Friday, September 16, 2016

Celebrate The Small Things - Sept. 16, 2016




I am appreciating a quote I heard this quote this morning:

Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

It’s so inspiring. So, no matter how many times we fail in writing or art or whatever else we are striving for, those failures are not really failures. They are part of the process.

This week didn’t start off so good because I hurt my foot. My dog wanted to chase the ball, but I didn’t want to pick it up to throw it because I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. I kicked it instead, and ended up kicking my heavy metal art easel as well. It cut my foot open. My foot got swollen and purple. I couldn’t drive or go to the gym for a few days. My husband and son got the chills just looking at it. Hahaha! I’m able to walk pretty well now and was able to drive to the art workshop on Thursday. It’s still sore and purple, but I’m happy to be able to get around.

This is a drawing of one of my new friends, Shelly, who modeled for the art workshop:


Last weekend, I bought a pair of wireless headphones so that I could listen to my podcasts and music without having to carry my phone around. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. My head must’ve been in the dark ages. Well, I didn’t research it and ended up buying a really crappy pair for $19.99. It cuts in and out and the sound is muffled. I was so disappointed. What happened to the times when you could spend $12 for a pair of wired headphones and they sounded great? Anyway, I did some research and found a good pair for a reasonable price. I can’t wait for them to arrive in the mail. I’m going to have to sit by the door for the delivery guy to arrive because someone has been stealing packages from the porches in my neighborhood.

I did a pretty good sketch for the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin art show that’s coming up, but my husband didn’t like the idea, so I’m going to sketch out some other ideas. I drew Charlie Brown as a little devil on a Mexican La Loteria card. My husband says that's not in Charlie Brown's character. He has a point. I still like the idea, though. Maybe I’ll post it after the show is over.

I was able to get another chapter of my novel done this week which I am happy about even though I wish it were several chapters.

There was a major discount on a comic book software program for artists that I was able to buy online called Clip Studio Paint Ex. It's so awesome! I can't wait to use it for the comics I create.

I discovered new music this week and saw this happy, colorful video by Systema Solar called Yo Soy Ganao. I don’t know what they’re saying but the people look so happy. I love the fish that come out of the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9t4XTOwtEo


What are you celebrating?
Check out the blogs below for your reading pleasure and please visit our hosts' blogs:
Lexa Cain: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
L.G. Keltner http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/
Tonja Drecker http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/
If you would like to join our blog hop, visit Lexa Cain's blog for info.

1.

Lexa Cain2.Fiction and Film
3.Writing Off the Edge4.Kidbits
5.TheCyborgMom6.Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
7.My Inner Geek8.Intentional Insights with S. Kelley Harrell
9.Constantine10.My Miracle Life
11.Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams12.Shells Tales and Sails
13.Lara Lacombe14.TF Walsh
15.Life, Yoga and Other Adventures16.About myself, by myself
17.Suzanne Furness18.Elizabeth Seckman
19.Avalon20.My Baffling Brain
21.Planet Kimberly22.Shah Wharton
23.Victorian Scribbles24.Tanya Miranda
25.Ann - A Friend of Jesus 201326.Special Teaching At Pempi's Palace
27.Square Pegs28.Patricia's Place
29.Yvonne Van Dalen30.Anne Higa
31.My Antimatter Life32.Bouquet of Books
33.Lightravellerkate34.Curious As A Cathy
35.Julie Flanders36.Crazy Old Lady
37.In My Own Words38.Allison Bruning
39.Tamara Narayan, Author40.My Creatively Random Life
41.Yvonne Ventresca42.Two Book Minimum



Friday, September 9, 2016

Celebrate The Small Things - September 9, 2016




I just discovered that one of my new friends, Brittney, likes to listen to French music like me! And she’s an artist! So I’ve been sending her YouTube links of my favorite French songs and links of artists/illustrators. I told her about the drawings workshops I go to, so she went to one with me yesterday. She loved it! It’s so nice to find a kindred spirit.

 My friend, Jewel, was the model for the workshop yesterday. This is one of the drawings I did of her:

The other new friend, Shelly, is a writer. I told her about a writer’s workshop that is happening this Sunday, so she’s going to go, too! It’s funny that I’ve seen Brittney and Shelly at the gym for months and have been in classes with them there, but never knew they were kindred spirits. (Sorry, I got the term "kindred spirits" from the Anne of Green Gables books and have used it ever since.) I guess the right topics have to come up in order for you to find out what you have in common with people. You have to go beyond the small talk or surface talk. Shelly, Brittney, and I use lockers in the same area, so I guess we were bound to meet each other.

We were talking with a group of other girls in the locker room about taking ice baths after a workout. I said that I couldn’t handle taking an ice bath and the most I could do was a cold shower in the locker room which was in actuality probably lukewarm at most. Then I went to take a shower and couldn’t get the hot water to work. The faucet was broken. The warmest I was able to get it was lukewarm. Very funny ghost boy.

I jokingly blame all of the weird happenings at the gym on the ghost boy that resides there. I know how far to take it, though. My friend, Rebecca, was making fun of the ghost boy, then immediately afterward she pulled her oblique muscle. It’s funny, but not funny. She didn’t think of the ghost boy being the culprit until I mentioned it. She freaked out. Lol!

I had to revise the text in my picture book this week, but I think it’s stronger now. It will be a miracle when I can actually get it out to agents. Geez! It’s talking so long!

I wrote down a couple of funny ideas for my comic book. They were inspired by my kids. My son also dropped his favorite Big Nate book in a pile of bird turd on the way to school. It was funny and I wanted to put it in my comic book, but he doesn’t want me to.

It’s so hard to decide on which to work on, my novel, my comic book, or queries for my picture book. Time is so hard to come by.


What are you celebrating?
Check out the blogs below for your reading pleasure and please visit our hosts' blogs:
Lexa Cain: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
L.G. Keltner http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/
Tonja Drecker http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/
If you would like to join our blog hop, visit Lexa Cain's blog for info.

1.

Lexa Cain2.Fiction and Film
3.Writing Off the Edge4.Kidbits
5.TheCyborgMom6.Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
7.My Inner Geek8.Intentional Insights with S. Kelley Harrell
9.Constantine10.My Miracle Life
11.Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams12.Shells Tales and Sails
13.Lara Lacombe14.TF Walsh
15.Life, Yoga and Other Adventures16.About myself, by myself
17.Suzanne Furness18.Elizabeth Seckman
19.Avalon20.My Baffling Brain
21.Planet Kimberly22.Shah Wharton
23.Victorian Scribbles24.Tanya Miranda
25.Ann - A Friend of Jesus 201326.Special Teaching At Pempi's Palace
27.Square Pegs28.Patricia's Place
29.Yvonne Van Dalen30.Anne Higa
31.My Antimatter Life32.Bouquet of Books
33.Lightravellerkate34.Curious As A Cathy
35.Julie Flanders36.Crazy Old Lady
37.In My Own Words38.Allison Bruning
39.Tamara Narayan, Author40.My Creatively Random Life
41.Yvonne Ventresca