The First Ever Stand-Up Librarian Poem!

OK, this is cool.  Someone from my Palm Harbor event last month wrote a poem about me and it is so adorable that I had to share it.  Thanks Claudia - that was incredibly thoughtful & creative!!!!

Celebrate Your Fireworks

Proudly walking in my town's Fourth of July parade
in my Fireworks ensemble.

“Maybe you reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow

And when it's time you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine

Just own the night like the 4th of July…”

- "Firework" by Katy Perry

Not to quote an overplayed song by Katy Perry from 2010 but I just made an entire outfit out of fireworks fabric and it seemed an ideal time to play it.  It’s weird how you can hear a song hundreds of times but never actually listen to what the lyrics are.  Today, the words mentioned above caught my ear and seem to sum up the journey I have been on.

As I mentioned and wrote about last year (to read that blog post, click here), July 4^th is the anniversary of my eliminating alcohol from my life.  It is crazy to think that it has been two whole years without a margarita or glass of Pinot Noir but in truth, it has been one of the easiest things in the world for me.  It really is true that “when it’s time, you’ll know” because I really don’t think about it at all except when I look for change in my wallet and find the two-month recovery chip that I got from attending an AA meeting in 2004.  I don’t really know why I hold on to the chip because in actuality it represents failure.

Now as I look at the big 2 stamped on the gold coin, I am reminded that two-months used to be all I could ever commit to before getting extremely bored.  Jobs, relationships, gym memberships, diets, you name it - so perhaps my problem was never with alcohol, it was in being bored with everything else!

On July 4, 2007 that all I changed when I met a person that I wanted to commit the rest of my life to, which resulted in me stupidly putting his dreams before my own.  Sadly, he ended up only wanting to devote a year and a half of his life to me.  One of the last things he gave me was a sterling silver heart pendant with our initials on one side and that July 4^th date on the other.  While I wore the broken heart he gave me for years, I never once wore the pendant.

Two years ago, I intentionally chose July 4^th as the date to quit drinking so I could prove to myself that I was worth committing to even if nobody else was willing to.  As I look back at that failed relationship and all of the other things in my life that didn’t work out, I now know the important lesson that when you commit to the health and well being of yourself first, all of the other things will soon follow. 

In addition to having an incredible year of over seventeen performances as the Stand-Up Librarian, my literary purses and headbands are still selling well, and I have a part-time job that offers me health benefits…for the first time in five years!!!  Did I mention that I am also a volunteer librarian at one of the most eccentric libraries on the planet?  Almost forgot to mention that I am finally a member of a gym…and actually go! 

Oh, life is pretty good when you “ignite the light” and while Prince Charming has yet to ride up in his bookmobile, the designer in me thinks that tarnished heart pendant could easily be made into something far more fabulous!  

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  Celebrate YOUR fireworks....

Due to the winds today,
that pinwheel on my hat is really spinning!

My 2-month AA sobriety coin &
heart pendant both represent past failures
that I have since overcome.

Let's SHELLabrate SHOWS!

Thanks to a few days of rest, I am finally able to give a recap of the last couple of weeks filled with exciting shows and programs...

I played a shell horn to kick off my
"Dig Into Shelling" program.

My first-ever children's program to kick-off Summer Reading at the Seminole Community Library on June 19th was a hit!  I had spent over a month developing the seashell program from scratch, incorporating my own photographs and videos taken over the last year on my beach.  With most kids in the Tampa Bay area spending the summer at the beach, I hoped to educate them about the seashells they would find while also teaching them that live shells (with the animals still inside) should probably be thrown back to live another day.  The designer in me also shared ideas for how to use broken shells in arts & crafts, and of course, just like my adult programs, I performed a parody song honoring seashells called "SHELLabration," where I play an Australian Trumpet shell (which is quite similar to the French Horn I played for 10 years!)  To see some footage from the program, click here.  While I'm sure the kids enjoyed performing the song with me at the end and learning about all of these shells, I know the free shells I gave out was their favorite part of the whole program.  I want to thank the St. Petersburg Shell Club for providing some of those shells (I also gave out ones I had collected as well), in addition to providing most of the giant shells showcased on the display table.  As a member of the Board of Directors, I encourage anybody interested in learning more about seashells to come to our meetings when we start up again in September.  For more information, click here.  Thanks again to Jill Storm and the Friends of the Seminole Library for having me.

I love reading to my audiences so I chose
Seashells by the Seashore for the kids.

I incorporated all of my own photographs
for the program, showing both live
& dead shells found on our local beaches.

The next day, I was back to performing for adults where I was the special guest for the Palm Harbor Newcomers Club.  On arrival, I instantly noticed that my favorite book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was the centerpiece of each table and after commenting about the odds of that happening, I was told they did that on purpose.  I almost shed a tear right there I was so touched.  Nothing brings me greater joy than sharing my love of reading.  I was treated so kindly by these incredible women as they purchased my literary purses or simply offered encouraging words like not to give up or that libraries need more librarians like me.  I want to thank Barb Griffin for reaching out to me and inviting me to perform.

My favorite book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
was the centerpiece of each table - so cool!

The write up on me was awesome -
and yes, we can be fun and funny!

Thanks Barb!

On Saturday, I was back at ARTpool Gallery with my friend Marina Williams to perform at her 80's Pride Prom party.  A huge fan of the 80's and the LGBT community, I just knew I had to make an appearance.  Even with a downpour of rain, nothing could keep us from having an awesome time.  I chose to perform "I Ran (After THE GINGERBREAD MAN)" a mash up of 1982's hit "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls and the fairytale The Gingerbread Man.  Here's a video of the live performance:  

***For a direct link to "I Ran (After THE GINGERBREAD MAN)," click here: 

Just a couple of "Material Girls"
hanging out at ARTpool!

With Marina Williams,
owner of ARTpool Gallery.

"Dig Into SHELLING" Summer Reading Program: June 19th at 2pm!

I am so excited that one week from today I will be doing my very first children's program at the Seminole Community Library to kick-off Summer Reading!  After such an incredible year of touring libraries and book stores performing for mostly adult library patrons and staff, (where I heard many times that I should think about developing a kids program), I am now happy to present "Dig Into Shelling," a children's program devoted entirely to my other passion - seashells! 

I've talked many times about being a member of the St. Petersburg Shell Club (of which I am now also on the Board of Directors), so shelling seemed an ideal topic to share that would incorporate my knowledge and love for seashells, especially since most kids this summer (when not at the library) are probably at the beach!  And just like my adult programs, this event will include a variety of educational entertainment from reading and audience participation to show and tell, and yes, a very special shell song & dance!  Did I mention I am giving out FREE shells!?!    

I want to encourage any parents in the Tampa Bay area to bring their kids to the Seminole Community Library on Wednesday, June 19th at 2pm to join in on the fun.  Due to the popularity of the summer programs, (and the limited space available), free admission tickets will be distributed one hour prior to showtime at the entrance to the Program Room B.  The library will not be able to accommodate large groups from local day cares, summer camps, etc. due to fire code restrictions.  The Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College, Seminole Campus is located at 9200 113th Street North, Seminole, FL 33772.  For more information, visit www.spcollege.edu/SCL or call the Youth Services Department at 727-394-6913.

Hope to see you there!!!!

When I am not at the library, I am at the beach
collecting seashells.

A live Florida Fighting Conch Shell.

Happy 3rd Anniversary Stand-Up Librarian!

Wow, it is almost 11pm and I have yet to acknowledge that today is the 3rd Anniversary of creating Stand-Up Librarian and StandUpLibrarian.com!  

I would say that time flies but it really doesn't in this case as I am completely aware of how long and challenging the past three years have been.  Of course, I am also absolutely astounded and amazed at all of the fun I have had and the dreams that have been realized - especially in just the last year!  So many of the things I have accomplished I never once imagined when I first decided to mash up the words "stand-up comic" with "librarian" to create Stand-Up Librarian after graduating with my Masters degree in Library & Information Sciences in 2010.  Initially, I thought I would write some funny essays online about my adventures in librarianship and maybe if I got the nerve, try performing stand-up comedy again but this time not curse or put people down.  And maybe if I was lucky, someone out there would come to my blog after receiving my resume and see just how passionate I was about libraries and hire me as a librarian!

So, two out of the three happened.  Mostly because writing and performing were within my control if I just faced my fears.  While I have yet to be hired as a "librarian," I have instead been hired for shows & programs as the Stand-Up Librarian, so in a way, that is just as cool!  Plus I look at how much I have learned over the last three years just by simply trying things that scared me to death or thought I could never do again.  I will save most of those adventures for the book I am writing, but thanks to creating Stand-Up Librarian, I have finally become the person I always wanted to be: a person that can keep a job!  Seriously, this is the longest job I have ever had and it continues to make me happy, while challenging me to not only be a better Stand-Up Librarian but a better person.  Two years ago I also made the decision to quit drinking, which as a result has made me much stronger and less stupid.  Regardless of where I go from here, I will always be proudest of that.

Thanks to each and every person I have encountered on this journey.  Some were mean, most were supportive, but ALL have inspired me in one way or another.

Growing up is awesome.

The launch of Stand-Up Librarian on June, 1, 2010 looked like this.
A card catalog & one of my stand-up comedy pics from 2007.  Too dark!

Stand-Up Librarian in 2011 - which is probably my favorite picture.
Notice the book fabric tied around my waist?
It would later become my very first book skirt!

With my move back to FL in 2012, everything changed...for the better.
I got a new hairstyle & started Stand-Up Librarian Designs!

While I have yet to update my Stand-Up Librarian image for 2013
(not sure if I will), this is me today.  I make all of my own costumes,
perform regularly, and finally get to pose next to my very own card catalog!
MeredithMyers.com

Life Lessons to Git-R-Done!

I can't believe it is already May 6th!  It has been a busy couple of weeks preparing and performing shows in a variety of different formats, which the artist in me truly enjoyed not only because of the challenges I faced as a performer but the lessons I learned as a result of the process.

On Tuesday, April 23rd, I was an actor in an Old Time Radio Show play that enabled me to use a variety of character voices that I don't usually get a chance to use in my library shows.  I was reminded of how much I enjoy not being me.  It was also fun not to be in charge of the production.  Or the PR for the show.  I didn't even have to memorize the script since it was a radio show performed live on stage!  All I was responsible for was showing up and making sure the four characters I was playing would be entertaining for the audience.  Plus I finally got a chance to wear the Typewriter-print outfit I had made a few months ago since we didn't have costumes. Not only did I make some new friends in my fellow actors, I had a blast just being a member of the cast!

The cast of Fragile Fate, an Old Time Radio-style play.

As I have already mentioned in previous posts, the next night, I performed at McCurdy's Comedy Club down in Sarasota in honor of World Book Night. This was the performance of the week I was most nervous about.  I hadn't done a comedy club in over a year and it was also somewhat of an audition since the owner had never seen me before.  I wanted to make a good impression so I could come back for future shows.  While I only had to do 12 - 15 minutes (which seems like nothing compared to my hour-long set at my library events), it was the pressure to be instantly funny telling literary jokes to a non-reading crowd that scared me.  What if they didn't laugh?  Or worse yet, shush me?!  But the audience ended up being so supportive!  I also got some great advice from club owner Les McCurdy on how to better my act for the clubs, plus an open invitation to return to McCurdy's so I could continue to develop my act.  I learned that even with my years of experience in performing, there is always more to learn if you are open to hearing it.

Performing my literary stand-up comedy
at McCurdy's Comedy Club.

On Friday, April 26th, I was back in my comfort zone doing one of my library events performing for the Leesburg Public Library staff. On arrival, I was instantly approached by a group of friendly librarians on how excited they were to have me there.  One in particular I had met the year before when I performed at the Florida Library Conference where she had been one of the first people to buy one of my purses.  I later learned she also recommended me for this event - a prime example of how just one librarian can make a difference in employing another.  Thank you Alicisa!  This was also the first library event where I kind of hung out with the staff before I performed.  As a result of that personal time with my audience, I was more comfortable and less nervous which I think made me funnier and certainly better able to interact with them during the show.  They also showed their support in purchasing some of my literary purses and going on my Facebook page and telling me how much they enjoyed themselves.  I don't know if it was my brand-new pink Librarian outfit that I wore or the fact that I was 100% myself at that show, but I felt on top of the world!  Like I wasn't just performing for librarians, but entertaining friends.  Thank you Leesburg Library Staff for not only validating my work as the Stand-Up Librarian but for making unemployed librarian Meredith Myers feel like a member of your staff!

The Stand-Up Librarian with the Leesburg Library staff!

And finally, on Saturday, April 27th, I participated in ARTpool Gallery's Crafty Fest.  While I have been making and selling my literary purses for over a year at my shows and my Etsy shop, I had yet to do any type of craft fair so I thought it was about time I tried it out since I am an artist on residence there and could get a free space.  Thank God it was free because I did not sell a single thing in five hours of sitting in the blazing sun!  Now I don't know if was the lack of people in attendance at this thing or that the ones who came didn't buy a single thing from any of the artists making their own stuff, but soon began to dislike being a craft fair vendor!  It's like being homeless and begging for money that you already spent. Seriously, people walk right past your booth without even an acknowledgement of you or your homemade items.  Or if you are lucky, they stop and touch everything on the table making the once organized display now a heap of colored objects and then walk away. Once in awhile, someone will tell you how much they love everything and must have it but then walk to the booth where the girl is selling ripped-up Levi cutoff shorts and buy those instead.  Oh well, so I learned that I still don't like working retail even when it is my own stuff.  The one perk?  Lots of reading!

Stand-Up Librarian Designs being a vendor
at ARTpool Gallery's Crafty Fest.

I often talk about my troubles with letting go of my past and the person I once was or could have been today had I continued working as a publicist.  Or I had focused all of my energy on being just a comedian or just an actor.  I also admit to imagining how different my life could have been if I had hired as a librarian right out of grad school!  But then I stop myself.  Life didn't happen that way for me.  Instead I made a choice to listen to my heart - which stupidly resulted in me trying to do all of it...at the same time! Exhausting?  Yes.  Regrets?  Not a chance.

So after a week of playing a variety of different roles - actor, stand-up comic, Stand-Up Librarian, designer - I have finally learned the very important lesson that the role I created for myself - The Stand-Up Librarian - is the one that brings me the most joy (and surprisingly, also the most profits!)  Like in my favorite book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho that I gave out to the audience at McCurdy's for World Book Night, it is often through the long, difficult journey that you find your treasure...within yourself.

Celebrating MY success with Larry, who I first met over
15 years ago in a Chili's. Create your own opportunities.
Git-R-Done!

World Book Night at McCurdy's Comedy Club

For a direct link to the video, click here.

Thanks again to Les McCurdy and McCurdy's Comedy Club for having me out to perform last week on behalf of World Book Night to open for the incredibly energetic and hilarious Dale Jones!  As the mission of World Book Night is to promote reading to light and non-readers, I thought it was the perfect time for me to leave the library and return to the comedy club to do my literary stand-up comedy and surprise the audience with free copies of my favorite book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  

I can honestly say that I had more fun giving out the books to the audience than I did performing, which is yet another example that I will always be more librarian than comedian, however thanks to creating the phrase Stand-Up Librarian, I can always do both!  After the show, I got a chance to hand out my bookmarks, take pictures, and talk one-on-one with members of the audience and it brought absolute joy to my heart to hear how much they loved seeing a real librarian have fun on stage with books and how grateful they were to receive their free copies...and not have to return them!

As is my mission with Stand-Up Librarian, if something I said gets someone to use the library or pick up a book, I have done my job.  If they laugh or sing "Joyce Around" back to me, well that just means we had some fun too!  

Thanks again to everyone who came out to the show...

Giving comedian Dale Jones a copy
of The Alchemist before the show!

Thanks Les McCurdy!

The first librarian to ever perform
at McCurdy's Comedy Club!

I LOVED giving The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho to the audience.

Celebrate World Book Night at McCurdy's Comedy Club

I've got a busy week ahead full of a variety of shows and appearances including a play, a library staff day, a craft fair, and the one you should not miss - McCurdy's Comedy Club! 

On Wednesday, I will be popping into McCurdy's Comedy Club in Sarasota for a quick 20-minute set in honor of World Book Night to promote reading and give out free books to the audience.  While WBN is actually Tuesday, I am already committed to doing a play, so I figured why not extend the celebration!?!

What is World Book Night you say?  

World Book Night U.S. is an ambitious campaign to give thousands of free, specially printed paperbacks to light or nonreaders across America on one day. Volunteer book lovers help promote reading by going out into their communities and sharing free copies of books they love. The mission of World Book Night is to seek out those without the means or access to printed books.

My mission as the Stand-Up Librarian has always been to educate and entertain people about the importance of libraries and literacy, which means that most of the time I am trying to reach the people not reading!  It is the reason I use pop culture and catchy songs in my shows and why at Stand-Up Librarian Designs I make purses and hats, not Kindle cases.  I keep hoping that maybe a joke, a cute purse, or a literary parody song encourages someone out there to grab a book or get a library card!  

Joining World Book Night as a Giver also seemed like a perfect time for me to head back to the comedy club.  Most of the time as a literary comedian, I perform at libraries or book events for librarians and book lovers, but I have missed the diversity of the audiences at comedy clubs (well, not the hecklers or drunks.)  In performing at a library fundraiser down in Sarasota back in January, I was reminded of McCurdy's Comedy Club.  It was one of the first places my friend and comedy mentor Dan Whitney, first performed as Larry the Cable Guy.

I don't talk about my journey into becoming a comedian or the "Stand-Up Librarian" very much (I am saving that story for my book), but I will tell you that one story has been the reason I keep going regardless of the obstacles put in my way.  It is called The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and it is the book I will be giving away on Wednesday at the show.  

For reservations call 941-925-FUNY (3869) or visit McCurdysComedy.com.  McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre is located at 3333 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234.  

Hope to see you there!

Cannot wait to give out my favorite book of all time:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho!

I wanted to be a comedian because of
Dan "Larry the Cable Guy" Whitney.

While our comedy and talent is very different, Dan's work ethic
as a struggling comic in the 80's & 90's continues to inspire me.

Celebrating ARTpool Gallery 5th Anniversary & National Library Week!

For a direct link to video, please click here.

Thanks to Marina Williams and everybody at ARTpool Gallery for having me out to perform a couple of my literary parody songs on Saturday night in celebration of their 5th Anniversary.  It was a wonderful way to kick off National Library Week, plus we had great weather and a whole lot of fun!  My favorite moment of the show was hearing the audience chant "JOYCE, JOYCE, JOYCE" during my first-ever live performance of "JOYCE Around," a tribute to James Joyce and all things Irish.  There was also something special about performing "THE RAVEN is Hard to Handle" under a crescent moon. Perhaps Edgar Allan Poe was looking down on me and laughing at my silly mustache.  Special thanks to Clinton Lee at Brentwood Photography for the fabulous photos! 

I look forward to spending more time at ARTpool now that my literary bags are being sold there.  Just look for the library shelf filled with books and birds!

Support libraries and local art!!!!

"THE RAVEN Is Hard to Handle"

"JOYCE Around"

Stand-Up Librarian Designs now available
at ARTpool Gallery!

Performing at ARTpool Gallery - SATURDAY!

Just a heads up for those in the Tampa Bay area...I will be performing my literary parody songs at ARTpool Gallery's 5th Anniversary Party THIS Saturday, April 13th.  The event is from 8pm - 12am and supports local artists.  As a 5th generation native of St. Petersburg, I am extremely thrilled to celebrate my friend Marina Williams and ARTpool Gallery for their incredible artistic contributions to my hometown.

Body Art Runway Show, Live Music by Waking Giants,
Burlesque & Fire-Eating by Tokyo Belle, Belly-Dancing by Harem Dreams and Oriana,
Stand-Up Librarian Meredith Myers, Aerial Dance Performances by The Girly Show, and more!

My literary fashions will also be available for purchase at ARTpool Gallery from now on, so please come on out to say hi, support local art, and flap your wings while I sing "THE RAVEN is Hard to Handle" in my brand new Raven costume. 

My new Raven ensemble.  Purses available for purchase here.

Tickets for the event are $20 at the door but there are $10 tickets available on the ARTpool website which ends Friday at midnight.  For more information, visit www.artpoolgallery.com/

See you Saturday!!!! 

Happy Easter!

Wearing an Easter outfit devoted to Peeps was pretty sweet!

HAPPY EASTER from me and my Peeps!!!

2013 Peeps collection.

"JOYCE Around"

For a direct link to the video, click here: "JOYCE Around"

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

As a redhead with pale skin, I often get mistaken for being Irish.  I’m not, but I sure love a lot of things that are.  U2. Liam Neeson.  Lucky Charms.  So instead of doing another long-winded blog post about my passion for all things Irish or Irish-inspired (I seriously doubt Lucky Charms are made in Ireland), I decided to put all of those things into a comical song honoring one of our best Irish authors…James Joyce.

Joyce is another one of those classic authors that I have a hard time reading.  I got Ulysses from the library about two months ago with the intention to get through it by today but I am still on page 35 “I am a struggler now at the end of my days.  But I will fight for the right till the end.”  I admit to having no idea what this character is fighting for because my creative mind got distracted by a song that kept playing over and over at the Irish pub I was having lunch at.  It’s like every Irish pub has a contract with the 90’s Irish rap group House of Pain to play “Jump Around” on the hour every hour for the tourists in the joint.  Jeez, how about some Celtic music or at least some bagpipes?  Why does everybody have to “Jump up jump up and get down?”  Wait a minute.  What if I could pass JOYCE around by using an already catchy hook that people will not be able to get out of their heads?

Hence how “JOYCE Around” was born.  Well, that and I had made another cool hat and needed a place to wear it.  Unlike my other parody songs, I rewrote the entire song with my own lyrics honoring several of my favorite Irish actors and musicians.  Sadly, I could not include Sinead O’Connor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Pierce Brosnan or Cillian Murphy because I couldn’t find words that rhymed!

I want to thank my brother for giving me the heads up that there was a James Joyce Irish Pub in Ybor City, which is where we shot the video.  The staff there was awesome (especially Johnny who played the tattooed bartender reading James Patterson – his reaction was hilarious and we did that in one take.)  I wanted to incorporate the tough-guy theme that House of Pain used in their video so while Johnny’s tattoos were real, my librarian & book-related tattoos were just temporary.  I also want to point out that the “library” I am dancing in front of is real.  The pub encourages people to donate their old books so patrons of the bar can “enjoy a Guinness while they unwind with a good book.”

So this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t drink and drive, drink and READ…preferably James Joyce.  “So get out your books and JOYCE Around!”

Still trying to finish reading Ulysses on the set.

Trying to be tough with my librarian/book tattoos.

Once again, I made everything I am wearing in the video.

Thanks to the staff at the James Joyce Irish Pub in Ybor!

Edgar Allan Poe/Raven Purse!

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore - 
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door - 
Only this and nothing more."

But there was more...my new Edgar Allan Poe/Raven purse!  

Quoth the Raven, "Buy It!"

Since debuting "The Raven is Hard to Handle" last October in honor of Edgar Allan Poe, I have been searching endlessly for the right fabric that speaks to the style and practicality of my purses.  Too dark and it would scare people; too white and it would get dirty.  I also like to keep my purses reasonably priced so both the employed and unemployed can find items in their price range and so NEVERMORE do we have to look further because my Edgar Allan Poe/Raven purse is available for $30 for a limited time only!

100% cotton in shades of black and white with images of ravens, quills and handwritten script.  Each raven is detailed with red Swarovski Crystal eye.  Fully-lined with black fabric.  ½ inch wrist strap in coordinating fabric with silver hook closure to clip on to belt loops or bigger bags.  Inner pocket for storing credit cards, cash and IDs.  Dimensions approximately: 4 ½ x 8.   Perfect for any librarian, book lover, poet, and a must have for Poe fans!

To order your Edgar Allan Poe/Raven purse, please click here.

"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting"
On the Singer sewing machine just inside my chamber door...

Front of the Edgar Allan Poe/Raven purse

Back of the Edgar Allan Poe/Raven purse.

Yes, even a tiny Poe book fits in the purse!

66th Annual Shell Show

Holding my Blue Shell Award for Photography.

Just over a week ago I was proud to be a part of the 66th Annual St. Petersburg Shell Show as an artistic exhibitor.  I have grown up collecting seashells so when I moved back to St. Petersburg last year, I joined the St. Pete Shell Club in an effort to join an organization with like-minded individuals who shared my passion. Boy, was I blown away by their knowledge of shelling!  Where I always called shells by their common names, these folks referred to them by their scientific names - many of which I couldn't even pronounce!  

In addition to monthly meetings and the occasional field trip, I learned that the club hosts an annual Shell Show where anybody can submit their work.  While I knew that the scientific exhibits were probably out of my skill set, I had been experimenting with broken shells in my purse and headband designs on and off for over five years.  It was only after making a mermaid costume for Halloween that I finally figured out how to incorporate the shells into wearable fashion that didn't resemble cheap tourist trinkets.  Little did I realize that my fellow shell artists would be even more attention to detail in creating shell art that included dyes and tweezers to assemble the tiniest of shells to frames and knits.  It was a lesson that while I have an eye for color and patterns, I still have a long way to go in becoming a shell artist.

Embracing 3rd place for my Shell Fashions!  

Another perk of the Shell Show was volunteering in the kids area and teaching them about the various types of seashells found on our Florida beaches.  It was finally a place where I felt like the expert...well, until a six year-old walked up and showed me a thing or two!  I am constantly amazed by young people and how smart they are.  I encouraged the boy to submit an exhibit next year because I think he could win it!  

Learning a thing or two about sea shells.
Not sure who the teacher is here.

The reason I share this experience with you is that I am learning to embrace some of the activities and hobbies that simply make me happy.  I love taking beach photographs and collecting seashells.  I am sure we have all heard the phrase 'Live your passion' but I don't always think we should make a career or business of it.  I have spent years turning things I have enjoyed doing into businesses and careers before actually knowing the work it would entail.  I am also learning that it is okay not to be number one.  I am a perfectionist by nature so I always strive to do my very best but I have come to learn that there are so many more lessons in coming in second or third, or in not placing at all.  Talent is within each of us but it those who continue to compete without the expectation of ribbons or awards who are the true winners.

Just because you love sea life
doesn't mean you should be a mermaid.