tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111164672024-03-18T00:22:28.497-07:00The Shy Singer/SongwriterI call myself the shy singer because that is who I was and am. I have grown from the place of acute social phobia and extreme stage fright into the person I am today... I attribute this personal growth to the study of singing. As I began to become aware of the things that inhibited my voice, I saw these same things inhibited me in life. The process of finding and releasing my authentic voice became the process of finding and freeing my Self. I write this blog to share my journey with you.Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067845590374906879noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-59569335898886376042024-03-18T00:20:00.000-07:002024-03-18T00:21:55.544-07:00'Small Talk' is a Big Thing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/CMXraXvxUYc?si=M0f6RiLhLTAnN_MJ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQScXclSSYa1snKI8j6566Ai9vYmodlRKxKDh7uzTJXcfLQE4Xp5RDVNNpkdvt697qtxfkueFxGu-RoV7AE_WBAv7l0x9F3nD5peCqxmhRsKslmcBBUBlh3lEmsjwAJFkU2MFbLiqw5AdMUuoF8D-k2wLOUR9Lz1Oya2s8GaTcZXYtgzR-zoZ/s320/I%20stammered%20Youtube%20Thumbnail.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />I call myself shy as that is who and what I am. I never was comfortable with Small Talk. I didn't know what it was or how to do it. What seemed 'small' and insignificant to others was a huge challenge for me.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Click here for video</b>: <a href="https://youtu.be/CMXraXvxUYc?si=M0f6RiLhLTAnN_MJ" target="_blank">Welcome to 'UnShyU' </a><br /></p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-38696077650105491652023-12-31T03:30:00.000-08:002024-03-12T21:11:14.376-07:002023 Creative Output<p><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Caveat, cursive; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGElxJvH-ZMGlCKZkOK3FKdZ5FfX7Fh2wiWufew80TMw_aTF6EU-Ra0xyrLOiZEqK3d4ERSnxlodeJeJQBehiEvrSR7-L5iDVG3oUgoED6pAonMcep0CPYUiqwmDf9lW4omv1s5w53bH5bEf3KfB5SATFm4yZM29Y6gYLWOkWI_twWp945C-p/s5679/pexels-jill-wellington-3334355.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5679" data-original-width="3786" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGElxJvH-ZMGlCKZkOK3FKdZ5FfX7Fh2wiWufew80TMw_aTF6EU-Ra0xyrLOiZEqK3d4ERSnxlodeJeJQBehiEvrSR7-L5iDVG3oUgoED6pAonMcep0CPYUiqwmDf9lW4omv1s5w53bH5bEf3KfB5SATFm4yZM29Y6gYLWOkWI_twWp945C-p/w143-h215/pexels-jill-wellington-3334355.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c6695aea-7fff-fde3-c3f5-85ee2b5eefec"><span id="docs-internal-guid-456cb252-7fff-7ae1-8850-ddd836697e38"><span style="font-family: Caveat, cursive; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Here’s to more creativity in 2024!!</span></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #980000; font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">YOUTUBE</span><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - I started these Youtube channels in 2023!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">‘Turn Up the Tranquility’</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - philosophical shorts and prompts for journaling & contemplation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/@turnupthetranquility" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">www.youtube.com/@turnupthetranquility</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">‘The Short Composer’</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - featuring original, unique videos scored by me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/@shortcomposer2024" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">www.youtube.com/@shortcomposer2024</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">AMAZON</span><span style="color: #01ffff; font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - I publish as EPS Typographics & Victoria Denyx - working on a book about creativity now!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">MY PHOTOBOOKS:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Shy Bird (the Silent Voice)</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: A Philosophical Photobook</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tAdWIY" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/3tAdWIY</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">She is Amazing</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: A gorgeously illustrated affirmation of the beautiful elder woman.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48CqGxG" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/48CqGxG</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Determine: Persevere Art:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Overcoming resistance to manifest the changes you desire</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3H3Sr6y" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/3H3Sr6y</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">TRAVEL JOURNAL:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Our Amazing Journeys</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/47hzJTE" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/47hzJTE</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">MONEY MANAGEMENT:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Monthly Income & Expenses Logbook</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tAjoeW" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/3tAjoeW</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Your Good Health - Monthly Budget Planner</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vps5ck" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/3vps5ck</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Bree Serif", serif; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">FOR KIDS:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1-2-3 Write</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/47j3TWx" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/47j3TWx</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Animal’s Parade</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3TJYJQb" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://amzn.to/3TJYJQb</span></a></p><div><br /></div></span>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-90828349274498906282023-09-11T22:30:00.003-07:002023-09-11T22:30:22.283-07:00Music was and is my path...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZzkF_LcUGpBNMA0WbmRHpZyeTcoVE9rcwZIMxaiOl3sTrv3ZaxrL5q30H3yYLegQANJ355aM6rPnAkM5ha3bOXb5hLpAkfRPHYaZwfU9x368KOOOngnLFIwXbnd2xPN9OuqOulDKgSHjhfshYtWA_bqOFysrjNLJgPO1d0a2h1HPjiPoyzJ4/s1152/Ilustration_V2_Cartoon_of_a_beautiful_shy_woman_walking_alone_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZzkF_LcUGpBNMA0WbmRHpZyeTcoVE9rcwZIMxaiOl3sTrv3ZaxrL5q30H3yYLegQANJ355aM6rPnAkM5ha3bOXb5hLpAkfRPHYaZwfU9x368KOOOngnLFIwXbnd2xPN9OuqOulDKgSHjhfshYtWA_bqOFysrjNLJgPO1d0a2h1HPjiPoyzJ4/s320/Ilustration_V2_Cartoon_of_a_beautiful_shy_woman_walking_alone_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There is no magic formula to free the voice, no matter the circumstances. There's no one answer, either. Although we all have the same infrastructure - lungs, throat, vocal chords, mouth, the answers are complex and highly personal. It has to be a progressive journey.<p></p><p>What do I mean by progressive? I mean that as you walk the path towards the goal of 'more fully actualized' the steps are small. They are varied in size and shape. They may take you past places you never thought to see, or bring up memories from the past that still affect you today.</p><p>In my work I have come to see that being introverted is not a bad thing. I experience the world differently. I am sensitive to energies, to vocal timbre. For me it's less about what someone says, and more about how they say it. Like many other people, I intuitively divine a meaning beyond spoken language when I am receiving the words of someone else. </p><p>When I was wholly shy I heard such things with an anxious uncomfortableness, eager to know what I should do to please the speaker. The idea of listening to my own inner voice and transmitting my own perspective or preference was alien to me.</p><p>If expected to answer, my throat would literally close up with tension, for fear that whatever I was about to say was wrong. Feeling safe was a primary goal. But it was more than that. I really disliked the terrible awkwardness that came over me when having to converse with someone else - no matter how nice they were. I would skip into shops or turn and go the other way rather than be forced to say hello and make small talk with someone I knew. They could be the kindest, most generous person in the city, and I still ran scared.</p><p>I had no map to lead me out of this place of fear and self-loathing. Yet I somehow clung to music as something that at least allowed me to vibrate in a more positive fashion, if I were alone and singing songs with my guitar.</p><p>Ever the one to challenge myself with impossible dreams, I decided I wished to study opera. How was I to go from someone who could barely speak without fear, and someone who trembled so badly she could not stand up to sing or speak in front of an audience, to someone with the confidence to release a full voice and share it with others... ah... you may well ask.</p><p>All I know is, if I could do it, you can do it. I think most of us know what needs to be done. What we should do, and do consistently, if we want to feel more wholly who we want to be. Maybe you don't know at the start which way to go or what's going to lead you there, or even, where 'there' is. The key is to start, and keep starting.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-10921608674638183592023-09-07T20:22:00.001-07:002023-09-07T20:22:35.957-07:00Autumn: a time of renewal?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJNo6HbrKukEyYaw-oSenr03c3a2hw8wB-UYBbHkUR5-JUwOq5c09Af0FK2MxyYXd-t8OHm6X8B6v6_BVi8w_NO1gI7D54gkNwZIM8fMIwefjwihgN-nOGedyaGOt3W-cd_fp1h6kymSOcE5pYfQSa7nZ2wZAnZCS8mRRfLuYWaAa1Q4QCH1A/s1152/DreamShaper_v7_Generate_a_lovely_watercolor_painting_of_a_stro_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJNo6HbrKukEyYaw-oSenr03c3a2hw8wB-UYBbHkUR5-JUwOq5c09Af0FK2MxyYXd-t8OHm6X8B6v6_BVi8w_NO1gI7D54gkNwZIM8fMIwefjwihgN-nOGedyaGOt3W-cd_fp1h6kymSOcE5pYfQSa7nZ2wZAnZCS8mRRfLuYWaAa1Q4QCH1A/s320/DreamShaper_v7_Generate_a_lovely_watercolor_painting_of_a_stro_1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Have you recently found yourself wandering aimlessly in the tangled forest of lost creative habits, like a squirrel searching for its hidden acorns? Fear not! Now is the perfect season to reignite your artistic spirit. Or so I tell myself each morning as I rise to cooler air and Earl Grey, hot.<p></p><p>Autumn is a season of breathtaking transformations, where trees shed their old leaves to make way for new growth. Similarly, it's time for us to shed any creative ruts and let go of past artistic challenges. Maybe get something off the to-do list to open us to the flow. What about an art date? Start by leafing through art books, visiting galleries, or simply taking a walk in nature to soak in the vibrant colors and textures.</p><p>Why not spice things up by picking up a new art form, embarking on an ambitious project, or collaborating with fellow artists? Sign up for that class you've been considering taking since last year. Get that new software, start something new. Dive into it with the enthusiasm of someone eagerly sipping on a pumpkin spice latte on the first day of fall.</p><p>Playfulness helps us embrace the joy of creativity by letting go of old issues. Experiment, make mistakes, and don't take yourself too seriously. Creative play is where the magic often happens. Just start, and let the pen, the brush, the muse, lead you to someplace you have never been.</p><p>The autumn equinox arrives very soon. Let your creative spirit dance in the balance of light and dark. Rediscover your artistic mojo. Remember that the magic of fall lies not only in its colors but in its promise of transformation. Let your creativity flourish like the colorful foliage of autumn.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-29561241449022502752023-07-31T13:19:00.001-07:002023-07-31T13:19:59.085-07:00Connectedness<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3Qui72TLWcAcNmrrzKl2ZZsx64zcTzaSvYoSwwQITMQG-OF4CBGIheMkwHgJQn6sJO3HhUkDXeg9Y_OSiFsos6wUkNyoRgikuPuP_hUSFSgyq0pPJC9Y-EwiQ0R-9cLaAOmnGNayimkcGxl3AGCK6hlSOj4e2zeeVx5tQBIexN88FGUfD8RI/s3936/pexels-ricky-esquivel-3042579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3936" data-original-width="2624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3Qui72TLWcAcNmrrzKl2ZZsx64zcTzaSvYoSwwQITMQG-OF4CBGIheMkwHgJQn6sJO3HhUkDXeg9Y_OSiFsos6wUkNyoRgikuPuP_hUSFSgyq0pPJC9Y-EwiQ0R-9cLaAOmnGNayimkcGxl3AGCK6hlSOj4e2zeeVx5tQBIexN88FGUfD8RI/s320/pexels-ricky-esquivel-3042579.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Today I contemplate the value of connection. Vision ourselves to be trees, rooted to the earth and entwined in the ground to keep balance and security in our lives. Our branches reach out and up towards the sun and the sky. We bend in the wind. We nourish the air with oxygen. We nourish the people who pass by with our shade and our scent and our presence.<p></p><p>As a shy person I always shut down in company. I disconnected myself, too fearful of what might be transmitted from me that would show me to be of questionable value. Too scared of what I might receive if I was open to others. </p><p>It makes logical sense that someone would seek to protect themselves from the sharp edges of messages from others. Strangely, though, in that very disconnection, I felt myself alone and misunderstood.</p><p>It is not all external, either. Our own denial of self or morphing the self to please others is disconnectedness too. One cannot be rooted if constantly changing form in order to accepted by others.</p><p>I imagine myself an arbutus tree, twisting and changing direction, yet always beautiful.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-2625709104701105242023-07-02T05:21:00.000-07:002023-07-02T05:21:18.106-07:00Cultivating excitement<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeMBCKzE2aAtyhvdjsr6HFgQ1auhArSdRjHBfnFf6yqq1EdMRuYXxqftGbixt90OMFJMVulIjI_FFATmVxmGg7c5Nnl2QZhzy9igcLZwtCUEUZ2z8A09Zgv_lKleFEnsYg4WO4LS-vIAdpPkV_uUGoHbjBwlbtnCAPgi7Ti0TFpGDJFWy1icz/s2304/Default_VikkiF_successful_female_artist_celebrating_achievemen_1_dd0fa535-8f6a-4294-9afd-476792a9642c_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2304" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeMBCKzE2aAtyhvdjsr6HFgQ1auhArSdRjHBfnFf6yqq1EdMRuYXxqftGbixt90OMFJMVulIjI_FFATmVxmGg7c5Nnl2QZhzy9igcLZwtCUEUZ2z8A09Zgv_lKleFEnsYg4WO4LS-vIAdpPkV_uUGoHbjBwlbtnCAPgi7Ti0TFpGDJFWy1icz/s320/Default_VikkiF_successful_female_artist_celebrating_achievemen_1_dd0fa535-8f6a-4294-9afd-476792a9642c_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I sit, looking at the blank page. To my right, on the table, is a pad of paper with multiple scribbled notes on a variety of things. The chord progression I am working on for a new composition. In the margin, a reminder of a meeting today. On the back, notes about a Fed-Ex tracking number for my missing delivery. Another page, notes on composing in the style known as fantasy. Then ideas for organizing to-dos in relation to my personal health and household.<p></p><p>I contemplate. What will today's commentary say? I remember YouTube videos I've watched this week. (I make a study of several topics.) I see, in my mind, the face of the presenters who engaged me the most. I ask myself why.</p><p>They were sharing something that meant something to them. They offered it freely, enthusiastically explaining how I could do what they do. Their message was urgent. Supportive. Encouraging.</p><p>They said, 'Yes you can.'</p><p>It makes me wonder, as I look around my untidy flat, why I don't get excited about putting things back where they belong. I will spend hours fussing with an image or a design until I am satisfied. I will revisit a composition and create multiple mixes until something inside says 'yes.'</p><p>My younger self would dress carefully for any date or gathering. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup... I was tremendously shy, knowing I looked as good as possible helped bolster my courage. Now I think, rather wryly, that I might have accomplished the goal of being 'well turned out' but I could seldom carry on a conversation in anything but a stilted and awkward manner. I wish I could go back and hug that me. I'd like to tell her, 'you <i>are</i> good enough.'</p><p>It occurs to me I am more excited about my life this year. The shadow of COVID is still there, yet we are out, going to festivals, taking trips, visiting friends, meeting for dinner, going to movies. The losses were incalculable. Many of us were deprived of income, jobs, savings; many of us had to let go of dreams and hunker down. And many of us sadly lost loved ones. Friends, family, acquaintances, forever missed.</p><p>Do we walk in the sunshine these days, thankful that we have made it through? Are we picking up the threads of those dreams we had, which needed to be put aside in 2020. Are we taking the steps needed to find our way, when the storms of change still rock the boat? Housing costs through the roof, food costs soaring (while record profits recorded), deep concern for those facing war and famine, puzzling over the future and where developing technology will take us. It's all too overwhelming.</p><p>We have the capacity to slow down our lives. Experience each moment as it happens. We have the ability to gift ourselves with time for walks, journaling, meditating, long baths, a lazy afternoon on the lawn with a good book. The key is to make that a priority.</p><p>I believe these acts of self-love will bring not only some peace to our personal world, but help us find the energy to be excited about the projects we work on and the simple successes we have on the way to achieving something that matters to us.</p><p>Art isn't an external 'thing' that we put in a cupboard or a frame and dust once in a while. As Julia Cameron says, 'as we are creative beings, our lives become our works of art.'</p><p style="text-align: center;">--</p><p style="text-align: center;">THIS WEEK'S VIDEO</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IBh4PTJbGOA" width="320" youtube-src-id="IBh4PTJbGOA"></iframe></div>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-52548295697728046092023-06-25T21:36:00.000-07:002023-06-25T21:36:11.773-07:00Scattering scatteredness...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNULuhnFreKQAjQS14MgtWGZ9KxCANZkh2JfnSL8gCFO7Hy-UMsCmNAz-UoLdKi3HcQRR0fV6rcL7SZVQU-sh9_yv_Te6PdzRLmjS3PW1dEow6fN9UEDpECqjL-jzpRrrXyzi8vsyLKjmO0XpBmAoNOJfxTtR-Car7wE9cvyXJ11f8-Bf6aYgN/s768/Ilustration_V2_VikkiF_Watercolor_Lady_sitting_in_the_garden_at_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNULuhnFreKQAjQS14MgtWGZ9KxCANZkh2JfnSL8gCFO7Hy-UMsCmNAz-UoLdKi3HcQRR0fV6rcL7SZVQU-sh9_yv_Te6PdzRLmjS3PW1dEow6fN9UEDpECqjL-jzpRrrXyzi8vsyLKjmO0XpBmAoNOJfxTtR-Car7wE9cvyXJ11f8-Bf6aYgN/s320/Ilustration_V2_VikkiF_Watercolor_Lady_sitting_in_the_garden_at_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Somehow it's Sunday night and I tell myself I need to write a blog. It's not a chore. It's something I like doing. In the whirlwind of life, though, it has, in the past, been left undone. I have determined this will change. <p></p><p>I had a glimmer of an idea for this blog. The word that comes to mind is serenity. A word that is easy to say, but much much harder, sometimes, to embrace.</p><p>While I can be very energetic and devoted to things I love to do, at the same time, I can be very scattered with my energy, and end up going in circles, not achieving much at all. I can make long to-do lists and even cross a few things off while the time for the other things is eaten up with focusing on the less important. Or procrastinating. </p><p>As a creative person, I rebel against schedules and organization yet I know it would help me to better use my time if I kept to them. I have many calls on my time, and at least three calendars I am following on any given day. If I am honest, without my schedules, I am lost. I remember that Bob's at 2pm on Monday but if I actually look at my calendar I will see it's Joe, not Bob, at 1:30pm.</p><p>Nothing's more embarrassing than opening your studio door to see that there are two people waiting to see you at the same time. Uh oh.</p><p>So, in spite of my resistance, I have my lists and my calendar that is planned weeks in advance, and try not to feel overwhelmed looking at all the things written in for this month and next month and even the month after.</p><p>One practice I began a few years back was to put a big 'X' through one day each week and promise to myself that *nothing* would be planned for that day. I don't do that anymore, there's something every day, like it or not. </p><p>So it comes down to dealing with managing your time while at the same time being okay with managing your time, and, most importantly, not getting stressed about it.</p><p>Some walk, some do yoga, some jog, some swim, some meditate.. I'm a firm believer in power naps. </p><p>I feel it crucial that we find time for ourselves alone each day. We can't keep giving if we're not replenishing the well. We can't be creative in the time allowed if we're all over the place about what needs to happen next.</p><p>Rise early, welcome the sun, breathe the morning air, embrace the peace of the morning for as long as we can. Write our morning pages. Do tai chi. Jog in the park. Sit and drink tea in the garden. </p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-59495048606797308092023-06-18T11:18:00.000-07:002023-06-18T11:18:27.109-07:00Dreams...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3l-zSZOQWPEuxxnj8weAG6g6iORtXpagLV-qa3qX51bsoYpgEy3zWrgcInoyDEBctIKsfHqfeBCPZfCB2XasgomIPYX5DQCbDxZ3sfUMCNiGhnw9UWkuXi73Uke8xgCQFacPpquWApmVD2HIv-VC9Ku_hyyD9_0ZGDInLGZD-BWtAhyESA/s1080/Dream%20blog%20meme%20pix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3l-zSZOQWPEuxxnj8weAG6g6iORtXpagLV-qa3qX51bsoYpgEy3zWrgcInoyDEBctIKsfHqfeBCPZfCB2XasgomIPYX5DQCbDxZ3sfUMCNiGhnw9UWkuXi73Uke8xgCQFacPpquWApmVD2HIv-VC9Ku_hyyD9_0ZGDInLGZD-BWtAhyESA/s320/Dream%20blog%20meme%20pix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Today, I am reminded of dreams. I had dreams of being a champion figure skater, of starring in musicals. I took lessons in dance, sang in choirs, belonged to theatre companies. <p></p><p>I struggled to ace the dance part of the auditions in particular. I took a great adult ballet class that always began with the same routine workout but included a new set of steps we had to learn each week. Through this I became more proficient in picking up and repeating steps, so important for a dance audition. </p><p>I suffered a lot of stage fright as a singer so I took acting classes thinking it would help me feel better on stage. It's funny I didn't even think of taking singing lessons even though, all of it, everything I did, was so I could be part of a musical presentation. </p><p>I wonder now if I 'didn't think of it' because I couldn't even go there. On a very fundamental level I didn't want to study the thing I wanted most to do, for fear I would be told - that it would be confirmed - that I was not good enough to do it. Rather than face that possibility, I avoided it completely. </p><p>Life moved on, I gave up doing theatre, dance, choirs. I got busy working, doing overtime and living the kind of life where you never wear the same thing to the office, where gossip at the water cooler was the predominant force affecting your self-esteem, where I overate lunch at the company canteen watching soap operas. I was desperately unhappy but so sure being married and working at a big international firm's head office, spending my money on clothes for work, and being in every way as perfect as possible was what was required in order for me to be considered a 'good person'.</p><p>None of those things are inherently wrong, but they were wrong for me. I was denying everything I wanted to be and do in order to fit someone else's dream. It was a patched together vision of impressions and expectations of me integrated from others over my formative years. It was created as a path for me to walk so that I would be acceptable. Because I couldn't possibly make those choices for myself. I was flawed and needed to follow the scripts set down for me by others who knew better and whose opinion was so important to me I was willing to sacrifice my own heart and soul to be 'good enough' in their eyes.</p><p>I gave up so much of myself. I had been taught I had no value, was a loser, would never amount to anything, wasted space. At home, at school, at work. No matter how competent I was, how many promotions I got, how much I was lauded for being organized, it was never enough for me to feel whole. To be less panicked. To feel safe.</p><p>One long sleepless night I finally came to a place where I realized how lost I was. I didn't know what the future would hold, but I felt, if I took one more step down the 'be the good person in everyone else's eyes' road, I would lose myself forever.</p><p>I did a lot of soul searching after that. Who am I? Me, not someone else's version of me. Me. Who do I want to be?</p><p>Through all of it, over time, I began to know two things: I want to live a creative life. I want to live a musical life. </p><p>As Tolkein says, 'the road goes ever on and on.' From then til now, and for the future, I continue to live creatively and musically, with fits and starts, ups and downs, detours and lostness. Yet this feels more authentic and more me than anything that went before. </p><p>In many ways the dreams I had when I was young live with me every day as I write, compose, design. It's a simple thing, to do the thing you love to do, one would think, yet it can be the hardest thing of all. I am grateful for the support and encouragement of those who accept me as I am. And I continue to dream. I will always dream. </p><div><br /></div>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-25716516127054808452023-06-11T10:16:00.004-07:002023-06-12T10:36:44.146-07:00Do you talk to yourself?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnRChBmo30u5VHOUqDxqQ2jY92k0Kk1kD0PDk_YAIgbSeGlYzoqXjgojCgkqi6H0zIO46QnwobpDYJzhMs1_TooEMNwbaHUzmwTzBWwxaBcFcc2gY2XEEofrV7yuSyIFc5qfGFx7o6ZIvAC9u_bbgigpuwqhBL_ebqkKA-k0L2L4bmPKjaw/s1584/talk%20to%20yourself%20cartoon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1215" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnRChBmo30u5VHOUqDxqQ2jY92k0Kk1kD0PDk_YAIgbSeGlYzoqXjgojCgkqi6H0zIO46QnwobpDYJzhMs1_TooEMNwbaHUzmwTzBWwxaBcFcc2gY2XEEofrV7yuSyIFc5qfGFx7o6ZIvAC9u_bbgigpuwqhBL_ebqkKA-k0L2L4bmPKjaw/s320/talk%20to%20yourself%20cartoon.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>Confession: I talk to myself. I still remember walking to school in a country lane surrounded by trees, having a nice conversation with myself when, unexpectedly, someone walked past me. Shamefaced, I stopped talking. At least until they were further away.</div><p>Of course we all know the nasty voice-in-your-head that heaps derision on your efforts to do something, or lambasts you for not doing something, or just generally makes sure you don't evolve. Verbalizing these thoughts can be really helpful in sorting out what you are telling yourself internally. </p><p>Like writing things down, speaking thoughts out loud can help you grow awareness of your thinking. Maybe sort out what matters to you. Help make decisions more effectively.</p><p>If you find yourself feeling scattered when dealing with a sense of overwhelm, talking to yourself can keep you focused on the present moment and the task at hand. "You can do this."</p><p>It can be very helpful to speak affirmations out loud. It gives them more weight. Makes them more memorable. Reinforces them. Second or third person is better than first person. Telling yourself "You are worthy" makes it easier to embrace and accept.</p><p>Self-talk also gives you the opportunity to express something important to you. To acknowledge how you feel. "I feel anxious about this interview." </p><p>Verbalizing my feelings before an audition or interview was an important tool in my journey. I used to hide my angst over things. By saying how I felt out loud to myself I removed denial. I gave myself a chance to cope with those feelings, and have a more positive outcome. "Breathe. Remember you are capable. Remember to listen and make eye contact. You have something to offer."</p><p>I look back at all those times I hid myself away due to fear of other people... and I can see clearly now that I actually didn't hide anything. People knew intuitively how I felt as my very self-hiding telegraphed to them my discomfort. I don't judge myself for feeling how I felt, or coping in that way. I just see it now with compassion for the wounded person I was then.</p><p>That reminds me to tell you to remember that this kind of self-talk means being aware of the negative things you say to yourself. Hear yourself. Reframe negative thoughts with a more positive attitude. "You're so lazy, you never do what you say you'll do," becomes "It takes time to make changes. It's okay to take baby steps. Slow and steady. You'll get there."</p><p>Talking to yourself grows conscious awareness. You get to hear your own thinking process. You audibly illustrate your sense of personal value. This is healthy. One could even say it's the basis of critical thinking, as that requires us to examine our own thoughts and perspectives on the road to being truly authentic.</p><p>If someone does overhear your self-talk, remember it's natural. "Just figuring out what to do next," as you smile at them.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-49707139922269677912023-06-05T05:50:00.001-07:002023-06-05T05:50:42.969-07:00Live long, and play...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsY9vqulmkAI7DaK1RVdr-nUcG0NG05MimX7OUBaXJzlLCdKWgIaYNkz88JBDqEWfK6eVHCwapXGtcSKmVCcrSDLWtDA6KTZHWVpnJjiIjffkkJbEcEjvQEngsTRIZCxTxMAHjcE6BhUqM54Ix97LEg0ORSxT5QgCZwmnhdnaJM-_6pEndw/s1744/Donut%20Fight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="1344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsY9vqulmkAI7DaK1RVdr-nUcG0NG05MimX7OUBaXJzlLCdKWgIaYNkz88JBDqEWfK6eVHCwapXGtcSKmVCcrSDLWtDA6KTZHWVpnJjiIjffkkJbEcEjvQEngsTRIZCxTxMAHjcE6BhUqM54Ix97LEg0ORSxT5QgCZwmnhdnaJM-_6pEndw/s320/Donut%20Fight.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>According to ChatGPT, one of the ways you can introduce more playfulness into your life is, well... doing more playful stuff. It then cheerfully lists things that will apparently 'infuse your everyday life with a reviewed sense of joy and exploration.' Things that include spending time in a fort you made out of blankets, miming to your mirror, shaping things with playdough, and - I like this one - talking to yourself as two different characters while you do your housework.<p></p><p>That's all very well and good, but these are serious times. Between rising to the scent of the coffee maker and flossing our teeth before bed, there is a plethora of things to be done. Bills to be paid. Clothes to wash. Work to get to, and do -- hopefully somewhat efficiently despite the chronic lack of sleep. Groceries to buy, cook, consume. People to look after. While having a few laughs or exploring our personal creativity might be on the agenda, it often is not a priority item.</p><p>Can it be?</p><p>Possibly. Won't it be just another thing we end up having no time for? And as that no-time-to-play-ness heaps up over the week, another thing we can beat ourselves up for not doing. What's the value of it anyway?</p><p>I'm glad you asked. Of course, you would naturally assume I am an advocate for playfulness, and you'd be right. I'm not playful because some scientist or medical professional suggested it to me. I just sort of arrived there naturally. I'm an imaginative person, yet, I spent too many years being seriously serious, ended up someplace I didn't want to be, and then wished to find a path back to the me I used to be.</p><p>At that point, challenging myself to be artistic at all was huge. I wanted to be more inventive, yet I struggled with doubt and procrastination. I retrained as a graphic designer feeling that this work would allow me to be more creative while earning a wage. Struggling with any sense of self-worth, I began to take voice lessons - a very serious business in a lot of ways -- as much as I wanted to sing, everything in me told me day after day that I was hopeless and this was a huge waste of time and money. To help myself feel more confident on stage, I decided to take some acting lessons (Method Acting).To mitigate the angst of my singing journey, I took classes in improvisational theatre (a la 'What's My Line') hoping it would lighten things up a bit.</p><p>Even still, I ended up at my doctor's office with chest pains. After a good look at me, he said there was nothing wrong with my heart. I was so stressed and burnt out it was affecting me physically. I had to make some changes.</p><p>I started by getting up every morning and walking along the ocean, feeling the clean air, smelling the sea, taking time to look at my surroundings and realize how lucky I was to live in such a lovely place. I started to keep a gratitude journal. I got more involved with improv, doing lighting or sound for the shows, listening to people laugh, laughing myself at the absurdities presented by the teams of actors. It was a lot for me to step in front of people to do wacky things off the cuff and not worry about how I looked. But when I was able to let go, it was great.</p><p>According to psychologists, playfulness is a good thing. It makes us more innovative. We may see and appreciate the small things. Laughing is good for us. It reduces stress. We may get out and about more, meaning we're more physically active. Playfulness gives us a sense of hope or lightness of being, because it suspends time. We are 'being' in a different way, in a different place.</p><p>Since I detest housework, I may take ChatGPT up on its suggestion that I pretend I'm a character in a comedy and narrate my surroundings in a humorous way. Or keep a bottle of bubbles by my desk and blow bubbles from time to time -- maybe when I am on Zoom calls. Or take myself on an imaginary vacation. It's all about being child-like a few minutes at a time, a few minutes a day. </p><p>I have to run now. My 'Long John Silver' character is about to confront my 'Mr. Spock' character. Sparks may fly, logic or not -- I told Spock not to eat the last donut! Sighs.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-56164056610591283682023-05-28T03:57:00.002-07:002023-05-28T03:57:12.518-07:00Do you doodle?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4O4bkqkMZW65HYlqOFQoiKIXDrQX4oUofjWIhEWe8Zxkjrmftn7-9vCZXN3wDyq3GjXDz0RlElxgHvaPZ1jyNDmYREbTtfPCw7D2eKTLGJDiayurkwuiFu_6NbZAM1ZSam95lU0Zvxo0sJNLmCs91ZSLEkyfm59rIjE-WemijBmb8OyTu2w/s1152/doodle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1152" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4O4bkqkMZW65HYlqOFQoiKIXDrQX4oUofjWIhEWe8Zxkjrmftn7-9vCZXN3wDyq3GjXDz0RlElxgHvaPZ1jyNDmYREbTtfPCw7D2eKTLGJDiayurkwuiFu_6NbZAM1ZSam95lU0Zvxo0sJNLmCs91ZSLEkyfm59rIjE-WemijBmb8OyTu2w/s320/doodle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I watched an interesting YouTube the other day which claimed people who fidget burn more energy and therefore tend to be thin. I immediately started a fidgeting campaign and I will let you know in a few months if it had any affect other than annoying people.<p></p><p>As my mind works this way, it occurred to me that doodling is a kind of fidget. It's something we do rather absent-mindedly. But did you know that doodling is good for you? In fact I suggest a daily devotion to doodling, done deliberately and determinedly.</p><p>There are various ideas on the value of doodling. It's spontaneous expression. It might sort of open the gates to new ideas. Because it's free-flowing, and uninhibited, it expands the mind. A great way to brainstorm ideas to solve problems because you can map out ideas and visually draw connections or relationships.</p><p>It also has the advantage of reducing stress. In a meeting or in a call, the activity of drawing something can help you find a calm place. I say this because I know that drawing or painting tends to bring me to a state of peace.</p><p>Apparently, doodling has a cool effect on the brain as well. The act of drawing something strengthens hand-eye coordination. It can help develop spatial awareness, pattern recognition, memory encoding, and cognitive flexibility. Ah.</p><p>It's also a form of self-expression. It doesn't have to look like anything, or be anything, but the act of creating something visual without the need for it to be 'good' is a kind of self-exploration. Maybe it quietly reveals what you think or feel about something. </p><p>You don't have to be an artist to doodle. It's something you can do easily at various times and in different situations, to keep your creativity alive and maybe even open the door to innovative ideas.</p><p>Like singing in the shower, doodling allows you to resonate with the present moment in your own unique way. In my opinion, anything that opens the door to creativity is to be embraced. You may not have the time to take a watercolour class, or write in a journal, or compose a song, or make a v-log. But you can surely find time to doodle.</p><p>In time perhaps, at the local internet cafe, there will be people fidgeting as they drink their coffee and doodle on their napkins. Who knows where that exploration of simple-things-that-make-a-difference might lead.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-78226639969973080782023-05-21T06:40:00.001-07:002023-05-21T09:05:11.328-07:00How did I get here?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdThZ2179eV0tHHVLs4_a8YlagwX67XQ-CPwnQYZMxvkSvlcI6buy1vq8g27CpK0mgDBNI8aboW6fpPaikz8B2YMhZId90D1GMOZ9BHpDOrDTl9BmPjjkTHknMvEpIlPuqkfJWwc8bDxdegnmjL73ZI641h94rDdTwK2Bdx5D2NpuF8z7g3A/s1080/Shy%20Bird%20Meme.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdThZ2179eV0tHHVLs4_a8YlagwX67XQ-CPwnQYZMxvkSvlcI6buy1vq8g27CpK0mgDBNI8aboW6fpPaikz8B2YMhZId90D1GMOZ9BHpDOrDTl9BmPjjkTHknMvEpIlPuqkfJWwc8bDxdegnmjL73ZI641h94rDdTwK2Bdx5D2NpuF8z7g3A/s320/Shy%20Bird%20Meme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sunday morning, 5am, I am up, I am writing, I am designing, I am fiddling with artwork. I am both tired because I have only slept four or five hours, and vibrating because I am doing something I love that I hope might be meaningful to others. <p></p><p>This year is the year I move from thinking to action.</p><p>That statement reminds me of advice I read once that said, when you are writing a novel, do not tell other people your ideas. Do not talk about what you plan to write. Talking about it will lessen the impetus to actually put down the words. Stay silent, and write the thing.</p><p>For a long time I have contemplated putting my experiences into a book of some kind. I wrote outlines, began chapters - for some reason it just didn't resonate. Maybe I wasn't ready. Or maybe I had to be inspired.</p><p>This year, I found inspiration in a format that I really like. A form that mixes image and text, prose and picture.</p><p>That's really cool, and you will see the results in the right-hand column of this blog. Check them out and please let me know what you think.</p><p>When I 'arrive' somewhere, I look back and wonder, 'how the heck did I get here' and that's exactly how I feel now.</p><p>In writing these books I am reminded of my past life, the many people who have wandered in and out of it - some malevolent and cruel, many more who were kind, accepting, encouraging and trusting.</p><p>I am reminded I am someone who used to stammer, shake with terror, and run away from people.</p><p>I am reminded I found away out of that place with the help of incredible mentors and a passion for music that I still have today.</p><p>I am reminded I am responsible to 'pay it forward' as best I can, for those who helped me in singing, composing, and life gave their knowledge to me without constraint, in a spirit of compassion, humility and support.</p><p>If anyone is still reading this blog (and I have fallen off the blog bandwagon so I expect it's very few), I would like to say thank you for checking in, and promise I will be more active here. </p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-87749979038273892382023-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:002023-01-30T12:38:08.055-08:00I look out my window...<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sy0XcfviOWhEb_rMZHn_fc-Jh5t1KDsrgIyiR_y5Z1xLRQSbvNAiwrhkZ0Y7Ex1B7q2jUVeyETvOtl5Kf8oZP9h5dMB_zzVwO59czMJY91QxXlHoemyNEeUIgN-HS3Q39jIA5x7lXUN6qjlx72GooromSFk5QTBrlWCE1pfZodcXcF4_cw/s500/snowdrop-2102361_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sy0XcfviOWhEb_rMZHn_fc-Jh5t1KDsrgIyiR_y5Z1xLRQSbvNAiwrhkZ0Y7Ex1B7q2jUVeyETvOtl5Kf8oZP9h5dMB_zzVwO59czMJY91QxXlHoemyNEeUIgN-HS3Q39jIA5x7lXUN6qjlx72GooromSFk5QTBrlWCE1pfZodcXcF4_cw/w278-h185/snowdrop-2102361_1280.jpg" width="278" /></a></b></div><b>I look out my window</b> and see snowdrops, gently pushing their way through the leaves that lay beneath the bare tree. The temperature hovers around freezing. The wind is chill. It is nearly February.<p></p><p>My muse has been like those flowers, hiding in the shadows of fallen leaves, using them as shelter against the endless rain of winter, and the occasional snow or frost.</p><p>Why is it I feel more alive when the sky is blue and the light of the sun breaks through the mist to caress my face? I simply do.</p><p>Why is it I feel more alive when I engage in my music, my writing, or the creation of art? I simply do.</p><p>But, then, why is it I avoid those things that make me feel more alive? My own 'busy-ness' and scatteredness propel me away from simple things like walking, journaling, singing, writing, taking moments to stop and breathe. To be present.</p><p>We seem to be wired to avoid and procrastinate. And then, beat ourselves up for it.</p><p>The only way to change that, is to simply do.</p><p>I suggest, do those 'alive' things first. Ease into them with something nice (I'll sit down to write, but first I will make a cup of Earl Grey hot, just like I like it. And drink it mindfully). Then do the 'alive' thing you've promised yourself you will do.</p><p><i>"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes ... including you."</i> — Anne Lamott</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-15652150429352417922022-12-14T08:09:00.003-08:002022-12-14T08:09:53.000-08:00waking up<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0vB6Mo7PiMU6iWxanOCbZ6nkzFU6hOZ3Re8CDkFSBm7YTO5u0p9DiMjUCJgJgHxqT6VxS_fhvlIie4Jmbiu0jaXc2E1_TUfxzgLvBLInUjPtQfarhuKAhrgo8Ulv1pMGoPwUZ43aPG_uvSsfXDb4hedOTOM7tgTpGBu8El79kIjQInwTSg/s5811/isabella-and-zsa-fischer-GFKPATimbvM-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5811" data-original-width="3756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0vB6Mo7PiMU6iWxanOCbZ6nkzFU6hOZ3Re8CDkFSBm7YTO5u0p9DiMjUCJgJgHxqT6VxS_fhvlIie4Jmbiu0jaXc2E1_TUfxzgLvBLInUjPtQfarhuKAhrgo8Ulv1pMGoPwUZ43aPG_uvSsfXDb4hedOTOM7tgTpGBu8El79kIjQInwTSg/s320/isabella-and-zsa-fischer-GFKPATimbvM-unsplash.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>I often wake in the middle of the night. When I sleep a solid seven hours, it's rare and feels good. But recently instead of lying frustrated wanting to sleep, or watching modules of one of my composing courses, or getting up to do something because might as well... I've taken to listening to all sorts of music on Youtube. I just start and then Youtube has suggestions on the right hand side, which will lead me to something else, and then another. Sometimes I find old favourites or discover new ones. It reminds me of my wish to live a musical life...<p></p><p>It seems to me that I have been living in a shadow world since March 2020 when the lock-down first began. My world was the nice-but-small bedroom-converted-to-studio in my tiny basement apartment. It had one wide-but-short window that looked up into the back garden.</p><p>My vision became myopic and my experience of the outside world shriveled down to walks and grocery pick-ups... and the occasional drive.</p><p>I only realized this recently when a move prompted me to look out at the horizon, and I realized how dim the light had been.</p><p>Here's a cool cover I just discovered... <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HrmAgYE-6k&list=RD8HrmAgYE-6k&start_radio=1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HrmAgYE-6k&list=RD8HrmAgYE-6k&start_radio=1</a></p><p><br /></p><p>[Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@twinsfisch?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Isabella and Zsa Fischer</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/sleep?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>]</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-11651713917899824622022-12-07T02:57:00.000-08:002022-12-07T02:57:56.338-08:00snow, and stuff<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNG0r47KQ1WU8WrVNCgYU7eCg-zOGH5FBA8sh1CmR1oR6cYM3GE8mVEcPfCnNnkE7DykB5RZgpya0IktpjVEBnDM2kFqxOL2wcSCNtC7DfjWrRDTi-VfvEHMws559JOMaKfR1TG_Ufj3gEwoWYy8Bsk7xkylabqB7Kx5fd70Vgpp2XZcF6g/s800/gino-castillo-GtcbqalW0bQ-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNG0r47KQ1WU8WrVNCgYU7eCg-zOGH5FBA8sh1CmR1oR6cYM3GE8mVEcPfCnNnkE7DykB5RZgpya0IktpjVEBnDM2kFqxOL2wcSCNtC7DfjWrRDTi-VfvEHMws559JOMaKfR1TG_Ufj3gEwoWYy8Bsk7xkylabqB7Kx5fd70Vgpp2XZcF6g/s320/gino-castillo-GtcbqalW0bQ-unsplash.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>A winter epiphany. On occasion, life hands you lemons, and you struggle to make lemonade. Or maybe you think of making lemonade. Dream of it, put it on the to-do list, procrastinate, and then beat yourself up for not making it. The to-do list gets longer and the stagnation grows. Until one day you wake up and realize, in not making lemonade, you have stopped yourself from making other things as well.<p></p><p>I am not a hoarder but I have far too much stuff. Boxes I haven't unpacked since my last move. Boxes of things I buy to accessorize my life. Boxes of things I supposedly need in order to have a fulfilling life.</p><p>How do you get in the flow, connect with your muse, when your spirit is weighted down by the undone to-dos and the collection of unused items that sit around you in the corners and the closets?</p><p>It is difficult enough to struggle against the doubt that arises every time you sit down in front of the blank page. The undones and needless proliferation of stuff become a stop sign too as they are always there in your peripheral vision.</p><p>I have tried setting the goal of going through a box or a drawer daily. The trouble is one starts, begins new piles of recycle, rehome, junk... and becomes overwhelmed after a few days. The reorganization grinds to a halt and becomes another bit of guilt-inducing evidence.</p><p>I think the only way to really deal with it is to force yourself to do everything now. Devote three days to one job, which is going through stuff, and removing to the charity shop or recycle or to the junkyard everything that you don't need to put hands on in order to live.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-35959142106957551552022-08-09T05:36:00.003-07:002022-08-09T05:36:52.640-07:00Ebb and flow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzUD_GHvOZbwXeGo3P9xrEXsnBWuORHav5LPPmFZXZzZylCORYbtNU7A3T-0--PoEfR9MLMGh-nF4vwZk27cRTI5FX6W9rRR1jlds2c5E51dqlnx9IMofaNlAuwwT5NDc4GIgPlBYh69NKW0EVthJX7VXBwZmE8Tp3RsxSHCa3O1PR5IEPQ/s206/arbutus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzUD_GHvOZbwXeGo3P9xrEXsnBWuORHav5LPPmFZXZzZylCORYbtNU7A3T-0--PoEfR9MLMGh-nF4vwZk27cRTI5FX6W9rRR1jlds2c5E51dqlnx9IMofaNlAuwwT5NDc4GIgPlBYh69NKW0EVthJX7VXBwZmE8Tp3RsxSHCa3O1PR5IEPQ/s1600/arbutus.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>I found it encouraging yesterday to watch a Youtube video by a visual artist and composer, who talked about the ebb and flow of creativity in his life. It made me aware that I am not alone in facing the seemingly unstructured down times that seem to hem me in more often than I would ever wish.<p></p><p>Why do such things happen to us? Why do we periodically give up on art and creativity? Too busy? Too lethargic? Too overwhelmed with responsibility? Too sure our offerings will be meagre and imperfect and prove our own inadequacy? </p><p>Probably all of the above.</p><p>What is the answer? Well, I think Julia Cameron, author of 'The Artist's Way,' devised a method of staying in tune with the creative self. The two things she recommended are daily 'morning pages' and a weekly 'artist's date.'</p><p>Morning pages are simple. Write three pages of unstructured, not-stopping, whatever is in your mind stuff. Preferably (you guessed it) every morning. These help get the gloop out of your brain, and get you into the flow. I found that mine were quite boring and often contained unimportant things like what I needed to remember to get from the store and who I had to see at three o'clock that day. But I persevered, and over time I started to see patterns. One was, how much I bash myself. The other was, how often I talk about the same problem, over and over again. Both led me to make adjustments. </p><p>It's easier to look at someone you know or someone you are mentoring and see what they are capable of, and how often they hold back. We see their abilities, and as good friends, encourage them. And perhaps brush away their supportive comments about our own creative talent. </p><p>I think a place to start is to first begin a gratitude journal or a gratitude practice, of listing ten things each day that we're grateful for... tea, chocolate cake, helpful people, the internet, my circa 1996 car which still starts, watermelon, box fans, my landlady's garden which I am free to enjoy, music, and the ability to binge watch on Netflix.</p><p>Then, the challenge is to get up every day and do the thing we have promised ourselves to do, no matter what. Walk in the rain, sit at the desk with an empty page in front of us, open the sketchpad, watch the next tutorial on Blender or Photoshop, or look for yet another youtube explaining what equalization (EQ) is and how do actually utilize it when mixing one's current composition.</p><p>But before that, even before engaging in the artform or the learning of skills or the practice with tools, are the basics. I hesitate to say this as it seems so mundane but since I watched a video that said artistic practice starts with this, and began to do it, I do feel like something shifted. The first thing I do when I get up is make my bed. Then I gather the tea cups and water glasses and take them to the kitchen, and do the dishes. Then I wash and dress. Then it's my walk.</p><p>I have resisted routine all my life. I feel it is boring, tedious, and I'd rather do anything but. However, engaging in these simple things every day, starting with a clean slate, opened me to the flow as much as any morning pages might do... even more... because in writing morning pages with unmade bed and messy kitchen, one has reasons to bash oneself, feel despondent, and decide to do anything else but bother to engage in art. </p><p>It's good to be back in the flow. As part of this I finally looked at the manuscripts and notes from a novel I have been working on for some years, through more than one NaNoWriMo. I have scribbled on it here and there. Finally I said, let's take the best part, rewrite & edit it, and publish it. Finally. And then I said, let's make it a series. And then I said, book two will be a brand new story. And then I said, it will be published next month. Gulp.</p><p>My composing friends have often said, don't wait for inspiration. Keep working on it daily. This puts you in a state of readiness. This invites inspiration to visit. Do the work, and then you'll be inspired. ~</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-12615319102068255502022-07-23T09:44:00.000-07:002022-07-23T09:44:54.887-07:00How time flies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgw8q1_jAWCctmHShzbYErhpAFtRbg_2oDCPNe89NKm2M2LOVeEP9EORaLl6700UDfHy5vAB5qH8MgQgs8PyZcFcRtWisRoKPqmXpDLMLhxnREjivK40YCxUR7LlZScK8dfbKFfHVOXNPy93I3QEkhpWR-h79x5MXZDkJ6gUWXBSZ9yWQCQ/s1024/Lighthouse%20pix%20color%20Reflections.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgw8q1_jAWCctmHShzbYErhpAFtRbg_2oDCPNe89NKm2M2LOVeEP9EORaLl6700UDfHy5vAB5qH8MgQgs8PyZcFcRtWisRoKPqmXpDLMLhxnREjivK40YCxUR7LlZScK8dfbKFfHVOXNPy93I3QEkhpWR-h79x5MXZDkJ6gUWXBSZ9yWQCQ/s320/Lighthouse%20pix%20color%20Reflections.png" width="256" /></a></div>I have been writing, and creating... but not blogging. It started with an adult colouring book, with comments and reflections by me, plus empty journal pages for the reader... and that lead to the creation of more. <p></p><p>Helped by the fact that I know and enjoy design, learning the ropes of publishing my creations was kinda cool. I've sold a few now - no earth-shattering earnings (don't believe the hype on youtube, etc), but the joy of coming up with an idea, shaping it, laying it out, designing a cover - is its own reward.</p><p>The bulk of my work until now can be termed 'low content' (empty journals or recipe books) or 'medium content' (books where I provide some reflections or information, the rest is up to the reader). But I am now working on a 'high content' idea or two. </p><p>One is non-fiction, and would be along the same lines as this, my blog, talking about the artistic journey. And I will wade into fiction as well - I have participated in 'NaNoWriMo' several times and have sketched out at least two novels because of it.</p><p>In all of this the challenge is to stay motivated, and stay working. There are a hundred distractions, and one thing I know about the creative instinct is that, as soon as you sit down to create something, a myriad of things you never think about (and could care less about), start shouting that they need attention.</p><p>If you'd like to look at what I've created so far, the list is here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3Aeps+typographics&s=relevancerank&text=eps+typographics&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" target="_blank">eps typographics</a></p><p>~</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-78070732554148510112022-02-22T11:26:00.001-08:002022-02-22T11:48:32.087-08:00The shrill call of the Naysayer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0ueby6AOCu6D21gcYWqaCIa6XFa4RkwOvPhtzTdzArXBw2WxCQ8v7ivOjhTomc-BdCcH5EsrF7XitPr9_su723WEBFNjL6nuaGTLgH-SeJ0FgfD3TaIKfMrR3VKwJVSTplw-0PTHVbK_lrC11TtrK9jIzoc3tO9wRXQVZ_SDFLdP1tq1Dzg=s4334" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="4334" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0ueby6AOCu6D21gcYWqaCIa6XFa4RkwOvPhtzTdzArXBw2WxCQ8v7ivOjhTomc-BdCcH5EsrF7XitPr9_su723WEBFNjL6nuaGTLgH-SeJ0FgfD3TaIKfMrR3VKwJVSTplw-0PTHVbK_lrC11TtrK9jIzoc3tO9wRXQVZ_SDFLdP1tq1Dzg=w201-h134" width="201" /></a></div>Besides the mighty Inner Critic inside each of us, the one who happily regurgitates all the slights and derisive comments of the past, we may, as we wander this world. encounter another species of Homo Sapien, and that is of the Genus Naysayer.<p></p><p>Those who have observed the Naysayer note how shrilly it calls. It sings a discordant song as it passes overhead, and dumps crap on our dreams. It then flies away, its job done for another day.</p><p>The Naysayer presents itself as an expert in all things. Sometimes it even is an expert in something and uses that expertness to swing its spear wide and pierce all the hopes nearby just in case anyone else wishes to attempt to rise to its exalted position.</p><p>The Naysayer is not always direct. It may use honeyed words to entice us in before giving us a large slap on the forehead. It may disguise its tsunami of criticism as helpful. It may present its uneducated opinion as absolute fact.</p><p>The Naysayer is very astute in one way. It seems to know just where you feel the most sensitive or unsure. Once it ascertains this, it will very carefully aim for your jugular, citing its overpowering care for you while laying your soul bare.</p><p>As you lie there, bereft of hope for your fledgling artistic self, it walks away, secure in the idea that it has done you an immense favour by explaining the ways and means in which you are a disappointing failure.</p><p>Together, the Naysayer and our Inner Critic slay our hopes and dreams with ease. They limit us, make us freeze in our tracks, make us give up, stop us from moving forward.</p><p>The only way to beat them is to keep to a routine and do the work in spite of what they say. Day by day, week by week. Become Genus Perseverance. </p><p>-hugs</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-52076817504460083872022-02-19T04:51:00.000-08:002022-02-19T04:52:43.057-08:00Be kind to yourself<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5VbtV9loevZdQSpyKGSODQiBXxTVdJnNjRxugR4eJ2TYLaz24yarA96lClhEabqg0Dv0g-pONBJ-AVnjpbi6maMKMQF96Gl_11ewVXP-BzP-PHw7JjqW-1lb0QbLydyjosuIW--ovTFxcGSurowOJ1tiEk0whEZ7Yne3uVYjx6KKyLPPWPQ=s700" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="700" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5VbtV9loevZdQSpyKGSODQiBXxTVdJnNjRxugR4eJ2TYLaz24yarA96lClhEabqg0Dv0g-pONBJ-AVnjpbi6maMKMQF96Gl_11ewVXP-BzP-PHw7JjqW-1lb0QbLydyjosuIW--ovTFxcGSurowOJ1tiEk0whEZ7Yne3uVYjx6KKyLPPWPQ=w191-h125" width="191" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">In your creative journey, as you practice your artform, as you experience the act of making something from your imagination and with the skills you currently have... the end result may not be exactly what you envisioned. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The harshest critic will often be that voice inside us. That voice is an amalgam of all the criticism we remember and all the awkwardness, embarrassment or shame we have experienced when receiving it.</div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">That voice is a feedback loop that the crocodile brain will play all the time. Whether we 'fail' and even when we succeed beyond our wildest dreams, that loop will tell us those negative messages over and over again.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In fact, sometimes we're more successful at putting our own attempts down than we are at making them happen.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As much as we may wish that voice would shut the heck up and leave us alone... I think it has a purpose. Our goal should not be to erase the voice. Our goal should be to ignore it and continue, with determination and purpose, on the path of artistic expression and creative manifestation.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Our own negativity towards ourselves then becomes the whetstone. If we persevere in spite of it, over time we will get stronger. Our skill level will increase, our knowledge will expand, our experiences will become a foundation for the next creative act.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We overcome the negativity of the voice by the act of doing the art consistently.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When we are in artistic mode, practicing or creating, we do need to try to remove the critic and just allow ourselves to be where we are on the path, and enjoy the process.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When we are done, when looking at what we've done or thinking about what we've accomplished, we need to remove judgement. Our goal should be to simply observe.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And the first observation should be, always, what we did well. I'm not saying we should be dishonest, I'm saying we should look long and hard if we have to in order to find at least one thing positive to say about what we've done. </p><p style="text-align: left;">List the positive things first. Then acknowledge a couple of things that need to be tweaked. Write them down for next time.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Don't beat yourself up for being 'less than' what you want. Understand that art (no matter what medium) is a process. Understand that it's not about perfection, it's about experience. Understand that, if you continue to practice in effective ways, you will improve.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Be kind to yourself on that journey.</p><p style="text-align: left;">-hugs</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-19824109539584297392022-02-15T05:17:00.003-08:002022-03-06T08:25:59.808-08:00Creatively Speaking...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqKvdKmhRK4V-iMEu-KyAmoZJfgIwww58FUjGfqFvW_RMRkynzffvy_OYoOfO0sNOHPVWLwqMWiS6nLvNq9TGYJhCUwXAEYRjsWGEiqFJsM1me1ntis-i6eYA_QSVJl0dEcUdl7COjCZ59uEShX03cZ08pcBASFn2NkM7-NJI8iwiKXZ9O4g=s1080" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqKvdKmhRK4V-iMEu-KyAmoZJfgIwww58FUjGfqFvW_RMRkynzffvy_OYoOfO0sNOHPVWLwqMWiS6nLvNq9TGYJhCUwXAEYRjsWGEiqFJsM1me1ntis-i6eYA_QSVJl0dEcUdl7COjCZ59uEShX03cZ08pcBASFn2NkM7-NJI8iwiKXZ9O4g=w275-h275" width="275" /></a></div></div>One day I decided to put together a book. It would have black and white drawings that could be colored. Apparently many adults enjoy coloring, finding it a serene and peaceful thing to do. I came up with the idea of making it also a journal, so I added lined pages for thoughts, reflections, poems. Then I felt inspired to add my own memories and reflections. I would sit, listening to tranquil music on Youtube, and write. Together these things became...<p></p><p>"<i><b>Creatively Speaking: A beautiful inspirational writer's journal & coloring book</b></i>" by yours truly.</p><p>US Link - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBRGH59">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBRGH59</a></p><p>CA link - <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09SBRGH59">https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09SBRGH59</a></p><p><i>"I hope you enjoy this specially designed multi-purpose and heart-felt publication. It's meant to be part journal, part coloring book, and part inspiration. There are words and graphics, phrases and ideas. Whether you brainstorm, write poetry, or lyrics, whether you sit quietly in nature or at the kitchen table, I hope you find serenity and peace within these pages."</i></p><p>-hugs</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-52021068605404115522022-02-14T04:15:00.000-08:002022-02-14T04:15:48.719-08:00How do you love yourself?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirqXFeSh1mqSKk5N5zh2Zcz5eL3_rv33u_ZZAysa8zzcRYhQf7PhNgIV8Y-5aRgle4CGXq1tqVazU_WW4q2KgvsXHgjd7Irs8cSJ4JpmKbfKm89iGVBnfg3pSoc6IWle47huRCq_a03xE_OTCOuf3K8_5VED2_qShbolLrTtmkjzBVnAb9NQ=s508" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="508" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirqXFeSh1mqSKk5N5zh2Zcz5eL3_rv33u_ZZAysa8zzcRYhQf7PhNgIV8Y-5aRgle4CGXq1tqVazU_WW4q2KgvsXHgjd7Irs8cSJ4JpmKbfKm89iGVBnfg3pSoc6IWle47huRCq_a03xE_OTCOuf3K8_5VED2_qShbolLrTtmkjzBVnAb9NQ=w218-h145" width="218" /></a></div>'Love yourself first' says the old adage. The meaning of that statement was outside my reach for many years. <p></p><p>How do you love yourself when the world tells you that you are unworthy?</p><p>There is a certain mindset, a certain attitude, a negativity, that I felt from others. I was taught I would never be good enough. If one person tells you that, perhaps it haunts you or even limits you. What happens when it feels like everyone is saying you don't have value?</p><p>Perhaps, like me, your light is dimmed. Your voice grows silent. Your playfulness and creativity are muffled. You learn to walk the dictated path. You learn to listen to hints of what is expected and strive to please others so they will be pleased with you.</p><p>You spend years denying your unhappy state, your creative aspirations on the back burner or hidden away. Sometimes those who do care for you will nudge you to do more, believe in yourself. But their voices (and your own) are muted by the cacophony of statements and feelings integrated from the less enthusiastic.</p><p>Why is it that we will leap to discourage others? Why is it that the 'good news' is an afterthought? Why are human beings so negative? Why do we 'enjoy' watching others be thrown to the lions?</p><p>The weight of all that darkness can take me down to the abyss. </p><p>As sad as that sounds, I believe that weight can be lifted, that the light can shine, that your own voice can grow and be heard above the crowd.</p><p>It starts from the inside out. Examining your own thoughts and habits. Asking what works. Asking why you think that way or believe this. Asking what you want to change, then doing the work to change it.</p><p>It's understanding that you are not, today, all you can ever be. It's believing that you can grow. </p><p>It's realizing that creativity is a process. A journey. We start where we are (as much as we might like to be somewhere else). We make mistakes, we write badly or sing badly or paint badly, we persist in 'doing' the art. Each thing we do is grist for the mill, an experience. As those things happen, come into existence, slowly and deliberately we start to see the potential and celebrate the small successes.</p><p>Perhaps you start to realize that you are who you are for a reason, and that your life experience is now there to draw on for inspiration. Perhaps your own voice is the one you listen to first.</p><p>Perhaps you have the compassion to forgive yourself for anything and everything you did and didn't do to get to this point.</p><p>You can't change the past. Tomorrow is yet to come. What will you do today?</p><p>~hugs</p><p><br /></p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-84914597237327730092022-02-13T11:57:00.001-08:002022-02-15T06:41:04.930-08:00Quietly aware<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinZX5L5Is-28_hJOS7K1LM-0K0LFkmtzMfG7COJ-YA8MMvtVfjNTJVMeESmxuBXAhEwUg_VEWxRydneOAUt1VIHzYeeqiyJtK0wiyxEL80QvnaK6rR--D_6zB1Sy7sWHRrwDI49jqe_SgnSIJRhA_w4l6927PrU9bOAsdnuCWAkzJth0V_bw=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinZX5L5Is-28_hJOS7K1LM-0K0LFkmtzMfG7COJ-YA8MMvtVfjNTJVMeESmxuBXAhEwUg_VEWxRydneOAUt1VIHzYeeqiyJtK0wiyxEL80QvnaK6rR--D_6zB1Sy7sWHRrwDI49jqe_SgnSIJRhA_w4l6927PrU9bOAsdnuCWAkzJth0V_bw=w251-h141" width="251" /></a></div>In my life I have often felt an outsider. I wanted to keep apart, yet strangely I also wished I didn't feel so unconnected to others. I didn't know how to reach out. <p></p><p>Small talk was something I didn't understand. I saw others having casual chats at coffee break or at social events, and had no idea how they did it. Anytime I tried, I just felt tongue-tied and super-awkward.</p><p>People would often remark on how quiet I was. I listened more than I spoke. Noise pressed on me and silenced me.</p><p>Being quiet doesn't mean I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I would see how the light softly traced the outline of the leaves on a tree. I would hear the tiny birds chirping in the hedge as they flitted from branch to branch. I might be the only one who noticed a snowdrop living in the shadow of a fence post.</p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-85255512048261102692022-02-13T00:15:00.000-08:002022-02-13T00:15:53.189-08:00#4 Creative Hack<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX3MUSwxxVIZIYcq4DE6wvDcZeUI26pmLotl3xsBkGGfG9_5oZ3BczR6ZIQOeR0Lz8pzUX46KQzUrbPMkCovpfYQKCGyI1dljRMybUIMNF9n49SLICZO5rAUALdEwpFxqhF5l1kHCz4aaCFr3t4tNbb300kxzsVmOSzUefKeb8f5h0-v8SoQ=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX3MUSwxxVIZIYcq4DE6wvDcZeUI26pmLotl3xsBkGGfG9_5oZ3BczR6ZIQOeR0Lz8pzUX46KQzUrbPMkCovpfYQKCGyI1dljRMybUIMNF9n49SLICZO5rAUALdEwpFxqhF5l1kHCz4aaCFr3t4tNbb300kxzsVmOSzUefKeb8f5h0-v8SoQ=w257-h171" width="257" /></a></div>It's 11:30pm on a Saturday night and I'm writing my blog. <p></p><p>I've noticed this is my routine now. I fit writing in and around other things. And for once, insomnia is a blessing.</p><p>I tend to wake up somewhere between 3:30 am and 4:30 am. Usually, I can't get back to sleep. After feeling frustrated with this, I finally decided, if my brain wants to be awake, let's get it doing something. </p><p>So, I started going to Youtube to watch videos on film scoring, composing, Blender, Photoshop, psychology. Or I'd go into one of the online courses I've taken and review a module.</p><p>More recently, I've gotten up, gone to the desktop, and worked. </p><p>I'm amazed at how productive I am so early in the morning. By the time my normal wake-up time of 7:30 am rolls around, I've written or composed or designed something I'm pretty satisfied with. </p><p>Of course, I have the freedom to have a little siesta a bit later in the day.</p><p>As a creative person I've always rebelled against rules and routines.</p><p>But getting up before the sun is definitely a creative hack I can wholeheartedly embrace.</p><p><br /></p><p>~~</p><p><a href="https://theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/2018/10/3-creative-hack.html" target="_blank">#3 Creative Hack</a><br /><a href="http://theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/2017/01/2-creative-hack.html" target="_blank">#2 Creative Hack</a><br /><a href="http://theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/2017/01/1-creative-hack.html" target="_blank">#1 Creative Hack</a></p><p><br /></p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-30023581159863122142022-02-12T23:43:00.002-08:002022-02-12T23:59:41.685-08:00'The Depths of Loch Ness'<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NRH8BKTjgRU" width="320" youtube-src-id="NRH8BKTjgRU"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11116467.post-63226426509938895642022-02-12T23:41:00.002-08:002022-02-12T23:59:34.574-08:00'Ocean'<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vK-bgfG6UNI" width="320" youtube-src-id="vK-bgfG6UNI"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316920412470809124noreply@blogger.com0