Do You See the Monster?

N is for Negative Space*

In third grade, my art teacher instructed us to never have too much white paper in our art. “Fill the white space!” Ah, Mrs. Raims. She was great. She gave sound art advice. If you have a small figure on a large canvas of white, it ought to be small for a reason. It ought to be making a statement.

Negative space, however, is not all bad.

“Negative space is, quite simply, the space that surrounds an object in a image. Just as important as that object itself, negative space helps to define the boundaries of positive space and brings balance to a composition.”

Jul 26, 2017 (Creativebloq)

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The logo on the cup is for an adult-targeted alcohol and gourmet ice cream shop! (Creativebloq)

I embrace this philosophy of negative space. In a literal, every day sense, I love having lots of negative space in my house.

It leaves room for possibility.

*part of my alphabiography series

Bookish

M is for Moving*

My daughter brings books from school

Sherman Alexie and John Cheever

mesmerizing, momentous and magnificent

Indigenous American meets Chekhov of the Suburbs

stories of the malcontents,

the maniacs and the maculate

This teen is spellbound

macrocosms beyond her self now revealed

like I was, when I first split a book in two

*part of my alphabiography series

Stability

L is for Ligament

In a split second – the bond is ruptured

an accident, a mishap, a casualty

first, shock, then pain

this disconnect of parts

damaged

autografts are best

heal thyself

Show a Little Tenderness

K is for Kindness

To be kind means to be benevolent, to be compassionate and caring.

I am kinder on some days than others. When I’m not as kind as I’d like to be, it’s always because I am not being so kind to myself. Being hard on myself because I didn’t eat as healthy as I should have, or skipped my work out, or said or did something “dumb”…can lead me to show not-so-kind behavior to others.

If we were all kinder to ourselves, and we made a concerted effort to be kinder to others, this world would change.

Truly, I believe members of hate groups (such as the KKK) do not like themselves. They possess unsavory feelings about themselves and then their outlook on the world changes. They look for scapegoats to blame for their own unhappiness and fears.

Have you noticed when you’re really happy – happy with yourself and your life’s situation – the last thing you want is to be mean to others?

I wonder if you know the story behind the KIND bars. The founder (Daniel Lubetzky) is a son of a Holocaust survivor. He remembers his father telling him that while he was in the concentration camp, one German soldier threw him some potatoes, risking his own life in order to be kind.

Watch the three minute video. I love how this company says that “nice” is passive, but being kind is an ACTIVE verb!

kind bars.jpg

Jump, Jive an’ Wail!

J is for Jillian

I have been doing Jillian Michael’s workouts for the past seven years or so.

A friend of mine introduced me to her DVDs and I’ve been hooked ever since. At 48, I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and it just takes 30 minutes a day. (Do I sound like an infomercial or what?)

In my youth, I exercised to look good. Now, I workout to be strong.

When I feel strong physically, I am stronger mentally and spiritually.

I take care of my health for my loved ones, too. I want to be active for as long as possible and I want to model good living. Yesterday, my 15 year old daughter said, “Mom, when I’m your age, I hope I look like you.”

Body+Revolution+Logo

*Alphabiography blog series

Art is in the Eye of the Beholder

I is for Illustrating

I’m teaching myself how to illustrate. There are so many resources online:

I don’t have a goal, per se. But it’d be nice if I could illustrate my own books. I just know that I am loving this process. I sit down with my pencils, art pens, watercolor, paper and coffee (or other nice beverage, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and draw!

*Alphabiography post

Why Do Quail Run?

H is for Heed

I used to honor the fast and brash,

the notorious and well-heeled,

the industrious zealots

who marched on downtown pavement

But I’ve come to recognize true virtue

in the quail’s quivering plume –

in the solitary bay of the owl at dusk –

and in the jeweled skin of a rattlesnake

Wherever You Go

steve-richey-7217 — Photo by Steve Richey

G is for Geography

Davenport, Iowa

my childhood: pizza and friends, rollerskating rinks and birthday parties, and

Tae Kwon Do

DeKalb, Illinois

my high school years, academic stress, Madonna and Prince, cornfields, detassling, Del Monte factory

Rochester, New York

holy-crap-cold, ice storms, tunnel systems, hibernation, isolation, spring, independence

San Francisco, California

Real freedom (!), real work, KKSF Radio, banking, teaching, marriage, babies, house, traffic

Mesa, Arizona

Culture shock, new home, dry heat, sweet violin music, educating, new friends, cancer, husband’s lay offs, writing, and stillness

*part of alphabiography series

The Swoon

F is for Fainting

I passed out once

shortly after my first child’s birth

“extreme blood loss” is what the doctor said

“she’ll need three units of whole blood”

“But…what about AIDS?” My mother cried.

Losing conciousness is like

falling off a cliff

in very slow motion

it is painless

as long as your husband catches you

Dogma

D is for Dog

Dog is an anagram for god

In my book, it is also a synonym:

unconditional love, constant affection, and non-judgment

They mirror humans –

Cruel people can create cruel pets

We should stop fearing pit bulls and, instead,

examine our own souls

Kismet

Daily Practice

alphabiography