My #JanPlan Goals

I have been inspired by the #JanPlan, which I first spotted via Lydia Sharp's Blog Post.  Basically you pick an unfinished project to work on and try to complete it by February 1st 2013.  Usually I make New Year's Resolutions to try something new, but these last few years I've been setting the same unaccomplished New Year's Resolutions intending to actually do them this year.  And most often by the time February comes along, they've been forgotten about and failed miserably. 

So I really liked the idea of actually finishing an unfinished project.  I have heaps of unfinished projects!  Now which to choose where I think I stand a chance of completing them by February 1st?  Well I have lots of New Year's Resolutions this year, so I am going to pick some of them here to accomplish part of them by the 1st of February.

 

• Lose 3lbs in weight
• Practice my Maths without a calculator 
  (I will learn to be a Mathematician!)
• Stop Reckless Spending
  - do not buy myself any luxuries while I try to declutter my junk!
• Declutter my scary wardrobe 
  (literally I open the door and stuff falls out!  Dinosaurs recently... )
• Finish my Dolls House Miniature Room Box
• Keep a Sketchbook page to doodle in daily
• Create 3 new complete pieces of Art
• Write 3 new pieces of Flash Fiction / Drabbles
• Start planning my novel (I will plan and write a complete novel this year!)
• Have FUN every single day - treat myself to an hour of non-goal driven fun! 

This is my #JanPlan, what's yours?

I will post my progress with images of my art work here, so watch this space!

Dangerous Energy Saving Light Bulbs Are Hazardous to Health

Today I made a shocking discovery.  I found out that "energy-saving light bulbs can trigger migraines, exacerbate skin conditions and lead to other serious health problems." (See Telegraph article).  This was further confirmed when I visited Wikipedia's article on Energy Saving Light Bulbs:   

 

"A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light, and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp."

"According to the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) in 2008, CFLs may pose an added health risk due to the ultraviolet and blue light emitted. This radiation could aggravate symptoms in people who already suffer skin conditions that make them exceptionally sensitive to light. The light produced by some single-envelope CFLs at distances of less than 20 cm could lead to ultraviolet exposures approaching the current workplace limit set to protect workers from skin and retinal damage."

 

 

"A 2012 study comparing cellular health effects of CFL light and incandescent light found statistically significant cell damage in cultures exposed to CFL light. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of significant UVA and UVC radiation, which the study's authors conjectured was attributable to damage in the bulbs' internal phosphor coatings. No cellular damage was observed following exposure to incandescent light of equivalent intensity."

  

Another website article, entitled 'CFL Bulbs Can Fry Your Skin', states:  "In addition to having a potential negative impact on your skin, these bulbs emit toxic chemicals. In fact, only months after it was found that energy saving fluorescent bulbs release carcinogenic chemicals into the air, a new study has found that these harmful chemicals are continually released from the bulbs over a period of weeks to months. In addition to releasing these cancer-causing chemicals, which are far beyond the “safe” level set by the EPA, these bulbs also release levels of mercury which also exceed the “safe” levels for humans." 

 

I personally cannot believe I have been using energy saving light bulbs, when I am already an eczema and migraine sufferer.  My eczema has become worse over the last few years, and is now light-sensitive.  I easily get sunburn now, and instead of healing normally, it turns into eczema.   Is having these energy saving light bulbs in your house the equivalent of sitting under a small sunbed?  Only we are exposing ourselves to them more and more every winter. 

 

 

Don't forget, with these bulbs containing Mercury, if you break the bulb it will expose you to the Mercury in the form of vapour, which can cause brain damage and seizures.  You should never throw these bulbs in household rubbish, as the electronic components, as well as the Mercury, will contaminate the ground it is dumped on.  Possibly harming animals and getting into water supplies too.  And the UK Government pays into schemes so we can be given these poisonous bulbs into our homes for free?

I suggest we boycott the energy saving light bulbs, buy the 'heavy duty' industrial use incandescent light bulbs (which are labelled "not suitable for household illumination" to comply with European Union legislation), and put them in our ceiling lights.  The only difference between these heavy duty incandescent light bulbs and the original normal use incandescent light bulbs they no longer manufacture, is that they have "slightly thicker glass envelopes and extra filament supports."  They are designed to be able to withstand shocks and extreme temperatures, as their original intended use would have been in warehouses and as garage inspection lights. 

 

 

Failing that, I would use candles.  I am all for energy saving and being good to the environment, but not at the expense of our own health.

Never Be Afraid To Live

Last night I watched the movie Into the Wild for the second time.  It still has strong emotional resonance for me.  Without wanting to give too much away, you hurt for his loss, you hurt for his family's loss, and yet you feel his joy, enthusiasm and excitement too.  This movie is inspiring and uplifting as well as a cautionary tale.  Many of the things he did could have ended in disaster (hitch-hiking, sleeping rough, kayaking down the rapids without a helmet or any experience).  Yet he experienced so much, saw so much beauty, and learned so much about life, in such a short space of time.  During his journey, he said something like: "the spirit of the human heart is discovery."  Meaning the path to happiness lies in discovering new things.  

He tried many new things, discovered new hobbies, adventure sports and skills, met new people and explored exciting new places.  Yet in the end, he discovered that "Happiness is sharing."  I think his journey, which has now been made into a film, is a great lesson to us.  The happiness and joy in his adventure, of being in the wild and discovering new things, was equally exciting as meeting new people, making friends and sharing experiences along the way.

So how can this adventure be applied to my own life?  I think life is an adventure, or a series of adventures, but you don't have to travel far and wide in dangerous situations to discover them.    You can have an adventure at home, discovering new knowledge, music, books, trying new hobbies, skills, walking and discovering new places to explore around your own home.  Perhaps get on a bus and go for a day trip, it isn't too expensive to do.  Just choose somewhere to go.  "Go out there and experience life!"  Don't just stay hiding away in your house, which is so easy to do when you're afraid to live.  Never be afraid to live.

• Discover new words (books, novels, music, art, food, drink, exercise, games)
• Explore new places (where you've never been before - take photos, walk around, discover the unseen)
• Learn new skills (crafts, techniques, hobbies, art, writing)
• Meet new people
• Make friends
• Share experiences (joy, emotions)

Then you will have discovered happiness along the way.

Never be afraid to live...

Book Review: Prince Harry - Photographs by the Daily Mail

Prince Harry - Photographs by the Daily Mail

by Alison Gauntlett

ISBN:  140540311X

ISBN13:  9781405403115

I really enjoyed this book, it covers Prince Harry's life from birth right through to young adulthood in 2002 when the British Royal family celebrated the Queen's Golden Jubilee. It is beautifully illustrated throughout with high quality photographs, each image has a description telling you where the picture was taken and roughly when. This book works it's way chronologically through his life, with a very pleasant narrative. An absolute pleasure to read, which I found very informative and very relaxing to read.

What's also nice is that although the text makes a brief light reference to some of the not quite so pleasant elements of Prince Harry's life (namely some things that were plastered all over the tabloid press), these are not illustrated. Making this a book you can be proud to own, showing the best of Prince Harry in his best light. And I really enjoyed it.

My only complaint? I wonder if they might do an updated version to include his life and photos from the last 10 years to the present. I loved it so much I want more!

I am Happy and Grateful Today!

Inspired by a forum thread on the Nanowrimo website, to post every day something that you are grateful for today, and something that has made you happy today.  So here is what has made me happy and grateful for today...

What I'm grateful for today:

For some reason I woke up bouncing happy today, wide awake, full of energy, and happy to accomplish many things. This has not happened to me for a really long time!

 

What makes me happy today:

Sitting down this afternoon with the warm sunny weather, and starting to create a colour pencil landscape art piece that I really enjoyed doing. (I don't usually enjoy landscapes, but this one is fun).  Now all I have to do is plan my novel for CampNanowrimo and I'll be all set with my Art and Writing Goals! :)

New Music Monday - Discovering Rhythm & Blues

This year I've decided to embark on a journey of self-discovery, I love anything to do with reinventing your life and I am currently feeling inspired by Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project.  She says that what someone else finds fun, is not necessarily what everyone else finds fun.  I think it's important to try new things, and discover what you like in life.  Today, I'm starting with music.

I don't know a lot about Blues music, so I've stumbled across BBC Radio 2 's Rhythm & Blues show, with DJ Paul Jones.  On first listen, this reminds me of Jools Holland's style of music, which I've liked what I've heard.  There's a lot of harmonica which I like, and it has a laid back, honky-tonk kind of feel to it.  It's pleasant, and gives me images of a dark smokey bar, where you can just recline on a couch, drinking whiskey, with a smile on your face. 

On tonight's show Dani Wilde was the featured artist in session.  I liked the last song she sung, 'Falling', and this one I've just found on Youtube:

Dani Wilde

"I Love You More Than I Hate Myself"

I don't know much about Rhythm & Blues, but I know enough now to know I want to know more.  I found a couple of interesting links from the BBC Radio 2 show website, two magazines that seem to cover modern Rhythm & Blues music.  They are:  Blues in Britain - an independent magazine writing about the best in British blues music, and FRoots - The essential folk, roots and world music guide. 

I'm looking forward to finding some new music to like!

New Sketch - Car Battery Charger

I am currently studying an Open University course in Design, called U101 Design Thinking: Creativity for the 21st Century. This is my latest piece of work on the course, where I have to produce a detailed sketch of an old work tool. I chose an old car battery charger my Dad has, Dad's are great for keeping old bits of junk! I think I may have stumbled across a minefield of old and unusual bits of junk to draw! Here is a photo of the item for comparison:


After this initial drawing, my next task is to do two more drawings of this object, but to make them less detailed and more abstract each time, so as to create my own design from this object. This will be an interesting challenge for me! In the next few weeks I will be practicing this technique further, by designing my own T-Shirt for this module!

Remember Me

I just watched Remember Me, the beautiful movie starring Robert Pattinson and Pierce Brosnan. There is a line in this movie, a quote from Ghandi, it says: "Whatever you do in this life will be insignificant, but it is important that you do it. For you leave fingerprints on the people you touch in your life." And I think this is very true of the characters in this movie. Especially Robert Pattinson's character, Tyler Hawkins, who teaches his father to show his feelings and do right by his family. He brings his family closer together. This is ironic seen as another character in his life tells him he is going nowhere, with no career prospects, nothing big going for him. His own father tells him he has nothing, he pedalled on a bicycle to his office. He owns nothing, and not making anything of himself. Tyler sums it up when he says he is "Undecided... about everything!" He doesn't know where he is going or what he is doing.

I'm sure all of us have felt lost like this at some point in our lives. Having watched this film it has reminded me of how all the people I have met at some point in my life have left an impression, or a fingerprint, on my life. Some people are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. But they all leave an impression on your life, and manage to enrich it in some way, often teaching us lessons in the process. I used to think the only way to make a difference in the world, and to leave an impression, would be to leave behind art, writing, or even a movie, as those are the people who are recognised and remembered. But we also remember if someone has been especially kind to us, a smile, a pleasant comment, these things we remember. So perhaps if we are all a bit nicer to one another, passing on a pleasantry, then perhaps we can leave a pleasant impression, and be remembered in other people's memories.

2012 - Serious Writing Year

I have a New Year's Resolutions list a page and a half long, so many things I want to do this year. But most importantly, I want to take care of myself. Often when striving to achieve this or that, we neglect ourselves. I want to make sure I have some 'me time' - some time to myself, to relax, unwind, and follow my dreams. I have dabbled more with my fiction writing and art goals this last year, but never for very long. I want to become a serious fantasy & science fiction artist and writer.

The big thing I need to do this year? Practice my skills. To actually sit down to write and draw daily. The only way to actually improve my skills is to sit down and use them, often. I often get all excited when Nanowrimo comes up, and the same with scriptfrenzy. But if I don't actually get much writing done that month, and don't complete my novel or script by the end of the month, then I stop writing. Why? There is no rule that says you must only attempt to write a novel in November. The amazing thing Nanowrimo has taught me, is to actually sit down and write. I learn so much simply by doing that. Personally I struggle to reach my word count targets each and every day, but I do manage to hit half my word count targets each day quite successfully. So I should be able to write a 50,000 word novel quite easily in 2 months.

I want to spend this year honing my craft, writing scenes and practicing writing challenging scenes. Scenes with action in them, description, dialogue, drama, suspense, everything. I want to improve and write something I am really proud of. Only then can I reach the stage of writing something worthy of publication. And that is my ultimate aim. Probably next year, or the year after, depending on how I get on. I want to be able to call myself a writer at the end of this year, knowing that I have improved my skills and made progress. These are my main writing goals/tasks this year:

• Write daily, 15 minutes one day, 60 minutes the next.


• Write 100 word Drabble's (as part of the Writeaholic's Blog's weekly Drabble challenges).


• Write short scenes from movies and tv (practicing writing prose).


• Learn new vocabulary - a new word from the dictionary each week.


• Research Science and History, for use in novels and short stories (for Space Opera and Time Travel fiction).


• Plan a short story / Write a short story.


• Plan a novel / Write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel.


• Learn how to edit and rewrite a novel (and short story).


• Read 10 novels from start to finish this year.

Here's hoping for a productive and well written 2012!

Living with the Amish

I've just finished watching the first episode of the new Channel 4 series, Living with the Amish. I loved it. I expected it to be an interesting insight to how the Amish live, with perhaps a little amusement at how the teenagers manage to live without their mobile phones and personal music players (MP3's and iPods). It had all this and more, and I was so surprised by how emotional and moving it became.


On first sight, when meeting James, one of the British teenagers trying living with the Amish for six weeks, I found out he was 17, unemployed and a college dropout. I thought lazy bum, can't be bothered to work or study. But then I got a surprise. I learnt about how his mum was arrested for arson when he was 14, his younger sibling went to live with his nan, and he went into foster care. After that, he went into a hostel. He now misses living in foster care because it was nice living with people, now he lives on his own in a tiny, dingy looking hostel, with nothing but a tv and video games console for company. He actually appears lonely. And after he got to know Jonathan, the kind young Amish man he was staying with, he actually seemed to wish he was his father.


All the teenagers were moved by the people they met, even Urma, an older Amish woman who had been brought up in the Amish community, and later spent 18 years living "in the world" (away from the Amish community), got married and had children. She now lives back with the Amish community after realising she missed the community and the feeling that if anything happened to her, the Amish community as a group would all come to help her.


Urma was speaking with Siana, the young girl originally born in Sierra Leone and moved to England when she was 2, and runs a Fashion Blog, amongst many others. Siana seemed to find the Amish clothing to be the hardest lifestyle changes so far, as she felt she was losing her identity. And this made me think, I often believe the clothes I wear express my personality, almost without different and striking clothes, I wouldn't be me. Now I think the Amish lesson here is that clothes do not make who you are inside. Change your clothes, you are still the same person. The Amish accept you for who you are, and Charlotte said to Jonathan's wife (Maryetta I think her name was), that she wished her own community was more accepting like that.


In British society, we make so many judgments of other people based on what they wear. So we feel we have to dress a certain way, either to meet expectations, or to stand out from the crowd. We cannot accept ourselves and have peace with ourselves in plainer clothes.


Charlotte freely admitted that back home in England, she would sit outside sunning herself, while her mother painted her nails and brought her cups of tea and coffee. She had never done washing up in her life, her parents never nagged her, and it seems she doesn't do any housework at all. So it was quite a shock to her to learn to tidy her room, do the laundry and washing up. Yet surprisingly, she loved it! She got on very well with Jonathan's wife, and in the short space of a week, they grew very close. As did James with Jonathan. It became a very emotional farewell at the end of the week, with a eat-out, and the British teenagers tearfully giving heartfelt thanks to Jonathan and his wife, with not a dry eye amogst them. It was beautiful.

I think the Amish have a lot to teach us, and I am looking forward to the next three episodes of this series.

New Music: Il Divo - Regresa a mi (Unbreak My Heart)

Today I got an email from Muzu.tv letting me know about some new music videos Il Divo had uploaded, about some of the songs from their new album (they sound really good by the way), and then I stumbled across another music video they had uploaded. 'Regresa a mi' which means 'Unbreak My Heart' - which if I remember correctly, was originally a song by Toni Braxton, many years ago? Anyway, this is a beautiful and emotional version of the song, which somehow they've managed to make amazing in the way they arrange the song with their harmonious vocals. I fell in love with this, not only an amazing song the way they sing it, but also a lovely video, with an old-world feel to it. Is it set in the 1930s, or somewhere around there? I just love it. And I hope you do to...

Il Divo - Regresa A Mi (Unbreak My Heart)

on MUZU.

Nanowrimo 2011 Here I Come!

Nanowrimo 2011 is fast approaching, and I have decided to have another go at it. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It is a Big, Fun, Scary Challenge, but it's addictive and I love it. I am spending the last couple of weeks of October planning it, and hope to have a blast writing it next month. Here is the synopsis so far, it's called "Urban Sci-fi" (working title):

Urban Sci-fi

Earth, the fabled long lost homeworld of the human race has been found. There are billions of primitive humans living on the planet, blissfully unaware of the many extraterrestrial species eager to explore and exploit them and their little planet. In it's defence, an interplanetary Union despatches a covert team of human and non-human specialists to find and protect this planet from extraterrestrial exploitation. For some it is an exciting voyage of discovery, for others, an emotional journey to their homeworld, and discover the secret origin of their own species.

Yet just as they begin to uncover the mysteries of this planet, on the verge of discovering how the human race miraculously crossed over into space with no knowledge of their home planet, extraterrestrial enemies start crawling out of the asteroid belt, and prepare to wage war on them and their long lost planet.

You can follow my progress on the Nanowrimo website, my username is Green_Raven.

Wish Me Luck!

Hitch (A Short Writing Piece)

Here's a short piece I tried to keep down to 100 words, but landed on 116 instead. It's inspired by the move Hitch starring Will Smith. I recently rewatched it and loved it. So here's a little Drabble Day style writing based on the main character...

Tall, dark, and handsome. That was how they’d described him. The description fit pretty good. A pretty generic description, although Alex Hitchens was anything but generic. With a suave style all his own, a walk and a smile that exuded confidence with every sway of his well built shoulders. One wink and a lopsided grin from him, and every woman he aimed it at, would gladly fall to her knees. No woman could resist him. Except the one woman who stole his heart. All the while he was busy teaching others how to win the woman of their dreams - it was the woman of his dreams that finally taught him how to fall in love.

Autumn Cigar Box - 1/24th Scale!

Here is a new Cigar Box miniature scene I have just done, in 1/24th scale! I usually collect 1/12th scale doll house miniatures, so this was quite a challenge working with items half the size - especially with tiny apples! Hope you like what I've done, and everyone have a happy Autumnal Equinox! :)

Tree Landscape Complete!

I finally completed my landscape! It's been difficult working on this one, but I am so glad I finally completed it. It was worth finishing as now I am proud of it! There are still areas I need to improve on, I am a fledgling landscape artist, I do need to improve the contrast and make the picture darker in some areas. But this is a good start I think with a difficult reference image (see previous post). Thanks so much to Retha for offering me so much help and support - without you and would not have completed it!

It just goes to show that it is worth finishing your pictures, no matter how badly you think they are going - they do improve once completed, and you have something to be proud of!

Fantasy Creature - Gryphon

Today I had a go at Wetcanvas' Creature Feature - the challenge this month is to create a Gryphon, a fantasy creature with combined elements of an Eagle and a Lion. I have since discovered that I need a little more practice at drawing animals, as that's the best way to learn how to create convincing supernatural creatures. I am pleased with how my beak turned out, the eagle's head is good although I think I shortened the neck a little too much. The wings I would move further along the back, and possibly make them larger. Proportions are very difficult to get when you are combining various elements of different animals! Here is the reference photos I used to create this Gryphon.

A Happy Little Shieldbug!

Finally we have colour! I really had to push myself today to have a go at something. I haven't done any drawing for a while, and I guess the insecurities start to creep in. Can I still do this? But thankfully, once I chose a picture I liked, and looked simple enough for me to have a go at, this is what I came up with - A Happy Little Shieldbug!

I've seen these creatures in my back garden, I think they're really cute! Tiny, but they seem able to just leap from one plant leaf to another. Love them! :)

Fearless Fashion

Never be afraid to create your own style.

This is what I came up with today when I started to have a play on Polyvore. I created a funky red and black combination, being daring and fearless, and combining anything I damn well pleased! And it felt good! We should have more confidence in dressing ourselves up anyway we please. Never mind what anyone else thinks, this is our style, our fashion, we do it our way!

And this is the image that inspired me today:

Can't Wait to Put Your 20's Behind You?

I just discovered an article on Sienna Miller, saying she Can't wait to put her 20's behind her. Sienna Miller is a 29 year old English actress, model and fashion designer, who turns 30 in December later this year. She says she can't wait to put her 20's behind her and embrace her 30's.

"I think, if you put a camera in anyone's life and document it daily from the age of 21 to 27, there are going to be things that aren't always pretty. I feel as though I experienced my 20's in all their glory and all their disastrousness. Now, I'm much more calm. It feels like a new, more serious decade." Sienna said, then added, "I can't wait to be seen as a woman. But I know I probably have to contribute to that with behaviour."

I find this really interesting as I am also 29 at the moment, but don't turn 30 myself until next year. And now I wonder, will my 30's be better than my 20's? Perhaps the decade you spend living in your 20's is really an experimental decade, when you are still discovering who you are and who you want to be.

When I was younger, in my late teens, I thought when you were in your 20's, you had reached adulthood, and were a proper adult then. But now I'm not so sure. A lot of people in their early-mid 20's go to university or college, still learning their trade and profession, and figuring out who they want to be, and what they want to do with their life. Personally, I finished my education in my late teens, and started working then, in an office. Since then, on and off through different companies, I have pretty much done the same line of work, with one minor blip in cooking when I worked in the kitchen of a small cafe. But generally, it's been office work for me. I find myself at the end of my 20's decade, unemployed, unable so far to get an office job, and still harbouring what feels like distant dreams to be an artist and writer.

This decade hasn't been easy for me, being a teen in my previous decade seems a doddle in comparison. It was fairly straight forward what you do - you go to school because you have to, then it was a fairly easy decision to go to sixth form and study, because I didn't know what I wanted to do. But in this decade, there has been no straightforward plan, I have moved from company to company, and perhaps found it a little difficult adjusting to working life, student life seemed so much easier and familiar, which it would do after 12 years of education as a child. If I could go back and relive my 20's, I would probably do things differently, I've had some tough times then, so no I wouldn't want to relive it. But I hope that the next decade will be easier, with less difficulty. But who knows what the future holds?

I would like my next decade to be much more productive for me, doing the things I want to do. I want to become a respected lady, like Sienna Miller begins to describe. (I am very inspired by ElegantWoman.org website for that). I want to be ladylike and shed any bad habits I've accumulated over the last few years. I want to practice my art and become a skilled artist. If I had worked hard on my art in the few years I have been unemployed in my life, I am sure my skills would be much farther on my now. I also want to work on my fiction writing skills. Why can't I be a writer and get a novel published? Hard work and perseverance should improve my skills. And I'd like to improve my Maths skills without a calculator too.

Perhaps this next decade will be a self-improvement and accomplishment decade? One where I turn myself into a lady, improve my art, fiction and maths skills; get a part time job, and finally get my art and writing published. Then perhaps come the end of my 30's, I can look back with satisfaction and joy, thinking By Golly I've done a good job!

Book Review: The Vampire Diaries

I recently finished reading the first novel of Vampire Diaries - The Awakening & The Struggle (Books 1 and 2). I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I love the TV Series, and watched the first two seasons before reading this book. I got quite a surprise, the characters do not exactly match those in the series, sometimes it's just hair colour and history, and small differences in names, like Tyler Lockwood in the series, is known as Tyler Smallwood in this novel. But there are also large personality differences, and major plot differences, certain characters are killed and others turned into vampires that certainly hasn't happened in the series.

So in summary, if you are not too worried about differences between plots, characters and mythology between the series and the books, and you aren't looking for something to mirror the TV series you know and love, then happily read this book. Otherwise, I'd just stick to the series.