Oh the Terrible Cliché

I originally started this post as an ode to office work and its monotony. Then I realized what a tired played out cliché that is. Everyone who has a job that requires doing the same boring work day in and day out knows how I feel, it’s nothing new.  Those who've gone before and those will come after will feel the same way I do. That my job is the ultimate cliché, my cubicle is beige, I crunch numbers all day long, my boss is neglectful.

 

Yep, that's me all day long, every day.

So here’s what I’ve realized, while my job is a cliché I am not.

I am an individual and so is every other person in every other office in the world. 

While my job plays out a tired old tune, my mind and heart dance to the beat of their own drummer. 

I am unique, my art is unique what I think and feel and create is unique.

And that’s my message for today.

You are unique!

Your job may be boring and beige, but you are not. 

You are brilliant and full of life and color.

 You are wonderful!

p.s. the app, Paper, is a lot of fun, that's where I did the above art work. 

Doodler Justified

Finally! I feel justified! I have always doodled. When I was in school I would doddle; often on my hand, Jeans or shoes, or desk (if the teacher wasn't looking). I enjoy the way the pen feels in my hand. I like the smooth glide of it across paper as marks and scribbles turn into designs and patterns.

Now as an adult, I doodle in meetings.  My meetings can sometimes run over an hour, snooze. To keep myself alert, I doodle. I try to keep my doodles as hidden as possible, but people like to comment as though they've caught me doing something wrong.

“It helps me focus,” is always my reply.

There’s never been any proof that doodling was an effective way to focus but now I feel justified.

Sunni Brown, the co-author of GameStorming, talks about the scientifically proven benefits of doodling in problem solving and creative thinking. 

“The doodle has never been the nemesis of intellectual thought,” she says.

I’m excited to finally have science backing me on this. Hope you enjoy the video of Sunni Brown explaining the doodle theory. 

Practicing and Simon

I enjoy drawing, or at least my form of drawing, which usual involves a lot of squiggles and shapes. Okay, I don't draw, I doodle, but I've always wanted to learn to draw.

I'm not planning on being a professional artist; however, I would like to be able to sketch what I see in my head sometimes. I think it would help me visualize and be a better writer. So I went to Google to try and find the best way to learn to do this. The census was to start with the basics.

Blah! Why can't I just be an awesome artist instantaneously? I suppose I could if I just used tracing paper and someone's art work.

But, no, I want to create my own stuff and there's only one way to do it. Start with the basics.

I found this video on YouTube; it's the most helpful instructional video I've come across. Others are good but, the filming here is clean and clear and his directions are easy to understand.

Guess I better get practicing.



Every time I think of drawing it turns into drawerings and if you don't know what I'm talking about than you haven't seen some of the classic SNL. Enjoy.

Musical Heart

I listen to music when I’m painting, when I’m running, when I’m cooking. Everything I do is followed by a different soundtrack. When writing I listen to instrumental only, so song words don’t interfere with my words. When I’m painting it’s usually bluegrass, when I’m running its hard rock or club music, when I’m cooking its Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin.

Music is designed to inspire. Its sole purpose is to make us feel; sad, happy, afraid, lonely, loved, excited. It enhances what we already feel.

 I often listen to music when I write. It helps me get into the emotion of the scene I’m writing, it makes it feel more real. Without music I’m not sure some of the scenes in my book would exist.

So go on YouTube or Pandora or whatever you choose and make a list of music that inspires you and when you’re feeling uninspired or tired or worn out or mentally blocked, listen to your favorites and keep creating.

This is one from my inspiration list of favorites, for writing a more cheerful scene. 

Big Sky

 There’s a reason Montana is called the big sky country.





 If you can’t tell from the pictures, the sky feels endless. You feel like you’re sitting on the top of the planet, with the curvature of the sky as proof.

I love to travel and this trip was especially amazing. We got to spend time in Glacier National Park. If you've never been, make an effort to go. It’s worth it.

Nature has always been inspiring to me. Enormous mountains and epic skies make me feel small, but important.

I’m sure that sounds strange, but I feel special because at that moment in time I got to see that cloud formation or the way the sun hit that mountain. It’s all about timing and even if I go there a hundred times, each time it will be different. A moving painting made just for me.

Cheesy but true, so get out and get inspired by nature. 

Side Note: We played the license plate game on this trip (for those of you who've never played, you write down all the different states license plates you see) Anyway we got all but six, that’s a record for me.

Side side note: If you've never played the license plate game you did not have a childhood. That, or you didn't grow up in the middle of nowhere, where seeing an out of state license plate was an exciting thing.

Donna Downey is Awesome!

I love this lady. Donna Downey is amazing, she makes the greatest pages and she's not afraid to get messy. She embraces the mistakes.

 What I love best is in a lot of her videos you hear her dogs barking or her kids playing and the phone ringing. She’s a real person! Her art room gets messy and she has a real life with real interruptions and she still makes some of the best pages I've ever seen.

She inspires me to keep creating no matter what life throws at me.

Check her out at:

Donna Downey Studios

Donna Downey Simply Me