Designated Doodler

Anxiety is more common than you may think. It is a nuisance that can alter how you live your life; it's annoying. And I've learned a few things about it that I thought I'd share with you. Survival of the Anxious A lot of people have a natural disposition towards anxiety. And guess what...it's what helped us survive! Back in the caveman days your carefree buddy would lay outside looking at the stars while you worried about lions. He'd get eaten, and you'd carry on your family line. A lot of times, we are hyper-observant of not only ourselves but our environment as well. So stop thinking of anxiety as a plague and start thinking of it as an advantage.  Is That all You've Got? Many times, people get caught in a loop of anxiety because they are afraid of anxiety itself! It is such an uncomfortable thing (sweaty palms, obsessive thoughts, racing heart, imagining the worst) so we naturally want to avoid it at all costs! But then we can become worried abo...

It wasn't bad enough that I spilled some water this morning. No. I had to go and spill something much worse. Today I thought, why notbe halthy? So I brought this little can of tuna in to have for lunch. It comes in a can inside a little plastic dome that also contains mayo, crackers and a spoon. But what's weird is that the metal lid on the tuna can is recessed into the can a little (so the lid doesn't sit flush with the lip of the can). And there's this tab on it and a picture of someone pulling the tab to open the can. There is also CAN USE A CAN OPENER text all over the place. Well I'm at work - no can opener. So I pull and I pull and I pull some more - it WILL NOT OPEN - until it did. The lid yanked off and the tuna can went flying across the room and finally rolled to a stop. So I picked up shards of tuna off the floor and wiped down my desk chair mat and it still smells like tuna in here :/ And I share an office - so none of this humiliation was privat...

I’ve seen a lot as a part-time paint instructor and assistant. And I’ve learned a lot having minored in art at TCU. So I will now proceed to share with you little kernels of my artistic wisdom. Prepare yourself. 1) Over-thinking ruins everything If you’re sitting in front of (or hovering over) your canvas, direly afraid of messing up; you will mess up. Art is instinctual and emotional (unless you are working in a geometric, grid-like or mathematical way). And therefore you must think first with your heart and then with your head (if at all). The less of a crap you give – the better your painting will be. You shouldn’t take things too seriously – even if you mess up. There has been many a time where my screw-ups turned into the best part of my painting. As a painting and art instructor I’ve noticed that it’s when people “lose themselves” in the painting and stop worrying about it so much that they create something great. 2) Acrylic vs. Oil If you...

I spoke your name into your mouth How did it taste? The vowels were sweet like sugar And round in shape Disrupted by consonants And the subsequent saltiness That each voiceless stop did make You licked at each letter And swallowed them down The salty sweet bitter Of a personal noun

I still haven't accepted the fact that I have to work on Memorial Day...is that even legal? I mean...is it? There's probably only a handful of corporate companies that are working on Memorial Day (it's not like we're in retail)...and I happen to work for one of them. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. However, since I also work teaching art on the weekends, I usually only have one work-free day a week. I really could have used two :( So to cope with the madness I'm making delicious cream cheese swirled brownies and my awesome coworker is bringing me a Starbucks (because she's precious :) So we're going to make the best of the situation. All the big wigs and people who have vaca time will be gone...so more brownies for us! I've also decided that this blog post shouldn't be all BLAH BLAH so I'm including "Snippets from my life" One of the paintings I taught a couple of weeks ago. This is mine. I love geology jokes......

It is a gaping whale's mouth Sucking in the cold ocean In search of some krill A crystalized cavern Draped in shadows Full of the unknown It breathes and lives Sometimes it changes skins And travels far But you'll always know where it's been Because it's always where you are It's a gravitational pull A swirling black hole Pulling stars and debris in Never letting go A necessity A burden It is a symbol of status For which we hunt In a money fueled jungle Where more is never enough Reach inside and pull out Something different each time But it's still not what you were Looking to find It is both a convenience and a curse It is a female necessity Chosen selectively It's the subject of this verse The cause of your perplexity It is a purse.

What does it mean exactly I don’t want to know I don’t look it up I want to let it go Another medical mess I can’t handle the reality Or process what it means As you say it and look at me With earthy brown eyes That hold a love of oil and earth Your heart murmurs Secret things in Another language Your smile is firmer The determination in it Is your advantage ------- My father is a walking miracle Caring, passionate Hard-working and satirical He has fearlessness That I strive for And I’m the carrot on the stick The motivation, and the kick The one he’s stayed alive for.

My tongue tickles It tingles and squirms Behind my sugar loving teeth That were bathed in coffee Just this morning I stare at the ceiling Through eyes that long for glasses There is no talking or moving So my brain runs in circles out of boredom And tries not to think about my bladder Which, like my mouth is small And always seeks attention At the wrong time I'm not nervous But my heart thinks I am Since the numbing shot Speeds it up I cross my feet And think about Not thinking about Having to pee Glimmering metal objects Disappear into my mouth And make torturous sounds Like a thousand tiny race cars At a tiny little Nascar Running lap after lap Inside my enamel Down to my Dentin Turning a solid piece of me Into a fine dust That smells Indescribable It's not my fault that I have soft teeth I think As I lie back on my soft curls And rub a circle with my thumb On the silk skin o...

One year and two days ago I graduated. Hard to believe it's already been a year! What a crazy ride it's been. But I'm finally settled in with an incredible job and enjoying teaching art on the weekends as well. Here are some random photos - snippets from my post-grad life. (All works are copyright protected and cannot be reused or reproduced.)  This is the painting that I taught this past weekend. It's called "Winter" something...which is weird since the trees are full of foliage...  This is a ridiculously cute watercolor I'm still working on. The kid is pressed up to the glass looking into a candy store.  This was at work when I tossed my banana towards the trash. It was a sign saying "hang in there!"  Sketching is always fun :D Even more so since I recently purchased a beautiful drafting table!  My cat finally splurged on an iPad and is working on getting caught up with technology. She can't stop playing Ang...

If you're looking for some design fun...try taking one of these (or all of these) fun design style quizzes. They will tell (or attempt to tell) you what your design style is. The only one I found completely unhelpful was the HGTV quiz...surprisingly (I didn't even put my results below). The description on the Style-Maker quiz is arguably laughable and the Home Goods quiz didn't exactly get it right with me so I added the other options I thought I should have gotten. Anyway, have fun! http://www.designcliq.com/mydesign/index.php?domain=21 http://www.styleathome.com/polls_and_quizzes/quizzes/ http://www.homegoods.com/stylescope/ http://www.stylishhome.com/Design/Style-Maker-Quiz http://www.sproost.com/ http://my.hgtv.com/style-finder/stylefinder.esi - This quiz SUCKS and is inaccurate http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/decorating-style-quiz-00000000030420/index.html

Do you think they can tell I don’t belong here Shifting eyes, a questioning glance Maybe they can smell The perfume sweat Pulsing on my neck I could hold my breath And dive into the sea of people With dripping jewels And dropping necklines Lamb-soft suits And crisp black bowties Whispered seductions And ruby red grins But I may not be able To come back up for air again From these cold black depths The pulsing shimmering sea Stings my blue topaz eyes The only gems that I possess Hors d'ouvres certainly aren't enough To feed sharks In this tank They can smell my heart And for once in my life It may not be enough to be smart A tangled tether is my line Under pressure it groans and cries As strong as a feather like spit and gum it holds together My fate, my life, my lies  

So in case you haven’t heard, British Harvey is coming to town…and it ain’t big enough for the both of them. British actor Max Beesley is assuming the role of Stephen Huntley, Harvey’s “across the pond” double. This will undoubtedly put more tension in the office and create even more strain on poor Mike, who has enough people as it is to hide his secret from. However , I think there are excellent opportunities to explore between Stephen, Harvey and Mike. I would LOVE it if, in this season of Suits, Mike’s genius was more pronounced. He ought to be kicking ass and being so brilliant that everyone takes notice. I think it would be delectable if Stephen were to take an interest in Mike, which would undoubtedly piss off Harvey. Harvey and Mike’s relationship is hanging by a thread, especially after the finale where Harvey thinks Mike has betrayed him. I could assume that their friendship has weakened some and that Stephen would see it as an opportunity to woo Mike. But ...