Living WholeARTedly

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

A New Year Is Almost Upon Us...
...Only ONE Resolution For 2014

The Christmas carol Deck The Halls contains the line "Fast away the old year passes..." Time indeed passes swiftly, but 2012 and 2013 seemed to me to pass in the blink of an eye. Though 2013 was a successful year for me in many respects, there were several resolutions that fell by the wayside.

Upon reflection, I realized part of the problem. Several Eastern philosophies remind us of the importance of living in the moment. Learning from the past is important, but dwelling on the past is a time suck, and while it is important to have goals and plans, you can 'tomorrow' yourself through an entire year before you know it!

So, while I do have the usual goals and plans for the impending year, I have only one resolution: to savor each day. Yes, we all have tedium and the demands of others to contend with each day, but throughout the day we are also exposed to beauty, humor, and kindness -- those are the moments we should focus on.

This November, like many Facebook users, each day I posted something that I was grateful for. It's a good exercise, and though I am not posting them, each day I find some blessing for which I am thankful. The more you appreciate things, the more things there are to appreciate, sounds trite, but it definitely rings true to me.

When I lived in Upstate NY, I studied Reiki. Part of the training is learning the Five Principles. What I like best about them, you are encouraged to focus on the present -- don't worry about yesterday's failings or tomorrow's obstacles. There are variations of the principles out there but the basic message is to:

At least for today:

Do not be angry,

Do not worry,

Be grateful,

Work with diligence,

Be kind to people.

Yes, the first two in particular can be hard, but being aware of your anger and worries gives you an opportunity to work through them, analyze their cause, and set them aside. Yes that guy that passed me on the left at a stop sign is rude, but dwelling on it is wasting precious time that could be used for something else, and besides, if he is that harried, his life must be one giant stress ball and I feel sorry for him. Yes, I say that, and no, I don't always practice it, but I am human after all -- the trick is to keep trying to practice compassion, eventually it will be come habit.

I hope we are all able to not only take 2014 one day a time, but to appreciate all of the wonderful moments each day offers, from that first first sip of coffee in the morning to curling up in a nice, warm bed at the end of the day and everything in between. Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Here I Go Again!...
...Moving Into A New Space

I grew up in a small, Vermont town. My sister and I were the fourth generation of our a family to be raised there. My parents closed on their home when I was only 9 days old; they bought it from my grandfather's cousin who had grown up in the house, which was built in the late 1800s by her parents.

Growing up, I never anticipated living in as many places or types of housing as I have. For the past three years I have lived in the upstairs apartment of a classic Chicago two-flat. After living in a studio apartment, it was like moving into a mansion! As you may have seen on previous posts to my blog, I have spent a fair amount of time and effort making the place more of a home, but the one thing we can always count on in life is change.

My lease expires at the end of the year and the building is in the process of being sold, so once again, I am gearing up for a move.

Though not as small as my old studio apartment, the new place is about half the space of my current digs. Admittedly, deciding what to keep, what to purge, and how to make the most of the new space is a bit daunting, but it is also an opportunity.

I plan to share how I make this apartment a home on this blog, so let me begin by showing you what I am starting with:

Looking East into the Living Room (approx. 11' x 17')

Looking West toward the entrance.

Living Room, North wall. The double doors lead to a closet

and the arch passes into the dining room, which I will use

I am planning on using the living room as both a living and dining area and to use the dining room as my art studio. The dining room is only 9' x 9', but the closet in the Living Room is actually wider than the doors would have you believe and so it will make a good place to store extra supplies.

The West wall of the Dining Room opens into the kitchen.

The North wall is the only uninterrupted wall in the space. I plan to extend the counter space from the kitchen into the studio along the North wall using materials from my current studio. The empty space shown in the photo above should accommodate a bookcase or free standing shelving unit.

The East wall (above) and the South wall

(below) don't have a lot of usable space, but

I have a few ideas for making the most of it.

Looking North from Studio into Living Room

The Bedroom will be a bit of a challenge. Partly because the room is oddly shaped (the apartment is a corner unit and the cross street runs at an angle), and partly because of the window placement.

The East and South walls of the Bedroom.

I like being able to see all the windows and doors from my bed. So not sure whether to place the bed on the North or South wall. Both windows have a great view:

The South window looks out toward the center of the city.

The East Window looks out onto Lake Michigan!

I hope you will check back and see my progress, as well as some other special holiday posts that I've planned. I picked up the keys today and took some detailed measurements. With only three weeks to go, I had better get to work!

Monday, November 4, 2013

And I'm Back...Quite A Busy Fall!

Hello, it's been awhile! The last few months have been exceptionally busy. The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest was a huge success, which meant much of September was spent working on new paintings for an art fair in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood (A good 'problem' to have!).

My booth at the Edgewater Fall Art Fair

The Edgewater Fall Art Fair also went well. It was the first time this event was held, and despite an evening storm that moved our tents around, a good time was had by all.

Though the temperatures have turned cool, most of September and October were beautiful here in Chicago. My camera and I were quite busy.

My favorite neighborhood attraction is the local beach. Rogers Park's lakefront parks, Loyola Park and Hartigan Beach are incredibly beautiful. We are lucky to not only have a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, but a grassy, shaded park area and a breakwater that offers an amazing view of the Chicago skyline.

Hartigan Beach
(c)2013 Eric E. Paige

Chicago Skyline, Loyola Park

Breakwater, Loyola Park

Hartigan Beach
(c)2013 Eric E. Paige

Self Portrait, Loyola Park
(c)2013 Eric E. Paige

Breakwater, Loyola Park

Beyond my neighborhood, I spent part of my time exploring Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square. One of my favorite ongoing attractions was The NOSH, an artisan food fair that was held every Saturday at the A.N. Pritztker School in Wicker Park. Though the outdoor version ended last month, they have partnered with an indoor farmers' market for the winter (click the link above or more information). Every weekend was different with choices ranging from savory to sweet, plus there was music to boot!

The Classic Lunch Counter Experience at Johnny's Grill

Elsewhere off the Blue Line, I spent some time exploring the Logan Square neighborhood. One gem I found was Johnny's Grill at 2545 N Kedzie Blvd. A classic lunch counter, reminiscent of a Woolworth's Luncheonette or corner diner. In fact, the place sports it's own parody of Edward Hopper's iconic "Nighthawks" with Johnny's substituted for Phillies. (Bonus: if you are in Chicago, you can see the original "Nighthawks" painting at The Art Institute of Chicago).

Of course, not all of the past couple months has been about food and hanging out at the beach. I have spent a fair amount of time revamping my website. Please feel free to check out additional photos of Logan Square and some of my latest paintings.

I also have been working on my social media presence, you can now follow my art, culinary, DIY, and other adventures on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. See you on the web!

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