These days there is a lot of talk about ‘mindfulness’ and the other day I came across a lecture that covered sending ‘mindful’ emails. The lecturer suggested that when you type an email – and this would particularly apply to bulk mailings – that you should NOT click on that SEND button as soon as you think that you are done.
An experience I had a few days ago made me realise just how correct she was! Of course I should have taken my ‘day of rest’, but knowing how much there still was to do, I pushed on regardless.
The lecturer suggested that after you have finished the email, you should take three deep breaths
and then read the email as if you were the recipient. Personally, I think you should take three deep breaths, get up and make yourself a cup of tea, 
have a meal or go for a short walk and then come back and read it like the recipient – and then take three more deep breaths before clicking SEND!
The other thing I would recommend is that you never send out anything that you have prepared whilst not 100% alert. 
That applies to your Christmas letter or six-monthly family newsletter too!
Since January we have been intensely busy with compiling information, learning new tricks, jumping through hoops and about a week ago, I was ready to play dead.
However, it was time to SEND our personal group invitation to the people in my address book as there were about two weeks left before the first weekend of the Cyprus Open Studios 2016 event at my studio. I very proudly prepared the invitation, thinking that I was Oh, So Good! And then something happened, keeping me humble: I put the incorrect dates on… and had sent it to about 400 people! That darn SEND button!
My forelock was pulled down to my chin in apology, my knees were raw from begging for forgiveness and my face could not get any redder. Not only were the last nine months a steep learning curve, but this incident taught me never to assume there was nothing more to learn!
The good news is that all the participants have now received their printed catalogues and are making their own preparations for their open weekends, gearing up to make visits to our creative spaces as enjoyable as possible.
Printed catalogues are limited but everything is on our website.
DOWNLOAD THE REVISED 2016 SCHEDULE FEATURING THE LATEST UPDATES!
We also offer a PRIZE DRAW – entry form downloadable from the website. Yes, you can win a voucher to use towards either acquiring a piece of art, sign up for a workshop or take lessons – art-en-route-cyprus.com is contributing €150,00 towards the cost. Perhaps next year you would like to join in the COS event too after you have had your lessons or workshop! Here is a mosaic workshop at Mary Chojnowski’s studio in Tsada. 
We are full of great expectations for 2017 and have already started planning ahead. As you may be aware, Paphos is the twinned European Capital of Culture with Aarhus in Denmark for 2017.
Aarhus emblem Paphos emblem
We have a few visiting artists for the 2016 event from the UK, the Netherlands and Ibiza, and next year we would like to concentrate on inviting some Danish – and other Scandinavian country artists to join us for the 2017 event which is once again planned for October. If you have artist friends from that part of the world, invite them and ask them to get in touch with us – it will be great fun! All contact information is on the website.
There is something else you might like… We are going to feature interviews with artists on our blog, showing you a bit more of who they are, what they do and why they do what they do. We are planning to do this on a regular basis and will do our best to bring you interesting news, views and happenings.
Till next time – and we hope to see you in our studios and creative spaces during the course of events. As a forerunner to the first COS weekend, Opus 39 Gallery Continue reading “That SEND button!”
cyprusopenstudios 