Archive for the ‘Creative + Design’ Category

Feathered Hope

I’ve recently started dabbling in a medium I’ve dubbed “digital art.” I’m certain I didn’t coin this term; however, I was not familiar with it before I started searching my brain for a word to describe this craft. Digital art is, to me, simply the use of technology to create something.

For years, I’ve used Photoshop and other programs to create eye-catching designs–posters, apparel, CD covers, websites. These would surely be considered digital art. However, only recently have I started creating art for art’s sake, rather than to promote a specific brand or product. This is the kind of digital art to which I refer, where the art itself is the purpose of the creation.

This is one of the first pieces I’ve attempted. I thought an inspirational quote would help me get going creatively. This is the beginning of a poem by Miss Emily Dickinson. Amazingly, I’d never heard it until last year. It touched me, so I started creating. This is the first stanza:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all.

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Which I haven’t done in a while. I’m under the impression that everything I write has to be perfect, inspiring, and relevant. Not that it is. But I do try to please.

But I really am trying to write more, be more productive, etc. Who can identify? (Oh wait, I forgot we aren’t on Facebook. No instant affirmation.) So here’s what I’m up to:

Examiner.com – I’ve been writing for examiner.com for about three months now. I’m the Tyler Restaurant Examiner. One of the reasons I started doing this was to fulfill the aforementioned Goal #1–write more. Alas, at times it is more of a burden, as any payments depend on my ability to churn out more articles, and with a full-time job, it’s difficult to find time to publish as much as I would like. The irony is that, if it weren’t for the full-time job, I couldn’t afford to go out to eat.

Crafts - Since my sister learned to knit only last month and is showing me up with her mad skills, I’ve been trying to devote more time to craft projects. These include knitting, sewing, woodworking, and invitation making. (What do you think of my invitation for Tracy’s baby shower? We were going for a chic, anti-pink theme. The names/addresses are blocked to protect the innocent, so imagine it without the greenblue boxes.)

I’m also contemplating starting a craft blog with some friends. The plan is for us all to take turns posting whatever we’re working on.  That way, I could still maintain a blog and call myself a crafter without actually ever having to finish anything.

Work - My job is always crazy. I love it, it’s challenging, and I work with wonderful people. But I’m working or thinking about work 10 hours a day. So if I haven’t returned your email, it’s either because I’m working, writing, or have glue on my hands.

P.S. Thanks to Jamie M. for his advice on taking this shot. “Just step back,” he said in regard to my question about how to get a really blurry background. Well, I think I finally stepped back far enough.

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