A somewhat goofy mini-collection of stuff I’ve been reading, stuff I’ve been thinking about and oh, some completely random crap.
Basically the stuff that never gets mentioned here because I’m not the kind of person who can just make some teeny little point. Not into the whole brevity thing, as the Dude would say.
Actually, I’m under the strict compulsion to write ten pages about anything on my mind. So this is me. Practicing brevity.
Item! Post No. 49 in a mostly weekly series that was probably going somewhere, at some point, and is now just its own Wednesday thing.
Item! Go ahead. Hate my stuff.
A perfect reminder of a post from Laura Belgray on why writing is like a big glass of milk.
” I will end up living in a mildewed, roach-infested, one-room apartment over someone’s garage, eating tuna from a can on Christmas, like Fonzie did that one time. That’s what I start to think.
But then I remember this: For everything that’s great, there’s someone out there who HATES it.”
Her blog is called Talking to Shrimp. You can’t not love her. Well, you can. According to her post. But still.
She’s @lbelgray on Twitter.
Item! The psychology of decision-making.
Victoria has written a lot of good stuff about this (remember her No Brainer post?) — this bit was a useful addition.
We let “because it’s good for you” become a factor in decision-making, when it really shouldn’t get to have a vote.
“Yes, I know making decisions is complicated (I am a superb waffler), and sometimes it’s not so easy to answer the question of ‘Do I want to do this thing?’ But, in the end, if you’re going to say yes, the balance should be tipped more to the side of wanting to do it than not.”
Good examples. Good stuff to think about.
She’s @victoriashmoria on Twitter.
Item! Email addresses you’d hate to have to give out over the phone.
Damn you, McSweeneys! I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it.
“Mike_WardAllOneWord@yahoo.com”
Thanks to @sally_j who sent me there.
Item! Grumpy Bears Unite!
I can get behind this.
“I’m not really grumpy. And I’m certainly not sad or depressed. It’s just that I’m not into the hoopla of the holidays much anymore.
In winter, I like to stay home, play mandolin and ukulele, write poetry and prose, and laugh at anything that pokes fun at commercialism, holiday treacle, or extreme reverence.”
She’s @LizEnslin on Twitter.
Item! Behind the storyboards of The Princess And The Frog.
I don’t know how Karen — of Iguanability fame — got this interview with Paul Briggs, Disney story artist and all-around interesting guy, but yay.
With original thumbnail and storyboard drawings from him! Exclamation points!
“In 1984 I was 10 years old and I was in a mall at a Walden’s Bookstore and came across ‘The Illusion of Life’ by Frank and Ollie. Even though there was no way we could afford it, my Mom bought it for me and I spent the rest of the day slamming into people, benches and planters because I couldn’t take my face out of that massive book.”
She’s @KarenJL on Twitter and I love her.
Item! But it’s my Frankenstein, and for that I love it.
Tom Tom is a magazine about female drummers.
And this piece is just super well-written.
“There was something so refreshing about this kit, something old and alive and totally weird, in the best way. And yeah, it wobbles sometimes, and sometimes the drum geeks notice that the Slingy logo is written in Sharpie. But it’s my Frankenstein, and for that I love it.”
Item! Cairene and Julie are doing a class.
It’s on creative ways to map business ideas, get clarity, brainstorm and come up with a visual plan.
It’s also surprisingly affordable and bound to be full of good stuff.
Rumors of kangaroos and confetti, people.
Cairene and Julie are wonderful wise women (I’ve met them both in person and can vouch for their Extreme Fabulousness). Anyway, it’s all in the post.
Cairene is @thirdhandworks and Julie is @juliestuart.
Item! Related: mapping + priorities + creativity.
Is there something in the water?
I wrote about the illusion of planning. Cairene and Julie are doing the mapping course. And my lovely, lovely Molly just wrote about setting priorities when your right brain says you can’t.
And manages to cover bossiness, spontaneity and creation.
“Whether we’re growing a business, a garden, or a painting, the creative process is about collaborating with reality, not fighting it. That means that humility is a keystone of setting priorities.
You see, it’s note very humble to imagine that by setting priorities we are bossing the Universe around. We just aren’t that powerful. Remember that you’re not in charge, then go for it as best you can.”
Molly is @shaboom on Twitter.
Item! The song that is cheering me up today.
This is not new.
But that doesn’t matter.
Thanks to @fabeku for reminding me of how much happy.
Item! Update from the land of the Peculiar & Hilarious Shivanauts!
The “peculiar and hilarious” thing comes from Melynda’s sweet bit about Butterfly Wishes.
I had the most classic mini-epiphany ever. Total Shiva Nata moment.
“And realized it was flanked by trees.
Right. The space I want to ground is surrounded by trees on both sides.”
Lots of other good Dance-of-Shiva related things going on actually — I will do a round-up next time!
Item! Comments! Here’s what I want this time:
- Things you’re thinking about.
- Recent mini-epiphanies of your own, if you’re a Shivanaut. Or even if you aren’t.
My commitment.
I am committed to giving time and thought to the things that people say. Even though asking for what I want still feels awkward for me, I’m just going to remind myself that this is a thing I’m practicing.
That is all.
Happy reading.
And happy Blustery Windsday. Or balmy. You know. If it’s balmy. Anyway. See you tomorrow.
Follow
What-WHAT! Me, an item? I’m most honored.
Oh, btw, it’s Talking Shrimp, not Talking to Shrimp. An important distinction, because there’s no point talking to shrimp. They just like to hear themselves talk.
Reading not nearly enough books, and too many blogs. But this one is always worth my time:The Oatmeal.
Hilarious, and exactly how I draw. In my dreams.
Makes me want to learn, though.
The latest: Why I Believe Printers Were Sent From Hell
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/printers
Thinking about how I took a gift bag at a company meeting today, just because it was free. I knew that the gift, which was a Slanket, would take up too much room in the closet and also electrocute me with static shocks. Right on both counts. But I couldn’t resist. Again, free.
.-= Laura Belgray´s last post … How to be one of *those* people =-.
How did I get the interview?
Why, I flashed him some cleavage, of course.
…The same way I got two mentions in two days on The Fluent Self.
*Flashes Havi again*
Love you too. Thanks so much! 🙂
~K
(Methinks I’m not being very Fluent Selfy…what with the cleavage and all.)
.-= Karen JL´s last post … Behind The Storyboards of The Princess And The Frog – Part 2 =-.
I recently caught myself saying to someone (OK, so, the conversation happened inside my head. Still totally counts): “I used to love their charcoal facewash, but then I decided it was a luxury I could no longer afford.”
And I immediately realised how stupid that sounded, which made it a good thing, really, that I hadn’t said it out loud.
And it made me think about the diet-mentality I get into, not just with money, but with time and everything. How dire were things, anyway, that I decided I could no longer afford to *wash my face*? And why haven’t I gone back to buying a face wash that I love, now that things aren’t quite that dire anymore?
Instead of saying: oh, I can’t afford that, I don’t have time for that, *it’s a luxury*, I could take a breath or two to actually evaluate what it’s going to cost, how much I want it, and whether it’s worth it.
I can see now that I do this with money, AND with time, AND with calories, and it’s all the same freaking pattern, AND I could stop. AND…
Shiva Nata is magic. Or at least sufficiently advanced technology. I wave my arms around to become a supergenius. Who is going to believe THAT?
.-= Willie Hewes´s last post … New Year’s Good Intentions =-.
I’m not a Shivanaut (yet), but I did have a splendid epiphany this week – I realised that I don’t actually have to get anywhere in particular, so I can take time to do fund stuff along the way. It was awesome. I’ve really slowed down and relaxed about my many projects.
I haven’t quite managed to do the same with the paying work stuff, though – still feeling driven there. But I’ll figure it out in the end.
By the way, last night I dreamt I was staying with you at Hoppy House! It was all lovely and cosy. Though it did turn into a vampire dream towards the end.
What I am thinking about:
Being a recovering chameleon (not really related to an iguana) who takes on the the accent and cadence of whomever she talks to (gets awkward believe me) I am wondering if I am going to start to talk like Andrey Lappa on the Shivanata DVD. It is SOOOO tempting. LUckily- he can’t hear me!
@tangokate: couldn’t help but notice the typo: “I can take time to do FUND” so like paying work is a problem but there is always funding…
.-= Pearl Mattenson´s last post … 1.13.10 =-.
@pearlmattenson
takes on the the accent and cadence of whomever she talks to (gets awkward believe me)
I do this too!
Dave can always tell when I’m ordering asian delivery food – because I develop the accent. Same thing happened when I was in the UK for two weeks. I don’t know WHY it happens, it just does, and it definitely can get awkward.
-case
@casey_cole Ah! we must talk. So many funny stories to tell about this. My husband always knows exactly who I am talking to always because of this. And there is a story that involves a shower stall, soap and a british accent!
.-= Pearl Mattenson´s last post … 1.13.10 =-.
@Laure: I saw the Oatmeal printer thing as well and wanted to Item! it, but you already have. Yay!
Charcoal facewash? That’s just one guy, right?
.-= Riin´s last post … Happiness is Weaving =-.
I’m thinking about a second cup of coffee and an english muffin with peanut butter and butter.
Epiphany! If I come home from work and take 10 minutes to light my candles and sit on my meditation cushion (after I let the dog out into the yard and throw some kibbles for her to hunt) and breathe, the rest of the evening is much nicer and calmer and I sleep better.
@Pearl – oh no, that’s so funny! I guess even when in the middle of epiphany my mind is still on finding the money!
Oooo just a quick one.
Yay for the Beastie Boys video. And wow for links with Victoria’s posts – very relevant and helpful for me right now. Convincing yourself that something is right for you doesn’t actually make it anymore valuable or right. In fact I am coming to believe that the brain just isn’t that smart and sassy. More like a never ending loop repeating what is known even when it soooo doesn’t work.
My epiphany of the week (helped along by Byron Katie’s “The Work” which I’m still not really sure about, but my dad sent my son her children’s book, and I figured I’d give it a shot…): If I’m going to allow myself to be happy, I have to allow [chronically unhappy person in my life] be unhappy. Yowza.
.-= Suzyn´s last post … Lovely review in Petite Purls =-.
I’m thinking it felt great to grab my hula hoop for the first time in weeks upon hearing the Beastie Boys. Thanks!
.-= Darcy´s last post … Day 73: Taking it easy =-.
I think we are all tuned to RadioFreeShiva, because I posted today about not allowing myself fun, and here I come and see many of you realizing the same thing. 🙂
My epiphany came last night while I was staring at the wall trying to go to sleep, and pretending to ignore someone’s snoring. I had been entering receipts and cleaning up old papers and saw how much I have accomplished and how much still hasn’t changed. I was feeling pretty hopeless. I’m sure my thing is my thing, but why isn’t it working?
Then I realized, what if I “butterfly effected” it. Change one small thing and see what happens?
*Bing* y’all!
(And the topic of next Tuesday’s “personal growth Tuesday” blog post, yay!)
.-= Andi´s last post … First, Let’s Fire all of the Hamsters =-.
Yay for some of my favorite people in today’s Items! Victoria! Julie, Cairene, Karen… *sigh of happiness*
Right now I’m thinking about breakfast, and how clearly my body communicates with me. Hungry! it says, making no bones about it. Feed me now!
Off to nosh…
Love to all on this wintry Winsday,
Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … Talkity-talk-talk: Why is Communication So Hard? =-.
@Laura – that is hilarious. And unintentional. I must go make an Official Edit.
Though I have to say that talking to shrimp is even funnier than talking shrimp themselves. Unless the shrimp are on a roll. Clearly, I should be writing your blog.
@Karen – SPRING BREAK!!!! *flashes Karen*
Really, you do not want to start playing the “who can be more inappropriate” game with me.
Remind me to tell you about the flashing-themed yoga class I taught at Jen’s Writer’s retreat last summer.
Now taking a cue from Hiro and going out to get a bagel. Toasted!
Definitely want to hear THAT one. 🙂
*flashes Selma*
~K
.-= Karen JL´s last post … Behind The Storyboards of The Princess And The Frog – Part 2 =-.
Oh I just love it when the universal lines are all…aligning and stuff. (Makes me think of this moment in the movie It Might Get Loud when the Edge is talking about writing his first song ever, which was Sunday Bloody Freaking Sunday.)
“How can you hate the Donger?” love that, and oh the irony, becuase I had my own little mini-moment-of-bing this morning around my own writing…I wrote about it on the blog, but to sum up…
There are right people for works of fiction too. And just like Laura hates truffles (which I’ve never even had or seen!) there are probably people who hate Pride & Prejudice, even though I could read it over and over again for the rest of my life. And I find Eckhart Tolle to be completely reptilian, even though lots and lots and lots and lots of people even including Oprah just gush about him all the time. (I tried to read his book and thought, Ew! and made furious scribblings in the margins of the prologue or intro about why I thought it was awful…)
But I’d been stuck in this “what if everyone hates what I write” thing about my noveling, and suddenly realized…wait a second. Then they’re not your right people dude.
Sure, and speaking of dude, The Dude hates the f-ing Eagles man, remember? And lots and lots of people love them too. (Though I’m with The Dude on that one…)
So anyway…huge amounts of freedom from that.
And oh yes, Intergalactic is one of my running songs. Which is what I’m thinking about…running, that is. Or, well, trotting, let’s call it.
And rambling-ness. (Oops.) And now this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htTLWC1unMc
.-= Emily´s last post … Stupid Book Lists (grumble, mumble), Stop Taunting Me! =-.
I’m thinking about how it’s usually the posts that *I* don’t think are important or deep that impact people the most. Thank you, Havi, for Item!-izing this one!
@Nenah – I’m so glad you found the post at the right time!
And what you said?
“Convincing yourself that something is right for you doesn’t actually make it anymore valuable or right. In fact I am coming to believe that the brain just isn’t that smart and sassy. More like a never ending loop repeating what is known even when it soooo doesn’t work.”
Brilliant!
Our brains really do think they’re smart and sassy, don’t they?
.-= Victoria Brouhard´s last post … Noticings on the Hiking Trail and Elsewhere =-.
I am still thinking about yesterday’s post!
Last weekend I had a small pile of beautiful plans which all went up in a tiny puff of smoke. Poof! But once the smoke cleared I saw that realising the plans made rooms for something more important. I dare to even call my new situation better, even though it wasn’t what I asked for – or wanted. It turns out to be what I needed.
Go figure! ;-P
.-= Lauren´s last post … 20 Things in 2009 That Didn’t Suck =-.
I’m thinking that it was a good idea I took my stuff to the Chiropractor and had him work out some garbage in my back, the stuff that clouds the spirit.
I’m not whining anymore about feeling in the dumps. Why? I went dumpster diving today in New York City’s fabulous garbage and found some refuse I could not refuse. I will be dressing my white-walled creative space with it shortly.
Finally, I am glad to have read this post. I learned a new word today “treacle”. I hope to avoid treacle in my posts going forward.
.-= Lydia, Clueless Crafter´s last post … Knit Wit =-.
Drumming as item totally reminded me of how I always wanted to go to the weekly drumming circle in college but always had class when they met. I do still enjoy drumming on things though. And rock band. 🙂
My recent mini-epiphany was that when the comment love thing on your site is being finicky with me, I need not get frustrated. I can just manually link to my last post. Duh.
Also settled on my theme for 2010 once I stopped trying to force it. (Sovereignty makes an appearance but gets rejiggered into my vernacular.)
Claire’s last post…2. Ruin: Photographs of a Vanishing America
Combination “a song I have been singing all day long which is AWESOME” and a response to @Willie Hewes and everyone (like me too!) who keeps putting off getting those little things that we really want and can afford:
Jam Tomorrow, Jam Yesterday (but never, ever Jam Today).
As performed by Carol Channing.
.-= Blue´s last post … Blue’s Childhood Diaries: September 30, 1995 =-.
Item! I amuse myself no end!
Reviewing my comments from the past few days: On Sunday, I shared a VPA in which I asked for my sense of humor to help me get through some uncomfortable projects. On Monday, I read The Illusion of Planning, and commented, “Ah, yes! This is helpful! I will allow myself the comfort of planning, without the unhelpful, gotta-do-it-gonna-do-it-NOW-dammit subtext. Then, on Tuesday, I embraced my inner Inowanna Iguana, told it I loved it, but then what did I do? I made a plan (want to work on this project tonight) but then I went and slipped in a “should” (gonna *finish* this thing tonight, *really mean it*!) Sure, I tried to candy-coat it — “Let’s do this playfully, okay?” — but my iguana didn’t respond to the candy; my iguana responded to the “we have to do this tonight!” directive. My iguana is not schtupid. In retrospect, I’m lucky I got in a good hour’s work before rebellion set in.
This pattern-changing stuff is slippery business, sometimes.
Yeah, I think I’m calling this a mini-epiphany — but it also feels like a *pre*-epiphany. Like there’s another shoe ready to drop — not get thrown, just drop. Curiouser and xuriouser…
@kathleen: I think that’s called a prepiphany.
.-= Laura Belgray´s last post … How to be one of *those* people =-.
Something I’ve been thinking about?
The irony of me not really enjoying the learning process despite being a teacher.
.-= Tami´s last post … Yoga+Music365 (day14) – Trouble in Mind by Hayes Carll =-.
Is a mini epiphany an ittypiphany?
For some reason that makes me think of Naomi doing Dance of Shiva for about 4 seconds and then punching someone in the head. Which is sort of a happy, smile-making thought.
.-= Sonia Simone´s last post … How To Write For Regular Readers =-.