My initials tangled

This was a challenge I saw posted out there in Zentangle world...to take your initials and "tangle" them. I found this project very fun. I've seen other interpretations and hope to do another one with my whole name to see how it turns out.

Zentangle - #1, the very first

This was really my first attempt at this new thing I've discovered called "Zentangle". Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself. I love the repetitiveness of doing it and the freedom to just create without having to worry about the outcome. I think that's what intimidates me most about creating a new piece of artwork...the outcome. What if I spent all this time working on it and it looks awful? That's happened. I've scrapped paintings, torn out sketchbook pages (that's why I prefer a spiral bound - no evidence!). I've wasted time that I have so little of. With this, I feel like there's no expectation to the final product. It is what it is. It's the process that's the most rewarding, not the end. If it looks cool, yay. If not, it doesn't feel like such a wasted moment.

I'm scouring the internet for more patterns to use and for inspiration. I've seen some pretty cool stuff and for now am inspired. The problem with inspiration is that I think it's more of an aspiration - meaning I aspire for my work to be like that, not that you're choking on your own saliva. I've done that too and it feels ridiculous that you can't control your own slobber. Jeez. Anyway, I know I need to do less of that and more of my own thing, but that's hard when you don't really know what your "thing" is. I'm still trying to figure that out. This has been a long process for me and I feel that I get closer and closer to it, but just haven't quite reached it. I hope to sometime in this lifetime. Perhaps I'll be 80 when I figure it out - but I could sure use the money now. :) For now, I just play. Try to create something cool and hopefully sell some it along the way if not just to feed my habit.

Bedtime story

In the polite company of others

Yesterday after lunch, Addison asked to come play at my work for a few minutes. They have some visitation rooms with lots of toys and she loves to play there every once in awhile. In the midst of her playing, she abruptly stops and worriedly asks, “I need to fart, is there a place to fart around here?”. Stifling my laughter, I tell her where the bathroom is. She honestly just needed to expel gas. I’m sure she’ll appreciate this story when she’s older. :P

But that brings a thought to mind. Why don’t we have farting rooms? Most people just do it where they are to the displeasure of those around them, but if we had a flatulence room maybe this would lessen our exposure. There have been patents and inventions for special fart-pants, though I can’t help but think that having an air-tight pair of undergarments on would host a multitude of other issues, let alone the comfort value.

In America, flatulence is not acceptable. In other countries, it’s as common and acceptable as a cough. I remember a few years ago reading a news blurb about some boys kicked off a school bus for farting. A bit extreme, no? I’m sure there were other factors at hand – pre-teen boys can be quite gross and unruly at times. I suppose I wouldn’t have wanted to be on that bus either. If farts were more socially acceptable, this wouldn’t have been an issue. You don’t hear of many cases where a kid was teased relentlessly for coughing, do you?

Anyway, farts are gross and smelly and you shouldn’t do it in the company of others if at all possible (and I think it’s possible most times). My daughter has learned to not do it in the polite company of others. Although, my car hasn’t been the same since she used to leave stink bombs before I let her out for school. Thanks for that Addison. Karma.

Future famous dress designer