karenika

Daily Sketching – Week 43

Here are the sketches from last week:

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

I sketched the last one on the plane to CHA.

Daily Sketching is a weekly project for 2012. You can see a detailed post on my steps here.

Canvas Board

This is a little canvas board I made for the Maya Road booth in CHA.

I just used lots of acrylic paint and had fun with it.

details:

David’s BoGM – Week 3

Here are two more spreads from our book:

This is a butterfly he made in Spanish class. Since I love butterflies so much I thought it would be awesome to glue it down as is. This page makes me happy.

And the next spread:

This spread holds presents on both sides. The left side is a “remote” David’s friend Ari made for him and the right page is a drawing he made for him. He and Ari have become good friends this year which makes me happy just to think about it.

There we go. That’s all for this week. More coming soon.

David’s Book of Good Memories is a bi-weekly project for 2012 with my seven-year-old son David. You can read more about it here.

Weekly Diary – January 28 2012

This was another hectic week but I am grateful that everything went smoothly in the end. David had a trip to the San Francisco Symphony with his class which he enjoyed very much. He had no school Friday (and none Monday this coming week either) due to conferences. His report card came and he’s doing wonderfully. Reading at a third/fourth grade level in first grade. Overall everything was great and we’re so proud of him and grateful that he’s settling in ok to his new school. Nathaniel’s school did colors and shapes all week but he’s still not so great on his colors. He is however enjoying every minute of school for which I am very grateful. Jake had a fantastic week with new clients, meetings, social events, etc. I went to class on Monday and a parenting speech on Tuesday. Work and David’s school on Friday and had to do a bunch of prep for work as well as my trip to Orange County. I am at the Craft and Hobby Association Convention as you read this. If you’re coming there, make sure to visit me at the Maya Road booth.

I will say that I am grateful this week is over. And I look forward to a less hectic (but also stressful) week next week.

Anyhow, here are some highlights from last week:

Nathaniel loves this truck.

And gets in on it and pushes himself when there’s no one to do it for him.

I was trying to take a photo of David reading but each time Nathaniel sees me taking a photo of anyone but him, he runs right over and poses. So he interrupted this one, too.

but I squeezed a photo anyway.

Jake got the kids some footballs.

I love this photo because this is such a typical “I didn’t get my way” look for Nathaniel.

he’s still really into the fireman hat.

I got so few photos of David this week that I was sad.

but I did get a few of them together.

I love this one.

Nathaniel surrounds himself with his toys as he plays. He’s so much like me.

though much happier than I was as a kid.

showing me the funny faces and laughing and laughing.

love this boy.

he plays with david’s didj when david’s at school. he likes to invent his own sounds.

we just put batteries in this old train. He doesn’t like it to move but he does love the music it makes.

another one of my big boy.

showing some toys to daddy.

nathaniel loves playing peek-a-boo with my mom and dad over skype.

boy one.

and boy two.

david had to bring a teddy to school on Thursday and when he came home he wanted to sleep with it. At night I caught him reading to his teddy.

and here we go. Another wonderful week gone. So grateful for my family. Here’s to a great week next week!

Weekly Diary is a project for 2012. You can read more about it here.

Journey into Collage – Week 4

And the next page in the “collage” book:

This was all about playing with the gelatos. I know it’s not a lot of collage but I still like it.

Journey into Collage is a project for 2012. You can read more about it here.

Classes I’m Taking in 2012

A few months ago, I posted a list of classes I took in 2011. I thought it would be useful to share classes I’m signed up for, so far, in 2012 as well. So here’s what I have so far:

I Heart Drawing: I actually started this class at the end of 2011. I am a huge fan of Jane Davenport and a class on learning how to draw full figures (as opposed to just portraits) seemed very alluring. A class specifically designed for drawing and not mixed media was also something I really wanted. So even though it was the end of the year (and a really busy time) I just went for it. And I am so so glad I did. Jane is not only an excellent teacher but she’s kind, patient, sweet, and funny. And talented. She’s amazingly talented. Her videos are detailed, step-by-step and extremely well done. If you’re interested in drawing figures at all, I cannot recommend her class enough. I am still working my way through the very comprehensive lessons and enjoying every single minute of it.

One Little Word: I took Ali’s class last year but didn’t really do the work each month. This year, I am taking the class again and doing the work. My word this year (savor) is really important to me and I love how this class ensures that I keep it front and center all year round. In my opinion, a class with Ali never disappoints.

Move More Eat Well: Cathy’s journey and blog posts were the biggest reason I started my own health journey. Even though I did the work, I don’t know if I would be here without her and I will forever be grateful to her for it. At first I wasn’t going to take this class but as I thought about it, I decided I could use some encouragement and active attention as I maintain the weight loss, work on nutrition and strength this year. I’ve taken classes with Cathy before and I know she’s an attentive and dedicated teacher.

Body Restoration: This is Melody and Kathy’s new class. Last year, I took Soul Restoration 1 and 2 and they were two of the best classes I took all year. So when this class was posted, I didn’t even hesitate for a second. Even though I’ve lost a lot of weight and many of my body issues have improved a lot in the last year, I knew this class would be powerful and useful and one I was glad I took. And I was right. We’re three weeks into it and I already love every second of it. As it always works with Melody’s classes, I am discovering thoughts I didn’t know I had. I am learning, growing and doing art. What more can you ask from a class?

The Science of Willpower: This is a local class I am taking so I linked to the book that my teacher published that’s based on the class content. This year, I wanted make an effort to take more classes locally. When I looked at the Winter offerings, this class stood out to me. As someone who works on being organized and has a lot of daily tasks, willpower is a fascinating subject to me and I figured I’d love to learn more about it. So far, I’ve only had two sessions and it’s proven to be incredibly interesting and wildly useful. I really look forward to the rest of the classes. And I love leaving the house and going to a class at a university.

grafting happiness: I’ve taken several of Stephanie’s journaling courses and have found each of them to be profoundly moving. I have loved every minute of her lessons and when she announced (today) her new one, I didn’t even hesitate for a second. Stephanie is an amazing artist and an incredible soul. Her journaling classes are some of the best I’ve ever taken. I can’t wait for this one to start.

The Art of Wild Abandonment: I’ve already talked about how much Christy has affected my art journaling journey. So I tend to take all of her classes. I’m also a huge fan of Junelle as a person and as an artist, so when Christy announced that she’d be hosting Junelle’s first class, there was no way I was missing it. I would have taken this class just to support Junelle and Christy as the wonderful people they are, but I also happen to adore, admire, and am awed by Junelle’s art. So I have no doubt this class will be truly amazing.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: I’m not actually taking this class until the summer but I am already signed up for it. It’s another local course offered at a nearby Medical Foundation. So I linked to the wikipedia page that explains the idea behind the class. One of my major goals this year is to learn to slow down and meditate and breathe. Here’s the short blurb about the class: These benefits include an increase in the body’s immune system’s ability to ward off disease, a shift from a disposition towards right prefrontal cortex, associated with anxiety, depression, and aversion, to the left prefrontal cortex, associated with happiness, flow, and enjoyment. Other benefits include a different and less invasive way of healing patients with chronic pain related illnesses, a reduction in debilitating stress and the hormones that come along with it,(such as cortisol,) and an improvement in one’s overall happiness and well-being in life. Doesn’t it sound worthwhile? I figure it might help with my TMJ. Or help me finally create a meditation practice. And if neither, well I certainly always welcome even more improvements in my overall happiness.

There we go. This is the list of classes I have for 2012 so far. I know it looks long, but, this year, I’m being a bit more mindful about the classes I am taking. Keeping in consideration cost, time commitment, and alignment with my goals. This allows me to make sure I give each class my full attention.

Added after this post:

Letter Love 101: Art Journaling: If you read here at all, you know that I am trying to get better at lettering so this class was absolutely perfect for me.

Art Journaling – Fabriano Roma Set 8

Here are more pages I did during November:

The full text reads: Yes you are creative. No one can take that from you.

And here’s the next page:

The full text reads: Give yourself permission to SOAR.

And here’s the next page:

I dislike this page but I love the thought on it.

The full text reads: All that happens to you is an opportunity for growth.

And here’s the next page:

The full text reads: Happiness is contagious. Hug freely.

And here’s the next page:

The full text reads: The biggest difference between you and those with “talent” is practice. A lot of it.

Well here we go. More coming next week.

I am creating multiple art journaling pages a week for now. You can read more about this project here. This set uses the Fabriano Roma papers.

A New Beginning

If you remember from my post about the yearlong classes my one goal for January’s Move More, Eat Well class was to find a personal trainer. I had sort of been looking for one for a few months without success. To be honest, I didn’t really know how to find one and just kept getting more agitated as time passed. So when I was setting my one goal, I gave myself an out. I wrote that my one goal for January was to find a trainer and to write everything I eat down. I figured this way I could be successful if I hit either of my goals.

Oh the ways we give ourselves a way to get out of jail for free.

I started to track my food in early January but it was so boring that I stopped. I eat almost the same thing everyday so it seemed pointless. And I was making no progress on the trainer either. So last week, as I realized how close the end of January was I started getting annoyed with myself for not achieving either of my goals.

And then things just magically fell into place.

I was at a show with my friend Nicholas and I was complaining about how I was having trouble finding a trainer. He suggested I use Yelp. I did it right then and there on my phone and lo-and-behold there were four trainers I could call right by my home. So I called one the next day and gave her two days to respond.

When she didn’t, I called three other places on Monday and finally found one. As it turned out it was a three-minute drive from my house. I made an appointment for Wednesday and felt good about finally making progress.

In the meantime, I had another session of my The Science of Willpower class on Monday night. During the class, amongst other things, the teacher talked about several studies around increasing willpower. One of the exercises they tested was tracking things that you don’t usually track. I decided that maybe this was the sign I needed to get my other 1-goal going as well.

So Tuesday morning I started tracking my food.

Today, after dropping off the kids and doing my sketching, I drove to the personal trainer center and met with my new trainer. I was there for one hour and he gave me about thirteen exercises (after collecting some baseline information). Now I have a set of exercises, some kind of plan, and another appointment.

And I am sore.

I will admit that I am so very inclined to walk away from this whole thing because I am really aching all over for the first time in a long while. But I know that this means I am using muscles I haven’t used in a while and this was exactly why I wanted to get a trainer. While losing weight is great, my goal is not just that. I want to be healthy and strong. The running is great for my heart but doesn’t really do a huge amount for my core strength. I want my arms, legs, thighs, and stomach to be firm and strong. So I can be healthy and not just thin.

So I have begun yet another part of my “healthy for life” journey. I will admit to being scared and maybe a bit overwhelmed. But I am also determined. I know that a few months into this I will be stronger and the exercises will be easier. I know that this is another part of establishing a new baseline for my body and my overall health. And I know that this is the right thing to do for my body.

Even if it’s a bit hard at the moment. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy after all, is it?

So there we go. Tracking food: Check. Personal trainer: Check.

Tomorrow, I get up and do it all over again.

The Savor Project – Week 2

And here’s the spread for week two:

These full spread photos are hard for me to take because my lens is not wide-angle enough but I am trying my very best.

Let’s get into a bit more detail. Here’s the left side:

The left side is about how Nathaniel’s always happy and finds a way to occupy himself when I have to work and David’s at school. The other story is about how much I love watching the kids play together. I can see telling this story again and again and again. I will never get enough of it.

Here’s the right side:

The first story is about how David and some of my current thoughts of the boy he’s growing up to be and how much I love him. The second on is our family photo for the week and how much I adore these photo sessions. This, too, I can totally see telling again and again.

As usual, the bottom has my art along the bottom. Even if the art is sideways, it doesn’t bother me. I like having a record of it.

So there we go. That’s week two.

Happy Savoring.

The Savor Project was supposed to be a weekly project for 2012. You can read about my setup here.

A Book a Week – Declaration

Well back to dystopian this week with The Declaration. I must admit that I read this book in about one breath. It was hard to get into it in the very beginning and I never really connected with Anna all that much but Peter seemed very real to me and I think he was the reason I ended up finishing the book so quickly.

Which, of course, makes sense as he was the more real and less conditioned character. I liked this book and will likely read the others. Alas, not right away. I often tend to prefer to take a break between my “series” books and give myself room to think about them for a while and digest each book.

A slightly unusual version of dystopian novel compared to the others. And while there was a lot of violence, it was more real since it wasn’t so constructed like many of the other dystopian novels. Which, for me, made it that much more harrowing.

Flexibility and Prioritization

Life’s been a bit of a whirlwind lately. I feel like since 2012 started, I’ve been go-go-go. I’ve had commitments several nights a week and appointments, meetings, doctor checkins, etc. I’m going to CHA this weekend and then have in-laws visiting next weekend and then it’s David’s birthday. And to top it all, work’s also at an all-time high pace.

Ordinarily, this would be enough to stress me out and make me want to curl up and cry. But alas, it’s one of the things I’ve been working on for 2012. So I think it’s just good luck that all this chaos is coming my way early in the year to test my resolve and commitment.

When you live as structured a life as I do and you have as many goals and tasks each day as I do, curveballs or one-off changes aren’t easy to handle. Last year, I noticed that when such things occurred, I didn’t do a good job of reacting to them and recovering from them. My goal this year was to be better about it.

To accomplish this, one of the things I did was to create a more flexible schedule. I changed my goals so instead of sketching daily, I told myself I would do it 4 times a week. Same with art journaling and several of my other daily tasks. The goal was to take the pressure off such that if I had to skip one day, I was still meeting the goals I set for myself. The only thing I do each day is my exercise, everything else was more flexible.

As it turned out, I have been sketching daily but making only 1-2 art journal pages a week. If that. I’ve learned over time that creative ventures have an ebb and flow so I am choosing to let it go where it flourishes more at the moment. And sketching is the fun part for me, for now.

Last night, as I sat in class, we talked about how there are theories that consider Willpower to be a muscle. And just like any muscle, you can wear it out, so then you need to rest and rebuild and while you’re doing that, it’s not as strong. This led our teacher to say “Pay attention to where your willpower goes each day.” And that’s the part that really resonated with me. The trouble with setting so many goals, restrictions, plans in my day is that I have to use willpower for each of them. And then as the day wears down, so does my muscle.

So now I pay attention to where my willpower goes. I set my goals accordingly. I prioritize. Things that “must” get done that day and things that would be nice to do. I leave room for last minute changes (because with two kids, a job and a hubby those are not as rare as I might like to think) and I regularly let go. I also know that eventually things do calm down. So I fit in whatever I can into the nooks and crannies of my day and take time to be grateful for them.

Even as I’ve become more flexible, I still have a lot of structure to my days and I still have my non-negotiables (more on this some other time). But as I learn more and more about willpower, I am learning to grow, adjust and leave room for rest. The trick is being able to take the curveballs with grace.

And to be better with adding more flexibility to my life, one of the habits I will add to my morning routine is this idea of prioritizing my willpower. So I can make sure to savor this rare resource and use it well.