The original version of the site utilized a freely available WordPress theme, but after designing WP themes for a variety of other sites, I wanted the experience of doing it for myself and this site design is the result.

Like the previous incarnation of the site, my mixed media artwork and designs are highlighted and the regular features of modus operandi (techniques shared every Tuesday) and Friday 5 (weekly photos of what’s going on in my studio) will return. The new design also highlights my web design work, including custom WordPress themes I’ve created for clients, and is more social, including “share this post” links at the end of each post.

I hope you like the new look of miscellaneaarts.com. It truly was a labor of love and, admittedly, frustration, as I took down the site to prepare for relaunch—and then my husband was offered a job more than 900 miles north of our Florida home. So, since my last post here, my family—Mr Misc, Kid Etc (who is now 15!!), our two cats and two dogs—packed up and picked up and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in September.

Though there were many, many, many, many wonderful things about this transition, it was a less-than-ideal time to be updating and redesigning my site, which unfortunately languished until earlier this month. I hope the wait has been worthwhile and I look forward to sharing new content with you here, as well as my experiences exploring Baltimore and its environs.

I’m still doing some final testing of the theme, so if you find anything wonky on the site, please let me know (either in the comments below or via Twitter or email).

Thanks so much and I look forward to sharing more with you here!

Seems like every blogger hits a point where they have to apologize for something on their site:  a misunderstanding, an offensive presumption, or—in many cases—a lack of activity. Seeing as my last post (in, yes, January) talked about the themes of passion-compassion, I’m instead going to be compassionate with myself. I’ve been away from the blog a bit, but that has given me more time for my 9-5 job, for family, for my marriage, even for time spent in the art studio.

I didn’t forget you, bloggity, however (cue the strains of “Don’t Cry for me, Argentina”…). In fact, I’ve been connecting with people like mad over on Twitter (follow me) and really enjoying our conversations and connections there. I’ve also been participating in ProBlogger’s 31 Days to a Better Blog. I’ve been thinking more about what I want out of my blog, what I want to share here, and how I want to continue to develop and promote my artistic/creative growth.

Like all things, this is still a work in progress, but I did want to give a suggestion that there will once again be signs of life in these parts. In the long term, I’ve started working on a redesign of this site. Since I don’t yet have a timeline on that, I also have some short-term goals: I plan to post more photos of works in progress, return to the Friday 5 photos, will be sharing my ideas about a mail art project that’s been percolating in my brain, and will host my first blog giveaway.

Thanks for your patience—now time to reap some rewards!

See you upon my return, with many photos and memories to share!

There will be more Artist’s Way posts this week, however, plus a new Friday 5! Thanks for your understanding and patience :)

Life shrinks or expands according to one’s courage.

Anaïs Nin
Originally, I had a narrow impression of what a blog could be: to wit, a journal shared in a public space. Having my own blog and reading those of others, however, I have been impressed by and enamored of the way a blog can also function as a mini-community, a tool for networking and self-promotion. Thusly motivated, I’ve created file under “miscellanea” as a record of creativity, lessons learned through smudged ink and dripping paint, and a chronicle of my experiences of an artsy entrepreneur, selling my creations via Etsy and craft fairs.

I plan to use this blog as a place to be held accountable for pursuing and nurturing my own creativity. It’s too easy to not take the leap into creativity, to accept a somewhat pleasing mediocrity and not push ourselves to live the lives of our dreams. In the last few years, I have learned some hard lessons about what in life is beyond our control, but those experiences have also highlighted what choices are mine and all the ways I can still determine the fullness of my life.

I do not want to die…until I have faithfully made the most of my talent and cultivated the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has grown.

Käthe Kollwitz
I am grateful for anyone reading along, offering inspiration and perhaps taking some, too. Already, I am grateful for this experience and the promise it holds.