Well Hello 2018!

So...my plan to be more present here was all shot to hell by a number of things. That saying "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans." about sums it up.

It started out with my father in law being diagnosed with terminal cancer just after New Year's. We lost him a few weeks later and things snowballed from there. I have been dealing with a whole slew of health stuff, not the least of which was the worst NMO attack I've ever had. It landed me in the hospital for 12 days, where, I promptly caught flu. I have never had flu in my life and had to go to a hospital to get it. Putting someone who is triple immunosupressed anywhere but in a private room is sheer stupidity. Let's just say it was a hellish 12 days and they sent me home sicker than when I arrived. I am still struggling to recover. So far, 2018 has been rough.

On a more positive note, I was contacted by The Rick Hansen Foundation just before Xmas, asking if I would be interested in writing for them about invisible disability. I was very surprised. I didn't even know I was on their radar. Apparently once you've been a Difference Maker, you are a part of the family. I am pleased to share that my first article was published on March 4th, while I was still in hospital. You can find it here. Rick Hansen, for those who aren't familiar is a Canadian icon and one of my personal heros. You can learn more about him here. I am humbled and honoured to have the opportunity to share my story and experiences as someone living with invisible disability, rare disease and chronic illness. 

I have been keeping busy working with my UBC Health Mentor students. In my current cohort, (my fifth!) I have two women and two men. The women are a student in speech & language pathology and a medical student. The men are a nursing student and occupational therapy student. It's the first time I've had male students and I've been enjoying the new dynamic. My students are so great to work with. We laugh a lot and I am really enjoying spending time with them. I am going to miss them over the summer. (After April's symposium, we don't meet till October and our last meeting for this cohort will be in November. The time always whips by so quickly.)

I also volunteered to work with the UBC Physiotherapy program in early February to help their students learn about assessing Rheumatoid arthritis patients. It was really good timing for the students to assess me because I am having a big flare and so they got to see and feel first hand what that looks like. I've worked with the PT program twice before helping students get their patient interviewing skills but this was new to me. I enjoyed learning too. The students in the PT program are such lovely people. I always enjoy working with them. I will be doing more of this type of volunteering in a couple of weeks through the same program, but this time at the local hospital's arthritis clinic. 

Since I've been home from the hospital and still dealing with some serious health issues and having treatment, I've been forced to stick pretty close to home and take things easy. My best friend gave me Rae Massigman's Pocket Journal class for my birthday, so I have slowly been working on my little journal. It's been fun playing with paint. 

My mother in law sent me a cheque for my birthday and I treated myself to some new art supplies yesterday-two stencils, a set of stamps and some cool paper. I haven't bought art supplies in ages-in fact I had recently gone through my stash and purged a big chunk of it. I donated the excess to a friend who teaches art to kids. I know she will put it to good use. I am not a hoarder of supplies. I like to use what I have and there was so much stuff I've had sitting around, taking up space that it seemed like a good time to pare down and reorganize. I am really glad I did it. I have all my paints, stencils and water soluable oil pastels in one of those Ikea rolling carts. Best thing ever! I can roll it right up to my desk and have everything I need right there. I can also roll it out onto my patio in the summer and spend the day creating outside. My plan is to get a nice patio set (small table & comfy chairs) so I can have an outdoor studio by day and a nice place to have dinner al fresco by night. Indy likes to spend most of his time outside on the patio when the weather is warm and I think I would like that too. My patio has a big shade tree in front, so it stays nice and cool out there. I am on the hunt for the right furniture to make this happen.

My best friend and I went to see Isle of Dogs last weekend. I wanted to see it for the art. It's a Wes Anderson stop motion animation film. I wouldn't say it's for kids-I think they'd quickly be bored. It's aimed more at fans of the genre. Lots of big names in this one. What surprised me was that it was about 2 hrs long. Usually with animation, the films are much shorter, so well done Wes Anderson! The are billing it as a comedy, but while it had some funny moments, I didn't think it was, really. My favourite line in this film was "Fear had been mongered." I enjoyed it and if you like this sort of thing, you'd better go see it before it's out of the theatres. 

So that's the Cliff Notes update of where I've been and what I've been up to. I am going to make a concerted effort to get back into regular blogging. Back soon!

Long Time, No Post!

It's been ages since I've update and you're probably wondering if I fell off the face of the earth. Almost. I am hanging on by a thread. I became quite ill just over 9 weeks ago and have been either in bed or off having specialist's appointments, MRIs and blood tests ever since. This week alone I had 6 appointments in 3 days. It's still up in the air what exactly is wrong and how it's going to be treated and no one is more anxious to get this figured out than me, so I can recover and get my life back. This is the worst attack I've ever had, whatever it is and it's been brutal.

 As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."

Let's talk about other things, shall we?

Okay so here are the things that are rocking my world right now:

Listening To:

Spotify! First of all, why didn't anyone tell me about this!?! You guys have been holding out on me! I am late to the party, but I am loving it. It replaces what was Pandora for Canadians. (I had Pandora years ago till some bright light decided to block it in Canada. We still don't have access.)

My go-to play lists include the wonderful Mandolin Orange. Worth checking out if you enjoy mandolins and folk music. (I love both.)

Little Words

 Rounder

Jump Mountain Blues

 Of Which There Is No Like

Wake Me

 Clover Tune

Haste Make

 Bird of a Feather

Daylight

Little Worlds

I will be adding more of their music when I get a spare minute because honestly, it's all wonderful. Great tunes to make art to. I listen on an endless loop and never get tired of it.

I also love acoustic guitar and there just happens to be a play list called "Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals" that I've subscribed to. That one is also really good for getting into my creative groove. When my husband heard one of my other play lists that I compiled myself he said "You were meant to be born in the 60's." I laughed. He's right. 60's & 70's music is what I tend to listen to the most. Probably not too surprising, since I was named for a Donovan song.

Artsy Inspiration:

I've known about Brian Andreas' art for some time now, but lately, I've rediscovered it through Instagram. He's been posting such beautiful, uplifting work in the face of all the ugliness that's we've been bombarded with as the world seemingly goes off the rails. If you need a break from all that, I recommend following his feed.  (@brainandreas) It will make you feel better. We need more people like Brain in the world. Love needs to be louder. Let's get LOUDER people!!

Brian posted about this project he's started where you order a print of Help Wanted and he will also send you small packet of 3x3 mini prints to give away, as a way to put some love and inspiration out into the world. When I saw the print, it spoke to me so strongly. It was the perfect way to commemorate my 40th year of volunteering. I totally understand what this magic is he's talking about-when you open up your heart and say "YES!" to the ways in which you can serve, the universe will keep presenting you with amazing opportunities. It's the law of attraction. I have experienced this over and over throughout my life. Volunteering has both enriched and informed my life in countless ways.

Yesterday, I covertly gifted my first mini print to one of my specialists who has been working really hard to advocate for me. I put it on her desk and then just tucked it under a bit of her paperwork so she wouldn't find it till after I was gone. I want to leave one for her receptionist who has been very kind to me too, but I didn't get the chance to leave it secretly yet. Next time, hopefully!

I need to see if I can get my hands on some of Brian's books. I'll have to see if our library system has any of them.

Dawn DeVries Sokol has a new instructor video out via Creativebug. I watched it the other day and I just loved how she not only talked about, but showed all the colours, shapes and textures she encounters in her every day life that inspires what she creates as an artist. The video is so infused with colour and I thought it was a really smart way to share what she does.

Later that day, I had time between appointments, so I popped into the big book store downtown and came across three of Dawn's books on the shelves. I always like to try and get photos of friend's books in the wild. I know if I had a book out there in the world, (someday!) I'd love to see it on shelves in cities far away. I also "face" the books, if they are spine out on the shelf so others will notice them. (Shh! Don't tell! I volunteered in the library growing up, so old habits die hard.) It was nice seeing they had a copy of Artists' Journal Pages, which I have work published in.

I had a $20 gift card which was was a thank you gift for consulting on a study UBC is doing about patients who have participated in the medical grant review process. I didn't expect a thank you, so it was a very nice surprise. After seeing Dawn's video, I was inspired, I treated myself to Year of the Doodle. It's got a sort of zine-like vibe and I think it would be a good thing to keep in my bag to help pass the time when I am sitting in the waiting room for medical appointments. All I need is a pen of some sort and I'm good to go. I'm just going to jump in at this point in the year and carry on. It cost me a whopping 94c after the gift card. That's a deal any way you slice it!

Watching:

Since I have been stuck in bed for weeks, I've watched a lot of good stuff on my iPad. The list is long...here goes:

Game of Thrones-The last two episodes were jaw dropping. It was more like watching a movie than a tv show and it deserves all kinds of awards. It was absolutely epic. The music, the story lines, the multiple moments of shock. WOW! Tyrion made me cry. He is my absolute favourite because he just tries so hard and there is always that sense of him feeling "less than". The vulnerability of that character played so beautifully by Peter Dinklage tears at my heart. If George R.R. Martin ever kills him off, I'm DONE.

Orange is the New Black-I watched the newest season, but somehow I can't remember parts of the previous season, so I need to go back and review. A few of the story lines had me confused about what came before. The snoring girl cracked me up and all the references to current TV programs were killing me. They made a comment about Monopoly that had me in stitches.

Wentworth-It's like an Aussie version of OITNB, but not funny-it's very dark in the most delicious way. That's all I'm going to say about it. Watch and see.

Wayward Pines-This is a post-apocolyptic series that is filmed right here in Coquitlam and also out in the Fraser Valley. One of the places they film at, Riverview Hospital is a place I drive by regularly. It's a decommissioned mental hospital, which is used in all kinds of TV and movie filming.The driver of the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary medal bearer van, (whose blog I started following back then and then eventually met) is a driver (teamster) on Wayward Pines. He's been blogging about the series here. (There's a bunch of posts.) The premise of this show is interesting, especially in season one where they have you wondering what's really going on. M. Knight Shyamalan is the producer.

Alone: Seasons 1&2 were filmed on the northwest end of Vancouver Island. The premise is they drop 10 people off, each on an isolated beach with film equipment and they have to survive and film at the same time. There are bears, cougars and wolves. There is also weather. Weather is always a factor in Canadal The last one wins half a million dollars. Season 1 was hilarious-the whole time people are complaining about the rain. People! You are in a temperate rain forest in the late fall. Of course it rains. I guess no one told them. They really should have named it "BC Weather Kicks Butt"! 

The Last Alaskans-This is filmed up in the northeastern corner of Alaska on a wildlife reserve where there are only a handfull of families whose cabins have been grandfathered in until the current owners last child dies. The people are really interesting.

Port Protection-Another Alaska series about a remote port where the community members rely on one another. 

Bering Sea Gold-Mostly guys and one woman prospecting for gold on the sea out of Nome, Alaska. I watch to see how someone is almost going to kill themselves every episode. It's pretty silly.

Life Below Zero-Yet another Alaskan series set in Northern Alaska. (Are you sensing a theme here?) Everyone lives off the grid and subsistence hunts. There is an Inuit family on the show and I enjoy seeing how they are passing down their traditions to their children. The girls are all learning how to hunt and trap. It's really cool that this young girls will have survival skills most of us will never have. 

The Amazing Race Canada-Because I love TAR and the Canadian version is just as good. Plus it's hosted by Jon Montgomery, 2010 Olympic Gold medallist in Skeleton and a fellow Manitoban.

Master Chef (US version)-Because Gordon Ramsey amuses me and I've watched every season since it started. I am glad the grumpy chef isn't on there anymore. 

 I haven't watched too many movies in the last while-I just don't have the energy to stay awake for them at the moment, but I did see Concussion which was unbelievably good. I will never watch football or any contact sport the same way again. It explains a lot about how much brain damage athletes are suffering and many of them don't even know it. It sure opened my eyes. Well worth watching. (I rented it via iTunes.) I have rent The Witch and I need to watch that one in the next couple of days. A couple friends have seen it and enjoyed it. I love creepy movies!

Tomorrow my best friend and I are going to see a new Viggo Mortenson movie, Captain Fantastic. It will be good to get out for a bit for sanity's sake, hang out with my bestie and of course eat popcorn! It looks like a really great movie. 

Reading:

Reading has been tough. I am having both blurry and double vision from side effects of the medications I am on, so most of the time, it's pretty impossible. I have small windows of time where I can manage. Right now in the queue on my bedside table are Robert Dugoni's In the Clearing and Linda Castillio's Among the Wicked. I am hoping to be able to make my way through both of them before they are due back at the library. The last pile I had, I had to return unread. I've put them back on my Goodreads "want to read" list so I don't forget about them. 

A number of people have suggested audio books, which I am authorized for at my local library, but to me, reading is an active, not a passive thing. My brain likes to read, not to be read to. I did try it out the last time this happened and I find sometimes the person narrating can be really annoying, which is distracting. In a perfect world, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, John Corbett, Jeffery Dean Morgan would narrate books for me. (Harrison Ford would always be my first choice!)

Okay, I think that's it for now. I have art to share-yes, I've actually been working on some art when I've felt up to it and doing some photography in my travels.
I'll save that for my next post. 

Things I Am Diggin'

Gratuitous photo of a palm tree from my trip to LA. 

I am kinda diggin' shooting trees on this funky angle.

Other things I am diggin':

-I'm signing up this morning to take Roxanne's class as a birthday gift to me. If you're not familiar with her work, you seriously need to check it out. It reminds me of NYC graffiti, which is probably why I like it so much. I am intrigued by her use of black and I'm looking forward to adding to my mixed media layer-making knowledge. Playing with paint makes me happy. Signup begins at 8 am PST. Can't wait!

-Tim Horton's frozen lemonade. It's the perfect blend of cold and tart.

-Starbuck's almond croissants. YUM! They did away with the almond tart, which was my favourite, so this is the next best thing.

-My new Onyx stainless steel bento box from Delish General Store. The container actually holds (for me) enough food for both a lunch and a snack. I love how compact it is and it's a great way to practise self-care on days when I am having to spend a lot of time at the hospital. It saves me sugar crashing and getting a whopper of a headache.

-The new Atom Egoyan movie, Remember starring the brilliant Christoper Plummer. So, so good. (You can rent it for $5 via iTunes.)

-This song, Say Something by Great Big World & Christina Aguilera.

-Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel, Breakdown, which I just finished. He's far and away my favourite writer. I started reading his Alex Delaware series back in 1997. It's a crime serial and if you've never read any of his books, I recommend starting from the beginning- there are 31 books in the series and they are *so* worth it!

-Star magnolias! They are blooming here in now and they are my favourite thing about spring in western Canada...well that and all the cherry trees that are also blossoming. Vancouver is so pretty in the spring.

10 Years Come & Gone!

Creating:

Right now I am working on a top secret project, which I will be able to share with you come the fall. It's a good one!

I whipped up some more envies over the long weekend using pages from old Stampington publications and I posted them to Instagram. Stampington saw them and invited me to submit them for publication. I'd better get on that! It's been awhile since I've written an article for them or submitted art. No time like the present!

Speaking of publishing, Vancouverite author, artist & instructor Leanne Praine's new book Strange Material: Storytelling Through Textiles is due out in October. I just saw the cover and I'm excited to get my hands on a copy-it looks yummy! I am so pleased to have a small written piece included in this book.

Watching:

My friend Deb and I were chatting last week and she asked me to check out this new HBO show called The Leftovers. It's a really odd show, edgy as most HBO shows tend to be, but strangely compelling. It's hard to describe-it takes place after a post apocalyptic type event happens and the people left behind (the leftovers-hence the name) struggle to make sense of it. I would recommend checking out the official website and watching the trailer first because I don't think it's for everybody. It's pretty hardcore and graphic in places. (Typical of HBO series.) That said, I am enjoying it because you really don't know where it's going and I love all the twists and turns.

Oh and here are a couple screen captures from the show I was in. One from my one-on-one interview clip. (I am speaking so that's why my mouth looks funny.) 

The other is a shot with me with the cast in Ft. Langley. We did a ton of location shoots over 5 days.

I am also pleased to share that I will be doing some more filming for the UBC Faculty of Medicine's new program, which I have been consulting on. It's for medical professionals already in practice to learn about patient-centred and collaborative care. I did some filming for these courses back in January and I'll be filming as a presenter for the module they are working on now. 

It's really rewarding to know that this will have a direct impact on the future of health care in our province. I love advocacy work-it feels good to be making a difference and I learn so much about myself and from others in doing it. I'm also going to be doing some interviews for the Health Mentors Program over the next couple of weeks.

Listening:

I recently downloaded James Taylor's version of The Water is Wide. It's a favourite of mine for sentimental reasons and his cover is beautiful.  I love James Taylor.

I also saw the movie Begin Again with Keira Knightly. If you saw Once, you will enjoy this one. I downloaded A Step You Can't Take Back from the Soundtrack. It's my favourite track from the movie.

And lastly, before I sign off for now, it seems only fitting to note that as of August 1st, this humble blog turned

10 Years Old!

Hard to believe it's been that long or that when I began, most artists didn't even have a blog. So for those of you who've been along for the ride, whether in part or for the whole 10 years, thank you for your company, your comments and your friendship! Here's to keeping the home fires burning for another 10!

Indie Kindred

So for awhile now, Jen Lee has been screening this feature length film about creative collaboration around the US.

Take a peek:

Sandra Harris of Rain Coast Creative Salon will be hosting the Vancouver screening on November 21st. Tickets are $20 and include drinks, appies & good conversation. Sound like fun? Get your tickets here!

Hope to see you there!

Lately

Creating:

Sadly, I haven't been terribly creative the last few weeks. We've been so busy dealing with his and hers medical stuff that I haven't really had time. I am slooooowly working on some more houses like these in collaboration with my friend Lisa in New Zealand. They are coming along.

Reading:

I've been eating books for breakfast again. After suffering through four optic neuritis attacks since February, reading is a luxury I won't ever take for granted again. 

The best book I've read recently is It's Not About the Medal by three time Canadian Olympian, Leah Pells. Her story is a beautiful testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. It's heartbreaking in so many ways, but also ever hopeful and definitely inspirational.

I'm diving into The Devil's Elixir by Raymond Khoury now. If you like Dan Brown, (The DaVinci Code) you'd like Khoury's novels. I've read everything both men have written.

Watching:

Bearing Sea: Under the Ice, which is a crazy show. Essentially it's about a bunch of miners in Nome, Alaska who are dredging the Bearing Sea in winter. Every episode is a Russian Roulette game of "who's going to have a brush with death in this week?". On a recent episode, one of the divers was on the bottom of the ocean and suddenly he was asking himself "Why am I smelling smoke?!?" Next thing you know, he's panicking and coughing like crazy because he's having trouble breathing. There was a fire on the surface in his operations tent and the smoke was being sucked down his oxygen line. Nothing like nearly dying of smoke inhalation on the bottom of the ocean! Every week it's something crazy like that. I can't stop watching!

Ice Pilots NWT, which is a favourite. It's one of the best Canadian shows on television. It's about an airline in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories that flies WWII-era planes. The planes are gorgeous and there's always some crazy adventure happening to the crew. The holiday cliff hanger was fantastic!

Listening:

Let Her Go by Passenger. There's something I really love about this song. I think it's the wistfulness of it. 

Anticipating:

New projects, new opportunities in the new year. No idea what's around the bend, but I'm ready for it! Bring it on!

Dreaming:

Oddly enough, I am dreaming about spending a day at the movie theatre. I want to see the new Anthony Hopkins film, Hitchcock. I was so amazed when I saw the trailer that I didn't recognize him at all, other than his voice. Whomever did his makeup was brilliant! 

The Post O'Many Links

Tools of the Trade

Reading: 

As I mentioned in my last post, I finally got my copy of Seth Apter's The Art of Mixed Media and read it cover to cover. Good stuff people!

 I also just finished Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel, Victims. If you like crime/psychological serials, this is my favourite. I've read everything he's written. His stories are delicious.

On a side note, Seth Apter & Jonathan Kellerman share some curious connections: they are both Psychologists, both authors and both artists. They also both hail from New York. Spooky! Seth, do you also play guitar?

Watching: 

I rented The Way from iTunes on a recommendation from my friend Michelle. I think it's one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. The story is rich and multifaceted, the scenery is breathtaking and I was misty eyed through the entire thing. It's the kind of story that sticks with you long after it's over. Oh and if that's not enough to entice you, it stars Martin Sheen and was directed by his son, Emilio Estevez.

Listening:

Weighty Ghost by Canadian band, Wintersleep. Love this!

Also getting frequent play in the studio are the following tunes: 

20 Years by the Civil Wars, 

Hand in My Pocket by Alanis Morissette, 

and Amos Lee's new album As the Crow Flies.

Anticipating:

The entire month of May-it's going to be chock full of cool things: 

-Seth Apter will be here in Vancouver for his book tour for The Pulse of Mixed Media on May 3rd. I can't wait to finally meet him!

-The following weekend, May 12 & 13th, The Sketchbook Project is coming to Vancouver. I have a Sketchbook in the project. Looking forward to seeing sketchbooks from around the world.

-Around the 18th of May, (still waiting on the final details) I'll have the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay medal, as a Difference Maker. That's going to be really exciting! 

Dreaming:

Mulling over ideas about photos I want to take for round two of Swan Dive, which begins tomorrow. (YAY!)

Doing:

-I'm getting ready for my first city council meeting this week, as a newly minted member of the Access-Ability Advisory Committee. Should be interesting!

-Working on lots of writing and HTML for the Papergirl Vancouver project. I participated as a contributing artist last year and decided it was such a great event that I wanted to support it this year by getting involved with the organizing committee. I'll have more info about how YOU can participate soon!

Creating:

Mainly I've been working on photography, which has stolen my heart over the last year. I've now been shooting for the last 14 months and will likely shoot straight through to the end of 2012. (By that I mean I'll keep taking classes and will be actively taking photos every week and working on them.) This is the first time I've worked so consistently in one medium, ever and it's really gratifying to have so much to show for it.

WHEW! That was alot of links!

40 Things Before I'm 40: Final Draft

1. Make some new art friends

2. Get a tattoo

3.Go to the Olympics

4.Meet some athletes

5.See Barenaked Ladies perform

6.Write & publish another zine

 

7. Keep my ROD journal till it's filled up

 

8. Brush up on my Spanish

9. Work on a large canvass

10.Learn a new art skill

11. Go swimming in the ocean

12.Go on a picnic with my sweetie

13.See the Olympic Flame

14.Watch the Olympic Torch Relay

15.Cut my hair short again

16. Host an art project

 

17. Take a day trip somewhere local but fun

18.Carry the Paralympic Torch

19.Ride the Zip line

20. Purchase and teach myself to play a harmonica

21.Make a journal out of my Olympic ephemera and journal in it

22.Submit something for publication

23. Host a swap

 

24. Try a new recipe

25. Create a calendar from my own art for 2011.

26. Print photos that I have taken from the Games so I can use them in my journal.

27. Do one project that's outside my comfort zone this year

 

28. Host an art party (Didn't host one, but I went to one-that's good enough!)

29. Spend a weekend playing with paint

30.Take an online class

31.Make and send away some RAKs

32.Discover some new magazines/zines and buy/read them regularly

33.Take my laptop and/or journal to a funky coffee shop and write

34. Sew myself some cool pillows (I have the fabric!)

35.Clean out the closet in my studio and reorganize it.

36. Plan a trip for our 20th wedding anniversary.

 

37.Write and give a great speech.

38.Help someone

 

39. Treat myself something "just because".

 

40. Buy frames for all the prints I have and get them up on the walls!

So I'm just two days away from celebrating my 40th birthday and this is where my list stands. I manage to mow through all but 6 things. I think 34/40 is pretty good, considering my health has been so challenging! Of the things I have left, I still want to sew pillows and frame all the artwork I have so I can get it up on the walls. Other than that, the rest isn't terribly important.

Given the state of me, getting as much as I did done is pretty impressive. There's a fair bit of stuff I did that didn't even make it on the list, so I can honestly say that my 39th year was an exceptionally productive one. I learned alot of new things, (which always makes me happy) had some amazing adventures, made some new friends, and took a class that opened up a whole different medium for me in a most unexpected way.

Now I guess the question is what to do with the next year. I'm giving it some thought and have started putting things into motion. I am also just trying to recover from my last round of treatment which has knocked me flat. Popcorn and a movie date with my sweetie helped some. We went to see The Adjustment Bureau, which we both LOVED.

It's a different kind of action movie and what I loved about it is that it aligned fairly closely with how I understand the world works. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I do recommend you go see it. It's a wonderful movie and full of beautiful architecture, as it's shot in New York City.

A Trio Of Things To Inspire

It took me awhile, but here are the pics from the Richmond Art Gallery's annual ATC show. A couple of them are a tad blurry, due to the fact that I borrowed a friend's camera as I had forgotten mine and wasn't familiar with the settings on hers. Most of them came out okay and that's the main thing.

There were tons of really interesting cards and this is only a small sampling. If you are local and want to see more, the show is on till the end of October, so you have plenty of time to see it. It's worth going-there's plenty of different techniques used and I guarantee you will walk away inspired.

I came across this great book the other day. It's also chock full of inspiration so you might want to check it out. It's includes work by the lovely and talented Jan Bode Smiley, who gave me my start in doing work for publishing and equally lovely and talented Stephanie Rubiano, among others.

One other thing I wanted to tell you about is a documentary I rented over the weekend. It's called Running the Sahara and it's amazing. It's the story of three ultra marathon runners who decide to run from the west coast to the east coast of the Sahara Desert, passing through 6 African countries in the course of their journey.

If you are a runner or someone who likes adventure stories or just someone who would like to see the breathtaking scenery of Africa, I highly recommend seeing this movie. I watched it twice. It's not only compelling in terms of what these three athletes were trying to accomplish, but also because you get to see parts of the world that we seldom see or hear about. It was really beautifully done and so inspiring!

Okay, time for me to get busy here in the studio. I have a few projects I need to finish up!