Leave me a comment! / Tell me what you liked (or not) / Order my creations you’ve seen elsewhere...
Leave me a comment! / Tell me what you liked (or not) / Order my creations you’ve seen elsewhere not here / Write me a testamonial, or just say Hello :) ( If you prefer to leave a message here that everyone else can read, or privately you can contact me via my email )
Craig’s Message Board Let me know what you think, say G’day or ask me q…
Craig’s Message Board Let me know what you think, say G’day or ask me questions here :) :)
Do I really need to say this? We can profit from our art on Redbubble. I get the feeling people are not understanding this concept. ...
Do I really need to say this? We can profit from our art on Redbubble. I get the feeling people are not understanding this concept. Redbubble is merely and only our personal art gallery. It’s not a static destination where you stop and stare, but a dynamic gallery of photographs forever showing art that best represents what we’d like the general public to purchase. From Cards through to Framed wall-hangings, our work is available to purchase online. Redbubble provides a slick website that is so easy for choosing frames/laminates/cards/t_shirts/etc, purchasing the product and easy-delivery system. They make it amazingly easy to be a small-business owner. Or at least make a small to moderate amount of play-money on the side. I encourage all Artists to use Redbubble to get started, but don’t let it stop you in your tracks. It staggers me how many people are sitting behind their computers with tapping fingers saying, “OK, Now they can see me, they will come here any moment now to purchase my art!” “No they won’t!! You have to find the customers yourself. Redbubble enables you to purchase your own work … and then on-sell it. / My Redbubble Business In August 2007 I purchased thirty cards via Redbubble. I gave five as gifts to very close friends, simply blank cards without messages, but with a simple note … do what you like with this. / Some people kept them, others used them within minutes to send off as Birthday cards. Most asked where I got them from and can they have more? The remaining cards sold within 24hours of arrival from Redbubble! Then I emailed those people, other friends and family, showing them my RB gallery. I have repeat customers because of this initial free promotion. We order $150 worth of cards and other stuff each fortnight, either in pre-orders or for stock. I have a box of about 120 card-ographs in stock at anytime. My lovely wife keeps a very intricate and statistical ledger of all cards in stock, those sold and those on order. Clients choose from the gallery (telling me which ones they like via email, with the name of the artwork, the style they’d like it presented _card, laminate, etc and how many of each_), we order and receive, then we take it to the customer. About a two-week turn-around time. I’ve also purchased a dozen 12”x8” of the ‘prettier’ of our photographs on each of our galleries, which are easily viewed in an A3-portfolio. These are used to determine the appropriate frame and matte colour when clients choose them. Now that Christmas is gone, I can reveal that White Gums II was picked off my gallery by a work-friend’s mother here in Adelaide, I had it framed locally, and it now sits pride of place in their lounge room! I’m very proud of that!! From the corporate world through to the suburban billiards room, everyone wants a suitable image to hang on the wall. Because I have clients who prefer not to purchase online, I’ve made it my responsibility to acquire the final product and deliver it to their offices and homes. And this system works beautifully. (More about this in the next four weeks…) To parody and plagerise a famous quote: “Give someone a fish and they eat for a day, give them a camera with with a zoom lens, and they can shoot the most beautiful carp every day of the week!“
-I was going to to make a reply comment in the “Simple changes to help kickstart weight loss” forum in the “Healthy Living Support Group”...
I was going to to make a reply comment in the “Simple changes to help kickstart weight loss” forum in the Healthy Living Support Group. But it got waaaaay too Long. So anywho I decided to Just make a journal entry. I’m sure others would appreciate as well, so Here we go! I’m a Seventh Day Adventist and they, as a religion, teaches the health message. It’s always been proved through studies that because of their Lifestyles Adventist live longer than other Americans, Just an interesting fact :P But I as well have a specific diet. I got fat cause when I was little I didn’t know sweets=pudge, so I grew up eating them all the time and even into my young adult hood. But a few months ago I made a life change. I don’t know how much I have lost (Our scale is broken and we have not bought another one yet, Plus for me constantly weighing is not good) but I do know I physically look different and soon I have to get new pants LOL. So I guess it’s going well. I’m still chubby but Not nearly as chubby and I even see it in the mirror, so I’m happy! Alright, for me, The elimination of constantly eating sweets completely boot started my weight loss. I think thats due to other than sweets I was eating pretty well. Here is my diet/way of life. I’ve developed this for my self from Medical knowledge (I’m going to med school next year, I’m finished with college though) and just through seeing what works for me! 1) I don’t drink Milk, I drink soymilk. Here’s why – Milk was made for baby cows. Now I’m not saying that we’re raping the cows by taking their milk, or anything. (Im not a FEMA Hippy lol) I Just don’t understand the connection between Humans and Baby Cow Milk. (I mean we don’t drink Giraffe Milk or Chimpanzee Milk or Whale Milk…so Why Cow Milk, lol) I understand some people LOVE milk, I never did, but for those people I say stick with 2%/1% or Skim, The less percentage the better. And for those who wouldn’t mind doing the switch to soy, try the “Silk” brand. It’s a little more expensive than other soys but it tastes delicious! Plus soymilks always come in flavors (Original, Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate) The first two are good for cereals. Vanilla is delicious in general though :D 2) Stay away from cheese! Now this is hard, I LOVVVVE Mac and Cheese. However, you know how melted cheese sticks to everything? It does the same thing in your digestion track. So it takes very long to pass and sometimes will stick around and never really pass all the way. To stay away from that whole problem “Not eating cheese” works. But if your a Mac and Cheese fiend like me, Mac and Cheese is ok on your “eat what I want” day. (Thats comin up! Keep readin! :D) 3) Meats are another thing that linger around the intestines. Appendicitis is due many times to actual lingering meat that never passed getting stuck at the appendix’s opening. It results in an appendix infection which can lead to an operation for removal or the appendix bursting (worst case scenario) Now with that scary idea out of the way, I want to let it know I do still eat meat. However it is very rarely and not every day. You don’t have to eat meat every day!!! You really don’t! Now if you feel you must they also say that eat meats early in the day, and not at night. Eating your meats in the morning insures that the meats with at least semi pass through the system by the next day. However it also makes a different as to what meats you do eat. White meats are always better and easier on your system (Poultry). However redder meets will always linger longer, I eat beef very RARELY. Like Once or twice a year. It’s definitely something I’m sort of scared about the conditions they keep cows before slaughter, theres some horrible stuff that goes on behind our eyes, so I just stay away from it. Pigs are the worst though. Though my religion we don’t touch any pig substance. However, me being the way I am I can’t just do anything blindly, so I did research. Pigs are scavengers, (You are what you eat) Pound for pound pig meat carries more parasites seen and unseen than any other meet. Why do you think you have to cook the meat so much longer? Anywho I’m not here to force my own thoughts on you guys, but if you are a bacon fiend or you just can’t stay away…you can eat it on your “Eat what you want” day (It’s comin! :D) 4) Drink alot of water. It’s as easy as keeping a water bottle full by your desk or where you most frequent. You’ll end up sipping from it all day by default. You don’t have to kill yourself with the water or anything, just keep hydrated so your body can run smoothly (If you know what I mean) :D Also drinking water 10 minutes before eating and 15 minutes after is very beneficial. Water always flood the system, so eating afterwards make sense. However drinking before is also a neat trick since the water will help fill you up even before you touch the food. So when you do eat you end up eating less per meal! Always works for me. 5) Now, Here’s the dreaded part….I HATE Exercise…........HATE IT! But Me loosing weight so fast (Within two weeks my clothes was fitting looser) was all do to a simple activity we all do every day anyway….walking. Just walking! Not jogging, not jump roping, and definitely not running a marathon every week. Just walking. Go for a walk! Clear your mind and walk briskly around the block. A 10-15 minute walk every day, Just 15 minutes, will make a HUGE difference. Believe me! 10 minutes of Jogging burns 300 calories, AND SO DOES 15 MINUTES OF WALKING! Doing it every day, even with one day break burns 1800 calories off the bat per week. And thats just from the walk! Being alive burns calories, any movement whatsoever burns calories. So it’s great, you’ll see a diff in yourself and how you feel in no time. So just get up, and get moving. One step at a time :D 6) Also of course try and stay away from sweets as much as possible. I this was so hard for me!!! But I found a way to do it right without backsliding… “EAT WHAT YOU WANT” DAY! – Ok, Now It’s impossible to say “Ok, for the rest of my life I’ll never have another cookie again!” I mean, how can you stay away from one specific food the rest of your life?! Thats Impossible. Yet does saying “I’ll stay away from cookies the rest of the week” sound better? Yeah it does! Well thats what I propose. I got the idea from a news caster I’m personal friends with. She used to be really husky and now she’s about a size 3-4 (She looks fabulous on tv!!!) One day I asked how she did it and this is what she told me! Throughout the week you diet and exercise and do everything right, you keep your lifestyle clean. Say you do that Monday through Saturday, as a reward for yourself let Sunday be your “Eat Whatever you Want” Day. You crave Pizza? Eat your pizza! You’re and Ice cream fiend? Eat your damn Ice cream! Life is meant for living! If your spending your whole life wishing you ate this or ate that, there is no time left for living is there?! One day of splurging isn’t going to do much damaging if for the rest of the week your dieting goes well! Say during the week you see a piece of cake you want badly, its easier to say no if you know later on your “Eat what you want” day you know you can (and will!) have cake, LOL. Also after a while you’ll find that your “Eat whatever you Want” day will happen less and less. It’s something I’ve noticed. Soon it will disintegrate into an “Eat What you Want” meal, then an “Eat what you Want” Snack. But in the beginning I think having that day will help ween you off of the bad eating :D Alright! Thats all of my secrets and it works for me! But remember, don’t let your weight or pants size define you. No matter what your size you can be fabulous!!! (Helps me to remember that no matter what your size there’s always a man who will find it so sexy, LMAO) So act like it! Just cause your big doesn’t mean your not a great person or sexy :D! Loosing weight is purely for health reasons/ to have a healthy life style and not to “find yourself” or “Be more appealing to others.” If you don’t know who you are, losing weight will not help you find yourself. You’ll just be a skinny lost person, LOL. Losing weight has to be only to please yourself, thats the ONLY time I found success! Of course I’m not at my ideal weight yet, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not fabulous! :D! LOL. Thanks for reading everyone. Good luck on your weight loss!
ONLY TO BE READ IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR! ~ A message from Queen Elizabeth II to all citizens of the United States of America / / To…
ONLY TO BE READ IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR! ~ A message from Queen Elizabeth II to all citizens of the United States of America / / To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II / In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. / Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy). / Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. / Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. / A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. / To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect: / (You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.) / 1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. / 2. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘colour’, ‘favour’, ‘labour’ and ‘neighbour.’ Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters, and the suffix ‘-ize’ will be replaced by the suffix ‘-ise’. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up ‘vocabulary’). / 3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ‘like’ and ‘you know’ is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let Mcrosoft know on your behalf. The Mcrosoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter ‘u’ and the elimination of -ize. / 4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. / 5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can’t sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you’re not ready to shoot grouse. / 6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. / 7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. / Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. / 8. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it. / 9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar. / 10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth – see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion. / 11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one’s ears removed with a cheese grater. / 12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Don’t try rugby – the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us. / 13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries. / 14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us mad. / 15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776). / 16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season. / God Save the Queen! / PS: Go ahead and share this with your friends in the USA (those with a good sense of humour and NOT humor. I apologise if you do not find this amusing, but us Brits do have a strange one!
/ !http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/Sierr…
/ When I was eight years old (1988) I lived in Hollywood, Ca on a Movie Camp. That in itself is a LONG story but to put it simply, my father was producing a movie, an 80’s teenager in trouble sort of movie. I did actually meet a few actors, one that I still remember is Robin Lively, the red head from I believe the third Karate kid. She was really nice, so nice my little brother fell in love with her, at six, he was sure she would be his girlfriend. LOL / She was actually in the movie my father was working on, which never did end up getting produced. Too bad because I’m actually in it!!!! Haha…okay well maybe that is a good thing. Well during production my father also met one of the animators of a soon to be released Disney cartoon you just may have heard of called The Little Mermaid, Glen Keane. I was an aspiring artist at the time and drawing relentlessly. I even carried around my little box of colored pencils and pens with me everywhere drawing pictures and portraits for people on the spot. It was my way of sharing something with people. Well my father told Glen about me, to this day I’m not sure what he said, except that I loved drawing and mermaids. Both very true facts. Perhaps my Dad showed him a few of my drawings, which I’m sure would have warranted a few chuckles, I liked to exaggerate in my creations. if I perceived someone as fast, they might have three to four legs, and I loved to create made up animals. My favorite was an ostrich-lama, which I drew all the time in hopes that I could cause suspect about their existence. Well Glen, was touched for some reason and quickly sketched the above drawing of the character “Ariel” The Little Mermaid, and dedicated it to me, with a verse from the Bible. I remember when my father brought it home for me that night and I saw it for the first time. First of all I was stunned with the fact I was actually getting a present but also I thought it was the most beautiful drawing I had seen…and the fact that it had MY NAME written on it made it the most valuable treasure I owned. I quickly procured the help of my Mother in putting it in a frame. The best frame in the house. I hung it high on my bedroom wall and would just stare in awe at the special drawing that was created just for me. I studied every detail of it. / I remember thinking, Glen gave me that verse…it’s for me. I then immediately rushed to go look it up in a Bible….I was so excited to see what special secret message it said for me… James 1:17….”Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Ooooh and that was for me. This “Gift” was for me and I really wanted my art to be my gift as well. That drawing as simple as it was, to me was from the biggest celebrity there could be, a REAL artist working for Disney! / It still hangs on my wall in the original frame snagged from my childhood home. It has been sitting above my drafting table looking over me through every portrait and drawing I have created. The gift, the drawing, and the message it holds, influence me to this day. I believe simple words of encouragement at key times in our lives have the biggest impact. There is a lot of power in a kind word or a simple gift even. Especially a gift that can leave a fingerprint on a spirit. It left a finger print on mine. So “Thank You” Glen Keane. ...and to any aspiring artists just remember the same words from James 1:17 and may they bring you encouragement and happiness too. Keep sharing your gift you just never know who it will encourage! - Carrie Glenn
Hello fellow Bubblers, / Recently, I saw someone had entered a forum discussing “who is buying Redbubble products”. I too am interest…
Hello fellow Bubblers, / Recently, I saw someone had entered a forum discussing “who is buying Redbubble products”. I too am interested in the topic, particularly because I want to know who is looking at the work here. Is the general public spending time looking through the thousands of profiles, or are we Bubblers in our own world just massaging each others egos? Either way, what we do here seeps into the world. Even if it is just imprinted somewhere on humanity’s psyche. / I am primarily here to spread my arts “message of the day”. I am not concerned with selling anything. In fact I have been toying with the idea of turning all of my images over to the public. Don’t get me wrong, getting paid would be a well accepted byproduct of my true intentions. / The core of this journal entry is to call all artist to join me in finding your voice. You already have the power to get people’s attention via an image. Take that power and expound on it by giving it a message. Do not be afraid to make a statement. I well know what it means to hold your tongue for fear of retribution. I own and operate a sign shop in a small American rural town. Our population is just less than 10,000 and mostly white christians. Open your mouth about certain issues around here and you will find yourself without work. It has taken me some time to get to a place that I can express myself, as myself. / I, for my politics, have not been a big hit with the gallery owners. I pick and choose who I approach. It is the gallery owners who should be shamed, for putting the buck before their balls. If they championed artist who used their voices rather than cater to Decor shoppers, who want something new for over the couch, then more artists would be less afraid to make issue driven art. / I liken being an artist to being a psychic medium. It is a gift to be able to channel a creative understanding of the world. I am calling you to be responsible to that gift. There are many here who work tirelessly, stretching the limits, to push the big rock toward awareness ( you know who you are ), and there are a lot of cute, safe pictures. I am not saying there is no place for cute nor am I saying that a blasting protest piece belongs everywhere. I am merely saying you have a voice. Use it or lose it… Sam Dantone 01-20-09 /
I am computer bound tonight.. Made a mean Black Bean Beef Stew… I am also having a few glasses of home made wine given to me from a fri…
I am computer bound tonight.. Made a mean Black Bean Beef Stew… I am also having a few glasses of home made wine given to me from a friend.. Ok.. I have sent this image out to a few people who I thought would really enjoy what I see in this.. Then I thought No Way.. I am going to share this with many more.. Being on dial up you know I use my time well on RB.. This person Ern Mainka has put on RB what I think is a fantastic image and story.. I had to share this.. Please read and view this work.. It means so very much to those who love Earth and what life we were given.. / Chuck.. Last Gasp Perhaps Click Image
Precious friends, I give God thanks for you all, and your prayers and support. You are so precious to me and the lord. While I was pr…
Precious friends, I give God thanks for you all, and your prayers and support. You are so precious to me and the lord. While I was praying early this morning for each of you, as I doe each day, The holy Spirit allowed me to feel a members pain and the lord laid it on my heart to share with you the words that you are about to read. This is for someone here, and I do not know, but the Lord Jesus knows. I pray it will bless all, but especially the one whom God sends it to. [Gods personal message to someone he knows]. Zephaniah 3:17-20 [Common English Bible].The LORD your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” (18) The LORD has promised: Your sorrow has ended, and you can celebrate. (19) I will punish those who mistreat you. I will bring together the lame and the outcasts, then they will be praised, instead of despised, in every country on earth. (20) I will lead you home, and with your own eyes you will see me bless you Then you will be famous everywhere on this earth. I, the LORD, have spoken! 1. As a minister of God, I have often counselled Gods children who have come to me with all sorts of problems and Challenges. One of the challenges that was most common is that they feel guilt and condemnation. / Their thoughts were filled with guilt over what they had done in their past, someone they hurt, something they said or done. One precious child of God would wake up at nights with fear that God was angry with her. Another would feel he was being judged by God because he was always depressed about his past. satan would like all of us to think and feel that way. But you need to understand something. God is Love and he loves you. God has spoken to you today in Zephaniah Ch3. Does that sound like God is angry with you his child. NO!. / One of the strategies satan uses is to get you to feel shame, guild and worthless because of your past. I knew a dear friend who would not pray as they felt God was angry because of the things they did in the past. They would cower and feel so unclean. He said that he knew God had forgiven him, but he still felt shamed and unworthy. Beloved, here Gods minister now as I speak to you under his anointing and in the power of his Holy Spirit. If that is you, and I know someone feels like this or similar, God has something to say to you personally right now. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. When you asked Jesus into your heart / He washed away every sin, every wrong, and you became a brand new person. You became a brand new person. Notice that in 2 Corinthians 5:17, it clearly says that the old things have passed away. God does not see your sins or wrongs, as they have been washed away in the Blood of Jesus. God does not remember them anymore. Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Here God is talking about his children. Now before this was fulfilled, the price for Sin had to be paid in full, before God could forget their sins and wrongs. Jesus Gods son paid tat price in Full. God sees you through the finished work of his son Jesus. He sees the Blood of Jesus applied to your heart. He has forgiven you and does not remember your sinful past. When you received Jesus as saviour, you became a new person. Now you have a new father, and you have the DNA of God. You are brand new. Often satan will try and bring to your thoughts things that you did and then get you to think or focus on them. When he does this just tell him, “I have no sinful past, as the Lord Jesus you thought you could destroy, rose from the dead and his blood paid the price for my forgiveness, and that sacrifice was excepted by God, and the blood has washed away all my sinful past from Gods memory and mine”. Tell satan, you are born again and Jesus lives in you! / There is no need to feel unworthy, shame or guilt. / / 1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. / The Blood of Jesus never stops working and is all powerful. Precious friend, See yourself as God sees you. He sees you righteous in the righteousness of Jesus. He sees you as his son/daughter. You have the same father as Jesus. Hallelujah! / There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. [Romans 8:1] / / Colossians 1:12-14 [Amplified Bible] Giving thanks unto the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us meet [Qualified] us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath [translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son]: (14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Now you know for sure that God in Christ Jesus has made you worthy to be his child, and that you are forgiven. There is no condemnation to you. You’re a new creation. Hallelujah! No more need to ever feel guilt or shame. You now can come boldly to your Father, knowing he has forgotten your sinful past and welcomes you to his presence as his dear child. I will close with Zephaniah 3-17-20 our opening scripture. The LORD your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” (18) The LORD has promised: Your sorrow has ended, and you can celebrate. (19) I will punish those who mistreat you. I will bring together the lame and the outcasts, then they will be praised, instead of despised, in every country on earth. (20) I will lead you home, and with your own eyes you will see me bless you / Amen.
Sorry to make this come as a journal entry but I can’t do what hosts can do, which is mass mail my friends. A bummer but probably a goo …
Sorry to make this come as a journal entry but I can’t do what hosts can do, which is mass mail my friends. A bummer but probably a goo thing. LOL! What I have in my mail now is HUNDREDS of things I can’t ID and can’t weed thru either. You know how you sometimes get “Ooops! I forgot/messed up a link” four times in a day and three times in a row from the same artistic (read “neurotic”) host? Know how you have friends that host and hosts who are friends but used to be able to tell their messages apart? Know what it’s like to NOT want to enter 12 challenges/votes a daily? I’m sure most of you do. It’s a lot like homework in high school. Each teacher assigns a ‘fair’ amount for you to do for the night, completely ignoring the fact that 5 or 6 OTHER teachers are ALSO assigning an additional ‘fair’ amount of homework for the night. Well, there’s only ONE night and 6 times the amount of work you can do in one night’s ‘fair’ amount of homework! Now I have something like one teacher (i.e. hosts in RB) dishing out solely a fair amount of Bmail yet I can’t tell the forest for the TREES when there’s scores of Bmail from everywhere. Add in all of you: friends I want to chat with; maybe a half dozen urgent requests from group members; compliments/hate mail about my work (Not really since NOBODY hates my work. Hehehe!); “new to me” people who want to network around common interests; inquiries about specifics in a piece I produced, and; easily 20 or more other things I can’t remember while ranting. Suddenly I don’t know who is who and can’t even tell dates and times mail arrived without open every single conversation. I’m not sure what a “conversation” is or how Red Bubble tells them apart. I doubt it’s by reading every single word from every single one daily. (If so, I’m in one HUGE amount of hurt! ROTFLMAO!) Amanda, I just lost every single thing we’ve talked about, every single word. I don’t even know how it deleted much less what you said in the unopened Bmail. Worse, you probably don’t know what I opened already or haven’t even seen yet. Hopefully this new mail system will allow you to cut and paste everything on a new Bmail and send it all back to me. Otherwise we start over right now: “Hello, my name is Lenny…” LMAO! If there’s a new incoming mail filter, I don’t know where it is and would LOVE to hear about it. Bottom line, if you don’t get replies to Bmail from me in a timely manner, or you don’t get replies at ALL, your message lost somewhere in or accidentally deleted from (currently) 56 “live” Bmail from both friends and hosts, some of which are very prudent with group Bmail and some…. well, you know. I’m writing the advisory email to Red Bubble while hoping/urging everyone who’s now feeling like I do – totally buried in a tidal wave of completely unsortable incoming mail – to let your feelings be known. Red Bubble listens but they will need to hear something to listen to it. I’m one voice in the wind unless others who are also in the wind make yourselves heard. Honestly, I’m not complaining about change. Changes recently have been extremely good here in RB. Even this one has the SUPER benefit of allowing you to read what someone is replying to that you wrote but can’t remember for the life of you. LOL! However, the loss of control is so radical I’m afraid I’m going to lose track of many of you and lose the mail I really WANT to read from people I really what to talk to. My only other option is to pull everything out of groups and quit them to filter my mail to just people who want/need to reach me. I’m not giving up on a single one of you and losing all membership to groups is a tiny price to pay to achieve that. Only friends and strangers have purchased my work, only friends and strangers have supported my work. I thank and cherish you ALL. I consider every one of the wonderful featurings and mentions within groups to be from individuals within groups because that’s what they are. I’ve won no challenges nor contests, which would be ‘group’ related/created. Yet, people who have only seen a single thing I produced and submitted to a single group have honoured me. That didn’t come from a group; that came from one group with the fine people in the Red Bubble community. :-) So, I’ll write to Red Bubble and beg for a return to some sort of the former normalcy in Bmail or dump all groups except the ones I host, co-host, or moderate by the 20th of this month. That’s about as long I can stand not to have contact with you: my friends receiving notification of this by watchlist along with those following my contributions – hitting my site to the tune of 37,000 hits in 12 months or 3000 HITS PER DAY!!! That’s my indication of your incredible support. :-D Thank you most sincerely. That MORE than warrants my every possible effort to stay in touch with individuals I dearly hold in high esteem. You people ROCK!
/ Adi / 2002-2008 / / Our little a…
/ Adi / 2002-2008 / / Our little and only son, Adi, recently died in a tragic accident. He was 6 years old and an awarded Nature photographer. / / / Always ready camera in hand / / I invite the RB community to join us in a balloon release ceremony on the 14th of April. We are releasing the balloons at 9:30 AM EDT (Boston time) sending our dear Adi messages to his cloud. As it is midnight or later in Australia and New Zealand, it would be lovely if the local community would join us throughout their daytime on the 14th of April in spirit, thoughts, releasing a balloon or just in any small symbolic act in memory of a little child. Handy local time >here A heartfelt thank you. Missing him dearly, Carmen and Omri Mandel / / / / / Celebrating Adi blog / / In Loving Memory poem / / /
Hi friends!!!! !http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/border:noborder/product:mounted-print/size:small/view:preview/2831837-2-spinning…
Hi friends!!!! / / I see many people working in Incendia here and it’s a true joy to see all these wonderful works!! Very inspiring!!!! Since I like it so much I made a donation to Ramiro, the guy that designed this program. I got a personal email back from him with many huge thanks, he told me that he hardly isn’t gettingany donations and that he is getting really discouraged and about to give up! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT????? We all know what it feels like to be rewarded!!! We all know what it feels like to make some money with what you are truly passionate about!!!!!!!!!.. So PLEASE!!!!!!.......DONATE THIS GUY SOME MONEY….even if it is very little it sure is better than nothing, show him some appreciation! We are only able to create these GREAT works because of this (VERY NICE) guy!!! So please make a donation to donations@incendia.net and give the guy a thumb up!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!! Love!!! daisy~’*-
I have had many bubblemails under different names all saying the following … if you receive any, report every single one of them (by hi…
I have had many bubblemails under different names all saying the following … if you receive any, report every single one of them (by hitting the report button at the bottom of the message) to RB. This person is obviously registering many names and if you go look at his/her profile, never has any images up, or favourites, or a watchlist. DON’T RESPOND to the message – just report it and let RB deal with the situation. Note Tom’s comment below – it leads to an attack site so DEF DON’T RESPOND! Hello my dear. / My name is Gift i saw your profile today at (www.redbubble.com )and i became intrested so please i will like you to email me back through my email address thus:(gift_44loveyou@yahoo.com). pls i will like you to send me your email address so that i will tell you more about my self and also my picture you to know who i am .hope you understand.thanks.And i will like you to contact me trough my email adress(gift_44loveyou@yahoo.com) / Am waiting to see your lovely reply soonest. / Miss Gift.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Nobel prize winner for literature 1982 / Gabriel has terminal cancer, and this is a letter to all his friends. / ...
Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Nobel prize winner for literature 1982 / Gabriel has terminal cancer, and this is a letter to all his friends. If God, for one second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability. I wouldn’t possibly say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say ………. I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express.. I would sleep less, I would dream more, because I know that for every minute we close our eyes, we waste sixty seconds of light. I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep. If God would give me a little more life, I would dress in a simple manner, I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy….. To all, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love. I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves. To old people I would say that death doesn’t arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness. I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true happiness is obtained in the journey taken and the form used to reach the top of the hill. I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hands, his father’s fingers, it has trapped him for the rest of his life. I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down on another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground; Say always what you feel, not what you think. If I know that today is the last day that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength, and would pray to the Lord to let me be the guardian angel of your soul…… If I knew that these were the last moments to see you, I would say “I love you”. There is always tomorrow and life gives us the opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would tell you how much I love you and that I will never forget you. Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old, today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn’t wait; do it today, in case you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today. To give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish. Keep your loved ones near you, tell them in their ears and to their faces that you need them and love them. Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them “I am sorry, forgive me, please, thank you”, and all those loving words you know. Nobody will know you for your secret thoughts. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them. Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you. Send this letter to those you love. If you don’t do it today….. tomorrow will likely be yesterday, and if you never do it, it doesn’t matter, either, the moment to do it is now. For you with much love, Your friend, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Have you noticed, that if you hover your mouse cursor over any image in RB a popup appears with the following information: _Image Title...
Have you noticed, that if you hover your mouse cursor over any image in RB a popup appears with the following information: Image Title by Artist’s name? Have you wondered how RB does this and also, how can you use this information? The good news is, it is not difficult and you can include any text message that you want. Have a look at the image below and move your mouse cursor over the image. / Did you see the popup? You can add any message you like to any of your images. I should stress that this will not work on the normal RB viewing pages (other than in your image description area), however, you can add hyperlinked images to your Profile page or you could include them in Journal entries or replies to comments If you want to know how to do it, follow the instructions below. It is a little complicated, but like all things, with a bit of practice, it will become easier. First, let’s look at the example. You need to look at my previous Journal entry Adding a frame around your pictures. This will give you the method for making the framed pictures. Now we need to add the Hyperlink to the framed pictures. The method is as follows: / It is best to create your links in the Notepad application on your PC. I need to explain it, because if I type it here exactly as you need to do, RedBubble will convert the link into a real Hyperlink in my Journal page. Type an exclamation mark (!) Then paste the URL for the framed picture directly after the exclamation mark (make sure you have no spaces). Now you will add your popup message – it needs to be enclosed in brackets. For instance, (Click here to be taken to the image page) Type another exclamation mark (!) Follow this with a full-colon (:) Next, in RedBubble, you need to go to the Public View of the picture you want to link to. Copy the URL (It is at the top of the screen and starts with http://) into your mouse buffer (highlight the URL, right-click your mouse and select Copy from the list that appears). Paste this URL directly after the full-colon (remember, NO spaces anywhere other than in your popup message text). In simple terms: The hyperlink element (the URL pointing to the picture) that you want to see on the page, and the bracketed popup message must be enclosed in a set of exclamation marks (!) At the end of this element, you need to type a full-colon (:) Next thing you need is the pointer (the URL of where you want to point – this can be a picture or a web page) Example (you would need to fill in the URL information, and remove all superfluous spaces): Picture example / ! URL of picture you want to see(Popup text)! : URL of picture you want to hyperlink to So, to recap: / – exclamation mark / – URL for the framed picture / – bracketed popup text / – exclamation mark / – full-colon / – URL for your final picture Once you have typed it all into Notepad, highlight all of the text and copy it to your mouse buffer. Paste the copied information into RB. That should be it. Make sure to check that it all worked. This example shows how to turn a framed picture into a hyperlink, but the method can be applied to any of the other types of pictures in RedBubble. Let me know if you have any problems. Now, while I have your attention: / Look into the monitor, looks straight at the monitor, don’t look around the monitor. OK, now you are under. Repeat after me: / MUST BUY TOM’S WORK, MUST BUY TOM’S WORK, MUST BUY TOM’S WORK. Now as soon as you have completed your order, you will be back in the room and will remember none of this – hehehe. Cheers, / Tom You can find all my How To Tutorials by clicking here.
It has been an exciting week since I took the plunge to become a full-time artist. Here’s a special little story regarding “Starburst Pon…
It has been an exciting week since I took the plunge to become a full-time artist. Here’s a special little story regarding “Starburst Pony” / & Skyhorse’s lovely Appaloosas. I received an email from a winery in Texas USA requesting the use of / “Starburst Pony” on the wine label they will be releasing for their new / wine as they had seen the image on the internet. I contacted the winery to find out more & as a result I can now say that the original painting / of “Starburst Pony” is also on its way to Texas to hang in pride of / place at the winery. I’m so excited I can’t believe it. Once all the final details are in place I will upload a pic of the label & / I have to say it is a stunner – very bright & eye catching. “Starburst Pony” is on the front with the winery’s name & the name of their new wine, made / from a Texas white Zinfandel grape, & a Texas star there as well - / which will be released by Thanksgiving this year. My name, / artist profile & website address will be on the label on the / back of the bottle. This is a new winery which has just opened this / month. The winery have since invited me to visit there, should I be travelling to / Texas in the near future & will do an event featuring me & the artwork. / I haven’t had time to let my feet touch the ground yet! How the painting of “Starburst Pony” came about is an unusual one. / It was the same day Skyhorse’s lovely Appaloosa mare had her / horrific accident with a star picket impaled into her chest, November / 2008. / I had been working on an oil commission all day & packed up the / oils, just wanting to paint a couple of little acrylics to take to the gallery / at Bellingen two days later. Since a couple of the “Painted Ponies” / series had already sold from there, I decided to do two small ones. / But one was going to be an Appaloosa horse & my inspiration for / the painting was her lovely leopard mare “Harli” who had just foaled / a lovely blanket filly “Elle” with a love heart on her rump. I uploaded the painting on to RB, knowing Skyhorse would love it. / This was the first Appaloosa “Painted Pony” I had done – the name / was from Appaloosas often being called starburst horses. When I read about Harli’s tragic accident I could not believe it. She / was in a serious way & had a very young foal at foot. We were all / devastated to hear of her near fatal injury & everyone sent their best / wishes & prayers to Skyhorse, hoping that Harli pulled through. She did thankfully, & I sent Skyhorse the card of “Starburst Pony” / to hopefully cheer her up. I know what it’s like when your beloved / horse has a serious injury or is sick. It is an extremely stressful / time, not to mention lack of sleep. After picking up the little painting from the gallery when it closed / down I exhibited it, but no one bought it so “Starburst Pony” has / been at home here, as I decided to keep it, along with the other / one I painted on the same day “Rainbow Pony.” But it was not / meant to be….....there were bigger & better things that the Universe / had planned for this little miniature, it’s off to Texas to be proudly displayed in it’s new home. So thank you to Skyhorse for the inspiration of her beautiful horses, / to Harli & Elle…...... / & I only just realised a couple of days ago that Harli’s love heart / is almost in the same spot where “Starburst Pony’s” is…......blew / me away. An added note: Harli is expecting another foal in October 2009 & we / have come up with a couple of special names for the foal, but I / believe Skyhorse’s other Appy mare is also expecting at the same time / as well. We can’t wait to see the new arrivals! Thanks everyone for reading this special little story & I hope to paint another spotted “Painted Pony” in the future.
Hi there … SHARON MAU...
Hi there … SHARON MAU drew my attention today to how hard she and all the other hosts work keeping the groups going. Here is her comment: “It also may help if you communicate with your hosts.” I agree with Sharon and I want you to know that we all appreciate your efforts and the time and energy you spend choosing our work and selecting features, etc. Every time I am featured, I always thank the Groups but I am thanking them all again here. Tell me please Group Hosts …. if I befriend any of you, will you think I have an ulterior motive; ie, getting featured? That’s why I avoid you all – NOT because I don’t appreciate your good work :-) It is voluntary and I assume you enjoy doing it, or you wouldn’t do it. I also hope Redbubble appreciates the extra income you bring to them by publicising the works of their members. Do you get paid? SHARON brought my attention to the fact that you all work very hard. Here is an interesting account of life as a Group Host by Sharon. YOU ARE DEFINITELY ALL APPRECIATED
In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an inter…
In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an interview. 38 years later, Levitan, director Josh Raskin and illustrator James Braithwaite have collaborated to create an animated short film using the original interview recording as the soundtrack. A spellbinding vessel for Lennon’s boundless wit and timeless message, I Met the Walrus was nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Animated Short. I implore you to please take the time to watch this brilliant short film. 5 minutes out of your life that I believe is well worth it
*Where I’m from (the US) we’ve been hearing a lot about “big tents” lately…meaning diversity in thought, belief, lifestyle, etc. I’ve a…
Where I’m from (the US) we’ve been hearing a lot about “big tents” lately…meaning diversity in thought, belief, lifestyle, etc. I’ve always thought of “ART” as the biggest tent of all because we’re all artists in our way. Our lives are our art, I think. But that’s the “big picture,” the conceptual view. I was never an “artist,” never knew what the heck I was doing, never learned, never studied, never did much of anything except little bits here and there: drawing, taking pictures, making figures from clay. I thought that I didn’t fit into the “art tent” because I didn’t fit into the “literature tent” either. I had no message. I had no theme. I didn’t notice other peoples’ messages or themes. And when the ideas behind the creations other people made were pointed out to me I was interested but left wondering why anyone would bother. I just wanted to look at things that I wanted to look at, see the shapes, the colors, the light. I just wanted to read the stories, what happened to and with the characters. Messages? Themes? Meh. Did I ever try to put my emotions on canvas or paper? Yes. Frequently. But doing that never led to much. The response was usually that people were pushed away by the creation. It was “too much” for them. Too intense and too ugly. Too too. I still write poetry and still empty bits of me into the words. No themes, exactly, just a feeling or two. And I edit ruthlessly. But images? My messages aren’t there. I have none, usually. No slant. No axe to grind. No point to make or story to tell. No nothing beyond the shapes and colors. So being here with “real” artists is a struggle every day. It’s a GOOD struggle, but still…..I see that what I do is lacking that pre-thought, that plan. My “art” is what I find in the things I create, like a scavenger hunt, sort of, or a treasure hunt. But I never know before I start looking what I’m searching for. I start painting and things emerge or they don’t. I shoot a picture and find something in it or I don’t. I render a fractal with no thought to what it will be and then extract something or not. I pile layers onto each other and excavate a coherent image, or not. I used to think I was just lazy about it all. In fact, a relative (who is an artist) told me that and I believed it. But I know better now. I’m not choosing this. It’s me. Could I plan ahead? Could I select a message and concoct a strategy for how to present it visually? Yes…....I’ve managed to do that. But the efforts were underwhelming, blah, dry, pale; and the images were fractured, false and nearly transparent. Not me. Truly wasteful. When I take a picture I shoot what I see. Sometimes there’s something there and sometimes there isn’t. If I can edit something into existence, then I do. When I draw, I draw until something appears that makes “sense” to me. So I lack the consciousness of concept that seems to transform technicians and regular folks into “artists.” Does that matter? Is this tent big enough? No it doesn’t matter, unless my goal is to be a great artist. Certainly the tent is big enough. The fact that I do everything backwards, creating first and thinking second (or not at all) doesn’t matter either. We’re all in the tent. It’s a big one. / And I’m very happy to be here, bass-ackwards or not.
This week’s Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen has been accompanied by some large public art installations:...
This week’s Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen has been accompanied by some large public art installations, dubbed ‘Climate Change Art’. This has given rise to discussions about how successful art can be in delivering a message, raising awareness or helping to bring about social change. In keeping with this theme, we thought we’d take a look at some of the art on RedBubble that does just this. / / The images below are just a small selection from RedBubble artists who wish to highlight issues close to their hearts. They cover a wide range of issues including civil liberties, human rights, eating disorders, disability, mental health issues and the environment. In some cases the artists are actively campaigning to support a cause or raise awareness, in others, the issue is raised by the sharing of a story or personal experience. / Related Groups: There are a number of groups on RedBubble devoted to raising awareness of different causes. There are quite a few so we can only cover a small selection here, but we’d like you to add links to any you’re involved with in the comments below. Art Action Union – Creative Activism Renewable Energy Awareness Endangered Species Art 4 Charity This Is Relevant Interesting reading: Can artists save the world? Can art help climate change? Copenhagen climate change conference: protests and art installations Have you created a work to help raise awareness of an issue? If there’s a cause that’s close to your heart, or something you’ve become aware of thanks to another bubbler’s art or writing, we’d like to hear about it below. We’d also like to hear your thoughts on whether you think art is a useful tool for raising awareness and bringing about social change. Nat
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~ Paul Grand Kim Baross Trish Woodford and nofrillsart ~ The year is winding down. At RedBubble HQ we are letting out our breaths, reaching for the thongs (you put them on your feet) and packing the Eski’s (don’t ask). As we do so it is a time to be grateful and to be joyous – that is the promise of the season. And at RedBubble this is easy to do. Most of all we want to shower confetti over YOU. Many sites I am sure say that they love their members – but trust me, we really do love you. We love your passion, we are energised by your positivity, we are beholden to your vision, we are humbled by what you do for each other and we even appreciate being scolded when we get things wrong. So from us a collective hug that circles the world. Incidentally if anyone runs across Mr Baxter let us know. He grabbed 6 mince pies at morning tea and hasn’t been seen since. From all of us
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! To our extended family and friends at RedBubble…may you experience love, comfort, joy and peace in your li…
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! To our extended family and friends at RedBubble…may you experience love, comfort, joy and peace in your lives. Embrace the New Year with anticipation, as you unwrap the DAILY GIFTS OF LIFE. We, the Hosts of #1 Artists of RedBubble, are soooo looking forward to sharing your magnificent art pieces when our group returns on January 3, 2010!! / Until then, we send our love and friendship to ALL RedBubble members, the magnificent Staff and to ALL the incredible HOSTS! hugs…Pat, Teresa, Leilani and Heather*
Hi Guys, / Wanted to share this fabulous piece of wisdom that I just came across…......... / HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL / I hope 2010 brin…
Hi Guys, / Wanted to share this fabulous piece of wisdom that I just came across…......... / HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL / I hope 2010 brings LOVE PEACE AND JOY to you all / and for you to know that you MAKE THE WORLD MORE SPECIAL JUST BY BEING IN IT…........ / love and hugs / Karen The Awakening A time comes in your life when you finally get it… When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out – ENOUGH!! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You realize that it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions). And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop bitching and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it’s not always about you. So you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process a sense of safety & security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process a sense of peace & contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the crap you’ve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look and how much you should weigh, what you should wear and where you should shop and what you should drive, how and where you should live and what you should do for a living, who you should marry and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children of what you owe your parents. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with and in the process you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don’t know everything: it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change so it is with love… and you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms…just to make you happy. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely…And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you “stack up”. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK…and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want… and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won’t settle for less. And, you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his touch…and in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn, that for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve…and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time. FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn’t punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It’s just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state – the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. / by: Virginia Swift.
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