How it all started - frazzled nerves - women turning into girls...
After I had moved to the USA, my desire to create artsy, fun, comfortable and flattering clothes that make women feel happy and radiant, became stronger and stronger.
I thought my heart was going to burst with yearning for it.
But I didn't think I had what it takes to pull that off.
One day my husband's teenage son said in his calm voice: "You've been talking about this for a couple of years now. Why don't you just do it."
That afternoon I went to the fabric store. No plan whatsoever.
I walked through the store and picked whatever caught my attention and excited me.
When I got home and laid it all out, I was shocked!
I had a wild array of raw silk, black and white cotton interlock, animal print knits (so far so good), followed by gold and silver metallic lamee fabric, gold and silver glitter paint, big faceted rhinestones, satin in bright fuchsia and purple, off white and black lace, gold and silver "fluid" jersey (arghhhh!!!).
A few days later, I started. No plan, no idea what to do or what would happen.
One by one the pieces emerged:
raw silk tops appliqued with animal print, gold or silver lamee, rhinestones glued on, gold or silver paint added to it.
Black and white cotton jersey tops with gold or silver lamee half moons, rhinestones and glitter paint.
Leggings in liquid gold and silver and animal prints.
Lace skirts and satin triangle skirts to go underneath. It was the ultimate teaser. The gold and silver leggings would show through when a woman walked.
It was 1987 and I lived in a super conservative town in Oregon.
You didn't see anything remotely artsy.
I invited 7 women, who I knew them from waiting tables in a high end restaurant, for a home show.
Then my knees buckled so badly I thought everyone in the restaurant could see it.
I lost my nerve to invite more. These were "upper class" women who smiled, but I had never heard them laugh. They wore designer clothes and expensive diamond and gold jewelry.
They were always very proper. Aware of their status.
When the evening came, I was a bundle of frazzled nerves and felt like my knees were rattling so loud that everyone could hear them.
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened, when the women put on the clothes!
The women turned into girls who were let loose. They all started laughing, dancing around the living room, running up and down the stairs.
They were as much amazed as I was! They kept saying that they had known each other for 20 years, but had no idea that they could have this much fun with themselves or with each other.
They shared stories about themselves, giggled, hugged and became "real" friends.
At the end of the night I had 1 piece left.
That was the beginning of an amazing creative life, where thousands of women transformed within a few hours of playing with clothes and jewelry in completely new ways. Where it is about energy and enhancing the frequencies of each woman to light up from inside. That's when a woman loves herself the way she is right NOW. She feels happy, beautiful and like she can do anything she wants.
After 38 years, I am still as excited as I was that night to see a woman light up, love herself and radiate it out. That affects everyone in her family, her friends, at work and even the clerk at the grocery store.
It makes the world a happier place - one woman at a time.
Scroll down for some official and some quirky stuff about Monika.
Some official stuff
For the last 38 years Monika has been inspiring women to love themselves the way they are right now by wearing clothes and jewelry that light them up from inside. The transformations have been amazing! Her happy wearable art brand Monika Astara has been a big part of it.
Now she is equally passionate about inspiring you to create freely and with lots of joy, so that - regardless of personal or outer challenges - you can stay calm and joyful inside.
In Germany Monika had extensive teacher training, followed by teaching under unusual circumstances to unusual students.
Her professional life started out as a "jail bird" - teaching everything needed for a GED in a prison in Germany.
Students had no books, there were no copy machines, no computers at that time. She honed her skills to teach in short steps with instant gratifications to keep their attention and have them graduate.
That was followed by several years of teaching in public schools - and teaching night courses for adults in a community college.
To the delight of her course and in-person clients, Monika still teaches in short, fun ways with instant gratifications at every step.
After moving to the USA Monika taught some more in a community College.
But in 1987 the overwhelming creative yearning took over.
Monika started making fun, comfortable clothes that make women's eyes light up - and they feel absolutely great about themselves.
She has been doing that ever since.
From the very beginning Monika has always come up with her own fun and faster painting methods, patterns and creating jewelry with unusual materials. Like making Star Trek type jewelry with cardstock, hot glue, silver and gold foil and all kinds of crystals. To go with Star Trek type clothing.
A lot of conservative men were inexplicably drawn to them - and bought them to wear and to hold.
After having moved from Germany to Oregon to California to Arizona to Maui, to Colorado, Monika had a boutique at a resort for 13 years.
Woman called it "the transformation place where you fall in love with yourself".
She dressed women for their daily jobs as cashiers as well as for several presidential inaugurations - and everything in between.
Over the years Monika has played with thousands of women - and some men - one on one and in groups to use clothes and jewelry as tools to light up from inside and radiate it out. Making the world a happier place, one person at a time.
After selling the boutique and moving to Austin she switched gears and got into wholesale to wearable art boutiques and galleries around the country - as well as doing shows and private trunk shows.
The lockdowns some years ago provided the "perfect reason" to finally listen to her yearning to teach again.
The world is going bonkers and many feel anxious, lonely, depressed, so Monika focuses on utterly simple and playful ways to create with the hands. They let you cultivate and sustain inner joy and peace.
Monika is now teaching all of her fun and innovative methods. They are playful and simple, and produce what boutiques call "high-end looking, stunning pieces."
Teaching and creativity are in Monika's blood.
She needs both like food and water. It shows in her teachings.
Her clients say that they have never had this much inner joy and happiness as in her courses.
Meet Monika in her online courses, on Zoom for private sessions or in person at her Studio in Austin, Texas, USA.
Monika is determined to spread joy around the world through simple, fun creative ways where people can light up with joy - and pass it on to others.
Some quirky stuff
Most traditional art and creative processes either bore me - or frustrate me.
(hence the super simple, fun methods).
When I was 10 I started making my clothes from old curtains in the attic.
"What if..." is my favorite approach to creating.
I love improvised baking - and feeding people with yummy baked goods and great coffees.
During college years I worked in a prison for 3 years. Doing group evenings and teaching cooking and baking classes at night. In the teenage and adult wings.
During the day I did everything a social worker would have done - in addition to studying for the equivalents of 2 Master degrees and 2 BAs.
In 1981 I lived in a bamboo hut in India - next to a jungle - with ants, rats, spiders, and an occasional python as visitors.
At the time there were no cell phones or computers or easy ways to get in touch with "home".
When you were gone - you were gone - until you hopefully returned.
And according to doctors I should have been dead after a severe food poisoning.
I met my husband of 41 years while hitchhiking in California.
We walked on fire. Literally. Twice.
I store a gazillion beads in muffin pans.
13 years ago I settled down - after having moved 47 times.
Hardware stores are the BEST!
I love all the possibilities for creating with nuts and bolts and...and...and..
A jewelry piece from my Star Trek phase - with an amazing transformation story.
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