SharedBliss: The Art of Jennifer Hugon & The Wisdom of Kermit

Jennifer hiking in Muir Woods.

Listening to: A song that reminds me of one of my poems (really, more the video) by a group brought to my attention by Jennifer!

Bliss: Bringing a new kitten into the house, especially one so immediately loving and cuddly, has forced me to really feel how sad I am about losing Jobie's fur suit this past January. I know this doesn't sound very blissful, but it's important to grieve in full and Lilly is helping me with that and for that I am so thankful.

Jennifer Hugon loves the writing of Neil Gaiman. That alone was reason enough for me to think she was totally cool and worth getting to know. (She also loves the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret and understands that it is evolutionary in terms of graphic novels -- another reason to like her.)

Other things I share in common with Jennifer: her love of wine and cheese (I don't think putting that in writing can, in any way, come close to helping you understand my love for those two things), and her love of Firefly, Arrested Development, X-Files, Lost Boys, Labyrinth, and Star Wars.

Knowing these things about someone is like getting the shorthand to their GeekChick heart! (And I say that with reverence...)

And then you see her art and you know that there is someone with a beautiful and deep outlook on life behind these creations, who is also perhaps a bit wacky and whimsical.

Just our kind of Chick.

Here is her etsy store and her blog and her site for her freelance design work.

Describe the PrimaryBliss of your life. How did you come to know that this was your PrimaryBliss?

Creating art is the Primary Bliss of my life. When I am truly in the zone of creating, I feel as though I'm in another world. Time seems to slow, sometimes to speed up, reality takes a slight bend and things seem to Make Sense. There are moments of creation in which everything comes together – the past, present and future; sound and vision; dreams and reality; memory and imagination. These moments are so brief, seconds, minutes if I'm lucky, but they are moments when all of my anxieties and all of the everyday concerns slip away and I almost feel like I'm tapping into something "other." These are very rare moments. I think that creating art for me is always seeking another moment like that, trying to tap into it and trying to figure out how I got there.

I try to make affordable art because I believe that it is something to share and that if I can bring someone else joy by seeing my images in their home every day.. well, that's so amazing. I am not sure how else to describe it. The simple idea that I brought something into this world that brings happiness into someone else's life means everything to me.

What types of choices and sacrifices did you make to be able to craft this bliss-filled life?

The most obvious sacrifice I've made has been the recent one to leave a very comfortable and fulfilling full-time job as a creative director at a graphic design shop in order to pursue my path as an artist and freelance designer. It was the most difficult decision I've had to make, forsaking the companionship of tremendous coworkers and the financial security of a good job in an shaky economy. But I know that if I did not make that move, I would never have been able to pursue this path.

A second, and more subtle sacrifice which I know will be a long-time struggle, is letting go of my tendency towards perfectionism. I've always been very hard on myself and being "the best" in my endeavors has always been a focus of my journey. Recently, thanks to many sources (family, friends, written wisdom) I've realized that a goal of being "perfect" is not actually a goal but a roadblock to my bliss. Letting go of this notion is one of the most amazing and difficult things I've had to overcome.

How does your PrimaryBliss radiate out into the rest of your life?

I think that when I am able to give a gift of my creative work to a friend, family member, or charity, it affects everyone involved in such a positive way. Also, because I've followed this bliss my whole life I've been lucky enough to support myself with it through graphic design and painting. That is something I do not take for granted. I also think that it helps me to appreciate the work and mission of other individuals that follow their hearts.

A Murder of Crows
(Yes, that's what a group of crows is called
and I LOVE it!)

What are some other activities that also give you this sense of bliss? Things that make you lose track of time?

Hiking is a great escape for me. Especially in the spring and autumn months when nature is in transition. Reading also gives me that sense of bliss. I primarily enjoy fantasy or imaginative fiction, but I can just as easily get lost in a great travelogue or art history book. Which reminds me that learning also gives me that same feeling. I think I could be a perpetual college student!

What is your daily or weekly spiritual practice?

I make a list every day, sometimes in my journal, sometimes in my head, of 10 positive things, things I've learned or experienced that day. I reflect on those things and try to keep perspective when negative thoughts creep into my brain. I pray in my own way. I've never been overtly religious, but I've always felt a spiritual connection, so I honor that every day in some small way, whether it be a prayer of thanks or a moment when I stop in the middle of the woods and let myself be overcome with the vastness and closeness of the world around me.

What music is your bliss?

Music in general plays a big part in my bliss. I listen to music every day, especially while I am creating and sometimes it has a direct influence upon the images that happen. I enjoy good music of almost any genre, but some specific favorites that always seem to elicit an intense feeling for me include: Radiohead, Loreena McKennitt, The Legendary Pink Dots, Cranes, Dead Can Dance, Nick Cave and Peter Murphy/Bauhaus. And Leonard Cohen. And The Cure.. I could go on and on here!

Funky Planet

Name books or authors/poets or people who are your bliss, who influenced your bliss.

Jim Henson. I cry every single time I hear the Rainbow Connection, not so much out of sadness at the passing of such an unbelievably amazing human being, but for the joy of what he did with his life. That song says SO much, so simply, through Jim's alter ego of Kermit the Frog. It's amazing really. The absolute celebration of the imagination and the earnest belief that we all have a creative calling...

"Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be"

Also, Neil Gaiman. There is something in his body of work beyond the obvious story-telling craft and amazing imagination that really strikes a chord with me. He has a way of expressing the magic in the ordinary, the magic that is all around us if we could just stop long enough to realize it's there. My love of fantasy, mythology and archetypes aside, his vision just feels so true to me.

And my mom. She always told me that if she could just keep her small circle of loved ones happy and safe, that would be a good life. That has always made so much sense to me. There's the ripple.

What advice would you give to someone who feels they have not yet discovered their PrimaryBliss?

Try to focus on your "self." So many times we are overwhelmed with the pressures of the outside world. Money and societal pressures to achieve a certain specific "success" can often lead you astray. It is important to focus on the things that make you happy and honor those urges to play, create and relax. There is a great pressure to do more, multi-task, make more money, have more things, bigger things, more expensive things and that can poison your chances to discover your Bliss.

Do you have a favorite quote you would like to share?

Actually a couple of song lyrics. First, Radiohead's Street Spirit. Another song that can make me cry for joy (and sadness) almost every time I listen to it:
"Immerse your soul in love"

And Peter Murphy, Socrates the Python:

"Today ...
Your problems are not
Of blind belief
That is or means
Belief ain't enough, belief ain't enough
The oracle of your age
Point towards the word
Psychological

You may freeze
You may fear
You may wince
And not hear
You can sick at the heart
When I say
"God is one"
Does God the word
Make you reel
And I mean, real

But it isn't God the father son or holy one,
But the key to your age
Get it together, and listen
With all the books
On the shelf
All the wisdom
With all the books
On the shelf
All the wisdom"

"The earnest belief that we all have a creative calling..." What an awesome line and how very true. I think sometimes we limit that word "Creative" and think that it is reserved for only the "Great Artists and Writers," but Kermit the Frog knew better...that creativity is for every single one of us.

Every single one of us just has a different path of creativity. But if we open our hearts and minds and see and know the thing that makes our blood run fast...follow that. Like Jennifer. Like Kermit.