Just put it out there: your love, your humor, your frustrations... it's amazing what comes back.
My arm pain has had me near tears all day.
Typing hurts, but a lot less than cleaning did, taking out garbage does and the other "must do" things have.
No art today :(
But I put a gripe on facebook, because writing out my failures stops them from running circles in my mind.
One of our community friends offered to make my son's birthday cake, because she was already making cakes today and I don't have mom or MIL close to do so for me.
Seriously, a woman I only talk to a few minutes each week offered to make my son's birthday cake so I don't have to further stress myself today/tonight.
I. AM. LUCKY & LOVED.
And I am grateful.
(and so are the little kids who will devour it tomorrow!)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
More life lessons
Don't waste your energy being sad when you come to realize someone is not interested in being your friend, use the energy to create art, make your family laugh or do a penguin walk instead. (Okay, so the last two ideas happen to be the same thing. shush.)
Equally important lesson of the week: when a doctor tells you to go to Physical Therapy, make it happen. Don't put it off for 3 months hoping you won't need it. Cortisone shots HURT. They provide TEMPORARY assistance. PT is designed to help lower the chance of recurrent pain & problems. It took scaring me with the prospect of arm surgery for it to sink into my thick skull: make the time & find the $ for PT or be completely laid up a year from now. *shudder*
The best ideas for art will come at inopportune moments: the shower, bed, while driving or when drunk. Those mini notebooks & sketchpads? Keep one in your purse, one in your glove box & one beside the bed and voila! more ideas captured and less time spent saying "I had a great idea... what the hell was it?!?"
Cats can not resist "helping you" read when you are stretched out.
Haters gonna hate... ditch their @sses and find better acquaintances.
(This is the boiled down version of "If you constantly questioning your worth in their presence, it's probably actually them that has a problem.")
Make your bed in the morning (aka:whatever hour it is you wake up). Even if the rest of your day is full of complications you will be reminded that you accomplished at least one thing before going to sleep at night.
And the life lesson of the week:
If you really need age to be irrelevant hang out with some kids and play. Tag at the park, penguin walks down the sidewalk, simon says... it doesn't matter. Play for play's sake and your heart will be reminded that age is just a number, it's the attitude that counts :)
Equally important lesson of the week: when a doctor tells you to go to Physical Therapy, make it happen. Don't put it off for 3 months hoping you won't need it. Cortisone shots HURT. They provide TEMPORARY assistance. PT is designed to help lower the chance of recurrent pain & problems. It took scaring me with the prospect of arm surgery for it to sink into my thick skull: make the time & find the $ for PT or be completely laid up a year from now. *shudder*
The best ideas for art will come at inopportune moments: the shower, bed, while driving or when drunk. Those mini notebooks & sketchpads? Keep one in your purse, one in your glove box & one beside the bed and voila! more ideas captured and less time spent saying "I had a great idea... what the hell was it?!?"
Cats can not resist "helping you" read when you are stretched out.
Haters gonna hate... ditch their @sses and find better acquaintances.
(This is the boiled down version of "If you constantly questioning your worth in their presence, it's probably actually them that has a problem.")
Make your bed in the morning (aka:whatever hour it is you wake up). Even if the rest of your day is full of complications you will be reminded that you accomplished at least one thing before going to sleep at night.
And the life lesson of the week:
If you really need age to be irrelevant hang out with some kids and play. Tag at the park, penguin walks down the sidewalk, simon says... it doesn't matter. Play for play's sake and your heart will be reminded that age is just a number, it's the attitude that counts :)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Multitalented
As I was reminded tonight, I'm not "just" anything.
While I may forget most of my abilities, there comes wonderful moments when someone else thinks I *could* be good at something and asks me if I'll take a stab at it. Other times there's just something that needs to be done and I'm the only adult with 2 seconds to do something about it. Often I'm just too annoyed by watching people who should (either because of their job title or physical ability or lack-of-child-in-tow) be fixing a situation that they aren't and I step in to improve the situation. And every once in a while I mistakenly put love of friend together with volunteering.
Once I'm done, or done what I could, I usually feel better about it by the end of the day. So in the long run it's usually good. (Except when the ability used was lifting... until my right arm is actually healed lifting is still a VERY bad idea.)
So... hidden talents (including those I conspire with others to achieve)
- drawing
- observing
- planning
- telecommunication
- empathy (not everyone is capable of seeing the opposing side of an argument)
- determination (okay, so sometimes you can call it stubbornness, but either way things get done)
- teacher voice
- editing *
- cooking/baking *
- multitasking
- avoiding ironing
- remembering people when they need it
- singing in the car
- getting out of having to go to events (except this weekend unfortunately) that I don't want to go to
- making people chuckle... I thought I was amusing only to 12-14 year olds... but I'm beginning to realize it's not that narrow of a group
- seeking out the person for the task
- seeing likely complications
- hiding in plain sight
- working with what's at hand
- improvising
- standing my ground (okay, I can be stubborn, but I would never learn anything if I just gave in!)
- finding good people... fun good people
- procrastinating through being otherwise productive
- visualizing space
- backrubs
- reading to my child
- being two different people at once. (you don't know that I'm listening to my child who's out of sight in the other room while we're discussing business like rational attentive adults.)
- letting go of ownership/credit ... as long as we exclude my car, my dog & my child
- getting older. Age is a number. Nothing more or less.
- having fun. For all my complaining, I have tons more fun. I laugh a lot more than anyone realizes. Actually my son might realize it, seeing as he told me to stop laughing earlier today.
Okay... night
While I may forget most of my abilities, there comes wonderful moments when someone else thinks I *could* be good at something and asks me if I'll take a stab at it. Other times there's just something that needs to be done and I'm the only adult with 2 seconds to do something about it. Often I'm just too annoyed by watching people who should (either because of their job title or physical ability or lack-of-child-in-tow) be fixing a situation that they aren't and I step in to improve the situation. And every once in a while I mistakenly put love of friend together with volunteering.
Once I'm done, or done what I could, I usually feel better about it by the end of the day. So in the long run it's usually good. (Except when the ability used was lifting... until my right arm is actually healed lifting is still a VERY bad idea.)
So... hidden talents (including those I conspire with others to achieve)
- drawing
- observing
- planning
- telecommunication
- empathy (not everyone is capable of seeing the opposing side of an argument)
- determination (okay, so sometimes you can call it stubbornness, but either way things get done)
- teacher voice
- editing *
- cooking/baking *
- multitasking
- avoiding ironing
- remembering people when they need it
- singing in the car
- getting out of having to go to events (except this weekend unfortunately) that I don't want to go to
- making people chuckle... I thought I was amusing only to 12-14 year olds... but I'm beginning to realize it's not that narrow of a group
- seeking out the person for the task
- seeing likely complications
- hiding in plain sight
- working with what's at hand
- improvising
- standing my ground (okay, I can be stubborn, but I would never learn anything if I just gave in!)
- finding good people... fun good people
- procrastinating through being otherwise productive
- visualizing space
- backrubs
- reading to my child
- being two different people at once. (you don't know that I'm listening to my child who's out of sight in the other room while we're discussing business like rational attentive adults.)
- letting go of ownership/credit ... as long as we exclude my car, my dog & my child
- getting older. Age is a number. Nothing more or less.
- having fun. For all my complaining, I have tons more fun. I laugh a lot more than anyone realizes. Actually my son might realize it, seeing as he told me to stop laughing earlier today.
Okay... night
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
oh yeah...
And on top of my hands going painfully numb if I paint or draw for 10 minutes straight,
and my schedule not really allowing me to go to Physical Therapy as I should...
We're house hunting.
And throwing a children's birthday party (not at home!) in 2 weeks.
And I was suppose to find a part time job by now (though how I'm to do that with child in tow I fail to understand).
And I'm part of a group that needs to raise another $9000 by June for a charity trip.
Oh, and my grandmother went through minor surgery so she wants us to visit and take her mind off of her looks.
And I missed the cafepress sellers sale by 12 hours... which is a real bummer for me because I promised not to buy anything more (that's not food) unless it's on sale and too good to pass up... and I wanted to get a shirt for my son that he requested. oh well.
So yeah... busy and a bit stressed. Seeing 3 houses tomorrow and driving to NY with my son the following day.
Some days just call for chocolate, alcohol and a backrub. Two outta three ain't bad.
and my schedule not really allowing me to go to Physical Therapy as I should...
We're house hunting.
And throwing a children's birthday party (not at home!) in 2 weeks.
And I was suppose to find a part time job by now (though how I'm to do that with child in tow I fail to understand).
And I'm part of a group that needs to raise another $9000 by June for a charity trip.
Oh, and my grandmother went through minor surgery so she wants us to visit and take her mind off of her looks.
And I missed the cafepress sellers sale by 12 hours... which is a real bummer for me because I promised not to buy anything more (that's not food) unless it's on sale and too good to pass up... and I wanted to get a shirt for my son that he requested. oh well.
So yeah... busy and a bit stressed. Seeing 3 houses tomorrow and driving to NY with my son the following day.
Some days just call for chocolate, alcohol and a backrub. Two outta three ain't bad.
Friday, January 13, 2012
stupid braces
So among the things that are much more difficult to do when one is wearing a "boned brace" on their dominant hand are typing & drawing.
That means that I thought that networking and planning were good ideas in their stead.
This netted me a quiet art showing in March just down the street to my apartment.
And art showing that, to appropriately fill the space, I should have 12 pieces for.
I currently only have 2 completely finished pieces for said showing.
... It seemed like a good idea at the moment to say yes when the opportunity arose.
... Especially with the woman face-to-face with me wondering what reason I had to say no.
Heaven help me. I'm SUPPOSED to be "job hunting". The jobs I find and that are found for me keep being full-time positions. Full time jobs that would require my son be in daycare full time and that pretty much would eliminate my ability to work on my artwork throughout the week. So now I'm hunting for a set part time job while getting ready for an art showing in 5-6 weeks thus lots to draw and type with a busted hand. (It has taken a lot of work to type that all out. Longer than I care to admit to as well.)
So basically, for better or worse, I just created an organized chaos for myself. Please wish me luck.
That means that I thought that networking and planning were good ideas in their stead.
This netted me a quiet art showing in March just down the street to my apartment.
And art showing that, to appropriately fill the space, I should have 12 pieces for.
I currently only have 2 completely finished pieces for said showing.
... It seemed like a good idea at the moment to say yes when the opportunity arose.
... Especially with the woman face-to-face with me wondering what reason I had to say no.
Heaven help me. I'm SUPPOSED to be "job hunting". The jobs I find and that are found for me keep being full-time positions. Full time jobs that would require my son be in daycare full time and that pretty much would eliminate my ability to work on my artwork throughout the week. So now I'm hunting for a set part time job while getting ready for an art showing in 5-6 weeks thus lots to draw and type with a busted hand. (It has taken a lot of work to type that all out. Longer than I care to admit to as well.)
So basically, for better or worse, I just created an organized chaos for myself. Please wish me luck.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
My Website
I don't know why I don't feel comfortable putting it up in my blog like other artists do all over the place... oh yeah, because I'm much more timid about everything than I act in person!
So... here's my current under-watered plant:
http://kaywrayarts.etsy.com
As a vendor I'm not thrilled at the moments that all payments to me are through Paypal, but as a consumer I like that I don't need to have a Paypal preexisting account, no Paypal card, in order to buy through Etsy. (You do need a credit card, which is very good for all involved.)
If you have wandered upon my site and are interested in buying something but have no credit card, email me. That's pretty much the rule in life, if things don't work for you think of an alternative or at least speak up and as the other party if there are any. All artists I know personally will take a personal check from me or for me. For people I don't know, since I hold the art, I would need to be sure the check cleared before sending merchandise. My point is: it never hurts to ask.
Right now my son and I are sitting in the studio. He's practicing writing his name. He doesn't turn 4 until next month and WANTS to write his own name CORRECTLY and can do it... he amazes me. I wanted him to recognize/ be able to pick out his own name by now, I never thought he'd be writing it by himself before he was 4. 9 legible letters in correct order. :-)
Meanwhile I typed while waiting for my two newest projects first layer to dry... but it's cold in here and my fingers are cold so I don't necessarily see myself working more on either of them this afternoon. Maybe frame some more of my husband's work... oh wait I did that already! Time to go home I guess.
So... here's my current under-watered plant:
http://kaywrayarts.etsy.com
As a vendor I'm not thrilled at the moments that all payments to me are through Paypal, but as a consumer I like that I don't need to have a Paypal preexisting account, no Paypal card, in order to buy through Etsy. (You do need a credit card, which is very good for all involved.)
If you have wandered upon my site and are interested in buying something but have no credit card, email me. That's pretty much the rule in life, if things don't work for you think of an alternative or at least speak up and as the other party if there are any. All artists I know personally will take a personal check from me or for me. For people I don't know, since I hold the art, I would need to be sure the check cleared before sending merchandise. My point is: it never hurts to ask.
Right now my son and I are sitting in the studio. He's practicing writing his name. He doesn't turn 4 until next month and WANTS to write his own name CORRECTLY and can do it... he amazes me. I wanted him to recognize/ be able to pick out his own name by now, I never thought he'd be writing it by himself before he was 4. 9 legible letters in correct order. :-)
Meanwhile I typed while waiting for my two newest projects first layer to dry... but it's cold in here and my fingers are cold so I don't necessarily see myself working more on either of them this afternoon. Maybe frame some more of my husband's work... oh wait I did that already! Time to go home I guess.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!
Felicidades a todos! Happy New Year to all!
November was the month of non-stop travel. December was the month of hope through the fog of messiness. January... well I HOPE that January will be a year of positive new things. A month of positive firsts. We looked at 2 houses right before the new year... and even though I can't get them out of my mind I know there's something that fits us better (and still in our budget) out there.
If last year was the year of Acrylics and Birds I feel like 2012 should bring different subject matter to my work... but all I keep daydreaming about (other than Dr. Who... which is because we keep watching an episode each evening) is different ravens & raptors. I never created the time last year to draw a Golden Eagle or Red-tailed Hawk as I would have liked to and apparently that thought is nagging me. My tendinitis in my dominant arm is nagging me more however making a life-size drawing of either bird extremely unlikely.
After I acquiesce to this nagging, any subject matter suggestions for ink or watercolor?
Seriously people, I'm wondering what other people like/collect/find interesting. Thanks!
November was the month of non-stop travel. December was the month of hope through the fog of messiness. January... well I HOPE that January will be a year of positive new things. A month of positive firsts. We looked at 2 houses right before the new year... and even though I can't get them out of my mind I know there's something that fits us better (and still in our budget) out there.
If last year was the year of Acrylics and Birds I feel like 2012 should bring different subject matter to my work... but all I keep daydreaming about (other than Dr. Who... which is because we keep watching an episode each evening) is different ravens & raptors. I never created the time last year to draw a Golden Eagle or Red-tailed Hawk as I would have liked to and apparently that thought is nagging me. My tendinitis in my dominant arm is nagging me more however making a life-size drawing of either bird extremely unlikely.
After I acquiesce to this nagging, any subject matter suggestions for ink or watercolor?
Seriously people, I'm wondering what other people like/collect/find interesting. Thanks!
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