Sharing Makes You Feel Good

I have had a resistance to doing the next few blog posts because my mind is

resisting writing.  That word "write" just feels like it's forced homework that has to be done.

I will, from now on or until I hit another writing block, interally think of writing as sharing.

Just thinking of sharing makes me want to write!  I share pics on facebook all the time.  I share

with my wife the latest things I've read and try not to repeat information I know doesn't interest her.

I share words with my coworkers, and also when I play Word With Friends. : )

Sharing takes on enough forms that it is irrelevant.  What I do becomes more important.  How I spend my time

will drive what I share, so my focus needs to be on making sure I have enough variety to share naturally 

and full of passion.  

Here's a list of what I've done with my free time over the past month.  

- Read about elections

- Read about the economy

- Watched H+ on youtube (I love sci fi)

- Watched the 1st season of Terra Nova.

- Read 4-5 reviews on The Master movie which I hope to watch in October.

- Illustrated and Block printed around 20 t-shirts and bags for next weeks craft fair.

- Painted small abstract watercolor paintings for the craft fair.

- Went to a coffeehouse to listen to a friend's band.

- Changed churches.

- Stayed at a beach house.

When I review these activities I see there's definitely a lot of my desires driving the content I make and see.  I've loved sci-fi ever since I watched Star Wars on Laserdisc as a child.  I've loved illustrating and painting since I saw Bob Ross and some other guy slowly build guided master pieces over the TV and into my living room.  

I just love these memories and this doesn't include all the laughs, trips, and fun I've had with my family this year.  Sharing has another benefit in that it helps balance emotions and memories so no one event is such a boon or a drag that future opportunities are missed.  I hope to be sharing more often.

The quote "sharing makes you feel good" is from a mother-to-son conversation I overhead in Seattle, WA in 2006.

Warm Thoughts for September

(reposted from my Oh Yeah! etsy team)


Fall is my favorite month.  I actually prefer the sandals, shorts, and t-shirt weather, but the response to the colder weather - socks + shoes, light jacket - really shows that we are or will be indoors more seeking the shelter we have.

Already my garden is closing up shop.  The blackberries are spent, and tomato harvests have diminished.  Where I was handing out gallon sized bags of tomatoes, now I take a handful and place them on the window for an occasional snack.

The harvest extends past what we eat and continues into social circles.  The temperature drops may mean less trips to the beach and more concentrated time with the friends we've had or new friends we've collected.  Where others would normally roam they congregate and keep warm.

Technically, fall begins on September 22nd, but once the temps slipped back into the 70s, for me, fall has begun.

Testing more fabric markers

Coming back from a vacation is a bit rough.  I know I have things to do, but doing the important stuff first is always a challenge.  On this rainy day, I decided to drive to a parking lot, draw and listen to rain drops inside my car.

After speaking to an uncle in-law about materials, lightfastness is something I should test as well making sure UV rays don't break down the pigments.

Here's the shirt I'll use for wash tests and sun tests.

The PEBEO SETASKRIB markers immediately felt better in the hand then all others so I gave it a 5*.  The Sharpie was close behind mostly for precision.  I hope to get a flatter pic of the t-shirt at some point.  The worst of the lot were the fabricmate chisel tip.  I may be using it wrong, but a thicker barrel doesn't compensate for the stiff chisel tip.  That stiffness on cotton was a horrible combination, and the thinner fabric mate pen was ok.