Drawing Tae Hee Video Set

Hey, hey now.  Here's the two promised videos that accompany this POST I did a couple of days ago.  Commentary included.  Hope you enjoy!

Dream Maker Stop

What‘s up, folks? Okay, so it’s the New Year and it appears my best friend and I have a tradition of visiting our local metaphysical shop, The Dream Maker, very early in the year.  We get inspired to collect new stuff to get us in the receiving mood. Baring the chilling, negative-something-or-another January air, we arrived just before the shop closed (I need to take pictures of the places on our next visit). I didn't have anything in mind this trip, only that I wanted to get a new pendulum because the one I've had for the past two years is busted from wearing it to work to stave off bad energy. It’s a seven chakra pendulum stacked with colored stones.  And I haven't seen another in the shop since I bought mine.  Nonetheless, on this particular trip, there were plenty to replace it with.  I finally settled on a quartz bottle pendulum with colorful stone pieces inside (chakra stone pieces, perhaps?).  It was either this one or a pendulum of an angel fashioned out of rose quartz.

I also got two word stones. The one carved with “Love” is made of sodalite, and the one carved with “Friends” is made of goldstone. While the goldstone attracted me with its simmering blackness, I picked these two word stones as areas I hope to improve in.  More or less a emblematic gesture to myself.

The last item I got is what’s apparently a little jewel box (or what have you) made of camel bone and brass–with a crushed velvety-like filling. Wanting something unique and different to put the word stones in, I finally decided on this box.

Look for an update by June as we go back to recharge.  If you collect crystals, gems or have a general interest in the metaphysics, please share your experience in the comments.

The Guy Who Almost Faded Away

I mentioned a couple of post ago how I've been sitting around not drawing.  I'd sketched an image and struggled for weeks trying to create it the way I'd envisioned it.  Unfortunately, that process stalled completely.  Friday I decided to just do it.  To take whatever it was I had already done and keep going.  There's no such thing as perfection after all.  It's something that will forever remain elusive and paralyzing.  So I'd rather keep creating.  Anyway, I actually filmed the process of this particularly project, so until I update this post with the edited film, here are a few of the stills.

The usual inking and color outlining done.  Just going with the flow on this one.  Nothing particular in mind, except that I wanted dark, bushy-like eyebrows.

As always, I fill in the color of the eyes first.  For some reason I do the eyes before letting everything else blossom.  It may have something to do with how I'm inspired by Naoko Takeuchi.  Nonetheless, I also colored areas of shade/shadow, and filled his top lip.  I had a little problem with the ink not drying properly, so when I went to erase the penciling, some of the ink smeared.  

Now time for the crafty part.  I had a cousin over and, from a multitude of scrapbook paper, she picked up this denim background and a shimmery gold piece for his cap.

So I had to scalp him to get all the necessary pieces traced and put back together.  Thankfully, he remains unbothered by the event.  While the pieces were off, I dusted him with a fleshy yellow-tinted chalk pastel and a soft brown for his hair.  I used a paper towel to even it all out.

Almost done.  All the pieces glued in place now.  I streaked his hair with a single black colored pencil and four shades of brown.  I used an eraser to streak in highlights–which I don't believe showed all that much.  Added pupil effect to eyes.

Not sure if this is the complete version yet.  I added jewel studs (because I love studs) before the scan.  Scanned him in, revived color, darken the black areas of the cap, eyebrows, and eyes.  He reminds me of a certain popstar, but I'm good with that.  The innocence, the youth, the potential look of caution; done.  We'll name him Tae Hee.  Now on to the next project.

Fresh Start with You Can Heal Your Life

It’s the New Year and I still want to stress (well, I should use a better term) the idea of giving ourselves a fresh, positive jolt for 2015. In doing so, I want to share one of my favorite books on creating favorable changes–both the outer and inner kind. It’s the book that brought me some much needed comfort over the years, because there‘s nothing exciting about dealing with those dark nights of the soul we all unavoidably must face.  And you know those nights, when it feels like Life is trolling you like a Whack-a-Mole game.  So unless you're like a few people I used to know who'd rather ride Life until the wheels pop off, you may have cause to focus on a little personal development. Nevertheless, the book, as seen to your left, is Louise Hay’s self-help debut, You Can Heal Your Life.

I was moderately familiar with Louise Hay back in my Sylvia Browne days (found somewhere in the headache of my early twenties).  Still, it wasn't until The Secret powered on 2006 with its quantum-ness talks on the law of attraction that a slew of related authors came blinking on my personal development radar.  Louise Hay, obviously, was one of those authors. Working at Borders, I checked You Can Heal Your Life out for a couple of days.  And I wasn't deterred by a manager who asked in subtle disgust whether or not I actually believed what you think/believe influences the makeup of your life. He was an adamant skeptic (and ain't nothing wrong with that) and thought I was crazy.  But really I was just searching for answers. I needed some mental and emotional healing; and to be perfectly honest, he, at the time, was part of my problem.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't truly appreciate You Can Heal Your Life until years later–after watching the video shown somewhere below this post. I mentioned in a past post what incident compelled me to seek out Louise Hay again.  Since then I've collected many of her books, audio lectures, DVDs, and even went to see her live in Atlanta during one of her I Can Do It tour stops.

See, I fell in love with You Can Heal Your Life because it is simple and uncomplicated with its purpose, while addressing multiple areas of personal development.  In an easy and comprehensible way, it covers relationships, jobs, aspirations, and spirituality (to name a few).  It leaves aside all of the quantum and scientifically researched talk for the fundamentals and basics.  It doesn't try to prove much of anything, while teaching you why you shouldn't sell yourself short as it concerns Life and the one you were given.  You learn how to recognize those bad thinking habits, and shift them from the inside out. And if it’s hard to drill your way through to change and giving up old, discouraging habits and attitudes, the affirmations given in the book are there to guide you in the right direction.  And say inner peace still doesn't come so easily, well you'll at least know that control how much of it you'll give yourself.

Nevertheless, I think ultimately (as it’s boiled down and compressed into my subconscious), You Can Heal Your Life reminds me that everything is going to be okay, and to trust the God/Universe. I went into picking up the book the second time because I needed to understand how everything is working out for my highest good, and from each experience only good will come. And that I am safe. And that I have to love the Self. Anytime I feel like things are clouding up around me, I pick up this book to beat it all back. It’s like an emotional beacon toward getting myself out of the rut of obsessing and over-thinking situations that are out of my hand. It allows me to let go, even just for a moment.

Lately I haven't been picking the book up as much as I feel like I should, so I will myself to keep it front and center and off my bookshelf. Next to my bed will do.  Just like the audio lectures/books of Louise Hay that I listen to when I just can't seem to fall asleep on my own.

Gerritsen No Goose. Robb Wins.

Seems like I'm breaking in the New Year catching up on J. D. Robb's In Death series–and not quite one of those juicy 400+ paged books I promised myself to start.  As previously mentioned, I stopped reading the series for two years before I finally caught up with where I left of in Delusion in Death.  Reading this series feels like an old pair of shoes and a wine-tasting party (or what I would believe) with old friends.  The series remains highly familiar, highly uneventful, and highly formulaic.  Yet, it feels like home and so much more.  

I happened across these two books at my local Books-A-Million.  The only reason I was there was because Barnes & Nobles didn't have Tess Gerritsen's latest, Die Again, on sale.  Sorry, but I'm not paying $27 for a book.  Nope.  I thought Books-A-Million would fair better, but no luck.  Except with J. D. Robb.  Calculated in Death follows immediately behind Delusion.  And after Calculated comes Thankless in Death.  I found them on bargain, therefore, I equivalate this to a JACKPOT.  As well as a comfortable way to get my year started.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

FAVORITE 10 BOOKS OF 2014

Yep, the year is done!  2014 became a fun, conflicting, hard, and challenging one.  I wish I could say where all the areas of my personal growth lie, but I can't.  I just know that it's there, fed by the hunger for change and a better life.  But one thing I can say that this year has taught me is that you can't give up nor count yourself out.  Nevertheless, I'm trusting that a lot of that troubling energy of 2014 is moving out of the way for some amazing opportunities–especially considering I'm entering my 3rd year here.  And I think I've worked my ass off and built enough momentum to move into the next stage.  Nonetheless, all that talk can wait.  Before the year is completely done, I have to share ten of my favorite reads of 2014.  They're not in any particular rank; they're chronological placed according to when I read them.  Oh, I forgot to mention that according to Goodreads I managed to read 70 books this year.  As for my Goodreads reading challenge, I initially set out to read 60 books.  However, I pushed it up to 65 during a month when I wasn't ready consistently and filled my reading time with short stories and graphic novels.  But that's neither here nor there.  On to the list!

1.  Mao by Jung Chang

2.  Year of the Demon by Steve Bein

3.  A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheeres

4.  Innocent Blood by P. D. James

5.  Concourse by S. J. Rozan

6.  The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

7.  Killing Orders by Sara Paretsky

8.  Hotel Paradise by Martha Grimes

9.  So Far From God by Ana Castillo

10.  The Seventh Sinner by Elizabeth Peters  

I hope you guys had a great reading year, alongside a Happy New Year.  Actually, I trust that it's all good.  I want to thank anyone who has been sharing my posts, commenting and following along here and/or on my Youtube channel (which I'll be back to updating in January).  Share your favorite books from 2014 in the comments below!  And I'll see you next year.