Back On That Wagon

With the most amazing work that can easily be found on the internet, it can sometimes lead to fear of showing what I can do.  I know that for the rest of my life I will always be learning and growing in everything I put my mind to and that this blog is meant to share that.  It is about my failures, growth, process, experiments, thoughts, and outcomes.  This blog is a peek into my studio (well my imaginary studio, since I work on the dining room table, at my computer desk, on the kitchen counter, while sitting at the couch, etc.) and creating whatever my heart is into making at the time.  So it's time to get back on that wagon.  See you on Monday with something to share!

Starting, Finishing, and Taking Breaks

A quick drawing of things on my desk using a brush pen.

Very recently I got into a routine of working out. It became a habit, a part of me. I ended up getting sick and pushed to do my workouts - even without the energy. The only problem was that I didn't seem to be getting better. I was getting worse and hating my workouts. That's when I figured out that I needed to take a break, get better, and get then get back on to working out.

Around that time, I was driving myself crazy with the book project. What little time I did have was spent working on the project and through the current book. I was frustrated because I was starting to feel like I wasn't really making anything for myself. Sure, I was learning and pushing myself out of my comfort zone in order to better myself. Still, something felt wrong.

That was when I decided to pick up a book and start reading just for the pure enjoyment of reading. I didn't touch any art or craft supplies, spending my spare moments reading book after book. Weeks later, I finally picked up a ballpoint pen and started drawing. I felt refreshed and enthusiastic about creating again.

The hardest part of any project is finishing. But this is also for fun and fulfillment; I need to remember to take a break when it is needed.

One Little Word 2011

Every year, I choose one little word that I try to keep in mind through out the year. Something that pushes me in the right direction. In 2010, by the middle of the year I couldn't even remember what my word was. It was a disappointment, because in 2009 my word was so strong for me that I felt like I had accomplished a lot due to keeping it in mind.

So for 2011 I needed to find something that was easy to remember and would push me to keep moving. I had considered the word "active" for a long time, I wanted to be more active in my life - exercise more, make more art, and just do more things. The only problem with that word is that it wasn't inspiring to me at all.  One day I was reading the blog of an inspiring artist when I remembered she ends her blog posts with the same word each time.  I knew that was the word I wanted to use for 2011.

My word for 2011 is GO!

Do you have a "one little word" for 2011?  What is it?

Bleh

I've got a case of the blehs.  I've been fighting something for over a week that has left me sapped of energy and not thinking clearly.  I'll be back next week when I hope to be better and all caught up!  For now, enjoy my little germ-blobs that I can't stop doodling.

One Little Word for 2010

There is that old saying, practice makes perfect. The problem is that in my mind, there is no such thing as perfect. No matter how much a person strives for what s/he perceives as perfection, if s/he even reaches that point perceptions will have changed. In a discussion that my husband and I had the other day, he was right on when he said, "The pursuit of perfection is the road to insanity."

So what am I trying to say? Well, I prefer the other version to "practice makes perfect" and that is "practice makes progress." As I mentioned in my previous post, I participate in Ali Edwards' "one little word" prompt. So my one little word for 2010 is progress.

progress: growth or development; continuous improvement.

My goal for 2010 is to improve on some of my skills that I had focused on during 2009 (and a couple of other skills that I had put off until now). I'm trying to keep my list small because I really want to grow. I know that if I try to do too much, nothing gets done. So 2010 is all about making progress - and I need progress because I already have goals for 2011! Scary!

Are you participating in "one little word" for 2010? If so, what's your word?

One Little Word: Review of 2009

As some of you may recall, every year I go along with Ali Edwards' prompt of choosing one little word that I would use for the year. My word for 2009 was "focus." That was one powerful little word!

When I would overwhelm myself with an outrageous amount of things that I wanted to do, that little word would remind me to slow down and pick a smaller number of things that I really wanted to focus on. I reminded myself of it many times throughout the year and am so thankful that I chose it. It helped to narrow down what was most important to me and work on improving those areas.

I don't want to give up the word "focus," but I do have another another word that I would like to use as well for 2010. I've learned that it's a good word to use in general, for someone like me that can easily get distracted and move onto another whim or interest. We'll see how I'm feeling as we get closer to the new year. Next week, I'll be discussing my word choice for 2010!

Did you have a "one little word" for 2009? How did that word work out for you?

Have an awesome holiday season everyone!

Mama's Holiday Wishlist

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

• A sewing machine
• Set of professional watercolor paints
• Subscription to ImagineFX magazine
• New workout shoes (& maybe some outfits to go with it hehe)
• A new journal (that can handle watercolor) to start the new year

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

• A picture frame my son made.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

• A handmade journal (have to learn how to make them first!) Hmmm. . . maybe bookbinding supplies should be in my holiday wish list?

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

• I honestly don't remember what I received when I was little. I do remember when I was in high school I got tickets to see the Phantom of the Opera from my parents. One of the best presents I ever received for Christmas.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?

• LEGOs
• Anything Princess-y
• Books
• Littlest Pet Shop toys
• Toy swords
• Remote control cars

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

• Kare-Kare (It's a Filipino food that my mom makes sure to make every year for Christmas since I love it so much.)

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

• Mini-journals
• Christmas Cards

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?

• It's A Wonderful Life

9. Favorite holiday song?

• White Christmas

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

• Watching Christmas movie marations

Almost Done!

What's almost done? We're coming up on the last month of the year. Art Every Day Month is coming to a close. My first drawing class ever is ending in a few weeks. My projects that I've been working on daily are finally starting to see an end.

It's been so busy, that I haven't had a chance to post what I've been working on. I can't wait for things to slow down a bit more! Hopefully I'll be able to share what I've done for the remainder of AEDM on either Monday or Tuesday.

I'd like to thank everyone that has stopped by and left such encouraging comments and those that just come by to peek inside my world! I appreciate all that you do!

I'm off to work on more projects! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

P.S. From now through Dec 1st, 2009 - everything in my shop is 33% off with the coupon code SVHOLIDAY2009.

Daily

School, drawing practice, chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, volunteering, card-making - just some of the things that I have been up to. And there is so much more brewing in my head that I can only wish I could add to the list!

November 1st marks the beginning of Art Every Day Month and I can't wait to take part! This past month I have been really pushing myself to do something creative or art related every day and most days it actually happens. I'm hoping November is the shove I need to make it more of a daily habit. And maybe give me something more to share with you!

Until then, have a happy and safe Halloween!

Catching Up

There goes that time flying by again! Things have been crazy as I try to get into some kind of routine. The kids started school three weeks ago . . . and so did I! I'm so dizzy with excitement, I had to slow down to get my head straight and catch you up. So here are some things that I've been up to:

drawing

I've been drawing on and off for a while now. Though I have improved a little bit, I felt a needed a little bit more direction and input. So I signed up for my very first drawing class and got exactly what I needed - an enthusiastic teacher that takes the class seriously, believes in lots of practice, and looks at each student individually. It has been three weeks and I am loving it.

reading

I seem to do a lot of waiting lately, so I've been taking books with me where ever I go (though I think that I'm going to change that habit to taking my sketchbooks instead). I just finished reading the last two books in a trilogy and it was . . . interesting. Brent Weeks wrote the Night Angel trilogy. I'm not going to get too much into it in case anyone would like to read the series because I have to tendency to reveal spoilers.

The first book, The Way of Shadows, was brilliant. I couldn't put the book down from start to finish. It was full of surprises and the story seemed to flow.

The second book, Shadow's Edge, was a good sequel that turned into a fast read as well. It wasn't as good as the first book but I still couldn't put it down.

Now the final book in the series, Beyond the Shadows, was an absolute disappointment. I struggled to get through and only finished it becaused it felt incomplete not finishing the trilogy. The whole story was predictable and it felt like the author just wanted to throw it all together and finish it, not really caring about the novel. The thought that kept coming back to me as I continued to read was, "I can't believe I spent money on this."

If you are looking for a new book to read, The Way of Shadows is a must read! It feels complete and you don't feel like you need to keep reading the next book. If you decide to read Shadow's Edge, be prepared to read the last book because the story ended up feeling incomplete without it.

crafting

I still have my other journal books to share! Just need to get moving on taking those pictures. Hoping to get back on track with those soon.

playing

Some of you may know that I like to play MMORPGs. I actually haven't played in about half a year, but just recently I started playing the newly released Champions Online. It's a fun game and I'm enjoying the change of pace from other MMOs that are now starting to bore me. If any of you happen to be playing too, let me know!

family

Of course, the most important thing to me is spending time with my family. It's about getting out or spending time doing activities together at home. With so many things swirling around in my head, it's good to slow down and just enjoy the little things with the ones I love.

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around! Have a great weekend!

Life is . . .

crazy and exciting right now. But the parts I love the most are those quiet moments, enjoying the simplicity and beauty the things around me. With the school year about to start, things are going to be a bit more hectic! So for now, here is a little breather:

Above is another photo I took and altered based off of one of Jessica Sprague's photo editing classes.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Transitions

As you may know, I just recently moved into a new home. It was perfect timing as things are beginning to transition into a new stage of my life. During my blog hiatus there was the move plus my daughter and myself turned another year older. It was a time for reflection and anticipation. There is so much to work on right now and look forward to in the near future.

As things are starting to settle down and resemble some sort of a routine, I have been trying to refocus my goals and figure out what is important to me. Things I have not worked on in a long time have been slowly coming back into my life, while more recent activities seem to be moving to the back burner for now. Whatever the case, creativity is still a top priority in my life and I hope to be able to share it with you.

One thing I recently finished is a class that was held over a month ago, though I was just now able to view the class and try the lessons out. Here is the outcome of one of the lessons:

These photos were actually taken from my birthday last year, but were pushed aside like many photos of late.

Thanks for sticking around! And to the new visitors - welcome! It's time to get moving and create!

Climbing the Mountain

Something not many people know about me is that I love Japanese anime.  At the ending credits of the first season of Naruto is a song called Wind by Akeboshi.  I immediately fell in love with the song and was disappointed when they switched the ending song in later episodes.



I hope that it inspires you to climb those mountains!

Moving Along

There goes that time flying away again! Half of the year is gone and I feel more excited about resolutions and changes than I did during the start of the new year.

I have so much to share and can't wait to get around to it. I have been busy working on my Wreck This Journal project; drawing; art journaling; playing around with some prototypes of ideas that are floating around in my head; taking spontaneous vacations and road trips; hanging out with friends and family; and PACKING.

Yes, the packing has begun. In a couple of weeks, the family and I will be moving into a new place. We're getting ready for some new adventures and hoping to dispose of old habits along the way.

Unfortunately, that means having to go on a blog hiatus. So please check back from time to time, I may surprise you with a post here and there! If the packing, moving, and unpacking goes well . . . I should be back by the 27th (maybe the week after at the latest).

When I return I should have more to share on art journaling, journal wrecking, card making, paper crafting, or maybe something on being another year older.

Here is to goals, changes, resolutions, surprises, and freedom. Enjoy this wonderful month and see you all soon! And to those in the USA, have a happy Independence Day!

Wreck This Journal - Part 1

If you recall, The Next Chapter is working on Wreck This Journal for their next book club. So today is the day that we all crack open that book.

I am looking foward to this adventure, because I'm hoping that it may open up some walls I have around me that I may or may not be aware of. I'm at a stage in my creative life that I am in the process of breaking down some barriers. I know that if I don't break them down, I can't move foward and be open to more possibilities.

Wreck This Journal is a book that emphasizes just doing something. I personally have the tendency to read, think, and read some more about things I want to do that I rarely actually get around to doing it. I have broken down those barriers quite a bit by things I may have mentioned in the past: doing things little by little (even if it's just a for a few minutes); taking my journal with me everywhere; focusing on only a few amount of things in my growing list of activities I want to do; and making reasonable monthly goals.

By taking my journal around with me everywhere, I'm not so afraid anymore on wrecking my journal by putting my drawings, paintings, writing, brainstorming, and notes in it. But I know deep down that there is still a fear of doing more. Not only is there a fear of doing more, there is a fear of not knowing what to do and just staring at a blank page.

So this is my next step foward - at breaking down more barriers, loosening up, and becoming more comfortable with exploring and experimenting.

So far, I have taken a couple of steps by writing my name several times on the first page and numbering each page. Easy peasy so far and I can't wait to play some more. I should have more to share on this next project next Friday!

Art I Want You

What inspires me?  So many things inspire me - the people and things all around me, books, music, words, etc.  One thing I love the most is when something just gets me and brings about some kind of strong feeling.

This is one of my favorite music videos on youtube - it's so inspirational and I can't help but to love this song.  It's called Art by Tanya Davis with art & video by Andrea Dorfman.

Wreck This Journal

It's less than three weeks away and I can't wait! The Next Chapter, which is kind of like an interactive book club blog, start their new book choice on June 5th. This time instead of a normal book to read, it is going to be a journal of sorts: Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.

It's an interesting journal that challenges you to take it and deface it in many ways - to loosen up and have fun. Dragging it around, scribbling, doodling, rubbing dirt, ripping out pages, and the list goes on! You can find even more examples at the book's official site.

I already have my book in hand and can't wait to play! Anyone else care to join me at the Next Chapter?

Checklist

Let's see . . .

From the time of my last post . . . 

Broken monitor replaced?  check!

Computer upgraded?  check!

Getting everything reinstalled?  check!

Scanner up and running? sigh . . .

Besides running around like a crazy person and enjoying life away from the computer, I have actually been working on a few things!  Hoping to have my scanner up and running this weekend, between appointments, Easter visits, and other plans - then hopefully I can share what has been going on.

Have a great Easter weekend everyone!

Excuse Me

Please excuse my absence! I've just been enjoying life with my family, the beautiful spring sunshine and cool breezes, and am in a desperate attempt to make my creation area (and other parts of my home) more manageable and less cluttered. Be back soon!

Time

Is it really Wednesday already? The time change really threw me off all day on Monday and I have no idea where Tuesday went. Time just went flying by!

I was somehow able to get a drawing done during those two days.


I just used sepia and black artists pens in my journal. It didn't feel right splashing color on this page. It's not really complete, but then again I don't think I would have anything to show on this blog if I waited for my stuff to be finished at the rate I'm going.

Today, I need to play some more catch up. Seems like that's what I'm always doing! So I'm off!

Thanks for looking and enjoy the week!