Rafi is an award winning contemporary artist who creates emotionally charged works. He is best known for his use of texture and bold color palates in striking pieces that each has a story to tell.
Rafi is a self taught artist who spent years refining his own techniques and creating a style that is all his own. He has a unique ability to absorb colors and emotions in a very abstract way and is somehow able to translate it into the high energy fine art for which he is known.
"He is driven to communicate visual qualities of perhaps the external environment which offers us freedom and inspiration as we cope with awesome focal points in the vast open space surrounding our existence. He attempts to show the internal passion of human sensuality that brings quality to our senses stimulating and extending our consciousness elevating life as individuals or sharing space with others around us. Ultimately Rafi seems to convey simple sophistication and intellectual freedom as he uses the visual language to express the human potential." - Spiros Zachos (PO10TIAL Magazine)
I have some wildly exciting studio news to share: EVERY SINGLE PAINTING FOR THE CALENDAR IS FINISHED AND OFFICIALLY SCANNED IN!
Take a look in the studio, twelve solid months of our favorite little frog living his absolute best life (in his trusty undies, of course). From snowballs and spring showers to Halloween mischief and summer pool days, pouring my heart into this series has been pure joy. I genuinely could not be happier with how every piece turned out.
The plan from here: next week, I dive headfirst into formatting the layouts and ordering the proofs.
Now, you might be asking yourself: “Rafi, why next week? Why not start designing tomorrow?!”
That is a fantastic, completely logical question.
The answer is that tomorrow, I will be trading my paintbrushes for power tools to cut a massive hole in my wall and hunt down a leaky sewage pipe. Yes, really. Glamorous artist life at its finest! Please channel every single ounce of “this will be super easy, barely an inconvenience” energy and send it directly my way.
I will be cutting this wall all the way up past the drop ceiling… YAY
Plumbing nightmares aside, the calendars are totally on track and moving right along!
A quick reminder for anyone who hasn’t grabbed theirs yet: pre-orders are wide open right now.
I am only doing a limited run of 100 copies total, and once they’re claimed, they’re gone for good. If you want one hanging on your wall to bring a daily dose of weird, joyful frog energy to your entire year, make sure to lock yours in before they sell out.
Thank you all so much for the love, the laughs, and for supporting the art. Wish me luck with the plumbing, and I’ll catch you on the other side!
Well, awesome humans, grab your popcorn and safety goggles: our greatest arch-nemesis has returned for the trilogy nobody asked for.
Some of you might recall the dark ages when the studio was shut down for nearly a year due to catastrophic plumbing nightmares, courtesy of a shady “plumber” who swindled us, vanished into thin air, and left us stranded in plumbing purgatory. We eventually took matters into our own hands, re-plumbed the supply lines ourselves, and proudly reclaimed our creative haven.
Then came round two: a crack in an ancient cast iron sewage pipe. Naturally, Klee and I channeled our inner demolition crew and completely pulverized the wrong wall before actually locating the offending pipe. A real plumbing crew finally came out, patched the thing, and we thought the plumbing demons had been officially exorcised.
Narrator voice: The plumbing demons had not been exorcised.
It’s leaking again. Inside the wall.
The cosmic irony? Just this week, our friends were using our shower while their plumbing was being repaired. Almost the exact second their pipes were sorted out, the plumbing gods evidently looked around, saw a vacuum of domestic despair, and pointed directly at our studio wall. A slow, steady, unmistakable trickle.
Which brings us to the immediate practical crisis: we cannot shower. So, if you had plans to swing by and visit us in person this week… maybe don’t. Give us a wide berth. Appreciate us from a safe, downwind distance.
Look, I’ve gotten pretty handy over the years, and I can tackle modern PEX and PVC with the best of them. But century-old, cracked cast iron sewage lines packed with generations of old poop? Absolutely not. That is cursed, biohazardous sorcery, and I know when to wave the white flag before we accidentally knock down more wrong walls, or unleash a century of vintage poop trying to find the culprit.
Naturally, the universe decided the ideal timing for this would be smack in the middle of a wildly busy work week, landing squarely on the heels of what we affectionately call our “Financially Draining Month.” Because of course it did.
Still, Klee and I are keeping our spirits up. We’ve called in the pros, and they’ll be here tomorrow morning to inspect the damage and hand us an estimate. Keep your fingers, toes, and paintbrushes crossed for us that it’s a quick, painless fix rather than an archeological excavation.
If things go sideways, don’t be surprised if our upcoming holiday virtual sale features a brand-new exclusive collection titled: “Buy This Art So Rafi and Klee Can Take a Hot Shower.”
We’ll know our fate tomorrow morning. Until then, send good vibes and easy fixes our way… and maybe some dry shampoo for Klee.
The paint tubes are out, the canvases are lined up across the studio benches, and I am bursting at the seams with excitement to finally announce this: the 2027 Limited Edition Calendar Pre-Order is officially live!
Every year, designing the annual calendar is one of my favorite creative milestones. I don’t build these just to keep track of dates; I design them to be daily companions that bring a genuine smile to your face all year long. This time around, I think we’ve created something truly special.
If you haven’t met our little green friend yet, let me introduce you to the magic. The story of Hoptastic follows an adventurous, wide-eyed frog who somehow crawled his way through a pair of magical underwear. That single, absurd moment changed his entire life. Now, he’s out here living his best existence, traipsing through snowbanks, carving pumpkins, tending wild flower patches, dancing beneath firework-filled skies, and bringing pure, unadulterated joy to a world that could always use a bit more lightness.
Every single month will feature fresh, original paintings from this quirky series, paired with inspirational thoughts and a handpicked selection of weird, wonderful, and Rafi-made holidays. It’s colorful, slightly unhinged, and packed with heart.
To make this experience even more fun, once you place your pre-order, you’ll get exclusive behind-the-scenes updates via a private email newsletter dedicated strictly to our 2027 Calendar collectors. I’ll be taking you into the studio to share work-in-progress snapshots, design proofs, studio shenanigans, and early previews of each month as the collection comes together.
Every pre-ordered calendar will come hand-signed by me, packed safely in an archival sleeve, and bundled with a little studio surprise because surprises make everything better.
Head over to the shop to grab your copy now, reserve your studio bonus, and let’s make 2027 our most AWESOME and joyful year yet!
It’s hard to believe, but it has officially been five years since we packed up our lives and moved to this area. Looking back, it has been one hell of an adventure.
Every year, right around this time, October hits us like a tidal wave. It’s always a weird month for us. Because we moved here five years ago in October, everything lines up all at once: car registrations, insurance premiums, and an endless barrage of annual medical checkups. Combine that with the seasonal “yearly bills” wave, and we spend pretty much the entire month feeling broke.
Add to that the yearly scramble of getting ready for the holidays, designing our upcoming calendars, and doing our absolute best not to lose our collective minds… and, well, you get the picture.
But this October? We decided to throw even more onto the pile.
Because why not, right?
First up: we went back to school! I am super proud to say that Klee and I are now officially teaching art on Mondays at St. Stephen’s School. Seeing those kids dive into creating art and getting their hands dirty is easily one of the highlights of our week.
At the same time, we’ve been running around wearing a dozen other hats:
We installed and are now managing the live streaming setup for Oil City Council (getting up close and personal with a whole lot of audio cables and tech setups).
We’ve been organizing community art nights at The Exchange, including some pretty awesome pumpkin-painting sessions lately!
We’re prepping for a brand-new art show called “Neon Nostalgia,” which opens at the beginning of next month.
On top of all that, we officially started showing and selling our original work at The Fallen Shoppe right here in Oil City.
So… why am I laying out this massive laundry list of chaotic busywork, financial stress, cable management, and calendar designs?
It’s not just to complain about car registration fees or brag about how many art projects we can cram into 31 days.
Five years ago, when we moved here, we didn’t know exactly how all the pieces were going to fit together. We just knew we wanted to build a life centered around community, creativity, and living intentionally.
When you look at a month like this from the outside, it looks like pure stress: bills piling up, endless tasks, a schedule stretched to its limits. But when you look closer, when you’re sitting on the floor routing cables, painting frogs at your studio table, or standing in front of a chalkboard covered in chalk scribble that reads “YAY! ART”, you realize something pretty cool:
The chaos isn’t in the way of the life we’re building. The chaos is the life we’re building.
Every single thing making us crazy this month is something we chose, planted, or poured our hearts into over the last five years. The crazy schedule means we’re connected. The new art shows mean we’re still creating. The teaching means we get to pass it on.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, if life feels like a giant tangled pile of bills, deadlines, and responsibilities, try taking a step back. Look at what’s actually filling up your days. Sometimes, the craziness is just proof that you’re right in the middle of living something you once prayed or worked for.
Keep creating, stay patient with the process, and remember to laugh through the hectic months. We’re right there in the trenches with you.
Until next time, keep making art and making noise!
Oil City held its very first wearable art fashion show, and we are still riding the high from it. It was pure, unadulterated art for art’s sake, packed with endless laughter, wild creative energy, and so many incredible people.
The whole event went down in a gorgeous stone alleyway that was transformed into a full-on runway, surrounded by supportive faces and electric energy. Seeing the sheer variety of wild concepts everyone brought was mind-blowing. People showed up with everything from full-on Mad Hatter ensembles to vibrant, head-to-toe tie-dye masterpieces.
For our own outfits, we decided to lean 100% into the fun and ridiculous!
Klee put together this incredible interactive costume featuring a fake mustache, round specs, and a mysterious trench coat. She fully committed to the character, sneaking around the runway and dramatically slinging her coat open to reveal a secret display of jewelry hidden inside for the judges and the crowd. It was hilarious, clever, and an absolute hit!
As for me, I went all out as a colorful, cardboard-covered “Art-Mageddon.” I just wanted to be as playful, loud, and uninhibited as possible, and strutting down that runway was an absolute blast. It felt like being a kid again, making art just for the sheer thrill of building something goofy and fun.
Huge shoutout and massive kudos to The Artists of The Annex for organizing such an awesome event, to all the incredible artists who brought their wildest imaginations to life, and to our amazing local community for coming out in full force to support it. Days like yesterday are such a great reminder of why we do what we do and how awesome it is to be part of this community!
I’ll be editing footage of the event soon to share it on YouTube, so keep an eye out for that video if you want to see all the outfits, the runway walks, and the behind-the-scenes chaos in action.
Let’s Hang Out Tonight!
This is the exact vibe we are bringing to our live stream tonight with the Rogue Fam on Patreon! The stream is called FINDING THE FUN IN MAKING AN ART CAREER, and we are going to hang out, celebrate finding the fun in what we do, and chat about keeping that creative energy alive.
If you are one of our wonderful Patrons, go to patreon.com/Rafiwashere to access the link to join the chat.
Bring your drinks, your stories, and your favorite creative memories. Let’s hang out tonight!
If you’ve been hanging out in our corner of the internet for a while, you probably know that Klee and I operate on a pretty simple philosophy. Whether we are slapping paint on a canvas, forging sterling silver jewelry, writing books, editing videos, making music, or just chatting with someone at an art night, we follow one non-negotiable golden rule:
Put GOOD VIBES into the world.
It sounds simple, right? But let’s be honest for a second, everywhere you look right now, it can feel like the world is running on a steady diet of gloom, doom, and chaos. You open your phone for two seconds just to look at a picture of a cute dog, and suddenly you’re sucked into a vortex of existential dread.
So why do we double down on joy, hope, and good vibes when the world feels so discouraging?
The Outrage Machine: Popular, Exhausting, and Totally Fake
Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t crappy people or crappy things going on in the world. We’re not here to pretend everything is sunshine and rainbows 100% of the time, or that bad stuff doesn’t happen. Life can be tough, messy, and unfair.
But have you ever wondered why fear-mongering and rage bait seem to dominate every single feed?
Here’s the secret: anger and fear are cheap thrills for algorithms. Loud, scary headlines get clicks. Rage gets comments. Drama keeps people glued to screens. Whole industries are built around keeping you spiked on adrenaline and feeling like the sky is falling twenty-four hours a day. It makes a lot of money for said companies and individuals.
But here’s the truth that nobody in the outrage business wants you to realize, It’s a giant waste of your precious time, and it’s NOT as real as it seems.
The internet wants you to believe that everyone is at each other’s throats, that kindness is dead, and that everything is falling apart. But when you step away from the screen and walk out into the real world, you see a completely different story. You see neighbors helping neighbors, people making art just to share a smile, folks giggling at silly jokes, and humans being fundamentally good, warm, and creative.
Rage bait is a noisy illusion. Real life happens in the quiet, wonderful moments of connection, laughter, and creation.
Why Hope and Happiness Are Rebellious Powers
Choosing to be happy, hopeful, and kind isn’t about ignoring life’s problems or putting on rose-colored glasses. It’s an active, rebellious choice.
When you choose to broadcast good vibes, here’s what actually happens:
It Creates a Genuine Chain Reaction: Energy is contagious. When you share a heartfelt smile, create something with love, or offer a genuine compliment, you shift the energy of everyone around you. That person goes home and passes it on. You literally ripple positivity outward.
It Fuels Creativity and Resilience: Fear freezes you up; joy unlocks you. When you’re anchored in hope, you have the courage to try new things, make mistakes, build communities, and create art that lifts others up.
It Reminds People They Aren’t Alone: In a world that often feels cold, being a light for someone else is one of the most powerful things you can do.
That’s why every piece of art, every piece of jewelry, every book, and every video we create is infused with that exact energy. We want whatever leaves our hands to feel like a warm hug for your soul.
Keep Shining, You Beautiful Humans!
The world doesn’t need more noise, judgment, or doom-scrolling. It needs you, your unique light, your creative spark, your kindness, and your good vibes.
So next time the noise of the world tries to weigh you down, take a deep breath, shake off the bad energy, and go do something that brings you joy. Make art, dance in your kitchen, tell someone you appreciate them, or wear something that reminds you of how awesome life can be.
Thank you for being part of our journey and for helping us spread a little more light into the world. We love you guys! Now go out there and make today amazing!
Speaking of Good Vibes… Klee’s 6-Year Labor of Love is FINALLY Here!
We couldn’t be more excited to share something we’ve been keeping under wraps!
For over six years, Klee has been holding onto a dream. She wanted to create something deeply grounding, beautifully handcrafted, and overflowing with intentional positive energy, and after endless searching, planning, and waiting for the absolute perfect ethical suppliers, the moment has finally arrived!
We are officially running our Good Vibes Sale, featuring Klee’s brand new Sacred Palo Santo Bracelets!
Even cooler? We set up special Pre-Order Bundles where you can grab a bracelet along with a limited-edition Giclée Fine Art Print from me (Rafi), plus a free Palo Santo stick to keep your space feeling fresh and light!
Get a Good Vibes Palo Santo Bracelet, and a free Palo Santo Stick (for burning away the bad vibes), and some Rafi Art To Brighten Your day. All of that for only $45 – $60. Patreon get’s an extra 15% discount starting tomorrow.
Hello from beneath a mountain of blankets, surrounded by a small fortress of crumpled tissues and half-empty cups of water.
Currently, I feel like death is knocking at my door. Disclaimer: I am not actually dying. I’m just being incredibly dramatic because I feel like absolute crap. But being forced to pause and stare at the ceiling for hours on end does something funny to a person. When you physically cannot do anything, you’re forced to look at the way you live. And honestly? My fever dreams have been less terrifying than the realizations I’ve had about my daily life.
As I’ve been lying here, unable to do much without needing a 20-minute recovery nap, I started thinking about how we fill our time. I don’t know when “busy” became the norm, but I blame the 90s. In the late 1990s, society collectively decided that being busy was the ultimate badge of honor. The moment people started wearing Bluetooth headsets to the grocery store was the beginning of the end.
Not busy? Clearly, you are lazy, unmotivated, and probably still trying to figure out how to program your VCR.
Chronically busy? Wow, look at you! You’re a resounding success! You’re important!
Believe it or not, but creative people are notorious for doing this. We wear our burnout like a shiny medal. We compete in the Overwork Olympics: “Oh, you only slept five hours? Well, I slept three and survived entirely on espresso beans and panic!”
To help me cope with my forced stillness, I’ve been listening to an audiobook called “Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving” by Celeste Headlee.
Let’s be real for a second. Even though I know I am sick, as I lay here, I have one part of my brain that is absolutely freaking out.
It’s screaming at me because I haven’t gotten into the studio. It’s yelling because the yard work is piling up. It’s panicking because I’m not responding to emails. According to that specific, loud-mouthed section of my mind, I am just laying here like a complete waste of space. Let’s call a spade a spade: that side of my brain is an asshole.
But it’s an asshole that has been running the show for a long time. According to the book, before the 24/7 hustle culture of the internet age, the roots of the “cult of busy” were planted way back during the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the Protestant work ethic (Idle hands are the devils work). Suddenly, human beings stopped living by the natural rhythms of the sun and seasons, and started living by the rigid tick of the factory clock.
We stopped measuring a good day by how connected, creative, or content we felt, and started measuring it by “output.” If you weren’t producing a tangible unit of work every hour, you were seen as a moral failure. Fast forward a few centuries, and that historical conditioning has mutated into a full-blown societal obsession.
It is a massive wake-up call. Headlee basically takes our modern work culture, flips it upside down, and shakes it. She explains how our obsession with efficiency and constant labor is actually a relatively new human invention (thanks, Industrial Revolution) and how it’s literally killing our creativity and well-being. It’s an educational slap in the face that reminds us that human beings are not machine parts. We are meant to live, not just produce.
Klee is not as bad as I am, but she gets the workaholic bug every once in a while.
Listening to that book has made me take a hard, uncomfortable look in the mirror. I am a self-diagnosed workaholic.
For a long time, I used that “busy-ness” as a badge of personal importance. If I’m working hard, I matter, right? But since I’ve had nothing but time to think, I dug up some of the underlying motivations for this. And brace yourselves, this might be a little TMI (Too Much Information), but we’re friends now, so here it is:
My drive to overwork stems from insecurity and a deep desire for people to like me.
Oof. It hurts to write that down. There are a lot of layers to it, but the ultimate symptom of this idea is that I turn things that are supposed to be fun into chores. I make things so much harder than they need to be. It’s like my brain says, “God forbid something is easy! If it’s easy, how will anyone respect the work you do? You have to suffer at least a little bit for it to count!”
Do I do this all the time? No. But I do it enough.
Because of this, I’m officially doing a deep dive into the motivations behind everything I do.
I’ve noticed that the initial spark, that beautiful, creative drive that makes me want to start a project in the first place can easily gets snuffed out the moment I label it as “work.” I have this toxic tendency sometimes to make things incredibly serious the second I think I need to take them seriously.
When we strip the joy out of our passions just to prove our worth to some imaginary audience, we lose the whole point of doing them.
Lying here, feeling like a deflated balloon, has given me a weirdly beautiful sense of clarity.
I don’t know how much time I have left on this mortal coil… hopefully a lot, assuming this cough doesn’t actually finish me off, but I do know this: I do not want to spend a single second of it taking myself, or anything else, so seriously that it sucks the joy out of life.
So, there you have it. These are my fevered thoughts that I wanted to share in a spurt of consciousness.
If you, too, are a recovering workaholic wearing a badge of busy-ness that is starting to feel incredibly heavy, consider this your permission slip to put it down. Let things be easy. Let things be fun.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a bottle of cough syrup and a completely unproductive nap.
What about you? Have you ever realized you were turning something you love into a chore? How do you protect your “spark” from the cult of busy?
Hey everyone, Rafi here. The story I’m about to share is not an example of what you should aspire to. In fact, I suggest not being like me at all. I’ve spent the last two weeks engaged in a wrestling match with a persistent, annoying cough that’s currently making the rounds. Apparently, this cough didn’t get the memo that I have things to do.
Last week, it finally sent me over the edge. The doctor handed me antibiotics, and in my infinite optimism, I thought, “Great! I’ll be back to 100% by lunch.” I did the responsible thing: I canceled my meetings, put my art projects on hold, and essentially transformed into a potato. I was pretty out of it for most of the week.
By Friday, I felt a glimmer of life. Klee and I drove down to Corry to judge an art show. The town is adorable, and the Corry Arts Guild is doing some truly incredible work. We had a blast meeting everyone and seeing the talent there… right up until my internal battery hit 0% and we had to high-tail it home.
Naturally, I took this “out of steam” feeling as a sign that I should rest. That’s what a sane person would do. However, on Saturday, I woke up, decided I was “better,” and headed into the yard to do much needed yard work. Pro tip: If you are on antibiotics, just rest. I ended up in a total physical shutdown. You might be thinking, that I realized my foul ways and decided that rest was a priority… nope.
Despite my body waving a white flag, the week kept moving because, apparently, I can’t say no:
The 80ft Mural: Met with the Southside Neighborhood Association about the “Laugh and Play” park. We’re working on a grant to repair that massive wall and bring a new mural to life. Fingers crossed!
The Elks Club: Another meeting, another mural, and another grant application. I’m basically a grant form-filler at this point.
The Classroom: Monday rolled around and I felt wrecked, but duty called. We spent the day making art with some awesome kids. It’s hard to feel sick when you’re surrounded by that much creative energy.
Mural Fest Chaos: In between coughing fits, I’ve been organizing Mural Fest. I’m currently neck-deep in sponsorship forms, artist applications, and drawing up plans to build the “Mural Monoliths.” It’s going to be massive, provided I stay upright long enough to see it through.
The Night Market: Met with Anna to finalize details for the Oil City Night Market application, logistics, and marketing. Night market is going to be awesome, but at this point, I need to step back.
Something interesting happened while being sick this long that I’ve never really faced before. Maybe it’s because I’m usually always on the move, but my insecurity started to flare up big time. I started thinking I was being boring or a total burden to Klee because I was sidelined. I felt like I was letting everyone down and that I’d somehow lost all my credibility because I couldn’t “do it all” right now.
Because we talk about everything, I brought this up to Klee. She looked at me and said, “No way. You are not a burden and you are definitely never boring.” Then she added something that hit me: “However, I do feel like you do A LOT. So, when you rest, I finally get to rest.”
Turns out, my forced pit stop was actually a breather for both of us.
By Tuesday afternoon, the cough returned with a vengeance while I worked on designs for a new art series I will debut in a September exhibition.
Mind you, I was still on the first round of antibiotics. I spent Wednesday meeting with a wonderful friend and collector who drove into town for a commission, then I pivoted back to the “Grant-Writing-Exhibition-Planning-September-Series-Designing” vortex. Oh, and I had to coordinate the closing for the exhibition at the Exchange.
Last night, my lungs decided they weren’t finished complaining. Back to the doctor I went, and I’ve now been leveled up to “Stronger Antibiotics: Phase 2.”
The moral? “I feel better” or “I’m fine” is a lie told by the part of your brain jar that just wants you to get off the couch so it can collapse in a more interesting location. When your body tells you to sit or lay down, it’s not a suggestion, it’s a mandate. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you certainly can’t build a Mural Monolith if you’re hacking up a lung every three minutes.
My Advice to You (I need to start listening to myself)
Listen to your internal “check engine” light. If you try to power through a physical shutdown with work, projects, meetings, and grant writing, your body will eventually take the keys away and lock you in the bedroom. Rest isn’t “lost time,” it’s an investment so you don’t end up on the “Stronger Antibiotics” like I did.
The good news? The grants are moving forward, the Mural Fest plans are solidifying, and the September series is looking incredible in my congested head. I am officially surrendering to the couch for the rest of the week, armed with my new meds and a lot of hot soup. I’ll be back at the easel soon, fully recharged and hopefully cough-free.
Stay healthy out there, and for the love of art, if you get sick, just stay in bed.
We’ve all seen the movie version of an artist’s life. It’s usually depicted as a moody genius in a paint-splattered turtleneck, staring intensely at a canvas in a dimly lit studio while a single candle flickers. They don’t talk to people. They commune with the Muse.
That’s not at all what we do. Don’t get me wrong, we ARE hermits, but sometimes we do go out and “people”. Especially when it is important.
This week, my “communing” has mostly involved a calendar that looks like a game of Tetris.
If you think being an artist is just playing with paint and feelings, then you might be missing an important component. It’s actually 50% painting and 50% convincing the world that art is the secret sauce that makes a community worth living in and the world better. Here is a look at what “out of the studio” actually looks like for us.
Tonight, we are hauling gear and hanging dreams at The Exchange for the Emergent Petals show. The opening is next Wednesday, which in “Artist Time” means I have approximately six minutes to make sure nothing falls off the wall. We help curate this show and give our local artists more exposure. I think it is vital for artists and local businesses to work together… It’s a win win.
Meanwhile, I’ve traded my fine brushes for power tools this week. I’m currently building new walls for our first outdoor show in years for the First Friday event on May 1st. Because apparently, I didn’t have enough on my plate, I decided building a new show set up would be a cinch. It’s not, but I’m not going to tell myself that.
We love the studio. The studio is safe. But this week? The community called, and we answered:
Monday: We hit a 6:00 PM community meeting to talk Revitalization of our area. It turns out, when you ask a community what they want, they don’t just want pretty pictures, they want a soul. Artists need a voice at these tables because if we aren’t there, the “revitalization” might just be more grey parking lots. Don’t get me wrong, parking is important, but we also need color and intrigue in our lives.
Yesterday: We met with Ashley (who is AMAZING) at the Transit building. That place is a massive, gorgeous resource, full of artists, and we’re brainstorming ways to make it a hub where the community and artists can actually collide. We also discussed affordable rental of spaces for pop up art shows and fun artist lead events.
Arma Fest Meeting: September is coming, and so is the second year of a giant event in our town. We want to help make the artist section something epic and wonderous to behold. It’s going to be legendary.
Public Art Board:BIG NEWS! We secured the grant for the Mural Fest, which means Mural Fest is officially a GO!
Tomorrow: Meeting with the Makerspace. We have funding, we have momentum, and we’re about to get that sucker moving to full epicness.
Friday: We’re headed to City Hall. Klee and I are using our technical know-how to help City Council set up live streaming. Why? Because transparency is awesome. We are also going to discuss Mural Fest and get approvals. Then, we’re off to Pollen Nation in Franklin to talk art initiatives, art workshops, and whatever other fun art events we could think of.
In the middle of all this civic duty, I’m designing a new series of art for the 24 Minis show coming up this year at the Manos Gallery. I’m calling them “Cute Cryptids.” Think Mothman, but make him adorable enough to grab a coffee with. We also have the usual commissions and orders to fulfill, so we are in the studio every minute we can be.
Of course, because it’s spring, we are also in Spring Cleaning Mode. As I type this, I am literally barricaded in by filming gear, microphones, and random art equipment because I am clearing out the media studio. It’s less “curated aesthetic” and more “hoarder-chic,” but we’re making progress!
Why Leave the Creative Cave?
I’m not suggesting you book this many meetings or go to that many public things. Honestly, this schedule is a little bit ridiculous and not the usual. We usually draw a hard line and limit our out of studio community time to two a week. But sometimes, there are things we don’t want to miss. Here is some food for thought:
“It’s not just about the artwork you put on a wall, it’s about who you are in the rooms where decisions are made.”
As artists, it’s easy to hide in our studios. But making an impact can mean getting out there and meeting the local business owners, the city council, and the neighbors. Whether you’re in a big city or a specific neighborhood, showing up to represent you matters.
After a week of being “Professional Community People,” we get to end it with our favorite part: hanging out with our awesome Rogues on Patreon for our live stream podcast recording on Sunday. It’s the perfect reminder of why we do all this, the connection.
Don’t just paint your community, help build it. Even if it means wearing “real clothes” five days in a row.
Right now, Klee and I should be in the studio. I should be wrestling with a canvas and she should be making something shiny and ancient-looking. Instead, we are currently buried under a mountain of receipts, spreadsheets, and what I like to call “other stuff.” You know the that vague, soul-sucking category of adult responsibilities and uninvited paperwork that seems to multiply in the dark like evil gremlins.
It is tax season, the time of year when the government asks, “So, exactly how many tubes of paint did you buy in July, and was that a ‘business expense’ or a cry for help?”
Just remember, even when you are stuck doing paperwork, you are still an artist. You don’t stop being a creator just because you’ve traded your paintbrush for a calculator. I’ve realized that it is entirely possible to have fun even when you are doing things that have absolutely nothing to do with your art. In fact, if you can make it fun, then it is not as much of a drag. Of course, the smart thing to do is just hire someone… but if you are anything like Klee and I, you will be tackling it yourselves because…
I don’t know why. Either way, here is what we do to make it fun.
1. Turn It Into A Game!
Listen, the first time we did our own taxes over 15 years ago, we cried. There was no fun and games. However, we have learned a lot over the years and are at a point where we can make the process fun. When Klee and I are tackling our taxes, we turn it into a weird sort of performance art. We make it a challenge. Who can find the best deduction? If you treat the mundane tasks like a scavenger hunt for your own life, the “boredom” starts to lose its power over you.
2. Put on the Financial Cape
As I’ve said before, you have to wear the financial hat to keep the art hat. But nobody said the financial hat has to be boring. I like to imagine I’m a high-stakes accountant for a rebel alliance. I’m not just “paying bills”, I’m funding a creative revolution. Keeping our overhead low and our budget strict is the only reason we get to keep doing the fun stuff. When you look at your taxes as the price of admission for your dream life, they get a little easier to stomach.
3. Staying True Through the Drama
Then there’s the “other stuff” that isn’t paperwork. The drama, the life surprises, the things that try to knock you off your North Star. It’s easy to get grumpy when you feel like your time is being stolen. But even in the middle of a “bad Tuesday,” you can choose your energy. I’ve found that if I approach the “other stuff” with the same curiosity I bring to a new painting, the drama doesn’t stick as much. I’m just an artist observing a very strange, very bureaucratic world. It’s all material to be shared one way or another.
4. The Celebration of the Small Wins
When we finally finish a batch of numbers, we take a break and celebrate. We high-five over the fact that we survived another round of being “responsible adults” before we dive into the next batch.
The secret to living the artist life isn’t about avoiding the mundane, it’s about refusing to let the mundane turn you into a drag of a person. You can bring beauty, love, and joy to just about anything. Okay, maybe not “everything” but you can definitely bring some self joy and a healthy dose of sarcasm.
If you’re stuck doing something today that feels like the opposite of creative, remember this: you are still the one holding the pen. Whether you’re signing a painting or a tax form, do it with your own flair. Don’t let the “shoulds” and the “must-dos” drain your battery.
Focus on who you are and keep your sense of humor intact. The studio will still be there when the paperwork is done, and you’ll be a lot more focused when you get there because you didn’t let the “other stuff” steal your spark.
Now, I’m going back to this spreadsheet. wish me luck!
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