E-mail TIME!

Above: photo of my mailbox ready to explode!

Dear friend,

I wanted to let you know that if you ever write me an e-mail and never hear back from me you shouldn't take it personal at all. It is not that I intentionally didn't want to respond. It is just that most of the times it is humanly impossible for me to respond each e-mail individually.

Once I go through my mailbox and delete all the junk e-mail that I get daily then I read the ones that are not junk. These are some of the e-mail categories that I get:

1. Request for an interview. (I am not able to do interviews right now due to my limited time. I love to be interviewed so I hope that I can resume them in the future. I love interviews with interesting, short and original questions.)

2. Request for a custom work. (I normally don't do custom work because I honestly prefer to do my own thing. Once in a while I do something special for someone but it's not often.)

3. Technical questions about materials that I use. (I do answer them as often as I can or I share the information in the content of my posts)

4. Beautiful letters saying how much someone has been inspired by my art. (These are letters that I treasure in my heart and in a special file that I keep on my computer. Thanks a million for them.)

5. E-mails from upset people that never heard back from me. Fortunately these e-mails only arrive once in a while. (This post is for you, maybe after reading it you will feel better. I am so sorry if I hurt your feelings. It was never my intention.)

6. Students that need my help for a school project. (I wish that I could help all the students out there with their projects! Right now my list of students is limited to my children Natalie and Diego. Helping them is already a lot of work.)

7. Artists asking for a collaboration. (I would LOVE to accept this kind of offer when my time allows me to do so in the future.)

8. Request for permission to link to my blog and use my pictures on other blogs. (You're welcome to do so.)

There are many more categories but these are the main ones.

I want to say that I feel honored when someone feels compelled to take the time to write me an e-mail. I highly appreciate it. The fact that I keep several blogs generates lots of connections with special individuals from all over the world. That's the most beautiful gift that I get from my Internet presence. But because I cannot keep an ongoing e-mail communication with thousands of people I still want to nurture that connection through my blogs.

Every time I write a post I don't do it for "a bunch of people out there". I blog for a single person and that person is you. I try to give you everything that I have as an artist and as a human being in general because I believe that giving is a good thing. 

Please forgive me if I don't write you back. I still love you and I will keep giving you everything I can from my small presence in the world.

Elsita :)

Comments

[lara j.]

Thank you, Elsa. I only found your blog a short while back from a long list of blogs in Artful Blogging. Your work is so evocative that I list it on my blog as one of my favorites to visit. I love seeing the things you do as well as the way you capture your feelings and cheer your kids on. You are a special artist and mom that I look up to! Keep it up! :l

[Lori Greene]

You are very sweet and generous! Thank you for putting yourself out in the world for all of us!

[Amity]

I appreciate you too, Elsita!!

[Rebeca R.]

♥!

[elizabeth]

I already knew you were a very busy girl and now you only confirmed this again. Still you are able to make fabulous pieces each time around. Your day consist probably of more than 24 hrs. a day.

Take good care of yourself because only than we can enjoy your work for a long, LONG time.

[margie]

you are such a precious gem my friend
your creative mind and hands travel faster that the speed of light in all that they accomplish.

[acornmoon]

Please add my name to the list of people who are inspired by your amazing work, above all I love your little books. They are sublime! By not accepting commissions you are able to devote yourself to your own ideas and creations and your creativity is awe inspiring as is your craftsmanship. Thank you for sharing it all with us.

[custom essay]

Great article. Thanks for it.

[Laura_figiel@hotmail.com]

You're a pretty amazing woman.

I don't know how you handle it all!

Keep up the fantastic work.

[Jamie]

Thank you! You are treasured, too. = )

[fiona]

Elsa, kiss from London x

[Ana Gonzalez]

Dios mio Elsa! que volumen de emails, eso es imposible de manejar. Tendras que contratar a un asistente :)

Yo he notado que desde que estoy en facebook el volumen de mis emails ha bajado, parece que la gente cada vez escribe menos emails, aunque en tu caso veo que no es asi.

[mariella :)]

You are tu best elsita :)

[Air Purifiers]

8894???? Oh my gosh I'm frustrated when I check emails I haven't used for a while and I see anything in the triple digits!!! You could use a personal assistant!

[Philadelphia House]

thanks elsita, your are so polite

[Linda Thomas]

Thank you Elsa for sharing your beautiful work! I recieved the book, Paper Cutting compiled by Laura Heyenga, for Christmas and it really blew me away! I was reminded that cutting paper is something I love to do and that I need to pay attention and nuture the artist in me. What amazes me is the amount of dedication there is to the art form, personally and collectively. I'm ready to commit! :) Linda Thomas, Hjo, Sweden

[Elsita]

Go ahead Linda and enjoy the art of papercutting. It will bring lots of joy into your creative life.
Happy New Year!
Elsita :)

[Pamela Brandvold]

The only thing I wish to do is to come by your blog and fill my eyes and mind with the delightful objects that you produce. They are wonderful! Your story about yourself as told through your drawings is as magnificent as the objects d' Arte. Your children are beautiful. I was looking for scroll ideas for shuttles that I am making for weaving. I make them out of pieces of wood given me by my friends. I carve gentle carvings on them so as not to obstruct the yarns and threads. I was surfing the net and I saw something at the corner of my eye that told me to look further. I stopped by and breathed a long sigh as I looked at all of your creations. I hung out for a while and now I say adieu and would like permission to stop by now and again to see what new works you have on your blog. May I. Pam from Montana

[Sophia Colosimo]

Hi E,

I would love to buy Amigo No 3 if he is still available.

I love reading your blog - thank you so much for sharing it with the world!

best Sophia Colosimo