Sending my thanks to a teacher.

Many years back, I had a teacher.  He made us work hard.  How?  By asking us to write a paragraph on a theme.  I remember the first one: hammer.  The class did not came with much.  It was kind of a failure, as a homework.  He patiently help us brainstorm.  He show us the things that we considered common knowledge: the hammer's shape and of what material it's made.  The uses of an hammer, how we can hurt ourselves if we do not coordinate our mouvements,  It can be used to assemble so much things!  It is a common tool on any construction site.  It can also be finded in most homes, to do quick repairs and it is an handy tool to have around.

It had opened a window at the time.  When he explain the things that can be done and how the hammer is made of, I thought it was cool to see in that angle, even if it was obvious knowledge.  In a way, that teacher had showed the class how to brainstorm to write a paragraph on anything and that can be useful elsewhere.
Now, I can see how useful it can be.  It had helped me for description, in writing and not always rely on a plan.  I can have a picture in my head of an object and describe it on the paper without any problem.  It work best when the picture is crystal clear in my head.  My fingers, then, had to follow my line of thoughts and what I see clearly in my head.  In those times, word count fly and I feel confident on where I am going.

It is been a long time that I haven't saw that teacher.  So, I could not have the chance to thank him personnally, face to face.  Would be nice to be able to thanks him one day.

Munchies and creativity

It have hit me this week: munchies and some foods are pertectly matched with creativity.  For me, pretzel and writing are perfection.  This year, I have this craving of pretzel while I am writing.  Not good for the salt part ande the weight too but so good.  Must be related to feed the brain to makes him work full speed.  This year, the pretzel have helped me, even if I am not constantly eating them.  Maybe I should put a scene with a character eating a bag of pretzel, just for fun

Other people play with their food, you know, placing them in certain ways or shaping them in some familiar shapes.  It is another form of creativity.  Not really my kind of creativity.  I just find amazing what some people can create with food.  Did I dream about seeing dresses made of chocolate inthe news?  Too bad I have not save the link.  If I rememberm, there was an exposition with raw meat.  I do not remember if it was about this artist who scupt with meat and that received a prize: http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/meat-dress-sculptor-wins-governor-general-s-art-award-1.1255728.  My mind can be selective about trivia facts.

In painting, there are countless art with fruits and food.  I guess that I am not the only one that have craving with food while working on the creative side.  Makes me think that I could try in doing some fruits or other food in woodburning, at least try.  It would be a nice little irony to burn pictures of food in wood, add some colors and see the result.  Food is really an inspired topic when hungry...

Time to hit the hardware store

This is time for shoping for the Holidays.  Could be fun.  On the other hand, I have not shop for gifts in a long while, so it does not really apply.  Right now, I am more in a mood to shop for myself.  I won't go on fancy things.  I am thinking to go to make some shopping in various hardware stores and maybe one or two dollar store that are on my wishlist to visit.  i also want to shop in a beads store where I wanted to go for a long time.  I had spot the location of the store and it is accessible with the bus.  So, no more excuse for not going there.

The goal?  To replenish some items that had gone way too fast because I am too fond of using those items in my crafty projects (thinking of metal nuts, for example).  As I had mentionned many times, I like to hijack some items to use them for other things than their original purpose.  The hardware store and the dollar stores are great places to find pieces for that purpose of mine.

So, instead of shopping for gifts, I will shop for material to use in my crafting projects.  I do not have a fixed lists. I alsways keep my eye open for inspiration and it can happen on the spot, in the store.  There are times where a item had caught my eye.  When it happen, it is a memorable shopping trip.

Coincidence or the world return something that I have said?

 Recently, I talked about pyrography:
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2758842815612261477#editor/target=post;postID=3654799874492616909;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=14;src=postname

In the post, I think I mentioned I haven't seen a kit for pyrography recently.  Well, I think I didn't look at the right place because I have stumbled upon this today:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00000JB9N/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=BX4C6XMN6RUJ&coliid=I3CXUUJWXQRIWG
So, pyrography's kit still exist even if the boxes had changed since my youth.  I did not search for that,. I  was looking for something else.  It is strange that I have stumble upon this kit after mentioning it.

I also found a kit with just the equipment to do wood buring (like the tips and the mini iron that I like to call an wood burner's pen).  It even contain a project book: http://www.amazon.ca/Weller-WSB25WB-25-Watt-Barrel-Woodburning/dp/B000EMBEY0/ref=pd_rhf_gw_s_cp_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41sRDJAkd9L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR135%2C135_&refRID=0E8MXYZXEMP5NQTES2Z0

This kit seems to be the best one for someone like me who had done some wood burning before:
http://www.amazon.ca/Weller-WSB25WB-25-Watt-Barrel-Woodburning/dp/B000EMBEY0/ref=pd_rhf_gw_s_cp_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41sRDJAkd9L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR135%2C135_&refRID=0E8MXYZXEMP5NQTES2Z0

Thinking about it, I may go for the books on the subjects like these ones:
http://www.amazon.ca/Woodburning-Basics-Dick-Armstrong/dp/0764326759/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_cp_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51ESuNS4gkL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR104%2C135_&refRID=16RXYD7PKFM9VMFAY5KH

http://www.amazon.ca/Learn-Burn-Step-Step-Pyrography/dp/1565237285/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=06TMJ7WPJ335S2M8HNDR

http://www.amazon.ca/Pyrography-Basics-Techniques-Exercises-Beginners/dp/1574215051/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51n5TKbh8wL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR124%2C160_&refRID=137DXN2EPQEHTTA5NYKF

http://www.amazon.ca/Pyrography-Workbook-Complete-Guide-Woodburning/dp/1565232585/ref=pd_sim_201_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=617Vz5utQ6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR123%2C160_&refRID=1HQ8CXRKWXDDPW6C5TRE

Pyrography kits can be nice for someone that would like to try it out.  I am in the next step and I have the equipment.  I just have a few projects around that would be greatly enhanced with woodburning.  Maybe I wished for the kits because they had pieces of wood in them and with design already made.  Seeing that there are books on the topic makes me think that I should go for my own design (and with the capabilities of my drawing).  After some refflection, the wood would be easily obtain.  I already got an card holder made of wood, I just have to keep an eye open for other souces of wood.  I could go for wood shops or hadware stores to see what they have.  I could also look for scrap piece of woods that I could use.  For that , I could ask some contact that I have.

I am really in a brainstorming mode and it is contagious for all aspect of my life.

Art therapy

I am thinking to do some art therapy.  I always said that being creative and working with my hands are my own therapy.   Be it jewelry making, knitting, writing or photography.  I now feel it is time that I take a step further.  Usually, psychologists are doing their work with their patient while talking, in a conversation.  I had done that in the past.  My problem with talking is there is some translation to be made on my part, sometimes.  When I get ideas, they often comes in a visual form first, this is why there is some translation to be made.  My mind work that way: with images, feelings and sensation, words can comes last.

This is why I am thinking to go for art therapy.  Instead of talking, there are the creation and making of something, like a drawing, for example.  It is usually used with children and it work well with them.  Until recently, I haven't realized or thought that it could be used with adult.  I have stumble on this site on a art therapy association (http://www.aatq.org/en/home).  I am in the process of looking at the therapists listed on the site.

I am curious about what would come out of what I create.  My nose is right into my creations, so I can't feel good in taking a step back and see what someone else is seeing.  I feel the need to see what a profesionnal see in what I am making.  Maybe that person will be able to translate my imagery.  I think I could get something concrete out of it.  I want to know where I am going creatively.  Doing so may help me feel less of a jack of all trade...

Brainstorming the crafted gift for the Holidays

I have started to do some brainstorming for gifts that I will make for the Holidays.  I started doing gifts myself in the last few years.  It give a really personal touch to the gift, making it really tailored for the receiver.  It also reduce the cost.  The amount of gifts already made can be high.  When I make this, I have the cost of the materials to cover.  On the other hand, I don't have to pay much for the materials.  I have a stock pile of material for my craft, most of them anyway.  I also have some material that were hand crafted by myself.  It reduce the cost even more if I need that material.  For the time giving for making the gifts are on me: I don't have to pay myself and I am doing the gift for a person that have meaning and importance to me.

I usually have done the brainstorming by this time.  There are some projects that can takes time to do, because they can be very elaborate (like a project done with jump rings).  For others, I may have to do some problem solving because some unexpected problems had arosed during doing the gift.  I do not foresee everything everytimes.

It is one of the rare times in the year that being a jack of all trade is useful.  I can then use many techniques in one gift.  This year, I am a bit late for doing my planning.  I want to get out of my confort zone.  I want to have new ideas.  Give something that is unexpected.  It gives me an extra hard brainstorming.  I have to get out of the box.  I think it gives me the permission to go elsewhere, a breath of fresh air.  It is give me an extra challenge and I think it is a good thing.

Mental rust and a bit of brainstorming

Right now, I am concentrating on writing and doing Nanowrimo (nanowrimo.org).  I have a slow beginning there.  So, I feel rusty.  It is more about big fat long text that I feel rusty.  In additionI think that I did not much planned my text and I also feel a bit uninspired even there are action scene and technobabble that could help me fill the pages.  I do have idea but I find it hard to put it on paper.  Maybe trying something new will help me to put what is in my head to the paper or screen.

I guess it would be time to reevalate a few things about writing.  Doing Nanowrimo is a great way, for me, to get some writing done and to put stories into paper and on computer files.  I need a dealine and it is one thing that Nanowrimo made me discover.  Now, I use it to get a sprint in my writing and do the most difficult part of writing a novel: the first draft.  On the other hand, I wonder if I would write and work on a novel during the rest of the year.  Of course, I will do that on a more leasury pace.  It is something that I am tempted to do.  I just have to find a idea and work on it too.

Another thing that I would like to try: a collaboration.  A few years back, it almost saw the light.  I had talk with two other people to write something.  We each had a character, our main character and we would makes a story with them.  Life got it's way with it and the project never saw the light of day.  I think I will be more modest this time.  Let's start with only one other author and start from nothing.  Maybe it will be easier.

So, those will be New Year resolution done a bit in advance.  Now, I think I will have a little bit of brainstorming for my current writing project.

I wonder about what people can do

Recently, I saw two similar news.  It is about two different art perons.  One is a poet and the other one is an artist.  Both took a chinese pseudonym to get their arts published or sold.
This is the video on the poet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ5NoFqYmnQ
This is an article on the artist but it is in French: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/insolite/201511/06/01-4918014-un-francais-camoufle-en-artiste-chinois-pour-augmenter-ses-ventes.php
I think it is a bit drastic to do what they have done.  They have created something.  I think they are lucky.  They got out of the bandwagon before it become a trap.  I think I have heard of an author who took a pen name and slowly, it killed him over the years because he felt trapped in his lies he had done in his pen name.  I tried to find his name again but was unable to find it.

When I heard about those two guys (the poet and the artist), I found it strange that they felt the urge to go under a false personna to find success.  I don't think it is always greener in the propriety of the neighbhor.  Did they had success because the personna they took was a stranger?   As nobody is a prophet in his own country.   Okay, they had found a flaw and play with it.  There may be some people that may be tempted to try the same stratagem.  If so, will that phenomena will loose trust in the art field?  Will be people be more sceptical if they see strangers names in a gallerie or an exposition in a art museum?  Is there other artists who had done the same to come to their end means?

I don't think I will go for the extreme they had done to gain success.  I had found my pen name for my written project.  The pen name I had choosen have a personnal meaning to me.  I won't tell it and, anyway, there are some people that may guess easily my real identity as they will see my pen name.

What I feel when I write and not all monster are the same

Since I do nanowrino (nanowrimo.org), and it had been a few years now, I discovered something wonderful.  It is more a feeling.  While I do nanowrimo, I feel empowered while writing my stories.  It is mainly because I get ideas and somethimes, it is devious ideas that get the plots more interesting.  I call this feeling the "mad scientist" feeling.  Why?  Because I took full consciousness of the feeling as I was working on a story with a mad scientist in it.  The mad scientist was the bad guy of the story.  Curiously, I was more interested in tourmenting my poor mad scientist and giving him false illusion.  I like working with this mad scientist because he can be machiavelical as he want and I would follow him in his grandiose ideas before making him crash against reality and that lead him to his doom.

I am surprised that with our age on technology and science, that the mad scientist archetype isn't much there.  Is it because it is more difficult to come with the pseudo babble or science facts are harder to bend to fit the delirium of the mad scientist?  Other archetype are more "successful" right now  the mad scientist.  Zombies and Vampires are mass market sellter bad boys.  Werewolves are a bit of the under dogs right now but I wonder if they will join the high rated zombies and vampires.  Beside The Young Frankenstein, there isn't much movies that made an honor to the Frankenstein's monster fame.  Well, I guess not all monster and archetype are an hit.  Not all of the monster are equally marketable.  It is sad for my mad scientist.  I think he have some potential.  There are many bad guys in movies that rely on science to put their plans into action.  I am sure that those bad guys haven't done all the science part of their plan all by themselves.  So, the mad scientists could start with a small part (some movies had done it a bit, I think).

Well, I like my mad scientist.  I still enjoy writing for him.  I like writing his lines, to show his megalomaniac personnality or all his devious ideas.  I like to show how he enter and quit the story.  I like to kill him and find a way to revive him in another story.  I don't have this personal playfulness and special connection with other characters.  My mad scientist is my favorite character.  Maybe he will be, one day, have the spotlight he deserve in the published world or in a movie.  I like to dream that way for him.  Isn't it comparable to the sentiment a parent have for it's child?

Another stone discovery edition

I found a few surprising things that I didn't necessary knew about some stones.
First, I discovered an manufactured stone with the name of Fordite (it is a no brainer where it can be from):
http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/Beads-and-Stones/tp/Fordite-A-Surprising-Stone-From-the-Modern-Era.htm?utm_content=20151101&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exp_nl&utm_campaign=list_jewelrymaking&utm_term=list_jewelrymaking
I do like the colors of the stones that are shown in the pictures,  I don't know why they aren't more known.  It would fit my kind of stones.  I know I would use it in a more industrial jewelry pieces because the match would be perfect.  It is a really original stone.  Too bad it is hard to get by.  I think it would and could be a gem success story if well promoted.  I can even think of a slogan: "Diamonds are forever, Fordite in your car's playground".  I guess I am having a blast with this stone.  I have to admit that I have been moonstruck on that one.

My other discovery continue a recent post I had on the opal (you know the "opal and jewelry store": https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2758842815612261477&pli=1#editor/target=post;postID=323130745002733557;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=10;src=postname).  Well, I found that a new kind of opal had been found, which had got me more interested.  You can have a look there: http://jewelry.about.com/od/birthstonefactsandfolklore/ss/What-is-Welo-Opal.htm
So, this opal is a Welo opal and comes from a province in Ethiopia.  There is another kind of opal that is more fragile that comes from another province of the same country.  Well, it is fun to know that not all opals comes from Australia.  I wonder which are the best: the Welo opal or those from Australia.  Or is it more a question of personal taste?  Makes me think that I should start looking at the provenance of the obsidians I buy, just to see the areas I like the stones best...

The last stone is on Topaz.  I don't remember talking about Topaz (or was it very briefly?).  Well, I found a few facts that I didn't knew about Topaz.  I found them here: http://jewelry.about.com/od/birthstonefactsandfolklore/tp/Interesting-Topaz-Facts.htm
It makes me more aware now.  I was thinking buying blue Topazes since I saw two from someone I knew, a little while back.  Now, I will think twice before buying them.  I usually dislike buying treated stones or one stone colored and sold as another stone.  The imperial Topaz caught my eye.  I did not knew about that kind of Topaz and found that stone to have a nice and different color.  In addition, Topaz is a hard stone.  So, if, one day, I work with this stone, I will be less affraid to work with it and not break it.

I like learning about stone.  It is even more fun to discover facts about unknown stones.

Writing time

I have started to do Nanowrimo (nanowrimo.org).  It is a challenge that help me make the transition between my head and a written document.  I was able to do that for many stories.  This year, it is a story that I had hinted last year.  Also, last year was an addition to a story from a previous year.  I think that this trilogy will be enough in that world of secrecy and scientific research.  I will concentrate on this year story.  I don't know what I will do next year if I do it.  I usually do one year at a time and often, I get an idea during the year, even if it can be at last minute.

This year, I am also making a breakthrough.  A few years back, at this time of year, I was reading gothic stories (the early classic like Melmoth the Wanderer, The Castle of Otranto and books by Anne Ratcliffe).  It was helping me mentally in this darker time of the year. I was beginning in the end of September or really early October and I would finish at the end of December, max early January.  Since I started Nanowrimo, I didn't pursue that tradition.  I am thinking of taking it back, maybe next year.  I would like to see if reading and writing could go along well.  This year, I want to finish a few books I have started before starting new books.

Writing, as any craft, always helped me on the mental level.  It is therapeutics.  It also help me to concentrate on something.  Since I started nanowrimo, it had helped me even if I stress out a bit.  I am a bit competitive.  I always felt the pressure to complete this challenge.  I learned a few things in each time I participated.  I also have periods where I improvised.  It was not something easy to do but I got great ideas while improvising.  I also learned that an great idea doesn't mean an 50 000 words story at the end of the month.

So, the month of November had become a period to write for me.  I am thinking to try something next year.  I am thinking to write during October but it won't be related to nanowrimo.  In a way, it will extent my period of writing. I want to write something shorter and not as intensive.  I don't know what I will do then.  I think to take the month of October as a warm up for November.  I'll see what will come out of it.

I think I had post about it,,,

I think I have post about the giant wheel they had put on display near where I live.  It is supposed to be an work of art and they had put a lot of money on it.  It is suppose to honor public transport and people are not agreeing on the utility of this art work.  There was an inauration day (under the rain) a few weeks ago.  Here how it look like, I took a photo from afar.  Maybe I will take a closer picture if I feel confident enough:

I took three picture to give an idea where it is.  It is supposed to honor public transit but it's emplacement is on the cornoer of two big boulevard.  Two busy boulevard.  Of course, there are buses that goes on those two big street.  Beside that, not much of transit.  No subways, no railways, no places for other mean of transport except buses, cars and trucks.  The boulevard that is show on the photos is one big entryways of the city.  So, there is lot of traffic.  There is lot of traffic on the other boulevard too and it help feed the seen boulevard.  They want the wheel to honor public transit?  My eye!  If there where more public transit other than buses, I wouldn't say anything.

My other problem is about suicide people.  This wheel will be tempting to those with suicidal thoughts.  They will be attracted to the weel, I am sure.  It is only a question of time.  Those kind of people doens't care where they do their things.  The result shock us but they usually don't feel anything after dying.  They will only see a good place to put a noose with enough room to do their deeds, even if they really don't want to do it after all.

Makes me think of an anecdote from my childhood.  It really had happened.  There was a guy that hang himself in a cemetary.  You may think it is a fitting place to commit suicide, right?  Well, the cemetary in question was just beside an elementary school.  I was going there and I remember that the cemetary was clearly visible from the background schoolyard.  There was even some students that had seen the deceased person still hanging from the tree.  So, it was a fitting place but not the best one due to the neighbor.

So, for the wheel, I am waiting for the first one who will have the idea and commitment to do it till the end.  I don't know if I am the only one who think about the possibility but I won't be shocked if it happen one day.

It is serious matter but irony set in

There are signboard and they often inform us on important matter.  There are time where some are hilarious the way they are written.  There is also time where I feel some irony surging in me.  Here an example of ironical sign I found:

I don't know if it is readable but they are renovating their windows and washroom.  I don't know why they feel the need to inform us about it.  I can guess it for the windows anyway.  They have some apparatus visible for the windows anyway.  It can't be used for any other purppose exept maybe washing the window panes.

Where I feel the irony is about the washroom.  Do they have to tell the world about that?  I had always thought that what happen in the washroom stay in the washroom.  If I would exhibit my own renovations, I would skip the bathroom because I want to keep some shy reservation about it.  This place is a public educational place so it is sure their washrooms need some work.  I just don't feel the need to know about it.  It is not like slowing a car near a accident but I am sure people aren't slowing down to look at this sign.  There isn't any boody appeal anyway.   I won't even talk about the amount spent on the building. Usually, it is needed just to keep the building standing.  It is probably money well spent on this case.  They probably getting things better.  It isn't a exceptiomnally pretty place but I am sure it is justified renovations.

So, beside the washroom, I have nothing to say about this sign.  Some may say it is important to have transparancy about public spending.  On a personal level, I would have omitted the washroom or have put some other wording (isolated public space?).  I may be the only one feeling that irony.  It doesn't bother me to be the only one feeling this way.