So...

I'm at home on a Saturday night. Working on a screenplay and short story. I feel like a bit of a dork, having nothing social to do. But secretly I'm really enjoying it. I've been so busy of late, it's nice to slow down a bit.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the way my life is organised at the moment, and how much time I have to pursue any kind of creativity. The balance has been very far from right in the last few months and I, like Kate, have been anxious. Things aren't quite right. I'm stressed out and feeling cranky all the time.

But again, like Kate, I've just got to wait it out. It will pass. Soon I will have finished my semester at uni, things will settle down at work, and I'll have time to breathe again.

Looking forward to seeing some more responses to this month's project on Monday!

Image by hickoree.

Sitting, waiting....

I'm feeling anxious. I have this sick tight feeling in my stomach all the time at the moment and it makes me want to run away. Or stay in bed for days on end watch episodes of Grey's Anatomy... yes, it's true I shall admit it....

At the start of this year I went to see an astrologer, and know everyone has differing opinions of astrology but lets not get into that as that is not really the point of this post. She was someone who had been recommended to me by a few people who had seen her, and she told me a lot of things about myself that were very true, and things that upon going away and thinking about or asking my parents definitely did happen.

Last week I was listening through the recording of my session with her again and she mentioned that about this time I would be feeling like this, and that I would want to run away but that I needed to stay and deal with it otherwise I would feel like this again and again...

So, that's what I am doing....

Here is to sitting and not running away....

image by André Pipa

again via rememo

I know I'm just a whinger, but I'm feeling a little like...

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

via Rememo

New project!

Okay so we are running very behind with this month's project... however we have finally come up with something! Kindly suggested by Mr Sketchy the idea is.....(drumroll....)

"Sadly, no."

I have NO idea WHATsoever I am going to do, but I'm excited and up for the challenge!! Get creating!!

Submissions will be posted up on the 1st of June. Only two weeks away seeing we were so lazy!

Image by ryuuchiba

Made Up Words

I'm sure I'm not the only one who uses made up words. Or words used in the wrong context for amusement. But I've just noticed that I often make up words when I make typing errors. And they're recurring words. My current recurring typo is 'activon', used instead of 'action'.

This is something that I love about language -- it's so fluid and playful.

I'm curious as to what, exactly, 'activon' would mean. Any ideas?

Samson & Delilah

Again, I'm going to leave it to my good friend Gerard at Celluloid Tongue to write a comprehensive review of this film, but I will say that, harrowing as the experience of watching it was, I loved this film. It was honest, brutal, and surprisingly quiet. The two main characters barely speak to each other at all. Such a beautiful portrayal of the communication problems that can be such a huge part of adolescence.

This film deserves to do well, simply because it is such a wonderful story so beautifully told. I have a horrible feeling that it will not do very well commercially, just because it is so honest with its material, but I'm hoping to at least get a couple more bums on seats for this film by mentioning it here. Please go and see it. Even if it's not the happiest experience you have in a cinema, it will certainly be one of the most worthwhile.

Studying on Sunday

This is the picture I tried to post yesterday. This is why I didn't get my submission this month in on time. Yes, I was under the blankets while I was studying. Several nanna-naps were in order that day.

An admission or two

I'm struggling at the moment. Creatively I mean. The ideas, the stories, just aren't there. I can write analytically, but as soon as I try to write fiction I lose the plot (pun sort of almost intended). I used to have a new idea nearly every day, now I just seem to be rehashing old ones all the time. And even then, the outcome doesn't excite me. The writing, I think, is stale.

I think I know why this is. Last year was incredibly tough for me. Those of you who know me well will have some idea why. I spent so much of last year trying to rebuild my life, get comfortable in a new city, with new (and some old) friends. This took up a lot of time and energy. Necessarily, obviously. But my writing has really suffered.

I realised earlier this week that I've been walking through my days with blinkers on, when I used to look around me; listen, smell, feel around me. I'm missing things. I've become an unobservant city robot, intent on getting to and from in the most efficient way possible. How
boring.

So my new mission is to try to reconnect, to notice, to 'stop and smell the roses' as my boss said to me this afternoon, smiling at the cliché.

I'm taking a deep breath and diving back in. Wish me luck.

Late! Again.

Grrr... I've been trying and trying to put up a picture that demonstrates nicely why I am late again this month, but it won't load. Oh well.

You can read my submission for this month's project here.

It's only half-finished, and I've just realised it sort of picks up on similar themes to last month's piece. Any feedback would be very welcome! I'm trying to move away for a while from continually writing about something else, so I'm wondering whether taking this idea a little further might help me do that. I guess I'd like to know whether or not it's worth it!

playing along...

I'm very excited today because Ben from Ben Zen Illustration is playing along. I will admit I have had a bit of a blog-crush for a little while now and was thrilled to see him playing along!

Ben draws the cutest little tree men and women and singing birds, and I always enjoy dropping into his blog to check out what new drawings he has done. I so wish I could draw :) Head on over to check out his ideas for treasure as well as whatever else he is up to...

Also have new blogger from A Simple Tune playing along, and the always talented Mr Sketchy who always beats us finished. Anyone else who needs some inspiration or simply wants to play along, let us know and we'll add your link in the side bar.

image from Ben Zen Illustration

Keeping my treasures close to my heart

So...

I feel like here I am first Monday of the month with yet another excuse, so I'm going to be honest. I'm having a bit of a hard time at the moment, and I'm not feeling particularly creative or productive.
Last Thursday my Nanna died, and I spent the weekend away with my family saying goodbye. Also my other grandmother is also very sick in hospital, and that is weighing heavily on my mind. I'm feeling a bit stressed about things going on back home with my family, and hating being so far away being unable to help, as well as feeling confused and unproductive about work and where I'm wanting to go.

So there is my whinge. I don't say it so that anyone feels sorry for me, because I am fine, I just say it to justify to myself why the first Monday in May has come around so quickly and I am empty handed...

I was very excited about this months project and I knew what I was going to make from day one, so I will try to explain my ideas, and hopefully soon it might come into being?? Along with my storybook locket.

I wanted to make another locket (yup I'm a sucker for moving parts and hidden compartments) that on the inside was broken up into little sections, and each section was going to have a mini "treasure", things to represent what was important to me.

This morning as I was thinking about it a bit more, I started to lean towards another idea, which was a heart shaped locket and on the inside make some little figurines to represent all the people that are important to me, because at the moment I'm starting to appreciate that these are my real treasures, and that would be a way to keep them close and in my heart...

okay enough mushy stuff...

In light of my not getting around to making either of these, I'm going to share something else.

This little box is an important box that keeps all my collected knick-nacks and trinkets safe, sound and tucked away, but the box itself is a treasure too. I got it on my 15th birthday, at a surprise party thrown for me by my beautiful friends. The box was a present from some of those friends, their names all burnt in on the back.

I get it out occasionally and go through it all, marvelling at the contents I have collected over the years, and at the craftmanship and the time taken to make it. I remember a time back in highschool and all the years since, all the fun I have had, and the sad times I have gone through. The people come and gone, the adventures had, and the many more to come. It makes me feel happy and loved.