Five Resolutions

I am a big believer in New Year's resolutions. I like having goals. I like setting the bar high for myself. The fact that setting resolutions and keeping them are two entirely different endeavors can result in some challenges and frustration (such as the frustration in trying to actually finding the time to go to the gym three times a week or choose a night every week to do something new and crafty.

Even so, mine is an optimistic soul. Plus, making lists is fun.

Lizzy's Top Five New Year's Resolutions 2013

1. Visit Pittsburgh and Providence

Pittsburgh

My friend Katy lives in Pittsburgh, and so does Mike's friend Nick. I love being shown around a new city by someone who loves it there.

Providence 

Providence is such an artsy place--I was actually researching some grad schools there recently, and there are some great programs. Plus it's on water.













2. Join a book club

I feel better mentally (more imaginative, more mentally exercised, more...well-used) when I'm reading something good. Good mental health = much higher chance of Lizzy achieving dreams and goals. And a book club would ensue that I actually set a deadline for myself to read stuff that somebody else decided was good. Plus there would be other people there who like to read. So it's a litmus test for friends and books. Now, if I can only find one that works with my regular schedule... or lack thereof...

3. Sketch at least one thing per week

I already write every day, and I should really sketch every day too. But I'm trying to stay realistic here. And sitting down with my sketchbook once a week would be good for keeping me in practice.

This is from a blog about remaking $1 dresses every day. 

4. Sew/modify some of my own clothes. 

I think the blogs about this are so cool and I really want to try some of the techniques, for like turning a frumpy shirt into a sleeveless shift dress, or an old lady dress into a cute dress, or a scratched up purse into a  cool, funky one...You get the theme here.












5. Set myself a writing deadline, like one chapter per week.

This one is really important to me. I am serious about this book. And I have to make it happen.

Awesome cartoon with a freakish resemblance to my life!

Happy New Year everyone! :)

Ode to coworkers

Inspiration is a ridiculous thing to even attempt to discuss. It works in ways so convoluted and odd that it doesn't seem appropriate to announce inspiration when it does strike, as it is often the case that the person struck is the only one who sees the connection between the inspiring object, and whatever was produced by said inspiration. (Can you tell I work for lawyers now?) What I'm trying to say is that I feel like a dork when I start to write things like "I'm inspired by the colors outside today." The expression of inspired-ness often turns into a cliche because there are few ways to express the value of being inspired.

That being said, inspiration is a fact of daily life. There are triggers which inspire us to create physical objects, form ideas, start relationships, strike up conversations, and make humorous remarks. The crazy thing is that these triggers are everywhere, and often lying around unlooked-for in places buried under uninspiring and mundane facades.

To put something concrete to these ramblings, one of the things that inspires me lately is my coworkers at my retail job. (I have two jobs--one in customer service at a clothing store, one at a law office as a typist/intern.) Don't get me wrong--my coworkers often drive me crazy. In an environment in which the tone of your entire day's interactions is often set by the moods of everyone around you, it is hard not to get caught up in useless irritation sometimes. But the fact of the matter is, I am often in awe of them.

Being a writer, I am nosy as all hell. (This may seem like a non sequitur. It's not. You're welcome for the clarification.) I also tend to think I am very clever. (I am.) Through those two traits, I have cobbled together the basic pictures (some more detailed than others) of each of my colleagues' various insecurities, ambitions, histories, and daily lives. Creepy statement. But relevant, I promise.

Not wanting to be all that specific for fear of overstepping my bounds (or getting even creepier), here is what I have to say:

Working together, you can learn a lot about people. Their issues. Their tics. Their weird fantasies. Their obsessions. The things they think make them look good. The things they think make them ugly. The things YOU think make them look good or ugly. You wonder how much they've figured out about you. You wonder if they know stuff about you that you haven't figured out yet, like you're pretty sure you do about some of them. (SO MANY PRONOUNS.) You work toward a common goal but you learn about everyone's personal goals. You figure out what they do in their outside lives that affects their attitudes in the workplace. (Ew, "attitudes in the workplace"...I sound like an employee handbook. Enough of that.)

You sympathize, commiserate, and share cookies, pizza and bagels. And at the end of the day, you realize that you spend half of your life with people who are something like family, something like friends, and something like inmates. (Okay, I had to infer that last one. I haven't actually been in prison. Well, I was in one once. It was for a tour senior year of high school.)

The point is, when you work with people and pay attention you inevitably learn a bunch of crap about them.
 
And sometimes the things you learn can teach you about respect. About boundaries. About having kids. About being strong. About owning up to your bullshit. About not apologizing for the person you are and the way you choose to live, because hell, that's who you are. Sometimes the things you learn can keep you up until 11:11 (MAKE A WISH) thinking about how much you've changed for the better (and definitely for the thicker-skinned) since you descended into the scummy pit of doom that is customer relations. (It's getting late. I'm getting moody. Abort! Abort!)

Anyway, I've decided that I'm pretty lucky. I've found a place where I can be a total smart-ass and get away with it, in company with others highly skilled in the arts of smart-assery. (It's a thing. Look it up.) And I also get to be totally nosy, eat free pizza, and feel like I'm at least learning a bit about human nature (capitalism, greed, the rich, the poor, the identification of self with personal style...oh, it goes on. I think a lot.). Okay, I'm losing focus here. I just wanted to pay homage to these humans with whom I spend 20-30 hours per week in the best way I know how--rambling on paper (okay, a screen, but you get the idea). Even if none of them ever reads this (Please, God, don't let any of them ever read this. They'll think I like them or something.) I want to admit that I admire them for just showing up every day and trying really hard to do whatever they have to do to stay awesome, whatever their definition of awesome is.

I know that's a really vague description in a lot of ways, but there will be a lot more details about all of them when they show up as random fictional characters in my future novels. 

So, coworker-creatures. If you're actually reading this, stay awesome. And thanks.

My Google Search of Future Careers

What will you be when you don't grow up, Lizzy?

One of my favorite Mary Englebreit drawings

I'm in a rather cheery frame of mind regarding my future at the moment, so I thought I'd make myself a nice, multimedia list. Job descriptions, listings, and illustrations included. Kind of like a fun way of "doing my homework"?

Anyway, read on if you are interested and feel free to comment with thoughts. 

1. Obviously I will be an author. I say "obviously" because it is my dream. The occupation that I will never, ever give up on occupying. And now I've published that on the Internet, so (for those of you who didn't already know) it's official.

 It's kind of impossible to provide a job description for an author, because they/we all have their/our own methods of working, hours, etc. So here's J.K. Rowling's wiki page, 'cause she's basically living the dream, as far as I'm concerned. And here's an interview with Tamora Pierce, where she says things about fantasy that very much expresses my own thoughts on the genre. She's another of my favorite authors, who once said, either in a reading I went to or an interview I read, that she starts writing at noon every day and spends her mornings doing whatever she wants. Hello, my future.

Listing: You can't apply for author-ship. You can only write, submit, and pray. Or, write, exercise, and shower. Either way, or all of the above, but unfortunately without sending anybody your resume.

2. Journalist

The thing about journalism and me is that it's not the THING that I've wanted to do forever. You know, there's that kid who wrote for all his school papers and has already done four internships at various newspapers and watches the news like it's his favorite sitcom. And I'm just not that kid. I watch my favorite sitcom like it's my favorite sitcom. Period. (Actually, I have more than one. Specifically, they are New Girl and How I Met Your Mother. And then in the category of drama, there's Glee and Once Upon a Time. And I miss Gilmore Girls like crazy.) Writing fiction is my THING. I majored in creative writing, wrote stories starring my dolls and stuffed animals, and pranced (yes, pranced) around the house "reading" aloud something I made up out of my head while holding a book. (I have since honed my creative process. A little.) The point: I look at journalism not as a career path, but as a possible conduit for writing experience.

Listing: Editorial Intern, Syracuse, 2nd Nature LLC

3. Art director

I realize this is not a position one starts in, and this is an entirely unrealistic listing. So basically it's a pointless one. But I already looked up some stuff about being an art director, so it's getting included anyway. Plus I found a cute picture to go with it. So judge me.

Listing: Creative Director, Syracuse, Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc.


4. Public Relations

This is something I think I'd be good at on the writing side. No idea about anything else it entails, but it might be worth an internship to find out. I actually already applied to this listing, but I missed the (unspecified) fall deadline, so I'm planning to reapply in the winter. The cool thing about this one, though, is that I'd also get to work in an art museum, thus pleasing my artsy side. And actually, several of these internships look good to me as possible experiences, given that I am very open-minded about what I'd like to do career-wise outside author-ship.

Listing: Public Relations Internship, Syracuse, Everson Museum


5. Advertising/Marketing/Copywriting

Weird picture. I know. But relevant, in a tattoed-baby kind of way. (?)
Basically, my reasoning behind trying copywriting would be the same as my reasoning behind being a journalist or working in PR. It's another avenue for gaining writing experience. However, it is another really competitive field (anyone else noticing a pattern here?) in which I have only marginal interest. Basically, it would be a use-my-skills-to-pay-the-bills job until I can devote myself to being a full-time J.K. Rowling. Ahem, author.

Listing: Marketing Internship, Syracuse, Daily Orange, Corp.


6. Illustrator

Illustration by Page Tsou, more of his work here

I know this one is a bit out of left field. And it would require an education search, rather than a job search. But if I had unlimited money, this is only one of the things I would get a degree in. I love illustrations. I love art that inspires a story or a vision, that deepens the way you imagine a setting or characters. (Clearly I'm talking about book illustration here.) But again...super-competitive field. And a huge commitment, time-wise. If I were really going to be an illustrator, it would have to be my dream at least almost as much as writing is my dream. So it remains a big, fat, maybe. But it is still included in the list, as much because I want to explore a future in something artistic as anything else.


7. Something in design.

Okay, clearly, I'm getting lazy. And tired. Ouchy eyes tired. Making up words like "ouchy" and typing them out tired.

Anyway, those are the career possibilities I've given real thought to. Top choice is, as always, making up stories. Second choice would (if money were not an object) be something artsy, which would involve going back to school. (Actually, I will probably go back for my masters within the next few years, it's just that I want to do more artistically than I do now. I don't care if it results in a BFA, but my dream life includes art as well as writing. But I digress.) Third choice would be all these money-making using-what-I-learned-in-college-to-sell-stuff-to-people options.

Next time, on Lizzy's Career Decisions Lists:
Basket Weaving
Scuba Diver Instructing
Porpoise Training
Circus Motorcycle Driving

 Actually, I would love to run away with the circus...I wonder if Cirque du Soliel is hiring art directors with tons of imagination and no experience...

Missing Summer

I miss summer so much that I have been going through the pages of Vogues and staring crazily at the pictures involving the ocean. And bathing suits. And short skirts.

I have been listening to Yellowcard, and MIKA, and other rock-ish kinds of stuff that reminds me of summer vacation. I'm listening to 3 Doors Down, for crying out loud. I don't even know where I got 3 Doors Down. (Katy, if you are reading this, I need new music. Anything MIKA--I'll tell you what I already have. And if anyone else feels like exchanging mix cds, I would be down. Ahh, mix cds! Another thing that reminds me of summer!!! Or maybe just high school..)

 Soo here are some pictures that make summer feel a bit closer when I look at them...

Source

Source

Source: Because of this blog, ladders are my new favorite things.

Source: Pretty sundresses from Dolce and Gabbana spring 2012 collection.

Source

 

Source: Santorini Blog. Only the most beautiful place on Earth.

Same source as above.

So if you, like me, are sick of wearing the same warm pair of blue jeans all the time, leggings under your pants, and nothing with flowers on it, I feel your pain. And I hope we can all find some summery things to pull us through these crazy months.

Watercolor inspiration

I've been thinking about doing watercolors again. I did a ton of them when I worked on my fairy book for Mixed Media, but since then I've pretty exclusively used oils. (Although some of those have been really watery, so maybe it halfway counts.)

So here are some inspirational watercolors, to get me excited about maybe painting again.

 

Source: artist's website

I love making my own cards. I've never seen this technique before, with the watercolor and then the metallic cutouts over it. They must use a special stamp and emboss, or maybe it's metallic paper glued on top? Very crafty. If I could figure out the technique, it would be sooo easy to make variations.

Source: someone's blog

Source: Design M.AG. Some really awesome watercolors here.

Source: Keith Williams' Behance
This is probably my favorite from this post.

If you've never heard of Behance, it's an artists' network where you can post your work, and I think you can also buy artists' work. I have an account, but it's really a fan account so that I can check out art I love. This is my favorite artist on Behance: Sveta Dorosheva. I love his/her (foreign name..? Boy for now.) art so much that his profile is on my bookmarks bar. Here's one of his paintings, which I think is ink and watercolor, although I honestly can't figure out which materials this person uses...

Sveta Dorosheva book illustrations

Source: Stina Persson's Watercolor Portfolio

This one has to be partly digital. But even besides that fact, how can someone have this much control when painting with watercolors?? And get colors this bright? Maybe it's a different medium. Like gouache. Which I've never used, but it sounds really fun. Just the word gouache. Right?

Mushrooms

A whole bunch of mushrooms have shown up in the backyard...so here are some pictures of them.

 They're in a couple different places around the house, which I think is awesome. Obviously, they remind me of excellent pieces of children's literature like Thumbelina and Alice in Wonderland.

Also, I think that the funny shape of mushrooms somehow enables them to spread joy. I'm not just talking about hallucinogenic joy. I mean, anybody who grew up watching Fantasia sees mushrooms and thinks of happy childhood times, tiny dancing Asians, and the Nutcracker ballet. Or even if you didn't grow up with Fantasia and you just think they're cute. Like how acorns are cute because they're wearing little hats.

On another note, I am up to 13 pages on what will hopefully become my first book someday. Yesterday I just sat here at my desk for a few hours, drank a whole mug of tea (an impressive feat for me; I rarely finish hot drinks. Or soda.), and wrote. Something I am hoping to develop into a habit. Unlike fungus photography.

Please enjoy my funny mushrooms.

More Fairy Things

These are some of the websites I've been looking at that I'd like to share because they've inspired me to start drawing again...

Fairysteps: Handmade shoes inspired by fairies/fairy tales. If, like me, you can't afford them, they're still really fun to look at. And actually if you check out Etsy in general, it's all this amazing handmade merchandise - shoes, clothes, bags, postcards, jewelry, kitchen stuff. Really cool.

Fairytale Fashion: Fashion and art inspired by fairies/fairy tales.

Illustrations: I love this guy (or girl? Foreign name). Somebody sent me his/her illustrations a while ago, and I fell in love with his/her style. Really great fairy tale illustrations, and some fashion drawings as well.

I hope you enjoy exploring! Now that I'm out of the closet as an enormous fairy lover, I'm getting really excited about online searches for cool fairy things. And maybe even thinking about my own painting aesthetic differently.

Ta-ta!