It is DAY ONE here at Out of the Ashes, a brand new collaboration in it’s infancy stage, […]
Recovery
Image by Patou Ricard from Pixabay I’ve been hemming and hawing for weeks (or months), the pendulum swaying […]
Is anyone else asking this question lately? The featured image here is pretty significant, as it struck me […]
And more thoughts! This morning I woke up tired of thinking. That doesn’t happen very often. In the […]
The shy and the extroverted have this in common—that they both fancy they are the center of attention. […]
Let the fire inside you burn.
I’m having a fun time with this new series. The possibilities are endless, and I think of new things every day. I’ve recycled some older pieces for today’s Everything Red. The red abstract is from many moons ago, and the shadowy aesthete is my youngest son—posing in a photo I took over a decade ago, at an art museum.
Sometimes a dramatic rescue is a simple act of showing up. This piece is all about Gil. I […]
The authentic self is the soul made visible…
The Story
An American business man was vacationing in a small coastal fishing village. One morning he stood on the pier and watched as a small boat docked. Inside the boat was one fisherman with several large yellowfin tuna. He complimented the man on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
“Only a little while,” the fisherman said.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The business man asked.
I’ve had some cool insights and exciting ideas while thinking about the Alphabet Game, and I must say that the letter “P” has been one of the most enlightening thus far.
BUT… I have to back up and talk about the “M” word first… Memories. I realize now that some things really ARE worth forgetting—mainly things that I learned (or absorbed into my unconscious) when I was younger.
This Alphabet Game is great because it prompts me to explore words. Words link to other words and—as […]
Happiness. What a great word. I perused the web to see what people had to say about the […]
D is for Dreams
Everyone knows what dreams are, but I wanted to find a more personal way to describe them. Not the dreams we have when we’re asleep; the dreams we dream when we’re awake. I poked around google and found exactly what I was searching for:
A synonym for dream is HOPE.
“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”
Guillaume Apollinaire
I’m on the letter “C” today and this quote is perfect. I’m starting with a word that I’m not necessarily a fan of, but I won’t make a habit of that.
Contradiction: a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another.
Sometimes a professor will say something that totally contradicts what another professor said. That’s confusing, and sometimes annoying, but that’s not why I brought it up.
This morning I drove into Pasadena. It wasn’t a major excursion, but it was in the opposite direction of where I normally travel and everything was unfamiliar. I wish I had taken my camera. It’s the perfect place for street photography, but it was just TOO hot! I wanted to get in—and get out.
I went there to pick up the kit for my drawing class. I’m already enjoying the course. It’s not so much that I’ve learned anything yet (it’s only been two days), or that I even see the possibility of getting really good at it. It’s the fact that I’m putting aside my fear, putting the pencil to the pad, and making an effort.
The path is twisted,
But there’s a cross, in the light,
Guiding my footsteps.
And an update for the road—
My summer break is coming to an end. School starts Monday, and my bag is already packed. It’s been an interesting season, and I’m glad I took the time to refresh and recharge.
I think the definition of artist is a bit enigmatic. I’ve never called myself an artist. I’ve said things like “this is some art I created,” or “I love to create art,” but that’s as far as it goes. I think the first explanation that pops into my head is the fact that I don’t use pencils, pens, or even brushes (although that may change after the new semester).
Chaotic workday— a scuffle with friends,
Five o’clock traffic— the stress never ends,
Pressure to do well— fearing failure, too,
Stuck in a pattern— afraid of what’s new,
Plan for retirement— look forward to rest,
Where children once played— is now empty nest,
Dating disasters— a marriage from hell,
Lack of investments— there’s nothing to sell,
No regrets linger— My head’s not for rent,
All of these moments— are evanescent,
March forward, full steam— toward what is unseen,
Faith is eternal— I’m living the dream.
Something eye opening happened recently.
I had been holding off on writing a life-journal update because it seemed there was nothing exciting to share. Eventually I did—in my No News is Good News post—but by the time I sat down to write I was tired. What I failed to mention is that I had one of those aha moments just prior to writing.
The Journey Continues…
It’s been awhile since I’ve updated my journal. On the one hand, it means that nothing exciting (or newsworthy) has been going on. On the other hand—and more importantly—the old idiom rings true: No news is good news.
Today marks 1,229 days of sobriety… so that’s good news!
RDP Thursday:
verb: care for and encourage the growth or development of.
noun: the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something.
My featured image is kind of random! I did so many assignments in the past semester that the rebel in me has been fighting to break free and do something that’s just “because.” No judgement, no grade.
I finally got around to deleting my calendar that was counting down the days to my 3 year sober anniversary. It’s about time, since the date flew by almost three months ago!
Something wonderful happens when it rains here! I saw this ‘end of the rainbow’ a few weeks ago […]
Late last night, as I pondered what to write about in my next post, the question “what are […]
Oftentimes I tell the people I meet about my transformation; how much I’ve changed since entering recovery and […]
Sometimes I look back at my life, and I laugh about my dreams. When I was young, I […]
It’s always exciting to see a new year approaching, and the word goal really got me thinking today. Not about my goals for the year ahead, but about the goals I’ve already set—over the last couple of years—and how they have helped change, or shape me, in ways I never expected.
In all honesty, sometimes I have NO idea where this journey is taking me. When I made the decision to go to college, I was SURE that Graphic Design was the path that was meant for me. When I decided to alter my course, and major in Psychology, it felt “perfectly natural.” And now—while I’m figuring out how to work English into the equation—I can’t help but wonder: “Will I ever get this right?”
In days of old I caught ahold Of things experimental. I soon found out Without a doubt That […]
I used to feel invisible, and I was empty inside. You wouldn’t know it by looking at me […]
Just think happy thoughts and you’ll fly.
Peter Pan
A couple of days ago I set out to write a poem inspired by the Word of the Day Challenge; the word being “dubious.” While wandering around the house, sentences and phrases welled up inside of me, and I sat down numerous times to jot down my thoughts and get them out of my head. As I sifted through memories—thinking of the people I’ve encountered whose intentions were quite dubious—I couldn’t help but feel as though I was drifting to a place that was now off limits.
Struggling to remember the people and events from that particular space in time seemed a bit taboo, and I wondered if I was taking a risk by trying to peer in at it. My life is awesome right now… so, why go back there?! Besides, it’s a very DARK place, and it’s a part of my past that seems so distant now that on occasion I wonder whether it was real or imagined.
moon·struck/adjective1. unable to think or act normally, especially because of being in love. Inspired by the Word of […]
I saw this sunset a week ago, just before my Thursday evening class started. It was beautiful just […]
Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand […]
Getting ready for an exam today… Being nervous isn’t bad. It just means something important is happening. Michael […]
You’re off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way. […]
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from […]
But there’s a “Me” in Mentor. First of all, I wanted to share at least one of my […]
You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledge hammer on the construction site. Frank […]
Just hours after I said that I don’t have much to share these days, all kinds of thoughts […]
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that […]
It’s been tough for me to post lately. Considering the old saying “if you don’t have anything nice […]
Even imperfection itself may have its ideal or perfect state. Thomas de Quincey It’s the first day of […]
Evenings are the beautifully sweet spot between the harsh light of the day and the dead darkness of […]
It’s been about 2 months since I’ve been online here in the blog world and I wanted to […]
In contrast to the black and white image of Cadillac Ranch that I did awhile back, I wanted to do something with color, but something unique. It reminds me of the moon for some reason. Cars on the moon… wouldn’t that be weird!
In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you. -Leo Tolstoy
You can’t put her in a cage and expect her song to be about you. – JM Storm […]
Don’t trade in your authenticity for approval. The photography book that I’ve been browsing through is really inspiring […]
