The Artist Way and the Smack Blogs

I am currently reading The Artist Way by Julia Cameron for my book club and when I came to this part...I had an A HA moment and had to share it with y'all

This chapter with criticism "The most severe criticism when it fairly hits the mark is apt to be greeted an internal Ah-hah! if it shows the artist a new and valid path for work. The criticism that damages is that which disparages, dismisses, ridicules (can i tell you how i HATE the word FUGLY), or condemns. It is frequently vicious but vague and difficult to refute. This is the criticism that damages."

Those blogs are FULL Of this type of criticism. I have never been mentioned personally but it pains me when I see designers who obviously work hard on their creations savaged as if by ravening wolves.....

All criticism is not bad....but the source and timing are CRUCIAL...

New things....

It's January 28 and I gots loads of stuff to tell...First things first...make sure you check out DoItDigi's Scraplift Challenge!I picked a great choice to "lift". The challenge runs for two weeks and this month's Inspiration Kit is absolutely GORGEOUS (if I do say so myself) :-) I will post a preview of it

Great huh? It includes 68 Papers, 100 elements ,2 alphas with numbers & punctuation and 4 layered templates (not shown)!

In other news, I got my domain name!!! YAY!! AND I actually updated it! Its just the index page for now but other pages will be forthcoming. Be sure to check it out! And in honor of my newest venture here is a FREEBIE for you, an layered template based on the template of my new website...Grab the (psp & psd format) template here

Be sure to link me if you grab it and use it! I love to see what people come up with when using my templates!

Be on the look out for some new things in the DoItDigi store from me soon. A new kit, a template series....I have a coordinating freebie coming with the new kit.....soon as it is in the store it will be here (and hopefully on the website as well)

Digi Cliques...

As a mom of six daughters (two teens, two pre teens, and two toddlers), I have lots of past experience dealing with clique behavior/mentality and some to look forward to (NOT!) . It seems to be a fact of life that if more than 3 or so women are involved in ANY activity, cliques soon form. Bonding with like minded and similar interests individuals is a good thing, its only when it becomes a superiority exclusion thing that its a bad thing. And then it can become a bad bad BAD thing.

This is an excerpt from an article on workplace cliques...if you replace the word Company with digi community...well I bet you get the gist

"We all enjoy the camaraderie of people we share an interest or characteristic with, but when cliques become too exclusive, or destructive to those outside the group, the company suffers. ."

Depending on how entrenched the "clique culture" is, and how much influence you have on the environment and individuals involved, you may have a long, protracted battle on your hands to make your workplace as open, productive and objective as you'd like. It's been our experience, though, that anyone in the company who uses any one of these suggestions will improve the situation at least a little bit, and at least temporarily. Changing the situation permanently will take persistence and a more concerted effort.

It saddens me to see how firmly entrenched cliques are in the digital community. The two sets of standards that apply depending on who the person being talked about ...if she is in the 'IN" crowd, oh we must pity her, we must be understanding, we must make sure she is ok"...however she is NOT in the IN crowd....watch out poor thing....she is trashed, folks without any real knowledge of the situation make judgments, she is often shown the door and its clear she should never darken the step of the digi community again. And we (collective we) pat ourselves on the back and say it was for the good of the community.

But how often is our behavior JUST? Fair is not realistic. But we can and should always strive to be just in our dealings with others. Whether they are friends, customers or simply people we encounter in our journey through life. How often do we speak against injustice or do we close our eyes and shut our mouths for fear of ostracism and alienation? Is our behavior how we would like our children to behave because as all moms know...kids do what you do not what you say. I realize no one really cares what I think or how I feel but as a mom I want my kids to be able to look at my behavior and be proud of me.

Almost two weeks

Since I blogged and I been busy, busy, busy. I started back in school on Monday. I also started the The Artist Way book club and I am SO enjoying it. Its a 12 week course in restoring creativity. This is really pre week and getting in to the swing of things.

http://paperartstudio.tripod.com/artistsway/index.html

this is a link to a website that has the whole book broken down by chapters.

I can't seem to finish any of my designs lately so I hope that this will help me find my inner artist/child and nurture her

I have a free template offered at Scrapbookers Playground for my template challenge...its a rectangle for all you non squares.

Its 2008

and what do I plan to do with it? Things have changed a lot since this time in 2007. I am working full time outside the home...and my babies didn't have to go to daycare. I am so happy for that. Jorrell started preschool and is out of formal OT & PT. I am SO SO happy for that. I remember when his neurologist told dh & I that he had a stroke before he was born and had some physical damage, all I could do is cry. Now I am crying tears of joy. My baby boy goes to school on school bus...he is beginning potty training, he talks so good, walks so good. I am well and truly BLESSED.

On that note I am deciding to be more productive with my time. The Lord has given me so many blessings and opportunities. It is up to me to maximize them.
Here is one of my sites for helping me be a better me

Tools for Life

here is my

Day 1 Checklist --

Get Ready for Success!

1. Set clock for time.

2. Check clock.

3. Place clock in one spot (only turn on and off).

4. Turn clock off.

5. Clap hands and say, “I’m having a great day!”

6. Breathe in through your nose, deeply filling up your chest, then out through your mouth. Walk with confidence to the bathroom.

7. Splash your face with water.

8. Brush your teeth.

9. Look in mirror and smile at yourself.

10. Say: "The day is mine!"

Resolve whatever you do, you will bring your whole person to
it; that you will fling the whole weight of your being into it.
-Orison Swett Marden

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