Journaling

During a conversation with a friend yesterday I realized I should be journaling.

The conversation was slightly serendipitous to begin with, she bringing up a topic I was just having issues with. 

Then she asked if I wrote in a journal every day. 

I told her I used to, and as a matter of fact, journaling was one of the reasons I began to write again.

I could not give her a good reason why I stopped, other than things seemed to start moving in the right direction.

I remember thinking back when I was writing in a journal every morning that doing it was better than therapy.

*  I realized how much I longed to write.

*  I realized how much I longed to draw.

*  Most importantly, I realized I was the only thing stopping me from doing either.

So to make a long post short, I'm journaling again. Twenty minutes, once a day.

We'll see where it takes me this time.

xo

(The book that inspired my first round of journaling: Click here to check it out. 

New Jersey SCBWI Conference

Not a lot of time for posting today.

Getting ready for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference.

Yes, I am going to look at this as a wonderful learning experience. 

Yes, I am going to meet many people already in the seemingly magical world of children's book publishing.

Yes, I will remain calm.

Well...

As calm as I can. 

I am relatively new in the writing/illustrating world, but have revered it from afar since I can remember. 

So to me, this is as good as Disneyland.

Actually, better.

Looking forward to this weekend--hope to meet you there.

xo

You Are What You Wear--Personal Decoration Power

Writing and drawing as a job at home has its perks.

Sleeping later than the majority, listening to a favorite set list, and a glass of iced tea in my slippers are just some of the working from home advantages.

But there is a dark side.

Lounging in your pajamas day after day can take its toll on your self confidence.

In fact, what you wear daily can have a real effect on how you act day in and day out.

Professor Karen Pine, author of the book Mind What You Wear, conducted a study that instructed students to wear a Superman t-shirt around campus. When asked, these students thought they were more likable, and even physically stronger than the students without "more powerful than a locomotive" t-shirts.

Several cultures believe that being dressed up every day makes them more powerful and more successful. 

It isn't called a power suit for nothing.

Although we are told to never judge a book by its cover, we do it all the time, and will surely continue to do so. We are treated with more respect during an interview when dressed sharp and accordingly, and would be passed over for a job if we showed up in our ripped jeans.

One of my fave "power" necklaces from
Brighton http://www.brighton.com/product/necklaces/36956-133743-133887/shields-of-faith-shields-of-faith-necklace.html

How we wear our hair, the condition of our shoes, and even the jewelry we choose can help increase our confidence. The colors we choose to paint our walls can have a great influence on our mood. Light yellow can make us feel happy and inspired, pink, soothed and calm. Bright red rooms can make us agitated, yet red elements in a white room can center us. More on Feng Shui and color here.

We don't need to get the jewelry out of the safe and wear our power suits seven days a week, but putting on of our favorite necklace or dress might be the difference in feeling great about ourselves, and avoiding the doorbell if it rings because we are not presentable. 

You are going to put something on today (I hope), it may as well make you feel great.

xo

Why We Need to be Ferocious

Somewhere along the way we lost a bit of our ferociousness. 

We overthink, partially to save ourselves potential pain. We plan and do what we can to avoid repeating the same mistakes we made before, and call it wisdom.

And it is.

But is it always the right thing?

Watch a child for a bit.

They do not hesitate to jump off the top bunk.

Yup, they get hurt sometimes--but they also get the experience. They flew through the air for that second. And even though they may have gotten a bruise or two, they may do it again, because it was worth it.

They are brave and daring little renegades, knowing that a choice they make may cause them temporary pain.

We are so used to being comfortable. We have sold out for a soft and fluffy day on the couch.

So maybe, once in a while, follow in the footsteps of a fierce little outlaw and become a revolutionary.

You just might find your wings.

xo 

Kid Magic

When we are young almost everything we experience is touched with a bit of magic.

The first-ness of our moments adds wonder and beauty to the most simple things. Glimpses of our day, like a butterfly gliding through our wisteria, feel as if they are visited by a Disney fairy godmother when we are little.

A walk through grandpa's garden is Narnia to the preschool set, and more rich and poignant than any CGI filled movie you could pay for.

But the lives of our little ones are chock-full of busy-ness. From homework in kindergarten to pee wee sports practice, our kid's lives are hectic. 

Reading and art allow children to slow down, to do something calming and centering. Unbeknownst to them, while they are munching along with Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar or roaring with the terrible beasts in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, they are expanding their imaginations and increasing their literacy skills.

If they can't read yet themselves, they sit with a loved one, experiencing closeness and developing an ability for meaningful discussions.

When given a paint brush and a blank canvas, children are allowed to expand their consciousness and develop creative and open-minded thinking. It awakens their senses and helps with problem solving skills. You do not have to tell them art is timeless, they delve into the moment and are somehow connected with the self-expression that has been part of humanity since the dawn of time. 

Appreciation of art and literature starts young, and happily they have no idea they are learning. Children have the special ability to have nothing attached to what they are doing--they are creating art or reading simply because they love it. There is no agenda attached to their creativity. They go with the flow, a gift that Picasso spoke about when he said "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist as we grow up." The magic in their completely un-self-conscious creativity allows them to be wholly in the moment, something we as adults can have a hard time with.

Our kids grow up so fast. Our days are filled with bills, cleaning, cooking, and a whole lot of reality. We are focused on test-taking in school and a very one sided IQ score that is probably decent at grading one's general knowledge base.

But what about creativity? What about those kids who are notoriously considered square pegs simply because the current system disallows for square holes?

The magic of childhood is lovely, and it would be nice to stretch at least some of that Abracadabra into our adult lives. 

Reading and art are two examples of wizardry that seamlessly moves with us as we grow. Along with the obvious advantages of reading to kids when they are young and allowing them to create unguided art, these bewitching gifts stick--they are endless presents of love that happily never have to end.

I'd love to know of any books or forms of art you loved as a child, and what made them special to you.

xo Dea

Take Me Away

       (Music, by Jimmy Page, to play as you read today's post. Black Mountain Side guitar solo)

Art is many things to many people.

Some love music, some painting, some acting or writing--the list goes on and on. Some like a combination.

But there seems to be something in common with any art avenue you travel down--the experience takes you somewhere else. 

Time stands still and we are able to feel something beautiful. Our senses become heightened and dulled at the same time--and we lose ourselves.

Yogis and god-seekers look inward. They meditate to find a very quite place to find peace, or love, or the infinite.

The envelope of the art experience is the opposite. We step into the world and time of another and make it our own. When drawing we become part of the picture, music can take us to another country or bring us back to an experience we loved, writing involves creating another dimension and developing a universe for a brand new being. We are no longer aware of our pains, or losses, or needs, or even time. 

For a while we are in heaven.

Of course we have to come back to earth, back to our realities--but so what. We have our art, and we can recreate the nirvana at will. 

It is the closest thing to magic that I can imagine.

Fun Easter Book and a Page to Color

Spring is in the air, and Easter is right around the corner. Time to wonder, is the Easter bunny a robot? 

You can color your way to the truth and find out in the book Francine and the Super Spy Bunny.

CLICK HERE to BUY

 You will find many surprises in the book, including a six foot tall chocolate bunny!

 

Kindle version on Amazon available for $.99, but order the coloring book if you if you have crayons and are ready to use them.

When you (or your kids ;) )have a beautiful picture colored, send it to me! I will post it on the Amazon page along with some previous pix from last year.

Have fun--and watch out for bunnies with glowing red eyes.