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Jan. 29th, 2023 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWorking on drawing a young woman who was seated across from me on the subway ride home on Friday. Still can visualize her seated there - in my head, clear as day. And have drawn her repeatedly in my head. So far the rough sketches aren't quite there - but I've adopted a grid approach now, so may get closer soon.
She had brown hair on one side, the other was died pink and her part was nearly white. So it was pink over bleach blond. She was wearing a brown canvas jacket, a t-shirt, holed faded blue jeans, with the knees and various other patches neatly and deliberately torn away. Underneath were fish net stockings with moons and stars embroidered in them. And on her feet Martins boots, black, with flowers painted on the sides. She was reading her cell phone and oblivious to my poorly hidden stares.
NY remains a lovely place to people watch. And my artist eye is always a glimmer with opportunities. I wish I could just sketch people on the subways at times. Instead of from memory. The perspective is the hard part and often easier to obtain from sight than memory. But alas I will try and see what happens. Don't have to show anyone else in any event but myself.
Writing about it here - more to establish it as a goal in my head, and keep at it - kind of a set task, than to merely share it. If that makes sense?
**
At the UU church today via FB (I've not mustered the where with all to attend in person quite yet), they discussed the book "The Artist's Way". They intend on starting a workshop on it - sometime in February. I'm considering doing it - as a way to get back involved with the church. But we'll see. The first exercise - I've actually tried, which is write in long hand for several minutes or a couple of hours each morning or sometime every day if you can't do it in the mornings. Free associate. And see what happens. Considering I kind of do it anyhow, I'm not sure the exercise is needed. That's how I write - intuitively, I'm not a writer who outlines and plans it out ahead of time. Even my work - tends to be that way. So I ask for formats from colleagues and fill it in. Mainly because I don't think in formats or outlines.
Another exercise is to take yourself on an artist's date once a week. I'm not sure - but this may work better for folks who don't have full time jobs, and long commutes? But it can be anything. Just go on a field trip that is playful. I used to do that a lot when I was younger, but the last ten years, I've fallen out of practice. Okay, not true - I did do it again during 2020-2021, I wandered about Greenwood Cemetery and took a lot of photographs. Those were artist dates. But post 2021, I've been struggling to do it. I think events conspired to prevent it?
Another thing they mentioned was a book case in the basement laundry room that the minister called God's drop box, because the books dropped there often fit a need. While I have a huge number of book cases covered with books in my basement's laundry, it is far too many to be called a drop box. I think there's about a thousand or more books down there, with multiple shelves. We're clearly a very literary apartment complex. No, God sends me books kind of randomly via my Kindle or Audio books, and it's not consistent.
Picked up two via the audible sale, one credit each. I have four credits to spend.
1. Take Control of Your Life - How to Silence Fear and Win the Mental Gam by Mel Robbins
2. I thought it was just me (but it isn't) - telling the truth about perfectionism, inadequacy and power by Brene Brown
[This one starts out with "belittling and shaming others to do things doesn't work and don't do it" - the author heard these words during a rehab clinic training session and became obsessed with how true it is, and how counter-productive. Also how to get past it.]
Currently listening to Prince Harry's memoir "Spare".
**
Weirdly edgy and irritable this weekend. Also not been feeling well. I'd say it was that time of month, but I've apparently entered menopause now - and am no longer experiencing that time of month. Hot flashes have taken its place. Although I've been experiencing hot flashes on and off for the past fifteen years...so, that's hardly new. Not having the monthly on the other hand ...although that also been going on for about a year now. Hence the fact that I'm officially in menopause and not peri-menopause any longer.
She had brown hair on one side, the other was died pink and her part was nearly white. So it was pink over bleach blond. She was wearing a brown canvas jacket, a t-shirt, holed faded blue jeans, with the knees and various other patches neatly and deliberately torn away. Underneath were fish net stockings with moons and stars embroidered in them. And on her feet Martins boots, black, with flowers painted on the sides. She was reading her cell phone and oblivious to my poorly hidden stares.
NY remains a lovely place to people watch. And my artist eye is always a glimmer with opportunities. I wish I could just sketch people on the subways at times. Instead of from memory. The perspective is the hard part and often easier to obtain from sight than memory. But alas I will try and see what happens. Don't have to show anyone else in any event but myself.
Writing about it here - more to establish it as a goal in my head, and keep at it - kind of a set task, than to merely share it. If that makes sense?
**
At the UU church today via FB (I've not mustered the where with all to attend in person quite yet), they discussed the book "The Artist's Way". They intend on starting a workshop on it - sometime in February. I'm considering doing it - as a way to get back involved with the church. But we'll see. The first exercise - I've actually tried, which is write in long hand for several minutes or a couple of hours each morning or sometime every day if you can't do it in the mornings. Free associate. And see what happens. Considering I kind of do it anyhow, I'm not sure the exercise is needed. That's how I write - intuitively, I'm not a writer who outlines and plans it out ahead of time. Even my work - tends to be that way. So I ask for formats from colleagues and fill it in. Mainly because I don't think in formats or outlines.
Another exercise is to take yourself on an artist's date once a week. I'm not sure - but this may work better for folks who don't have full time jobs, and long commutes? But it can be anything. Just go on a field trip that is playful. I used to do that a lot when I was younger, but the last ten years, I've fallen out of practice. Okay, not true - I did do it again during 2020-2021, I wandered about Greenwood Cemetery and took a lot of photographs. Those were artist dates. But post 2021, I've been struggling to do it. I think events conspired to prevent it?
Another thing they mentioned was a book case in the basement laundry room that the minister called God's drop box, because the books dropped there often fit a need. While I have a huge number of book cases covered with books in my basement's laundry, it is far too many to be called a drop box. I think there's about a thousand or more books down there, with multiple shelves. We're clearly a very literary apartment complex. No, God sends me books kind of randomly via my Kindle or Audio books, and it's not consistent.
Picked up two via the audible sale, one credit each. I have four credits to spend.
1. Take Control of Your Life - How to Silence Fear and Win the Mental Gam by Mel Robbins
2. I thought it was just me (but it isn't) - telling the truth about perfectionism, inadequacy and power by Brene Brown
[This one starts out with "belittling and shaming others to do things doesn't work and don't do it" - the author heard these words during a rehab clinic training session and became obsessed with how true it is, and how counter-productive. Also how to get past it.]
Currently listening to Prince Harry's memoir "Spare".
**
Weirdly edgy and irritable this weekend. Also not been feeling well. I'd say it was that time of month, but I've apparently entered menopause now - and am no longer experiencing that time of month. Hot flashes have taken its place. Although I've been experiencing hot flashes on and off for the past fifteen years...so, that's hardly new. Not having the monthly on the other hand ...although that also been going on for about a year now. Hence the fact that I'm officially in menopause and not peri-menopause any longer.