A Different Client

We never know who is going to become our client. Obviously, we have an idea about our customers profile, but actually a client can be anyone. However, sometimes a new client may surprise us.

When I was back to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I started organizing myself to make miniatures again. I got clay, tools and all I needed to work (again!). I didn't know yet where I was going to sell (as always!), I just wanted to be started.

Firstly, I got a call from a group of artisans (I don't know how they found me, but somehow I was in their files) and they invited me to be a member of the group. Of course, I accepted, but I had never worked together with other artisans as a group. An government agency would help us to get our papers as small businesses, new fairs to show our work and everything. That was good.

Soon, I got my papers as a small business artisan and started selling my miniatures in different fairs. We had notes and pictures at the local newspaper about our shows and weekly meetings to talk about the group. However, after few months, the artisans weren't happy. The places where we had our shows were lacking buyers and the sales weren't good. They were picking the wrong places. It was the first time I had few orders. Really, something wasn't right.

Generally each of us had his/her own boot, but once we went to a big show and we had a single big boot to all of us as a group in that event. Frankly, I didn't like it. I paid a lot of money to be there, but my small miniatures simply "disappeared" in the middle of the big pieces of the other artisans. I could have sold a lot more if I had my own boot, away of the group. That was a lesson to be learnt.

Soon after that event I started missing some meetings because it was better to stay home working than to be there. I guess everyone thought the same and few weeks later the group was over. I don't regret having entered into that group. I met a lot of people and had new experiences.

Then, I was alone again. The main subject in those meetings was the available places we had to sell our work. That was the main problem. The fairs and shows were too expensive. It seemed we were renting stores in the mall or something.

So, I thought: how about to sell my miniatures in my own place? My parents had an old building and there was an empty area close to it. It was a kind of garage, a big room covered by a roof and a large gate to the street. It could work as a store.

I thought: what if the people walking at the street could see me making the miniatures? So, I thought about to create an open art studio, where the people could walk in and see everything I was doing. And, sure, they could buy miniatures.

That place was empty and nobody was going there for years. There was a lot to do. There was a pile of old stuff covered with dust. Everything was garbage. Then I spent some days just cleaning that place. Then, I put my things there and was ready to fully open that big gate and let the people see me working there.

It was exactly 9 AM when I opened the gate. Less than a minute later I heard a big noise as a car was breaking and it finally stopped just in front of me!!! What a shock!!! I almost fainted!

It was the police car! Four officers with heavy weapons as I had never seen so close of me came in my direction!

While I was almost having a heart attack, the police officers were seeing my miniatures. If they were normal policemen, I would be just surprised to have them looking my work, but they were from that kind of special police, called only to deal with extremely hard situations. That is why they had those weapons and dress differently.

I guess they were just passing by the street when they saw the opened gate - the gate that was always closed and they went to see what was that. Sure, they found me and my miniatures. They liked it and bought some miniatures.

Next day there were two police cars in front of my place. Now I had 8 policemen as customers! All of them would want to buy my miniatures! The funny thing was that the people at street thought that something was happening there. Some curious people came to see why those police officers were there and when they saw that the police officers were only buying miniatures, they would want to buy too!

Life seems wind

I thought about going to New York City in September 9, 2001 because it was my birthday and I could have a short vacation. Obviously, as a turist, I would visit the WTC twin towers during those days. I am happy because I changed my mind and didn't go. The terrorist attacks happened 2 days after my birthday, on September 11. I stayed in Boston, and watched the terrible news on tv.

I felt this tragedy as each of the victims was from my own family. I am Brazilian, but I put an American flag in my hat, and another in my door. Even now, 8 years later, I feel me sad during the September 11 day.

I never thought seriously about going to United States. When I was younger I did want to know the Disneyworld, as every kid. Later, I did want to know the main cities in the world, like Paris, Roma, London, and sure New York, as everybody, but that was not too important. Sometimes I daydreamt about it but soon I had forgotten.

However, after almost 10 years divorced, I met an American man and we got married. This is why I went to live in Boston from 2000 to 2003. It happened so fast in my life that it seems that a gust of wind took me to the United Sates and brought me back.

As soon as I got there, I found that I had a pre-cancer and had to make a surgery. Then, I stayed in Boston until the surgery was successfully done and I was completely healed. Probably, if I had not gone to USA, I wouldn't have found about it and it could have developed until to become really a cancer. Maybe I would find it when it was too late. So the entire time I did live in Boston, I was very worried about my health. After September 11, I became really really sad for everything.

But I made a lot of friends in Boston and I can tell they were too important for me. I was used to tell them stories about my life in Brazil. Sure, I ended up talking about my miniatures and some friends did ask me to make some miniatures, so they could see it.

I didn't know where to find the natural clay and the stuff I was used to make my miniatures. I did walk a lot in Boston and found everything in the Pearl store. I made about 20 miniatures to show my friends. And guess what? They wanted to buy all of them. I had got even orders.

It made me happy during several months. Then, someone invited me to show my miniatures in the Sommerville Museum. There was a local artists exhibition and I was one of them. I thought that no one would go there to see the exhibition because there was a snow storm during the night. It was too very cold, but the people from Boston is brave and the Museum was full of people. I sold almost everything I had.

For the first time I had orders in Boston from people that I didn't know personally. I made business cards and became busy. The American people liked my art.

However, the same wind that made me go to USA years before made me also be back to my country. The relationship between my husband and I wasn't good. So, I decided go back to my home in Rio de Janeiro. Now I feel as I have and love two countries: Brazil and USA.

The Assault

Nobody likes to be interrupted. Mainly if we are watching TV and someone appears pointing a gun to our head. This was what happened to me years ago.

It was a summer night and I was watching the news on TV. They were noticing something important and all my attention was there. I heard someone saying something behind me. I didn't understand and kept looking to the TV. I thought it was one of my kids, and said (without look): "Wait a minute". Then, I saw a gun close to my left eye and looked back. There was 2 gunmen in my living room!

They were two thieves. I didn't know how they came in. I had been in the pool til late that day and I was still dressing bikini and shorts. My mom was there and only one of my kids was at home too. The thieves made us go to the first bedroom and we sat there. One of them stayed with us while the second one started stealing my things. They took all electronics they could, my mom purse and even my kids toys!

We were lucky because they didn't hurt us. There was no physical violence because my mom, my son and I got to keep ourselves quiet and calm. After about 1 hour, they took us to the last bedroom (the most far from the street), locked us there and left.

Few minutes later, they were back. They had put everything in my car, but they didn't get to open the garage door and leave! They made me go there alone with them while my mom and my son were locked in that bedroom. I had to open the garage door and drive my car to the street. Then, they took me back to the bedroom and locked me there. So, they left.

In this exact moment, we heard the bell ring! It was my dad! I knew he was about to get there! But the thieves were still inside. We head a shot!!! That was a terrible moment! I prayed! We heard more shots, then there was silence. We were praying and crying! We didn't know what had happened outside!

Next, we heard voices of people calling us and we were screaming: "Here! We are here!" It was our neighbors and my dad! He was alive and ok! He said that when he rang the bell, the thieves were already opening the door to leave. So, my dad and the thieves were in front of each other! My dad ran and hid behind his car, while a robber fired a shot, but didn't get to hurt him.

The noise of the shot made two of my neighbors appear at the street. Both of them (a man and his son) are policemen. They shot the thieves while they were escaping , but the criminals got to flee. Minutes later, several police cars did park in front of my home.

In that same night the thieves were arrested. They were escaping in high speed and the car flipped. At this time the police didn't know yet that they were thieves and went to help them, but the robbers fired shots against the policemen. Then, they tried to escape again, but didn't get it this time.

This happened about 2 days after I had gone to sell my canvas and miniatures at street. My miniatures were in the car that was stolen. I need not say that the miniatures were distroyed when there was the car accident.

I had to start all over again.

The Trump Card

Everyone has a Plan B. What to do when everything goes wrong. Sometimes the plan B is better than whatever we are currently doing, but we don't realize it! And we keep doing "whatever" because it sounds safer. The Plan B is made by despair, but maybe it comes from our deeper core.

I spent years doing "whatever". I did marry again and got my third child. Life became normal during some years. The miniature factory was past. No more painting or modeling until late in the night, no more clay, plaster, dirty hands, table full of colored miniatures, the smell of the ink, molds, fairs, orders. All of this was past. I had a monthly salary and bosses.

However, there is something inside me - SOMETHING, that hates the normal life! Then, I was unhappy. I knew that always would be possible to buy clay and start over. But I did look for a psychologist instead.

I found a lot about me, sure. My likes and dislikes. I like challenges! My job as freelance writer wasn't too common, so no problem, but I was still unhappy. My dad gave me a little help telling me: "Nothing has to be". Then, I got divorced.

As soon as I was divorced, I didn't know exactly where to start. I'd want to do something different. During those bored years, I painted several oil paintings in canvas and some were good! So, I packed my canvas, miniatures and put everything in my car and drove around. Suddenly, I found a nice place and did expose my canvas! That was risky because I didn't have any kind of licence to show my work in that place, but I did! And... guess what? My canvas were sold!

I was just happy! I didn't need that money, but I was happy because it is not easy to sell oil paintings, but I did so well. Later, talking to my dad, he said that I could do that whenever needed money.

He said: "Your painting is your trump card."

Opportunities

We must be alert to the opportunities. We must be ready to them. An opportunity may knock on our door any time. It is not easy to be ready when it comes.

When we are young, we are not aware about opportunities. We don't see it coming and then suddenly the whole thing happens quickly.

I was finishing the college. Architecture is a long and expensive course. I had to do a lot of sacrifices to get it done. I had to work to the publishing house, I lived far from the school, no car, 2 children and no husband to support me. I was in the tenth semester. The last one.

I don't remember exactly what happened, but I had to stay in a place during long time waiting something be fixed and there was a man waiting too. We started talking and I told him about my miniatures. At the end of the conversation, I found out that the man was an important CEO of the publishing house where I worked. I became a bit shy because we were already talking like old friends. He told me to look for him at work next day. So, I did.

He wanted me to write a book about my miniatures! What opportunity! The normal way would be me looking for publishers to get a printed book. This is what normally happens. The young writers have their written books and start looking for publishers, often getting something like "No" as answer. But I had got a publisher asking me a book!

Firstly, I was super happy! Soon I started writing the book... But I had to stop because I must go to the college. I had to take care of my children. I had to work. Then, I got the idea that I couldn't write any book. I had no time! If I spent that semester writing a book, I wouldn't finish the college! I was in the very last semester!

What should I do? Write the book and quit the college? Or finish the college and let that opportunity go? If I had already a written book, that wouldn't be a problem. Yep! The opportunity came and I was not ready!

I did talk to the CEO again and told him my dilemma. I could start writing the book only in the next semester. His face did look like a puzzle. Later I got it.

When I finished the college, I went to look for him, but he was no longer working in the publishing house. He was retired. So, I lost that opportunity.

The Fate Told me: Stop it!

I am not used to believe in fate because I believe more in our free will, but I don't know, my dear reader, if you already noticed that sometimes we are just taken to another direction. It seems that a quick and sudden sequence of events place us elsewhere. The doors open in that new direction and our other options seem locked.

It was happening to me. In a minute, I had my studio and we were 5 people making miniatures and in the next minute I had nothing. My husband left and I had to be back to my parents home. There was no place to make miniatures in that house, only a room in the backyard where my dad kept his tools and things of the garden and pool. The people that helped me before also disapeared. They didn't feel confortable there.

During the first days, I did nothing. I spent long time sat in the porch just staring in chock. Later I began unpacking the boxes. The molds were damaged. The latex molds had to stay inside the water, but I forgot and it was melted. There were a lot of broken miniatures, the clay and the plaster were hardened. I had to start all over again.

I cleaned the room in the backyard. It was not a nice room. The walls were made of left over wood from old constructions, I could see outside in the spaces between the boards. The roof had some holes, the door had no knobs. I only could be there in the evening, after my children were sleeping. So I was a bit afraid of bats, mosquitos, rats and even snakes when I was there.

I bought clay and latex and made new miniatures. I was used to stay there working alone until very late, as 2 or 3 am. I was all by myself, but the miniatures seemed smiling for me. They were my little family. I still didn't know where or how I would be selling those miniatures.

Then, when I was making the very last painting a strong wind began to blow. It was a storm! It came very quickly! The lamp was shaking, some things flew away! I started closing the cans of ink, packing the miniatures, cleaning the brushes while the rain was already heavy. There was water falling from the little holes of the roof on the miniatures and I had to put them in a protected place, but the wind was so strong that I was fearful. I decided to leave everything there and go back to the house.

As soon as I left the room, the wind came really strong and the room collapsed!!! Oh my God! Seconds before I was inside! All my job was distroyed! So many sleepless nights to get it done!

It was like the fate had told me: STOP IT! Right now! Then, I quit. Next months I began studying computers and soon I was working as a programmer in a big company. My dad said that I went from the Stone Age to the Technology Era in a minute.

A Major Change

The unexpected always happens. It should be called "expected" instead. Marco, my husband, wasn't happy. He was returning very early from fairs on Tursdays and Sundays. But not only this. He was taking longer to get back from fairs outside the city. So, if on Sundays he had to come back like 9 PM, then he was back about 1 PM. But if the fair was in another town and he had to go on Friday to come back on Monday, then he was back only on Tuesday or even Wednesday.

His behavior was different. We talked a lot about it. He wanted to live in another place. He wanted to live outside of Rio de Janeiro. He told me that he couldn't live in a place like Rio anymore. I like the countryside, but I didn't know how it could work out. We had to be close to the downtown to sell the miniatures.

However, I was wrong. Marco didn't want simply to live in the countryside as I thought. He wanted to live outside any city, which means in some remote area. In the jungle! Yes! I got it! I told him what seemed obvious for me. We had 2 children and we couldn't do it to them. There are not schools or hospitals in the jungle. Marco agreed and we stopped talking about this subject during some months.

He was staying there for me and the kids, but he wasn't happy. I could tell it. I guess he also wanted to do his thing. The miniatures were my idea and he wanted to get his dreams done. I had never dreamt about making miniatures. I did it because we needed. The miniatures ended being our job. But he had his personal dreams, and he dreamt about going to the jungle, and work as artisan. He would like to work sculpting wood.

He was becoming depressed. So, I told him: "Go! Just go!" And he did. I stayed alone with the children and soon I learnt that I couldn't make all that by myself. I had no one to take care of my kids. I couldn't go to the fairs with them and the bags full of miniatures. They were 4 and 3 years old. I didn't drive yet in that time.

I had to go back to my parents home. They had a kind of wooden house in the backyard where my dad kept his tools. I tried to make a place for me to keep working with the miniatures.

Marco went to live in another state. First he lived in a farm with some friends. Later he got what he really wanted. He went to live alone in the jungle (it is called "Mata Atlântica" - means "Atlantic jungle"). I didn't see him during years. Sometimes I even didn't know if he was still alive.

He lived as a hermit. Few years ago, after more than 20 years apart, he came to my home several times because he needed go to see the doctor in the downtown and he had no place to stay in Rio. He seemed older than his real age.

Two years ago, he told me that he was sick by depression. He had an employee that was doing all the job. Maybe a month later, I got a phone call. Marco was died. So, I went to his place for the first time. The car couldn't go there. I had to walk a lot. The nature was wonderful, but there was no neighbors, nothing, only the forest. That loneliness was not good to anyone. His death was noticed by the newspaper because he was a naturalist and lastly he became a defender of the forest.

Above, a picture of Marco selling his wooden toys in the fair and down the house he built in the forest.