At 33

Hello world!

Tomorrow I turn 33. It is sort of a milestone for me at such a random number.  Firstly it took me some time to realize how old I really am since I pretty much stopped counting after 30. It's not even the number that makes it a milestone but more just the amount of things have have happened in the past few years, let alone months.

 I was humbled and honored to test for my level 2 shorts at Muay Thai.  It was a hard decision and big challenge for me. I wanted to do it and train for it but I don't think I started to train for the right reasons.

I was coming off of a pretty big high from seeing friends fight and all the fight training our gym had been doing. In the end I did it for all the right reasons, my friends around the gym and fellow testers training kept me level headed and helped me to remember what was really important and the spirit of our gym. There was even a point when I thought I might of pulled out just because I didn't feel my mind and heart were in the right place for this honor.

In the end I went through it and it was AMAZING. This time was somehow more impactful in my life then the first test. It was rough no doubt as I had only started into sparring maybe two months beforehand and even with all the extra gym time I put in there just wasn't anything to prepare for the endurance needed just for sparring. 

Overall this helped me to let go of my senseless competitiveness and goal driven accomplishments. It let me just relax, enjoy and appreciate the moments in life more. I also learned to let go some of my silly cultural habits of seniority which has always been this hanging stress in my life. 

Super proud of all my fellow testers and big shouts out to Doug, Malik and Lavaughn for being there with me through Level 2! It wasn't that long ago but I feel that in my short time of about a year and half I have learned so much and looking at the new beginner's classes I get excited for them and to be a part of their journey.

Then two weeks later........

I completed another wonderful runway show with the Alternative Fashion Mob.  I couldn't be more happy with the results and most importantly all the people I worked with. I have amazing friends all around me and they really lift me up and assist when I need it. My Muay Thai testing definitely help me be very "whoo saaaa" through this fashion show where I let all the problems other people were having slide off of me and didn't stress with what was wrong but just how to get through it and have fun.

I was so fortunate to also have the amazing models that I did for this show. To me the right energy and personality is more important when doing such a big production but I was also fortunate enough to have beautiful models.  You can see photos of my full collection on my Torn Angel Facebook Page. 

Amidst all of this has also been the store!

 Everything is coming together and I just got back from TNNA this weekend and made some very interesting orders that I was not prepared for. It was so hard to go there not knowing what exactly my customer base will be and figuring out who my client really is before I am open. It's a struggle to think about what I want my store to be and how I also want to service the community at the same time. I don't want anyone to feel alienated at the same time I want to stick to my creative guns with my yarn selections.

The POS is all set up and I didn't think that would be such an ordeal but it was and now it's all good. We have a rhythm for it all and I understand how it all works. I would show pictures of the whole store but it's still a slight mess right tools and things needing to be made. I'm also a bit spread out to work on the display for the windows and just general it's a mess.

Lastly I got my second tattoo and I can't say it will be my last but she might be. I'll just show you a picture because it means too much to me to just clump my feelings together with everything else and I am still relishing in the glow of it and all the feelings surmounted with this tattoo.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'll be spending the entire day traveling across time zones to be in Korea! now that so many things are over with I can finally start to get excited as I pack and get ready. I can say that I am nowhere near where I thought I would be today.  If I talked to younger self I would reassure myself and say:

"No, you won't be married with 3 kids as a housewife or working for a large fashion company, but it's ok. You will find a new fantastic path, be happier and be full of wonderful encounters, friendships and fulfillment in ways you didn't know exist. You will be an entire person on your own whole and without regret and you will love everything with all your heart and it will be ok even though it's not where you thought you would be. Enjoy the adventure because it is all yours alone"

Cheers!

Oh Hai, I've been MIA

Why hello there blog......
I've missed you have you missed me?

Life has, as it will, unexpectedly thrown me many a curve balls over this past year. It was been a little over one year that I have now held my position as the Gallery Manager and Organizational Administrator for the Ohio Art League.  It has had many trials and tribulations and I want to stick by my guns by not put anything negative on my blog. Hence not posting lately, not necessarily because of the job and work but everything in life has been a big ball of stress and angst but also light in unexpected areas.  It has been undoubtedly hard to focus.

My yarn store dreams are once again at a standstill. I have it all set up I just need my business account with the hubby and the space. I'm almost so prepared that I am scared to jump in. Also I am finding that I would like to be a bit more financially independent when I move onto this venture so I am content to sit another 6-8 months with a paying steady job to get majority of my debt paid off from silly things like store credit cards and low $200-1500 credit cards that I don't really need and should learn to live without.

All is well in the world of Torn Angel. I have been busy with custom orders, lot's of bridal work and working closely with the lovely new group that is Columbus Alternative Fashion Mob. Below are two of my favorite creations for that show.

 

Working on fashion things again has gotten my brain and fingers itching to also have the yarn store as a studio space. I have 1,001 ideas but no time or space to create them. I know I have the talent to make a living off of it, I just need to be kinder to myself and believe in myself more.

My biggest accomplishment since last I wrote was completing my level one shorts testing for my Muay Thai gym.  It was an amazing and humbling experience. I don't think I've ever worked that hard or trained so much for anything before in my life.  It was 11 full, non-stop minutes of physical intensity that felt like my lungs were on fire and I could barely stand. Clenches, boxing, kicks and just for fun I had jumping kicks to added as my extra special contribution to pain. A friend told me afterwards they felt like they were watching Mortal Kombat and repeatedly pressing for the jumping kick because I just kept going for a near 2 mins on jumping roundhouses. 

TOTALLY WORTH IT!

I can now consider myself a true student of Kru Hope Vitellas. Having this outlet has been the best thing I have done in a long time for myself. I have lost weight, been in amazing shape and the people at the gym are nothing but loving positive energy that helps me great through some of the tougher days I've had this year. My friend Laura also joined the gym with me and nicknamed me for Rainbow Dash from My Little Ponies.

REPRESENT!

Finally for this post I also hosted a Korean Indie Rock Band during their first US tour! It was great to hang out with some Koren natives and practice a bit of my broken Korean with them. We actually communicated very well considering how terrible my speaking is.

The band is called Love X Stereo and they are AMAZING. I got them a last minute hook up at Kobo Live with the help of my buddy Jacob Wooten and the fast thinking of Wolf Starr. Amazing fellows to work with for anything local and community. Anyways back to the band!

 

Love X Stereo is anything BUT the usual kpop. They are a indie rock electronica band and I love their sound and feel. My favorite two tracks are Soul City and Lose to Win.  It was so random but isn't that how the best things always happen? My friend Vinh had become friends with them and asked me to host them and find a spot for them to play. Now I have 5 new fantastic friends across the sea. It's always cool when you meet people that you see as "celebrity" and they are totally down to earth and cool and enjoy playing video games as much as you do. I can't wait till they visit again next year on their next tour!

Check out their new Album GLOW and help support another form of independent artists!

This is all I've got for now. Things are looking better and brighter.  Even with the yarn store on hold I am still checking out and doing as much research as I can by visiting other yarn stores and sampling new yarns and companies.

Cheers!

It's been awhile

Hello Blog land! It has been a long while since I have posted, I deeply apologize for leaving any readers hanging. Life has come at me very quickly and the new job (even though it's been 6 months) is still sending me zingers and keeping me so busy I barely have time to craft. In fact I barely have time for anything but MUAY THAI!

I have added yet another element to my life and that is Muay Thai kick boxing. I'm in love. I don't think very many people associate me with being active with all that crafting, video gaming and cats sitting on my lap but I really was, once upon a time. I suffered some pretty major back injuries about 6-7 years ago from a snowboarding accident and have kept on the side of safety. A good friend told me about the gym he goes to and suggested I try it since I was having problems getting into the habit of working my core and my gym routine was pissing me off only doing laps in the pool due to my weak core and back. I went and it's been amazing. It is some of the hardest training I have done in my life since Taekwando in Korea back in the summer of 1999. Not only has it been great physically but also mentally, everyone at the gym is great. They have a real community going there and lot's of love and support for all the students. I think this is also a huge part of why I have made huge efforts to keep with Muay Thai over everything else.

Community, it's an amazing thing and Columbus is well known for having such a terrific one. This is what made me want to work in my job with a non-profit, because I love the arts community and so many of my friends were a part of it. Muay Thai is the same way, such an amazing community in our gym that many days I stay up to half an hour after class just chatting with people. I recently saw the Nina does C-bus show and parts of it put me near to tears with all the love and seeing so many faces of friends in her show. I feel super fortunate of all the places in the entire world I grew up in a place where outstanding communities are all around me.

Now enough of this sap! Let's get to some updates!
I am no longer going to be having an art studio for two reasons:
1. Junctionview Studios will be closing it's doors for ever (boo)
2. I have spent so little time in the studio due to my job that is it just not fiscally responsible

So I have been moving everything home and it's fine, it works a little better aside from the smell of litter boxes next to me. I am set up in the basement in the far side from my sewing studio. It makes a little better sense to all be together, but the yarn..... dear lord the yarn is another issue.

Although most of my studio is already moved back home I will be a part of AGORA X at Junctionview Studios this coming weekend. There is a fancy Preview party Friday from 6-10 pm and then Saturday is the main event from noon-midnight! If you have never been to one, it is not something to miss. One of my favorite art events all year.

I've also been accepted into my first gallery show since college for my fine art and NOT fashion for once. I am super excited for that and it is a group show with two other ladies I have much respect and love for as well, Megan Coyan and Nicki Strouss. I have a lot of work ahead of me in embroidery and watercolor, but I am excited. Here is a peek of my current work still depicting bruises and how they represent interactions in our lives.

Lastly and on a fashion note I am one of the designers for the Alternative Fashion Mob fashion show in June. Once again a lot of work ahead of me. Coming up immediately is this fantastic Couture Cuisine collaboration with the Explorer's Club. I am going to be represented by dessert!

OH and one more thing! I met Ann Hamilton TWICE this month! I will get more into it in another blog entry but just had to share since it was one of the things on my personal bucket list. 

My vow going forward dear friends is to get a blog entry done once a week. This blog like my life is going to keep developing and changing to reflect my personal growth and exploration of the world.

Cheers!