Are you Having Fun Yet?

I like this quote: "If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong" by George DiCarlo. Are people really enjoying their lives? Truly? Or are they just getting by, day after day doing what they HAVE to do to make their lives work? If you stop and think about that quote, do you think maybe you would live your life differently? Would you make more memories? Would you try to make the tasks you have to do more fun in some creative way? Maybe make a contest out of house cleaning with your kids; have a dance party in your living room one night a week; have more fun because life really is short.  What would you do to have more fun?  Or are you already there? 

Motivation

My last post was mainly about being discouraged and I found this quote on one of the blogs I check every day and maybe it will help me put things into perspective a bit more when I feel like giving up.  I need to motivate myself.  For myself.  No one else.  I don't mean that to sound snotty in any way, I'm just saying I have to take charge of my feelings and my motivation and not worry about others approval so much.   Right? 

 
From Bits of Truth blog.

Encouragement

I'm feeling a bit discouraged with my art/painting lately.  I don't want to go into much detail because it's probably just one of those poor me moods that I know will change if I help it.  I think I want something so badly I sometimes lose sight of the reason I do it.  Patti Digh gives a good reminder to "Stop trying so hard...Just do to do."  I love painting and sometimes I forget that I need to paint just to paint, not worry if someone will buy them.  The reward is just creating.  She also says to "Detach from outcome."  Hmmm...this completely relates to my last thought.  The outcome can't always be others approval, hence others purchasing my work.  My focus sometimes goes a bit off track and then I feel like giving up when I know I shouldn't and I won't.  I guess I'm just having a pity party inside my head right now. 

I'm going to get some fresh canvases today and paint just to paint.  I'm also going to look back at her book, Creative is a Verb and look at the highlighted words that really spoke to me.  Hopefully it will help me remember why I love to create. 

Happy Halloween

We had trick or treat last night--ours is always on a Saturday night which is kind of neat because it makes things seem creepier with pumpkins lit, haunted decorations and "Jason" music playing, etc.  Ours was always during the day when I was a kid and I just remember cold and gloomy weather.  Nighttime is cool especially if neighbors go all out decorating.  Here's a picture of Shane and Bella in their costumes.  It was the first year he was home from hunting in a long time, so he took her out.  He did make a few little kids cry though!  Our dog Mazie watched them walk away and wanted to go with them so badly. 

Voting and Education

First I have to say, I am not a political person.  AT ALL.  I don't even watch the news (well hardly).  I'll admit I don't often know what the candidates are "pushing" for (I'm a bit embarrassed, but the news is so depressing, so that's my excuse).  Anyway, education should be one of the first and foremost issues of concern to EVERYONE, even those who have grown children or no children!  These children are your neighbors, your future caregivers.  If they don't get the education they need with good teachers and classrooms that aren't overcrowded, they will affect YOU.  Period.  If they don't know how to read (that's another issue as well--PARENTS--read to your kids A LOT), do you think they're going to be wise citizens?  I'll try to stick to the issue at hand, even though I so want to go off on a reading tangent.  If kids don't have a good education with the right attention they need in the classroom, how is their behavior going to be outside of school?  If their parents don't care about the state of education, what kind of influence do they have on their kids outside of school?  Possibly a negative one.  Well probably, not just possibly.  If teachers are just seen as babysitters who have SO much time off during the summer, our nation is very mistaken.  They need resources to help this nation that seems to be disintegrating.  The American family is in a crisis--really how many parents (and I'm speaking from being a former teacher) truly are involved in their kids lives relating to their learning.  I don't talk about voting often, hardly ever really, but education is so important.  I really don't want a bunch of illilterate, misbehaved, non-consequence kids taking care of me when I'm older.  When you decide to vote, think of how important education is, really.  Things have changed in the past few years in education, for the worst because of budget cuts in schools, and I'm not talking about teacher salaries, I'm talking class size, etc.  What happens in our schools, affects us ALL.

Cleaning House

I wish I was one of those people who was a crazy obsessive cleaner.  But I'm not.  I do want to, really.  But probably not enough, because if I did, I probably would just do it.  But since I only clean my house when I really need to, I must not want it bad enough.  I really often wonder how organized and clean other people's houses really are.  Do they have paper piles they just can't organize?  Are there crumbs on the kitchen floor?  Spider webs in the corners?  I want to know what "normal" people do--how often they clean.  I try to justify it to myself with different arguments.  This quote makes me feel a bit better when I think about my lack of scrubbing motivation.  "At worst, a house unkept cannot be so distressing as a life unlived," by Rose Macaulay.  I tried telling this to my husband once, but I don't think he bought it.  But really, think about it.  Doesn't a house with "stuff" around show a life lived, activities going on, you know, orange construction paper for pumpkins made with a nine-year-old, books that you loved reading.  They are all the stuff of everyday living that doesn't always get put away in perfect little boxes away from sight.  Cleanliness is next to godliness is what they say, but is it fun?  Is it a life full of memories?   Well, from now on, I'll do what I can, but try not to sweat it so much. 

New Painting - Be True

My newest painting states "Be True to Yourself" which is inspired by my search for happiness and following my dream of painting and being an artist.  It is for sale on http://www.jillsdream.etsy.com/.  I might just hang it in my daughter's room if it doesn't sell--it's an important message in my mind--I don't want her to be 30 years old and realize she hid her true passions, dreams and goals.  I wish it didn't take me so long to follow my heart!  Well, better late than never!

The Little Things

I found this quote in Patti Digh's book Creative is a Verb and it really is a great reminder to enjoy what we have and not expect all moments to be momentous ones.  "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things," by Robert Brault.  An eye opener for sure especially something we should pass on to our children, you know when they're bored or only are happy when huge things are happening.  Some of the little things that I am so thankful for and KNOW that they are the big things in my life:  reading a picture book with my nine-year-old daughter, singing screaming really loudly to Lady Gaga in the car with my husband and daughter, baking moon dust cookies together even though I pretty much hate baking, touching her soft cheeks as she sleeps at night. 

I wonder if more people saw the "little" things this way, would they be happier, more content with their everyday lives, more in the moment?  I'm not an expert but I think so.

Try Try Again!

Well, I'm going to try this again.  I started my first blog a few weeks ago and felt pretty good about it since I'm not much of a tech queen AT ALL.  Well, I tried tweaking it which didn't turn out so well, so I am creating a brand new blog.  I'm sure it's something simple but I just can't figure it out, so here's the new try!