Patience, patience

I have nothing specific to write about yet lots of different thoughts in my head.  I have been thinking about patience as a learned skill.  I am not sure if we are born with patience.  I think we develop patience over time, based on experience. I know I can be a patient person inherently and I know I  have had to spend many years working on new levels of patience because it is impossible force things to happen. The invisible clock that determines when things will happen in life is something that forces us to be put the brakes on.  Your way may not be the best way. Sometimes, no matter the avenue you take, the steps you take, or what you try to change,  your only option is to follow the process, whatever the process is… Go one step at a step no matter how slowly versus racing to the finish for immediate gratification.  I have learned you cannot always kick doors open. You have to wait for the right time to unlock the door or wait until the door opens on its own based on your own actions.

Little things can open doors. When you piece all the small steps and little things together, you will find you have come upon something bigger, more answers, new perspective.  It is sort of like sculpting a stone.  Precise movements with a chisel or other tools help shape a sculpture.  If you rush, you may find you have hacked off a chunk of stone or have cracked the stone and have to start from the beginning or scrap the project entirely.  Rushing to the finish is not always the answer though tempting.  Sometimes you have to take a step back, evaluate your work, listen to your gut and then proceed.  I have been working really hard on my day job, on projects and had to just take a step back for a few days and let the energy settle around things.  I suppose I disconnected from it all for a few days and did things like shop and shop and shop some more. Things I definitely do not do on a regular basis, however, it was time for a little break.  I went to the mall and actually enjoyed it versus finding shopping to be a chore. A little retail hiatus is what I needed to clear my thoughts and reset my thought processes.

Getting back to patience.  Sometimes you have to follow a process to get to your end result.  Sometimes that process may take more time than you prefer.  Sometimes the process may seem illogical.  Sometimes that process may only reveal itself with each little thing you do which means you may be at the end of the process when things become clear and you have a moment of, “Ohhh so that’s what it was all about.”  I suppose learning patience is about learning a life lesson and teaching yourself to change your ways or slow things down or to follow what you cannot see.

Liebster Award

A Liebster Award

I was so surprised when my friend Carissa reached out to tell me that she was nominating this blog for a Liebster Award. It is a nice way to introduce others to new blogs and writers and it is so nice to know someone reads my blog.  In my eyes, new can be new to you and me or brand new to to everyone.  Everyone has a point of view to share so discovering a new blog usually means learning something new.

Carissa and I became friends in college through friends we still have in common today.  We ended up in the same study abroad program and she proved to be a true friend when I needed one and a fun, adventurous travel companion.  She can probably do a far better job of a telling a story about a crack of dawn train ride through Austria during which there would be no sleeping in our train car.  I decided to keep her awake blabbing about something on my mind…about which I now have no recollection.

Anyway, Carissa is a talented writer with rich stories to tell about life and her adventures with friends, family and her four fabulous children.  She is a regular writer for the Huffington Post which I feel is incredibly impressive since she is an example of: you never know where a creative venture can take you.  This is just the beginning for her so let’s see where she is in 5 years.   Here is a link to her blog  http://www.carissak.com/ and here is a link to her Huffington Post column http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carissa-k/.  She is officially a published online writer – how cool is that?

That said, with the nomination came questions she asked me to answer:

What inspired you to start blogging?

During most work days, my brother and I are in contact via Google Talk.  I could not really tell you what we chat about but I can say, there were many times when he would say, “You should blog about that.”  I was unsure about the blog thing and he set me up with access to Word Press, told me to start writing, and eventually I did.  Though I was unsure what the theme would be and started out with nothing in terms of a design, I figured my brother would read my blog and one reader is a good start!


How about a round of Rose and Thorn?  What was the best part of your past week, and what was the worst?
The best part of my past week getting off the plane in Atlanta, GA and deciding I would pretend I was on vacation while in there though I was really there for business.  I figured I better make a game of it since I really had no interest in being there.  I started out with a Pinkberry frozen yogurt as I walked to my red VW Jetta rental car.  When I checked in at the hotel (somewhere I had never previously stayed) I was told I received an upgrade to a 900 sq ft luxury suite that was like a high rise apartment.  It was like being on the vacation rather than imagining I was on vacation!  I had a concierge, a living room, dining room and a view of Buckhead and downtown Atlanta.  It was a nice surprise for an otherwise ordinary business trip.  The worst part of me week last week was the end of the movie Gravity – the new Sandra Bullock/George Clooney flick.  The last 2 minutes of the movie were over the top and kind of silly in my opinion.
How is the way you grew up playing a role in your current adventures?
My current adventures are encouraging me to rediscover my creative side.  Up until about the age of 12, I did all things creative and artistic.  I went to yoga while at Montessori School.  I painted, wrote “books”, I  doodled and drew and had drawing pads and coloring books, I loved art class. I learned to bake and to knit.  I used my imagination to pass the time quite often.  Somewhere along the lines, I lost that and I often wonder where I would be today had I kept developing that side of me versus sending the creative me off to hibernation.  My blog and other things have made me rediscover creativity and it is a valuable escape from day to day life.  Who knows how I will use creativity in the future.
What was the last book that you read?
The last book I read is:  The Game of Life and How To Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn.  It was written in 1925.  Someone recommended it to me and found it interesting because the power of positive thinking has been around for a long, long time!
What do you collect?
I seem to be collecting LuLu Lemon workout gear.  If LuLu Lemon had clothing that were appropriate for the corporate environment, I would buy it.  Alas, it is best for the gym and working from  home.
If you could take a cross country road trip, who would you invite to join you and why?
Well, this is a difficult question for me because I can think of several people with whom I would make this trek.  I might stuff my entire family into an RV and see if we make to the the other side of the country without trying to toss one another out of the RV onto the side of the road.  Plus it is something my Dad has always wanted to do and my Mom might protest and would be glad she did in the end.  I might also take 3 of my college friends on a road trip because it would be the closest I could get to all of us living in the same town/city again.  Lastly, my friends who are twin sisters.  We went on a trip together a few years ago and I declared myself a triplet because we had such a great time together.  And we look so much alike – me blonde, blue eyed and they are brunette, brown eyes.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Definitely the caramel sauce drizzled on top of my latte at Starbucks.  I have been known to lick it off the top if it gets stuck on there.  I also like watching Grey’s Anatomy and the Long Island Medium when I want to disconnect my brain from reality.  Also Pinkberry frozen yogurt right next to gate A9 in Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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I am supposed to nominate another blog friend for this award but I do not really have any “blog friends” other than Carissa.  I will share other blogs I read often because with an open mind, you can often learn something from others:
http://nicoleandtheangels.com/blog-2/   A blog written by a very talented spiritual guide to anyone who needs something other than the usual day to day.
http://ohhappyday.com/ a blog inspired by colorful, creative party planning and design ideas and DIY party projects.  Anything called Oh Happy Day is worth reading in my opinion.
http://pinchofyum.com/ a food lover started this blog.  Her photos will make you want to eat pancakes or any other recipe featured.
http://www.sherocksfitnesstx.com/ DIY workouts for a good butt kicking and a down to earth read about food and life in general.  I have learned some good things here.
http://www.yettas.com/ a photo a day by a photographer who I feel produces very good work and also my brother (nevermind any bias) and a member of my personal advisory board.
There are many more blogs I really like and visit often – I suppose going back to the what do I collect question – I collect blogs. Perhaps I need to start a blog roll on this site as many people have very interesting content and perspectives.
Thank you for reading this blog and the blogs of others!

Are The Right People Around You?

Building upon an idea requires the right people to provide support or to add insight .  My vision is fuzzy when it comes to visualizing color and creative interpretation.  I am working on a blog makeover and when I made the decision to do this, I felt like I was standing in a strange city without a map or GPS.  I was unsure of how to approach my vision.  On a whim, I reached out to someone I found online who has a side business of creative design for blogs and websites.  When I shared my vision, she replied with some abstract ideas that I loved.You know you have found the right person when you see their suggestions and say, “WOW! I love this!”  I can be a very literal person and while I can do many things, envisioning a creative or artistic design is difficult for me.  I can describe what I want and convey what inspires me but bringing that together into a picture can be tedious!  I need someone who can help me interpret my vision or show how colors or patterns can be complementary.

My strengths lie in areas that are less artsy and more logical.  I can envision ideas on a practical level and come up with concepts. When it comes to colors, coordination and aesthetics, it is a struggle.  I knew I had to find someone who could help me with my blog idea.  There are some things just better left to people have skill sets that are different than mine.  Plus, I really have little interest in doing creative design or blog design and much prefer the surprise of someone else’s interpretation and ability to run with a vision or an idea.  Ask me how to solve a problem, I can probably come up with a solution.  Ask me to pick out fabrics or patterns or colors for anything and you may see a blank look on my face.

It brings me to the idea of understanding your “power”.  What are the tools you have intuitively and naturally that you can share with someone else to help them along whatever path they are on?  What do you hold in your hands (figuratively) that you can work with and use that may be stifled or collecting dust?  We all have something and it can vary from ability to fix things to baking cakes to interior design to writing. Recognizing what you do well is really important.  Recognizing where it would be helpful to hire help or to have someone pitch in is always will serve anyone better.  It comes down to knowing your strengths and capitalizing and knowing your weaknesses and accepting them.  It takes so much more effort to try to make a weakness a strength and so little effort to ask someone if they can help when it would be most beneficial. For example, I have a friend who may as well be a professional shopper/stylist.  She has taught me how to incorporate colors and style into my wardrobe in ways that I can repeat on my own.  However, every now and then, I need her assistance shopping because she has a eye for fashion and I do the best I can.  When you ask for help or hire someone, make sure you have people who are excellent at what they do and make sure you choose people who will show up. Consistent. Reliable. Trustworthy. Objective. Present. Supportive. These are the words that come to mind for me when I think of who I want to working with me.  It is important to gather the right people to support your vision else you may find things slow down or do not turn out as you envision.  If you are lacking what you need in the people around you, make a change.  If you find yourself going to a person who understands your vision or can give you helpful objective or even actionable feedback or advice, then you have the right person. Know when to run with what or who you have and know when to bring someone new on board and to make a change to benefit your path.

Self-Doubt Chirping

Working past self doubt is a challenge.  I have this plan for a new blog.  I will be running two, actually.  You are reading my skirt and high heels blog (in need of a make over).  My new blog will be my running shoes and kick up my feet blog.  I am working on a plan to invest money into the appearance and the design of both of my creations versus my usual method of throw the spaghetti up on the wall.  I guess it could be called an investment in my future in spite of the little voice in my head saying, “the future of what?”  Thank you Self-Doubt for chiming in and trying to squish my idea, is all I have to say about that.  This is one of those things that came to me and I felt like running with it; yet Self-Doubt chirps away.

Someone recently observed I fear things and I probably have no idea what it is I am afraid of.  I found that to be a fair assessment as the unknown is a source of fear for me and something about the unknown rattles my confidence.  I have no idea what the unknown holds and that is my own obstacle.  Who cares what the unknown holds?  I am reminding myself to shape the unknown as I want it to be and to allow changes and shifts as things reveal themselves.  I have to remind myself to just take a little leap of faith every now and then, as there is really nothing to lose in pursuing an idea.   I need to focus on what I want to do now and how I want the “now” to unfold.  Self-Doubt needs a mute button.

Taking an idea and allowing it to come to fruition can be a revealing way to let others see your point of view or perspective and to hear your voice (literally or figuratively).  You may learn something new about yourself and others may learn something new about you.  In my case, Self-Doubt can be an annoyance and an idea stopper.   Self-Doubt feeds fear…or does fear feed Self-Doubt?  Chicken or the egg?  Needless to say, the combination can be the source of self imposed obstacles that can stop creativity or progress in its tracks, if allowed.  I suppose it is  natural to hear the chirping of Self-Doubt in any venture or process and it is a lesson in will, I think.  Mute Self-Doubt and carry on.

Do It Your Way On This Day

Remember what is important and remember how good you have it.  How many times do we all forget to relish the times of simplicity in our lives?

Today is a day that reminds me where I was and what I was doing and how I first found out a plane hit the World Trade Center.  I can remember how I reacted, my surroundings and all the things I did that day.  The media coverage was overwhelming at the time.  Since 2001, I have always avoided TV and any kind of news outlets when the calendar switches to the 11th of September.  Like a cattle brand, my memories are burned into my brain (like anyone else) and I need no further reminder. I can remember the phone call from Jersey City informing me of something I actually thought was a mistake at first.   I can envision what I saw from Newark airport a few days following.  I can envision all the missing persons flyers I saw in Penn Station and posted around the city for a time following that day.  I can remember the memorials at the local train stations for the people who never returned home.  People say never forget.  My response is I can never forgot, nor would I forget.  Some times I wonder if it is disrespectful to avoid media coverage of the memorial events each year.  However, I really feel the news media can give anyone information indigestion.  I feel each person should observe this day however they wish, in whatever way is most comfortable. Though I am hardly religious, I woke up this morning and prayed for peace and protection for all the people who lost someone or more, all the people who were lost, all the people who are saddened or sick as a result of events on that day.   “Anyone who needs it on this day, please bring peace and protect the people who have passed and the people who survived or were left behind and every person touched by the events 12 years ago.”  Then I started my day.  I decided to respect those impacted by remembering I am fortunate to drive to work and sit at my desk.  With my usual grace, I spilled coffee on my dress and was grateful that was the worst thing I had to deal with today. I was reminded my “issues” are trivial and for those of us not living through something, whatever that something may be, the rest of us can extend empathy, compassion, kindness and support to those who need it. I found this quote last night and it is a good reminder:  Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.  Be kind.  Always.

Appreciate when you have periods of time in life when things are uncomplicated.  Appreciate when you are the observer instead of one of the affected and help when you can.  Do small things to show kindness because even the little things go a long way.  What goes around comes around. When you need kindness, it will come back to you in ways that likely would surprise you.

I do appreciate the light installation in lower Manhattan.  I saw many pictures on Instagram tonight.  It is quite peaceful and serene.

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Change This, Change That

There are a bazillion things you can do with your life.  There are a bazillion ways you can change things in your life. How do you decide what and when and how?  Change can be difficult without a doubt.  Changing habits, changing patterns, changing beliefs, changing lifestyle, changing your shoes, changing anything you can think of has its challenges.  Some changes are more challenging than others.  Maybe change can be fun, maybe it can be tedious or maybe it is just a necessity.

There are people who know me who will say I am a creature of habit; though I guess I do have a hard time picking things about me that are “creature of habit-isms.” Since the age of 10, I have always appreciated consistency and stability so I guess that is a creature of habit-ism.  It stems from moving.  My family uprooted to a new state when I was 10 and it changed my life so much that I think from then on, I have been inclined towards predictable.  Moving away from what was familiar to an entirely new place was a big deal for me.  I was unable to express how I felt or what was bothering me so my Mom had to deal with a lot of 10 year drama when I started at my new school. Kids in my class were picking on me and teasing me which was opposite of my experience in my prior school. I knew everyone, we all went to elementary school together, I was hardly aware of my height or my braces – till I went to a new school, in a new state and something changed!  When I think about that time in my life, I find myself saying, “Ohhhh maybe that is why I like a home base” or “Ohhhh may that is why it would take a lot to get me to move far away”.  I tend to reflect on life experiences that have given me reason to pause based on circumstance or situation.  I wonder what my perspective would have been if I felt like moving was an adventure as a 10 year old?  Adjusting was something that eluded my vocabulary upon setting foot in New Jersey.  I never knew then to change my perspective about the circumstances at hand.  Change can be forced, change can be weird, change can be tough, change can just happen whether you are ready for it or are asleep at the wheel.

On a lighter note, change with awareness can be quite good.  For the last two weeks, I have been on a perimeter of the grocery store breakfast, lunch, dinner plan with a daily stop at Starbucks (need latte) and the occasional non-perimeter snack.  Call me Captain Obvious but this little change has really made me feel better when I workout and after I workout and has given me more energy in the morning.  I have been researching new things to eat and to prepare and am amazed how much healthier my eating habits have been. Less sugar and less dairy have really given me more energy when I workout.  Hardly rocket science but revealing to me since I considered myself a healthy eater (with a penchant for cookies…and the cake pops at Starbucks). Changing what you eat and how much water you drink, really does a body good. Making a change and seeing positive results is motivation to continue down a path and to look for other things to tweak and modify.  When it comes to how you eat or what you drink, one has to want to change otherwise it feels like a chore.  I remember when my Dad had a heart attack, the next day, while in the ICU, he said, “Well I guess I can never eat escargot again.”  As if he ever eats escargot?  However, he was in a hospital bed thinking of all the things he could suddenly no longer eat because he had a rude awakening into the life of a cardiac patient.  The escargot statement did teach me it is better to make changes on my own volition rather than being forced in another direction by circumstances I could have controlled or influenced.  

Is it possible to feel every change as a good change?  I am unsure, however, it possible that whatever happens, the outcome may always ended up better than expected.  In the case of my grocery store perimeter meals, at first it was quite torturous.  I really felt like it was torture to change my ways and avoid my favorite yogurt and sweet treats for two weeks (Chobani Flips are like dessert yet yogurt, do try). After a full week suddenly the discomfort dissipated and I also found some healthier alternatives to my standard sweet treats.  I survived the change of habit!  I am hardly strict with myself (as noted by the corn bread I ate tonight) as everyone needs a treat here and there!  However, I am liking the change.

 

Choose Your Team Wisely

If you were starting a new business, who would you discuss it with?  I believe anyone embarking on a new venture needs moral support and someone to help them along when they lose faith in the opportunity at hand; even more so when a person feels like they have lost it for feeling so passionate or believing in something that requires planning and effort.  The belief in the unknown can be intimidating while passion is very motivating.  It is such a human thing to believe you are on the right path  and a day later feel as those you have lost your mind or become enveloped in self doubt.

Who believes in you?  My question is intended to generate constructive thought and “no one” is an unacceptable answer.  Who in your life stands by you and believes in who you are and what you can do?  When I believe in someone I can believe in their ideas and what they wish to accomplish.  I have no explanation as to why those two things go hand in hand.  If I believe in you, I can support you and if it appears you need to rethink something I will share that with you.  I can think of many friends who have business ideas either in progress, on the radar, or in their heads.  I find it most interesting how contagious a person’s passion can be for something they believe in.  Passion is contagious and it has taught me that every person needs their own cheerleader or coach or a phantom teammate.  Someone who will listen to ideas or provide encouragement or help one see the forest from the trees.  A silent teammate is what it feels like to me.  I am on your team while you lead the way and see things through. I am on the bench waiting to help out when called upon.  I definitely play this role for some of my friends.  One of my friends is working on two different business plans.  A rodeo comes to mind when I think of all she is trying to do.  She has a lot coming at her.  When she falls off the bucking bronco someone knocks her off the horse, I run into the ring, put her back on the horse and tell her to hold tight because she is doing exactly what she is meant to do.  I even pitch in sometimes with her business plan.  Now and then I get a message for help with ideas so I run back into the ring and I jump on the horse to help her redirect for a just a short while and run back to my seat on the bench. I have no idea why I am using a rodeo metaphor.  This person neither rides horses nor lives anywhere near a rodeo but it just seemed apropos as I wrote.

I feel anyone starting a venture of any kind needs someone to help keep them on track.  Sometimes we are so deep in the weeds, a reality check is helpful as the human mind can take us to negative places and create stress, worry and discouraging thoughts. The skeptics can weigh and derail goals and ideas which can be discouraging – that is why you need to look to your team.  Everyone needs a team to surround them whether it is a team of 1 or many, it is an important part of any venture.  We all need someone to help us to get back in the saddle and remove the blinders of doubt to refocus on what needs to be accomplished to reach goals and dreams.  Nothing is every easy and the people you choose as your team can make a world of difference when it comes to encouragement and moral support.

That’s Kinky

In line with a previous post, I started this blog without worrying too much about the details.  Start writing and figure out it as I go was my process.  Throwing the spaghetti up on the wall – it works!   I guess now I can start working out the kinks!

There are readers (which is humbling) and some have shared feedback, which is greatly appreciated. One reader has asked me to set up the ability to have new posts sent to her email inbox.  I thought that made perfect sense – go to my reader instead of making the reader come to me!  I started to try to enable a widget to set up this functionality before I had my coffee on Sunday.  It was not my greatest success as I am hardly a tech whiz and before coffee, I tend to give up on that which might tax my brain!!  I tend to be less inclined to read directions and more inclined to just have at it and then contact my brother, the webmaster, when I have either really messed something up or am stymied.  Nevertheless, this blog can now send email updates.

I have to look at the good side or learning side of every situation so here are the lesson in it for me: always know when to ask for help and welcome help! Listen to the feedback of those whom you trust or believe in and decide what to do after processing the comments.  The people around you will help you learn.  I will also add, make it easy on your readers.  In my line of work, I always try to make things easy on my clients, if in my control; thus, hopefully email updates will be helpful to anyone who visits this blog.  Email addresses will not be used for any purpose other than an email notification to inform you of a new post.   Thank you for reading!

Time and Time Again

cTime goes by and things may stay the same or things may change.  Time does many things whether we are consciously aware of it or not.  I started to think about this after a short visit by friends whom I have not seen in about 5 years. They live out of state and decided to pop in on me this morning and though brief it was so nice to see them again.  Time goes by yet preserves the bonds and connections we create with people we meet. I say this as I feel it is a common human experience to reconnect with someone and think or say, “Though so much time has passed, it feels like I saw you yesterday!”  Time puts human connection on hold and lets us pick up where we left off, if we so choose.

Throughout life we encounter painful experiences that can be difficult to understand or comprehend.  Life is full of good things which can be easy to embrace and unpleasantness that can be painful or unsettling.  Sometimes I can only think of one thing to say when someone is struggling, “time is a great healer”. It carries much truth in my opinion.  Though I take no credit for this idiom, I know there have been situations for which time has been the healing factor to help me.  It is with time that we begin to settle in and understand the things that might be hard to process in a specific moment or given period of time.  I know I have heard, “give it a little time, you will begin to feel better.”  Time has some sort of medicinal quality whatever the hurt, upset, pain or maladie, whether physically and emotionally.  There are times when some things seem irreparable, however, given time, a person can learn to heal or forgive and move on from something that may have been quite powerful in a specific moment.  I do realize in some cases healing and forgiveness are easier than in others so I appreciate every situation is unique.  

Time is also a bit of a magician by way of  providing clarity, insight and perhaps perspective as the hours and days carry us away from a situation. I  have a friend who always says. “In time, the answers will eventually surface” or something along those lines.  I do believe this is true.  Have you ever been in a situation and the information at hand seems disjointed or unclear?   Yet whether it is days, weeks, months later, you receive the clarity or answers you wanted at an earlier time? If you let it do its thing, time will help reveal or unravel or shake out the information and results that may have been previously elusive  or hazy.   When the time is right, what we need to move forward, gain insight, start again or find closure will surface.  All in a matter of time.

A Mind of Its Own

What does it mean when someone says, ‘Have faith in the process’? Does it mean just go with the flow?  Does it mean be patient?   It is so hard to be patient when events in life are outside your control or when the what to do next seems unclear.  I have so many things rolling around my head these days and often find myself wondering when my brain is going to take a break.  Figuring out one’s purpose or relationships or career or where to live or anything “big” in life can be elusive,  challenging and perplexing at times.  I keep reading things that implicitly or explicitly state ‘have faith in the process.’  Have faith in the process of making yourself crazy trying to solve puzzles for which pieces appear to be missing?  Or  does it mean just stop thinking and see what happens.  When I try to stop thinking about something, I find it to be an exercise in futility.  I would love it if my brain had a delete button for some things; but alas, as a human, the brain can work overtime and springs things upon us whether we like it or not.  If it means go do something, what do you do when you are unsure what to do?

The trigger for much of what goes on in my brain is how I feel about the things rolling around in my head.  My brain used to take care of everything.  If someone asked how I felt, I would reply with ‘I think….’ and never ‘I feel…’.  I used to be able to compartmentalize things in my life. Put it in a mental box, tie a bow around it, and go about my business.  I am unsure when my brain was pushed out of the driver seat and forced to work alongside feelings and intuition but it happened.  

Since my brain had to to reckon with feelings and intuition, other things have come to light.  I have been inspired to be more creative. It may sound unusual and I felt it was odd at first, then I started to just go with the flow. I went out and bought watercolor paints and brushes and started painting.  I used to love be creative and artistic and when I walked into an art store last summer, I was in awe.  All I could FEEL was ‘Whoa!!! There is so much I can do in here!’  I quite enjoy painting with watercolors and drawing among other things.  I realized I had put my creative self on a shelf many years ago and had forgotten about it.  I would guess most people would be surprised to find out I have a creative side at this point in my life.

I also started to write in the last several months. I used to write and illustrate short books when I was a kid.  I have translated that into a personal blog, this blog, and a few notebooks   There are times when I just need to write whatever is top of mind.  It is rarely creative whimsical writing and often about something that struck a nerve in a good way or a bad way or a curious way.  

I guess going back to painting and writing are cases of me just going with the flow.  Doing rather than questioning; though I must admit sometimes I am unsure of why or what.  Maybe I just had faith in the process of dusting off my creative side and there is more to come.

Are you a thinker or a feeler?