Welcome to the Christmas Cards I Write

I am, however, not dreaming of a white Christmas. I hope any and all snows stays far, far away from the Old Dominion for the next two weeks.

I freely admit that I love letter writing and having pen pals. I’ve had a few over the years and currently maintain regular corespondents with three people. It’s fun to read up on what people are doing with their lives, how things change, and (most important) what they are reading.

As the holidays draw close, though, I compile a list of family I am unlikely to see and some close friends (whom I have addresses for) to send Holiday cards to. Many of them are Christmas themed, but some of the recipients don’t celebrate that Christmas, so I try to include more winter themes.

This year I decided to punish challenge myself by hand painting all of the cards I sent out. The last batch will hopefully go out tomorrow. Normally, I buy cards (after the holidays so there’s a discount) and include a painting that I created over the year as a small gift. Since I started doing this, a few of my cousins felt that the paintings themselves should be the cards.

Well, I wasn’t all that thrilled by my miniature paintings this year. They weren’t festive enough for this time of year. Or I didn’t think they were good enough to send to other people. Or I liked them too much (that happens sometimes).

So I got out the paints, bought a bunch of envelops, and set to work.

It’s been a relaxing way to spend the run up to the final holidays of the year. I’ve even gotten a few cards in return.

Though card and letter writing has mostly fallen out of fashion, I find it a small treat to open my mailbox and find something from a friend rather than more advertisements. There’s some thing relaxing and intimate when it comes to writing letters of any kind - which is why I still enjoy writing my Holiday cards.

It’s one way to remind someone that you’re thinking of them.

Do you enjoy writing letters or sending out Holiday cards? What about receiving them? Have you ever had a pen pal? Do you still keep in touch with them?

It’s the season for togetherness and sometimes the only way to do that is through a small note or card wishing someone a happy new year.

See y’all in 2023. It’s only two Sundays away.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Social Art Time

It seems the best way for me to branch out of my bubble and make new friends, is to use the website Meetup.com. For those of you unfamiliar with the site (and, no, this is not an ad - no one pays me to write blog posts), it’s a place for people to find groups filled with people that have a similar interest. I started using the website in New Jersey - which is how I found a hiking group and my writers group.

Now that the pandemic appears to be winding down, I feel more comfortable meeting new people who share my interests. Last summer, I joined a group that does a lot of hikes and walks in my area. It was outside and there was less stress about masks. Since it’s currently winter, they’ve gone on hiatus until it starts warming up again.

However, I’ve been getting bored spending most of my time at home and somewhat socially isolated. Zoom is a great way for me to still interact with my friends I no longer live close to, but it doesn’t get me out of the house. I needed a new location with other humans.

Queue me finding an art group.

I mean I am an artist no?

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this group. The original location was a local coffee shop, but the RSVPs grew too large for the space and the organizers changed the locations to the local library. It was a really nice space that had enough room for all the people who came (more than 30). Some people had sketchbook, others watercolor paints, and a few borrowed a pencil and paper from their neighbors. Most people had their phone out looking at references to help them draw. 

I had my tablet and stylus - working on some digital blackout poetry (which I’m not sure what to do with yet). 

An example of my blackout poetry that is not digital.

Part of the time I was at the table, I was lost in my drawing. Completely absorbed. Conversation would go on around me and I didn’t feel a need to engage with anyone. There was no pressure.

Other times I would jump in with the conversation. No one shut down my opinion or said that my art wasn’t “real art”. It was fun and easy going.

A few people would get up and wander around, looking at what everyone was working on. I never stood up to walk around (unusual for me as I love pacing and moving). I didn’t mind when someone looked over my shoulder. I didn’t feel judged. It was more like being in a gallery with someone looking at a masterpiece while it was being created.

Granted I can’t speak for the other people there, but I didn’t hear anyone raise an objection.

Actually, most of the artists were excited to share what they were working on (myself included). There was a general sense of fun. A few people said they came because they wanted to get back into drawing, or sketching, or painting.

The time I spent with the art group was relaxing, stress free, and a positive social interaction. I was surprised by how quickly timed passed.

I probably will join the group again. One of the organizers wants to have outdoor art events and possibly organize trips to the museums in DC. I like the casual nature of this group and hope I make some fun new friends.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Quiet Reflection During Hard Times

 This week I was unfortunately laid off...again. 

It's a tough position to be in, especially now. I'm anxious and a bit scared, but I am thankful that I have a wonderful support system who are willing to help me through this. There are many other people in a similar position as myself who can't say that.

It sucks that this happened twice. It sucks that this time I'm facing the added hurdle that is a pandemic. It all around sucks.

As I am not a person who takes idleness well, I have already hit the ground running taking care of updating my resume, job hunting, and all the applications I need to put in now that my work status has changed. At least this time I know more of what I need to and should do.

My knowledge doesn't make the situation any easier. And it's also not just me this time - I have my evil fluffy kitty Karma to worry about.

My list of things I need to do is long and overwhelming. Just thinking about it leaves me wishing to curl up into a tiny ball under a blanket fort and pretend I'm six instead of an adult. But I'm getting them done one item at a time.

Worrying won't fix my situation, but I also can't be constantly working to "fix" it. I'll burn out or turn into a messy pile of shaky bones if I don't take a break every once in a while.

Last night, I needed to take some time to center myself. I grabbed my watercolors, paint brushes, and some washi tape. I cut one of my special art papers into six Polaroid shaped rectangles. Then, I started to paint.

I don't always know what I'm going to create when I put pencil or brush to paper. Sometimes I get inspiration from the colors I pick, other times its an image I've seen that I want to try to recreate. Last night it was a piece of music going through my head. It's a calm song called "The Sixth Station" by Joe Hisaishi and plays at the start of the final third of the movie Spirited Away.

Though not perfect, I am very happy how it turned out

The calming music gave me inspiration. I hummed along with it as I did my best to bring the images in my mind to life on paper. I bobbed and I swayed and I left my mind picture the beautiful image of Chihiro walking along the train tracks covered in water to catch a train.

I love the movie Spirited Away. Chihiro's character grows a lot during the story. There are a lot of unique characters and intense action scenes. Some moments are silly and the animation is wild. But then there are the times when the film is quiet, contemplative. One of those moments is when "The Sixth Station" plays. 

Chihiro is on her way to visit the witch Zeniba - twin sister to the witch, Yubaba, who runs the bathhouse and turned Chihiro's parents into pigs. The scene is beautiful, quiet, and a little melancholic. Chihiro has no idea if Yubaba is going to eat her parents or not. She's worried and scared for her friend Haku. 

However, Chihiro has grown so much since the start of her adventure and this quiet moment is a reflection on all the hard work she's done. There's a chance things may go wrong, but there's an even bigger chance they'll go right.

And [SPOILERS] things go right for Chihiro. She finds a wonderful ally with Zeniba who gives her the courage and wisdom to overcome her last challenge. 

Through all my trials and tribulations over the last two years, I hope that I'm (metaphorically) on my way to visit Zeniba. Yes, there's still a lot of hard work to do. Zeniba puts Chihiro's friends to work, while she sits and thinks on everything she's learned. Chihiro pulls through and I know I will too.

Being laid off is the worst. It's an emotional roller coaster and it's very easy to be left doubting oneself. Taking a quiet moment to reflect or do something that will help relax away the tension is just as important as doing that hard work. 

Muscles tense? Take a hot bubble bath and give yourself a bubble mustache and beard. Mind going a million miles a minute? Take a walk or do a breathing exercise (especially if you find meditating hard).  Find a moment for yourself.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to a Little Break

Guys, I'm taking a break from social media. Starting around Wednesday, I'll be off all my social media sites for a week or two.

I won't be off forever. I need to let my friends and family know I'm alive somehow. Plus I have a lot of poetry and art projects I want to share (*cough* self promote *cough*).

Painting is a great way to express myself and then share it on Deviant Art of Instagram

I just need a break.

For the past several years, I've had almost non-stop Internet access. My phone is a mini computer which I take everywhere. The few times I've gone without the Internet are rare, the last time being an adventure I had in Washington State where I had zero cell service for 90% of my trip.

It was also wonderful.

I loved being able to just stare out the window of the car, not worrying about what was going on in the world beyond the wilderness. I could just experience what was going on around me and be present. Though it was a little scary being miles from the nearest cell tower just in case anything bad happened, the experience of sleeping in a tent next to a river was worth it.

I'm also not here to bash social media. It's helped me keep in touch with people I might not otherwise still speak to.

Heck, I've posted at least 5 times today on Instagram already.

This adorable face had to be shared. It just had to be.

But that doesn't mean that there are a lot of drawbacks to constantly being connected to people. Between chasing likes, fake news, and a weird voyeuristic feeling when looking at other people's lives without really taking part, it can be tough to handle emotionally and mentally.

So for the next two-ish weeks, there won't be any new blog posts from me (either this blog or my food blog), no updates to my webcomic, and no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I will still be answering emails (I can't give up the Internet entirely - not in this high speed world).

If you are thinking about taking a break from social media, I say give it a go. You don't have to go cold turkey. Try deleting your apps for a weekend or a week and see how you feel. Social media is still a great way to connect people and share the best your life has to offer. If you find that leaving social media has a good impact on your life, then see if you can deactivate your accounts.

Have a great couple of weeks guys.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.