Daily Babbler — Late Summer News

 When I haven't posted in a while, I must be healthily busy!

 July's big news was winning Oregon State! ALL RIGHT
 The meet was my first time competing in any sport since State Track in 1999, and was a wonderful reintroduction into my life. You don't usually do your best at competition, or at least not always, but competitions add spice to life if it's not your career path. There weren't many people at these games — just a few adults. And it being a rare 25-31 year-old who even does gymnastics, much less competes, it's quite possible to wind up with only one or two competitors in a pool and high odds at winning All-Around! This did not matter to me, at least not this time. The fun, the experience, was the essence and the purpose. I did land on my behind doing the front tuck, but by pushing myself and messing up, I know what needs to be worked on!
 The clichéd, yet very true line applies here: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. I took the shot — and not only won medals, but had a kicker time with several silly adults (including Laurie, a 43-year-old who did her floor routine to Metallica — ROCK ON!) and an equally silly, triple-State-champ teenager (Britni). There was conflict with work, as well, but quite simply, it was all worth it: A memory for a lifetime. There is a T-shirt I love: Not the one that says "Just do it," but the one that says, "Doing it."

 Summer Trip Home — being on Lopez from July 23 to August 2 was the yearly blessing of "recharging the tanks" — time to think, dinners with friends, days walking and chatting with Grandmommie and an uncle, and afternoons soaking in the sun at Odlin Park beach in a brightly-colored, handmade (sewn and crocheted by Yours Truly) bikini. It's not Hawai'i, but when summer in my homeland is nevertheless paradise, why not enjoy it as if it were?
 A new thing this time was the lurking presence of a digital sound recorder. I dropped $60 at Radio Shack for it — wanted one that did MP3 and stereo — and didn't test it till I got there, yipes! (Batteries not included.) Why? The reason was a sneaky yet noble one: Recording Grandmommie's voice when she got to rattling on her stories (as I knew she would), about Victorian grannies, bad relatives, hopelessly irritating pets. Some older folk clam up if they know they're on record, so I didn't say anything. I feel it's very worth it. One day, and it might not be too many more years from now, she won't be here — and the CDs I now have from that recorder will be pure gold. A treasure trove of unique insight and memory, and material for future stories. The irretrievable kind you wish you'd invested in before the "crash", as I did when I lost Granddaddy and Mom. This time, I planned ahead.

 Rock You like a Hurricane — Hurricane Isaac! When Isaac soaked the south on the Full Moon of August/September, I deemed it the right time for a little hocus-pocus in the manner of synchronicity, and linked the storm's power ("slow and lumbering" though newscasters dubbed it, not very flattering but dangerous for such a storm! You get wetter then.) to my own work. Hey, if my business is slow and lumbering at first but winds up with the power of a hurricane with longer-than-usual lifespan, so be it, honey.
 Amusing to me is not only the choice of Hurricane Isaac's name at this time in my life, but that I had Isaac the character go one-for-one against a hurricane in Edge, as of last winter. Synchronicity like this is delicious, all the more so in that you don't plan it! I celebrated by buying a couple of new items from Isaac Hers retail shop downtown, which is closing in favor of from-home manufacture. Doesn't sound like a big thing? How often do I buy rack-new items?! Ahem, never. Okay, hardly. I take it as a sign of good things to come — even as I pray that this hurricane will spare as many lives as possible.

 Music — Gothic band Covenant comes to the Fez on September 11th. I like their music as of over a year (since discovering it) and may feature some lines of lyrics in my work.

 Up and Coming — After six years in Portland, early October will hold a new event for me — IPRC's 7th Annual Text Ball! The stipulation: Wear items of clothing related to print, text and words. I mean, how fun is that. I also plan on bringing handouts for Sarkazen as an up-and-coming series, since the series is heavily loaded with messages about the Word and its power. One picture I did is of Isaac in clothes made of tiny words.


If the doors of perception were cleansed, all would appear as it is — INFINITE
 Stay tuned to the Conduit!

Wrapping up a Creative Summer

 Today it's over 90 F (not the hottest of the season by far). I got in my five-plus-mile walk yesterday to Pittock Mansion, when it was cooler. So where am I today?
 I'm inside working on more illustrations for Edge of Darkness, who is nearly ironed out in all her little delicate edit-y bits! (Then it's off to find a real editor, who will ruthlessly educate me on what that really means.) I may not need these illustrations, depending on formatting and other issues that arise. But I like to be prepared, just in case. It's also part of the pride I feel at being capable of both art and writing -- why not do both?
 So far nearly a dozen illustrations are finished, first drawn in pencil, then finished with pen and acrylic paint. Nine are for Edge itself. I'm so far loving the grace of the protagonist — his gawky-dark style, and his wise yet innocent face with its wide, sparkling elven eyes and wait-till-he-gets-to-high-school pout. Goth-emo though he may be, his inquisitive nature is that not of a typical apathetic youth, but that of a sorcerer in disguise: Eager for life itself, and refusing to be cowed by oppression — cultural or otherwise. His is a Renaissance mind, hungry for it all.
 I've also done two concept paintings of Isaac as he appears when older (and hotter!). These, and any unused illustrations, I hope to include in a special color-print Artist's Edition.

 These days, more than ever, I am celebrating WITHOUT SHAME the gift of being an artist and writer. It's no longer as though I "shouldn't be doing this" or should only be doing it "as a hobby" — I love it, live and breathe story-creating, in multiple media, and have done since early childhood. I finally feel I'm in myself, and can be this no matter what else I'm doing in life.
 Praise God!
 Bottom line, folks: If you love something and always have, quit listening to the stupid little critic voice (be it Mom's or somebody else's) and DO IT. If you think this dude in your head is hot, and better yet has a positive message that could get one child reading, then flippin' write about him.
 Just don't forget to get up and stretch your butt now and then!    yikes
 writers' butt.