Left Brain Right Brain Insane

I wish for a life where I can write and/or paint all day. This tree was a housewarming gift for a friend. It took me four hours and I'm pretty okay with how it turned out. 

I think all writers are artists and all artists are writers. Even if they don't know it, I believe it comes from the same side of the brain. The theory goes; left-brain people are more organized and systematic. Right-brain people are more creative and intuitive. I think art takes organization and is systematic so I don't understand this theory. To make a tree I have to stare at trees, absorb tree structure...then sketch it and outline it and on and on...

Writing is the same. Even if we start with random writing and just pushing forward without knowing where we're going to end up, writing -   good writing- has structure. It takes the systematic placement of elements in a story to create direction and plot for the story. Then we throw in all that creativity and we've got one best selling novel. (at least that's what I've heard. . . I haven't hit best seller yet.) 

So right brain, left brain doesn't make sense. I'm thinking those who invested the research into this theory might have missed something. But just to be sure...I'm going to go take the test. 

Below is the tree I painted Sunday for a friend. The right brain sketched it out, the left brain filled it in...wait, maybe that was left to sketch and right to fill...or ....

Book Baby? KindleDirect? Promotion?

Now that our congress has cut off the unemployment benefits I fear I might have to return to the cube farm.

Panic sets in.

I remember the cube cage and how grey and ugly it could be. Day after day dragging my ass to work, that sinking feeling in my heart as the car drew closer and closer. Bracing myself mentally to enter that moldy old building and then sinking into a cube and feeling the creativity cells in my brain shrink back in horror. I fear the cube. New Jersey has one of the highest unemployment rates in the county. Even getting back in  a cube might be hard to do. Retail? Yuk! Truthfully, I've never had a job I loved. Only ones i could stand more than others.

So I've got some stuff ready for Constant Content, will be sending again to the Trues (although their payments are slow, its like an account for the future), and I've signed up for Demand Studios again. Also looking at random freelance jobs. It's a little scary but now I have to see if I'm more afraid of the cube, or putting myself out there to freelance.

I'm also ready to open up an Etsy account. I never really felt my art was anything more than therapy, but in searching Etsy for abstract paintings....I figured what the hell. I'm better than some but no where near others. Maybe I can land in the middle.  I'll have that shop opened in January. Its doubtful it will return any great amount but between that and the Cafe Press T-shirt shop, I might get gas money.

Now that classes are over I have to decide where to go and what to do. Another class? Finish the half finished degree in English? Maybe switch it to Creative Writing... its almost the same thing, right?  If I sign up for day classes am I going to have to drop them if I get a job?

An email from Book Baby popped into my email box and after looking over the site I wonder if I'd sell more books by using them? I still have to research the facts there, but it might be a possibility if it will sell more books. Anyone use Book Baby???  Use any other book promotion businesses?

The times they are a changin'......

Can't Stop Painting...

Old Chairs blooms again!

Old Table now strutting it's stuff!

Old kid chairs Out of this world

Old bar stool Roars to life!

Writing Time...where did you go????

My writing has slacked way off and I'm sad to say I let other priorities get in the way. I'm unemployed at the moment and the books and short story I have up on Amazon aren't generating enough to buy me a new pair of Cowboy boots. So when I heard about an artist consortium starting one town over I took my paint brushes and went over to say hey.
This place, Artfully Repurposed, is all about artists taking old worn out stuff and recreating it into useful household items or works of art. One of the best things; I get to paint of on stuff. Something I always loved to do. Chairs, rocks, feathers, boxes, old benches, if its not moving, I'll paint pictures on it. The way this place works is they sell, artists get a cut.
Yeah, i can do this and maybe make some bucks. It would take time to get this new store up and running and draw customers in, I figure there's some potential here.
So I was dividing my time between writing and painting. Then the Art shop decided it was going to do a show and therein lied my dilemma. Write or paint like crazy to get more of my stuff entered in the show?

These are just a few thing I painted. The show was fun and after all the work I sold an owl rock. Disappointed?
Eh. Not really. I've sold enough of my artwork to know its a hot & cold business. In the art world you're either rolling in it or scraping by. Its the reason I ended up with a boring, mind draining, office job.

Now I need to get back to writing. Schedule writing time in like I did before. My only problem....the paint brushes are in there on my bench...calling to me...

Another turning point...

This photo is my latest WIP. Tomorrow is my last day at work. Feels strange. Freeing, scary, exciting and I'll miss my boss. She was the best boss in the world. It was a great office. Nice people worked there.

Via con dios' mi amigos.

Another turning point a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don't ask why
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable but in the end It's right
I hope you had the time of your life
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good heath and good time
Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable but in the end It's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable but in the end It's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable but in the end It's right
I hope you had the time of your life

I feel the words...I just can't see them yet

Grief, It's a strange beast.

It hurt when Inky left. My daughter thinks she left like that to spare her the pain of having to bury her beloved cat.

Maybe so.

I've had mixed feelings. I had anger at her not letting me be there.

Silly, I know. She's a cat. A soul seperate from my own who lives (and should) by her own rules.

But still.

I'm not writing yet but my mind has started churning. Ideas for one of my WIPs have been coming to me.

So it's almost time to write again. It's coming, I can feel it.

And I'm painting. So that's a good thing. Paint soothes the soul. If I could touch my soul I'd paint it orange. If red is lust and pink is pure love then orange is an outrageous combination of love and lust. We should approach life with orange energy.

I found this picture on the net. The artist name is on the bottom. I love the mood her work sets. This guy looks lonely but also content. Like he's almost ready to move on. I understand him.

What the parrot is saying: AAAFLAAAAAK!

My children have a strange sense of humor. I know they stay up late teaching him these things. He still has yet to say I love you.