New Accommodations and Resources4Resilience

 

Adaptability IS Thriving. 

As I am attempting to transition to working in my studio full-time again, I have found some alternative possibilities. Last month I set up my creative space with New Accommodations made possible, in part, by my subscribing patrons. This addition creates a workspace that allows me to do detailed work with minimal stress on 2023-2024 injuries that are still healing. 

Of course, I've been distracted by the crime spree in the Capitol and much of my energy has been spent attempting to navigate and respond to the news that goes with all of that. The reactive urge to gather and organize and DO something is tempered daily by limited physical ability here. Feeling stuck and useless has been incredibly aggravating. In my frustration to find ANYTHING I can possibly contribute, I've been gathering a growing a list of resources to support resilience during these unlawful times. 

As the inhumanity of this administration began to become clear, I discovered Leaving MAGA. Leaving MAGA was founded in 2024 to be a community and safe space for those who have left the movement, or have doubts and remorse about staying in MAGA but are afraid to leave. For those trying to understand how people we believed to be good could end up there and for those who are trying to leave, this is a window into how that works. For wellness sake and the sake of our Nation, may we all let go of that which no longer serves and make space for healthy communication that restores unity here.

Gathering Great Things 

Doing my little bit in my small corner of the world, I've been sharing what I find that might inform and support any movement to defend Democracy. These bits and pieces include tools for resilience, protecting our privacy (or at least minimizing access to it), defunding authoritarianism, calls to action for Resistance, protecting our finances, being prepared, finding unity in the creation of mutual aid which decentralizes resources and the power over them, the development of sustainable self-sufficiency, and connections to independent media and how to support that. 

This FREE list of resources continues to grow on my page at patreon here. 

Joining the Shutdown315 Movement, I left all-meta media. In addition to creating for wellness and sharing on Patreon, subscribing patrons are making it possible for me to replace the muck-at-meta with more enriching connections and insights to write about on my pages at Substack. 

My mind is so full of the happenings and the words about them that I haven't been able to tap into much as far as creating visual art. I have a plan to try to work through that by doing some replays of workshops I signed up for:

•  at Lisa Sonora's Visual Journal Studio 

• and with Amy at Mindful Art Studio

• and with Sara at I Stand for Love

Thankful to be discovering some refreshing content and creators on Substack.

Shared this one with patrons in case you are also feeling at a loss or overwhelmed about what to do or how to be...or not to be. Sharing the headings/goals here, but you can Click through to read the full post. It's good. Better than anything I could come up with on my own in this moment.

"Feeling Helpless? Here’s How to Fight Back"

What We Do with All This Fear and Anger

Lady Libertie  Feb 22, 2025

Here’s what we can do:

1. Resist Despair Like Your Life Depends on It—Because It Does

2. Forget About Converting the Hardcore Fascists

3. Stay Loud, Stay Public, Stay Together

4. Use Your Energy Strategically

5. Know That Resistance Takes Many Forms

6. Prepare, but Don’t Let Fear Rule You

7. Be Unruly, Be Bold, Be Ready

"So pick one thing today. Just one.
And start.

Stay loud. Stay bold. Stay American."

............................... 

A few other words because... Artists Gotta Eat...

It's free to follow on patreon. There are already hundreds of Things to access in the free feed.

Subscribing patrons receive the the most art and the most-current Things from the studio first. Select a membership tier. Increase. Decrease. Cancel anytime. 

Now that I have left the meta-verse, Patrons make it possible to provide free content here on this studio blog, at the Belfast Organization For Artists, on Substack, and at artforarachnoiditis.org, my website to empower fellow arachnoiditis survivors through creative wellness. 

An arts advocate for life; my studio business and creative works are shared in alignment with the concept of accessible and affordable art. When you subscribe: in exchange for the benefits of your subscription level you are providing funding to allow this work to continue to thrive in the world. Thank You! 

Patreon Subscriptions are not tax deductible.
Go here to make a tax-deductible contribution via Sheila's fiscal sponsor.

You can also find my Designs on Things for sale in Artist Shops at Threadless.
These sales support equitable access to creative things
in Allegany County, NY., help to fund the Belfast Organization for Artists, The Art For Arachnoiditis Project, and work to provide equitable access to local creative things in Allegany County, NY and elsewhere. 

For your convenience, by request, patrons who'd prefer not to participate in any of the above platforms are now able to help fund this work via a direct payment on my website here.  

Mindful Memories of a Masked Mom

 

"Blogging is such a weird thing. It is talking to yourself and inviting others to listen in. It is shouting into a crowd and hoping to be heard. It is a community of isolated, solitary individuals, tapping away at keyboards together alone.  It is writing practice and social networking. It is the study of human nature, your own and everyone else's. 

It is, like most things, the sum of its parts and then some." ~ The Masked Mom

Inspired by that Masked Mom, I began my own blog when I was housebound in 2009. It's a classic example of the swirling nature of a blog without a "goal" or designated intention. Originating in the simple desire to connect with somebody, somewhere, who could help me step out of the box inside my head, it swirls all over the place from simple marketing updates, project news, and rambling thoughts. I never really defined what I wanted it to be. And so, that is still what this is. Most of my bloggy posts happen on patreon now, but I do attempt to pop in and put some original ideas and updates here, too.

At that time, I also began using social media to share photos with my little sister on the opposite coast of the country... and to stalk my children, especially my youngest daughter who graduated from high school with an Advanced Regents Diploma at sixteen and moved to New York City then to follow her own star. 

(Yes. I am a proud Mom.)

Social media connected me to many other arachnoiditis survivors. Making art and finding those connections probably saved my life. There-in lies the origins of my love-hate relationship with social media. Though I have used it as a tool to stay in touch with family and friends far away and found many new meaningful, fulfilling, long-term connections online in these years because of it, I have also had to navigate the addictions of screen time and the blatant ickiness of some of the people who profit from its use.

To rationalize my own use, I try to comfort myself with the idea that the good achieved may help balance what they do with the profits. But, I am not sure I truly believe my little bit of good carries that much weight.

All of this is the preamble to my move away from some platforms (again) to focus more on staying connected here, on Patreon, and learning how to find connections on Substack during these unlawful times.

Who is that Masked Mom? 

"I'm the mother of four children, ages 21 to 28, grandma to one, employed full-time in the chemical dependency field, writer in personality if not always in practice, married twenty-eight years, waiting less and less patiently for all the hard-earned wisdom to kick in so I can relax and coast a while...."

Writing since somebody taught her to form words on a page, working, Momming, Aunting, Sistering, Daughtering, Friending, Loving, Learning, Hoping, Lifeing.....and Blogging (from 2005 - 2016) she is missed every day. [R.I.P. 7.27.1968-2.5.2017]

.............................................................................................................

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Who is that Masked Mom?

She's an uneasy cross between Superman and June Cleaver, between the Lone Ranger and Jill Taylor, between Spiderman and Marian Cunningham, between Wonder Woman and Rosesanne Connor before the real-life Roseanne's personal dramas drained the show of all its heart.
She has some superpowers--the same ones required of all parents in our demanding times. She juggles: schedules, committments, guilt. She bestows magic kisses on scraped knees while reassuring her boss on the phone that her project is on track. She is the ultimate multi-tasker. If she could be two places at one time, that would still leave her feeling guilty about the third and fourth places she should be...
This space isn't about her superpowers, though, but about the ways she's all too human. Her alter ego--Clark Kent meets Carol Brady?--is often overwhelmed, occasionally panicked, perpetually exhausted.
I am that alter ego--mother of four children, ages 10 to 16, employed full-time, married eighteen years, waiting less and less patiently for all the hard-earned wisdom to kick in so I can relax and coast a while...

AND....................................... WE MISS HER 

Cancer Sucks 

 (Image: DNR)

January is for Wintering

Wintering right now.  

In 2022, by request to support the Belfast Organization for Artists, I returned to social media platforms to communicate and connect. In 2024, a new job required a social media identity, too.

The last few years haven’t reversed my opinion that these platforms can be useful tools when used effectively and they are a tool which has been devised for behind-the-scenes accessibility that manipulates the users for marketing and profit. This is the cost of the “convenience” offered. Users beware. "Facts" are not the only fake stuff there. 

Though I have done a bit of crowdfunding to support the launch of the Art For Arachnoiditis Project, I've never set up monetization of my work via social media platforms. My online activity and bloggy posts have been living safely on Patreon supported by patrons there and by funding from other patrons who make tax-deductible contributions via Fractured Atlas. FA is a non-profit where patrons can also set up a recurring monthly payment or provide a lumpsum contribution to the Creative Wellness work happening here. Around much longer than Patreon, Fractured Atlas fully supports the value of the artists' freedom of expression as long as the work does not violate their Community Guidelines and anti-oppression principals. 

In light of recent Congressional choices and reversals that impacted many artists dependent upon that revenue stream, I am thankful for the patrons who've chosen to support my work via these less popular non-commodified, ad-free platforms. 

The last half of 2024 my focus has been, once again, on confronting the need for Reasonable Accommodations and the demands of debilitating medical concerns, acceptance, resting, and waiting. Waiting for rest to heal. Waiting for appropriate medical care. Waiting for Wellness actions to work. Waiting for renewed energy.  

Hope scrolling while I wait did help pass some of the hours in this holding pattern. Inevitably clarity arrives when I roll away from the scrolling and let wisdom walk in.

Closed for the season, my creative practice in my studio has been limited to arts services for my subscribing patrons on Patreon. 

Thankfully, they have continued to hold that space for Creative Wellness. Creative energy is required to heal what has been damaged. This year, I’ll be taking each day as it comes. That is the only plan I have in place. 

"I don't even have a pla." ~ Phoebe Buffay 

My guess is that I will be in my studio working through recovery and physical rehabilitation more than I will be actively involved in the community. 

The Rise Above Holistic Wellness center has closed. During the down time, I have also been looking at prospective host sites for future activities in the community that have a minimal commute time. Patrons will hear more about that first as information becomes available. 

Future studio projects depend on the support from patrons like you. 

Though you will still find my profile pages in social media places, you’re more likely to truly connect with me via email and/or participation on my Patreon. It’s free to follow. There is an abundance of free art and bloggy content for anyone who follows. 

PATRONS MAKE ART HAPPEN. THANK YOU! 

Subscribing patrons get the most art. 

SELECT A MEMBERSHIP TIER 

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$1 monthly Funds Tea4me. Thanks for infusing the muse! You'll get access to the Patrons-First Activity Feed where I post bloggy updates and ideas.
Includes
Early access to my work
Previews and Early Announcements about Events and Wellness Activities
Patrons-First Content Feed
Vote on Future Content

Drawn4U $2
$2 per month helps buy drawing supplies. Thank You! You'll get ONE monthly 8" x 10" Original Line Drawing digitally posted in the Patrons Only Activity Feed with an EZprint pdf version attached PLUS all benefits of the Infusers and Muses tier.

Creative Wellness Study Program pdf (FREE) + $3option to unlock archived coloring pages
Made FREE to all in Spring 2020, this $35 program is available in the public activity feed.
You can choose to subscribe at $3 or more per month to help fund this and other Creative Wellness projects at the studio. Thank you! You get Transformation to Wellness 5 Modules in pdf format
Includes
Free Five Modules of Creative Wellness Program Content in pdf format with Links to Creative Wellness Resources and References
Free Printable Wellness Activities and Worksheets
Subscribe at $3 and unlock Archived Coloring Pages

Wildly Mindful Things4U

 $4 

Wild Allies 4 Wellness ~ Starting October 2024, Patrons subscribed at $4 a month and up will receive ONE monthly NEW post about Organic Things including: instructions, demos, and resources for organic creations used in drawing, painting, anti-inflammatory recipes, DIY crafts, and other behind the scenes mindfully wild-to-the studio activities connecting us to our wild allies. This content will also link back to previous projects in the studio and be released in the Patrons Only Activity Feed.

NewArt4U $5
$5 per month funds my creative projects. Thank you! Unlock a 30 page collection of e-z print drawings already in the patrons-only activity feed.
Includes
The 30 page printable pdf of 33 original drawings
Early access to my work
Patrons-First Content Feed
Vote on Future Content
Access to all Drawn4U content and Infusers & Muses Content

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The Art of Thriving ~Studio News4U

 

Patrons make art happen.  Thank you!!!  This year I've been fortunate enough to work on a local pilot project funded with support of a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to reduce the impact of social isolation through Uniper technology for virtual connectivity. I also participated in events and activities at the Wellsville American Legion, The Wellsville Rod & Gun Club, the Wellsville Lion's Club and learned about the NYS Goals for Digital Equity and found out many of the resources which empower adults to Thrive in Place.  It has been an enlightening introduction to self-awareness and community connections. THE STUDIO REMAINS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC Studio visits are available by appointment only. Free and Affordable Creative Wellness Content, Art, and Arts Services are being offered On Patreon and at local host sites.  Wellness permitting, Creative Wellness Workshops that have been on hold will resume at   Rise Above Holistic Wellness Center in Wellsville, NY

The Art of Thriving

(This is an excerpt from a bloggy post for patrons first .)    Image by Seth Boehnke  The Art of Thriving. It’s a full-time job. Wellness and self-care require making a harmony of discernment, difficult choices, honest self-awareness, deliberate community knowledge, and compassion which sets the tone for truly thriving in place with authentic connections. Living with a permanent injury & its consequential conditions, chronic illness, physical limitations, cognitive impairments, or being a caregiver for a person working to manage any of those situations redefines the terms associated with quality of life. The impact of which comes in waves that can result in an unchosen marginal existence. [...] Solitude nourishes the mind, body, and soul. Isolation cripples them. “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” ― William James [...] The Cost of Employment Income [...]  Residing in a county well-stocked with abundant resources to support Independent Sustainable Wellness, I made an informed decision to step outside of my comfort zone to find out what else I could contribute while I learned what could be gained.    [...] In alignment with my own interests in expanding equitable access to wellness resources, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the launch of a local pilot project to implement a free virtual connectivity program designed to reduce the impact of social isolation for older adults and caregivers residing in Allegany County. Because of my own lived experience as a socially isolated resident here, I recognize the valuable wellness potential of the Thriving In Place project at Ardent Solutions, Inc. and I am truly thankful to see it begin to expand to reach the members of our community and adjacent counties who need it most.    During the months that we worked on creating this program, I eventually discovered that I, too, am a pilot project. [...] Restricting the project to the limits of my Reasonable Accommodations would not allow it to expand as it needed to. It was time to go. "I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by It."  ~Maya Angelou  Returning to the accommodations that are right for me in my studio, this month I look forward to re-discovering wild space for rest, recovery, and thriving in the creative processes which make Me. While I breathe in the Now, I learn from yesterday and gather seeds for tomorrow.   [...] READ THE FULL POST. IT'S FREE ON PATREON HERE .......................................................................................................................................           "It's focus. It just feels like magic." ~ Instinctive Archery

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

My Designs at V I D A have moved to Artist Shops at Threadless  You can find it here. These sales support equitable access to creative things in Allegany County, NY and $6 of every purchase from the studio supports charitable community arts projects. (Studio sales/purchases are NOT tax-deductible.)

2024Gifts~ Portraits & Custom Coloring Pages Gift Certificates also available. Please make note of deadlines for orders you'd like to receive by Dec. 20th. The schedule for commissioned projects fills up fast. Contact the studio for additional information. Browse the portrait gallery here. .............................................................................. This is a for profit studio working to create art and provide equitable access to local creative Things via these CHARITABLE,FISCALLY SPONSORED PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

LOCAL ACTIVITIES FROM THE STUDIO

This new Thing at Rise Above has been made possible in part by my subscribing patrons. The application and guidelines are attached here.

NEWS FROM THE BELFAST ORGANIZATION FOR ARTISTS

Kathy Garrison, events coordinator at BOFA, accepted twenty-seven entries for the 2024 exhibit. "This year we are giving it a special twist by adding historic local artists to our current artists in honor of the Belfast Bicentennial! Stop in on Saturday, August 10 from 11:00-1:00 as part of your Bicentennial Weekend events and see what people created (and are still creating) during our 200 year history!! The show runs the entire month of August. The Library is the primary show site but other historic art is also available for viewing at the Belfast Historical Society (Wednesday, Saturday 10-12 or by appointment) and the Belfast Town Hall (open during business and event hours). Enjoy the show!!" ................................................................................................................... "An audio and visual tour of Belfast will be available during the Bicentennial with the following locations prepared by the BCS public speaking class: Renwick House, Canal Warehouse, Boxing Hall of Fame, Aces, Library, Coyle Hill Park, Civil War Monument, and American Legion. If anyone would like to add a location to the tour, you can send the text, photo, audio recording optional, by next Tuesday. Text can be short and include general directions to the location from the town park and any interesting details about the location's history, current situation, and other trivia, and less than a page long. The tour will be available via the Youraudiotour.com app and sponsored by the Belfast Public Library" Established in 2009, in memory of Amanda Nicole Curcio, to unify and amplify the work of local creators for the wellness of our community; the Belfast Organization for Artists is a charitable project of SheilaLynnK Art Studio. Find BOFA on Facebook Expanding equitable access to the arts, BOFA is proud to be an Arts Services Inc. - ASI Arts Access Pass Partner. Find out more about the ASI; Arts Access Pass Program here: http://www.arts-access.org/

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Find my new art, current projects, event updates, and things to come on patreon first.

Current Index of 2022 Content Posted to Patreon 2021 Art, Blog, Posts, Events 2020 Art, Blog, Posts, Events