“Wicked Game”
Best Anecdote I’ve Read in A While
Reductive Painting
Fun and Natural
“Fifteen minutes of fun exercise each day is the equivalent of one anti-depressant.”
Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage
To Market
It’s on Amazon.
People ask me why I don’t market it more and try to maximize sales. At this point, I’m not trying to make profits or “become known.” I’m honing my craft and still learning a lot about art and writing.
My goal right now is to make meaningful work in my own voice and to do better with each project.
I’ve adopted Seth Godin’s philosophy (and James Altucher’s ideology) of “choosing myself” and that’s why I’ve chosen self-publishing.
Nature is Wondrous
I spotted this gorgeous guy in my parents’ backyard in Georgia. Look at that tail!
Watercolor + Doodling
Opal
Her hips are giving her trouble.
At Last
These are the words I’ve been fighting for: “Print Previewer didn’t find any issues that will prevent you from submitting your book for publication.”
Kevin the Complainer – The Cover
I’ve been working on this intermittently for a week. Trying to learn Adobe Photoshop just to get the cover done. I didn’t have to use Photoshop for “Esther” although I do recall having a challenging time with the cover page. I’m learning the benefits and downfalls of linking layers vs. grouping themin Photoshop. This is much more than I ever thought I needed to know when self-publishing, but it’s interesting and pretty fun.
Just ordered a proof. After I’ve received it and checked it over, it’s publishing time!
Summer Reading
Addiction
“The thing that will give you your body and nervous system back is physical exercise. I can’t stress it enough. That’s how I got my body and nervous system back. You have to go to boot camp. It makes you feel better. It’s the only thing that does. Eventually, it scours the devil out of you.“
James Taylor on his addiction to heroin and alcohol
Her Favorite Water Dish
Just Happy
Old photos of my daughter with someone else’s puppy.
Almost Done
“Carlos and Minji accepted his apology and they all were friends once again.” p. 36 of Kevin the Complainer
Cover for “Kevin”
I considered using the one below, but it doesn’t fit the character properly.
Publishing date (Target): June 7th, 2019.
Kevin the Complainer
In the silence that followed, Kevin felt calmer. Lily’s reaction (or, rather, lack of reaction) to his complaints gave him space to think.
She left a lot of space.
And he realized that he just might be wrong.
Kevin the Complainer
Kevin muttered, “I knew this was going to be a bad day.”
Kevin the Complainer
“Kevin felt something in his chameleon gut. It felt all wrong.”
My Daughter Likes This
In the Weeds
Idyll
Teacher Retention*
“Public School Teacher Attrition and Mobility in the First Five Years,” found that 10 percent of new teachers in 2007-08 didn’t return the following year, increasing cumulatively to 12 percent in year three, 15 percent in year four and 17 percent in the fifth year. The totals include teachers who were let go and subsequently didn’t find a job teaching in another district.
“Two important findings support what NEA has advocated for a long time. That high-quality mentors and competitive salaries make a difference in keeping teachers,” said Segun Eubanks, director for Teacher Quality at the National Education Association.
Data from edsource.org
On Graduating and Growing
Your path is your character defining itself more and more everyday like a photograph coming into focus.”
—Jodie Foster
On Graduating and Growing
Your path is your character defining itself more and more everyday like a photograph coming into focus.”
—Jodie Foster
Oh Well…
I tried to make a few cute faces and they turned out creepy instead.
Little Things
One of my 5th grade students asked me for a week what my favorite animal was – I answered without hesitation: dogs!
Such a sweet, thoughtful gesture.
Blue Man
Leaving Flagstaff
Leaving Flagstaff
Hotel Doodle
Assembling “Kevin the Complainer”
Putting illustrations in order…
Misshapen Watermelon
Paint
Blind Contour #3
Allow me to Explain…
Blind Contour – do not look down at your paper or lift the pen as you draw.
Sometimes Work Be Like This
Mom. Mom. Mommy. Momma!*
Blind Contour #1
Day one of Creative Living Challenge
Rules: Don’t look at your paper as you draw and don’t lift the pen.
(I cheated a couple times.)
Nat’s Final Rule
“Make positive effort for the good.”
Natalie Goldberg (quoting her Zen master)
Get up out of bed.
Brush your teeth.
Pick up the pen and start writing.
Nat’s Second Rule
“Don’t be tossed away by your monkey mind. You say you want to do something—“I really want to be a writer”—then that little voice comes along, “but I might not make enough money as a writer.” “Oh, okay, then I won’t write.” That’s being tossed away. These little voices are constantly going to be nagging us. If you make a decision to do something, you do it. Don’t be tossed away. But part of not being tossed away is understanding your mind, not believing it so much when it comes up with all these objections and then loads you with all these insecurities and reasons not to do something.”
Natalie Goldberg
