Real People, Real Lives

So often, over the years, I've had people say to me - "how do you know your online friends are real? They could be faking their photos or pretending to be someone they're not."

Yes, could be. But unlikely. More than ever before, especially in blog land, the land of personal journalling, people are real. Real people living real lives. Their honesty is sometimes brutal. Always refreshing. Often too revealing. I love it. There seems to be some kind of safety, perhaps a false sense of safety, when we share our lives from a computer and put it "out there" for all to read and scrutinise. It's fascinating.

I don't doubt there's some real dishonesty out there. Real crime being committed. Real horrors. Of course there are. It's a given. It's the internet. But I'm betting the statistics would show that there are more people, who regularly online, writing daily in the journals, that are honest about who they are than not. The photos of these people are real. Their lives are real. Take them or leave them. They're real.

People watching. If you've got the time of course. I have a handful of blogs that I like to read on a regular basis but I wonder if there are people out there who are prolific blog readers. People watching. People who love to see other peoples lives. Photos.

For me, it's finding people who have similar interests as me. Obviously. Getting their perspective on life and art be it theirs or someone elses.

Of course, the ultimate, is when you've made friends online and then you get to meet them in real life. This has happened to me a couple of times. One of those experiences turned out to be extraordinarily profound. It was when I met my husband. Believe it or not, the day I met him, was the day we moved in together. Can you believe that? What on earth were we thinking? Clearly neither of us were thinking. We just did it. We'd known each other online for while. We'd talked on the phone. For hours. And then decided to meet. The when and where changed each week until eventually due to my own personal circumstances, I actually moved in with him.

Real people. Real lives. He was as real to me as he'd been when I knew him online. His honesty was true. He was everything he appeared to be and more. Nothing fake. Nothing made up. Pure reality. My story isn't unusual. We have other online friends, now married, who met the same way. Online. Meet for the first time and end up together from the moment on.

Yep. Real people and real lives.

It's in the Process

I'm an artist. I'm a crafter. I love to create. I love to express myself through creating.

We all do. Everyone is an artist in some form or another. We all have the ability to create. Creative expression is all around. And it's a beautiful thing. It's mysterious and magical. Whether through music, drawing, painting, film making, fashion, design, invention, people love to creatively express themselves.

Something I've recently realised about myself is that I love the creative process more than the end result. I love that my head is just full of ideas and imaginings. I'll never be able to create all that I see in my head. I'm inspired by so many things. So many people. It's never ending and I love it. It means there's always something there for me to paint or create through another medium such as crafting or digitally on my computer. And then other days the creative process is very organic. It just evolves as I work.

Don't get me wrong. I love the end results. I love buying and admiring other people's art and craft pieces. The end result of a creative process is, of course, important. But I'm fairly certain that for most artists, the creative process is what it's all about.

And it's not about the tools. It's not about being a purist. So many times, over the years in various online galleries and on blogs, I've seen the statement, "all freehand, no digital enhancement". Or "no postwork", when talking about creating 3d renders. These people are purists. And that's how they work. My objection to that is in the statements they make about their art and how it's created. There's nothing wrong with mixing medias. It should not be worded in such a way that not using a certain medium means that piece of art is somehow of better quality than someone who does use a mixture of mediums.

It's in the process. It's the journey. Do what you need to do to get to the destination. I really believe that. It's about the creative expression. I just feel somewhat sad and deflated at the realisation that there are so many art/craft snobs out there. And it doesn't need to be like that.

I've been online for many years now. And as part of my online experience and being an artist, I've joined various communities and galleries. Each and every online art/craft community I've joined, at some point, there's been a big debate and often arguments as new people try new techniques and so move away from being a purist for that particular art or craft style. That causes unrest. For some, it's exciting and those people fully embrace changes and new ways to create and express themselves while others really get aggressive in their objections. Others like to just sit back a bit and just watch to see how things evolve.

The bottom line is, it doesn't matter. If someone wants to create a piece of art using their computer, acrylic paints and collage, they should do it. Embrace it. Enjoy it. It's in the process. It should be fun. It should be about personal expression.

If someone wants to create a piece of art using their computer and nothing else, they should do it.

If someone wants to create a piece of art, drawing from scratch, using just pencils, paints on canvas or whatever else, they should do it. It's about choice. It's about what works for them.

If you can't draw and so you trace or use collage elements or digital, go for it. Can I say it again? It's about you. It's about your own personal expression. It works for you. Do it.

Scrapbooking. Digital. Traditional. Doesn't matter. Do what works for you. Just because someone does their scrapbooking on a computer doesn't make it any less of a scrapbook page. Or piece of art. It's what works for you.

I think you get the picture. I could go on. We all love to create. Enjoy that creative process. Enjoy what you do. Don't get caught up in the politics of your chosen medium. Create what you create the way you want to create it.

Living in the Moment

I've always tried to stay positive about most things in life. Most situations. Even though, when I look back, I've seemingly taken on each new trauma/bad experience as if I'm going to drown in it. I've felt the pain immediately and wanted it all to disappear. Somehow though I got through it. Mainly, I believe, as a result in my deep faith as a Christian that with God, I can get through. And often when I'm through the other side, I've come out as a better person. Or I've learned something very specific as a result of that bad experience. No matter how bad.

My Dad calls it "character building". And it truly is.

I'm a strong believer in living in the moment. Focusing on the positive. Looking at life in the here and now. Not to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Living in the moment. Each moment is precious. Truly it is. Before you know it, a whole day of moments have gone by. And then, oh dear, a whole lifetime of moments have gone by. In the blinking of an eye.

And so, this post is for me as much for anyone else. I'm reminding myself to practise what I preach. To really live in the moment. Not to worry about tomorrow. Not to think about the future. But to really enjoy the precious moments I'm in right now.

The sun is shining today. Again. Wow. Several days in a row. I love it. It feels like Summer. I love Summer. And all that it brings. Good and bad. Bad = being allergies, high humidity, bug bites, being chased by wasps while eating yummy ice cream or ice lollies.

So yes, I'm living in the moment and thoroughly enjoying it!

I Want To. I Don't Want To.

I'm in one of those moods where I want to do specific things but I don't want to. I want to clean the flat. I am cleaning the flat but I don't want to. I hate it when I feel like this. I'm procrastinating. It's not good but I don't really know how to shift from it.

A bit here and a bit there. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. So very blue. It's beautiful. We're going for a nice long walk to the beach later when it's a bit cooler. I'm looking forward to that but I know if I don't clean the flat, I'll hate coming back home to it. Ugh! I can't be bothered and yet I know how great I'll feel once I've done everything.

There's a ton of things I want to do. A ton of things I'm looking forward to. I've got a blank canvas just sitting waiting for me to spill out my creativity onto it. I want to paint. I want to cut out paper and glue. I want to read my books. I want to watch some new dvds I recently bought. And yet I can't be bothered. I just want to sink into my big comfy chair and sit there staring into the garden. Procrastinating. A bad thing? I don't know. I kinda think procrastinating is a way of just sitting for a while thinking about what has to be done. Planning maybe? That's more positive than the negative side of the word.

I'm looking forward to my granddaughter coming to stay. Another reason I want a nice clean tidy flat. We're picking her up tomorrow and then Thursday I'm spending the day with my sister and her little girl who's just a few months older than Jorja. We're looking forward to our play date. The weather forecast is good and so we'll be able to play in the garden. Get the paddling pool out and some sand.

See? Lots of things to look forward to.

I think I'm also feeling a little down and like I can't be bothered because I'm on a really strict diet. I have to lose weight. For medical reasons. And I'm glad to be doing it. It's a good thing. It's a positive thing. I've already lost a lot and it feels good but I just want to be able to eat something I want to every now and then rather than continuously exercise self control. But hey, it's my own fault and so I need to reconcile myself with that issue.

Back to my comfy chair. Or maybe the cleaning.

Memories of Cornwall [part one]

We recently got home after a wonderful week on holiday in Devon and Cornwall. The last time I was in Cornwall was at my grandmother's funeral. Ugh! I loved my grandparents so much. I was close to my Nanny Roone in particular. And I still miss her. Their home hasn't changed much over the years as my aunt still lives there, and so that made it even more poignant walking through the front door. I cried as I walked into the kitchen wanting my Nan to just be there at the sink scraping potatoes or putting on another cup of tea.

Land's End

I recovered from my emotional trip down memory lane and after a nice visit with my aunt we drove on to our cottage we rented for the week. It was at the most southern point of England and overlooked the Atlantic ocean. To get there, we had to drive through a farm and onwards down a dirt track. Carefully. Slowly. Willing various cows and bulls to move out of the way so we could continue. But no, they were stubborn. They took their time to move. Sure enough though we suddenly came out at the end of the track track and out onto the edge of the cliff where we were hit with the most stunning views of the Atlantic ocean.

The Lizard (most southern point of England)

View from the front of our cottage overlooking the Atlantic.

180 degree views. All around us. Craggy rocks. Cliffs. Beautiful flora and fauna everywhere. Deep blue sapphire of the ocean glinted at us as the sun shone high in the sky. Stunning. Jaw dropping. I've been to some wonderful places in the world including the Caribbean, USA and Scandinavia. All beautiful in their own right but this was something different.

We pulled up to the cottage, got out of the car and just stood there. Not a sound. You could hear a pin drop. Even the sea gulls were quiet. Rising up, catching the wind and soaring above the cliffs. We stood there for what seemed like an eternity.

Abandoned life boat station at The Lizard

It set the scene for the rest of the week. Every place we visited stunned us with its beauty. I'd somehow forgotten over the years just how scenic Cornwall is. How blue the sea is. The sea was so blue. So turquoise. So clear. Amazingly beautiful.

Mullion Cove

Today was spent sorting out all the photos we took and sending them to get printed. I also got caught up on all the washing and managed to get out into the sunshine for half hour this afternoon. Making the most of the sun in this very English Summer. And thinking about Cornwall. Magical. Mystical. Beautiful and inspiring.

Another Day

The darkest hour is just before dawn.

It's another day. The sun is shining and I'm going to go and enjoy my family. Sit in the sunshine. Eat good food. Enjoy a rum (or two) and play with my granddaughter.

Yes, another day has dawned. Live in the moment.

Random Panic Attack

Hmmm not sure why but I had a panic attack earlier on today. I used to get them about 2 yrs ago as a result of my divorce and stuff I was going through. So today I decided to pop into town for a couple of things and totally forgot about the weekend of celebrations here - regatta, oyster festival and such like. Crowds weren't too bad. Main road was closed off.

I popped into Woolies and by the time I paid for my things there was a huge parade going down the street. Loud noices. Brass band. Lots of people. Too many people. Couldn't hardly get out of the door. I suddenly felt trapped and burst into tears. I realised I was struggling to breathe and escaped down an alley. Ugh! I just couldn't stop crying and my breathing was so fast and laboured. I called Steve who heroically walked into town to get me. I walked down to the seafront away from the crowds and just sat waiting for Steve. I calmed down alot but was really shaky.

Don't know what that was about. Ugh! Just crept up on me out of the blue. I've never really liked parades and big crowds and seem to always get tearful but never panic striken.

Spending the rest of the day creating some mixed media art and then I'm going to cook my man a nice birthday dinner.

Home Sweet Home

Back home. Had an amazing holiday in Devon and Cornwall. Will post photos and more over the weekend. Lots of washing to do and birthday preparations for my hubby's birthday this weekend. x

Wednesday Wonderings

More rain. Honest to goodness low gray clouds rain here for the day rain. It's like an October day. I like it. I'd like it more if I didn't have to go out in it. Ha! It's pouring down. And no end in sight. I vaguely remember last Summer being like this. The odd day of beautiful sunshine and then days of rain. I think I prefer this more than the stifling humid Summers we were getting before last year. Although I think a little more sunshine than incessant rain would be nice at this point.

However, I do love how Summer rain makes all the trees, shrubs and flowers look more vibrant. Bright colours. Lush greens. And the smell. The rain seems to release the smells of all the flowers and the fresh cut grass more than normal. It's so pretty.

Ok, off now to do some much needed shopping for our upcoming holiday to Cornwall. Need some new clothes and toiletries. Hmmm mustn't forget the sun screen. Oh and a nice umbrella! x

In the Wee Small Hours

• in pain
• excited
• loving
• loved
• wanted
• wanting
• blessed
• joy
• praying
• to do lists
• packing
• washing
• drawing
• ordering
• waiting
• needing sleep
  

Moments and Things

In no particular order this past week - Saturday to Saturday - has been filled with great things. Beautiful things. Precious moments. Creative things. Artful things. Stunning beauty. Simple things. Quiet moments. Afternoon sleeps. Hospital moments. Painful moments. Loving moments. Summer rain. Summer sunshine. Friends. Family. Blessed moments.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Yep. Summer's well and truly here. It's utterly gorgeous outside and so hot. We went to the beach this morning for a walk and the water looked amazing. Beautiful turquoise colour and crystal clear which is amazing for the north coast in Kent.

After our walk we wandered through town. I bought some fabrics, netting and other craft odds and ends for some little dolls I'm making. Got home; had lunch; tidied up and then sat out in the garden catching some rays. Oh and also started my fairy dolls. Just waiting for the paint to dry and then I'm going to start the costume part. Yippee. It's fun!

Looking forward to a nice, quiet and crafty evening. Making tuna salad for dinner.

Life is good. I'm blessed so much. Thank you, God, for my life. For the people in my life. Each one of them. Thank you for who I am and all that I do. And thank you for the beautiful sunshine.
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