more work from home stuff--read tomorrow if you are too busy today!

I've been painting here since 1988. I've participated in different craft shows and even helped to organize one at the fire department. I joined a decorative artists society and learned more about painting and taught people to paint in small weekly workshops. Mostly I taught them how to do it and save money, using pie plates and waxed paper for palettes instead of buying expensive accessories, etc. One of my students went on to publish several books and she packs up her van and takes her stuff on the road across the country. I was gonna try that route but couldn't see myself doing it as an army of one. Wes says I can do whatever but gets really irritated at losing money--even when it's not HIS. Instead I painted inside a church for a Sunday School room, I painted at a park and did all of this and more for community service. It brings me personal gratification but nothing in dollars.

These experiences teach me about myself. I know that I can teach people. I know they had better want to learn when I teach. As I get older my patience thins. I think that I can run a small business. When I see the work my friend Carmella does out of her garage?? I'm flabbergasted, but it inspires me to go on with what I want to do. When I think about the things that I love, that are a passion, I feel tingly in either in art or music, and something of my culture. If I was 18 again and knew this, I would have probably taken a different direction. Instead I kind of went around in circles, not knowing what I wanted.

One trip home I fell into an informal ukulele building class (after hours, the teacher ran his own workshops). My brother gave me a great recommendation and called his friend to set it up. Al let me into class on my vacation schedule time, and gave me the koa and curly maple at a great price. Of course, I dropped all the usual stuff people do when they go home to Hawai'i and I camped out evenings and nighttimes in the small garage area. Al showed me not only how to put things together, but where to get stuff while in Hawai'i, and how to order from on-line businesses. I left my clothes there and brought back ukulele molds from layers of plywood that were laser cut to shape.

That was in 2002 and I made the decision to have my own shop. It has taken me this long to gather most of the power tools , some wood and hand tools and to convince Wes to let go of some funds in this direction. I'm in touch with the Ukulele Guild of Hawai'i and have visited Hana Lima 'Ia the ukulele building school. They share so much of their knowledge.

'Ilima Ukulele Company, established in 2002 sounds so official, especially since it is the company of ONE person who is still working on the first instrument from scratch. Will it bring in money? Will anyone buy these instruments? I don't know the answer to that. Wes is just wondering when it's gonna get off the ground! Me, I like going through the process, as well as the end result. I just know that I have to do something I love to do. I'm always in the experimental stage, and given my work, home and family, church and halau time, I'm stretched pretty thin. Life is pretty exciting for me--it always has been!