30 June 2010

Out in the Great Wide Open
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Into the Great Wide Open...Under the Skies of Blue...Out in the Great Wide Open..

Tom Petty~

The Sunday Creative word prompt - OPEN

I took a roadtrip. I left on Sunday and returned yesterday. I drove across our beautiful state of Washington from one side to the other. Takes about 4.5 hours. I left the westside maritime climate and travelled over the pass through the Cascade mountains. After descending all the way to the Columbia River gorge at Vantage, I climbed back up onto the flat plains. Nothing but farmland and wide open spaces for miles and miles. It has its own beauty each mile I travelled. I clicked photos out the window as I drove along.
I was headed to see friends and spend a couple of days in Spokane. The weather was sunny and hot. I decided that I really love being warm. I do love Seattle, but I love being warm. It was nice to get away.... but it was also nice to come home.

20 June 2010

Inspiration and genius--one and the same
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Inspiration starts here.
Tomorrow, I have decided to start "The Artist's Way". I got the book and tomorrow will be the first morning pages - 12 weeks. We'll see what happens.
Please join me if you like, power in numbers you know =)

17 June Revisited...

Here I am working on my Unravelling assignment. I'm behind, but maybe I was a little hesitant to do this one. Thought it would stir up memories. Which it did. Tons and Tons of great memories by far outweighed the not so good ones. My hubby is travelling tonight, so it seemed like a good evening to pull out the old photos...

Christmas 196?

I'm either 2 or 3 here - so '64 or '65. Its in the "green house" as we called it. The bunny was hand knitted and the clown slippers were really cool and I never wanted to take them off my feet. When I look at this photo I only makes me happy... the lamp made of drift wood on the table made of left over tiles that my Dad built a frame around, the christmas skirt my grandmother made, the braided rug and all the fun ornaments on the tree. I love Christmas and still do - my birthday is the next day.

Post Card

I was looking through my old photos and came across a couple of post cards from my Dad. I didn't even know they were there. He's writing while on a trip to Italy with my Mom - 1978 about the same time this photo was taken.
"Ye Gods, how I miss you"... He died this year in February - I miss you too Dad.

Hold on to 16 as long as you can...
Changes come round real soon that make us women and men...
Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp

I don't seem to have a lot of photos from grade school and middle school. I guess they are at my Mom's house in boxes somewhere.

There are happy memories with High School and not so happy. I had a few very, very close friends, my horses, sports and acedemics. My father was a college professor, so there was no question I would go to college. I wonder what has happened to all the kids in the Top 10 pictured in upper right.... I haven't kept in touch with any of them.

Pi Pi Beta Phi..

P-I PH, I Pi Phi
P for I for Beta Phi for..
I just love Pi Beta Phi!

I never had sisters, and all of a sudden I had many. Some were very close and still very close friends today. We had so much fun, it was the early '80's and were totally invinceable...
Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft, experienced a fatal accident on January 31, 2000 in the Pacific Ocean about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) north of Anacapa Island, California. The two pilots, three cabin crewmembers, and 83 passengers on board were killed including my good friend Sarah and her young family. She is in the center photo with me.

This is part of the Unravelling..

I really feel lucky, through this process I didn't shed tears for myself, just for others. I had a really great childhood and upbringing. Of course there were tumultuous times as for any kid growing up. But I really loved how mine went and I told my Mom and Dad a few years ago, that I thought they did a really good job of being parents. They smiled.

17 June 2010

Very Smooth~
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Day 12 of Creativity Boot Camp - word prompt today is Smooth.

I think I will be really sad when CBC is over in a few days. I have really been pushed by some of this stuff. There are so many good photographers out there - wow! I can't help but to be inspired by their work. It makes me think a lot more and try and figure out what they do, that I am missing....

Today, we are supposed to think about dreams. I chose this picture for smooth - because in a way it is my alter ego. My dream so to speak... the glamour diva. As much as I love dressing up, I think I really am most comfortable in jeans. Although.... maybe I could wear jeans and Jimmy Choos!

I often wonder what happened to my dreams from childhood. I planned on being a veterinarian from when I was about 8. I studied it, I worked at vet when I was in HS. I basically planned on it and applied to only one school because of their Vet program. Then I changed.. I ended up my Junior year in college deciding that I guess Accounting would be what I would choose after trying numerous other things. Why accounting for goodness sake!? Totally not me, but I have always been greatful for having a background in numbers. My practical side kicked in and somehow overran my heart. If indeed being a vet was not for me - I should have been an architect. Why is it that we (collectively, as I know I am not the only one) do this to ourselves?
As for my future dreams?

I'd like to find something I love doing and be able to earn a living at it. I have a small business now, and I used to think my dream was to see it get big and successful. However, now that I am in the midst of it... I really don't know how to do that - so maybe my dream for the future is to gain the knowledge to move to the next level.

The other dream is that I know I would like to do something that involves creativity and helping people. I personally have gained so much from a 365 project on Flickr, Unravelling and CBC that I feel I have to share this with others on a local level. I just have to figure out how to do it. I know I can.

16 June 2010

Hush
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Creativity Boot Camp Day 12 - Hush

Hush to me means serenity, quiet... taking a break from a busy day and just chilling for a little while.

Today is one of those days I should have spent getting caught up, but I didn't. But, that's OK... I needed a break today. A day to just be in the world and really do nothing other than whatever I felt like doing. I did that, and it felt good!

Today for CBC, our journal prompt is to reflect on our life and the milestones, hurdles, life decisions, etc. that have brought us to where we currently stand in life. This is much like the Unravelling... a look at the journey which we have travelled so far. Did I make the right call at that turn? What would have happened had I have chosen a different path at the "Y" in the road? What about the people I have met - those I have chosen to keep forever, and those that have just let pass through? These are things that I can not second guess. The decisions were made at the time and I trust that I chose correctly. I can't imagine my life any differently. Would I change a decision I made here or there? I think we are all tempted to say "yes" to that question. However, I wouldn't be where I am currently standing now, had I have chosen differently.
I walk confidently forward from here, knowing that I can continue to make the right decisions for me. My past travels have been both bumpy and smooth, and I expect that pattern to continue - its life. I've earned these scars on my knees and I am proud of them. I think they make me stand taller. I'm happy with this.

15 June 2010

I look up to the sky and think - wow~! I'm the luckiest girl around. I am so inspired..

now what do I do with it!?

I feel like its been ages since I was here... Guess I've been busy.

Today is Day 10 of Creativity Boot Camp - Today's photo prompt was "full-bodied". Could only think of wine (imagine that! =)

The combination of Creativity Boot Camp and the Unravelling have really been wonderfully overwelming. I can barely keep up and feel that I'm sort of missing out on the finer points of it.

I do my assignment, internalize the journal prompts and scurry about my day. Thinking about all of this - the entire day... its a wonder I can get anything else done. Although, I remember reading somewhere that people who are artists may not actually create but they think about it all the time. I think this is me..

Through these two incredibly enriching things I am participating in, I really feel that my creativity is increasing by far and that it is really helping me see inside myself. I'm terrible at blogging and journal writing. I tend to think about the journal prompts and not really write anything down. So, I'm going to try really hard now to write more. I went off to the bookstore and got myself TWO lovely journals to see if that would inspire me to write. I think its a matter of making time for it. Or, at least the perception that I DO have time for it.

As our journal prompt for CBC - we were to tune into our senses and realize the sensations around us. Today I walked the dog very early. It had just finished raining so we darted out to get walkies in before the next showers.. The birds were chirping and rejoicing the rain being gone for a little while anyway, the breeze was causing the lake to gently lap against its shore. The sounds of the bike tires on the damp pavement... The fragrances around were so lovely. Kind of hanging in the air - grass, honeysuckle, lavender... Had it of been warmer, they would have been more prominent, but they were there. The smell of coffee when I came back, the wine from the photo I took... all these sensations that are easy to tune out in a day. It was nice to realize them. We'll see what other sensations I can be part of today... tactile, sound, visual, taste...

7 June 2010

Day 2 of Creativity Boot Camp - today's word is Picnic. However, I kind of feel that picnics are gone. Does anyone really do them anymore? There are lots of tables around, but how often do you really see anyone sitting at them. It's kinda sad actually. I have many wonderful memories of picnics from my childhood - cold chicken, deviled eggs, paper plates... nothing but sheer delight. I think we are all just a little too busy these days to take the time out to plan and do a picnic. Maybe its time we changed.... I titled this photo - Forgotten Times.

We are also given a journal prompt - to reflect on ourselves as an artist. Do I shy away from calling myself an artist? Yes... why is that actually? I grew up an artist, my Dad was a great Artist and so it goes down my family tree on my Father's side. Maybe that's the trouble... there are so many great artists in my family... really famous ones - like in museums and stuff... true passion in these people. Then there is me. I can't find my way, I try this and that and am never really happy with any of it. too much pressure on myself... I don't fit into the stereotype "artist" and I don't hang with the "artsy" crowd where we can talk art together. I don't fit in... but, yet there is still that burning passion for creativity inside of me. I can't help but to let it out in some form or another.. If I put a lid on it - it just festers inside until if I don't let it out, I think it will eat me up. I do truely love it - art... For me it has taken the form of photography this time. I am really enjoying myself and being able to release this passion inside.

How can I outwardly reflect my inner artist... I'm not sure about that. I bought a pair of blue chucks which seem to be the photographer's choice of shoes because they are so photogenic. Maybe this is a start. Will people see me as an artist if I wear these shoes?

Three people who I am comfortable sharing my creative work with are - my Mom, she was married to an artist for almost 54 years before it ended on Feb 12 of this year. My Dad passed away and it was a very sad day for this world... My brother, who I have to say that I was not close with until my Dad's death... we are together again which is a blessing and he too is a creative soul, but alas, he doesn't let it out enough. My husband is always willing to see what I do - he is not an artist in the true form as we know it... he is an artist in his business world and it is his true passion and he is really, really good at it.
I'm finding that the great cloud out there called Flickr is a wonderful place to stretch my artistic wings... I'm loving being connected with others that are just like me. Its really cool to belong to a community where I actually feel like there are others like me. I never realized how powerful it really was to belong to a community until I have now found where I feel I can belong....
I kinda like this ... artist. Ok, maybe it will fit this time.

4 June 2010

Creativity is an interesting thing. Some people "get it" and some people don't. However, I believe there is creativity inside of all of us. Some of us are just more fortunate to be able to let it out in some way, shape or form.
My Mom and I had lunch at Odd Fellows Cafe on Capital Hill. We were headed to Elliott Bay Book Store to see its new location and see what interesting things we could find. We had been to the Japanese Garden and were pretty much starving by the time we arrived at the restaurant. We were standing in line at the lunch counter. I glanced over and saw these jars lined up all sparkly and colorful with their contents. I left the line and snapped a couple of photos. My Mom is used to my photo antics and also just being with creative people so she paid no mind. The gentleman in front of us asked me about the photo - Why did you photo that? Am I missing something? I just don't "get it". I explained the lighting, color, sparkle, interesting-ness of it, etc. He asked some questions and seemed engaged in the conversation. It was his turn to order and as he turned from us, I saw him look over at the jars, ponder for a split second, then smile...