Ask a Stupid Question Day.

Okay, I know it was yesterday September 28th, but what are you going to do about it – kill me? Ha! Ask a question, any question. Nothing is too dumb for stupid question day. I like getting “permission” to ask silly/stupid/weird questions.

Are we having fun yet?

 

Am I crazy?

 

Does pain hurt?

 

Are people weird?

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Bad Poetry Day.

by ►CubaGallery

I love celebrating silly holidays.  Today is bad poetry day.  Since I have always loved silly poems, I had to participate.  Silly rhyming poems that remind me of Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Kenn Nesbitt and other children’s writers are my favorites.  Here’s  a silly one for fun:

Today was a very good day

In fact it was the best

I only had to go to work

We had no quiz or test

 

The sun was shining all day long

We didn’t have one cloud

The radio played a lively tune

The laughter was good and loud

 

Dinner was a great big feast

Followed by a chocolate treat

Afterward I turned on the TV

Sat back and put up my feet

 

It really is amazing

How easy it can be

To have a really good day

Just by being me

 

Now go have fun and write some bad poetry of your own.  Have a great day!

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Fun with Food

by twm1340

Fun with Food.  Okay, so I was like totally tired, overworked and mentally exhausted at lunch today.  So what did I do?  First I closed my eyes and willed myself to relax and take a few deep breaths.  Then I started eating.  It was kind of boring; a roast beef sandwhich and some grapes.  I had a lot of grapes.  So of course, I started playing with them. 

 

Grape Toss.  First I tried to toss a few and catch them in my mouth.  Man is that hard to do!  I kept missing.  They were bouncing off my cheek and going down my shirt.  It was hilarious.  Then I noticed that I could see my reflection in the candy machine.  I used my reflection to judge distance, but still couldn’t get it right.  Then I practiced moving the in one smooth motion from the container into my mouth.  After a few practice runs, I did it halfway and tossed it the rest of the way.  Success!  I stopped on that high note.  (Well, it was that or have the people passing by in the hallway notice what I was up to.)

 

So next I put a bunch of grapes on my paper towel to see how many letters of the alphabet I could shape them into.  That was fun, but not giggle-worthy like the grape toss.  I squished one in my hand just to see what would happen.  (It just dripped some juice and got a little messy – no squirting across the room or anything.)  Finally I hit upon a great idea.  Grape dodgeball!  Sure – line up 2 sides of players.  Use a slighter bigger grape to be the ball.  Using a man from Team 1, hit it toward a player on Team 2.  If it hits them, that player is eaten!  Keep going until all team members have been taken out.  I accidentally ate the ball and not the player on the first game.  But on game 2, Team 2 was Victorious.  (Which is a good thing, because I think Team 1 won game 1, but I ran out of time to play the tie-breaker game).

 

I think that was one of the most fun lunch times I’ve had in quite a while.  I wonder what suprises tomorrow’s lunch might hold?

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Word of the Year – Freedom.

Picture by thatbluepuppy

I’ve heard several blogs talking about picking a word of the year for your New Year’s resolution. I really like the idea, but last year I just couldn’t narrow down my choice to one.  This year I’ve got it – my word is FREEDOM.

Freedom to make mistakes.  Freedom to change my mind.  Freedom to be silly.  Freedom to do what I want to do. I tend to get way too caught up in doing what I “should” do.  Going to work, paying my bills, cooking, cleaning, and all that stuff.  Which is fine in it’s own way, but I spend more time on what I HAVE to do, instead of what I WANT to do.

I’m giving myself PERMISSION to have the freedom in my life that I envy in the lives of others.  The freedom to CHOOSE to make time for the things I’m missing out on.  Going on more trips, eating at new restaurants, learning new ways of making money so I can afford the things I want.

Freedom is allowing me to stop complaining about my life.  I’m free to find a new job that is more align with my passion.  I’m free to try dressing in a new way and even overhaul my whole wardrobe if I want to.  Lately I’ve been trying many new foods and finding that my taste buds have changed and I enjoy flavors I didn’t before.  Freedom allows me to say, “I’m different today than I was yesterday – and that’s WONDERFUL!”

My own inner critic was holding me back far more than any real-life criticism I received.  If a person told me I couldn’t do it, I’d just say – “Yeah right –watch me!.”  If I told myself I couldn’t do it, I was convinced that I was a smart person and I must know what I was talking about!  By focusing on FREEDOM, I know that I’m free to change my mind, try again, or completely revise my old ideas. This focus word is helping me put things into perspective.

So what is your word for the year?  And how does it help you?  Share your ideas with me.

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Express Your Silly Self.

Tattoo Clown Man In Funny Glasses
Originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography

I often fear letting people see the inner me. There are so many critics out there – -and I already have plenty in my own head.  I find I have many fears; looking stupid, making a mistake that could cost me – money, friendship, or an opportunity, or missing out on something better.

 

Recently I started drawing again.  For me that basically means copying other people’s ideas.  I have very little drawing skill yet, and I’ve done no formal training, but I love cartoons and always wanted to draw my own.  I also loving coloring just for the sake of coloring.  The colors, the rhythm of crayons or colored pencils across the paper is relaxing to me.

 

I find showing people my drawings fairly embarrassing.  While I might know that I’ve already progressed bit by bit into cleaner lines, others may see my attempts as immature and weak.  I know that each day I draw I get better, but when the comments begin “What exactly is that supposed to be?” I do get a bit flushed in the face.

 

I also like to sing and dance although I’m not very good at either.  But since I’ve been practicing letting go of my fears I’ve found that with practice those get better too.  Not that I can leave my day job in this lifetime, but at least my voice stays in tune a little better and I only fall on my butt once instead of three times.

 

Honestly, I wish they taught us these things in school.  Like, it’s okay to make mistakes – it means you’re learning. And you can’t be great at something if you’ve never done it before.  It takes practice, that’s all.  And why not teach us that being different is not only okay, but possibly necessary for our sanity.

 

Just like different have different tastes – my husband loves pumpkin pie while I prefer cherry for instance, we all have different ways of expressing ourselves. I love to read books, meditate and watch cartoons.  Friends of mine often haven’t picked up a book in years and find cartoons childish.  That’s fine, I’m not a big fan of shopping and I don’t like math.  To each their own.

 

All I know is when I do all those wacky, strange, crazy things I love, it makes me smile. The smile often turns into laughter.  After a few minutes, I find I feel more energized and peaceful.  These activities entertain me and break up boredom, frustration and put me in a better mood.  You can’t ask for better than that.

 

So next time somebody asks you why you’re being so silly, just tell them “That’s me, that’s just how I roll.”  Enjoying your passions and having as much as you can fit in your day are the best ways I know to have a satisfying life. Being yourself is totally worth it.

 

Here’s a few more things I love; rock collecting (crystals and fossils), ghosts and the paranormal, movie nights, visiting the library, going to the flea market, dogs, kids playing, walking in the woods and surfing the Internet.  What DO YOU LOVE?

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Teddy Bear Day!

Originally uploaded by *brynne

Technically Teddy Bear Day was yesterday, on the 9th, but since I didn’t think up this poem until today, I’m calling a Do-Over and celebrating now. So here goes:

National Teddy Bear Day
Teddy bears are always nice, and never –ever rude
They spread love and laughter and a happy attitude

Teddy bears are always humble, they never brag and boast
And they’ll never tell a secret, or steal your piece of toast

Teddy bears and warm and snuggly, they’re dear to our heart
They love to meet all our friends, and I’ve yet to hear one fart

Teddy bears come in every shape and size
And each one is perfect in their owner’s eyes

Better than any warrior, Teddy bears are courageous
Their kind-hearted, joyful nature is a bit contagious

Through every storm in life, they’ll help you get through
And all they ask in return, is a little love from you.

Have you hugged your Teddy Bear today?

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Get Inspired.

Picture by Express Monorail

Where does inspiration come from?  How does one find motivation, stimulation or encouragement when they need it?

Having lately felt very un-inspired and about creative as a block of cement, this was a topic of interest.  So I started with what I already knew – where inspiration isn’t.  It doesn’t come when you’re tired.  You won’t feel excited or motivated when you have a headache or feel distracted by pain or illness.  And inspiration doesn’t show up if you are overwhelmed, or don’t have any room in your schedule to stop and breathe.

Luckily, inspiration is like the sun – even when you can’t see it, it’s not totally gone; it’s just hidden behind the clouds. Ideas, creativity, and innovation come from everywhere.  You can see a red sports car drive by and appreciate the sleek lines and color.  It might inspire a sleek red satin dress design or a manufacturer to produce a shiny red TV.  (Why are TV’s all black or silver anyway?  Wouldn’t a bright blue TV look cool?  What about a yellow color to match your kitchen?  It’d be fun right?)

Inspiration comes when you’re relaxed and comfortable.  During a long hot shower, right before bed, or while cloud-watching lying on the grass.  Creativity is a state of mind. It’s when you relax your point of view enough to allow a new reality to emerge.

A choreographer could see a new dance move in the swaying of tree limbs in the wind, a photographer could see a new vantage point while cart wheeling upside-down with his kids.  It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing – inspiration is all around you.

Some other things that hinder inspiration are:

• Narrow boundaries or thinking.
• Too much noise or interference from the outside world.
• Stiffness in body and mind.
• Looking for only ONE right answer.
• Listening to your critics.  (Or believing that they’re right.)
• A serious frame of mind.

Some things that help inspiration are:

• A light frame of mind.  Open up and be playful with your thoughts.
• Substitution.  Thinking outside of the bos.  (Using a butter knife in place of a screwdriver.)
• Seeing the forest past the trees.  Keeping your possibilities open.  There is more than one path to success.
• A notebook.  You’ll get more useless ideas than good ones, but keeping track of them can help see connections important to making your project work.
• Flow.  Letting your mind drift from one thought to another.  Another word for this is brainstorming.
• Lots of outside stimulation and activity.
• A quiet space to sit and contemplate.  (Whichever works for your purpose.)

Places to find inspiration:

• TV.  Try watching some commercials with the sound off. See if you can figure out what they’re selling.
• Nature.  Look at the sheer variety of creatures.  Birds alone go from small songbirds to majestic eagles and the over-size ostrich.  The colors in a simple leaf can vary from pale yellow to deep green.  Just sitting in your yard can provide hours of contemplation.
• Music.  Let you thoughts roam as you listen to some instrumental music.
• The opposite.  Try thinking of the exact opposite of whatever doing.  See if trying to accomplish the opposite goal gives you insight on how to achieve your true desire.
• Children.  Ask a kid how they would do something.  Even if you can’t use it, it’ll probably open your mind to new ideas.
• Movies.  What advice might Shrek give on this idea?  How about Sherlock Holmes or Chuck Norris?

What are your favorite tips for finding inspiration?  Share your thoughts in the comments section and help others GET INSPIRED!

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