Yes I've caved. I'm still not that interested in following people (other than George Takei, because that man shares the best things via social media), but if you want a more day-to-day look at my life, follow ABeforeCaffiene. Specifically, its a record of those moments in which, despite all my education and intelligence, I am a special little snowflake. Not that I'll post daily, because those moments of spectacular stupidity don't occur daily. Just most days.
Gold Star to special little snowflakes.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Anna's Get-well-soon smoothie
So, you know how you know you're sick when you feel like youv'e had a love tap from a compact car? I got that feeling approximately an hour before my shift ended. Naturally, I got home and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. But by this time my stomach was hurting from lack of food, so I figured I should eat something.
So, you know how when you have a sore throat you don't feel like eating anything that isn't cold and of a silky-smooth creaminess reminiscent of a baby's behind? So I thought, "smoothie!"
It was a good idea for my brain being so congested it felt approximately the consistency of cotton fluff. It was also good, for having it made up on the spot of sick foods and whatever sounded good.
So I'm sharing!
1 vanilla greek yogurt (has all the protein to make up for the food you don't want to eat, plus happy tummy enzymes)
1 bannana (because you can fix most ailments with a bannana, including the one where your smoothie lacks creaminess and thickness)
1/2 to 1 cup oragne juice (vitamin C, use to preference)
10 ice cubes (for coldness)
1 tbsp honey (honey = good for sore throats)
1 cup brewed ginger tea (ancient chinese secret for delicious that somehow makes you feel better)
Makes about 2-3
Blend all ingredients until they are the desired aforementioned creaminess.
PS: Airborne or somesuch could be added for extra immunity. Or, dredge up an Odwalla C monster. So much vitamin C you won't be sick for a month.
Gold star for slightly inappropriate metaphors.
Resoluting
Hey, I'm a writer, I can make up words can't I?
About being a writer....
I need to do it. I've been in retail a year now and I still like my job, but I'm beginning to look around me, see all my friends with big girl/boy jobs, and want that. And I'm beginning consistently have days where I just don't want to go to work, and that is something I got a degree to avoid. So, even though its a month early, I'm making some changes. I even bought a book on freelancing.
And this book -- to be reviewed when i finish it -- advises a business plan. Not necessarily the official bound and suit kind, but some sort of plan, written on blog, beer coaster, napkin .... Oh hay, I have a blog....
Anna's plan
1.) Write here once a week. I have tons of tutorials and ideas planned, I just need to get them down
2.) Finally do the illustrations for the header.
3.) Reach out to other blogs and contact bloggers for advice.
4.) Finish my surprise yet to be revealed....
5.) Write one professional article per month.
6.) Write/record my fiction. Stories of people and fantasy lands are my constant companion -- I might as well put them down and get some use out of them.
Gold Star to those who believe in resolutions all year round.
About being a writer....
I need to do it. I've been in retail a year now and I still like my job, but I'm beginning to look around me, see all my friends with big girl/boy jobs, and want that. And I'm beginning consistently have days where I just don't want to go to work, and that is something I got a degree to avoid. So, even though its a month early, I'm making some changes. I even bought a book on freelancing.
And this book -- to be reviewed when i finish it -- advises a business plan. Not necessarily the official bound and suit kind, but some sort of plan, written on blog, beer coaster, napkin .... Oh hay, I have a blog....
Anna's plan
1.) Write here once a week. I have tons of tutorials and ideas planned, I just need to get them down
2.) Finally do the illustrations for the header.
3.) Reach out to other blogs and contact bloggers for advice.
4.) Finish my surprise yet to be revealed....
5.) Write one professional article per month.
6.) Write/record my fiction. Stories of people and fantasy lands are my constant companion -- I might as well put them down and get some use out of them.
Gold Star to those who believe in resolutions all year round.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Peter Pan Complex
There's probably some truth to saying I'm afraid to grow up. Not that I'm in danger of going into some creepy Neverland, but let's face it, so far my adult life has consisted of getting a job amongst sparkles at a children's clothing store. And using my employee discount waaaay too liberally for someone childless.
Mostly I just buy the Mario T-shirts, promise. And sparkly headbands.
But really, my mom is rather correct in her attempts to launch me. I left college burnt out and not even being able to think about grad school or a job, so I moved home and got a day job. Now I've been in that job almost a year, and I keep saying I'll look at grad schools but not doing so, I haven't even looked at my senior thesis in more than a year, and with the ending of my internship, it seems all I do is fold sparkly T-shirts. I can't even remember the last time my room was clean.
Maybe its just this moment, with the need to look for Grad programs actually approaching (because the thought of getting a job just now would be too much growing up), that I feel my childhood longings. But let's face it, grownups clean their rooms, and do grown-up jobs, and at 22 I'm in that world more solidly than I like to think sometimes. I also need to start actually managing my life (so I can give you guys posts of what I've been doing).
Now, off to spend a week with high-school band nerds. (what a great way to grow up).
When I get back I may just have a grown-up tea party where we all dress up and eat fancy desserts and sip tea not like childish buffoons.
Not so much to grow up, but because I want to have a tea-party. And a sudden longing for a teapot tattoo.
Gold Star to the Wendys who have to go back to reality.
Mostly I just buy the Mario T-shirts, promise. And sparkly headbands.
But really, my mom is rather correct in her attempts to launch me. I left college burnt out and not even being able to think about grad school or a job, so I moved home and got a day job. Now I've been in that job almost a year, and I keep saying I'll look at grad schools but not doing so, I haven't even looked at my senior thesis in more than a year, and with the ending of my internship, it seems all I do is fold sparkly T-shirts. I can't even remember the last time my room was clean.
Maybe its just this moment, with the need to look for Grad programs actually approaching (because the thought of getting a job just now would be too much growing up), that I feel my childhood longings. But let's face it, grownups clean their rooms, and do grown-up jobs, and at 22 I'm in that world more solidly than I like to think sometimes. I also need to start actually managing my life (so I can give you guys posts of what I've been doing).
Now, off to spend a week with high-school band nerds. (what a great way to grow up).
When I get back I may just have a grown-up tea party where we all dress up and eat fancy desserts and sip tea not like childish buffoons.
Not so much to grow up, but because I want to have a tea-party. And a sudden longing for a teapot tattoo.
Gold Star to the Wendys who have to go back to reality.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Leaving my beloved...
That is right, I am going camping, and leaving my computer home. Even though the McDonald's, with its tempting wireless is right next door to the campground, I am resisting. Is it bad that I desperately want to take my computer CAMPING? It says addict to me...
This is step three of my plan. Take time off the internet.
Because I've discovered something -- there is a big difference between getting inspired by the internet, and being inspired by yourself. Both have their plusses, but you need a balance of both. Right now, all my inspiration comes from being too poor to buy the pretty clothes I want. I spend my internet time not creating, but viewing others' creations and being jealous. And I'm not entirely sure I'm all right with that.
Perhaps that is why, even though I have restarted my blog, have tons of brand-new ideas, and am generally revamped in my motivation, nothing has really happened here. My inspiration all comes by way of copy. My inspiration is all from other peoples' things, and there are plenty of places on the internet to share things that aren't my blog. Sharing things is not bad, but I want my to live MY inspiration, and make my internet space what I make my world -- not how I copy others because I like what they did. Plus, thats skeevy. Even though I don't copy so much as interpret, as a journalist, I find this unacceptable. In writing and in life, you need to create your own material -- and there is no problem being inspired by others, but you need to make it your own.
I have been working on stuff, and original stuff. I promise. I have FINISHED stuff, just waiting for a photo shoot. But I need time to plan and to be inspired by my inspirations, not others'. And I am going to take this week off to plan, to ruminate on how to make my blog MINE. And when I come back I will have lots for you.
Gold Star to the brave ones fighting internet addiction. They should make PSAs about that stuff.
This is step three of my plan. Take time off the internet.
Because I've discovered something -- there is a big difference between getting inspired by the internet, and being inspired by yourself. Both have their plusses, but you need a balance of both. Right now, all my inspiration comes from being too poor to buy the pretty clothes I want. I spend my internet time not creating, but viewing others' creations and being jealous. And I'm not entirely sure I'm all right with that.
Perhaps that is why, even though I have restarted my blog, have tons of brand-new ideas, and am generally revamped in my motivation, nothing has really happened here. My inspiration all comes by way of copy. My inspiration is all from other peoples' things, and there are plenty of places on the internet to share things that aren't my blog. Sharing things is not bad, but I want my to live MY inspiration, and make my internet space what I make my world -- not how I copy others because I like what they did. Plus, thats skeevy. Even though I don't copy so much as interpret, as a journalist, I find this unacceptable. In writing and in life, you need to create your own material -- and there is no problem being inspired by others, but you need to make it your own.
I have been working on stuff, and original stuff. I promise. I have FINISHED stuff, just waiting for a photo shoot. But I need time to plan and to be inspired by my inspirations, not others'. And I am going to take this week off to plan, to ruminate on how to make my blog MINE. And when I come back I will have lots for you.
Gold Star to the brave ones fighting internet addiction. They should make PSAs about that stuff.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Comfort
So, tip number two from A Beautiful Mess is to not feel you need to do it all.
This is definitely a problem I struggle with. I have so many interests and like writing about so many things that my blog could be a mess. But part of my craft is also writing, which shouldn't be confined to just crafting. So, partially inspired by Little Chief Honeybee's "Honest to Blog" feature, i plan to write weekly over something I think about. It will mostly be about creativity and writing and struggles and successes, but I can't promise it always will be. Because I am a writer, who is creative. So that should be foremost in my re-envisioning of my ventures.
So without further ado, here is Things I Think About number one.
I was reading an article about the "10 Things Most Americans Don't Know About America" Brutally honest, yes, but he does it in the way brutally honest with someone you love.
The one that really struck me was about how Americans confuse comfort with happiness. This probably sums up my biggest problem with my life right now. Let me start by saying my life doesn't often have things I consider problems. But this is a problem.
I am happy when I am busy. I know this inside and out. And in school, being busy came naturally to me. I was involved in music, in theater, in jobs. At home, living with my parents, it does not. And I try to be busier, but home is comfortable. It has my comfy sofa, and comfy Nintendo games, and comfy internet distractions.
But when I'm busy, I feel true happiness at my accomplishments, I love that I get more done, and though there are more stressors, unless I have overloaded myself with busy, I actually have fewer anxiety problems than when I am comfortable. Comfort does not give me that -- which was part of this article's point, or the part of the point that applied to me. The other part about traveling and seeing things that challenge your viewpoints is a large part of my happiness too. But that is not the part that is imminently relevant.
Happiness isn't easy. It takes work to maintain, to fill your life up to the point where you transcend comfort. And its something I need to work on (especially with my mother's not so subtle attempts at "launching" me). Its more work than you'd think, finding things to do and keep you inspired. But I know its worth it not to fall into the comfort rut.
I am happy to report I have been busy this last week. I worked a lot, crafted a lot, and the two days where I did relatively nothing were actually a little strange-feeling. So progress made :)
Gold Star to the busy bees
This is definitely a problem I struggle with. I have so many interests and like writing about so many things that my blog could be a mess. But part of my craft is also writing, which shouldn't be confined to just crafting. So, partially inspired by Little Chief Honeybee's "Honest to Blog" feature, i plan to write weekly over something I think about. It will mostly be about creativity and writing and struggles and successes, but I can't promise it always will be. Because I am a writer, who is creative. So that should be foremost in my re-envisioning of my ventures.
So without further ado, here is Things I Think About number one.
I was reading an article about the "10 Things Most Americans Don't Know About America" Brutally honest, yes, but he does it in the way brutally honest with someone you love.
The one that really struck me was about how Americans confuse comfort with happiness. This probably sums up my biggest problem with my life right now. Let me start by saying my life doesn't often have things I consider problems. But this is a problem.
I am happy when I am busy. I know this inside and out. And in school, being busy came naturally to me. I was involved in music, in theater, in jobs. At home, living with my parents, it does not. And I try to be busier, but home is comfortable. It has my comfy sofa, and comfy Nintendo games, and comfy internet distractions.
But when I'm busy, I feel true happiness at my accomplishments, I love that I get more done, and though there are more stressors, unless I have overloaded myself with busy, I actually have fewer anxiety problems than when I am comfortable. Comfort does not give me that -- which was part of this article's point, or the part of the point that applied to me. The other part about traveling and seeing things that challenge your viewpoints is a large part of my happiness too. But that is not the part that is imminently relevant.
Happiness isn't easy. It takes work to maintain, to fill your life up to the point where you transcend comfort. And its something I need to work on (especially with my mother's not so subtle attempts at "launching" me). Its more work than you'd think, finding things to do and keep you inspired. But I know its worth it not to fall into the comfort rut.
I am happy to report I have been busy this last week. I worked a lot, crafted a lot, and the two days where I did relatively nothing were actually a little strange-feeling. So progress made :)
Gold Star to the busy bees
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Dear 17-year-old me
So, it really doesn't get much more personal than this. I'm not going to spill my life's story all over the internet here, but in the spirit of re-introduction and reflection, here's a piece I wrote a while ago, based on Seventeen magazine's "Letters to the seventeen-year-old me" pieces they'd have in the back of their magazines.
Dear Anna,
So, this birthday was a lot better than the last one! Though I would never say it was fun spending it (and the weeks to come) recuperating from getting T-boned that morning, know that you are blessed with an incredible optimism that will blossom even further. Not many people would look back and say they were blessed to spend their sweet sixteen in a hospital, but you will continue to view it as so. Blessed you survived, and grew to know your own strength. You also lost 20 pounds and have kept it off, which you don't fully appreciate right now, but its pretty boss in a shallow way. Hey, we're human.
You just got back from Europe. You're missing your daily hit of fresh bread (heads up -- when you come back from Italy, it will, unbelievably, be the tomatoes you yearn for), beautiful castles, and the wonderful friends you made. You've met some of the loves of your young life (and no, not the friends -- who are no less wonderful and necessary even though you will find you've drifted from them). These loves go by names like The Thrill of Embarking to a New Place, The View from a Bus Window, and The Weird Ways Humans of All Cultures Are Oddly the Same.
You've done a wonderful thing by leaving home and being brave, and know that though you will go on to graduate from two wonderful schools with high honors and accolades, know that it will be your travels you consider your greatest accomplishments.
You've also cememted your bond with music. You will be unsure whether you want to continue, but after all that work relearning to play the flute, you better not give it up. You will worry that pursuing it will be putting too much on your plate. You will ignore that worry, and your life will be harder for it, and you will overload yourself because of it, and you will never regret it. Staying connected to music will change your life. You will do things and meet people you never would have elsewise.
Speaking of that other school you're going to graduate from -- you're currently embroiled in turmoil about what that will be. You're hitting your senior year wondering why you didnt do the million college tours the bright young set you belong to typically makes. It's okay. It just means you've spotted what you want. You won't get in, but that will be okay. Because you will be getting an offer from a place you never considered, were dragged to by your mom, that will change everything. You will be thrust into indecision, you will worry many times if you are settleing at this place. You don't know this yet, but you aren't. You will know soon enough. You will know when your last words to your grandpa are that you are attending his alma mater. You will know when you see the look in your Dad's face when he realizes his daughter will graduate college without debt. And you will certainly know when you work at the school paper, carry its colors in the marching band, meet professors who will change how you think, and the day you and your roomates stand in university park with your gowns on and your little brother keeping your cap from flying into the lake (in his favorite pinstripe suit). Unlike your high school cap, you'll keep a hold of this one :)
You've done pretty well for yourself, and I'm pretty sure you know this. You're weird, quirky, sometimes socially unacceptable and you dont care. Though you don't realize it now, you avoided the majority of teen drama and made friends who are mature, supportive, and who will help you grow. One day not too far from now, you will be looking at those who didnt avoid it so well, realize how stupid it is, and be so glad you loved your life in those days. But, hey, try flirting a little -- it really won't hurt you to get a little practice in. And know that the next five years will take you on a ride.
Gold Star to the awkward ones :)
Dear Anna,
So, this birthday was a lot better than the last one! Though I would never say it was fun spending it (and the weeks to come) recuperating from getting T-boned that morning, know that you are blessed with an incredible optimism that will blossom even further. Not many people would look back and say they were blessed to spend their sweet sixteen in a hospital, but you will continue to view it as so. Blessed you survived, and grew to know your own strength. You also lost 20 pounds and have kept it off, which you don't fully appreciate right now, but its pretty boss in a shallow way. Hey, we're human.
You just got back from Europe. You're missing your daily hit of fresh bread (heads up -- when you come back from Italy, it will, unbelievably, be the tomatoes you yearn for), beautiful castles, and the wonderful friends you made. You've met some of the loves of your young life (and no, not the friends -- who are no less wonderful and necessary even though you will find you've drifted from them). These loves go by names like The Thrill of Embarking to a New Place, The View from a Bus Window, and The Weird Ways Humans of All Cultures Are Oddly the Same.
You've done a wonderful thing by leaving home and being brave, and know that though you will go on to graduate from two wonderful schools with high honors and accolades, know that it will be your travels you consider your greatest accomplishments.
You've also cememted your bond with music. You will be unsure whether you want to continue, but after all that work relearning to play the flute, you better not give it up. You will worry that pursuing it will be putting too much on your plate. You will ignore that worry, and your life will be harder for it, and you will overload yourself because of it, and you will never regret it. Staying connected to music will change your life. You will do things and meet people you never would have elsewise.
Speaking of that other school you're going to graduate from -- you're currently embroiled in turmoil about what that will be. You're hitting your senior year wondering why you didnt do the million college tours the bright young set you belong to typically makes. It's okay. It just means you've spotted what you want. You won't get in, but that will be okay. Because you will be getting an offer from a place you never considered, were dragged to by your mom, that will change everything. You will be thrust into indecision, you will worry many times if you are settleing at this place. You don't know this yet, but you aren't. You will know soon enough. You will know when your last words to your grandpa are that you are attending his alma mater. You will know when you see the look in your Dad's face when he realizes his daughter will graduate college without debt. And you will certainly know when you work at the school paper, carry its colors in the marching band, meet professors who will change how you think, and the day you and your roomates stand in university park with your gowns on and your little brother keeping your cap from flying into the lake (in his favorite pinstripe suit). Unlike your high school cap, you'll keep a hold of this one :)
You've done pretty well for yourself, and I'm pretty sure you know this. You're weird, quirky, sometimes socially unacceptable and you dont care. Though you don't realize it now, you avoided the majority of teen drama and made friends who are mature, supportive, and who will help you grow. One day not too far from now, you will be looking at those who didnt avoid it so well, realize how stupid it is, and be so glad you loved your life in those days. But, hey, try flirting a little -- it really won't hurt you to get a little practice in. And know that the next five years will take you on a ride.
Gold Star to the awkward ones :)
System Reboot
Howdy!
I've been gone for a while....duh. Part of it was an insane work schedule, part of it was a trip to Korea, and part of it was just failure-to-launch, what-am-I-doing-with-my-life/blog/career lethargy. But I've sorted it out, mostly. One needs to do that regularly, reassess things, go through your wardrobe/desk/future plans and discard those things that don't work any more. And my blog was part of that, to be honest. I felt it lacked a lot of direction, the schedule I was trying to uphold wasn't accomplishing what I wanted it to, and frankly, I was kind of doing it as a chore.
Part of the reason I started this blog was as a catalog of my... well... creative endeavors. It was a tool to motivate me to finish projects. But it wasn't doing that job. It was a way to express my writing life, but I haven't really had one recently. Either way, it was a tool, and that isn't the right reason to have a blog. I guess it all came together when I read (this) wonderful article at a Beautiful Mess (probably the most successful blog I know). You have one because you want to share your life and ideas with the world, because you have a passion you want to share.
So, Following that article, things around here are going to change. I'm not going to delete everything that came before, but I am going to (re)start my blog with a bang. Part of my lifestyle is about writing and developing as a writer, and I have done some of that on this blog. I want people to see that, and I'm not afraid that things may have been a mess before. Mistakes help us learn and they will always be valuable to me for that.
1. Pick a personal theme.
Originally my blog was based on creativity. Which, in reality, is unrealistic. I tried to fit writing, crafting, and everything else into one blog. I still am going to write on those things, but I'm going to ground it to "living a creative life." Because I don't just continually craft, like a lot of the craft bloggers I admire. I don't have a thriving free-lancing career, so I can't just be a professional writing blogger. I'm inspired, but I don't just want to share other people's things that inspire me. So I'm going to be me. I have so many ideas and passions and interests it's ridiculous. And I'm going to share them, and my creative life, because it doesn't get any more personal than lifestyle. Enjoy the ride :)
Maybe that doesn't refine it much for you, but I feel a new direction and focus. So maybe you'll just have to watch it play out :) Maybe it won't be that much different, overall, but I believe a shift in ideas always wins out.
I'll share the other steps or the article as things take shape.
Gold star to the reassesors
I've been gone for a while....duh. Part of it was an insane work schedule, part of it was a trip to Korea, and part of it was just failure-to-launch, what-am-I-doing-with-my-life/blog/career lethargy. But I've sorted it out, mostly. One needs to do that regularly, reassess things, go through your wardrobe/desk/future plans and discard those things that don't work any more. And my blog was part of that, to be honest. I felt it lacked a lot of direction, the schedule I was trying to uphold wasn't accomplishing what I wanted it to, and frankly, I was kind of doing it as a chore.
Part of the reason I started this blog was as a catalog of my... well... creative endeavors. It was a tool to motivate me to finish projects. But it wasn't doing that job. It was a way to express my writing life, but I haven't really had one recently. Either way, it was a tool, and that isn't the right reason to have a blog. I guess it all came together when I read (this) wonderful article at a Beautiful Mess (probably the most successful blog I know). You have one because you want to share your life and ideas with the world, because you have a passion you want to share.
So, Following that article, things around here are going to change. I'm not going to delete everything that came before, but I am going to (re)start my blog with a bang. Part of my lifestyle is about writing and developing as a writer, and I have done some of that on this blog. I want people to see that, and I'm not afraid that things may have been a mess before. Mistakes help us learn and they will always be valuable to me for that.
1. Pick a personal theme.
Originally my blog was based on creativity. Which, in reality, is unrealistic. I tried to fit writing, crafting, and everything else into one blog. I still am going to write on those things, but I'm going to ground it to "living a creative life." Because I don't just continually craft, like a lot of the craft bloggers I admire. I don't have a thriving free-lancing career, so I can't just be a professional writing blogger. I'm inspired, but I don't just want to share other people's things that inspire me. So I'm going to be me. I have so many ideas and passions and interests it's ridiculous. And I'm going to share them, and my creative life, because it doesn't get any more personal than lifestyle. Enjoy the ride :)
Maybe that doesn't refine it much for you, but I feel a new direction and focus. So maybe you'll just have to watch it play out :) Maybe it won't be that much different, overall, but I believe a shift in ideas always wins out.
I'll share the other steps or the article as things take shape.
Gold star to the reassesors
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Where stories go to die
(here)
Yes, I am very guilty of immortalizing my bad stories with the Sims. You know how sometimes you just get a really clear vision of a character, and you feel the need to memorialize it with its digital twin? No?
Well, I do. Because usually the characters I feel compelled to do so with are the ones from flailing stories, who may have been great characters in my mind, but whose stories were, after several weeks of daydreaming lost trying to revitalize the story, still stunk for whatever reason.
Well, I cant just abandon them because they're in a cliche/predictable/lacking in emotional fodder situation. But unfortunately, the ones that make it to the Sims usually don't come out. Once I place them on a lot, they're done.
Actually, the characters of my favorite stories are the ones I don't necessarily envision super clearly. Physically, at least. Huh.
And then there's the literary recreation Sims, but I won't go into that aspect of my geekitude.
Gold Star to the re-creators of their favorite books via Sims.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Going Somewhere.
I've been noticing a change since I bought a plane ticket to Korea (to visit this lovely lady). Im happy, smiling, in love with Korean drama and still productive (which is really quite counter-intuitive). One would say I'm a bit in love and its true. I've forgotten how fun it is to be going somewhere. I haven't really been in a while.
Part of what is motivating me to work is the need to pay back my plane ticket, but another part is that there is something to work towards. Something oh-so-worthwhile as travel is.
So that's my major inspiration for the next month :)
Gold Star to the adventurers.
Part of what is motivating me to work is the need to pay back my plane ticket, but another part is that there is something to work towards. Something oh-so-worthwhile as travel is.
So that's my major inspiration for the next month :)
Gold Star to the adventurers.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentines day!
Oh wait, is it really?
Anyway, my tip for today is totally unrelated, but very relevant to my current life:
Don't watch anything with subtitles if you have to work.
Especially something as engrossing and filled with attractive young men as the Korean version of "Boys over Flowers"
You should be realizing this by now, but these "tips" are really more like "lessons learned."
A very chocolaty and rosy Gold Star to the lovers (And my loves).
Anyway, my tip for today is totally unrelated, but very relevant to my current life:
Don't watch anything with subtitles if you have to work.
Especially something as engrossing and filled with attractive young men as the Korean version of "Boys over Flowers"
You should be realizing this by now, but these "tips" are really more like "lessons learned."
A very chocolaty and rosy Gold Star to the lovers (And my loves).
Monday, February 13, 2012
Wanderlust strikes again
(here)
This reminds me of a lantern store I saw in Vietnam. I didn't get a picture of it though, so all I have is nostalgia. And this pretty bit to look at.
I'll just have to find a lantern store in Korea :)
Gold Star to the reasons I'm going to korea
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Livre wonderland
Why yes, I would love to shop for books here everyday.
Gold Star to those who dream of book worlds.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Bookish
So cliche! A writer who loves books. But I truly, truly do. The past couple of months of my internship have been a bogged down by fighting through Internet marketing. I motivated myself by telling myself it was a good thing to learn, that I was getting all sorts of valuable experience in search engine optimization, building inlinks and outlinks and sidelinks, learning about Internet searching and all sorts of three-letter acronyms about all things Internet. And it is valuable to know. And it's valuable to know that it is very hard to motivate myself to do it.
However, now I have a book. And the work I'm doing with it is probably the most dull version of editing. I'm type-setting and formatting more than editing, but I love it. I love being among words, I love the rhythm of it, and I love soaking up the information this book has to offer in and amongst the alien translations Word did.
I guess it helps to know your passions, and know how well you can do your job when its something you're passionate about. And how to do your job and motivate yourself when it's something that doesn't exactly light your fire.
Gold Star to the lexophiles.
However, now I have a book. And the work I'm doing with it is probably the most dull version of editing. I'm type-setting and formatting more than editing, but I love it. I love being among words, I love the rhythm of it, and I love soaking up the information this book has to offer in and amongst the alien translations Word did.
I guess it helps to know your passions, and know how well you can do your job when its something you're passionate about. And how to do your job and motivate yourself when it's something that doesn't exactly light your fire.
Gold Star to the lexophiles.
Color
I've written about my affection for the color green, but the fact is, I'm inspired by all sorts of color. And new for me, this is including pastels and neutrals. I still bear an intense love of fully saturated beauties like plum, teal, and kelly green, but I also like mint and lilac. And I got an awesome new thread organizer which lets me see my colors all the more clearly.
Gold Star to the rainbow children.
I particularly like this trio of spools.
I kind of wish the spools were of more uniform heights, but considering these were free and came on charming wooden spools...
Gold Star to the rainbow children.
A new tool
Okay, bloglovin' isn't anything new. But its fabulously valuable to keep track of a myriad of blogs, which is exactly what I've spent way too much time finding. But bloglovin' makes it organized and makes my hobby feel less procrastinatory. And now I'm there!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Monday, January 30, 2012
Lovely blossoms...
(here)
I'm totally ready for some.
I bought a mini-daffodil plant this week to get me by.
Gold Star to the romancers of spring.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
If you can't say anything nice ...
(here)
Yes, that's right. I love Yiddish. Of the many languages I am interested in, it definitely has the most character. And like USA says, character welcome. So yes, I have a list of Yiddish words I need to use more often smack-dab in the middle of my desktop. I love to use them. They can express everything from exasperation to disgruntlement to bemusement with such panache. As a fan of language, I am simply in love with the words of Yiddish. Perhaps I shall write an ode to them...
Some of my favorites:
spilkes
tuches (I've used this one here before)
conniption
SCHMUTZ
bupkes
kvetch
mishugana
Gold Star to anyone who knows what those all mean.
The perils of seamstressing
So I need to post another inspiration post, but I've been in a weird place of not being particularly inspired by anything but quite creatively productive, and feeling the need to isolate the productivity-causer. It's probably just that my list got too long. Anyway, I don't feel like thinking now, so something will happen next week -- when I'm more inspired by something -- maybe music.
Anyway, I do feel like writing slightly humorous prose. Since my household has been victim to several sewing-related injuries lately, I present Anna's list of safety tips for seamstresses:
1. Beware of fitting fits of conniption. Seamstresses sometimes crave perfection, and after the fifth time they sew a seam, symptoms similar to Tourette's can be witnessed.
2. Pick up your pins. Seamstresses are far more prone to comical injuries (sat on, stepped on, etc) than even the most classic of cartoon gaffes.
3. Watch your iron. If you see emo-kid burns on the arms of an otherwise stable-looking female, they could very will be a seamstress.
4. Be careful with your lighting. Seamstresses should work in a well-lit space, wearing appropriate eye gear to avoid strain. They should also not leave lighting sources on the floor, lest a well-placed Godzilla stomp should shatter an important source of illumination.
5. Keep well-organized fabric bins, and think judiciously when in fabric stores.. The fabric avalanche is an ever present danger for the seamstress, as are what-the-%@##-am-I-going-to-do-with-all-this-inspired panic attacks.
Gold Star to the craftily clumsy.
Anyway, I do feel like writing slightly humorous prose. Since my household has been victim to several sewing-related injuries lately, I present Anna's list of safety tips for seamstresses:
1. Beware of fitting fits of conniption. Seamstresses sometimes crave perfection, and after the fifth time they sew a seam, symptoms similar to Tourette's can be witnessed.
2. Pick up your pins. Seamstresses are far more prone to comical injuries (sat on, stepped on, etc) than even the most classic of cartoon gaffes.
3. Watch your iron. If you see emo-kid burns on the arms of an otherwise stable-looking female, they could very will be a seamstress.
4. Be careful with your lighting. Seamstresses should work in a well-lit space, wearing appropriate eye gear to avoid strain. They should also not leave lighting sources on the floor, lest a well-placed Godzilla stomp should shatter an important source of illumination.
5. Keep well-organized fabric bins, and think judiciously when in fabric stores.. The fabric avalanche is an ever present danger for the seamstress, as are what-the-%@##-am-I-going-to-do-with-all-this-inspired panic attacks.
Gold Star to the craftily clumsy.
CCS (not an obscure coding language)
One of the downfalls of working from home is that, if my day job doesn't me out of the house, after a few days in my PJ's, I run the risk of CCS -- Cave Creature Syndrome. Symptoms of CCS include: sluggishness, lack of showering for 48 hours, inability to get out of bed, drop in productivity, excess Facebook usage, deterioration of communication skills to grunts and whistles, and finding pretzel crumbs in your bed.
Its a slippery slope, folks. Once you realize you are a cave creature, you've usually been there for at least a day. And once you admit your problem, you still don't want to get out of bed.
Well, here's my proven 5-step program to get human (and therefore, productive) again.
1. Do physical activity. Run, do Wii Fit, have a crazy 10-minute dance party, do jumping jacks, or whatever wakes yourself up.
2. Take a shower. Never underestimate the shower as a goad for productivity. When I pulled all-nighters in college, I'd take a shower at 1-2 am to wake myself up.
3. Put on cute underwear. It just helps.
4. Grab a cup of coffee or tea.
5. Make a list of things to get done that day and use your newfound wakefulness to stick to it.
Gold Star to all the sufferers fighting CCS.
Its a slippery slope, folks. Once you realize you are a cave creature, you've usually been there for at least a day. And once you admit your problem, you still don't want to get out of bed.
Well, here's my proven 5-step program to get human (and therefore, productive) again.
1. Do physical activity. Run, do Wii Fit, have a crazy 10-minute dance party, do jumping jacks, or whatever wakes yourself up.
2. Take a shower. Never underestimate the shower as a goad for productivity. When I pulled all-nighters in college, I'd take a shower at 1-2 am to wake myself up.
3. Put on cute underwear. It just helps.
4. Grab a cup of coffee or tea.
5. Make a list of things to get done that day and use your newfound wakefulness to stick to it.
Gold Star to all the sufferers fighting CCS.
Friday, January 27, 2012
I want my own craft room,
and I want it to look like this.
Except it probably never will, because a major reason for me having a craft room would be to embrace my organized chaos in a way no one will ever have to see it.
Gold Star to the embracers of organized chaos.
From (here)
Except it probably never will, because a major reason for me having a craft room would be to embrace my organized chaos in a way no one will ever have to see it.
Gold Star to the embracers of organized chaos.
Breaking news!
or not really...I've just been a little in love with the internet lately, all whilst cleaning out my emails.
but ohmigosh! Oxford broke up with the oxford comma! (This is to me what celebrity scandal is to most people).
read more (here)
While you mourn or celebrate, you may indulge in some geeky punctuation music. (Vampire Weekend -- a guilty pleasure)
(here)
but ohmigosh! Oxford broke up with the oxford comma! (This is to me what celebrity scandal is to most people).
read more (here)
While you mourn or celebrate, you may indulge in some geeky punctuation music. (Vampire Weekend -- a guilty pleasure)
(here)
Friday, January 20, 2012
box pleats are a girl's best friend
Sometimes, when you're sewing a seam (like a waistband) your fabric stretches as you sew without you meaning it. Or you cut a pattern piece too big. Or there's just too much fabric for reasons unknown and probably involving string theory to explain.
Put in a box pleat! Instant cute and a fix. I love it when you can make mistakes into a detail that totally looks like some planned couture thing :)
pic and some wonderful explanation of pleats (here)
Put in a box pleat! Instant cute and a fix. I love it when you can make mistakes into a detail that totally looks like some planned couture thing :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
New Year's resolutions, for real
Yes, its the middle of January. I'm a procrastinator (with access to True Blood and Dr. Who), all right?
1. Finish a project every week. Not necessarily a big one, but one nonetheless. I'm going to empty my bins this year. Hopefully sooner.
2. Keep up with the Wii fit. Cliche, yes, but this is a method of physical activity that actually works. As long as my mom keeps challenging my high scores. I'm not a competitive person, per se, but I do respond well to challenge. And I need to seriously rethink my sedentary lifestyle in a way that doesn't involve going outside.
3. You know that classic book thing I sort of started a month ago? yeah..get on that. Its Dorian Grey's fault. He's plugging up the pipeline. Unmitigated blame, probably.
4. Live the Neil Patrick Harris poster I shared in my last post. Possibly get suit.
5. Not freak out about the Mayan calendar.
6. Stop buying things I only like, so I can save for things I love. Like jetset vacations. Or Disney World. Or Grad School.
7. Make more lists. I am much more productive with lists. I actually bought a planner and am doing well with this one. I still can do better.
8. Write more. And get my stuff out there. It would probably be best to do my whoring myself out/scrounging for publishing phase while I'm still able to leech off my parents. Hopefully this will help me bypass the Liberal-Arts-Major-Living-In-a-Box phase.
There. They're published on the internet. Now I have to do them.
Gold Star to all the Liberal Arts Majors who long ago resigned themselves to living in a box for a part of their life.
1. Finish a project every week. Not necessarily a big one, but one nonetheless. I'm going to empty my bins this year. Hopefully sooner.
2. Keep up with the Wii fit. Cliche, yes, but this is a method of physical activity that actually works. As long as my mom keeps challenging my high scores. I'm not a competitive person, per se, but I do respond well to challenge. And I need to seriously rethink my sedentary lifestyle in a way that doesn't involve going outside.
3. You know that classic book thing I sort of started a month ago? yeah..get on that. Its Dorian Grey's fault. He's plugging up the pipeline. Unmitigated blame, probably.
4. Live the Neil Patrick Harris poster I shared in my last post. Possibly get suit.
5. Not freak out about the Mayan calendar.
6. Stop buying things I only like, so I can save for things I love. Like jetset vacations. Or Disney World. Or Grad School.
7. Make more lists. I am much more productive with lists. I actually bought a planner and am doing well with this one. I still can do better.
8. Write more. And get my stuff out there. It would probably be best to do my whoring myself out/scrounging for publishing phase while I'm still able to leech off my parents. Hopefully this will help me bypass the Liberal-Arts-Major-Living-In-a-Box phase.
There. They're published on the internet. Now I have to do them.
Gold Star to all the Liberal Arts Majors who long ago resigned themselves to living in a box for a part of their life.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
My New Year's resolutions
for serious.
(here)
Also, to take these to heart:
A great article. Extremely motivational in a takes-no-prisoners, brutally honest way and also hilarious.
Also, to finalize my posting schedule -- with AT LEAST one project post per week. This blog is all about fostering my creativity, after all.
Gold Star to all those who wish they had more occasions to suit up.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The eff-you pie
I know you're only supposed to bake out of love. I know that it's supposed to be a relaxing activity done because you love and care about the people in your life and you want to gift them with your delicious affections.
But sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is by throwing pie at it. In a perfect world, this would always be the best solution to every problem.
The reason I bring this up:
I was sick on monday. Like, feverish, moving hurts, possible slight delirium sick. Oh, and it felt like a really pissed-off cat had been working my throat like a scratching pole. So I'm thinking, as I drearily trudge out of my room, I need to eat something. There's a slice of that banana cream pie in the fridge. Nice and cold and creamy and oh-so-soothing. So I grab it and a fork, and sit on the couch to eat it.
My brother had been bitching about it ever since. Just because he didn't have an initial shot at the pie because of his work.
So he brings it up today, and I start baking. Not out of love or caring, but because he needed a slice of Eff-you pie.
The deal of the Eff-you pie is, I make the pie, he eats the pie, he is no longer allowed to bitch about the pie. If he does, he gets a punitive slap across the face. He didn't quite agree to this deal, but I figure, as the pie-maker, I get some executive power in forming pie-based deals.
No one tell him I made it with soy milk.
Gold Star to all those who feel simultaneously empowered and jealous of mid-century buildings with giant pie awnings by the use of the term "pie-maker."
But sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is by throwing pie at it. In a perfect world, this would always be the best solution to every problem.
The reason I bring this up:
I was sick on monday. Like, feverish, moving hurts, possible slight delirium sick. Oh, and it felt like a really pissed-off cat had been working my throat like a scratching pole. So I'm thinking, as I drearily trudge out of my room, I need to eat something. There's a slice of that banana cream pie in the fridge. Nice and cold and creamy and oh-so-soothing. So I grab it and a fork, and sit on the couch to eat it.
My brother had been bitching about it ever since. Just because he didn't have an initial shot at the pie because of his work.
So he brings it up today, and I start baking. Not out of love or caring, but because he needed a slice of Eff-you pie.
The deal of the Eff-you pie is, I make the pie, he eats the pie, he is no longer allowed to bitch about the pie. If he does, he gets a punitive slap across the face. He didn't quite agree to this deal, but I figure, as the pie-maker, I get some executive power in forming pie-based deals.
(It's not even worth a shot from my Canon. It gets the smartphone picture)
No one tell him I made it with soy milk.
Gold Star to all those who feel simultaneously empowered and jealous of mid-century buildings with giant pie awnings by the use of the term "pie-maker."
So Fricken' French
The right book at the right time
So, cheesy as it may be, one of my favorite books is The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. It's a good book, certainly, but that's not really why it's one of my favorites.
I love it because it's proof that the right books find us. When I first read TSTP, I was amidst the angst of leaving high school, moving on to college, and leaving decade-old friendships. And, if you've read the book, you can have no problem imagining how it comforted my worries, with its message that the important ones will always be there, even if you're separated, even if you drift from each other. And it's proven true. After four years of college and a homecoming, the important ones are still there.
And further proving the literary magic, I picked the movie to watch last night, looking for something chick-flicky that I'd seen before (see, the favorites). And lo and behold, as I deal with my one roommate being hours away in Chicago, a good portion of my best friends an hour away (a long way when one can't afford gas), and my other roommate/best friend/soul sister soon going to Korea, the right words showed up at the right time yet again.
Books can do that, it's in their magic.
Gold Star to the believers.
I love it because it's proof that the right books find us. When I first read TSTP, I was amidst the angst of leaving high school, moving on to college, and leaving decade-old friendships. And, if you've read the book, you can have no problem imagining how it comforted my worries, with its message that the important ones will always be there, even if you're separated, even if you drift from each other. And it's proven true. After four years of college and a homecoming, the important ones are still there.
And further proving the literary magic, I picked the movie to watch last night, looking for something chick-flicky that I'd seen before (see, the favorites). And lo and behold, as I deal with my one roommate being hours away in Chicago, a good portion of my best friends an hour away (a long way when one can't afford gas), and my other roommate/best friend/soul sister soon going to Korea, the right words showed up at the right time yet again.
Books can do that, it's in their magic.
Gold Star to the believers.
The Traveller
I never really knew my great-grandmother. We used to go to her house and play when we were in town, but I don't even remember the Traverse City visits, and the later Florida ones were usually overshadowed by Disney or Sea World trips. But I like to think she was a kindred spirit. When she died, at the ripe old age of 96, enjoying a lobster dinner (we can't prove it was the lobster, but that would be the way to do it, so we choose to believe that was it), I didn't mourn her passing as much as the stories I would never know.
Because I do remember her house being a fascinating place. By the time she had pared down her life into a small Floridian condo, her possessions had been distilled to her most treasured relics. Elegant carved wooden giraffes with inset ivory from Africa, a fantastic parrot-mosaic table, and a snake-charmer's basket filled with toys. My brother and I always focused on the basket when we were at her house. So single-mindedly were we that she left it to us.
A few years later, I found this picture of her and my Great-Grandpa. I begged my mom to let me have it. I knew my Great-Grandma had travelled, and I still don't know the whole of where she had been. But the fact she went makes me realize that more runs in families than one thinks.
This picture sits next to my desk -- where all the magic happens when I can get the courage to get out from under the covers. Both as a reminder of my aspirations, and because you have to admire her panache with a sari :)
Gold Star to all those who share their stories before it's too late.
Because I do remember her house being a fascinating place. By the time she had pared down her life into a small Floridian condo, her possessions had been distilled to her most treasured relics. Elegant carved wooden giraffes with inset ivory from Africa, a fantastic parrot-mosaic table, and a snake-charmer's basket filled with toys. My brother and I always focused on the basket when we were at her house. So single-mindedly were we that she left it to us.
A few years later, I found this picture of her and my Great-Grandpa. I begged my mom to let me have it. I knew my Great-Grandma had travelled, and I still don't know the whole of where she had been. But the fact she went makes me realize that more runs in families than one thinks.
This picture sits next to my desk -- where all the magic happens when I can get the courage to get out from under the covers. Both as a reminder of my aspirations, and because you have to admire her panache with a sari :)
Gold Star to all those who share their stories before it's too late.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Year, newly uncovered workspace
So, there really isn't anything new about this space (except I finally put knobs on my dresser), but this is the first time the area has been fit for visual consumption. It's still a bit cluttered, but cluttered with things I love and which put me in a good, creative mood. So welcome to where I work -- meaning the little nook in my bedroom (when I can get my lazy bum out of my covers).
Good lighting is key. (And I absolutely love my Home Depot half-off chandelier!)
My projects board -- which has been sitting on the floor for months. But now it's up, and all my little design inspirations and doodles categorized (via the rainbow labels). Yes, a line of shoe pictures counts as a design inspiration.
My dresser (with my awesome Vietnamese eggshell mosaic painting and picture of my Great-Grandma in India).
In case I get down, I have all these lovely messages from my loved ones lining the window in my space.
The top drawer of my dresser got taken over by fabric...
and on the other wall of my little nook, more craft supplies! And all my geeky tchotches. Like a pikman, Batman, and various penguin-related things.
The desk as a whole (my sewing machine would normally be dominating the right half, but it's at the doctor's right now :( ) All my sewing books and magazines are on the right. Yes, that orange thing is a Nerf dart.
A close-up of some of my very favorite things. Yup, crayons and Post-its. Also, my antique drawing model, wearing my original clock necklace from Tibet. Which you can't really see.
The handy-dandy lower shelf of the desk, and my tucked-away typewriter (it's baby blue. I loves it very much, even though it doesn't have any usable ribbon). This is where I keep all my actual job-related books. And more darts. My brother got a Nerf gun for Christmas. He's 20, FYI.
And finally, my method of organizing projects. Throw it in the bin. It actually works pretty well. The urge to empty the bin is strong.
Gold Star to all who can find the two shoe-related inspirations in my workspace.
The wonder of stay tape
When you're attaching a two fabrics of different weights, use a line of stay tape (or if the fabric is opaque, a line of interfacing will work as well) to make the seam a lot easier and prevent bunching.
Like when attaching floaty business to a sturdy cotton lining :) You'll see what I mean soon.
Like when attaching floaty business to a sturdy cotton lining :) You'll see what I mean soon.
What with that sunshine, them that comes in a can
Okay, so more like a pic of total silliness. And yes, I do have a can of Florida Sunshine on my desk. After witnessing beautiful Bowl Game weather all day, I definitely wish I could pop this baby open.
Gold Star to the bravers of Michigan weather.
Also, I'm going to have to watch Easy A tomorrow. I now have "Pocketful of Sunshine" stuck in my head....
I like impossible colors.
More specifically, the lady who came up with that phrase!
In addition to posting some lovely vintage fashion, Andrea shares all the ups and downs of writing a novel. From her simple posts exclaiming over a word-count goal reached to dealing with publishers, she covers it all. She even hosts a challenge for NANORIMO (loosely translates to November = write a novel) that I was too late on this year, but I may have to do next year.
So, yes, my writerly affair this week is with this writerly lady.
And, she shared this exercise from The Relaxed Writer, to greet the New Year.
"Here's how it works.
1. Take a sheet of clean paper and draw a vertical line down the middle to create two columns.
2. Label the sheet, "My Writing Life"
3. Fold the page in half.
4. Set a timer for 10 minutes. On the left-hand side, as quickly as you can, list exactly what you DON'T want your writing life to look like in the coming year.
For instance:
I don't want...
"to not have a place to write"
"to struggle to find time for my writing"
"to be so isolated"
"to keep postponing developing story ideas"
5. Keep going until the timer chimes or you've completely exhausted all possibilities. If you feel uncomfortable with all the negative statements you're making, please be patient and stick with me. Emotionally connecting to your goals will help you achieve them. (I see this time and again in my private coaching practice.) The more you can allow yourself to really feel, see and experience what you don't want, the easier you'll be able to connect with what you do want.
Please try not to edit yourself as you do this exercise. Redundancy is fine--even instructive! In this step and the next, pay attention to the themes and variations you lay out on the page. Notice where you concentrate your attention. Notice which topics appear again and again and again in different forms. If you pay close attention, the repetition will show you where you've been stuck.
6. Next, unfold the page. Use each bullet point in the left-hand column as a writing prompt. You're going to discover what you DO want by writing a specific, clear intention for yourself. How? Just rewrite each negative statement in the left-hand column into a positive one.
For instance:
I want...
"to have a dedicated space to write"
"to create a consistent, sustainable writing schedule"
"to refresh my network with new colleagues and writing peers"
"to send X new queries each week"
Voila! You've got marching orders for the new year--a perfect starting point to help you make good decisions and take the steps necessary to clear your internal and external environment of unneeded clutter.
Enjoy the process."
I will have to do this very soon :)
Here is another great post of hers, on books writers should read.
Gold Star to the lovers of the literarily minded.
In addition to posting some lovely vintage fashion, Andrea shares all the ups and downs of writing a novel. From her simple posts exclaiming over a word-count goal reached to dealing with publishers, she covers it all. She even hosts a challenge for NANORIMO (loosely translates to November = write a novel) that I was too late on this year, but I may have to do next year.
So, yes, my writerly affair this week is with this writerly lady.
And, she shared this exercise from The Relaxed Writer, to greet the New Year.
"Here's how it works.
1. Take a sheet of clean paper and draw a vertical line down the middle to create two columns.
2. Label the sheet, "My Writing Life"
3. Fold the page in half.
4. Set a timer for 10 minutes. On the left-hand side, as quickly as you can, list exactly what you DON'T want your writing life to look like in the coming year.
For instance:
I don't want...
"to not have a place to write"
"to struggle to find time for my writing"
"to be so isolated"
"to keep postponing developing story ideas"
5. Keep going until the timer chimes or you've completely exhausted all possibilities. If you feel uncomfortable with all the negative statements you're making, please be patient and stick with me. Emotionally connecting to your goals will help you achieve them. (I see this time and again in my private coaching practice.) The more you can allow yourself to really feel, see and experience what you don't want, the easier you'll be able to connect with what you do want.
Please try not to edit yourself as you do this exercise. Redundancy is fine--even instructive! In this step and the next, pay attention to the themes and variations you lay out on the page. Notice where you concentrate your attention. Notice which topics appear again and again and again in different forms. If you pay close attention, the repetition will show you where you've been stuck.
6. Next, unfold the page. Use each bullet point in the left-hand column as a writing prompt. You're going to discover what you DO want by writing a specific, clear intention for yourself. How? Just rewrite each negative statement in the left-hand column into a positive one.
For instance:
I want...
"to have a dedicated space to write"
"to create a consistent, sustainable writing schedule"
"to refresh my network with new colleagues and writing peers"
"to send X new queries each week"
Voila! You've got marching orders for the new year--a perfect starting point to help you make good decisions and take the steps necessary to clear your internal and external environment of unneeded clutter.
Enjoy the process."
I will have to do this very soon :)
Here is another great post of hers, on books writers should read.
Gold Star to the lovers of the literarily minded.
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