Flamingos, Blog-anniversary and a GIVE-AWAY!!

Wow, its hard to believe that I have had my blog almost 1 year. It had some mighty humble beginnings as I initially began my blog to keep writing everyday, because ...well ...I had something to say and I wanted to become a writer.

As it turned out, I wasn't writing everyday, not even every month ... not even close.  I liked what I was writing, when I did write, but I had NO followers. No one cared about my lonely little blog. I didn't even care that much about it. 

I must have been at a cross-roads and reached out into the universe to get something back into my life that had been missing. I thought it was writing, I tried playing my clarinet more, but that wasn't it either. In fact I had to travel to GA to find the missing link. ART ... I was missing Art!

I was always creating as a child. I could draw really well and I would use water colors and finger paints and make paper crafts and color like crazy. I would fill up those coloring books like no one else! 

As I got older and graduated from High School, the art stopped. I had to get serious, college, career and the  like. 

It would take 14 years for me to find that I really do love art! I should have listened to my 4 year old self when I declared that I was going to be an Artist when I grew-up!  

After a 14 year drawing/painting hiatus I did this: 

That was in June 2011

I was surprised how easily I was able to do it and how FUN and relaxing it was. My world was for a moment in HD ... colors were more vibrant and had depth, they spoke to me ... this flamingo was just waiting for me to rescue her from oblivion and get her to a sunny location and I did.  She rescued me too! 

The point is while I love writing, I really didn't have anything to write about. I had toyed with the idea of writing about my favorite paintings and artists that I would see at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Then I thought, who would read about art? Who would care?   LOTS of People, that's who!

Once I found that there is a community of Artists who were so willing to blog hop and enjoy everyone's creations I realized, that I not only could write about Art, but MY ART!

I am so appreciative of  all my followers and all the encouraging words. Its like I have a virtual family and we are ALL so darn talented!

Well so here is the scoop. On March 12th my blog will turn ONE and I currently have 43 followers (you are wonderful) ... if I can reach 50 followers by the 12th I will do a give away.  I will paint one of my colorful faces on wood and send it to the lucky winner!

 But I have to reach 50  OR MORE, then I will set up the giveaway details and such. 

Here is a sample of what I will create for the give away

The 43 of you that are here now, BIG HUGS and BIG THANKS!

To those who are wanting to join and follow me on my artistic journey, then come on board and Welcome!!

 Happy Creating!

Writing for Writing's Sake

     Have you ever started something with all the determination in the world only to watch it fizzle out? Yeah, me neither ... haha. 

     I begin this blog to WRITE because it is something I love to do. I thought I'd have endless possibilities and countless topics just screaming to be placed into type for the world to see, but I was coming up empty. Yet it wasn't writers block, I just lost my focus. The pit to which I yelled was so vast I am still waiting on hearing my echo ... I walked away. I left a perfectly good blog to sit helpless on the internet, starving for attention. 

     I never forgot about it, in fact it wouldn't leave me alone. I was reminded on a daily basis of my blog, every text, email or tweet had a subliminal message: "you are a blog failure". "Gasp ... what? Failure? By who's standards?!  Mine. I have no readers stocking me for my next blog post, I still have no comments. I'm not yet established so how did my standards get so high? Well that is how I roll.

     I have the habit of taking on a task with the objective to be a master on the first attempt. I jump from step-one to step-five completely bypassing steps; 2,3 &4. That recognition is monumental because I'm able to refocus and learn.

     Most of our successes are not based on the arrival, but on the journey. Imagine if Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" was told by Glinda "The Good Witch" to click her heals and was immediately sent home right after landing amidst the munch-kins. Short movie eh?  The middle part is where ALL the good stuff happens, I still need to find my scare-crow before I can be a writing success ... I already found my "Glinda" (you know who you are, if you are reading this).   

     My goal? To be "ME" and write to become a better writer. I want to stretch the bounds of the English language, to engage my readers and take them on a journey with me. Ultimately I want to write a book, get it published and have a best seller ... sound lofty? Probably. Can I do it? If I can dream it, I CAN do it :)

    Stay tuned!

                                                                  (Thank you to my cousin Greta, who helped to inspire me to write today.)