"Weird Dream"

When people begin telling their dreams this way -- "I had a really weird dream last night ..." -- isn't that redundant?
I mean, when was the last time you had a dream that wasn't weird?

On Target

It pays to open those Target coupons.
I didn't want any of the products for sale (that's why God invented Costco), but the coupon catalogue was full of faces to draw!

Monday

And you're wondering, what do these two images have in common?
Nothing, except that they both (for different reasons) snagged on my gray matter.

Recharge

Have a lot of work this weekend - school and project -- and so it seems a perfect weekend not to do anything just for myself. Yet the sketchbook is where I am completely home, not worrying about impressing anyone but myself. I realized as I was doing this page (after all my regular work was done for the day, of course) that I used to think the sketchbook was the most important thing I did.

Now I think that might be more true than ever.

How Do You Brainstorm?

Creative problem: Come up with a cover image for a book.
No, come up with a GREAT cover image for a book. That's your assignment. You've taken a couple stabs at it, with the "great" part still eluding capture. It's time now to re-think, re-imagine, blast the walls of that blasted "box," etc.
And all that keeps going through you're head is, "I gotta be great; I gotta produce; what if I can't; how will I?"

So you calm it all down, and you say, "Of course you'll be great. Of course you'll produce. Now do it."

OK, so that's you. Where do you start? How do you lift the arm on that stupid record player and get down to business in creative problem-solving mode? Do you have tricks you play on yourself? Change your clothes, say a prayer, makes some lists, listen to a particular tune, run through the alphabet?

What works for you? After I complete my own particular brainstorming task, I will synthesize my own process and report back. I can tell you, however, that the first step was drawing this journal page to loosen up.

Trust me

When I say that this drawing was cooler before I laid down that stupid background.

Inspiration

Out my back window



These plaid icicles were shot through a window screen


The idea was to buy Chase Jarvis's book, The Best Camera Is the One That's With You, for Lylah, who has become quite the little photographer lately.

But when we got the book home, I was totally smitten. Jarvis compiled a thick book of wonderful photos he'd taken all over the world with his iPhone. Proof of the truth of the title is right between the covers.

I had his adage in mind when I pulled out my own iPhone this morning to capture winter's gifts.

Dunno about you but ...

I'm actually glad my every move no longer puts me in the path of holiday baking.
I'm kind of relieved that I'm now back to my old treadmill tricks.
The tree is down, the mantle is de-Christmas and everything is a little leaner -- till tomorrow, when Sarah and I go for brunch and a bloody Mary. (But just a little one.)

Language Fairies Love ...

Strong verbs.
It is true.
The Language Fairies would rather "leap" than "go," "giggle" than "be amused," "peer" than "see."
In fact, they would never say something dumb like, "It is true."
They would plant their fairy shoes in the soil and proclaim, "We speak truth."

They have asked me to suggest that you submit your favorite in the "comments" section.
("No, no!" they say. "We demand it!")

I'll start. One of my favorite strong verbs is "illuminate." Another is "thrust."

Pardon My Wrinkles Part I

I went at this spread with a lot of H2Ocolor and the paper, not being intended for such treatment, shriveled up like an old man's .... knees. (WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS GOING TO SAY? Shame on you!)

Sketchbook fetishist that I am, wrinkly pages please me. Not so much when reproduced on the web, but that's what we have here.

I did, however, get a new big Moleskine watercolor sketchbook. When I say "big," I mean -- I dunno, 8 by 10 or something? Maybe I'll bring that one out soon.

January 4

Happy New Year!

So ... Go ahead.
Don't call them "resolutions" if that word scares you.
Call them intentions, as I did and do.

Yeah, I know. People are really down on this idea. It's newly fashionable to declare resolutions stupid time-wasters.

I beg to differ. What I've found is that there's something about putting things in writing that helps direct me. Maybe I would do these things without calling them intentions, or without "resolving."

And to be sure, I didn't meet all of my own expectations for 2009. (You'll see "owl walk" on my list again and it isn't because the first one was so great I want to repeat it. It's because I never got around to it.)

Anyway, resolutions can be one way of knowing who we are, because it's a guide to who we want to be.
So I say write 'em down. It's fun to look at the list at the en of the year. I think they matter. And if you'd like to share any of these, I'd love to read them.

Oh, and may 2010 be wonderful for you -- especially if 2009 was particularly difficult, as it was for so many people.

P.S. Not on my list, but in my head is yet another intention: Learn how to draw black dogs. It's harder than you think!