Happy New Year

I'm not going to start an exercise program with unrealistic goals to lose weight.  A program I will not continue with.  I'm being honest.  I don't need a new year to start that.  I do something every day to be healthy.  To incorporate good habits daily.  Those goals, those baby steps will form habits.

I'm not going to enroll in school to better myself.  I'm already in school.  I'm not going to start a new hobby because if I want to learn something, do something, travel somewhere, explore...........I do it.   It is life. It keeps moving and so should  you.

You don't need a holiday or any special day to start something.  You just start.  Everyday I try and surround myself with encouraging, thought provoking and inspiring things.  I don't care that Steve Harvey made a mistake announcing the Miss Universe winner.  It disgusts me on how we tear people apart in this society.  How we are so enthralled with how many selfies the Kardashians take.  You rarely see encouragement to reach out to others, to help people in your own community.  Has humanity taken a back seat?  

Everyone is worthy of forgiveness.  Everyone is worthy of second chances.  People make mistakes, horrible ones at times, but for some people, who they were then are not who they are now!

The news has become tabloid news and gossip.  More often then not it is always negative, never positive.  There are people who are in and out of the system/jails like it is a country club and we never do anything to try and rehabilitate them or put the fear in them so they never want to return. They just keep working the system.  They should have harsher sentences.  Maybe people will feel safer in their neighborhoods.   There are people who commit a crime one time and they are thrown away for life.  If they have mental issues we should treat it accordingly.  If someone shows remorse, if someone has grown and changed we should probably give them a second chance.

 I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town

I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime

But is there because he's a victim of the times
~Johnny Cash

There are a few things I came across over the past year that I am glad I saw.  Actually many things, but here are a few:

I Will Fear No Evil~ Less Brown

https://soundcloud.com/musiclover33-2/i-will-fear-no-evil-les-brown


Patty Smith.  I read her book Just Kids and it was great.  Not a big fan of her music, but I love how she tells a story.  I am getting ready to read her next book, M Train.  Here is an interview I came across.  Here is a speech she did "Advice To The Young"  Anyone can use it really.  Just go after what you want:

https://vimeo.com/57857893

Asher Moss and Melodi Meadows are artist.  I would love to hang out with them and just absorb their energy.  Check out their video below:

Kids on The Run on Vimeo

https://vimeo.com/125259757

I hope all who reads this has a great New Year's.  I hope all who reads this has peace and that something on this page.....one of the links a word... anything inspires you.  Always learn.  Always grow.  Always explore.

My Interview

I am currently working on an article for our Bead Society. I am the newsletter editor and I decided to pay tribute to a member and local artist who recently opened her shop. I feel that local artists do not get recognized enough if at all.

I feel that as artists, we often get into rutts and wonder if anyone else gets like this and how to get out of it. One of my questions to Tammy was "What inspires you? Here is an excerpt:

What most inspires you?

Nature, water. I love solitude and quiet. My office/studio looks out over the Sarah Creek and York River. I get to watch the Heron feed, red wing black birds nest ,boats coming and going and the wonderful sunsets. Almost everything comes from this. I recently took Kat Allison and Cindy Yost’s class at Art and Soul, a new medium for me. The energy from other artists gives us so much and renews us from day to day chores. I will go into my studio late at night, when no one is around. This seems to be the most valuable time for me to put things into action. I always look at other artist’s work. I do not copy their designs, but I carry a sketchbook in my purse and take notes or draw out my interpretation of the concept

I love her answer on this, because I believe we all pull energy and inspirations from other people. People and our daily surroundings are great sources. If we carry a sketchbook or a journal with us, we can capture life's moments at any given time.

Sometimes we just have to stop and take in what is around us and breath........