I am going through difficult times right now in my personal life. I am gravitating towards creating art that is uplifting and positive and bright.
Category: quotes
Just what I’ve been up to lately…
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| The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin |
Lately, I have been reading the Happiness Project, a memoir by Gretchen Rubin. I picked it up, after much hesitation since I had been seeing it everywhere and was a little weary of it, for a couple of reasons. My personal life took a drastic and unexpected turn about a month ago and I was forced to reevaluate my life. I realized that I had not been happy and was not living my “best” life. Every day life had gotten ahold of me and I had stopped enjoying the little things like spending time with my loved ones, taking time to reflect and relax, and doing new and exciting things. This sparked an idea I had to come up with my own bucket list. Well, not a bucket list, but a “life list.” I started compiling a list of things that I wanted to do (not necessarily before I died) that I had been missing out on. My list included simple things like: “cooking dinner more,” “buying a bike”, “spend more time outdoors.” Things that I have always wanted to do and always told myself I would do, but never got around too. I started compiling them in a journal and it kind of took on a life of it’s own.
So far, my list is 72 items and counting.
The first thing I did on my list, was the most physically noticeable and required the least amount of effort on my part: #18: cut all my hair off! Now, let me explain why this is a big deal. The last time I cut my hair more than an inch every two months or so, was when I was in the 3rd grade (over 20 years ago!) Of course, this was pre-puberty and my peers were merciless. Even adults made comments on it. My brother told me years later that his teacher asked him that first day I came to school after my hair cut, “who is the new boy at school?”
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| I tried finding my year book photo but this is the closest pic I could find…another bad hair cut idea of mine (the perm) |
Needless to say, I was scarred and scared to cut my hair after that so I let it go and it got looooooong.
So one Sunday morning a couple weeks ago, I was having breakfast with an old friend and told her I wanted to cut my hair. She got excited and we called around to different salons and took the first open appointment. By lunch time 21 inches of my hair was in a baggy and most of my hair was gone!
It really is amazing how doing something as simple as cutting your hair can make you feel like a new person and spark you to make changes.
Has anyone else read the Happiness Project and/or made a life/bucket list?
I’ve been doing a lot of journaling lately….I used to do it all the time, and have had a diary or journal since I was old enough to write. But, in the last few years, my journals have gotten less and less inspiring. They are usually filled with To Do Lists, important info, and work data. I wanted to get back to when I used to actually enjoy writing and creating art in my journal. And while, the circumstances for my delve back into my enthusiastic journaling were not exactly positive, I have remember just how much of a calming effect and a release of tension they are for me:
Does anyone else like to journal? Does it have the same effective on you? Send me pics and I will post them on my blog (one day, someone will actually answer me and it will be awesome!)
Lately, the urge to get another tattoo has been gnawing away at me. I have two at the moment:
a small dove on my foot, that both of my best child hood friends have as well in the same spots (which I got when I was…19 or 20?)
And three peacock feathers on my back between my shoulder blades that I got when I was 21 and going to school in L.A.
I told myself after the peacock feathers that I would wait 5 years (plus, I’m terrified of needles and had to go back to the Tattoo Parlor at least 4 times because each time I came, I would pass out). I’m 27 now and so much has happened since then. I’ve gotten my Masters degree, got married, got a job I love and feel much more stable and solid than I was 8 years ago.
Also I’ve lost two important people in the last 2 years: one of my best childhood friends (not one of the ones who got matching tattoos with me) past away from an aggressive cancer, leaving behind a beautiful 5 year old daughter and my grandma who was so beautiful and also happened to be my favorite person and passed away after suffering with Alzheimers’ disease for 16 long years.
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| grandma in all her 90’s glory (in the silk blue suit) |
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| about 5 years into her disease, after a stroke (around 1999) |
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| right before she passed |
Before I lost these two people, I was very very lucky to not have to face death and deal with the sense of loss, anger, confusion, and the infuriating feelings of guilt for leaving things unsaid and undone.
Anyways, these things have made me want to get a tattoo in honor of my grandma and friend. A close friend of mine, who has had a difficult life and has suffered so much more loss than I, has these beautiful and simple plain black bands on his forearms. Some of them are thick (an inch or more), others very thin.
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| my friend’s arm
I had an idea of what I thought the bands might symbolize and knew that he treated each tattooed band with stoic reverence. I finally asked him to tell me about them and what they meant to him. Ever the philosophical fellow, he replied with:
“Humans, like trees, grow rings of memories.”
Which I loved because I have always loved trees (such a silly statement to make, I mean, who doesn‘t like trees??). I love how they look, how they smell and what they have symbolized throughout man’s existence (life, death, wisdom, nourishment, hope, growth, security, family).
Anywho, I am thinking of getting two thin bands on my left forearm, one in honor of my grandma and one in honor of my childhood friend.
Although, my friend also warned me of getting a tattoo that symbolizes the loss of someone you love in a place that you have to look at all the time. He said that every time he looks at his tattoos it only reminds him of those he has lost and makes him sad.
I thought about this and realized that I think the reason I want them in such a visible spot is to remind me to make the most of the time I have with my loved ones and to act in such a way when I am with them, that on that very distant day in the future when I have no more time with them, I will be left with no regrets.
But, I will continue to evaluate the real reasons I want this tattoo, where it should go, and what it will represent to me.
In the meantime, here are some badass tattoos that I find to be lovely and inspiring (via this cool website I just stumbled on: http://fyeahtattoos.com/:
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| by artist: Dan DiMattia |
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| Illustration from my favorite book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Tattoo Artist unknown |
not sure who did this one but it is so lovely.
I LOVE this Joy Division album artwork, and apparently so do many people. I have found about a dozen tattoos with this artwork tattooed somewhere on them. I think the forearm one is my favorite.
one of my favorite paintings by one of my favorite artists! (The Kiss by Gustav Klimt) Tattoo artist unknown
loverly.
I’ve been looking for some inspirational artwork on etsy.com to hang in my apartment to remind me to be happy and to remember how lucky I am. What I found were a multitude of beautiful, unique and truly inspirational art pieces. Here are some of the ones that made me smile the most. You can also view this list here:
“Life is A Beautiful Ride” Print by Parada Creations. Click here to see more: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ParadaCreations?ref=seller_info
“Believe It” Print by Dazeychic. Click here to visit her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dazeychic?ref=seller_info
“Dream Big” Print by magalarie. http://www.etsy.com/shop/magalerie?ref=seller_info
“seafoam magic plus feather, fern and bougainvillea” by SuspectShoppe. Click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SuspectShoppe?ref=pr_shop
“Trust Thyself-Emerson Illustrated Instinct Quote” Print by 3LambsGraphics
click here to see more: http://www.etsy.com/shop/3LambsGraphics?ref=seller_info
“Set of Three Screen Prints” by jessgonacha. shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessgonacha?ref=seller_info
More to come soon! I hope this made you happy!
jessbobess 