Be Your Own Hero

It's probably ridiculous coming from someone my age, but it's true.  I've been waiting for someone to save me for a very long time.  Practically my whole life, really.  It had to be those fairy tales and the old Disney movies before Mulan and Brave.  Even Batman, Speed Racer, and Mighty Mouse followed the same general theme, right?  There's a damsel in distress of some sort.  Someone (perhaps a small rodent) swoops in at the last minute, cape flying, and saves the day?

I'm not a helpless person.  My parents raised us girls to be self-reliant.  I know how to change the oil in a car (a 1976 AMC Pacer, at least.  Don't test me on something made in this century).  I can start a lawn mower and use it the "right" way.  I can drive a manual transmission. With enough time and frustration, I can move a couch up the stairs and over the landing by myself. 

My dad had a common response when I said I couldn't do something.  He said, "Can't never could."  On the surface, that might not make much sense.  But to me it meant, "work harder", "stop complaining",  "just do it".  Henry Ford may have said it just as well, if less succinctly, when he said, "The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you?"

I bought this awesome tooled leather cuff from Becky at FarmGirlPaints.  I've been wearing it pretty much non-stop since it arrived in the mail.  It helps me remember.

Starting a handmade business is not for sissies.  Feeling called to do something different that what you are currently doing and feeling periodically that it's really never going to happen can be defeating and exhausting.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I was flinging myself around about being a damsel in distress.  This is the result:

The original is viewable and available for purchase in my Etsy shop here.

Shortly after that, God spoke to me through Facebook (Ha!! I know!  It's crazy. It happens more times than I care to admit) when I saw a scripture scroll by on my newsfeed.  

"Say to those with anxious hearts, 'Be strong, do not be afraid! Here is your God— he will bring vengeance, he will bring divine retribution, and he will save you."  Isaiah 35:4

I might have disputed that statement yesterday.  I might have said out loud, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!"...a couple of times, actually.  I'm pretty sure He'll forgive me for that.  It was a momentary weakness.  If you have issues even bigger than the ones I wrestle with, He'll save you too (just maybe not in the way you have in mind or might prefer).  Ask Him.  Through Him, all things are possible.  

But we both have to forget about waiting around for some human with a cape to make things right.  

Pray about it.  Decide it can be done. Then do it. 

Be your own hero.

<3 Lori

Inspiration

I haven't been here in a very long time.  I didn't realize it had been this long, though.  I hit a dry patch in my inspiration after the holidays. It's strange really.  I've noticed in the last few years the change of seasons between winter and spring is especially turbulent for me.    There are always end of school activities, schedule transitions, the busy season at the real job, the spider webs and dust that become more visible after a long gray season. A few years ago, I realized I had an urge to run away every spring.  Oddly, there is some comfort in knowing the restlessness is cyclical and would eventually yield to a more peaceful summertime ease.  Maybe a creative pause will also be part of that.

During my creative lull, I bought a bunch of books and began to read them all at one time.  I don't know why I do that.

 

I ditched all bready, sugary, yummy stuff from my diet (full disclosure: except one or two Lindt Sea Salt dark chocolate squares a day.  I believe in the sanctity of life, which would possibly not be preserved without chocolate...so..there's that.)  Then I gassed up my fitbit and dusted off my treadmill. 

I saw my artwork on national television.  That was pretty cool.  I cannot for the life of me find the Youtube video in Blogger's Youtube search function, so here's a photo and a link to the video which (thank goodness) I saved to my art board on Pinterest.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiFD5NPLKjA

I also spent some time on the porch.

And started to feel some rumblings of inspiration.

Both these pieces and the other small things I've made in the last week since my inspiration came back are being added to my Etsy shop this week.

It's nice to be back.  Thanks for being here.

<3 Lori

Dear Mail Art, I Love You!

 When I was a kid living in the tiny little town where I grew up, going to the mail box every day was exciting.  We used to get big fabric zippered bags of library books we ordered from the public library in the closest big city 60 miles away.  People sent cards back then.  I had pen pals and a long distance boyfriend or two who sent letters.  Before computers, email, Facebook, texting, blogs and all the other modern conveniences that make it so easy to stay in touch now, I wrote long, long (really long) letters and mailed a lot of cards.   I really love it still.  I just don't take the time to do it anymore  There is an inverse correlation between the numbers of hours I spend on computers and the legibility of my handwriting, which makes writing long, long letters less appealing.

But I still love going to the mailbox especially when I find something in there more fun than bills.

This summer, one of my favorite other artists to follow on Facebook and Instagram, Roben-Marie Smith had a giveaway of her newest class called You've Got Mail....Art on her blog.  I was so excited to win a seat! But the summer turned out to be completely crazy with camps for my girl and my mom having surgery and my son going to college.  I was able to watch the videos, but I didn't get to do any projects until the last couple of weeks. I have had a complete blast turning protein bar boxes and used manilla envelopes into fun art to help keep the United States Postal Service in business and make some mail boxes happy.

This is great class.  It's very affordable and you have forever access, two prerequisites for me.  The other is that it be AWESOME!!  This is that, too! 

I guess this blog has been serving as a stand-in for my long letters from long ago.  But, I'm working on my penmanship so that I can send these off, too.

May the good Lord bless you with a happy mailbox!

<3 Lori

PS--Click here to check out the other bloggers participating in Blogtoberfest!  

Grand Theft

I went to get my hair done today, which I really needed because I have two teenagers at home.   Since it takes a few hours, and I'm antsy waiting so much, I always take a big stack of stuff to do.  I read my Somerset Studio magazines, make lists, and sketch sometimes.  I got these little journals a while back from Target. They have really durable, happy-colored covers and lines so my OCD doesn't get itchy when I try to write in them.  I love them.

I was going to write some notes in it. When I opened it, though, I realized at some point I had designated it as a poetry journal.  I found this silly poem I don't remember writing.  It's dated May 15, 2012.  It's not titled, so I'm calling it....

Grand Theft

The cat lost her mind.

The cat took my phone.

She went through my wallet,

And then she left home.

The dog asked to borrow

The keys to the car.

He said, "See ya later!

We won't go very far."

It's crazy!  I know!

My pets ran away

With my car and phone.

Oh man!  What a day!

I yell to my pets,

"Come back! You can't drive!

You also can't talk!

Can I get change for a five?!!"

But now I am petless

And carless, to boot.

They've left me alone

And taken my loot.

You cannot trust mammals.

That's what I've heard.

Now I've seen it first hand.

And I'm getting a bird.

"Date Night" available as a print in my Etsy shop today!

May the good Lord bless you today with sweet mammals in your life.

<3  Lori