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News flash, You’re Never going to feel “Good Enough”
This project is called North Point, these are hotel/condo/retail mixed-use projects. This is a master planning model of the entire site and surrounding city.
I did this work back in 2003 when I spent the post 9 11 recession as a professional architectural model maker – that’s hand-built work for the young folks.
Unfortunately, due to carelessness on my part caused by a lack of self-worth, I did not record any details about the project.
Funny right?
How our self-worth shows up in little ways, like devaluing our work so much that we fail to show it to ANYONE or to even document the details of such work.
It might sound hard to believe…
Maybe, if this is your first time here, you’re thinking “yeah right! I can smell the fake modesty a mile away!” If not, then maybe looking at my work causes you to question “did she REALLY” make this?! Yes, I did.There’s so little I have documented through the years due to not seeing my worth, not wanting to be a show-off, feeling that if I did I was “attention-seeking” which also meant I was bad.
I force myself to dig up what little bits I can find and share those works now.
Honestly – It’s the SCARIEST thing to me!
The fear of being seen or drawing attention to myself is a “survival fear” that tells me “don’t ever stand out”
Small = safe.
BUT, yes yes there’s a but here – my lack of documentation is also because I love the process of creating so much that the end of a project is merely that, – the end.
Today I am being brave.Today I am giving you a part of me- my art.
Maybe it’s because I’m taking part in the Tony Robbins “Comeback Challenge.” or maybe it’s because I’m tired of playing small!
The things I want are BIG.
Those dreams require that I step out of the shadows; into my spotlight to share my gifts & knowledge.
They require me to take risks, in hopes that I can inspire even only one of you to be brave enough to be you too.
You make you.
#Bebrave #Challenge2 #ComeBackChallenge #TonyRobbins #Miniatures #ModelMaking #Architecturaldesign #ArchStudent #Archsketch #ArchModel #Braving #Brave #TonyRobbinsComeback #ArtisLife #YouMakeYou #MeetTheArtist #BeProud #StandTall #BetheChange #ShineBright #Sculpting
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Can Tetris heal PTSD?
I’ve lived with PTSD for a few years, it came to me in an unexpected way – one trauma opened a can of worms and suddenly I was dealing with 40 years worth of events in a single moment.
I don’t take medication, but it’s managed well.I’ve got a few tried and true coping methods that work great for me.
One of those is wearing earbuds and listening to music ? or a podcast before sleep; creating just enough static to give my mind something to play with to keep the noise of the past at bay. Tuesday’s listen was a TED Talk :
TED Talks Daily Podcast: Can We Edit Memories – Amy Milton
Amy presents: “Trauma and PTSD rewire your brain — especially your memory — and can unearth destructive emotional responses when stirred.
Amy Milton at TED Talks Daily
Could we eliminate these triggers without erasing the memories themselves?
Enter neurologist Amy Milton’s mind-blowing, memory-editing clinical research poised to defuse the damaging effects of painful remembered experiences and offer a potential path toward better mental health.” What sets PTSD apart from normal remembrance?
The emotional intensity, sometimes triggered by sights, sounds, things we can’t remember but they’re stored in our emotional brains.”What if we could remember but without the intense feelings?
That’s the challenge presented in this talk.
That’s the difference between PTSD and non- PTSD, the response.
#neuroplasticity #tedtalksdaily #podcastshow #neuroscience #traumasurvivor #ptsdrecovery #artistmind #emotionalhealth #brainstorm #copingskills #AmyMilton #TedTalksDaily -
6.14.2037 departure
“What would you do if you only had 6 months to live?”
Honestly, I’ve always despised that question.
Why?
Because it’s to narrow of a window and I don’t think our minds can comprehend such a limited amount of time.
Unless you’ve faced this circumstance, I think the idea is just too abstract for our minds to comprehend.I know, because I was personally faced with this circumstance.
If I only had 6 months, and as romantic as it sounds, I would NOT be spending my time planning great adventures. I’ll be right here; laying in bed, cuddling with my family & enjoying those very simple joys.However, the question intrigues me – it really got me thinking.
What if we expanded the time-frame to something a bit more… ” realistic?”
What if we treated life as finite as it truly is?
What if we set a date on a calendar ? as we do with other important events? Put a circle on a date and said: ” This is the day I will die.”“6.14.2037 – death day. “
What would you do with 17 years?
Who and what would you say yes AND no to?#dreamalittledream #lifegoals #liveyourlife #lifegoals #bigmagic #supersoulsunday #lifebydesign #lifeonpurpose #dreamplanner #stayawhile #intimate #lifechanges #THESECRET #TheFourAgreements #theBigIdea # definitePurpose Lifesabeach #lifesaver
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The WorkShop
What it looks like inside a designer’s mind? I don’t know – ask the designer.
My minds a house!
Imagine a desk with a few blaring lamps, piles of post-its, scraps of paper, sketchbooks, notebooks, pens, makers, pencils scattered about with empty coffee cups, doodads, models , balls of clay and x-acto blades.
Don’t mind the dust it’s just eraser shreddings!
Inside my imaginative mind is a steampunk workshop- not in the basement oh no! It needs light, I need light! My workshop’s high in the sky- an airship tethered, anchored in the stone!
In there you’ll find me! I’m the 1/2 mad inventor, the De Vinci – the creator, the maker, the innovator. It’s messy in the workshop but I know where everything is – it’s my favorite place to be.If you don’t have the ” perfect” environment to let your creativity flourish -make one!
This was the trick I used as a child, no matter WHAT was going on , yelling screaming chaos, noise or nonsense I always had the perfect place to escape -into the very drawings I drew.
Your mind knows no difference , it’s reality is only the one you make, the story you tell it to believe- just ask the man who sees the bars and the one who sees the beautiful sky outside. Or ask the person who says ” gah! Another day inside” and the one who sighs ” ahhh, another day alive.”
Wishing you all health & wellness both mentally and physically as we wade through the unknowings of what the post-pandemic future will bring.
May we create a better world by creating a more beautiful picture together.
image credits @SuccessPictures
Follow them on Instagram to be inspired every day !#YouMakeYou #Bethechange #Createyourworld #ArtIsLife #WereInThisTogether #LoveWhatYouDo #ANewWorld
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The Optimist
You know in your heart ♥ this is the thing you were meant to do because just the thought of it brings butterflies to your belly & a lump in your throat!
Will the journey be painful? YES! Will it be worth it ? YES!
Birthing a person is hard, the process is long and YES it IS painful but the beauty at the end is worth it.Aren’t you worth it?
Save a life ! become a part of the discussion by joining us at StudioMaek on Facebook, the life you save might just be your own.
#WorthbyBirth #YouMakeYou #HeyMae #ArtIsLife #Youwereborncreative #StudioMaek
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Beethoven with a shot Espresso
We’re always going to have someone out there who doubts us, who tells you you’re not good enough, who laughs and says you’re stupid for trying – sometimes that voice comes from inside of us; sometimes it comes from me.
If we keep our eyes pointed to what’s ahead we’ll never see their words. When you stay focused you don’t hear them.
On my best days I believe wholeheartedly that I can make anything happen. This happens every morning actually -when I take that first sip of espresso!
By night, when energy is low so goes my mood and then self doubt creeps in.
I keep no secret of these struggles because I’m human, we’re all human and though we all have these doubts, we’re doing our best. Our best may not be what it was two years ago , or two minutes ago but it is our best right now in this moment.
Today is a new day & there’s a new cup of espresso at my lips!
I’m ready to try for no other reason than to show up and give it my best !
This is the call of the creative, we persevere , we build resilience, and even on our worst days we can say – at least I showed up.
You were born creative. Be brave, show us what’s inside of you. Keep making to make you.
#YaGottaBelieve #ArtIsLife #YouMaketoMakeYou #StudioMaek #Beethoven #ThrivingTuesday
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What’s art anyway?
We’re off to the races writing today!
NaNoWriMo is GREAT for getting your brain firing and your fingers typing! After a day spent reorganizing schedules in preparation for winter, Article releases have been shifted to every other Thursday.
As you too “hunker down” for winter, we’re cheering you on in your art – and by that we mean ALL that you pursue.
The arts are not limited to painting or drawing, but what ever it is that beckons you to put a piece of you out into the world, vulnerable, naked and most definitely afraid but you still brave doing it because you know in your heart it’s the thing you were put here to do!#youDoYou #BelieveinYourself #YouMatter #ThursdayThoughts #Nanowrimo2019
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Is art my why?
Creative artists need design reviews, direction, & someone to authentically support their enthusiastic ideas.
Before StudioMaek was a website, on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram it was a it was a practice.
2002 was the first year I started formally teaching and mentoring struggling artists. It happened naturally really; I loved testing and problem solving. It The more I helped, the more the passion grew as I built skills and gained knowledge that organically drew creative people to the studio – the studio that had no name.
Long before the days of Google Hangouts, Skype, Discord, & Facebook Messenger we had ICQ, E-mail, forums, & Yahoo – Now I am really showing my age. Together, my husband and I ran an online artist website that grew to a community of over 30,000 digital & traditional artists.
After a day’s work at the office , then college – where I studied for my B.Arch in architecture, followed by a 2 hrs commute in the Boston traffic , I’d settle in to my office at home. I was a stereotypical artist with a smoke in one hand , mouse in the other and the steam from freshly brewed coffee bellowing from my desk top. As soon as Windows 95 finally booted up I’d start responding to messages.
Creative people like you had questions, but mostly they needed reassurance. Taking a puff of a cigarette, and a sip of coffee I’d begin answering e-mail & IMs (I think the cool kids call a message a “DM” now but I can’t keep up.)
They’d contact me with the same familiar subject line. Hey Mae “what do you think of this?” or with questions, “How do I do” X ? “What’s the best way to”… or “Can you take a look at this?”
So why, if I’ve been mentoring creative people for 17 + years , has it taken me this long to open StudioMaek?
The simple answer is – I didn’t know. Honestly, that’s it!
Sometimes we just don’t know what we don’t know. but when we know better we must DO.
– ya know?I’ve read A LOT ! Books on organization, business, psychology, art, architecture, physiology , philosophy, theology and thought provoking articles ranging from neuroplasticity & trauma to how plastic is made & why do we start wars; all with a mission to find the common threads to creativity, the mind, & why it is so important to the human experience. Ar first this was a mission to better understand me , but over time it evolved to something bigger, a way I could serve you.
From books like : When the Body Says NO, The Gifts of Imperfection,The One Thing, Essentialism, & Wishcraft, and a long list of other titles I can’t recall at this moment as my fingers beat the keys, I learned about myself and how I can best help you too . Dr. Gabor Mate’ helped me discover why we struggle so hard to be seen and Brene Brown taught me to step into the arena imperfectly, while Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan opened my mind to the idea of using design skills to organize my life. Greg McKeown gave me tools to identify my priority, but it was Barbara Sher who taught me how to find my why.
Barbara explains in the most layman language the process of using reverse engineering to discover our unique purposes. After reading Wishcraft, A book published over 40 years ago, I put pen to paper, and spent months identifying key moments in my life. reminiscing with full feeling in the memories that we feel like the truest, most authentic version of ourselves. Can you think of one now? A moment where you felt like you were the best you?
When diving into long forgotten memories you’ll unearth buried parts of you. When comparing your high “flow” days with your most joyous childhood memories, you’ll notice patterns. That’s what I did, and through that experience I arrived at the most shocking answer – it was you. .
I’d always thought it was art that drove me, creating something out of nothing , manifesting thought into tangible pieces of art ,but that’s not the whole story- that’s not what the data revealed.
It was being in the arena cheering you on. No matter what love I hold for art, it’s being in with artists who make me feel alive.
In those moments helping you shine your brightest is where I thrive.
The feeling is like a day at the theater viewing a musical, but being the star. Ideas come together effortlessly as I enter flow, spinning and dancing like Maria in “ The Sound of Music” feeling like I am on top of my own great hill. But, I’d not have had this Oprah “Ah-ha” moment if not for a bout of depression.
While I don’t encourage you to fall into a dark pit of despair, I do encourage you to try the exercise to discover what the one thing is that makes you feel most alive and then spend the rest of your life asking new questions.
Is what you are doing right now in your career, with your family, in your relationships, and at your home supporting your goals?
Learn more! Step into the studio & Subscribe to get inspired with each new StudioMaek article conveniently delivered to your inbox.
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Welcome to StudioMaek!
StudioMaek is where I share my stories to inspire you to rediscover the creative you. While you make art, invent, plan and dream big ideas, we’ll work together to dispel limiting beliefs and step into our authentic selves. You make. Make you. – I’m making me too.
Mae’s Story:
I’m a dreamer, designer, inventor, mentor and a life-loving info sponge who believes that NOT following your dream will actually kill you!
I spent the first half of my life as a workaholic, perfectionist who found safety in staying small – a suit of “armor” that saved me from bruises as a child & later, lead to a successful career too!
1997 I began college. I studied art, architecture and psychology – landed a career at a prestigious architecture firm on my 22 birthday in 2000. I was GREAT at being really good and playing really small (and I’m not talking about my 4’11” stature.)
Like the Wizard of Oz, my work anonymously made it into school halls, gallery displays, on webpages & television and even into a glass case at the museum; all while I stayed safely behind the curtain. By 25 I was a pro at being busy! Full-time architect, full-time student & That’s the year I started mentoring artists and critiquing their work in my free time.
Do you remember the “The Field of Dreams?” That movie awakened passion in me – fueling my love of the creative process and the message of possibility inspired me. Imagine a world where we support each other to make dreams come true!
But, the film’s “If you build it they will come” message, rang true too.
When I am good enough they will come – They who love me, they who confirm my right and worthiness to exist; Yet never pausing to wait for approval or disapproval. Instead,choosing to run from the vulnerability of being seen and onto the next thing. Fearful to stop moving , fearful of being seen, fearful of being worthless.
It took a brain aneurysm to change my ways, a do or die permission slip that said “Be.” From 2016 – present I’ve spent my days creating, researching, and rediscovering all the parts of me that are truly me & now I want to share the journey with you.
At StudioMaek we’ll work together – facing fears, dispelling limiting beliefs and building courage so that you can start that business or get a patent for your 3am idea all while you rediscover who you are. The passionate you. The creative you. The authentic you. The adventurous child, full of vibrancy and in love with life. The you that was you before the world told you you weren’t.
