An EXPLOSION of Creativity

Art, CreaTIViTy…..I'm seeing it EVERYWHERE, in every way. MOST ESPECIALLY, THIS week, I have found myself DRAWN to poetry, art, design, art & science projects & differnt forms of art & expression. The words I would tie to my most recent experiences with ART are: curiosity, a retreat, an escape, a release, joy, light, connectedness, memories, reminders, a glimpse. 

Tonight, I will share images of some of the pieces, quotes, and artwork that have been inspiring to me this week, in one way or another. You can also check out my Pinterest Boards & FOLLOW ME there at: www.pinterest.com/HDSKaspar. Main boards to check out would be: "Words to Live By...," "Jesus," "Mother Mary," "William Blake," "Art," & "Animals." (God's CREATION is the MOST amazing.)

Reflecting, yet again, on personal experiences..... part of the "overwhelm" I, (& I believe, many others feel) is an EXPLOSION of creativity....literally. I see it everywhere in EVERYTHING. Here are some examples from my life: 

• Fundraising auctioneers brainstorming & CREATEing online, virtual, & tailored alternatives for fundraising, due to social distancing restrictions.
• Livestock exhibitors & their parents finding CREATIVE alternatives to the typical show/sale environment. 
• CREATIVE ways to share, explain, educate the public on how different industries are handling this shutdown and what it means for business.
• Businesses shifting & adjusting to find a way and CREATE a way to adapt & offer their goods/services in a variety of different ways.
• The adjustment of our own "typical" marketing campaigns, to find new ways to reach people.
• Business owners changing their business plans as the observe the changes they are seeing before their eyes.
•  The GAZILLION different ways people are staying connected to those they can't see. 
• ART pieces & social media posts encouraging ALL the "essential" workers.
• ART pieces & social media posts encouraging people in general.
• I have experienced more CREATIVE negotiating tactics & creative excuses :)........just being honest. 
• Face masks, as a form of EXPRESSION.
• SO MANY more Facebook games & challenges, seeming to all be geared at finding a connection.
• An OVERWHELMING increase in email MARKETING, with many different messages.
• The many ways President Trump and other government leaders are keeping us informed. 
• The ways communities are COMING TOGETHER & creating ways to show support to: high school seniors, athletes, college graduates, the elderly, the struggling, the recently unemployed, area non-profits, medical employees, city officials, EMS/EMT, doctors, nurses
• The documentaries that are replacing some of the MUCH MISSED sporting events.
• Strategic plans for non-profits changing and adapting & how they are communicating that change. 

I could keep going. I find myself being more creative & I'M LOVING IT! I've missed it. In fact, I had no idea I has gotten so far from it. I'm glad to be back! Buck Up Baby & let yourself be as CREATIVE as you want to be. Don't put ANY limits on yourself & ENCOURAGE CrEAtivIty in others. God bless ALL of you!

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

Reflections from Scottish Rite Children's Hospital

The Texas Auctioneer Association board recently had a meeting. This meeting was held at the Texas Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Dallas. We had our board meeting on Sunday & then some of us stayed over on Monday for the annual Toy Auction held there for some of the patients. After the toy auction, which was SUCH a wonderful experience, the hospital held a luncheon for us & had a wonderful speaker that shared his testimony with all of us. His name is Desmond.

I have to tell you....he connected some dots for me. One of the things that struck me was when he talked about how the hospital cared for the SPIRIT of the children there & he elaborated more on how they nurtured his spirit specifically. I identified with what he had to say on: a mom level, parent level, faith level.....(regarding some of the things I wrestle the most with God about), professional level, public service level....and a level of basic humanity. I won't share details on each one. Those may need to be reserved for another blog post, or maybe a one-on-one conversation with anyone that is interested. The bottom line is we all need people that care to make the effort.

For someone who was born with all their limbs, just thinking about his journey may overwhelm you. I have to say when he stood up there to share it, he really made it sound like he played the cards he was dealt & he was surrounded by a mighty good army of influencers to get him there. This man....born with no hands...painted the painting he is pictured with, along with many others, graduated with a Bachelors & Masters degree, taught at a university, is married with a precious daughter and now works at the hospital that helped him so much. Getting from Point A (aka birth) to Point B (present day) he had to face AND overcome a lot of struggles, silence a lot of naysayers & literally had to BUCK UP & keep going.

One of the areas that I've reflected on since his speech is my role as a Board of Director for the Texas Auctioneer Association. Sunday made for a lengthy, intense, and thorough meeting. We discussed A LOT & I am quite proud to be serving on this board for this organization.

When I was nominated I had just committed to the CAI program (3 year advanced auction education program), was REALLY focusing on growing my real estate business and was adding online auctions to the services we offer. Truth be known, I had no idea I was being nominated, but when I was asked if I accepted the nomination I couldn't say no. I couldn't say no because I knew the struggles and trials I went through growing my business. I knew what I wished I would've known sooner. I knew how much the TAA & it's members helped support me, many not knowing it. I knew I was going to be in this industry & the growth and development of the industry as a whole, was going to be important to my own personal success, as well as many others. I am passionate about EVERY segment of this industry & believe they are all essential. I could be of service and I cared, so I accepted the nomination. THANKS to Lance for nominating me & the members for voting me in.

The job isn't easy & it takes all of us to make the whole that fairly represents our industry. As members, you have people that care & do make the effort & every time you vote be sure you are voting for someone who cares enough to make the effort. If YOU care enough to get involved somehow, I encourage you to reach out and discuss the possibility of joining a committee.

I also want to express how PROUD I am of our Champions. The joy Kyle, Tyler, & Si brought to those littles & the way they represented the Live Auction Method of Marketing was spot on! Way to be! There was one little boy that seemed down when they wheeled him in in his bed & he didn't really "want" any of the toys, but once he caught the auction excitement he was raising that bidder card with a smile across his face & had a pile of toys piled up around him.

PHOTO CRED: SCOTTISH RITE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

To our membership, we care about your SPIRIT. We care when you are at the brink of calling it quits because what you are doing isn't working. We care when someone tells you you can't do something. We care that you have the tools and information you need to run your business. We care about the laws surrounding our industry. We care about how we interact with other industries. We care about providing the opportunity for fundamental education. We care about hearing from you & what YOU need.

Another thing that Desmond said was that the hospital would ask his mother at each check up: "What is he trying to do now?" "What is he struggling with now?" At every stage of your business...if you keep going... there will be a new struggle or something you are trying that you haven't before. Please tell us what that is. We care enough to put in the effort. You will have to do your part, just like Desmond did, but we want to support you & help you get the tools you need NOW.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone! I encourage our members to reach out and get involved, even if you aren't sure how & I encourage anyone that isn't a member to consider becoming one. Being a member of the Texas Auctioneer Association has opened up numerous opportunities & created solid friendships for me, that give me fuel to keep going. Buck Up Baby, enjoy your people, & never close your circle to new people or new experiences. God bless!

Heather Kaspar
TXL 17037

Confusion & Trust

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!

So....I felt the need to post :). Not a whole lot of interesting stuff has been going on lately. Well....it may be interesting to you, but it's somewhat FRUSTRATING for me. I thought I'd enlighten you (a little) on just a little bit of what I'm dealing with.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the AUCTION industry, world, realm....whatever you wanna call it. I'm intrigued & really ready to PLUNGE myself into it, more than I already have, BUT....it's not like I can just quit working. While A LOT of auctioneers make a GREAT living....it didn't happen over night. I know a lot of you readers don't know me personally, but I'm the kinda gal that WANT'S IT & I WANT IT NOW :). I'm also the kind of gal that's willin' to work. I'm not sayin' that I'm the most FANTABULOUS, EXPERIENCED, FAST-TALKIN' AUCTIONEER.....b/c I'm not; but I know that I put ALL I've GOT to GIVE into whatever I need to LEARN about. So I want to DO MORE than what I'm doin', but I've gotta make it make sense.

I've had a bit of a hard time just tryin' to understand what is the "RIGHT" thing to do. I've been VERY BLESSED to have met some just AWESOME auctioneers that have AMAZING credentials & experience & ARE WILLING TO HELP ME. Sometimes.....they all want you to go in a different direction than the other, BUT you RESPECT ALL of them. Rightfully so....They've all gotten where they've gotten from hard work & payin' their dues. There are LOTS of avenues an AUCTIONEER can take. More than I EVER had thought about before I started this journey. One AUCTIONEER that I am ever so grateful for told me....."Your way too early in the game to know what "direction" you want to go in." It's weird....I knew that, but I had gotten all wound up b/c I didn't want other auctioneers I know to think that I didn't VALUE what they said & listen to them. I have been advised by a couple of people, to focus on a certain type of auction & not others. They aren't trying to slow me down. They just want me to make sure I align myself with the "right" people in the "right" fields & help me as much as possible. Here's the thing. I AM A PEOPLE PLEASER. I don't want to disappoint anyone. Some of these fellas don't KNOW me. They KNOW they see DRIVE & SMARTS & GRIT & all that jazz in me, but they've JUST recently met me. SO....with that in mind. If I just use my HEAD & ask their advice if I don't know if something is good or bad for me, make MY OWN decision, based on what is BEST for me - then I've shown that I VALUE their opinion & have made the BEST decision for me. I'm not sayin' get involved with an auctioneer that has a crummy reputation or anything. I still need to use my BEST JUDGEMENT & prioritize things the way they ought to be prioritized.

I've been a PROFESSIONAL for quite a while now, maybe not an AUCTION professional, but a professional. It's time I BUCK UP &  start actin' like one. It is no different. You take what you can from EVERYONE. Boy....I learned that lesson years ago when I was learnin' to ride cutting horses. I will digress....briefly.... We were at our cutting horse trainers & another Novice rider was trying to tell me how to "tune" my horse. Well....I thought I only needed to listen to the trainer. BOY....Did I get a butt-chewin' from my DADDY. I mean...I was respectful & listened to the novice rider, but was a cocky little SCHEISTER later on the way home. I'll just say.... NEVER AGAIN... will I discredit ANYTHING from ANYONE.

Anyways....I grew up thinkin' that the MORE EXPERIENCE you get...the BETTER you'll be & that you can LEARN a little somethin' from EVERYONE. RIGHT NOW... I want to be a GREAT Auctioneer & OPERATE with the VALUES & MORALS that I have. It'll take some time to be a GREAT one. But let me tell you....when you get that HONOR.... you'll have helped businesses, organizations, individuals, and numerous up & coming auctioneers and will have well-earned the MASSIVE amounts of RESPECT you'll have from other people & auctioneers. I can tell you one thing....I sure wish MR. WALTER BRITTEN was still alive. That fella has been dead & gone, quite some time (God rest his soul), but he's such a BIG DEAL people are STILL talkin' about him!

Here's the cover of Mr. Britten's Book.
I've heard Auctioneers from all over Texas talk, good talk, about Mr. Britten: from Abilene to Corpus Christi ,  Houston to El Paso. ALL I have to say is WHAT A LEGACY!!

Back to me figurin' out what's the "right" thing to do...To me, it seems that if somethin' seems "fishy"...it probably is. Stay away from it, ask advice, & use your head. If I want to learn more about cattle auctions & car auctions & antique auctions & energy auctions  & real estate auctions & equipment auctions & you get the point...then I'll take the steps I need to, to do that. Learnin' never hurt anybody. I just have to be sure that whateverI decide to do makes sense. If I'm NOT gonna make any $$ doing it - is the experience worth it? The answer will vary. I know how to make those kind of decisions. Momma & Daddy didn't raise no dummy :).

Like I said....I ENJOY it! I'm NO SUPERSTAR,  but I have talent & ENOUGH SENSE to know that I don't need to WORRY about doin' the right thing. I just need to DO it. I need to be cautious & do what makes sense & I feel comfortable doing. MAN! I can be pretty darn good at OVERthinking things.

Anyways....I'm not sure that this post has helped anybody, but ME. I hope I at least ENTERTAINED you with my CrAzY, OVER-thinkin' self. Go be with your SWEETIE, or your BABIES, or your AMAZING FRIENDS! SHARE the LOVE today!!! BUCK on UP & Keep on readin'! More tales to come. Believe me....DULL moments don't tend to travel with me.

Cookin' Up Some Experience ;)

Well..... I'm gettin' a little behind on my blog posts. A couple of weeks ago, I helped call bids @ a BANK-ORDERED Restaurant Auction.

When I decided to pursue this industry, I had little idea of how much & how often AUCTIONEERS & AUCTION Companies are used. Let me kind of walk you through how this auction worked.

The AUCTION was on-site. You walk in the door & register & get your BIDDER #. The auction started at 10AM, so (if you got there early enough) you were able to walk around and take a closer look @ items. EVERYTHING in the establishment went....no RESERVES. Just to give you an idea.... WE sold COMMERCIAL stoves, a vent hood, freezers, tables, booths, chairs, pots, pans, dishes, a meat slicer, an ice machine, mops, brooms, desks, telephones, dry-erase boards, signs....LITERALLY everything that was in the establishment.

Fountain Machine...Those cups, dispensers, & lids went too. 

Meat Slicer

Lots of smaller items that sold. The racks & FIRE EXTINGUISHER sold too!

If you've never been to an ON-SITE Estate AUCTION, then you may be a little unfamiliar with this. I, PERSONALLY, have NEVER called bids where I had to walk with the merchandise. ALL the lots are organized by LOT #s. We went in order & down the line. I started if off. I was a little NERVOUS & you could tell in  my voice. I think it was more of me being excited & getting a little winded. I hadn't called bids @ an AUCTION since BEFORE Christmas.

It was different. That was the 1st time that the AUCTIONEER that hired me had ever ACTUALLY heard me in ACTION! He was HAPPY with me & so was his PRETTY, SWEET wife (she was clerking). He gave me a few pointers.... I bet ya'll will never guess :) SLOW DOWN & BREATHE! Not the first time I've heard that. Maybe one day I'll REMEMBER!

I helped him with ANOTHER this past weekend. This one made me feel pretty GOOD! It is a GENERAL MERCHANDISE Auction. So....there is all kinds of STUFF like: cars, trailers, equipment, coins, jewelry, Rolex watches, tools, antiques, furniture, guns, knives, swords, computer equipment..... REALLY...all kinds of stuff. What I LOVE most about getting to help @ this type of AUCTION is the EXPERIENCE that I'm getting on ALL kinds of different merchandise. You know...figuring out the "value." The bidders REALLY tell us the VALUE, but...just what ball park I need to be in to start some of these items.

Here are just a few of the items, to give you an idea of the VaRiEtY.

1924 $20 St. Gaudins 1oz. GOLD Coin. 

COLT 1911 .45 Rattlesnake 1 of 1000 - NEVER Fired. 

There are 2 other AUCTIONEERS that come in to help, also. I met them @ the last AUCTION where I JUST helped SPOT bidders. Everyone was REALLY nice & welcoming & all, BUT after they heard me sell a few items @ this last AUCTION...it made me feel like they held me to a little HIGHER regard. Not sure if that makes sense. BELIEVE ME! I get QUITE A FEW diFFerENT looks when I tell people I am an AUCTIONEER. NOT mean looks or anything. More like.... PUZZLED looks...maybe even CONCERNED looks sometimes. And well....SOMETIMES I even have those looks of DISBELIEF, but not really SURPRISED disbelief....more like "yeah right" DISBELIEF. BUT...I get the SURPRISED disbelief too.

Anyways....I guess when I look at it from the point of view of an OUTSIDER looking IN....I GET IT!
There just aren't that many FEMALE AUCTIONEERS. I mean when I think of an AUCTIONEER, my thoughts & MEMORIES go to (usually) STOUT MEN, wearing their boots & COWBOY Hats talking about COWS & HORSES & TRACTORS. What?! Wait?! Did I break the NORM :)?

I'll be HONEST. I LOVE IT! EVERY bit of it! I KNOW that I will have to combat LOTS of STEREOTYPES & DISBELIEF of all sorts. It is still AMAZING to me how this "thought" that popped in my head @ 2AM in the morning, back in March - has turned into WAY, WaY, did I say WAY more than I EVER expected! I have MET & become FRIENDS with some AMAZING AUCTIONEERS...some that have been doin' this for awhile & some brand new & had OPPORTUNITIES that I NEVER, EVER thought I'd have.

ALL I know is that I just PRAY that the GOOD LORD gives me the GUTS, KNOWLEDGE, & FAITH to follow this path & stay TRUE to all that I BELIEVE & BUCK UP BABY! Like Mr. Moon says: "I have no FEAR, I'm an AUCTIONEER." Thanks for READING!! God Bless!!