Art Life | Andrea Mai

REFLECTION ON SIX YEAR ANNIVERSARY, PRINCE CELEBRATION 2022

Ever since 2016, after Prince’s passing, I’ve noticed snow in April. This year was no exception. It snowed here on Easier Monday. I heard that this year was supposed to be an early spring according to the groundhog, but it doesn’t feel like it to me…

I’ve continued to record EVP, though I’ve been busy with my work. I get the sense that he is content, where he is. I think that people’s feelings on the other side is very transparent. And sometimes I hear them say things like “You are happy”, or “Prince happy”. Where he is at, it is a joyful existence, filled with friends, foodie treats, and lots of fun.

I’ve been avoiding Facebook in the past year, it has been where the place where I get most Prince related news. So I don’t always know what is going on, as I just don’t pay attention to FB anymore, But recently, I could remember one time thinking to myself, wishing that there was some kind of video recording of Prince when he was a kid. I wondered if there was any chance that such a thing existed. I wanted to hear his kid voice. And then one day, I went onto my FB feed and scrolled. A news article about a news station finding a recording of P from when he was about eleven years old. I felt like my wish had come true. But when I looked at the date of the news release, it made me realize that perhaps when I was having those wishful thoughts, it was actually him telling me about this thing, and I just misunderstood thinking it was my thoughts. Telepathy is funny like that. A similar thing happened when the Prince Estate released a collection of face masks for covid. I literally saw the designs in my head, and they were released in an announcement shortly after, exactly what I saw! What a trippy feeling!

I can’t wait until it is finally warm enough to start working in the garden again. I’ve been planning out the garden in my mind and looking for seeds. I’m thinking about a bed of sweet violets, how the smell would be glorious in bloom.

Now that’s it’s been six years since his passing. It feels like a long time ago, because the world is such a different place now. What I wouldn’t give to be in a more innocent world… There are going to be more difficult times ahead for many people. My hope is that people make things right in their lives before it’s too late.

Prince lived his life fully. He accomplished many things with the time that he had. And I know, he left this world knowing that there was more he would have liked to do. But for the most part, he had pursued all his interests to a level of personal satisfaction. Not many people can say that. His dear friend, Lenny Kravitz said that about himself in an interview mentioning Prince. For myself, I am doing that. I am revisiting interests, making right of things that I did wrong, salvaging projects that I didn’t finish, pursuing interests with a renewed perspective and confidence. Accomplishing and doing things that my younger self would not have dared to try. I am happy doing these things, and I know I will one day leave this world feeling fulfilled and grateful for all I had gotten to experience.

I hope you are all doing well, staying sae out there in this world.

SPIRITS WATCH ME TRY OUT MY NEW AMP – EVP March 18, 2022

With everything that’s going on in the world today, I realize how precious one’s time on earth is. One never knows when they will be called to leave. And I want to go with the satisfaction of having pursued all my interests. So I decided to go ahead with getting the guitar amp I’d been eyeing. I took my time finding the one that is right for my needs. I did attempt to order it last year. But the supplier didn’t come through with my order, and I didn’t try ordering it again. I finally got it, and I am pleased with it.

I did some EVP recording while I was unboxing it, and tried it out. I think P was really excited for this.

He said, “I love it”. as I was trying out the amp for the first time.

While I was playing, an Etsy order can through and the notification sound came on my app. A little voice said, “New order” at the end of this clip. It’s very quiet, so listen carefully and see if you can hear it. I always wondered if spirits were giving me the feeling to check my notifications.

I think P had visitors at this time, and he told them, “Wrote this song for us”. The “us” part is really faint. I’ve always felt that P has played apart in all my musical creations. I have very little musical training. Bare minimum, just one lesson when I was in high school, and a few years ago, just a month on the Fender app. I think he works with me on writing songs that are suitable for my skill level, but also the kind of stuff I want to play.

For anyone interested, the amp I got, is the Champion 20 by Fender. I chose this one because of all the extra effects (all the dials you can play around with for different vibes). My guitar is a Squire Affinity.

I feel really grateful to have a chance to pursue guitar again. I tried learning in high school. But it never really stuck, and I had other stuff I was into. Nowadays, it’s amazing to be able to learn at home using the internet.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on March 18, 2022.

P SHOWS OFF OUR NEW LABEL DESIGNS – EVP February 14, 2022

A new month just began, and I am so very much looking forward to spring. I am anticipating working in the garden again, picking and drying flowers and leaves. It will still be a few months before any real work in the garden can begin. They said it may be an early spring this year. Still, we await for the last of the winter snow to be gone. I am knitting this silk mohair scarf that will go in my Etsy shop. Its airy texture is just right for the transition into spring. There are some in other colors already in the shop.

I’ve kept busy with working on my product designs for my shop. I haven’t been doing as much EVP recording. BUt I did do one for Valentine’s Day. I recorded with the EVPMaker running as the background sound.

I heard P talking to someone, telling them that he drew the labels on my jars. “Draw the labels”. I had used P’s channeled drawing for my label designs.

Then he said, “I draw it”. I think he’s happy with the label design, proud, as am I. It is our collaboration.

Then it sounded like P had another visitor. I heard him tell someone to come inside. Then he said, “That’s my mom”. At the part where he says “mom”, you hear his voice shift between his spirit voice and the sample voice. Hearing that makes me smile. I can tell, he loves his mom so much.

There used to be a time when I worried about spirits coming and going into our space as they pleased. But it sounds like P is able to lock down his space and only let in people he wants.

Long time readers of my blog will know about the channeled drawings from P. This was kind of our early form of communication when I first discovered his presence. I would hold my finger over the iPad screen and it would glide over the screen making these drawings. Often I would receive drawings of flowers.

For a long time, I’ve wanted t design new labels for my balm jars. But none of the designs I came up with felt good enough. I wanted its design to vibe with who I am. Finally, it has come! Thank you, P.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on February 14, 2022.

RELAUNCHING MY HOLISTIC BODY CARE PRODUCT LINE

About 13 years ago, I was living in the UK, working in a little shop in the town of Brighton. There, I was immersed in the world of natural body care products. I was the shop manager, dealing in lotions and creams made from the most luscious of ingredients. My working holiday ended and I came home with a wealth of knowledge about natural skin care.

I began creating my own concoctions. Inspired from all the product catalogs I had read. I set out to create a product line of my own. I sold my products at health fairs. This was before the internet really took off.

Rents for fair booths grew expensive over time, and my interest in selling products faded. But I continued to make and use my own products. I still had friends who bought from me occasionally.

This year, I’ve decided to relaunch my product line. This time, curating it carefully with a minimalist mindset. I used to be a sort of beauty product junkie when I worked in the industry. I accumulated a lot of products, and I really just wanted to pair it all down to the most essential of products. If I were going to a desert island and could only take 3 items, these things would be on my list; Lavender Balm, Arnica Balm, and Lavender essential oil.

I also reformulated my product line, having gained more experience through trial and error. The issue with balms in designing a product’s consistency to remain stable in hotter climates. My predicts have been sent to Hawaii, and they remain good on arrival. I’ve only used ingredients that have a long-shelf life, so that they will last a long time.

One thing that had been a setback for the relaunch, has been its packaging design. I did not want to relaunch until I was totally happy with the label design. It had to be true to my vibe. I had multiple attempts at designing it earlier, but I wasn’t satisfied with it. You can find out more about my design process in this blog post about eco-packaging.

The Lavender Balm is something that I use everyday. I use it for my face and body, even lips. It absorbs easily and smells of Lavender, which is my favourite scent. It was designed to treat skin irritation, because of Lavender’s soothing properties. It is infused with Calendula, which is also skin soothing and anti-inflammatory.

The Arnica Balm is handy to have for life’s little accidents. It can be used to treat bruises, sprain, and muscle soreness. Also great after workout to prevent muscle aches the next day after vigorous exercise. Sometimes when I wake up having slept with bad posture, my neck is sore. I use this to help me get back to normal. It contains extracts of Arnica and Calendula flowers, both anti-inflammatory and boosts natural healing.
The Lavender roll-on essential oil is another product I use often. It is especially useful in the summer when I get bitten by insects in the garden. I also use it for skin blemishes, as it helps to soothe and heal faster. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that does not need to be diluted to be safe on the skin. I packaged it in a convenient roller bottle so that it can be used easily on the go.

MAKING A SLIME VIDEO + 432 HZ MUSIC

I recently came across this kids trend, where slime has been reinvented. When I was a kid, I remember they would sell slime in a vending machine at the super market. The new slimes comes with fragrances and glitter, and comes in a variety of textures. And when I found out how easy it is the make, I couldn’t help but give it a try.

I made mine with a typical white glue and borax solution. The first one I tried out was :over-activated” and came out too hard, it was more like a putty. But it was still fun, it’s like squeezing a stress ball, except it doesn’t bounce back into its shape.

I made a second batch, this time being more patient to stir in the activator a little at a time. It became a gooey, milky looking slime. I added magenta coloured mica and it gave this rose quartz look to it, a subtle shimmer. I also added gold leaf and kneaded it in, the leaf sheet would break into dust the more I worked it in. It was beautiful. I was going to just make a quick video to document its gorgeousness, just for myself. But I ended up editing the video and it grew. Do you know that feeling? When you start something, not really intending much, but you’re struck with creativity and you have to see it through. I had some 432 hz music that I had recorded a while back, just sitting in archives. I paired it with the video.

And as I was editing and playing around, I discovered this little Easter egg of a trivial fact. The little radio sample at the beginning of my video, Prince used the exact same sample at the beginning of his Art Official Age track, Clouds. I had always wondered about that track, if that sample was a basic stock sample, or something he created from scratch. I had felt inspired by that track and thought of it on many occasions. I had a feeling that it sounded very familiar to me, having spent many hours playing around on Mac iMovies. The sample clip is a sound effect sample that comes with iMovies. I only realized this after I made my video and posted it. I went to check out his track to verify and discovered it was the same one. Here we are, twinning again. Here’s my slime video set to original stock music that I composed.

ART UPDATE: MY ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING DESIGNS

I’ve been busy updating my Etsy shop, adding new products, and my revamping packaging. It started out with running low of thank you postcards, and I was going to order more. BUt I noticed the price of printing has jumped out substantially. I decided to get creative.

Over the years of being in business, I’ve adapted a philosophy of “use what you’ve got”, instead of buying more stuff, akin to the saying, make lemonade when life gives you lemons.

My art supply stack of card stock has gone unused and neglected. I decided to design thank you cards with the card stock. Each card opens up with a thank you note attached, which can be easily removed. The customer can then use the card in the future to write a note to someone else. The card has two sides,one without my promo info, so it can be flipped to just the picture side.

I also decided to create a design for my mailing envelopes. I use these resealable envelopes with the hope that the customer will reuse it for something else. My thought is if I make it really pretty, it will increase the likelihood of not being tossed out. I am also printing the return address directly on the envelopes, so that I am halve reduce use of labels by half.

While doing all this, I ended up finally finishing a product design that has been sitting on the back burner. I’ve been wanting to redesign my Arnica Balm labels to relaunch it on Etsy. Up until now, I have only had this balm on offer to personal friends. I’ve been working on this formula a long time, designed to relieve muscle aches and bruises. Now I am really happy with the new design.

I’ve designed my labels to be printed on fine qua;ity paper. I found the paper was sturdy enough to withstand wear and tear. It is glued on using an adhesive that works on glass. The great thing is that the labels and glue come off easily after soaking in hot water. No sticky gummy mess to deal with! My hope is that customers reuse the jars instead of tossing it in the recycling bin.

I also designed a label for my Lavender essential oil roller. I never travel without lavender oil. I learned my lesson from the past. You never know if the place you’re going to will have mostquitos, or you get a pimple on the way there! Better safe than suffer on a long journey!

Originally, I wanted to design a print for kraft paper wrap for gift orders. But it turned out that my printer cannot deal with the task. I don’t want to order it custom, as I don’t normally use tissue wrap in my orders. I consider it non-essential.

Instead, I created a gift wrap design, which features plain tissue wrap, a lace cut-out obi strap and embossed logo sticker seal. Embossing is a great way to customize stationary items, and it requires no ink! The obi strap is made from scrap remnants of photo paper that would have been thrown out otherwise.

Long time readers of my blog will recognize the line drawings on my packaging. They are my channelled drawing with P. I’ve long wanted to incorporate them into my designs.

So far, I feel that the start of 2022 has been a productive one. They say that how you start the year on the first day will project into the rest of the year. I was packing orders on New Year’s day. Perhaps the saying is true?

I even had the energy to design this gift bag for my shop. I’m going to be offering premium gift wrapping options for my customers buying presents.

My philosophy for designing packaging is to keep it simple, and as minimal as possible. A lot of times, I will try to find ways to reuse packaging that I receive in orders. I also keep in mind how the end user can reuse the packaging. I also consider durability of the packaging, so rather than being recycled, reuse is preferred. I still use plastic in my packaging, but it is used for the purpose of keeping items fresh, or to prevent damage during transit. I’ve had samples of those biodegradable clear plastic protector bags, and I’ve got to say, that I am not a fan. They break apart easily around the edges and folds, as they are not as flexible. Some of these packaging products that are said to be environmentally -friendly are not long lasting.

Recently a friend asked where I got the name for my shop, Dreamer Gallery. I chose it for several reasons. I like the feeling the word dreamer evokes. But the word “dream” is also in the letters of my name. ANDREAMAI.

Anyways, hope to see you in my Etsy shop here.

LISTENING TO VINYL WITH P – EVP October 4, 2021

Last year I got a couple of vintage 7-inch Prince vinyl. One day, when I was home alone, I decided to play them and record with my EVP recorder.

Playing vinyl is like opening a gateway to memories of simpler times; when society didn’t feel so complicated, and the future felt more optimistic. I enjoy collecting and turning them into framed displays.

When I reviewed the EVP, I could hear them talking to each other.

I put on Baby I’m A Star, and caught someone saying, “Happy”. I guess someone was excited!

The phone rang, and P said, “It’s the phone” and other voices were saying “Phone”. P’s voice is a bit drowned out, it’s better heard with headphones.

Right after the line, take me with you, someone said, “Someday”.

During Take Me With U, I found this deep voice saying “Pick up”. But this was already after I had gotten the phone call, so I don’t really know what this was about. Maybe a call over there?

In this clip, someone is saying, “How are you”.

Someone commented, “Pretty”.

Someone came looking for P, and said, “Prince”.

I’ve noticed from what I can capture on EVP, conversations between spirits seem to be very brief, said in a few words, and I think there is likely much more going on than what we can observe. They may be conveying their communication in other forms through telepathy; thoughts, feelings, images, memories, can be shared easily.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on October 4, 2021.

“Books and Records” by Andrea Mai.

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