Images of Halloween

It is Halloween today.  It is a fun day to dress up.  It is a day to have fun.  Everybody can be a child today and have candies.  The business side of this holiday is a bit negative but it can be a festive day if we makes abstraction of the selling part of the day.  It is a day, with easter, that sweets are kings.  Of course, easter deal more with chocolate, it is a big part of a sweet tooth.

As a child, it was fun going for treat or treating on Halloween.   It was fun getting dressed up, choosing the costume or making it.   The two last years I dressed up for Halloween, I made my own costume and it was the two best Halloween ever.  The first year I made my costume, I made my own version of Boy Georges (http://www.boygeorgeuk.com/)  It was more his 80's look (https://www.google.ca/search?q=boy+george+80%27s+style&rlz=1CAASUB_enCA614CA614&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS04CG2pbXAhXH7YMKHUtOA1IQsAQIJw&biw=1366&bih=702)  Of course, my costume wasn't as elaborate than his look but it made a effect.  I had more fun dong the costume than getting the candies.  In addition, a relative was able to use leftover of my costume.  I had cut the tips of a pair of gloves.  She used the tips of those gloves for her whitch costume.  It was really fun to share.

My last year of Halloween, I made a Zorro costume.  I made the hat with cardboard and silk paper (a very thin paper).  Of course, the material was all black.  I also got an homemade cape made by my grandma.  The only purchase was a plastic sword.  The only thing I didn't liked about my costume: my moustache.  I wanted to do it myself but it was done by someone else.  It ended up more like a villain moustache than the one we usually see on Zorro.  Beside that, it was the costume I had the most pride in.  Later on, my black cape was used in a Batman costume for someone else.  I just hope that other child had a good halloween.

In recent years, I started to appreciated the images side of Halloween.  It all started with the Halloween Tarot (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/halloween/)  The deck contain all the classic and iconic images from Halloween.  Be it the black cat, the ghosts, the witches, old monster like Frankenstein's monster, his bride or the werewolf.  It is a nice deck that is very well done.  It is a bit whimsical but very well thougth out.  I like the Hermnit being a mad scientist.  I do have a soft spot with mad scientist.  I have created my own mad scientist in my writing.

Now, the thing I enjoy most about Halloweeen is the imagery linked with the Dios of los Muerte.  It is in recent years that I have discovered this Mexican tradition.  I live a bit far from this contry, so this is why it took me a while before discovery this rich festive day.  It would have been great to know about this earlier in my life.

Happy Halloween with a lot of candy!  A lot of fun also is great.

Charles Addams and the Addams family

Appearance can be deceiving.  First looks are not always revealing.  Chrles Addams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Addams) is one artists I find to be interesting.  He was a cartoonist for the New Yorker.  He had also been the creator of the Addams Family.  He have also done a few catoon that had gone into insotry.  One of them is called «The skier»  (https://www.google.ca/search?q=the+skier+cartoon+charles+addams&dcr=0&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=c_NvNKBkXDLhkM%253A%252CM_rByg1y9nAIMM%252C_&usg=__PaOdhxva5CwHAtyUz3F2E9s2UY4%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwit2P6HzJbXAhUUyYMKHYYBAeUQ9QEIKjAA#imgrc=c_NvNKBkXDLhkM:)
It is a skier that leaves sky trails between a tree.  How did he do it?  It is a bit challenging.  It makes me remember a cartoon with Sylvester and Tweety where something similar happen but the skies goes on but not Sylvester.

Other good cartoons done by Charles Addams deal with relationship; between husband and wives .  I could not find the cartoon but there is one where a couple are in their background.  The husband had been swallowed up by a big snake.  The wives doesn't see it and say something among the line «stop making all that noise!»  He had at least 3 wives (not at the same times), he may had been a bit cynical even if he was happier with his last wive.

In a way, he have created a family that suited him, even if it was on paper.  The family he created had a strong individuality but at the same time, they are a clan.  They stick together even if they are made up by individuals.  By just looking at this familial creation, he created an utopial family even if he had failing in his personal life.  He was not a perfect guy.  I have read his biography (https://www.amazon.ca/Charles-Addams-Cartoonists-Linda-Davis/dp/0679463259/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1509307695&sr=8-5&keywords=charles+addams).   He was a womanizer.  I don't excuse him even if he look like Walter Matthau (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Matthau).  I just find he used his experiences to makes funny cartoon and create a family that is standing the test of time.  His creation is more known than himself now.  It is a good case where a person with some negative traits  produce an intersting body of art.

Workshops

Workshops are great.  It comes in various forms and on various topics.  It can be with a group in a room.  It can be online.  In any case, it end up being a learning experience and gained knowledge.  I always had a positive experience from workshops I attended.  There is also the fun to meeting new people.  It can lead to friendship.  People have interest in the theme of the workshop, so it makes connection between people easier.

I am currently in a workshop that is spread over many weeks.  The big main theme is teenagers.  Each week, there is a ressource that come speak of a topic.  For example, one evening, someone came to speak about law and social media.  Another week, there was a person coming to talk about anorexia and boulimia.  Another week, it was on gambling.  Most recently, it was on suicide.  I don't remember all the topics but there are many.  I would like that mental illness could be added to the mix because it can appear in that period of time.  I guess I could make the suggestion.  The person that organize this is open to suggestion.  I don't know if she can cram it up in the 10 weeks we have.

It is not the first time that I take this kind of workshop.  I took one that was aimed to children from 0 to 5 years old twice (a few years apart and given by a different person each time).  It is on top of taking workshops on writing (online on (https://www.writingclasses.com/classes/online), taking jewelry workship (on earring in a place that no longer exist) and some various crafting workshops (like soapmaking, fimo, candle making) in a craft store.  All of this was not a waiste.  I found each workshop useful.  It opened some doors, giving me access to new ressources.  People were great in each workshop.  Very useful.  There should be more of this.

Tarot cards and images

I have started to study The Star Tarot (http://www.cathymcclelland.com/html/tarot.htm)  For me, studying a new tarot is like studying a new dialect.  Studying tarot is learning a new big dialect.  It seems to be strange but it is how I see it.  My mind often work with images, pictures, or having a film-like way.  It is how I work.  I am sure that other peoples have minds that work in their own way that are different than me.  Knowing how our minds works is really good, it help understand ourselves better.

 On the theme of image, there is a form of language.  There is nuances in images, meaning too, symbolism. dept of untold subconscious understanding.  For me, it is all that and more.  I see jewelry before making it.  I see my stories going on like a movie in my mind'a eye before translating it in words.  I see photos of gifts before going to purchase them.  Words comes after the pictures.  For me, it is normal, it is what comes to me naturaly.

Tarot decks can be an extension of my inner world, to my mind.   Every images, each cards have it's structure.  Each images have iut's meanings.  The images in my minds don't have that kind of structures.  I understand the images that comes to my mind.  I am my own personal translator.  When it comes to tarot, I have to understand the codes that are put into the pictures.  It is not my own personal language, it is more a dialect that many people had put together.  It assemble those people on a common ground.  At the end, it help me better work with images, even if I work with it extensively.  I feel comfortable working with images and it feel good to bring dept in that department.

Creativity at work

As I was looking at a speech therapist working with a child, I realized something: they are creative people.  It was not the first time I saw a speech therapist working with a child but it was the first time my lightbulb ignited on the creative part.  How?  They use play to work with children.  They can use some games like board games to work on the objectives.  It is not all the real rules of the game, but it is working anyway.  It doesn't seems to bother the children that the rules of the games aren't followed.  They seems happy to play with somebody.  I don't know if it work with all children.

I wonder how speech therapists came with that ideas but I find it was a bright idea that work very well.  What lead to this approach?  Was it with trial and error?  I am sure there are exception to that rule but I don't know if it is on a regular basis.  Does the speech therapists have a card in their sleeve for those children too?  I have much questions.  I wonder why?  Curiosity, for me, it strong when it comes with creativity.

I think it is a good application of crativity.  There are other too.  Knowledge is good.  Working on problem with what is available is good too.  Creativity is the spark to get everything into place and come up with a solution.  Reason is not an ead and the only way.  Creativity have it's part to play in every aspect of our modern world.  Creativity does not have to be evacuated of our lives just to satisfy raionality alone.  Both must work hand in hand.  It is how new technologies are made. how to work in tiny places, how to find a solution to a problem, etc...  Really, creativity is really useful.

Walking is the new bathroom

My mind is changing.  I can't explain the shift.but the bathroom is now less a place of inspiration.  Going walking is taking first place.  makes me think that my brain need to get oxygenated to get idea.  It is alsmost getting an massage to my brain but not touching it.  It just feel strange to have this kind of shifting in my way to get inpsiration.  I kind of like to get ideas in the bathroom.

I also think I need to do something to the bathroom.  Repainting the bathroom is worth a try.  I don't know if it will rekindle my inspiration lightbulb to work in the bathroom.  It worth a try.  What I like to have inspiration in the bathroom: in the bathroom, there is no stress and no hurry, I can take time to write my ideas.  No need to move around exept if someone else have an toilet emergency.

I am fond of the bathroom as a place of inspiration.  I got many great ideas there.  I am reluctant that another activity replace the bathroom.  I don't find walking on the sideway a glamorous place to get an idea.  Bathroom is a good source where to get ideas and maybe have the idea in an interesting way.  Think how Doc have thought of time traveling, in Back to the Future movie (http://www.backtothefuture.com/)    This is why I think that bathroom is the best place to get idea.  I want to hold on the bathroom as a source of inspiration because it have a bright side (the idea) and have a potential to comedic amusement.

In case my idea for my bathroom doesn't work.  I am thinking of renting a bathroom.  Maybe it will stimulate my brain in a proper way.  Or I do some metitation in my bathroom.  Walking with a notepad or any device to take notes is not really easy, not natural at all, for me.

Inspiration and the artists

Inspiration is one thing that fascinate me.  It is so mysterious.  Where does it comes from?  Is is also intangible.  One thing that I realized recently: there are artists that seems full of inspiration to be turned into creation )getting it into more tangible way, into reality).  Two examples I think are Isaac Asimov (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov (too bad there isn't any photos from his later years, he had a great look!)) and David Bowie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie).  With this kind of artists, inspiration seems to flow or they make it flow.

On the other hand, there are artists where inspiration seems more hard to get.  They have difficulties to get their ideas.  I think that Charles Addams (creator of the Addams family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Addams) and Quino (creator of Mafalda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quino) seems to be in that category.  I think I had read somewhere, for each of them separately, that they struggled with ideas.  It can be weird because they work with picture.  Well, I may be in a less experianced area.  I don't don't have any experience with drawing.

It lead me to wonder: what differenciente those two kind of artists?  What makes them go in one category or the other?  Is it a mindset?  Are those in the stuggle for inspiration group are blocking their ideas?  Are those in the easy inspired group channel their inner inspiration more easily?  Or is it their mind that work differently?  Would be fun to have some study on that topic.  The two categories may apply elsewhere, I am sure.

What shape an artist?

I don't know if I go through an existential crisis but I started to wonder abtout a few things.  One of the area is resumed by a simple though: what shape an artist?  Aritsts gores through experiences and creation, get inspiration from others and gives inspiration to others.  All of this shape them.  Each artist have it's own path.  Background and personal history have an impact too on an artist.

When they get successful, what lead to the success is not always shown.  We don't see the inner struggle nor the self doubts nor the path to success.  Getting up the latter is something important, I think, when it comes to creation.  It should be more highlightted, I think.  It may be more important than when basking in the success.  Success can bring it's own inspiration.  It is just an inspiration gotten under the light.  The initial success, the one that break into the limelight, is from the shadow, the darkm the not know that become known.

I may be more attracted to the shadow, the unconscious, the deeper and meaninful.  It is where there may be some friction and tension.  Maybe all that makes that part more exciting to me.  Becoming what we are, it is the hardest part, I guess.  I also think that it is the most important part of an artist.  It is the materials the artist have at his disposal.

Sense of smell

Science fiction is full of technologies related to sight and hearring.  Well, mostly for sight and hearring.  I am not an expert nor a connaisseur in the topic.  I know more what is in pop culture like hologram, holodeck, communicators, transporter, universal translator and I know that I must have forgot about many things. Those marvelous technologies serves the most common sense like sight, hearring, voice/speach or being displaced quickly from one place or other.  The sense of smell seems to be a looser when it comes to technologies.  I don't know of technologies that involve the smells

Of course, it is something a bit far fetched.  The sense of smell may be not an success in a science fiction story.  it can be leave scraches heads for a use of smell.  Could be fun to come up with a technology that can pick up pheromone.  It would be fun to have a conversation using smell.  Too sad the technology for that knid of communication would be hard to miniaturize.  I also imagine how hard to get recharges for smell producing part.  The source of scent could be essential oils.  I know a little can go far and it is true of essential oils.  The problem happen if there is an extensive use of that technology.  I could imagine a big thank full of essential oils just to have essentila oils under hand.

Having some technologies involving smell could be fun.  Not really useful because I don't think it would save the world.  I don't know if extra-terestial have a sense of smell.  If they have one, would be hilarious to scre them with an ugly smell.  I can see the main character sending an bomb with the smelliest and ugliest smell bomb to his enemy.  It should be a powerfully smelly bomb in the whole universe.  Doing a battle scene in those conditions would be quite ungly, not a aesthetic and choreographed scene like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2758842815612261477#editor/target=post;postID=715019793353096623;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=link)

Buidling my confidence again

With yesterday result that I had (https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2758842815612261477#editor/target=post;postID=715019793353096623;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=link) ,  I decided to take a break from very small cross stitches and go to a format where I felt more confindent.  There are some projects in the same dimension of my first  cross stitches projects.  I am thinking to go for one of them:

So, I do have a few choices.  I don't know which one I will pick next but it will be one of them, for sure.  I just hope it won't be as challenging as the small owl,  I hope it will give me a boost in my confidence.

Not having the same result

I attempt to make a small owl in cross stitches.  It wasn't easy to follow the diagramp but I made my best.  Here the diagram found in the instruction:

What I got doesn't look like the photo on the kit.  I wonder where did I got wrong:

Of course, I decided to put the black contouring around the various part of the owl.  I was supposed to go with the various colours of each part.  At that point, I decided that black would offer a better constrast.  As I didn't had an exact result, better go on with a personal touch.

I have two other kit with this very owl.  So, I still have two other try to get a better result.  Would also have been nice to have a bit more of green, blue and pink floss in the kit.  Maybe I will have better alternative for the oter two kit.  I pursie the project with what I had under hand.

My collection of trees

I am getting a huge collection of trees' photographs.  I like that. Trees have so much varieties.  There the species, the leaves, the shapes of trees and their branches, their past injuries, their environment, if they are trees in cities or in a forest, trees in various ecosystems like in the tundras and if they grow fast or not.  So many variant.  I truely like trees.  I don't consider myself an ecologist.  It is just that I need to be around trees.  I like to takes pictures of trees.  I also like the effects light and shadows have on trees and in forest.

I just would like to be a better photographer. I would like to be better in getting the light and dark areas when it comes to a forest.  Nature is really good to show natural setting!

No myth are liked equally.

I was listening to the most recent Crash Course Mythology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik3Y4Oq6TwU
It is on the Arthurian mythology.  It is mainly on Galahad and Perceval.  It made me realized that not everybody like the same myths.  Each person have it's like and dislike.  There are also myths that are more familiar and less familiar.

The Arturian mythology isn't familiar to me.  I learned a bit more on this mythology while looking at the video.  I just felt there was gaps where I din't understood.  Maybe because I truly wasn't familiar with this area of mythology.  I have heard about the Knights of the Round Table and their quest for the Holy Grail.  I know that Arthur was a king.  Beside that, I am totally in the night.  I am not attracted to this but at the same time, I acknowledge that I should know more about it.  I am a fan of mythology, after all.  I should know all thing related to mythology, from anywhere in the world,

It is in this kind of situation where I wish to have access to a mythology course.  Classes could feed all the students in their weak areas of mythology.  It would be great to read about all the material of mythology.  I would like to be better equiped when it comes to mythology.  Of course, I won't like everything but at least, I would know a lot.  I would like to become a mythology ultimate geek.

A hole to see in a pipe

Sometimes, things are done in a strange way.  It makes me wonder the why things are made that way.  The above picture is the perfect representation.  In this case, we can wonder why a hole had been made in the pipe.  I am sure it is more than look into the pipe.  If the pipe had been longer, I would have guessed it was for rainwater or something like that.  I haven't took a photo to show the lenght of the pipe but it isn't a very long pipe.

This place is a bit remote.  There isn't any crowd to take a look inside the pipe, just for the fun of it.  If there was fishes passing in there would be a real treat!  The main problem I see is the automn leaves going into the pipe throught this very hole.  Not very practical  I don't see the use of the pipe either.  Erosion will take it's toll on the surrounding, pipe or no pipe.  I would like to see the logic amd I may be very ignorant.  I guess a pannel explaining this would be needed for people like me.

I think it is a recent addition to the place.  Already there seems to be rust.  The sign is visible with the green on the tubing that permit us to see inside.  I am sure it will not last long.  Not a decade for sure!  Maybe the people who put it there were for a quick fix without any long term intention.  Personally, when I do something, I like to be a lasting object.  The more lasting, the better.

I think I will stick with admiring the nice peobles arount that pipe.