My college buddy Arlette (L) and me - before our races. Looking back on my last blog post – January 2015 (sorry, I’m not posting often) – I see that I set some New Year goals for myself. I’m happy to report that I accomplished all of those goals.
I met my swimming goals by qualifying for – and attending – the Masters Nationals Championship meet in San Antonio. My husband swam too and we met up with his longtime friend and childhood swimming rival. We got to know some of our Masters teammates better, and I reconnected with a few friends from my college swimming days (Go Gauchos!) Oh, and there were some former Olympians there too. Very cool to see that level of swimming up close. Most impressive of all? The oldest swimmer competing at Nationals was 98. Amazing.
I met my swimming goals by qualifying for – and attending – the Masters Nationals Championship meet in San Antonio. My husband swam too and we met up with his longtime friend and childhood swimming rival. We got to know some of our Masters teammates better, and I reconnected with a few friends from my college swimming days (Go Gauchos!) Oh, and there were some former Olympians there too. Very cool to see that level of swimming up close. Most impressive of all? The oldest swimmer competing at Nationals was 98. Amazing.
I learned to meditate – harder than I thought it would be. There are so many opportunities to ignore this item on the To-Do list (like my desire for coffee first!) I kept with it for a few months and really enjoyed the experience. I felt more clear-headed, able to focus on the things I want to accomplish. I felt more calm and able to deal with stress. I tried a few and found that the guide’s voice is very important. My guy sounds a bit like the actor Russell Brand. That may not be your cup of tea, but I get a little smile on my face every time I begin. His name is Mark Golding and here’s a link to his recorded meditation. Enjoy!
Unfortunately life got in the way (stress!) and I stopped. It’s interesting that when I really needed it most, because of stress, I stopped. I miss meditating and believe that the practice adds to my daily life. I will start again as soon as I finish this post. It’s really that simple. No excuses.
Unfortunately life got in the way (stress!) and I stopped. It’s interesting that when I really needed it most, because of stress, I stopped. I miss meditating and believe that the practice adds to my daily life. I will start again as soon as I finish this post. It’s really that simple. No excuses.
Finally, my goal to create my own artwork came through in a very big way. I’m doing it! I’m making art and I love it. Sometimes you just need to jump in and do it. That’s what I did. A quick trip to Michael’s, toss a few tubes of paint and a few canvases in my cart, and I’m on my way.
For unknown reasons (or undiscovered reasons), I decided to start with some portraits. First I drew my kids, then my mom, then a stranger I found in a magazine. I researched how to draw noses, eyes and mouths. I used my son’s 6th grade art class hand-out, “how to draw faces.” I am taking every opportunity to improve this skill. Art and creativity are definitely muscles that need to be exercised regularly.
Most recently I started taking art classes through our city civic arts program. I really enjoyed the mixed media class where I started working in collage and then over-painting. Having a specific day and time carved out of my schedule for art was just what I needed. The time flew by and I learned so much from my instructor and classmates.
I’m collecting artists and “stealing” their techniques, with my own style. I found inspiration from the work of artist Dan Casado. It’s very freeing to create using different techniques. I study an artist’s work, analyze why I like it and try to figure out how they got there. Some work is successful and some less so, but I’m always learning. Most importantly I’m having fun.
For unknown reasons (or undiscovered reasons), I decided to start with some portraits. First I drew my kids, then my mom, then a stranger I found in a magazine. I researched how to draw noses, eyes and mouths. I used my son’s 6th grade art class hand-out, “how to draw faces.” I am taking every opportunity to improve this skill. Art and creativity are definitely muscles that need to be exercised regularly.
Most recently I started taking art classes through our city civic arts program. I really enjoyed the mixed media class where I started working in collage and then over-painting. Having a specific day and time carved out of my schedule for art was just what I needed. The time flew by and I learned so much from my instructor and classmates.
I’m collecting artists and “stealing” their techniques, with my own style. I found inspiration from the work of artist Dan Casado. It’s very freeing to create using different techniques. I study an artist’s work, analyze why I like it and try to figure out how they got there. Some work is successful and some less so, but I’m always learning. Most importantly I’m having fun.
Mermaid Mail Art - from my recent art class. Prints of a few of my pieces are for sale on FineArtAmerica.
I just started a new class entitled Creative Art: Dreams & Memories. I’ve only completed one class where created mail art (decorated an envelope.) It was fun and frivolous and after the first class I’m excited to continue. The possibilities for expansion are huge. I need to open my mind and allow myself to be open to whatever comes my way. It should be good!
Writing down and publishing my goals is key. This seems to be a cornerstone for me. Write it down. Do it. And then watch what happens.
OK – off to meditate!
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