heart is truly filled with happiness and gratitude by the love you show me, I love you both to the moon and back for always and forever. Mom”.

Guess what!?! Mum got to go home the next day. Happiness heals the heart & the body follows.

If you’re feeling sad, find something that makes you happy. If someone in your life is feeling down, do what you can to lift them up. Creator heals us through Joy, Laughter, Happiness, Love. If you need something happy on your wall, I’d love to create something just for you, with your favorite word…or you can get a print of the one I made for Mum at my website www.MichalMadisonArt.net/galleries.html

If you’d like to learn more about the important work that my adopted mom has dedicated her life to, visit www.ButterflyDreamsAbuseRecovery.com. It’s something Trish McKnight & I are also passionate about…you know, ending violence.

Happy Joy,

Michal Madison

Your Story Matters

Your Story Matters   

"Alone we whisper. Together we roar." ~ Faith McDaniel

Topics like the one we shared tonight on Butterfly Dreams Talk Radio are haunting. Disturbing. As if a child could ever consent to having sex with an adult. It’s impossible. Legal? Accepted as “normal”? The thoughts raced through my mind like a pack of wild monkeys. My stomach was reeling. How could something so utterly terrifying, so life destroying, so evil as pedophilia be considered “ok” by anyone? How did this even become a topic for the show tonight? Did it need to be addressed? Absolutely! How can a small army of advocates and survivors make a difference against the appalling typhoon that is soon to hit the United States, as it has the United Kingdom?

We will need help that is more than human. Angel armies. We also need to join together like never before. Empower the children in our corner of the world. Do all we can to educate people and raise awareness of what abuse does to the child’s life.

And… Talk. Talk. Talk. Tell our stories. Let our voices be heard.

In the past I’ve been tempted to think, does my story really make a difference? I am not “A Child Called It”. Last week I was convinced once again, that every voice counts, ever story matters. I shared my life journey with over 200 students that were packed into a tiny auditorium, with standing room only, last Wednesday night. I shared my truth… told it like it happened. I could tell that the students were “with” me, really listening. When I walked off that stage, they broke into applause, as I was sitting down, they were all standing up, thanking me for being honest. My story. A standing ovation? Yes.

So many came up to me afterward to thank me. I left not only feeling validated, but knowing that I had changed the perspective of many in that room… opened their eyes to the reality of what abuse does to a child’s soul.

Several days later, I was told, there was still buzz on campus about my story. Saturday morning over three hundred people gathered for the Kappa Delta Shamrock 5K. Together we were running and walking to raise money for Childhelp. Together we raising awareness about child abuse. Before the race started, while we were all stretching and getting ready, student after student came up to me, thanking me again for sharing my story. Some had been unable to attend because of classes, but had heard about it. One young woman came up and said, “You have no idea what an impact you had on the guys who heard you. They are still talking about it. No one gets through to them. You did.”

I was honored and humbled at the same time. Here I had been thinking, “Does my story make that much of a difference?” For several months now, I’ve thought, I speak because I’m willing to speak, willing to say what happened. That’s why they ask me. I’m willing.

I realize now, that is what is going to make a difference. Not a bunch of facts or a list of after effects found on a google search, but personal stories. Your story. My story. All our stories added together. Because stories are personal. The facts are no longer in a long list of bullet points, they are real; they are attached to a living breathing human being. That is how we will roar. By talking & talking & talking & not stopping! No one can deny your experience, your life, your story. So speak up. Share it in every way you can: Sing it. Dance it. Paint it. Speak it. Write a poem or a story or a blog. Get your story out there for the world to hear and see. That is how we are going to stop the deluge of pedophiles saying “having sex with an adult doesn’t hurt a child”. That is how we will stop this hurricane that threatens the lives of children everywhere.

Speak Up. Roar!

Here’s the link to the article that started tonight’s Hot Topic: http://together-we-heal.org/2014/03/04/we-cant-prove-sex-with-children-does-them-harm-says-labour-linked-nccl/
Here’s a link to the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/butterflydreamstalkradio/2014/03/11/its-a-family-affair--pedophilia-should-it-be-an-accepted-act#.Ux3_QVi97gw.facebook
Here’s a link to my website: www.MichalMadisonArt.net/galleries.html. Art is one of the ways I tell my story. Selling my art is one of the ways I support child abuse prevention and awareness via: Childhelp (www.Childhelp.org) & Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery (www.ButterflyDreamsAbuseRecovery.com).

Roar my friends. Roar!
~michal madison

 

11 March 2014