• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • art
  • lifestyle
  • fashion
  • beauty
  • Shop

Jessica Libor

~ Studio Journal

Jessica Libor

Category Archives: fashion

Visioncasting: How to plan your best year yet as an artist

13 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, Exhibitions, fashion, How To, In My Studio, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

artist advice, artist planning, artist vision, cal newport, contemporary realism, create your best 2020, deep work, goal setting, goal setting creatives, how to be an artist, how to plan your work as an artist, james clear, plan 2020 artist, planning

jess in gallery nature's daughters with kerasan logo

Hello my beautiful fellow creatives! I am so excited for this year. Are you excited? Isn’t it amazing that the future is in your hands, ready to be written?

I recently saw a post that said, “Your future lays before you like fresh fallen snow, take care the steps you take, for every step will show.” It’s SO true—every little thing we do in our life eventually compounds, and eventually the invisible will show itself, even if it is not obvious at first. The invisible work is so important, especially for us artists!

I am so grateful for everything that I was able to accomplish this year. I had a solo show which was very successful, in a beautiful gallery I was super proud of! I launched my first online course, began teaching as a college art professor, was featured in Beautiful Bizarre and other art publications, had my highest revenue year from my art so far, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of hiking in the redwoods! I made a painting about it too, as you can see below 🙂

 

“Solace,” oil and metal leaf on panel, by Jessica Libor (me!)

Libor, Solace

Although these things only take one sentence to write, they actually took months, and really years of action, to come to fruition.

For instance, my solo art exhibition took hundreds of hours to prepare. In the very un-glamorous privacy of my studio, I spent many late nights working away at details.

Nature's Daughters wall Jessica Libor

Processed with VSCO with al1 preset

IMG_5959

Each decision to work on my painting instead of go out with friends or watch Netflix, compounded the results of my exhibition. This is just one example of how I got the results I did this year.

The online course took months of writing, filming and preparation before it launched. Likewise, I would not have been able to get a job as a college art professor had I not gone through years of schooling and getting my Master of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Although the hard work can seem grueling while you’re in it, eventually you WILL see the results of your efforts (or non-efforts!).  And I don’t want you to think that I am bragging when I tell you this: it’s always an uphill battle for me to continually challenge myself and work on my long-term goals.

 

One book that really changed that this year was the book Deep Work by James Clear. This was actually a suggestion of Alessandra Maria, an artist I really respect who I actually interviewed on the blog earlier in the year. In Deep Work, the author talks about how distracted we are as a society, and generally as humans. He talks about the value of committing deeply to a task for a set amount of time, and entering the state of flow. When we get into deep work, that is when the really inspired artwork comes to fruition.

Below, one of my pieces from this year, “Fields of Gold,” oil and gold leaf on panel.

Fields of Gold, oil and silver leaf on panel, 11x14, by Jessica Libor 2019

This year I initiated methods of working that were blocks of time dedicated only to my artmaking. I wasn’t allowed to look at my phone or computer, get a cup of tea, or call or text anyone.

Processed with VSCO with al1 preset

I simply blocked off two hour sections of time and created intensely. And you know what? It was HARD. I struggled with it! Just like when you’re running an extra mile and your body protests because it isn’t used to it, my brain wasn’t used to such dedication (I know, it’s kind of embarrassing!)

I had the urge to go for a walk, check my email, text a friend, or otherwise distract myself from the pain of focus. Just like doing a math problem, my brain has to work extra hard when creating a realistic piece of art—getting the right values, colors and proportions. I could feel my brain stretching as I focused for these chunks of time.

Below, a brain-stretching artwork I finished, “The Butterflies,” oil and 23 karat gold leaf on panel.

(sm) The Butterflies, oil, gold leaf and paper on panel, 16x20, by Jessica Libor 2019

Even though it was hard, the results I got this year were far and away beyond what I had gotten in previous years. I created some of my favorite pieces. I remember one particular day, I blocked off a few hours to create. I got into such a state of flow that I did not realize that 6 hours had passed. I did not stop until the piece was complete. I was shocked that I was able to finish a large, technically detailed piece in just 6 hours. It’s probably my favorite piece this year! And it’s a physical piece of evidence of what you can do when you compress time and get into that focused state of flow. You are able to accomplish far more than you could imagine!

Below, “Darling,” the piece I finished in 6 hours of super intense focus!

Jessica_Libor_Darling_pastel on paper_30 x 35_ 2018

So as we step into the new year, ask yourself what you want to experience in your art career in the next 360 days, and even in the next decade, which is 3,600 days! Here are a few ideas with how to break that down. I have three steps for you that I believe will be helpful in casting your vision as you move into a new era of your artistic career.

  1. IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR DREAM CAREER LOOKS LIKE: The first step is to identify your wildest dreams: this is the WHAT. If anything WERE possible within your art career, what would that look like for you? Let go mentally of any circumstances holding you back as you imagine this. You may have a limiting thought that you are too old or too young for success, you don’t have enough time, you don’t live in the right place, you don’t have the funds to make the art…it could be anything negative that you have holding you back. Just temporarily suspend that limiting circumstance and imagine that it was not holding you back, but in fact, was an asset! Imagine how your art career would look like in its most ideal form. Where do you show your work? What artists do you show with? What kind of work do you make? How do you feel about the work that you make? How often do you work on your art? What kind of awards have you won? Are you teaching, or traveling anywhere? Where are you doing residencies? What kind of people support your art? How do you make money? (Although a topic for another post, selling your artwork is not the only way to make money as an artist: there is also teaching art, gaining a fan base on Patreon, selling lisences of your art, winning grants, doing commissions, doing public artworks, doing live events, and much more!) Write down the answers to the prompts, in vivid detail.
  2. IDENTIFY WHO YOU WANT TO BE: The next step is to identify WHO you are when you are the artist you described above. If all of your wildest dreams come true in your art career, who are you as that version of yourself? Does she get up at 6am and paint until noon? Or is she in the studio every day 9 to 5, like a regular job? Does she visit museums regularly, or go to exhibitions where she might meet people who could help her in her career? How does she think about the contribution that she is making through her art? Write it all down.
  3. IDENTIFY YOUR TOP THREE: The third step is to look at your dreams that you just wrote down and take within it your top 3 artistic goals that you would like to accomplish this year. EVEN if you think the goals would be IMPOSSIBLE to achieve within one year, I still want you to write them down. Why? Because when you identify a long term goal, even if it feels very lofty, you will strive to align yourself with that goal. You see, your brain is like a missile—when you put a destination in front of it, your amazing brain will look for ways to reach the goal. It works like magic! Eventually, even if it doesn’t happen within the first year, you will be aligned with your goal. Each day you’ll get a little closer if you keep it at the forefront of your consciousness. So take your top 3 goals, and write them very large somewhere you can see them in your studio. Look at them every day and be inspired!
  4. MAKE MINI GOALS: Once you have your top 3 goals, I want you to work on them one at a time. Take each goal and break it down into twelve mini-goals, one for each month. For instance, if one goal is to have a body of work you a really proud of within 2020, you can have a goal of making 3 amazing pieces per month that you are really proud of. This could overlap with a goal of applying to 100 shows or opportunities this year, which breaks down to only 12 applications per month, or 3 applications per week.
  5. BLOCK OUT TIME: Once you’ve made mini-goals for each month that support your top 5 goals, take out your calendar and block out the time you need each day to make it happen. Schedule out three months in advance, so you can build momentum. And then, be sure to show up and keep the promise to yourself to work on your goal. Remember it’s your invisible work or showing up that will create the reality of having your dreams come true!

I realize that when you’re trying to achieve new goals, old habits can be hard to overcome. That is because the brain is wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and be as efficient as possible. This is great when we are in the wilderness, avoiding wild animals and the cold (pain), looking for fruits and berries and somewhere soft and safe to lie down (seeking pleasure), and looking for the shortest way to get there (being as efficient as possible).

These hardwired instincts are actually really good because they have kept us alive as the human race for centuries. However, in the modern world, we have to be aware of our instincts and how they can hold us back. You see, in the modern world, and more particularly as a modern artist, avoiding pain could look like procrastinating on a project because of the effort it takes.

Seeking pleasure could look like watching Netflix to escape your reality or snacking on things that aren’t optimal for our health because of the short term pleasure.

And, seeking the most efficient way possible could look like trying to get success before you’ve put in the work and made artwork you’re actually proud of. You see, we are no longer running from bears and foraging for berries to survive (well, most of us, anyway!) but those instincts are still there.

And if we plan from our pre-frontal cortex, which is the smart part of our brain that allows us to plan, rationalize, and create, then we can overcome these basic instincts while still appreciating them and thanking them for keeping us alive! We can transcend our most basic state by identifying our goals and dreams and working to achieve them.

And what is art all about if not a transcendence beyond ourselves?

Another thing I like to think about as an artist is your duty. If you have decided to be an artist, then you have a duty to express your vision to the world. The world needs to see your creations and will be a better place because of it. It is your sacred duty to fulfill that job that only you can do.

One last thought is to create a vision board that includes images of your top 3 artistic goals for the year. That may include an image of the gallery you hope to show at, the kind of artwork you’d like to make, places you’d like to visit, and images and words that reflect who you’d like to be as you accomplish your top 5 goals. This can be helpful to keep motivation going as you do the hard work of the day to day grind of working on your goals! Especially as visual artists, we can be stimulated by visuals, and this can help us get in the mood to focus and remember why we are doing it in the first place.

Ok, I hope that this has been super helpful to you as you turn over the next decade and choose how you’d like to spend your next year! It’s my heart for you that you achieve your wildest dreams as an artist, and live a happy and fulfilled life along the way. I know that this is going to be your best year yet!

Lastly, I have a gift for you that I think will be extremely useful to you as you plan out your year. I’ve created a free Artistic Visioncasting worksheet, and mini-course, with everything you need to plan out your goals and dreams. There’s questions to prompt you, so you can break down your goals in an organized way. I created it specifically for this blog post so that you can get the most out of it! Just click the link below to download it.

ARTISTIC VISIONCASTING: CLICK HERE TO GET THE WORKSHEET AND MINI COURSE

Now go forth and create!

With light, love, and creativity,

jessica signature

Jessica Libor

Visual Artist

www.jessicalibor.com

 

Lady of the Manor Fashion Story at the Rodin Museum

25 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

art, artist, artistic fashion, creative art, creative fashion, fashion, jessica libor, kerasan lamar photography, malenas vintage boutique, philadelphia blogger, philadelphia fashion blogger, philadelphia inspiration, philadelphia style blogger, philly blogger, philly style, rodin, rodin museum

jessicaliborrodin-11

Jessica Libor, photo by Kerasan Lamar

Rodin is my favorite sculptor.  Ever since I saw his work at his home museum in Paris, I was in love with his work.  In Philadelphia, we have a small but gorgeous museum of his work, that I love!  In a collaboration with Ms. Malena’s Vintage Boutique and Kerasan Lamar Photography, who photographed all the images with me in them, we decided on this location to tell the story of the amazingly detailed turn of the century jacket and robe.  I loved the combination of these pieces and the backdrop of the beautiful and elegant sculptures and architecture.  To see more of Malena’s Vintage Boutique, check it out here!  I am such a fan of this shop, and have many of my dresses in my personal collection from her.  I highly recommend! And now, to feel this elegant every day…

jessicaliborrodin-96

jessicaliborrodin-52

rodin

jessicaliborrodin-37

jessicaliborrodin-77

rodin3

jessicaliborrodin-51

jessicaliborrodin-66

Screen Shot 2019-12-23 at 2.48.53 PM

 

 

Victorian Gothic Dreaming: Collab with 521 Gemini Vintage

25 Monday Nov 2019

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

521 Gemini Vintage, charlotte bronte, jane eyre, kerasan lamar, sponsored, vintage, vintage fashion, vintage model, vintage photography, vintage style

Jessica modeling 2019 art museum dark gothic

moor 1
moor sheep 1

I am absolutely thrilled to get the chance to work with the vintage shop 521 Gemini Vintage, an absolute treasure trove of delightful relics of another era.  From their amazing store I plucked this violet dream of a dress.  It is dreamy and feminine, reminiscent of the Victorian era of which I am so fond!

img_5518

I worked with photographer Kerasan Lamar to create the mood of a turn of the century gothic novel.

jessartmus-60 gothic

Jane Eyre comes to mind: always one of my favorite classics to read growing up, I must have re-read it a dozen times!  I suppose the gothic drama of it appealed to me, the melodrama that was so sincere.  And the setting of the moors, in a beautiful castle-like manor, was appealing.  A favorite passage, as she addresses Mr. Rochester:

“Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal — as we are!”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

And, of course, this early feminist sentiment:

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

As I walked over the hills and dales near the Art Museum in Philadelphia, I felt just like Jane Eyre traversing the moors.  I’m hoping this photo shoot captures some of the feeling!

jessartmus-76 gothic

jessartmus-75 gothic
Screen Shot 2019-11-24 at 8.50.28 PM

To find your own magical outfit to transport you into another time and place, visit 521 Gemini Vintage.

Screen Shot 2019-11-24 at 8.51.13 PM
Screen Shot 2019-11-22 at 9.16.15 PM
jessartmus-79 gothic
no bird

What’s your power color?

31 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, fashion, Inspiration, lifestyle

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

advice for artists, art, artist, beautiful art, classical realism, color, color psychology, color theory, contemporary art, costumes, creative, creativity, drawing, emerging artist, emerging artists, female artist, halloween, how to paint like the masters, inspiration, jessica libor, pafa, painter, painting

Color is powerful, especially to us creatives. Color can determine your mood, and has been proven to effect the way that we feel. I’ve always been drawn to purple and lavender colors. I love this current time of year because it’s socially acceptable to let your personality really shine with unusual costume choices. I was able to break out my lavender wig this week, and it was so much fun! It definitely let out a different part of my personality, something more playful and more creative. Just seeing myself embody this color made me feel differently! So what about you? What’s your power color? Here’s an interesting list of colors, and what some experts think they represent. Red: ambition energy, confidence, bold, passionate. Pink: sensitive, intuitive, loving, caring, respect. Purple: fantasy, creativity, distinguished, modesty, deep. Black: strength, power, professional, accurate. Orange: freedom, social, warmth, motivation, impulsive. Yellow: optimism, energetic, fun, logical, attentive. Gray: balance, neutral, timeless, practical, solid. Green: growth, nature, equilibrium, positivity, stable. Navy: responsible, integrity, trust, peace, order. Blue: ambition, perspective, aware, open. Let me know your power color and what you associate with it in the comments, I’m curious to hear!

All of Life’s a Stage

28 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

art, artist, city hall, contemporary realism, creative, creativity, drawing, female artist, inspiration, jessica libor, painting, PHiladelphia, Rowan College

“All of life’s a stage, and we are merely players.” —Shakespeare. Decide who you want to be today, and be her. This helped me today while giving a talk to students at Rowan College about art, curating and structuring your life as a creative. It was my first time giving a full length lecture to students and I was a little nervous! What helped was actually thinking about the things I really wanted these students to know. I tried to put myself in their shoes as soon to graduate artists, and impart every useful tip I could about the artist life. Although I certainly don’t know it all and learn more every day, I’m hopeful what I did have to say was helpful to someone. One point in the talk was about loving your work. You really gotta love each piece. Put your heart and soul into it, and truly believe it’s something you’re proud of. When you do, other people will recognize the value you put on your own work and respond to it. A big thanks to Michelle Haberll who organized this talk and is a fabulous teacher and artist in her own right! Photo is from the mysterious interior of Philadelphia’s City Hall, dress from Free People.

Transforming the Studio

15 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, fashion, In My Studio, Inspiration, lifestyle, Uncategorized, Wellness

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, art for interior design, art studio, artist, buy art, creative, creativity, entrepreneurship, female painter, interior design, landscape painting, painter, painting, Philadelphia artist, philadelphia interior designers, plein air, room inspiration

Processed with VSCO with fr4 preset

When I got this studio, it was white rough walls, exposed beams and was quite literally a blank canvas…anything has within it the choice for renewal, and can be made new and beautiful!  Art is an outer song of the inner mind…an artist turns their mind inside out when making each piece.  What do you want to make beautiful in your life today?  Every corner, when tended with attention, can be transformed, in our spaces as well as in our lives.

See my new work at www.jessicalibor.com.

Sister love

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

etretat, family, france, love, mont st michel, sisters, travel

lauren and jess at etretatlauren and jess at mont st michel

When I think of my sister, I think of someone inspiring and fearless, with the courage to make her dreams real.  I also think of growing up together and being each other’s company and playmate, partnering in creating fantastic worlds out of our imagination, playing for hours in the backyard under the trees, and growing up together.  We are similar and different in many ways, and that makes our bond so special.    Love you Lauren Fair and I’m so glad we just happened to be in the same family!  A few snaps from the trip to France earlier this month, which was a dream.  And PS–Check out her photography here–she’s amazing!

The Big Picture

02 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bhldn, etretat, france, monet, sketching, traveling, wedding dress

jess sketching at etretat

Sometimes, it is good to step back and look at the big picture of your life…the things you are working towards and why, the dynamics of your life, and re-define what is important to you.  I can so easily go on autopilot, doing the same things I’ve always done because I’ve always done them, and they are habits… it is good to take a step back and look outside yourself.  Take a higher view and think about what matters to you.  Sketching on the high cliffs of Etretat in France  overlooking the world.  Photography by Lauren Fair, dress by Bhldn.  Where do you go to think things over?

Top Vintage Boutique Collaboration

31 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, fashion, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1940s style, fashion, modeling, pinup style, red dress, retro, retro model, style, top vintage boutique, vintage style

red dress 4
red dress 10
red dress 15
red dress 20
red dress 23
red dress

If all the world’s a stage, who do you play today?  In this outfit I felt transported to the 1940s, playing the part of a femme fatale in a mysterious plot.  The best fashion transports and transforms the wearer into a different state of mind. Delighted to collaborate with Top Vintage Boutique on this project with photographs by Jake Foden at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Bookish

27 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in beauty, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beauty, fiction, h.g.wells, inspiration, model, nature, reading, the time machine, vintage, willow tree

jess in willow modeling

I’ve been feeling quite bookish lately, perhaps it’s all the rainy weather.  What is your favorite fiction novel?  I’d have to say mine is The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.  I read it in grad school and could not put it down.  The 2002 film is also quite enjoyable, although different than the book.  Tell me your favorites, I need a new book to read/listen to while painting!

← Older posts

PORTFOLIO

Free Visioncasting Mini-Course for Artists: make it your best year ever! Click here to get it.

Free Visioncasting Mini-Course for Artists

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 250 other subscribers

Follow on Instagram

Click here to follow Jessica on Instagram!

PBS WHYY Interview

Click to watch my interview for Articulate with WHYY PBS

 

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 7, Window Shading and Glazing
    How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 7, Window Shading and Glazing
  • How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 6, Painting the Ebauche
    How to Paint Like the Masters: Part 6, Painting the Ebauche
  • My quest for the BEST organic, natural lipstick: RMS Wild With Desire verses Ilia
    My quest for the BEST organic, natural lipstick: RMS Wild With Desire verses Ilia
  • "Tender Trio" original pastel painting for Valentine's
    "Tender Trio" original pastel painting for Valentine's
  • Christian Birmingham's World of Fantasty
    Christian Birmingham's World of Fantasty
  • Venus, Aphrodite and the Queen of the Sea print release!
    Venus, Aphrodite and the Queen of the Sea print release!
  • Why it's not selfish to want success as an artist and how to stop feeling guilty
    Why it's not selfish to want success as an artist and how to stop feeling guilty
  • "Soft Sea" and "The Inn at Cape May": new paintings
    "Soft Sea" and "The Inn at Cape May": new paintings

Archives

Listen to the Podcast

[convertkit form=5087986]

Powered by WordPress.com.

 

Loading Comments...