The end.
Or the beginning.
Most likely, a particularly productive bit of middle. I’ll try to stick with it as long as I can.
Work in Progress!!
Back in December, I promised you 31 sketches; one for every day, to be completed by the end of the month. Obviously, I fell a little short. I’M REALLY BAD AT THINGS SOMETIMES. Today, February 23rd, I’m finally giving you 31 sketches. They’re at the bottom of this post. It may be months late, but I’d like to say “I did it,” so I can move on. Before scrolling down, though, you should browse over to someone’s blog who isn’t bad at things, who actually completed the sketch challenge on time, and who met all her artistic goals for the year. And who I don’t think I actually said Happy Birthday to, even though her birthday is the same day as mine. So! A belated happy birthday to my Aunt Ruthanne of A More Colorful Life, born on the best day for birthdays, and a big congratulations to her for completing all her goals this year. Check out her sketches for the sketch challenge (Sketching Again, Still Sketching, More Sketching, Sketching and Beyond!), her first big painting, her art doll with the best hair, and her tie-dye art quilt (that doubles as the blog banner!). This year, she’s already set a new goal to make 50 paintings. It’s really inspiring to see someone actually doing all the art stuff they want to do, and I hope I can follow Aunt Ruthanne’s example into this next year.
Oh, and here are those sketches. If you’d like the bigger version of anything, just let me know.
I have been nominated for an award! Many thanks to Ben over at Shudderingwords for the nomination. He is writer working hard on his book, and also blogging and doing the college thing at the same time. Pretty inspiring stuff!
Since it’s right after thanksgiving, I’m going to use this as an excuse to list fifteen blogs I’m thankful for. I recognize that this functions a little like a chain letter, and if anyone I’ve nominated would rather not take a whole blog post to continue the chain I won’t be in the least offended. Just know that I enjoy your blog and I hope you keep doing what you’re doing!
Below are the rules for the Very Inspiring Blog Award so please follow carefully:
1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.
SEVEN THINGS ABOUT ME (as if this blog hasn’t been completely about me since day one…)
1. I’ve spent A LOT of time practicing my harp this week. This is still the new instrument honeymoon phase, but… I really love it. I feel like this is what all of my musical training has been leading up to. I’ve never felt this at home with a musical instrument before.
2. This was the first time I’ve been home for Thanksgiving in five years. I kept thinking it’s Christmas, since that’s usually the only holiday I’m around for.
3. I used to hate mushrooms. Then in my early teens I decided to like them, because I realized that hobbits like mushrooms. I now genuinely love the taste of mushrooms.
4. My bedroom at home (where I am currently staying) is painted a very dark, highly-saturated purple. The trim is dark grey. The paint job in general is very sloppy, which, now that I’m a sort-of professional painter, drives me crazy.
5. I collect various editions, translations, and retellings of the Beowulf epic.
6. I have a lot of verse memorized, including that three-page monstrosity from Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
7. I almost adopted a dog this week. It was a near thing. Common sense prevailed in the end, though, and no dog for me.
FIFTEEN NOMINATIONS
Love this blog. Julie writes wonderful book reviews, and also writes elegantly about writing and life.
These owls are cute and majestic. Really nice art.
An aspiring writer with an intelligent voice. She also posts tweets from literary agents once a week, which is a really great resource.
A writer figuring out how to do it, and being honest about his struggles and triumphs.
Dark, sexy poetry where the rhythm is always spot on.
Lovely short poems that are pleasing, surprising, and satisfying.
Elizabeth Creith’s Scriptorium
Someone who already has a career in the writing an editing field. The blog is following her current work on a novel called The Swan Harp. I don’t know anything about it, but it has the word “harp” in the title and I can tell Ms. Creith is an excellent writer, so I’m sold!
A blog about a girl named Grace who is a home-schooled writer. As a former home-schooling writer named Grace, I find this particularly cool.
A writer with a work in progress who writes really well about writing and health and other things. Always a pleasure to read.
This blog is a personal journey; a snapshot of an intelligent person engaging with the world and asking the hard questions with an honest and unapologetic voice.
She hasn’t updated in a while, but there’s something about this blogger’s art and sketches that I really love.
When I first discovered this blog, the current post was a photo of its author surrounded by goats. She is quirky and honest and the blog is fun to read. She’s also raising the money to visit her overseas lover, which is pretty romantic and cool.
A real-life friend from school, and a fellow writer and blogger.
You’ve all heard of the excellent Lady Higg? This is her blog, which granted hasn’t been updated in a while, but I find Lady Higg inspiring in general, and her blog will be awesome when she gets back to it.
Witnessing the Past: The Evolution of a Free Mind
Another friend from school, who is an excellent writer with a truly inspiring life story.
Grace Makley 