Ink!

I got my first tattoo a few days after my 21st birthday. It was my birthday present to myself--my first self-defining act as a fully legal adult. I love it and have been wanting to get a second tattoo for a long time. I've come up with several ideas over the years, but none have ever stuck (heh) with me for very long.

My grandmother passed away this fall and, for a variety of reasons, there was no formal memorial service or funeral. I was struggling to find a healthy way to channel my grief when suddenly it occurred to me: my next tattoo needs to be an owl. I love owls and so did my grandmother. Every time I see one, I can almost touch the Grandma I remember from my childhood--full of energy and fully in charge of her world.

The universe conspired to assist in the form of a winning raffle ticket and I am now in possession of a gift certificate to the tattoo shop that I was planning to use. I'm now in the visual research stage of the process and hope to get the tattoo by the end of January.

Here is a sample of some of my Google Image Search results so far:

A Theme Song for this New Year's...

...From one of my favorite musicians. Enjoy!

Not particularly creative, but it sure feels good

Today I waged a battle against some of the clutter/excess stuff in my house. The results:

A reasonably organized coat closet where before there was a pile of junk and empty boxes.




A virtually empty coat rack that is visually appealing and actually useful when I have people over.



I already feel a little lighter.

One of the things I like most about my life...

If there is something I do not like about my life, I have the resources and the will to change it. Not everyone is so lucky.

Merry/Happy Christmas!

I want to...

Find a creative outlet. Sometimes I feel like an artist without an art form.

A few weeks ago, I attended a holiday craft fair featuring the work of several of my co-workers. I was amazed by the quality, quantity, and creativity of the offerings. I work with some talented folks and I was beyond proud and excited for them. I also did most of my holiday shopping at their tables.

On the other hand, there was a part of me that was horribly jealous. I felt a little sick, as if I had missed a boat that everyone else had managed to catch. How are they able to do such interesting things that I feel I cannot do? After all, we all have similar jobs that require similar skill sets. Surely I am not the only one missing a creative spark?

Of course the answer to all of this is that my colleagues have experimented enough with different crafts that they know what they do well. They've got years of practice behind them and they've put in a lot of work.

Do you think it's too much to hope that I might be able to have a few modest offerings to sell at next year's craft fair?

Today is Someday...

For as long as I can remember, I've put a caveat on all the dreams I've dared to utter. Things like: I'll write a book when I'm older and wiser(or when I have more time, more money, or higher self-esteem, etc.).

In more recent years, I've started to add the phrase "I can't because..." I can't sing because I don't know how. I can't travel to Germany because I'm nervous about going alone. I can't knit because I'm not crafty.

If any dream should make it through these filters, I feel compelled to tack on "someday". I'll live in England someday. Someday, I'll try to play the guitar again. Seemingly, I'll tell myself anything to keep myself from doing the things that I want to do. This is insanity.

The truth of the matter is that a lot of the things I want to do terrify me. They carry a certain inherent level risk or, worse, they introduce the possibility of failure.

I am turning 30 later this year and I must start moving forward. I must start doing some of these things now, or else I may never do any of them. As it turns out, I fear becoming stuck more than I fear taking risks. Someday has to turn up eventually and today is just as good as any other day.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

I had forgotten about the power that music has...

...to rearrange one's thinking. To crack a brain open and stir things up.



I heard this song by Frank Turner for the first time when I was on vacation in England this summer, sitting in my friend Margaret's kitchen. Out of nowhere, I was struck by so many things that I had forgotten about myself. Ideas I used to have. Things I used to love. Things I wanted to be whenever I grew up.

I was remarkably fearless and the world was a wide, wonderful place, full of possibilities. It is good to remember that.