Between a twitter and a blog stage

There is a lot of talk lately on one of my online art groups about twitter and it's advantages vs. disadvantages. I think it is not for me as yet. As one member said, you have to have something to market or really want to share/say something out there to make it work for you. Otherwise it is just another crap fun share show...

I am not at that stage yet. I can barely keep up here and with all the other stuff in my life, am keeping it simple. But want to keep the momentum of sharing here. Nothing earth shattering, nothing to sell or promote as yet. One artist's post I appreciate reading lately is pulling away from the "blog" concept. He feels people are trying to make their writing too "important." He has redesigned his whole presentation to just essays. Then another friend I know just keeps putting up beautiful pictures of places and things around her area and life. Nice... just a quick look at somewhere else in world where someone thought enough to arrange beauty in their life, or nature Herself is especially inspiring.

So, as a compromise I will post here more frequently just by sharing things I find here and there. Short posts, longer than twitter but linking to other things I find beautiful, creative, or just inspiring... others' artDreams which get me going.

Here is the one for today, looks like a lovely book. The video of the author and a preview of a documentary about him is inspiring by themselves. The video is shown below the book listing:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Body, Mind, Soul & Creativity - a balance

Today, I wrote in my Morning Pages* about how my new aqua fit class is helping me feel stronger and more flexible. Good... Then, I got into how giving up eating dairy for two weeks seems to lessen a skin problem I have, but not enough to really feel that that is what causes the problem directly. But, still, good...
Then, I started writing about how tired I get of spending so much time writing about my body in the practice meant to move me forward in my creativity - and overall, how, in general, this middle age time period seems to be all about thinking and working for my BODY waaaaaay too much. Ugh...
All this body stuff is necessary just so I can walk around my local supermarket and "keep on my own" - as they say. I am getting complete knee replacements in the coming year so it is also necessary to prepare - but I hate all the time it takes besides a full time job and home.
I have spent most of my life in my mind, my art, my soul and a creative life. Not any more! Then I get angry when my Pages end up reflecting that sort of thing instead of where my creativity is going or how my meditation is...
So, got through the daily entry and another part of the Artist Way path is something called synchronicity. We practitioners like to share these type of occurrences in our lives. For the sake of blogging, here's mine for the day. I get to work, open my email and find my daily horoscope. I am not a huge follower of astrology but did study it a million years ago so still have some interest. What does it say to me?
"You may not be able to tell where to draw the line between reality and fantasy, making the decision process more difficult now. Expanding your spiritual horizons is easy, but keeping yourself anchored to the mundane world at the same time is also worth the effort."
So, if you are looking for me, I will be over by my recumbent bike, after work, later today... dreaming...

*"Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages-- they are not high art. They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind-- and they are for your eyes only." Julia Cameron

Analogue Series Contest

Michael Nobbs has now put up a contest to win one of his drawings. I have three of his Beany's but would love a framed drawing too. (almost feel like a Michael Nobbs Groupie - but hope I have known him too long to get that title!!!)

Anyhow, here is my submission for the Analogue Contest.

The minute I read his blog on it, I thought of a conversation my Mother In Law and I had a month ago. I was staying at her place, which is actually a basement apartment in her daughter's house. We were upstairs in the kitchen and Mom said, "Oh, I hate this! I need to wash my hands and all there is is this smelly, liquid, squeeze out soap. What has EVER happened to the old BAR soap on a dish, that one can grab and just use?"

At the time, I agreed I like having bar soap handy also, but it did not come to mind until Michael's post on "what is analogue" today.... I think he knows that even if I do not win, I am so pleased he inspired me to do a *terrible* drawing, no matter what, today ;-)

Analogue Series Artwork Share

My friend and AWGrad colleague has got me back here again. I have been THINKING too much of what to write here and then shutting down because of the quality and/or time necessary... keeping up a blog regularly is not as easy as one would think...

He is, as I have posted in previous messages, always an inspiration. His latest blog post made me say a "HA! wait til you see what I have done in your Draw Your Life booklet, Michael!!!!" Always good for getting an artist moving... for better or worse.

He says he has gone analog, somewhat. You can see Michael Nobbs posts here, but I want you to finish with me first! I have been following his analogue series the last days but have had thoughts like, "Oh gawd, am I THAT old? I still listen to tapes regularly, and he talks like they are the way of Seven Track tapes, oh dear!" Then, after today's post I needed to say, "Hey! I use an even older analog whisker at least once a month for my scrambled eggs." And now show off the page, in his booklet where I had even drawn the thing the other day.

I won't draw the tapes I listen too, but here is an older drawing of my last typewriter. I know, I know, rather mystic looking, huh? But I did have a fondness for it and at the time was doing an piece comparing old composition to the "new" composition machine called a computer, so the internet still had a mystic part to it.... I had drawn it by hand and this was one of the first Photoshop play times I had had.