Excited to go to Cali!

Can't wait for my weekend trip to California! Gonna see my 2nd cousin Van, only 9 months old...gonna see my BEST FRIEND Cindy for the first time in 20 years. There's a story there, thank you Facebook. And of course, gonna chill with Ilysa at the CHA convention. Well, more like work our tails off and come back with 50 pound suitcases. I do believe my suitcase is going to have almost nothing in it when I leave. Except maybe another suitcase, debating whether I should bring one to act as a carryon for the trip back.
Right now, we are waiting to hear if we will be chosen for a Reality TV show. I can't believe it, I actually hate most of them. But I love the Cupcake wars, and this show is put on by the same producers. It's kinda like a Crafter war, we don't have a lot of details yet but casting ended yesterday- so keep your fingers crossed. If we get on tv, ThingsCrafty.com will take off like crazy- which is perfect because once again, this year I've already been informed that I'm losing my job in June. Ugh. When will public education get better?

Shut Up and Put Out!

OK, that's a little strongly stated, but that's the point. Ilysa and I were talking business this morning and we decided that is going to be the theme of our new crafting community. We are both action-minded women, and Ilysa has been self employed for almost her whole adult life- and that is my goal too. In the next 2 years, I plan to leave "the Man" behind and work for The Woman- Me! But that requires SMART goals and planning. You need to do small, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely things in order to move forward in life. That's what we will be talking, writing, videoing, and blogging about in the near future over at ThingsCrafty. We've got great things in the works- and we will be explaining how sometimes you need to just Shut Up your mouth or your brain, and Put Out- that means get it done!

a much needed break

I've got a long weekend ahead of me... with a couple of side projects going, plus a certification need I'm going to have to take care of, and the desire for some me-time, I'm really looking forward to it.

Hellboy is on the TV, I'm browsing art supplies, and I'm avoiding grading my Art History final essays at all costs. They will catch up with me by Monday, and then I have to grade another 50 in 24 hours next week when we do midterms. For all that plus the ton of other work I do for that class, I get a $450 "bonus." Gotta love it.

I applied for a job at Apple today- it was such a great looking position I couldn't help it. School has basically told me I don't have a job next year, unless I certify in another area. I am going to do the certification I need, but now I am on the hunt for an employer who will truly be able to value what I have to offer without getting caught up in red tape and lack of funds, which has been the story of my life as an art teacher.

"creative genius"

So, I just want to say something about what it means to be a Creative Genius. It means that I am always thinking, putting 2+2 together (and definitely NOT coming up with 4), always learning, pushing limits, reading, writing, did I mention thinking? There's an awesome other way to think, it's called Metacognition- in which you actually think about what you think about, and how you think about it. LOL. It means that although I am an excellent speller, there are two words I can never, ever spell and I always have to use spellcheck to fix them, no matter how many times I have written them before (exercise, and rhythm.) It means that I am unafraid of a creative or intellectual challenge and I actually seek both. It means if I don't have the ingredients, I will experiment.

I encourage everyone to work on the Creative Genius inside of them. Creativity is not just about making art, or making good art for that matter. It's the quintessential "making the best out of what you have," plus a little bit of magical thinking.