And finally the prompt from today: The things that inspire us are
often linked to what we label as quirks in our personalities: things we
like that others seem to dismiss. What quirk could you share with your
blog readers to see if they really dismiss this or if it’s something you
have in common?
Well I don’t know if it’s a quirk but I can never leave an art piece
unfinished. Not a layout. Not a journal page. Nothing. I can’t leave it
there and come back to it later. I have to do it all the way. Now or
never. I used to think that this was a bad thing. That it was a sign
that I could never be an artist. Artists can walk away from their art
and come back to it but since I can’t, it’s another sign that I’m not
really an artist and won’t be one.
Then, yesterday, an
artist that I admire greatly made a post that talks about some of
her life and art. She said this:
DO YOU EVER STOP AND START A PIECE OVER BECAUSE OF HOW IT’S EVOLVING
OR NOT EVOLVING? No. I push through it. Art is about what is happening
right now. IT IS WHAT IT IS IN THE MOMENT I WAS CREATING IT. And that
could be crap. But, if I stop a piece I will likely never go back.
And it immediately made me feel better. Maybe there was a chance for me
afterall.
The prompt for yesterday was: Choose one point on each line to share
with your blog readers – one thing you have accomplished and one thing
you hope to accomplish. Bonus points if you have a photo from the event
on the first line.
I thought about this a while ago and I’ve decided that my biggest
accomplishment was getting into Carnegie Mellon and getting to come to
the United States. That’s where all the rest of my accomplishments
started. My citizenship. Teach for America. Jake. David. Goldman.
Google. None of it would have happened without moving to the United
States for college.
As for the second line, I guess one of my current aspirations is to
complete a full painting. I’m working on it and taking a class but it’s
not something I’m inherently talented at so it requires a lot of effort.
Here’s the prompt from Tuesday’s Freedom class: Share a list of links
with your blog readers, leading them to the websites that inspire you
most.
Let’s see: chromasia, Paulette, BPS , Becky and Shimelle and on my list this week.
I am catching up to all the “Freedom” prompts so you will see three in a
row. Here’s the one from Monday: Share an old photo of yourself and
a current photo of yourself with your blog readers. Tell them a little
something that has changed and a little that has stayed the same.
Here’s the first photo that came to my mind. One from a long time
ago:
And One from May of this year:
Let’s talk about what’s changed:
Hair Color. Hair Length. Weight (Free food is great but not for your
weight.) New York vs Palo Alto. Goldman vs Google. Coding vs Not So
Much. Single vs Married. Not a Mom vs a Mom. Back then I didn’t have a
fancy camera and wasn’t nearly as into photography as an art. I hadn’t
begun scrapping. I was writing novels. I had never gone camping. I
didn’t really know how to drive. Creative Therapy.
Let’s talk about what hasn’t changed:
Working. Trying to balance it all out. Trying to figure things out.
Taking photos. Reading. Blogging. Jake. Many of my friends. Pursuit of
Happiness and Peace.
I just wanted to remember this plant. It’s become my “layout plant”
since I take photos of all my layouts while they lean on the plant.
David’s been going to school all day every day for the summer and during
the designated nap time, he just plays. So today when we came home, as
he was eating a snack on his chair, he started snoring. I didn’t have
the heart to wake him up. When he woke up 40 minutes later, he started
wailing. I am guessing it’s a headache. Poor boy.
Playing in the backyard together.
Just a sweet photo.
This is my art for catalyst
Eighteen at creative therapy, which is: What’s your favorite place
in your house, and why?
When I first thought of this catalyst, I was going to make it about our
living room. It’s the room where I scrap, where David plays, and where
the TV is. For me, that makes it the best room. Then I thought I might
do it about the garden. I’ve never lived in a house that had a garden,
so I think it’s so special and I thought it would be worthy of the
catalyst. Then I realized that the thing I love the most is that we live
in a house.
I grew up in a big city where there are no houses, only apartment
buildings. So living in a house, having my own backyard, my own little
space on the street, my own driveway: it all makes me so happy. It’s
something I always wanted as a kid. And it’s something I love. I don’t
even care that I don’t own it or that it’s falling apart a bit. I love
living in it. I love my house. My yard. My driveway. All of it.
Friday’s Freedom prompt: How do you prefer the pace of life? Do you
wish things would speed up or slow down? Illustrate with something
that has been on your mind or on your calendar or share your
preference between working slowly or quickly on a crafting
project.
This one is interesting to me because I’ve been thinking about it a lot
lately. When I decided to move to San Diego from New York, everyone told
me I’d hate it. They said the ultra-type-A me would go insane with the
relaxed Southern California pace. Honestly, I was a bit worried, too.
There were many reasons why I missed NYC when I was in San Diego but the
pace wasn’t one of them. I loved being relaxed. I love walking on the
beach and taking my time to let the nature soak in. When we moved to
Palo Alto and I went back to the crazy busy life style, I missed San
Diego immediately. I still do.
Yet when I scrap or paint, I still have the fast pace. It’s like I must
finish. I can’t imagine how some people leave stuff to simmer overnight.
I could never ever imagine doing that. I think this attitude hurts my
art. Doesn’t give me time to slow down and think things through. As I
told myself at the beginning of this year: it’s not about the end goal;
it’s about the journey.
Since life is all about the journey, why not savor each moment?
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projects for twenty twenty-six
projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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