9 Faces

Thumbed through this book at the bookstore and found a great creative exercise on which I've been doing for about 5 days now. The idea is to draw 9 circles on a piece of paper, then turn those 9 circles into human faces. They suggest that you use different kinds of media on different days and that you don't spend alot of time on each face, just draw.

It's been a brain stretcher that's for sure!!

First day was pretty timid with my drawings, but now, I've drawn all the faces that were already in my brain, and am needing to get more creative with expessions etc in order to draw new faces. Also, finding myself looking at people on tv, magazines and real life for details and patterns. We look at faces every day, but do we really LOOK at faces?? You will if you try to draw nine of them every day.

For some reason, I'm finding drawing faces more meaningful and fulfilling than doing the 3 morning pages suggested by "The Artist Way".

Give it a go and let me know what you experience after a couple weeks of daily drawing.

You can see the exact wording and example by looking up the book on Amazon and doing the "search inside option" for "faces" or look for page 177.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1581804385/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-6155437-3658360#reader-link

Find out who your friends are

I love this new song by Tracy Lawrence!!

The guy on the video reminds me sooo much of my brother when we were younger. He and his buddies were always getting stuck some ditch or mesa somewhere and needing a tow! They looked just like that guy too, with their pickups, caps and cut off shirts.

Also, a good reminder to be thankful to the folks that stick around after the sh*t hits the fan and, for me anyway, to always remember where you came from.




and yep...that IS George Jones.

Beat Bullying Week

Sunday Funnies

This made me laugh till I cried...I love the expressions on their faces when they see the shapes!!

Community

Today I got to thinking about how I'm becoming a part of this great little community that's forming round the coffeeshop and how it's all because I took one little risk.

For a few months I saw signs at the market advertising African Drumming Sessions at this little coffeeshop. I wanted to go, but could never work up the courage.

Then, one day, I did.

I went over to the cafe, talked to the owner, and found out there was loads of activities going on there and that drumming was just one small part.

Just working up the courage to go speak to the owner, who turned out to be a total sweetie, has lead to the following cool stuff happening in the last couple months:

- Learning african drumming
- Meeting some terrific, creative, positive people
- Worked up the courage to hang my photos
- Put my first product (journals) for sale
- Have a place to sell more products (cards) once I get them produced
- Sold some work
- Got invited to participate in my first arts & crafts show
- Just landed my first advertising project from someone who owns a local business

What's all that got to do with community you may ask.

Well, everything.

It's because we're part of the community that we go pay $15 a week to drum whenever the instructor is in town. We could do it for free elsewhere.

It's because I'm part of the community that the owners hung my work in an easy to see, but out of the way place so it could hang longer than the normal 1 month.

It's because of community that my drumming friend asked me if I wanted the advertising gig. I thought she wanted some help learning how to use her computer so I said yes when she asked if I had some free time to do lessons.

It feels good to be a part of something that's organic, local and engergetic after hanging out at a virtual "community" that basically sucked the life out of my soul and wounded me for a while.

I love the positive energy, and way this group is starting to look out for each other in little ways.

Who would have thought all of that would come from a flyer in a supermarket.

Because it's my blog and I can....

ASBO Truth

Man, I can sooo relate to this one. And no, it's absolutely no fun at all!! Still looking around waiting for the next round of "bullets" to come flying by even though I've removed myself from the target range.

The worse part is still not knowing who the snipers are, and who is just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Someone the other day told me that all he wanted was the "benefit of the doubt". But how in the hell can you do that without opening yourself up for being a target again? At what point does that become less about forgiveness and more about stupidity?

That's what snipers do, they ceate doubt and fear where there could be trust and healthy relationships. The cowards aim to destroy one person or group and end up destroying much, much more without even knowing it.

Jon's right, it's no fun!!

Find more cartoons here: http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/

TED Talks Larry Lessig

This is one of the best TED talks I've seen to date. He does a fantastic job with his presentation and with his content.

Check it out here.
http://www.kinnon.tv/2007/11/larry-lessig-te.html?cid=89500966


Thanks Bill ;-)

Catching Up

AWESOME drumming session last night!!
We had about 15 people in a little coffee shop, drumming our brains out! That's the best group of folks and we all get along really well. Lots of sore hands and muscles from playing and laughing so much. Didn't want it to end.

Get to play one more time next week, before the instructor does his yearly journey south to Mexico for the winter.

Feel balanced and grounded after that session.

Finally found out that it was the gal that owns the coffee shop that gave my name to June and Crew. Apparently June hangs out at the coffee shop from time to time and saw my stuff down there. So, that's cool....

Hoping to have a 6 month project in Calif coming up very shortly. Not sure if it'll work out, but I'm really hoping it does. Really hoping!! It'd be a great gig, lots of hours but they'd all count towards my project management certification, so that'd be worth it. Plus, could use the $$

Been thinking alot about how much cynicism there is in the environments I'm in these days. I don't like it. Want to have something different for my life and I'm finding that the less I hang in those places, or with those people who have gotten in the habit of being cynical, the happier I feel and more productive I feel like being.

Don't think creativity can grow and thrive in an environment of constant cynicism and I want to live a more creative life.

Still working out what that means exactly.

Excited to be spending the weekend at a photo workshop taught by this guy:
http://www.lewiskemper.com/homepage.html

Sunday Funnies

Thought this was pretty clever.
You can find more here at Peculiar Poetry:
http://www.peculiar-poetry.com/funny-adults


What Do You Want Bud?

I saw a Buddhist monk today
At a hot dog stand
The cook stood at the griddle
Doing his thing
“What can I make you” was his
Gruff demand
The monk replied, “Make me one
With everything”

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