"Quintessential New York Athlete" by Lee Minoff

"Denim Princess" by Ziggy

Bo Peep by Fairytale Incorporated

The Art-Fashion Contest Begins!!

Hi Folks, I am excited to announce the start of our biggest event yet  - the Art-Fashion Contest!!!! Read the instructions below or go to Facebook! And have fun dressing up!

I am celebrating my debut in New York City as a One-of-a-Kind Designer online with the

Art-Fashion Contest

This event is dedicated to the memory of Tyler Clementi

Many young people and designers are embracing the idea of clothing as art and bring a creative revolution of unique and fun styles into the fashion world.  Whether you shop at Bergdorf or at the Thrift Shop or make your own clothes - the Art-Fashion contest is looking for the most original, creative, inspiring, meaningful, esthetic, though-provoking, and artistic outfit that is emblematic for this new and highly individualistic trend.

Prizes:

1.      1. The winner will be presented in a special feature on my blog and is invited to co-create a custom outfit made by Anne Drager.

2.   2. The winner will be presented in a special feature on my blog and receive a $150.00 certificate for www.etsy.com/shop/annedrager valid for 6 months.

3.  3. The winner will be presented in a special feature on my blog and receive a $50.00 certificate for www.etsy.com/shop/annedrager valid for three months

4.     Honorary mention of the winners of each of the three categories.

 Guidelines:

-       We hope you are between 8 and 80 years old and have your own email address.

-       Please only one photograph per participant.

-       Online: Email your photo. It should be a JPG, the size approx. 1 MB and 1000 x 750 pixels, resolution 75 dpi or higher, (e.g. an iPhone picture would work just fine) to gotoanne@yahoo.com until Friday Nov. 19, 2010 at 5 PM EST. Put your name in the subject line of the email and please include title of your outfit (or “untitled”) and your name as the title of the photo.

-       We will notify you when your pictures is online at http://annedrager.blogspot.com and send you a link that you can share with friends to vote for you. Your email address will remain private.

-       Offline: come to my booth No. A 7 at the www.oneofakindshowny.com at the 7W at 7W 34^th Street, New York, NY 10016 on Thursday Nov. 18, 2010 between 5:00 and 6:30 PM EST. Come dressed creatively! We will also provide garments and accessories for you to create or add to your outfit and have your picture taken by photographer Jeff Foxx. www.foxxarchive.com.  We will post your picture online for you.

-       Voters can mark three categories” Funny”, “Interesting”, and “Cool.”

-       The top five candidates in each category will be presented to the jurors.

-       The winners will be notified on Sunday Nov. 21, 2010 by 11:00 AM EST.

Jurors:

Bruce Andrews
Poet, NewYork, NY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Andrews
Deborah Batcha

Founder/Designer of Pyramid for Peace™ www.pyramidforpeace.com - New York, NY

Wonge  Bergmann
Photographer, Frankfurt, Germany

Henri  Dauman
Photo Journalist/Filmmaker Cinergy Communications  www.daumanpictures.com -New York, NY

Odiana  Dauman
Owner/Stylist & Editor BIS Designer Resale, www.bisbiz.com – New York, NY

Ingrid  Freidenbergs
Collage Artist, Lakeville, CT

Sally Silvers, New York, NY
Dancer, Choreographer

Harvey  Stein
Photographer/Curator, www.harveysteinphoto.com -New York, NY

About the Anne Drager Store
My work is all about the idea of clothing as art. Each piece is assembled from fabrics and garments that come to me with a history, many are vintage or heirloom pieces that I have collected. I also paint and draw on the garments and sometimes hand-dye them to create a truly original object that has a narrative beyond its esthetic and functional appeal.

In the creative zone

Things dawn on you, fall into place, make sense, scare you, and ultimately exhilarate and exhaust you when you are in the creative zone. And still, the methods of the Artist's Way are the best that I know to get into this kind of state. And it is sooo worth it!  So repeat after me: self-care, treat yourself as a precious object (like you mean it!!), think highly of yourself, dream big, reach for the stars. Weed out the old, make room for new. Wish and ask for help.

Remember that Einstein quote I was handing out last year at the AW groups? It said something to the effect that if an idea at first doesn't seem absurd it will not work, or isn't a good idea - or something like it. Personally the way ideas shape up for me, the word is RADICAL. If I have an idea that seems radical at first, bold, daring, prohibitive - like something that I would have to muster a little courage to do it - that in my experience is where the gold is. Literally! I do want to make money with my art - no kidding. These are the ideas you want to nourish close to the vest for a little while and then jump like a cat for the bird and put your hands on it and just do it.

A lot of times in the creative process - my experience - it means destruction of something existing. Every creator will know the process of using some of your own work from some time ago and cutting it up to recycle it. This is a constant, ubiquitous process. Its death and resurrection, ashes and phoenix, shiva and shakti - whatever system you look at, the principle of creation is linked to destruction.

Every phase of artist's way growth you go through is a destruction of your existing self, you or others will think: I don't recognize this person. She/he looks different, acts different, loses weight, dresses different, does different things, hangs out with different people - all sorts of things may happen. It is change at an accelerate pace. It is also change initiated and desired by you - hopefully different from  change that comes into your life experienced as fate. Because you are engaging consciously into the process of your own life. You write the pages. You kind of know what's going on. (Remember the C.G. Jung quote of how things are experienced as fate if not brought into the consciousness).

Coincidence will play a role, but you walk around with a sense of expectancy anyway, keep your arms wide open and stuff and people will fall into it. Stretch! And yes, you will be different and you will be somebody else if you grow into your dream and start living like your dream is already a reality. If you dream of living in a castle - start living as if!!!  and see what happens. One of the "how to be an artist"- tricks  I like is from Joseph Beuys: "Imagine yourself enchanted". Even if only for the day. That's it for today folks, have fun out there, go hug a tree, feed the birds,  and scare yourself with things you have not done before!

And yes, it doesn't happen over night. Patience and reckless speed go together as siamese twins. I started the Artist's Way some 6 years ago ... I start to forget when it started. Maybe it started when I was 3 years old.

Oh, and yes, I also credit quartz bowl sound healing with Karen Marcello for fine-tuning the compass to find truer and truer shades of what my dream actually is.

Canning

I am putting my  mind to the next Artist's Way meeting on Monday night. Also, it is 5 pm, the time when  I usually try to stop the frantic working at the computer and phone and turn from the things that need to be done to the things that want to be done. 

My heart is aching to get to the sewing machine, I can' tell you! So much so that doubts are creeping in to which extent I can keep up the other creative veins I have tapped - 

So, it is a time of expansion, upgrading, delegating, growing, investing for me. Like the AW weeks always are. It all started with writing again and a nice long full-day Artist's Date at the end of September. From there it has been a ride in overdrive, especially since having completed the triathlon. That, my dear readers, was just a test I did for something I read in the AW book and that was in the back of my mind for all those 5 years + that I have been practicing the AW. It says in the book that completing a marathon increases your chances of completing your novel. Well, in my case it was a triathlon and the upcoming show in NYC is a big deal!!

I had not done a major physical challenge in a long time, but I always knew in the back of my head the importance of meeting a challenge.  So here I am living testimony that it worked wonders for me emotionally, physically, and mentally! Even now thinking about my "aging" body it is hard to believe I did this. We all can do so much more than we think.

And yes, it is so true what all these coaches say: if you are investing in yourself, the universe will match your donation or double it up!!!!! My artist date this week was a trip to the thrift store and I spent over a $100 on some vintage garments that were exactly what I needed. It seemed a lot of money, but the same day I received as a gift an entire attic of vintage clothes from an estate!!!!!!!! I went and bought myself a laptop and new sewing machine and some equipment for the jewelry making -- expenses I have been postponing for a very long time because it always seems so &$%@# crazy to spend money on yourself, but after that I came home and learned about an unexpected inheritance that covered all of these!!!!!!!!! 

Below are some canning photos. Canning is about remembering, isolating a feeling that later on you can take down from the shelf and look at it. Very self-analysis-like. The assignment for the AW group was to can something abstract. The inspiration for this is manyfold: 1) On an artist date once in a store I saw something for sale called "whimsical jar", not unlike what you see in the photograph. 2) I recently canned pears from my yard with two friends. It was a wonderful thing to do. 3) Longer ago I had seen a show by the fabulous much revered Kiki Smith, I can't tell you right now the exact object, I have to get the catalogue or go online, but she puts some pretty weird things into bottles and stuff like that. It got lodged deep in  my memory. Looking at art is always well invested time. 4) And yes, I wish I would have saved a jar filled with the air of my wedding day.

OK, I won't cheat and just present these jars at the meeting tomorrow, I will go and make a new one with just "air" in it. And yes, you guys remember Amy Triscornia from the AW in the city? She canned a nightmare once and brought it into the AW group when we did the exorcism of our monsters. It was so cool, I never forget!! Now, this is how an AW assignment can turn into making a whole bunch of art. And it often has for me.

And yes, I walk and move my body every day. I cook for myself. Ladies and Gents, please practice very good self-care throughout the AW time!!!!!

Love & Peace

A.

P.S. About the usefulness of it all: The jars below will be for-sale-decoration at my upcoming show in NYC.

Vote for this art project on Fifth Avenue in NYC!!!

Dear Followers, please click on the link to vote for this art project "Readers in New York", this is a contest for the shop windows of H & M on Fifth Avenue in New York!!! I designed this as a stage set, there will be live performers reading ..... one window is "Reading David Sedaris" the other is "Reading Sigmund Freud".

http://www.yourarthere.com/entry/readers-in-new-york/


Cheers,
A.

The Pink Chair

It was almost impossible to resist buying this chair .... but it is a reminder that I want to start doing my own upholstery. It seems impossible to add another activity to my full plate, but hey, that is what designers do!!!! And for the outfit - yes, a nod to Tavi, she is practically my stylist in my head. I love her.
And yes, going to an Antique Store is an Artist's Date!!!!

Still thinking of Tavi

Hi Folks, I dug out the picture (the only one that survived)  of my outfit.  This is approx. 1989. I am a college kid! I remember the All Star Basketball Shoes were like the coolest thing to get; a friend had to bring them to me from the Netherlands, you couldn't just go an buy them in  a store in Germany then (or so the fashion rumors went). Shopping was always a great reason to go across the border and hang out with  the Dutch kids! The jacket made from brightly colored velvet with a golden rope corset in the back (which of course you don't see)  I made myself, the yellow jersey blouse probably from the Salvation Army, the Scottish Plaid tights and the yellow five-pocket-denim skirt the usual pickings from the mall. I like clashing patterns and colors, that is probably the only thing I have in common with Tavi :) ----- as a refresher for those of you who haven't seen her outfit in the New Yorker or on her blog thestylerookie.com .... I am also posting her picture that made me so happy when I saw it!! I am completely fascinated by her :) and I was so touched that my boyfriend saved the picture for me. So he must have seen something in her that he reminded him of me. Also, my room sometimes looks a little like her's, the walls are completely covered with stuff .... Please also note the similarity between Tavi's cardigan and the Peruvian Poncho I made from and old blanket. You can see the poncho on www.etsy.com/shop/annedrager   --- exact same colors as Tavi's cardigan!
I feel I have more important things to tell you on this blog, but I have to get some work done. The tumbler to complete my silver workstation just came in by UPS, so no more excuses not to start on this project. And I am also in the middle for preparing for the show in NYC in a November, there are phone calls to be made ... I read a little in Sonia Choquette today and I also wanted to share a few thoughts about creativity =Zen.
At 5 pm today I will go on a conference call for a free seminar on copywriting for website, definitely can't hurt to look for help right and left to improve sales skills. So long and hail to you my friends!

Oh, and by the way, when I opened my album looking for the picture it was - by whatever accident- placed as if on the coverpage of a fictitious New York Magazine, so I shot it that way to post it here. And yes, I am using my visualizing power to make it one day, like soon!, on the coverpage of New York Magazine. Proof that this method works: After I took the picture of myself in the gutted TV I was not long after invited as a guest on my first TV Talkshow!!!!!

And next time I tell you why Tavi and I both are fans of Rei Kawakubo --- because I so love the shoes she is wearing, and they are Comme de Garcon.
Cheers and be well
Anne
P.S. Preview:    Just spoke to the show administration - my booth will be the coolest retro look and I am allowed to decorate it with all sorts of stuff and everything I made will be for sale!!!! So cool! And also, I am planning for a couple of events at my booth to create some buzz, a fashion show, a free sewing class, a knit and crochet style consultation .... they are excited about these ideas ... so now I have more phone calls to make!!!!!!

Finally everything is happening

Hi everybody,  above all two things happened that finally made me start this long overdue blog:

1.) My friend Ericka said she "would totally read my  blog" referring to my life in Montauk and all the curious things I do out here. Guys, it's a great thing to have a friend who is a real fan and thinks you are an interesting person. Ericka has a heart of gold and every advice I get from her is worth gold!

2.) My boyfriend saved an article in the New Yorker for me (oops,  yes, I do also read the New Yorker, but usually only when it is three month old and has ripened a little) about Tavi Gavinson ----the most amazing teen fashion blogger, on blogspot, "the style rookie" is her blog ----- and I became an instant mega fan of her for a ton of reasons.

One way to explain to you why I am so crazy about Tavi could be a picture of me in an outfit I created when I was like 22 years old (unfortunately not too many pictures of outfits that I made or put together in my teens and twens have survived). I will try to scan the picture for you guys tomorrow so you can see with your own eyes and probably you'll say to yourself "She must be a little grandiose, I really can't see why she compares herself with Tavi!!!" ... it's not really like a comparison or competitiveness. I feel a kinship, something shared in tastes .... so now you know I am really living the echo of my younger self. It seems a very exciting moment to reach the middle of your life and have equally amazing horizons to gaze at in the past and in the future..... more later, I will keep you posted and for you Artist's Way folks out there, I will talk a lot about the creative process and how synchronicity can be triggered and abundance flow get going and all that good stuff. Thank you, take care, and always remember to have lots of fun!
XOXO
Anne