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When Death Comes Calling
You think you’ll know how you’ll feel when a parent dies. You can assume or make guesses based on your relationship. But really, that’s you convincing yourself you’ve got it under control. Turns out, that headspace control? It’s a farce… a lie you’re telling yourself to get through your days. Truth is, you have no effing idea how you’ll feel ’til you get the call. And how you’ll feel all the minutes after…. Here I am. Tuesday. 8:48 PM. Call. Received. For the record, I feel overwhelmingly sad and guilty. Not the relief I expected. Anticipated. Hoped for. Mom, I hope you find peace. I hope you know how much…
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In my Ears: My Favorite Podcasts of 2020 ~ Small Biz Ownership, Money, and Living Life on Your Terms
I was recently asked if I’d share my favorite podcasts.. Absolutely! Most are business related – with slight differences/perspectives on focus areas – marketing including social media, writing, art, tech how-to – then they’re a few that keep me focused on the basics (finances and self-care). I encourage to check these fine folks out… As a self-described ‘visual/kinesthetic learner,’ I was shocked to discover how much I enjoy listening to podcasts (in very specific conditions, as you’ll read below)…. 😉 Here you go… (in no particular order) Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield (online biz/marketing) YESSSSS!!!!!! The Goal Digger Podcast with Jenna Kutcher (online biz/marketing/tech) This gal is both…
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Video Skills for the Win: Yes, You Really Can!
22 Takes Later…. So, I’m learning the ins and outs of recording video…. video blogging? vlogging? Whatever you call it, seems I’ll need a bit more practice….. LOL Wanna see what happens when you forget your name, do an (unplanned) Fonzie impression, and…. you’re recording the ceiling?! Oh, and your sweater and coffee cup don’t match!? Holy moly! I’m a hot mess!!! #Outtake #Blooper #WhatNotToDo #Learning Want to know when there’s more of this nonsense? Be sure to subscribe to get my latest shenanigans (ummmmm…. in-the-trenches-I’m-going-to-figure-this-stuff-out learning!) delivered right to your inbox. Entertainment free of charge… you’re welcome. 😉 p.s. Thanks for watching/reading and sharing! (Don’t forget Insta…. my favorite…
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A Mixed-Media Face in 18 Ingredients
I was asked recently during a Mixed-Media Faces How-to virtual workshop, “Okay, so we made a basic face with our pencil, but how do we make it ‘mixed media’?” Great question! Answer: Add everything you want and then a bit more… Really! And so we did. From floral repurposed paper napkins and scrap paper with mathematical calculations that inspired tissue paper with bold, graphic numbers to pink markers and pink paint for cheeks, a little show & tell about eyelashes, and all the possible supplies we could use – our group gabbed, shared notes and shared projects. With a few minutes left in our session, we shared what we created…
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Blackout Poetry: 3 Steps to Writing Stories from Others’ Words
Imagine looking at a page full of words and seeing a story begin to appear. That’s what happens with blackout poetry. It’s the story you tell from the words already told… mostly. Let me show you what I mean…. Here’s how to create your own blackout poetry/story in 3 simple steps: 1. Gather your supplies: a page from a book, newspaper, or magazine a permanent marker – might be black, but doesn’t have to be a pencil maybe a pair of readers – some of us need them! 🙂 your imagination and curiosity 2. Next, scan the page for cool words. 3. Blackout (fancy word: redact) the words you won’t…
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They’re Back!
The voices, that is. Finally! A note…. I started this post February 7, 2016, but never shared it. Not sure why not(?), but here it is…. celebrating the return of the voices in my head. What an awesome feeling it was! Feb 2016: If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know that I suffered through a long spell of silence in my head as I struggled through difficult personal and professional changes in 2015. The silver lining was discovering mixed-media art as a tool to express myself, giving my heart and head a place to speak freely. But as I created art, I longed for…
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COVID-19: Connecting Despite the Disconnections
How did we get to this strange and unfamiliar place in our history? I remember reading about pandemics in high school in the early ’80s. It was a vague concept in which a lot of people got sick and died. During those times, the sickness took over. Pharmaceuticals were limited. Medical technologies were rudimentary at best. Now here we are. 2020. By all accounts, the numbers of dead and sick are rising daily. And the way to stay safe? Shelter in place. Wear a mask if going out. But for now, Shelter In Place. As I write this in April 2020, we are shell-shocked by orders to stay home, businesses…
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Read. Think. Sleep. Repeat.
Do you read? A lot? A little? Not at all? Many people I know, do not. Or do very little. Or do only for daily tasks (e-mails, road signs, contracts, notes from kids’ school, etc…). But wait. You’re reading this. Just sayin’…. According to Mr. Warren Buffett, reading a lot helps make us smarter. My takeaway when I read his advice is this: Reading often (and varied) gives us an advantage because we can oftentimes use that information in new ways as we piece different ideas, opinions, or facts together to form new ideas, opinions, or possibly – facts. This is the essence of creativity: making something new out of…
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Notice the Details
What do you notice? Do you see that small crack in the sidewalk as you walk from your car to your office? How about that piece of red thread that’s been billowing from the skinny tree branch outside your front door? Or maybe it’s the shape of someone’s eyes…. What about that scratch of green paint on that door? Or the old house you’ve passed a gazillion times? Did you notice that vintage truck in the parking lot that makes your heart sing every time you see it? One of the hallmark characteristics of Creatives is simply We Notice. This is especially true of writers. No matter how small, we…
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i am…… being vulnerable and loving with our whole hearts
According to dictionary.com: vulnerable: an adjective – capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc. Do you consider yourself vulnerable? Do you ever watch, read, or hear something that REALLY resonates with you? I mean… like… stop-you-in-your-tracks resonates? I find I’m often focused on things that bring me pause because I’m connecting the dots between ideas, but recently it happened in such a powerful way that I wanted to share it with you. I literally stopped what I was doing to process what I was hearing. Replay it. Process more. I was…
words + colors guide the process
