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I took my mom to the Geffen last night to see “THE CAKE” with Debra Jo Rupp who was DELICIOUSLY GREAT! (I highly recommend it!). It’s playing through mid-October in the smaller Audrey Skirball Kenis theatre and I bought tickets several weeks ago as my mom enjoys going to the theatre. I decided to select seats in the back row of the theatre on the aisle — so that my mom would be able to see and not have an obstructed view. Our last foray to the Geffen see the play “Our Very Own Carson McCullough” and the proscenium set was high and, as we were in the front row on the floor, we had to crane our necks to watch. The tix prices vary greatly between several rows so I opted for the back row aisle seats because I thought, why not? It’s a small theatre and shouldn’t be a problem. OY.

We were the first ones to enter the theatre and the usher was there to help us to our seats. When my mom, (with her walker), was told she’d have to climb a few low steps to get to the seats echoed that she couldn’t get up there. She walks up far more stairs in her house which I was surprised about. Immediately, the house manager went to work to find us alternative seats while I went to re-park the car which had been temporarily parked in a loading zone while I dropped her off.

When I returned, I now found her newly relocated, smack in the center, seated next to a small, dark haired woman and a tall, handsomely boyish man. As I’m no longer in casting and “out of the loop”, so to speak, my ‘Spidey’ sense emerged with a blurry sense of recognition and said to myself, “Boy, he looks familiar — who is that? Within seconds I realized it was Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis — two regular people just out of an evening of theatre. It dawned on me later that Debra Jo Rupp played his mom on “That ’70’s Show.” The seats were undoubtedly ‘House Seats’ (which usually mean center seats – 7-10 rows from the stage depending on the venue). The chairs sat low because they were only one row raised from floor. The seats are also wide and small people like us needed a booster seat or phone book (TBT – Remember phone books?) to prop ourselves up. Curling myself under my legs wasn’t going to help. I sank into seat like an old arm chair in need of an upholstery fluff. All the people in front of us were in folding chairs on the floor level and happened to be very large and tall patrons (it was like VIKINGS had descended on the Geffen — or they were relatives of the actor who was to play the husband in the show who was 6’3 and chunky. The tour bus from the Big and Tall Store had descended on this intimate venue. Still, neither of us could see the stage. Thus began my new dialogue with the house manager that my mom still couldn’t see.

While I was busy dealing with that, Ashton and Mila (my mom’s new acquaintances) decided together to switch seats with her. Mila is just as tiny as my mother so that didn’t really help her view of the stage either. I didn’t know what to say. That helped for a minute until more tall people showed up and once again, away I went to try to discuss alternative seat possibilities. The house staff did their level best to speak to other seated patrons, asking them to switch seats, politely get up as we shuffled in and out of rows and move us around. It was crazy. Our original seats were still unused. I longed to be up, up and away.

Meanwhile, the 8:00pm curtain time was on ‘Stand By’ as they quickly deposited us into the premium aisle seats I was going to buy originally — had I decided to pony up the extra money for the higher priced seats. Everyone was patient and thoughtful and I was very grateful. Amy Levinson, (the newly named Associate Director and long-time Dramaturge of the Geffen is a longtime family friend so I dropped her name just to let them know we were a supporter of the Geffen and knew a few people). They were unfazed and would have bent over backwards for any audience member to have a good experience at the theatre. Kudos to the staff!

Ultimately, the way the show was staged from where we were now sitting had several characters talking with their backs to the audience and made some scenes impossible to fully view. Frustratingly, there were people in front of us who again blocked that view — and while I had a clear opening, I could tell my mom could not see. I wanted to move my mom to my seat but dared not interrupt the play as there was no intermission. I had also ordered her a headset but they had the kind that goes into your ear which she hates (instead of the older over-the-ear kind of ear muffs which are better for her). She tried to put it on over her head and put it over her eyes like 3-D glasses — it was a fiasco. So all in all, she missed most of the play — but, as it turns out, I was left with a good story to share.

While we were chatting with M & A, they found out my mom was 97. They thought she looked amazing (which she usually does) and was impressed that she was able to be out enjoying theatre. M had shared that her grandmother of 97 had just passed away and another relative who was 94 had told she told her that when all of your friends die, you just don’t want to be around anymore. This is really hard. My mom has lost a number of close friends this past year and recently asked me if she has any friends left. Totally heartbreaking — which is why I still take her to the theatre. She loves live theatre and gave me the gift of taking me to plays when I was younger. Luckily, she has a few friends left — but many of the people she hangs out with are the children of her best friend’s.

I shared with them the pix of John, a lovely man we met last year, who gave up his seat to my mom at the doctor’s office who was 102 1/2. (I tried to set them up on a lunch date which never materialized — only to find out last week when we ran into him again at the doctor’s off that he has digestion problems and lives on a liquid diet). I told M & A that the secret to my mom’s beauty and long life was that she is never angry and never toxic. I also shared John’s philosophy that his secret to a long life is that he just tells people to F***K Off. Mila was amused by this and was happy to get two major life lessons on the secret of longevity. I was happy I could return their kindness and give something back. Thank you to Mila & Ashton for their kindness and adaptability. Sometimes, it’s simply All About the Icing on the Cake and sometimes, it’s just, All About the EVE. Namaste. . Namaste.

The post Sometimes, It’s Simply All About the Icing on the Cake and, sometimes, it’s just All About the EVE. appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

BLOCK: verb

1.make the movement or flow in (a passage, pipe, road, etc.) difficult or impossible.”block up the holes with sticky tape”

In an attempt to clear the clutter, create more space for cash to flow, it occurred to me that there are alliterations for cash flow right under my nose — and in my case, it is ‘Clear the Cache.’

When your websites are blocked and the Tech Department tells you to “Clear Your Cache” and close down all the windows that were simultaneously opened in your browser for days-on-end…this seems to me to parallel why money might not be flowing into my life as hoped on a regular basis. Is it always, coincidentally, Mercury in Retrograde or did I need to Clear my Cache to Clear the Cash?

These open windows on our computer are like thoughts — Flitting constantly – popping in with, “What was that?” “Oh, don’t forget to make that call, empty the dishwasher, pick up the cleaning, pay that bill — like a Flea who forgot to take his meds for A.D.D….

Each open program has its own line of reasoning, questioning, broken links, disturbances and issues — and when they are all open—it’s like monkey- mind chatter — too much cacophony going simultaneously – too much noise, too much confusion — a sensory overload that I discovered is akin to blocked energy being able to flow towards you — because you are not able to concentrate on the best areas to use your time, creativity and brainstorming.

The universe is trying to “hear what you want and need” – however, it’s getting mixed messages because while you might have your money portals opened —they may be talking trash to each other. “I want this…” — “No, I need this” … It’s our own form of A.D.D. — Attention Must be Paid. They are constantly interrupting like a family vying for attention at Thanksgiving over the holidays. “ME. ME. ME” A breakdown in flow occurs …

That’s why often I clean my house —throw stuff out — straighten up — it quiets my mind — rearranges the energy in my space so flow can return. Disorganization is a definite disconnect to cash flow.

Universal energy can bring flow back into your life in the form of money, great ideas, silence and teachings. Blocking means they are held up in custody, suffocating and deteriorating. Like water that flows straight upstream or downstream — when it encounters rocks it goes around the blockage intuitively to keep going — not getting stuck or blocked by the boulder — it just knows how to keep going until it gets to its final destination. So CLEAR Your CACHE – so that the other Ca$h can flow deliberately and skillfully into your hands.

Recommended resources:
Jen Sincero’s “You are a BADASS at Making Money. Master the Mindset of Wealth. (Available on Amazon or Audible).

P.S. Every time I find I am listening to this book, money flows in. Thank you, Jen!

What I do: My 100 pieces of anything to throw out challenge:
Throw 100 things out during the day. Anything counts. Desktop folders. Toilet paper. Paperclips. A Gum Wrapper.
See what is useless and just get rid of it!

The post Clear the Cache to Clear the Ca$h! appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

Once-Upon-a-Time there was a grown-up who

felt she was under a financial spell.The kind

you read about as a child. Locked away in a tower. Of shame. By herself —

with ALL of her numbers. They were floating in space, invading her dreams,

waving their arms. Visions of Suzy Orman yelling at her were tucked away

in the secret recesses of her mind.

“DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING THOSE SHOES.”

While she knew that the key to her financial future was within herself, she just
couldn’t find the “sweet spot” mindset she need to turn her financial life around.

As an entrepreneur, she was used to trying to figure it all out herself.

And then, would beat herself up for seemingly “doing it wrong.”

Not having enough Profit.

Not having a Business Plan.



Thinking something was Wrong with Her.

Always feeling there was a Magic Formula.



Listening to so many people who were trying to offer their
full-proof formulas for a profitable, debt-free life.

Not having a Financial Plan.

Was it just for some people? Or was her Karma to struggle forever?


What was the lesson for her in this life?

Locked way in her mind — The TROLL, the WITCH and the OGRE of MONEY,
made scary faces on her Excel spreadsheets, in her checkbook, in her mind.

They ate away at her financial self-esteem daily. Reinforcing negative thoughts.

Using poor language to re-direct and manifest her needs into positive, present
tense, “as if” language. Blasting the words “I should have, “I don’t want”, “if only”…

Forgetting to replace that language with “I am”, “I am now”, “My current Net worth is…”

Being intentionally intentional.

Her secret FICO scores and credit reports. No, she did not want to look.

Even if they were FREE.

Whatever was she going to do? She wanted to disappear down a rabbit hole.

The shame was eating at her. Psychically leaving a hole in her wallet. Always
fearing the phone call which would uncover the real numbers when she called her
financial planner. The credit card debt was a mountain of evil. It’s not that she was
entirely reckless. She had made money. But she and her husband didn’t manage it
consciously. He did have a 401K and insurance. That was a God-Send. She always
“felt” that she did not manage money well. She felt she was “missing” a gene in the
math department for Saving, Earning, Strategy and asking for Support.

So guess what? So she “reinforced” it with her thoughts.
And coincidentally, She didn’t.

Her late husband’s company was closing their Los Angeles office and so he decided to go back to school at 50. He waited and waited for months for the company to close so he would get his 17-year severance. But school started and he had to leave. The money he had anticipated he would live on disappeared. She was going to be working while he was in school. The area she worked in took a dive when Reality TV first came on the air. She didn’t feel she had other marketable skills she could parlay into another job. He found a wonderful job after he graduated from school. But it was for less money than he had been earning. But it had health insurance which he needed. All was well until he fell ill and there was 4 years of caretaking and medical bills. And they lived on credit cards. At that time they didn’t know anyone to ask for help. They didn’t plan. Nor did they have a plan while he was ill about what to do with the Life insurance money she would receive after he died. Looking back…so many “I should have done this”, “I should have done that…”

Living in the past of what would have been different —
“if only she had planned better.”
More shame. More shame. More shame.

And feeling that, again, she did it that money thing, horribly WRONG.

So she channeled that experience and those feelings into an ART project. 
A Risky Venture. But it kept her happy and sane and laughing. And had other people laughing as well. That may have not been “money in the bank” initially — but it encouraged her to think about how to monetize her Creativity in a way to serve and help others not feel so alone.

Her husband passed away 5 years ago. She started working with a financial planner to help strengthen her financial muscles. Two years ago she sold her home in order to pay off the mounting debt and start her life again. That was a very good decision. She’d like to say she has become a fierce warrior of finance. She has made some progress and has a few plans in place. She will forever feel like a ‘financial work in progress’ because that is where her Achilles’ heel lies. Investing and financial lingo and those kinds of things are just plain hard for her to grasp and comprehend 
and it is like White Noise in her head. “La La La.”

In the last 8 years, she became an expert at her ART. She kind of home-schooled herself. While she did not go to art school, she became aware of her gifts and talents as a writer and a chronicler of absurd situations. While this creative endeavor was the most fun she had ever had, Visions of “Starving Artist” would seep into the recesses of her consciousness by subliminal messages she had heard in her childhood. She came from a very artistic family and was lucky, actually that her father earned a very good living as a comedy writer.

“Artist’s have to have “another job” –“It’s hard to make a “Living as an Artist”, 
“Do you know the percentages of people who NEVER MAKE IT??”

While she knew that was true for some, she also knew that if you have a clever hook, some good marketing and a brand that people want to use, there is definitely a way to make good fortune, “HAPPEN.” Her Brand became the clever way she was able to articulate crappy situations, put a whimsical spin to them, help people 
re-define themselves when they hit the ‘Terror Barrier” in the 2nd half of their life and feel they have no where to turn and no where to go. They feel uninspired. Unfulfilled in their job and in their life. They have buried their passions. They are working with people they can’t stand to be around. They are aware that Life is Short and feel emotionally and creatively STUCK.

She felt lucky that she sold her ART everywhere she went. People she met always commented that it was so original and clever. She knows she has sold over a half-a-million dollars of her ART since she started designing her handmade greeting cards in 2000. But she has never been in Profit.
Nor has she saved. Or planned. She has always just “winged it.”

Her part-time “hobby” (which she started when her husband went back to school), kind of became a business, and was never planned out properly. Now, in the 2nd half of her work life, she is keenly aware of her legacy, longevity and her need to have a financial plan. And to re-arrange her thinking, her way of doing business 
and her saving habits. She is hopeful that her struggles and creativity will lead to more money in the bank now that she is more conscious about her money mindset.

J.K. Rowling & Dolly Parton were inspiring examples of Rags-to-Riches stories.

The Passion Train. Get on Board.

Find Your Purpose. Make Your Mess Your Message.

••••••

Many years ago I was listening (and tuned in) to some marketing folks who continued to preach the above. I had searched for mine since my 20’s. So wanting to “FIND MYSELF” – not even knowing what that meant—
but wanting that “Lightbulb” moment so badly.

Turning 60 this year, I have finally acknowledged that my gifts and talents
 lie in the ART of storytelling.

Funny to look back on it, but in my 20’s, I was actually in an acting group in Los Angeles called, “We Tell Stories.” I remember feeling small and out-of-sync with the older actors of the troop who exuded a confidence and a whimsy to make it up without judgments and expectation. I, however, (who was not a fan of Improvisation), worried that I was always doing it wrong –and that everyone did it a whole lot better than me. Just writing this story down, I see the pattern I’ve carried around my whole life. Everyone is doing IT better than me.

Financially, Spiritually…Whatever.

And guess what? It’s kinda not true. Everyone has their own journey to take while
they are on planet earth. If we didn’t have a journey, the world would be so dull. We
gravitate to those who are publicly willing to share their struggles—so that their
impact may reach someone who is in pain –and our story, if colorfully told, can
create a ripple effect to impact many — that, should be Our Purpose.
To crack open and honestly talk about challenges.

Now, those Evil Mind Trolls not only surf the internet for spiders, the financial tentacles continue to reach out and strangling me like an Octopus. Each arm is a
Monthly Bill that leaves me in a kind of frozen, cryonic stasis. I’m hanging upside
down like a bat, waiting for inspiration to show up and present a solution.

My creativity rears its beautiful head to say “I will create beauty out of this situation.
My Muse is on fire today and I will honor that today.”

A couple of months ago I said to my financial advisor, Jamie Fleming, that I need to
be on her phone roster weekly like a FINANCIAL AMBER ALERT. I need Support
and Hand-Holding when I feel that my finances and I are being abducted down
the Rabbit-Hole of confusion and delusion. Being in my head all the time is not a good
thing. I need a reality check – (i.e. –just make it out for $___________ and we’ll call it a day!).

I ALWAYS feel so much calmer when I speak to her. I think she needs to do a daily
audio in my inbox. A positive financial message which jumpstarts my brain to keep
me financially centered and on-track.

“Worried Walt”

Dear Jamie: You are receiving a FINANCIAL AMBER ALERT…

My Finances are being Kidnapped by the Money Troll AGAIN….

We are usually in the Carpool lane
(when Money sits in the passenger seat…)

However, we are now on the Debt highway headed towards the Zero Balance.
The Border Patrol is weaving and waving its
Red Light Alert!
California License Plate:

#FIXmeFAST!
#CashFlowMadness
#OverDrawn Artist
#Debt is a 4-letter word
#ImNotInProfit!
#SavingIsNotJustForSinners
#WeLoveMoney!
#IloveJamie!

•••••

And so, just to do something to restore my financial self-esteem and be nice to
myself, I am publically giving my Muse a Report Card so I bathe in a feeling of
Abundance and Gratitude for many things.

A+ for Creativity

A+ for Showing Up

A+ for Endeavoring to Problem Solve

A+ for Resourcefulness

A+ for Inspiring & Helping Others

A+ for Laughing

B- for Self-Patience

B for Meditation Daily

C for Kindness to Self – that grade changes daily and can be higher 
(when $ comes in)

C for bringing in enough money each week to pay for my bills with ease

C for sitting down and trying to learn InDesign

D for remembering doing Sit-Ups Daily

D for learning more Social Media Strategies and posting on Instagram

F for Saving money each time I receive money. Not automating.

••••••

Not everyone can write and not everyone is a financial wizard. Sharing and asking
for help is Key. I’m lucky I found someone who is in the trenches with me.
Who doesn’t shame me for my lack of financial savvy but who is willing to creatively
work with me in a way that I can receive her wisdom and love.

And for that, I say THANK YOU to Jamie Fleming, (http://www.flemingandassociatesllc.com)
for creating safety and ease around the money
conversation and acknowledging that there is always room for creatively adjusting
your financial situation with awareness, ease and grace.

She encouraged this post and the idea that I put some of my illustrations
into a financial context of my experiences.

I hope you enjoyed it.
Stay tuned for more Positive Art & Money Conversations!

Elisa Goodman
For more inspired tips & creative strategies, poignant ART
and conversation about reinvention after 50,
please contact Elisa Goodman at:
info@curmudgeoncards.com
www.curmdugeoncards.com
c2016 All rights reserved.

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Brisk, bold, fresh and enticing, I whisked out my sweaters, gloves, hot chocolate, thermal t-shirts, plaid wool jackets and any number of accessories I almost sold at a recent garage sale — imagining there would never be a need for cool clothing in L.A. ever again. I actually felt a chill in my apartment when I awoke this morning – curiously never imagining I would ever feel cold here—the non-air conditioned apartment that was so oppressively hot this summer –the fans working overtime to rarely cool even a square foot of air. At the property manager’s suggestion, I had the pilot light turned off in the fireplace and heater when I moved in this past February — so I would not be charged unnecessarily for an unused, invisible boiler just simmering and keeping company by itself –with no where to go and nothing purposeful to heat up.

“Falling back/Falling forward” through the last few months of 2015 (which seem to be trying to crawl towards another abrupt end at the swiftest pace possible), the sadness of another passing November day overwhelmed me. December 31st will mark the 5th anniversary of Ken’s passing. And, because of the recent loss of our 23 yr old beloved parrot Hightop last month, no longer would I enjoy searching for and purchasing the seasonal treats of fresh cranberries—a yearly, autumnal ritual Hightop would look forward to mowing down weekly until the holiday berry-season ended.

I would scout and grab a bag of newly displayed Ocean-Spray cranberries from the market as soon as they arrived on the shelves, excitedly come through the door and announce, “Look what I have for you….”, hurriedly wash them in a colander, dry them on several layers of paper towels — diligently covering them up and rolling them around until they had properly dried because Hightop did not like wet things under her feet)… and then excitedly offer them up as a “Fun-filled activity of distraction” for our beloved, feathered child. She loved to “mark them all” with a territorial beak-bite — as if to claim them all for herself…lest she encounter an intruder parrot who might remotely decide that some of her cranberries were to be shared up with an uninvited ghost of a guest. The ordered rows of cranberries resembled a cemetery of red crosses – or rows of red bowling balls or marbles ready to be steamrolled – little white insides, seeds and trappings unemotionally flung aside and discarded in less than 60 seconds. Game begun. Game over. What’s Next, Mom?

Coming home tonight to an empty apartment, no Diana Krall or Turner Classic Movies playing in the background—no bobbing friend to welcome me home to play and cuddle with has left me, with a winter cold – longing to sleep and be buried under the sheets with a good book and a hot brew of Gold Kili tea.

Fortunately, the other day I happened onto a fabulous book on tape which I have been gratefully enveloped by—Elizabeth Gilbert’s “The Signature of All Things”…a sumptuous tale of intrigue, botany, and magical language –read by the superb British actress, Juliet Stevenson.

Glued to seat of my car, hanging on to each audio chapter –page after page filled with stunning, descriptive writing –each CD ending with a page turner – a wondrous, moody winter tale that has filled me with happiness. A lingering distraction I will not want to end.

It’s been so long since I’ve been lost in a book (the library didn’t have the paperback so I opted for the audiobook) – and since I drive so much, it has been nice to have a respite from the beloved country songs of Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean I frequently listen and sing along to.

Most of the books I have been reading of late have been business/soul/feng-shui related…it is the rare treat to be swept away on a journey to a faraway time…filled with facts and happenstances that weave the reader back in time — leaving me in awe wondering just how many books she must have read to gather all the information she meticulously researched (or googled) and the facts she cleverly fastened into a jeweled treasure chest of wordsmithing – some true, some created out of her own superb imagination. The 3×5 index cards must have made an interesting scrapbook bulletin board of decorative, descriptive wallpaper.

Most of you know that Ken’s life was surrounded by books—he always had a book near him, to be transported by, to be comforted with. He ordered many books daily and had voluminous choices before he finished any number of ones he was currently absorbed by. After he lost his sight, it was difficult to adjust to being transported by a book on tape. Fascinated by history, however, today I feel he would have enjoyed listening to “The Signature of All Things”.

So, on this chilly, windy, Wednesday night—with dark clouds looming through crystal-clear skies….I am tucked away in my apartment to prepare for some new holiday shows before going to bed early…I am happily blessed knowing I will look forward to Thursday…when more will be revealed from the ‘Whitaker Family Saga’ and I will relish in the writing of the Divine Ms. Gilbert.

Thank you, Liz Gibert, for magically ushering in my winter (I feel there was no fall) with the coziness of a New England cottage —filled with a roaring fire, some hot tea and a good comfy blanket.

I’ve been getting signs to “slow down”…and nothing helps slow me down better than some fine writing and good pillows for propping myself up (literally and figuratively). It’s definitely harder to do this in a car than in my great, comfortable bed.

Major changes seem to be in the air — flanked and peppered by hot soup, reflective afternoons, assessments and intakes, creative musings and unidentified callings. Winds of change are moving the direction of my soul’s calling — and I am curiously waiting to see what will be revealed and selected for my future.

I always follow the signs. Life’s adventures are usually buried under your shoes and it’s nice to have the choice to decide to go right or to go left. Or to just stand still, look out and take stock. Or to remove your shoes and venture out with the bare souls of your feet and the openness of your soul’s being to breathe fresh air into your lungs and fill the aching in your being with possibility and new discoveries.

And that’s why I love sweater weather … turtleneck sweaters, corduroy pants, thick Thorlo socks & comfy boots, cashmere scarves, leather gloves, Tiger Baum, the smells of Christmas Tree cuttings, cinnamon, Epsom salts, massages, flannel sheets, freshly baked cookies and homemade soup.

These hug my soul and nurture the isolation that I feel in my life at the moment. I am looking forward to finding a seasoned Spirit Traveler to journey forward with. I will be looking for signs. Who knows what the wind will be blowing in my direction. Stay tuned….

The post Seasons of Change by Elisa Goodman appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

Seriously, don’t get me started.

I have always been the person who works on her taxes the night before the appt with the accountant. Why? Because I won’t remember how I got to the numbers if I put a lot of days in between. It seems like I arrive late to shows, have to set up in the wee hours of the morning, am exhausted, can’t seem leave the house in time (by that I mean I want to leave at 8am or 9am and can’t get out of house until 1 or 2pm). I my prep to clean my house for the pet sitter which entails, vacuuming, swiffering the floors and cleaning the bathroom, preparing food for the bird, changing the sheets, doing the laundry, cleaning up the ubiquitous piles of fabric and card-making materials occupy the dining room table and surrounding floor – all of which really takes a good 4 hours to leave the apartment in decent-enough shape for the guest and will return me to a clean house when I return. Also, I prepare my breakfast and lunch, get a latte & go to the bank. The car is always packed with stuff. I feel suffocated and boxed in with my own life. I feel I can only breathe at the beach.

I was recently at Costco and scanned the book table. I picked up the Feng Shui book by Mari Kondo which has sold 3 million copies about the magic of Tidying up. Her main point being only keep things that bring you Joy. Kind of like Tithing. To me, Tithing should only prompt giving to another person who inspires/moves you to action or brings you joy. Not just because you ”should” give someone money. I started reading it and started to purge. Get rid of stuff. The bags of things to shred. The bird paraphernalia I no longer need and want to take the to bird vet since Hightop died, the iPhone covers I have on ebay that have not sold, the furniture and crap in my mom’s garage that I would love to sell in a garage sale but haven’t been able to put together a weekend to do that because it has been so darn hot. The piles of paper that just won’t go away. The things on my desktop I am continually working on.

I want to be neat and tidy. I know that it feels calm to be in a house empty of piles. Whenever I’m stressed out I empty the trash for a quick pick-me-up. Order reigns. My ex-business partner Abra does not have piles in her house E-VER!  If she comes to your house she will start to clean out your drawers.
Someone’s sense of chaos is unbearable to her.

I need to purge and be open to giving things away. I wanted to sell them because I could use the money for shows and paying down debt. Should I just give them away? Will my generosity bring me something in return? Or should I never expect something in return? Do things that bring you joy without an expectation of getting something in return or “What’s in it for me? “ That’s what Wayne Dyer says.

Some of the things I have are valuable so I have been “holding out” to try to sell them. I see that by “Holding on to them”, my arms are too encumbered to receive anything. Will the universe bring that opportunity to me? Or should I take a tax deduction? Answers to the burning questions my mind continues to roll around all night an all day.

It feels like I have past life regressions. Or Past Life Regrets. Or Past Life remembrances. Moving forward with clarity, not chaos. Not doubting every decision as wrong, misguided or stupid. Embracing all the decisions I made and seeing them as PERFECT choices at the time. Chaos-corrected, perfectly orchestrated. Will that restore my regret of past –mistakes? Why can’t I just be content with every decision I ever made was “PERFECT” during the time it was made? I torture myself and there is nothing to be done to fix anything. REALLY? I know that totally but can’t help myself . Hard to be kind to yourself when you are second-guessing everything.

Will clarity reign? Stay tuned for the next episode of “Chaos or Clarity” –a Curmudgeon Conundrum. Until then….Wishing YOU a Perfectly, Purged Life.

The post Chaos or Clarity? by Elisa Goodman appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

As I rely on these events to pay my bills, the “upside down nature” of “nature vs. nurture” got me thinking. What else am I supposed to do? Maybe stop doing shows? Get a regular J.O.B? What other paths are out there to monetize the work I’ve done and not have to “work so hard” (as in schlepping my tent around, and having my car exist as my own U-Haul enterprise, etc). I think I’ve scheduled more shows this year than ever, and the profit from them has not been any more lucrative –keeping my income the same… or somewhat less than what I had anticipated. Which, by the way, is always interesting to note because my income can determine and influence my mood and my self-worth. If I don’t make money – I equate it with being a poor business person & financial failure. Which is absolutely NOT TRUE and does not help bring gratitude or abundance into my life. Negative self-talk is not good – which is why I always write: “Never Lose SIGHT of Your Own Magnificence” on a number of my illustrations. Remember that song from the ‘70’s: “Signs, Signs….Everywhere Signs…”

So, I turn to the OCEAN for Wisdom and Signs on my walks.

Sunday I came home after packing up after the Culver City Show, took a shower at 8pm because I was just drenched in sweat and decided to “chill out” for 2 ½ hours listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Memorial Tribute that they taped on Friday in Florida. I listened to the replay until midnight. Dr. Dyer loved the Ocean and often found serendipity in the little guided moments and gifts that appear “magically” when we pay attention and ask for guidance. One of those happened on my walk.

Here was the takeaway:

I left the house with a big Dick Blick’s Art Supply Bag with the intention to pick-up trash left at the beach from the weekend. I did it 2 weeks ago because I was staggered at the garbage I found strewn over the beach after the Labor Day holiday. I was happy to see that the beach was a lot cleaner than I had last seen it. It felt good to help out – and it was my Zen contribution for giving back and enjoying the ocean.
I left the house at 8am and was so happy to be at the beach. I was surprised by the warmth and tropical weather again. Although the beach was relatively clean, I started picking up trash—my first piece of trash was a discarded balloon that said “Get Well Soon”…floating into the sea. I took it as a “Sign” that the Ocean needed healing and that between my mom and parrot, HIGHTOP, my friend Fay and myself…I thought it was good way to start healing the things that make me feel “off kilter.”

On my walk, I met a man named Sterling. He saw me picking up the trash and bowed to me with Namaste hands and said “Thank You.” He was grateful I was making the beach a little nicer. I had just read Liz Gilbert’s blog FB about how necessary & important it is to just be who you are — in your authentic voice — so the world & people will “Thank You” for providing them with the transformation they need. Your bravery in sharing your gifts give others the necessary self-confidence to keep going, to gain inspiration to see how you have “figured it out for yourself” — and really gives someone else a little spiritual “lift”. If you don’t put your gifts out into the world, you are doing the world a disservice. It is what Oprah shares and others who have been doing their “thing” and marching to their own brand of self-actualization and Soul “Aha’s.”

This man acknowledged me for making the beach — his beach –our beach — a little bit cleaner. He shared that he was 70, retired, a father of 4 boys and was very youthful in spirit and soul under his sun-protective straw hat. He told me he offers the Mother Ocean prayers daily. He shared the words he used, which were so magical and spoke to my soul. Divine inspiration at just the right time.

I was actually supposed to get home and be on a phone call at 11am as I had agreed to do a favor for someone in a networking group I was in and have a phone consultation with her friend who wanted to make greeting cards. This gal was in NY and she was supposed to call me at 11am. I was in the middle of my beach clean up and didn’t feel compelled to run home to speak to her. My cell phone doesn’t get great reception at the beach. I thought about what it meant to “break my agreement” – I tried to call her but the phone had poor reception. I texted her that we would have to reschedule. I felt “called” to stay at the beach. Had I left… I wouldn’t have had the Divine encounter with Sterling – who literally “changed” my life.

It was just the right blessing/prayer I needed to hear –about surrendering to “what is”, to financial expectations, to accept whatever the universe brings you on any given day as what you are supposed to experience – that day. When you send blessings out….as a kind of prayer — they are returned as ‘magical gifts’ – he called them “BOONES”. We spoke about Wayne Dyer – I told him about the Memorial Service – he was happy to hear he could still listen to it. Gratitude.

I told him, he was my BOONE!

Trash I picked up included: a broken kite, kid’s sandals, several spray paint cans, lots of straws, styrafoam pieces, candy wrappers – not egregious –but just enough to keep going. The trash was heavy and I was heaving. The sand was hot without shoes and I was having a “Lawrence of Arabia” moment.

As to the conversation I always have with the ocean and universe about universal abundance and the observance that there really is AN ABSENSE of “LACK”– I made the association with the beach garbage that there is ALWAYS MORE. Just when I think I picked up everything—I go back and find something I didn’t initially “SEE”….then it really hit home….there is always “MORE” of everything….and always in places where we didn’t stop to take note, didn’t stop to pick up. You can think, “Oh why bother… someone else can get it/do it/etc. “

Life, for me, is about noticing the moments. I find money every day. Why is it I SEE that quarter at the post office tucked under the floorboards waiting for someone to get it? Didn’t anyone else SEE it? Or did they just think it was too much work to crouch down, take a pen, push it over to the side to slide it out. Get your hands dirty? For a quarter? Yep! I expect to find money every day… and hence, I do. I found a quarter that day in my special meter in the parking lot behind my Post Office Box – where I am usually lucky several times a week to find something.

I turned around and was walking back, looking for, (but not seeing a big trash can to dump the collected trash into) when I spotted a small round Yellow Balloon floating in the water. I grabbed it and put it in the bag. Then a wind gust came and it flew out of the trash bag and floated rapidly down the beach in the water, sucked into the ocean, carried by the wind. I had to chase it so became a game –and I got all wet trying to grab it. I retrieved it and put it back into my carpetbagger’s garbage bag. I decided to put a pin in it to pop it. I was literally dragging the garbage bag along the sand. Stopping every so often to just sit down. My heart was beating hard.

On my way up the hill back to my car, I saw some butterflies. Some Smog. There was a segment on Wayne Dyer’s memorial about plight and pattern of the Monarch Butterflies. And, excitedly, earlier in my walk I saw I Seal about 500 feet from me. I’ve not seen a Seal in ages. I thought – I don’t think Fat EELS jump out of the water, do they? I mentioned that I thought I saw one to Sterling who confirmed he saw it too. Not to mention the 12 birds flying in unison across the sky. On a mission. To somewhere. And I love the little birds that run into the water at rapid speed – knowing there will be food there. Always. No hesitation. And they never are eating “sand” – Sterling said they find little crabs.

And now, at the end of the day, I am exhausted. The next day my muscles are always sore like a good “work-out.” The beach “hikes” really take it out of me. I surrender to the universe my life, my experiences, my outcomes, my life lessons, my willingness to feel good about what goes on every single day I’m still on the planet –and my choice to enjoy, sometimes/sometimes not to “push” to make things happen. And to always say “Thank You” to my teachers who come into my life on a daily basis to remind me to keep going. Because, Yes, there really is always MORE.

Have a great day!

Elisa Goodman is the Owner/Designer/Prolific Muse of Curmudgeon Cards, I’m Skewed! – Encouragement Art with a Twist & Perched on the Moon Designs.
Her company is dedicated to enhancing your life through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication & Inspired Art.

The post The Yellow Balloon appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

• Say ‘Yes’ to Opportunities that inspire You!

• Saddle Up. Show Up. Or Shut Up.
  Either do it, drop it or stop talking about it.

• If you get an intuitive “hit” – you notice something, a voice says go ”right” when you always go “left”, follow the bird crumbs. Many times, “magic” is waiting. The times I have done that, I have created magical drawings out of those experiences –which would never have happened if I was not “present” to the opportunity.

• The days I don’t want to pack up my car, clean my house and drive the  (5) hours to get an out-of-town show are usually the shows I do well at. The energy and “resistance” I “feel” I now realize are “patterns”. It’s a fine line to delineate between “It’s a Sign” I shouldn’t go (when nothing is lining up and everything is falling apart….) and honoring the fact that I rarely cancel, but sometimes, it just feels like the adult thing to do versus: “I’m tired…but I know it will be great if I just get myself there.” Sometimes even Rain turns out to be a blessing. It is a constant mystery….Trying to listen to that “inner voice” and realize that my job is to bring my message of positivity and hope to people. If I don’t show up….someone who might really “need some inspiration” will not receive it. That gets me going.

• Everyone is on “their own path”. There is so much “noise” out there to follow someone else’s path because it seems they have “insider” information & are “doing it more correctly” than the one we are each on. Here’s the words of wisdom that came to me for a drawing I made in 2011 entitled: “Meg in ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ ”:“Sometimes we wish we were in ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’
  & forget that they may be stinky, worn out or in need of a polish.
  Always be grateful to the shoes that House your Soul!”

• The trouble is, you think you have time. (Courtesy of Buddha)
  Well, if you want to refute that, just turn on the daily news. Remember that commuter train you thought was just going to take you to work? …Oh, well…it decided to derail today.
  Do as much as you can to get pleasure out of the little things. The walk on the beach, a bubble bath, the cuddle with your loved one, your pet, your inspiration, your muse…. even taking the trash out. As Sogyal Rinpoche wrote in
  “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” : (Paraphrasing)
  “From the minute we are born we are dying. Some people have timely deaths, some untimely. We never know which will be our path. Therefore, live as fully as possible so you don’t have regrets at the end.”

• British Astrologer, Jonathan Cainer – whether you believe in astrology or not, I find him to be a like a great comfy sweater – when I listen, it’s like getting advice from someone you trust, who doesn’t tell you what you want to hear—but tells you what you might “consider” — which always help to shift me to a place of understanding and gives me reassurance that my “path” is a good thing and when I get out of the way of “trying” to make it more difficult, there are ALWAYS great things around the corner. (www.jonathancainer.com)  In the end, does it really matter? We won’t be here….the only person we need to please is ourselves.

• Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat, Pray, Love”)  is also another “go-to” sanity source for neat ideas and a“Pick Me Up” that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol!  Last Christmas on Facebook, Elizabeth Gilbert shared one of her “gratitude secrets.” She keeps a “Happiness Jar”. Every day she writes down something that makes her happy or an event that made her happy. On days when she is having a “down day” –she reaches into the jar and plucks out a piece of paper that reminds her of something that made her happy. That helps her “shift” from one mental space to another where she remembers to be “grateful”.

• Be easy on yourself. We are all trying to do our best on any given day.
  When the world is crumbing around me, I try to go for a walk by the ocean or grab a yoga class. Don’t be afraid to tell people “NO” – you just can’t do one more thing! Boundaries, people! Be your own boundary!
  If your circuits are overloaded, go back to doing something that makes you happy and that is for ‘YOU’ to help get you back on a more even keel.  For me, it is sitting on the floor with all of my stamps and fabrics and creating Art.

• Breathe.

If any of the above was helpful, please share and feel free to send me your “aha’s.   Have a great day!

Elisa Goodman is the Owner/Designer/Prolific Muse of Curmudgeon Cards, I’m Skewed! – Encouragement Art with a Twist & Perched on the Moon Designs.
Her company is dedicated to enhancing your life through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication & Inspired Art.

The post Dollops of Reflection for Reinvention after 50! appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

I now consider myself a full-time artist and have been designing my handmade art cards for the past 15 years. In the last eight, I have been illustrating and turning my whimsical designs into many kinds of products. I’m with other artists’ almost every weekend. All kinds—Fiber, Clothing, Painters, Photographers, Ceramics, etc. and we all “talk” as they say….about our experience and interface with customers when we have time between customers. We are never at a “loss for words” – just trying to do/say the right thing.

Honestly there is NOTHING THAT MAKES US HAPPIER than having inspired customers who love our work, want to take it home, wear it, send it, display it….
and BUY IT.

That is, after all, why we are there. It does do anyone any good if we make a bunch of art and then stay home and keep it in the closet or the garage. I know my handmade cards are more expensive than most –but honestly, I’ve been told I should charge more. The days I consider it, I then worry that people will think they are really too expensive.

I offer a Buy (10) get one Free (a savings of $12). It is a loyalty incentive punch card like they give out at the Yogurt Stores. If you misplace the card, you can’t replace it. On my printed cards, I offer a Buy (6) or more and get $1/off each card. I have so many types of cards, so that this is an easy way to save money.
I start off with telling you there are discounts. But the Discount mentality is so culture driven these days…most people don’t stop to think that is becomes a HOT BUTTON…for Artists’. We tell you our processes so you can feel good about what you are buying. The thought that went into the piece, the time it took, the fact that there might NOT be another one exactly like it….EVER.

When you ask if we offer a discount if you purchase One, Two or whatever….our brain goes into “pleasing” mode before we have a chance to “think” what other discounts/questions/issues/shipping are we going to have to factor in. The truth is most of the time we say “OK” – giving you a discount on one piece before we know what we are dealing with—maybe you change your mind, want a different piece — we often undercut ourselves, our hard work, our profits, our expenses. It’s often a nightmare, it causes “upsets” (for us and for you, if we have to say “no”.) It’s hard to back-pedal on the deal when the perimeters change invisibly.
Each handmade of piece might have a different process, technique, time-frame we used to make it, sit, think, ruminate, solve, patch together and there is usually not “one price” that adequately covers materials/labor. If we did, the art would be so expensive, you might not want to purchase it in the first place. So we make cuts and take a smaller profit usually from the “get-go” –so our art won’t sound so outrageously expensive that you won’t consider it at all.
Case in Point: I had a customer many years ago who asked me to design some personalized cards for the girls in her husband’s dental practice. She had been giving them these kind of cards for years—but the woman she had been ordering them from stopped making cards. I didn’t normally offer this kind of card — but I thought I would try it. I figured it might be a good skill to acquire. After I finished doing them, I told her the price and she then proceeded to tell me the other woman charged her $2/per card less. I didn’t know how to price it before I started making it because I hadn’t done it before and didn’t know what it would entail. Well, that just put me on the defensive. That was her price, and this was mine. Totally different kind of card.

She then proceeded to let me know I was going to get “so much business” from this I should discount them for her on the “fact” that she was doing me a favor sending out my work to a new group of people for me who she “swore” were going to be future customers. *Spoiler alert…..

I felt really crappy and felt I had “sold out”. I told myself I would NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. I was mad (at myself and at her). Every time I saw her name on my mailing list I would relive that story and lack of integrity I had for myself. I deliberately took her off my mailings because I didn’t want to do business with her anymore.

Three years later, she showed up at one of my shows in Santa Monica and said she hadn’t heard from me and wondered what had happened. She overheard me offering a discount to a longtime customer who bought a lot of cards from me on a regular basis (who I was in the middle of handling a transaction for )– and then, had the nerve to ask me if she, too, could get a “friends and family” discount.

REALLY? I don’t think so.

I bristled, went into hyper-drive and told her that I had changed my business practices and was only offering discounts for special people/circumstances. She was not family. And quite frankly, she was not a friend. She was a one-time customer who always asked for a discount on everything in her life…and probably got it because she was so annoying. I think I rubbed it in that since my husband was sick or dying (or he may have even passed on) and now I had to take care of myself and I was running my business differently)….Memory fades….

So remember, when you ask for a discount, you are potentially taking away from an artist’s livelihood: Our being able to do more shows, travel to get there, get a pet/babysitter, pay for gas, hotels, meals, show fees, promotional postcards, etc. Often we are at the mercy of weather for outdoor shows and who shows up to the show/demographics in the first place. We don’t want to be a Starving Artist. We want to be a Thriving Artist.
So, it’s not just one “piece of art”. It’s lots of pieces we paid for in advance to make, ship, wrap, package, etc. We are usually in the hole before we start. We know that and we do it because we “LOVE WHAT WE DO”.

And really, we don’t want to disappoint you. We just want to keep doing what we love so we can bring your art that makes your heart sing.
Discounts are for Target, Walmart, Bloomingdales. Products that are made overseas in such massive quantities that they have such a good mark up they can afford to let you think they are “giving away the store” and they will still make money.

When we are organically offering a sale or a discount, it is because we have figured it out and we can afford to do so. There’s a reason we are having a sale—to move merchandise to make room for new items, because we have an overstock of something—or because we may be tired of looking at it.
Take pride in knowing that you have made a great decision in buying something for yourself or for a close friend who will love that you thought so highly of them to purchase a unique, one of a kind piece that you know they will love.

There’s NOT A PRICE you can put on that feeling.

Honestly, it rocks!

Appreciatively and in Gratitude for helping me sell over ½ Million Dollars of my own Art.

Elisa Goodman is the Owner/Designer/Prolific Muse of Curmudgeon Cards, I’m Skewed! – Encouragement Art with a Twist & Perched on the Moon Designs.
Her company is dedicated to enhancing your life through Creative Expression, Impactful Communication & Inspired Art.

The post Why you should NEVER ASK ARTISTS’ for a Discount! appeared first on Curmudgeon Cards.

November 22, 2013

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would share my first blog post with this story.  I am giving thanks to the amazing people I have met through this process who have “Gifted” my life in such profound ways….I don’t even know where to begin.

I’ve become aware that I have a weird and awesome gift…it’s kind of like the kid in “The 6^th Sense” when he says, “I see dead people”.  Well, I seem to be able to translate experiences I have into ART and make it available in a universal way.  Some of you may know that I met an amazing woman, a couple of weeks ago at one of my local weekend art shows –Lynne Popadak who lives and speaks about living with chronic pain.  Within hours of meeting her I googled her and found out that she had been quoted in an article using the phrase – “If in life you trip, make it part of the dance”.  I just loved it and found out it was an oft-googled/yet unknown quote.

Making our mistakes and our foibles to appear seamless, casualand transparent allows others to not be so harsh on themselves.  They then, see you as the example, of someone who triumphed through a hard time.  We all want role models and we all want an easy way out and to help, whenever possible.

This drawing of “FROLIC” has just been created and has already evolved into a magnet, poster and card.  It has been popular and “Best Seller” right out of the gate—and it would have never been birthed had I not met this amazing, beautiful, radiant woman who emanated grace through her trials with chronic pain.

Engaging with people is a Gift.  I’m not saying you need to talk to everyone –but the ones that you get a “twinge” with….keep digging – there is a definite reason there is a deep, magical connection.  I now know to pay attention to those “God-Shots” when they speak to me….as they enrich my life and those around me in the future sharing of the tale.

Thank you, in particular, to several individuals who I met in in my travels in peculiar and magical ways:  Anita Finlay, Natalia & Marius Cilova, Lynne Popadak, David Stob, Mike Michalowicz, Frolic Taylor, Baeth Davis, my late husband, Ken Marcus…and of course, my parents Natalie and Hal…whose initial meeting turned out to be one of divine inspiration!

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