Following is a random list of 101 statements I put together on the second day of '06, with the intention of introducing my website's visitors to me. I did not pore over the list, meticulously selecting and ordering the items. It was written in a single sitting, largely for my own amusement. I chose to change my introduction page to this format because I have so much fun reading lists written by other people. And because I was bored by the last one. Those who do not enjoy such lists are welcome to jump in and peruse the site without reading on. I don't know that your experience of the site will be in any way enhanced by having read the list. Then again, you never know...
Some of the items on this list, having become significantly dated, were updated November, 2006 and again August, 2007. Those updates appear in italics. As of my last visit to this page - August 2008 - it seems I'm overdue for another update. Maybe soonish...we'll see.
- Creativity is as natural to me as is having brunette hair.
- I have been - once again - self-employed since the end of May 2005.
Which, in mid-'07, I decided to supplement by going back to work part-time.
Heh. Yea, okay, as of June '08? I'm freelancing again... - I still struggle to find a title that appropriately reflects the nature of my job. I'm getting closer, though. It's all tied up in helping others to express themselves creatively. I'm still fleshing out the best way to convey it. Maybe I'll update again when I've gotten further along on the quest.
Nowadays I'm focusing most of my attention on collaborating with others to create their websites using Squarespace. And I sell my artisan jewelry online through Etsy. - Because I have a lot of little jobs that make up my single umbrella of employment.
- Therefore the last time I had business cards printed, I left off the title.
- This bothers me.
- As did having constantly outdated business cards.
- I suppose I could print 20 boxes of business cards with different titles, each to suit the timeframe.
- That would be, however, expensive and I already have too much stuff.
- Some of the ways I support myself are by: designing jewelry (for which I have found a growing audience,) developing small websites for other creative types, writing and research, and teaching (workshops on writing and making beaded jewelry.) I may do more teaching in the coming year, too, but haven't decided, yet, how that feels. I did. It was grand.
- I intend to sell more of my work online this year and also help my creative friends sell theirs. Well, one out of two ain't bad. In 2006, I sold necklaces to people in Montreal, Texas, Maryland, & New York. So far. And during 2007, I got my pieces in a number of boutiques and galleries.
- One of my greatest strengths is coming up with new ideas.
- One of my greatest weaknesses is following through on those ideas.
- These details relate, particularly, to number eleven.
- I'm a cat person.
- The kitty who loves me most is named Kenya.
- She's gone to visit my parents for a while. Kenya is no more. But she lives on in my memories, and in my heart.
- I miss her a lot. More now than when I wrote that in January.
- I was formally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder last year or the year before.
- My organizational skills are sometimes lacking and therefore I didn't keep the best records of when that diagnosis occurred.
- When I was declared A.D.D., I was not surprised.
- Neither were my friends and family.
- I don't think of it as a bad thing.
- In fact, I wish everyone were A.D.D.
- It's possible that I don't really mean what I wrote in 24. If I did, the world might be more chaotic and I would lose some of my perceived charm.
- I am a people person.
- And have many, many friends.
- I am pleased and honored by this.
- The idea of traveling extensively has always been exciting to me.
- I haven't traveled extensively.
- But I intend to in the future.
- When I realized how much I wanted to turn that intention to travel into a reality, I put most of my belongings into storage and started renting a room from a friend.
- Renting a room makes it much easier to plan frequent trips than if I were responsible for an entire home.
- Since I did that, I have only made three small trips, but I only made the decision to move this past fall and it was a busy time.
- In 2006 I intend to also go to Seattle and Boston, return to Toronto, and also go to Europe. Okay, well Seattle was nice. As was Atlanta. But check it out...we get a whole new year for endless possibilities. They're calling it 2007. Perhaps I'll have some new great travel stories to tell you then! (After which we'll get a 2008. Hope springs eternal.)
- In spite of the fact that I write in my blog nearly every single day, there are many, many topics I never write about.
- Among the topics I avoid are politics, religion and anything else I hold deeply personal.
- Because my blog is largely (though less and less) intertwined with my career, I have chosen to keep certain topics separate.
- I also prefer not to spark intense controversy on my blog.
- A bit of discussion, however, is enjoyable, and I hope to have more.
- But not on the topics I choose not to write about.
- I do not avoid visiting websites that do visit such topics, nor do I fault those who choose to explore personal matters within their own sites.
- It is raining as I write and I find this comforting.
- Especially since I have scheduled this entire day to include only activities that can be done without going anywhere in a car.
- I do drive in the rain but it's not my favorite thing.
- I have a lot of "favorite things."
- Such as sushi, which I am apparently craving right now.
- And many, many kinds of music.
- I love to sing.
- But not in public.
- I love helping people.
- I also have a snotty, ugly side that rears its head at inopportune moments.
- I try to keep this nasty side at bay.
- I have a degree in English.
- Because I thought, at one time, I might like to be a freelance writer.
- At that time, blogs didn't exist.
- At least not in the form we know today.
- My minors are in psychology and art.
- Rather than drawing and painting and other mediums perceived as "real art," in college I studied photography and ceramics.
- When I mention "ceramics" people still sometimes think I'm talking about the little figurines my grandmothers used to sit all over their homes.
- I'm not.
- If I were independently wealthy, I would still spend as much time as possible learning how to make new things.
- I might not, however, feel as much pressure to sell it.
- I often contemplate the ways in which "art" and "creativity" are affected by the need to generate income.
- I am convinced the ways are many.
- Although I understand very, very little about the world of computer programming, and all that entails, and am very technologically limited compared to many, I love using a computer and learning ways to use it to make my life easier.
- I also very much enjoy helping people who are intimidated by computers to use them comfortably, as well.
- It is also important to me that others are encouraged to try new things, even if they think they're horrible at these things.
- I take a lot of risks, but only in small ways that deal with my creativity.
- In other ways I am a bigoldchicken and aspire to greater bravery.
- I still care, too much, what others think of me.
- But not nearly as much as I once did.
- It seems to me that this growth is important.
- As is learning new things as often as I can.
- The only language I speak is English and I sometimes feel ashamed of that lack.
- Most of the time, I feel shame is a useless emotion and is better replaced by positive action.
- Therefore this year I am going to study French. And I did study French, too, if you count putting in the French CD I bought, to play at night, around the time I was falling asleep. About 10 times so far...
- Attempting to speak in another language in front of other people is very difficult for me, and a part of the reason I've avoided learning languages.
- I think it would be awesome to be fluent in many languages.
- I'd better start by trying just one, however.
- Sometime around Christmas of 2005, I started learning to knit.
- I wonder how long I will continue to practice my new skill. Now that it's getting cold again, I've started knitting again. It's late November, 2006. So far I still only make scarves. Which is fine 'cause I still love having lots of different scarves.
- Making things out of clay is enormously gratifying to me.
- Which is why my jewelry designs emerged from this love of clay play.
- I make pendants from clay.
- So far, each one is completely different from every other one I have ever made.
- I sometimes think it would be easier to mass produce some of my designs.
- As of this writing, I have hesitated to do so because it is much more interesting to make something totally different each time.
- It is also special to be able to assure my customers that the necklace they just purchased will never be duplicated.
- My parents are still married to each other.
- And my siblings, a brother and a sister, are both married.
- I am not.
- To the confusion of my older relatives and acquaintances, I am completely comfortable with this.
- I know a lot of divorced and unhappily married people.
- Although that does not mean I intend to stay single forever.
- This is a topic I largely avoid in my blog.
- I avoid the topic merely because it falls under the heading of "Things that are too personal for me to share with anyoldbody who finds my website."
- This year I intend to at least triple the number of visitors who regularly visit my website. Well, it more than doubled, several times the monthly traffic approached 3 times what it was last December, and one month it was more than triple. Not so bad. Hm. I'll have to think about a similar goal setting exercise for 2007. Wonder what's feasible?
- Writing this list has been fun.
- I feel exceedingly optimistic about 2006.
- I wonder just how many people will make it to the very end of this list. Turns out quite a few did, if the emails they sent me to let me know of this success is any indication!