51 Books in 9 Months

I have never been able to read this many books of my own choosing EVER! 

So they are:

49. The Scorch Trials
50.  The Art of  Racing in the Rain (A Dog's Purpose is so much better!)
51. Until Tuesday

Couldn't Stop.

I know that I should be creating more but I couldn't stop reading.  I actually AM supposed to read for my job anyway and it is one of the things I like about it.  So here are four more books that I read during the month of May. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Interesting ending but the rest, meh.)
The Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
The Maze Runner (very good)
The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid (first one of hers that I didn't care for)

Final Books for Three Months

I didn't meet my goal for the months of February through April, as I suspected I wouldn't.  I read a total of 13 books in three months which averages to 4 per month.  That's pitful compared to the average of 9 per month that I averaged before, however, since I did accomplish other things I am not disappointed! The last books I read were :

11. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (If you haven't read it, do so!  It's fantastic.  It is one of the best books I've read in a while. 
12.  Hostage to the Devil by Martin Malachai  (Heavy Theology book)
13.  Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris  (I definitely don't like this writer.)

So, I have read a total of 44 books for the year, for an average of 5.5 books per month.  (I started in September.  So from September to April.)  Not too shabby...

Two More Books To Add

Even though I won't make my goal of 30 books, I have been reading a greatlately.  I have taken a break from working on my art work.  I haven't had opportunity to due much reading unless it was related to art or creativity.  One of the good things about working at Barnes & Noble is the unlimited access to books.   I am able to read some books for free, others at a great discount.  So I want to read a great deal while I have the chance.
10.  The Beginner’s Guide to Edible Herbs by Charles W.G. Smith

11.  Soul Mapping by Nina Frost, Dr. Kenneth C. Ruge

More Reading

We are half way through April.  That being written...I know that I will not be completing my reading goal as I read rather quickly but there is no way that I will be able to reach by goal of 30 books in three months.  Due to my art projects I have only been able to read 12 thus far.  Needless to say I won't be reading more than 15 books in 2 weeks. Not until I finish reading my other two books, Evelyn Woods Speed Reading and Speed Reading the Easy Way.  (Yes, I actually do have the books but they are more like workbooks.  You have to set time aside and work at this skill.  Which, of course, I have not done yet!)

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
Me Talk Pretty One Day By David Sedaris
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris (This guy is whacked!)
The Girl WHo Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson.

Reading List Update

Due to the art work I have been doing, I haven't read nearly as much as I had been during the fall.  That doesn't really bother me.  As long as I am accomplishing something I am happy.

 6.  Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

 7.  The Butterfly Gardener’s Guide by Claire Hagen Doyle

8.  Darker Domain by Val McDermid
9.  Caffeine for the Creative Mind

Project 20



 Parameters: Use something from nature to inspire your work.  I am trying to learn how to use watercolors.  Being am not very good, can anyone out there guess what I have done?  Yup, that's right.  I went to the library and took out books on painting with watercolors.  What else would I do?  The day that I die, I would be very surprised if I am NOT found with a glass of ice tea in one hand and a book in the other.

Project 19

Using watercolors for the very first time.

Project 18

From *Caffeine for the Creative Mind,* the directions were to take pictures of barriers. They can be either physical barriers or those that we create mentally. I know that I use many things create mentally barriers, so that is the theme I have chosen.  I created a slide show however I has the worst time getting it to post.   I had to redo it with a different program.  Let's hope this one posts!

Just an Update

  As I said in previous posts, I spend more than one day on my projects so I am actually doing something creative each day even if I am not posting daily.  I believe I also mentioned I wasn't happy with all of the projects listed in 365 Days A Creative Journal.  Several of them were redundant and I felt as if they were making me feel as if I am going backwards or doing children's craft projects.  That being said, I did some more reading and found Caffeine for the Creative Mind by Stefan Mawmaw. It has exercises to wake up your creativity but they are much different that Noah Scalin's book.  In addition, I will be doing projects as that is the whole point!
  Recently, I was inspired by my sister-in-law, Reg.  She posted a watercolor landscape that she painted on her FB page.  Although I have only attempted watercolors once before, it motivated me to give it another shot.  My painting is not finished, as it is taking me several days. 
  There are a few other exercises I was able to complete from Caffeine for the Creative Mind while I was on break at work but that was mainly because they involved words.

Project 17

Directions:  Create something with yarn.  I read this and I started it but I knew there was no way I'd finish in a single day.  I am working on a scarf.  So it's going to be awhile.  So on those days I'm not posting anything, it doesn't mean I'm not working on something.

Project 16

Directions:  Create alphabet for a non-existant culture.  I used one shape throughout each character.  One change within the characters is used to express opposing ideas, such as yes, no, full, empty etc.

Project 15

Directions:  Create an invitation for an everyday event.  I decided to create an invitation to an event that no one would want to attend.

Project 14 Somewhat Amusing Result.

 Directions:  Create a portmanteau.  A portmanteau is a new word that is created by taking parts of two existing words and blending them together, such as "spork" or "skort". 
  
My word came about accidentally and it actually is part of a name and part of a word.  Fran was looking for on of his sneakers the other day.  I meant to say  "I think Sookie took it."  However it came out Stooken.  Now, whenever we believe that Sookie took something, (or one of the dogs) it is called Stooken! 

Project 13

The directions:  Make an anagram for your name. (It didn't say anything about it making sense!)

So here it is.

Jeanette Hildwine  ---  Detain in the jewel.    Maybe if I have time I will illustrate it.

Project 12

Have you ever been really hungry but you don't know what you want to eat?  I had that happen to me just recently.  As many of you know I am a picky eater, although you wouldn't know it to look at me.  I don't like fast food.  I will go to McD's or Wendy's for ice tea but I prefer to limit it to that.  Not that I don't eat out, I DO but I like well made food with fresh ingredients.  I usually prefer my own cooking to take out.  But it just so happened, I couldn't figure out what to make.  So, I decided to make French Toast but to do something completely different.  I created coconut macaroon French Toast.  It wasn't bad.  I over did it on the coconut but other than that it was pretty good.  It tasted better than it looks.

Project 11

The only instructions for this project were to work with pens in any way I wish.  So I decided to do this activity that a middle school art teacher I worked with used to assign to her students in the beginning of the year.  I think it's fun to do try every once in a while.

Project 10 (Goofy)

  Noah Scalin, the author of 365, wrote the book after he decided to create one skull per day for a year.  He created them out of match sticks, food, sugar cubes, push pins and leaves.  He posted these on his blog and it was so well received that he appeared on Martha Stewart.  He has a book out with his skulls pictured.  (Some are pretty interesting.)  His book mentions that bloggers decided to chose an object and continue in the same venue as Scalin.  I brainstormed a list of things around which I might want to create 365 projects, a claddagh, stars, flowers, etc.  However, there was only one thing of which I would chose to create, sketch, mold etc that many, a dog.  That seemed pretty daunting to me so as you know I didn't take that on as a part of this journey. 
   However, after knocking over Hagrid's food, I suddenly decided to give it a shot.  I made a dog with dogfood.

Reading Update

  I don't think I will reach my reading goal with all of the creativity projects I'm doing but that's alright.  The books I have read thus far:
1. Storm Front -Jim Butcher
2. Distant Echoes - Val McDermid
3. 356 Daily Creativity - Noah Scalin
4. House Rules - Jodi Picolt  (This was horrible.  She completely screwed up Asperger's & Autism.)
5. The Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

My other problem, I am always reading several books at once, so it's difficult to gauge when exactly I will finish one. ;)

Project 9

  I didn't realize I met the requirements to another project.  While rereading through the book I realized that one of the projects stated to create something with all black materials.  (There is another one that says to sew but I have a sewing class coming up soon in which I will be learning new type of quilting.)  As I mentioned in my last blog, I made an apron for work.  Although it is extraordinarly simple, I designed this on my own.  I didn't use a pattern of any kind.  If you look closely you'll see that it's dirty as I have already worn it to work.  Several people have asked me to make them one. HA

One Day Project Turning into Week

  These projects are supposed to be one day projects.  I don't believe the author intended an entire day spent on the project, as most people could not spend that much time everyday for a year on projects unless it was of course their occupation.  Well, the shoe project has definitely taken more than a single day, partly due to my screw up.  I included pictures of my first attempt at decorating the $3 Wal-Mart shoes which resulted in a mawkish design.  The next project is not officially finished.  I spray painted the shoes with a single coat, then taped a design and sprayed them with another color.  It didn't turn out.  So, I sprayed them over again with the origninal color.  They are better but not great.  I still have embellishements to sew on by hand, however, I feel as if I am falling behind.  Do I continue to work on the same project that was only supposed to take one day?  Am I spending too much time?  Should I move on and try something else?  I don't like leaving these unfinished.  I was going to try to start something else while the shoes are drying.   (I actually made a black apron for work while I was waiting before.)  I know I won't leave them unfinished, I just don't think I can but should I continue to let these projects take up more than one day?

Accidents Are Supposed to Happen!

   After looking at the shoes I painted and ruined I realized that even if I hadn't smeared them, I wouldn't have been pleased with the results.  I was going for a little girl's style and they just ended up hokey.  This has caused me to go in an entirely different direction.  I have put a base coat on the next pair of shoes and am 
    In addition, I have finished reading the entire book A Daily Creativity Journal 365 by Noah Scalin.  It's great that there are no rules because there are projects seem a bit redundant.  For example, one day it says work with all white materials, then several weeks later, work with all brown, then orange, black, green etc.  Another projects instructs me to do someone else's job for the day and create something at the workplace.  I'm not enthused about taking a day off to work somewhere else.   I have worked as a teaching assistant, pizza maker, burger flipper @ Friendly's (for about 2 weeks), pan washer @ Pathmark's bakery, restaurant manager, trainer, special education teacher, private instructor, mentor, and bookseller.  In addition, my father made me detail cars which included taking out the seats and cleaning under them, change tires, oil, radiators and help him fix car doors.  Having to clean up after him and my students wasn't a piece of cake either.  Therefore, I think I'm going to come up with some other projects to replace a few of the others when appropriate.

Inspiration

Sometimes when I read the parameters to a project, I have to admit, I skip to another one because I get stumped, I just don't feel inspired.  Now during grade school I had absolutely no art instruction of any kind.   If someone said "Van Gogh",  I would have replied with, "God bless you."  On occasion we were given craft projects to do but we never had art education.  In high school, the only kids who received art instruction were those who were going to be art majors or headed to Moore College of Art.  Otherwise, forget it!  So, I didn't know I had a lick of artistic ability until I took a class over the summer when I was in college.  It was only three weeks, but I learned something very important...I could actually draw.  
   Anyhoo, as I said, with no art education, I know very little about various artists.  I actually do know about Van Gogh as he is my favorite and I have read a great deal about him.  But other than him...  Luckily working with books allows me to take a gander at art books for free during my breaks or meals! So, I pulled a few off the shelves and took a gander.  I have to say, I found Frida to be strange, not my cup of tea.  But I really like Escher! He really inspires me and the fact that he works with black and white a great deal made me feel better as I like using pencil so much.  I can't stand any of the Wyeths.  I have seen their work first hand at the Brandywine River Museum and can I just say blah.  I would rather be disturbed by Frida than bored by Wyeth.   The good news is I found several artists that I really like and I was worried I wouldn't as Carvaggio is really not up my alley! 

8th Project- Redo!

This one called for designing a pair of shoes or redesigning a pair of my old shoes.  Well, I wear my shoes into the ground!  And my shoes that aren't worn into the ground are ones I wear TO work or are actual working boots, ie steel toed Timberlands that are covered in dirt.  Not exactly conducive to paint or art work.  I do have dress shoes but I would like them to remain dress.  So I bought a pair of  el-cheapo, $3 shoes.  I painted the left shoe in one style and the right in another and I smeared BOTH of them.  What a freakin' ASS!!!  Could I BE any dumber!  I just glanced each one with my hand.  I didn't even realize it with one of them until I saw the shoe.  I looked down at my hand and saw the paint.  That being said, I will redo the project.  Hopefully, I can still get a pair of cheap-ass shoes to screw with.

Seventh Project

It's been a long time since my last post but I find myself thinking more than I ever would have about my projects and that's the whole point right?  Think creatively? The parameters for this project.  Write a 10 word love story and if so inclined, illustrate it!   Here it is.

Sixth Project

  Parameters:  Use black and white materials only.

Flower Inspiration---Spin Off

  I had to do something in addition to the last project.  I just couldn't leave it with the last sad looking chicken made from the petals of the polka-dotted flowers.  I decided to sketch a flower.  Just a pencil drawing.

Fifth Project

I realize that the point of this is to get the creative juices flowing, however I can't let go of the desire to create something that actually looks better than a kid's craft project.  With the time contraints AND working with unfamiliar mediums it is extremely difficult to produce something remotely ... decent.  The assignment for this one was to use flowers, (real or fake) to create something.  I chose fake as I work near a Michael's, they are sturdier, cheaper and I would have greater range of choices.  I was going to choose safe, solid colors but I figured that would be too easy.  So, I picked black and white, polka-dot daisies.  I chopped off the petals and thought they looked like feathers.

Fourth Project

Parameters:  Create something small.  Small enough to put in the palm of your hand.  I created a small sunflower, with a tiny bumblebee on it.  I used paper again as I really need the practice if I'm going to be using in it my journaling.

Third Project

Keep in mind that I can't spend much time on any single project because there is another one the next day.  That being said, the parameters for the third activity were to use only paper as the medium and here it is.

Reading Update

Two books down:  Storm Front by Jim Butcher and The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid.  The audio book is half-way completed.  I am currently reading two other novels, The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Fool Moon by Jim Butcher.

Project Two Complete

   The directions for this project were simple.  Use your favorite animal as inspiration.  Well everyone knows what that is.  So, here is the work for that project.  I have to say I fell back on one of my favorite mediums though because I felt pressure to catch up. (Nothing like being a teacher or spending 12 years in Catholic school to make you create your own deadlines.) 

First Project Complete

   Well, it's not much but it's a start.   The ice hasn't worked out yet.  It didn't freeze outside then with the wind a great deal of junk got into the containers not to mention that the dogs drank a few dry and knocked a few over.  So, that one is on the back burner but just for now. 

   The next project asked me to design a new playing card.  I drew a number of sketches at first but they just fell flat.  The next day I pulled out paper, beads and created a 3-D card.  It might not be beautiful but it is different.  Who knows if we end up having another storm I'll do another one OR a deck. 

  The parameters for day two state that I am only allowed to use water as my medium!  So, I am going to utilize the crappy weather to my advantage and  use frozen water!  One of my kitchen cabinets is bursting with gladware and Tupperware, many of which have no lids.  So, I filled them with water, stuck them in the snow and am waiting for them to freeze.  (Hopefully, by tomorrow night.)  Then I will create some kind of ice sculpture.

Read, Read, Read

  Some of you may have read that I read 27 books in approximately 3 months.  I have set a new goal of 33 books in months.  You may think that's not much of a difference but that's 2 more book each month.  I must confess that I do listen to books on CD's in the car.  Of the 27 books from the last group, 3 were on CD, only 1/9 of the books were on CD.  Hey, I spend 2 hours in the car, 5 days a week.  I don't want to waste 10 hours a week.   However, I will continue to keep the ratio the same.  I don't listen to the books, except in the car.  All of the books are regular books.  I'm not pulling out 2nd grade reading level material from the children's department.  Since February is such a short month I did allow myself to start on the 29th of January to give myself a full month.  My first book is The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid.  I will be listening to a book by her in the car called Distant Echoes.    I also started reading the book 365 A Daily Creativity Journal by Noah Scalin.  However, I don't know if I will read all of that at once.    So, that is the second project I am working on for myself at this point in time. 

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

  Anyone who knows me fairly well, knows that I have several creative bones in my body.  Just taking a gander on the first floor of my home would give a perfect stranger a clue as to what I enjoy doing during my free time.  As I type, I am surrounded by bins filled with scrapbooking supplies, my box that contains my sketching pencils and paraphernalia and in the dining room...my sewing materials, tools etc are everywhere.  (And I haven't even mentioned the den!)
  So what?  Well I have a few projects that I really want to accomplish.  One of which I was having getting started.  It's keeping a journal utilizing art and artifacts to express yourself.  However, it's not just a daily, "What I Did Today" journal.  It's a journal in which the purpose is self-growth.  I took a class on using this method of journaling.  A number of years ago I completed a journal that helped me to see a few things about myself and how I wanted to improve.   Now I am trying to combine both of these methods so that I can use art and creativity to grow and learn about myself.  Since I had trouble getting started, I bought a book of course!  I found 365 A Daily Creativity Journal by Noah Scalin.  
   The book has a different activity for each day of the year and pushes you to just create something each day.  The one thing that I LOVE about it is its one rule...THERE ARE NO RULES!  Therefore if I want to do two in one day because I have more time I can.  I can do them out of order.  It has great ideas that just help get the creative juices flowing.  So, why the blog?  One of the suggestions is to have an audience for your work as it provides you with encouragement, inspiration, accountability, (eek!) and surprises!  This blog will allow me to have an audience for my work and it also gives me my very first creation for the 365 days. 
   .