Heartprints
Selling Hearts For My Art
“Courage is the heart of selling. When you exude courage while communicating…
it will further prove just how much you care.” Shari Levitin
I’m not sure when I found my first heart-shaped rock, but after a few more appeared, I began to see them as gifts of encouragement, like the universe was listening to my heart. Often, it came with an “aha” moment and a smile or an answer. One time, I was walking with a new man in my life, and in that half-hour stroll around the bog, I’d found several little ones. He accused me of showing up early and planting them. I should have picked up on his trust issues rather than his sense of humor.
This is my favorite “heart art” image, so I’ve used it for branding. It came from years of collecting heart-shaped rocks and then wondering how I could put them to use for other than decor. How the images might remind people that they aren’t alone in their collecting, or how the gift of one of the items with my images might lift someone’s spirit and bring joy. My shop on Redbubble has many more: https://www.redbubble.com/people/waywardheart/shop
I had my mouse pad made for myself years ago so that every time I moved my mouse I could be reminded about why I was there, sitting in my chair, pouring my heart out on the page.
I’ve also collected and have been gifted so many semi-precious heart-shaped rocks over the years.
Miscellaneous (with Sahara sand) - many lovely presents over the years.
My home is full of heart-shaped things. I see them as symbols to nurture lovingkindness despite several broken hearts and dreams. This positivity helps me to “turn bitter into sweet” and not let my heart harden. That outlook led to a mantra for me and the characters I create, that we “turn bitter into sweet into Oscars.” Shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars, right?
I found the rock pictured below on a hike in the desert - a ten-pounder covered in grooves and dents. I carried it, sat with it at a rest stop, and meditated on how like me it was - beautiful and scarred - perfectly imperfect. How like all people that is.
Perfectly Imperfect
How will selling my heart rock images - among others - support my art? It will help pay for coverage - professional feedback and a ranking scale to prepare me for competitions that could attract a producer’s interest. For example, I’m polishing my screenplay, “Love With a Side of Water.” It’s set mainly in Ireland with an Irish Canadian lead. I’ve found a mentor in Ireland with screenwriting and novel writing credits to guide me through a final draft. I want the dialogue to sound natural and authentic to the setting, as well as ideas on how to novelize the screenplay, something that will inform doing so for “Wayward” as well. If she loves the result of my draft, she will be able to connect me with a producer in Ireland. It would set me back 2,500 euros - going on $4,000 Canadian! That’s not in my budget, but it takes money to make money, so I’m getting creative with images, offering something beautiful that I hope will speak to readers’ hearts.
Keep your eyes out for heart-shaped rocks on the paths you travel. If you can’t find any, enjoy mine at your writing desk: a mouse pad, a coaster, and a mug for that mindful cup of coffee to jumpstart your day’s pilgrimage of the pen. There’s even an apron for hearty cooks and a drawstring bag to take on your errand - the tiny Caminos of daily life.
What random things do you collect, if any?
If not, perhaps someone you know of?
When does a collection become clutter?
The latter is something that Mara, the lead character in my screenplay “Float My Boat,” will be asking herself when I get around to writing it.
