Because I'm filled with debilitating panic about my life today, I can only focus on very easy things. Like giving you links to awesome stuff!
Ready? Ok, me too.
1) My friend Katie has an awesome blog and she is currently collecting submissions for a giveaway! She's a wonderful painter and you'd be lucky to win, damnit. Check it out.
2) The organization I'm currently freelancing at, Reading Is Fundamental, just launched a new campaign. Go watch the video and take the pledge. Also, I got to meet Questlove because of this. That was sweet.
3) This. To be honest, I haven't given enough time to actually look it and figure out exactly what is the what. BUT I think it is probably cool. In fact, why don't you go see and tell me if it's cool. Thanks.
4) I need this in a men's size small and I need it now. I keep telling myself I'm over putting Pantone on everything... but, I'm kind of not. Plus MUPPETS.
Okay, that's all for now.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
freelancing
Well, I said I would update you on my crazy life on Sunday... and it is
now Friday. However, I'm posting twice in one week, so you should be
thankful I didn't wait until May (not that people read this regularly).
So, I haven't been a barista in over a month. I miss the following things about it: the people I worked with, having free delicious coffee/espresso/tea whenever I wanted it, always having cash from tips, not paying for meals, listening to Tegan and Sara on repeat (wait, I still do that) and having lots of free-time on weekdays. Don't get me wrong, it was probably better that I left, but I miss those crazy kids.
Now I'm working with a staffing agency (they only finds "creative" positions and they're actually super wonderful people) and working full-time freelance positions. I'm on my second placement (which is approximately infinity-times better than my first one) and I'm really enjoying it. I'm learning a ton and the people are great, but it is still scary as hell. Initially, this was supposed to be a one-week assignment. I was kind of not thrilled with the idea of working for a week and then (possibly) being unemployed, but I had nothing else going on so I went for it. Well, I'm finishing up my second week and coming back for a third.
This day-to-day and week-to-week uncertainty is kind of torture for an anxiety-ridden person like me. Add in the fact that I haven't had health insurance in almost a year (I'm a hypochondriac, so, ah!) and I am closely resembling a tightly-wound ball of stress lately. I guess I shouldn't be complaining- I'm employed, ya know? Hopefully, I'll adjust to this schedule sooner rather than later.
In better news, Earth Day Pub Crawl this weekend! I will update you all next week.
So, I haven't been a barista in over a month. I miss the following things about it: the people I worked with, having free delicious coffee/espresso/tea whenever I wanted it, always having cash from tips, not paying for meals, listening to Tegan and Sara on repeat (wait, I still do that) and having lots of free-time on weekdays. Don't get me wrong, it was probably better that I left, but I miss those crazy kids.
Now I'm working with a staffing agency (they only finds "creative" positions and they're actually super wonderful people) and working full-time freelance positions. I'm on my second placement (which is approximately infinity-times better than my first one) and I'm really enjoying it. I'm learning a ton and the people are great, but it is still scary as hell. Initially, this was supposed to be a one-week assignment. I was kind of not thrilled with the idea of working for a week and then (possibly) being unemployed, but I had nothing else going on so I went for it. Well, I'm finishing up my second week and coming back for a third.
This day-to-day and week-to-week uncertainty is kind of torture for an anxiety-ridden person like me. Add in the fact that I haven't had health insurance in almost a year (I'm a hypochondriac, so, ah!) and I am closely resembling a tightly-wound ball of stress lately. I guess I shouldn't be complaining- I'm employed, ya know? Hopefully, I'll adjust to this schedule sooner rather than later.
In better news, Earth Day Pub Crawl this weekend! I will update you all next week.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
happy record store day!
Well, I really shit the bed with my attempt at #30daysofGOOD. In my defense... I... don't really have a defense. I'm still going to attempt to check everything off that list in my own sweet time.
The past few weeks have been kind of crazy- but I'll get to that tomorrow (maybe...). Right now, I just want to celebrate Record Store Day! In honor of this glorious day, I present to you...
Three records that changed my life!*
1)"OK Computer" by Radiohead
First of all, I am just extremely thankful that I have two sensible older brothers who listen to good music (though slightly too "jam bandy" for my taste). I honestly don't know what kind of person I would be without their influence. My guess? I would be way more lame than I already am.
I remember listening to this album in my brother Jeffrey's tiny room. At the time, I think I was pretty into boy bands and pop music (z100 like woah), so this was quite a departure. I didn't appreciate the album at the time (I really loved "Karma Police," but I thought some of the other stuff was a little weird), but looking back- I'm just so glad I was exposed to something besides BSB. Radiohead is now one of my favorite bands.
2) "Lifted, or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground" by Bright Eyes
This was probably the first album where, after buying it, I got home and shut myself in my room and listened to the whole thing several times (while reading the lyrics, of course). I was a confused, emotional teenager and it was like Conor Oberst was screaming out all my feelings. (I had a lot of feelings.) To this day, whenever I hear the first few notes of "Lover I Don't Have To Love" I am magically transported back to my Honda Civic- speeding around New Jersey back roads in the dark and screaming at the top of my lungs.
This record also connected me to other "Indie-type" artists (Rilo Kiley, Death Cab, Tilly and the Wall, etc.), which in turn led to me feeling like part of a community of people who were actually kind of similar to me.
3) "Little Plastic Castle" by Ani DiFranco
Shockingly, I started listening to Ani as I was coming out (both to myself and to the world). In fact, the first person I ever verbally came out to was an Ani-loving, free-spirited pothead named Amy (at least, I think that was her name... it is terrible that I don't remember).
It's not really enough to say that it was a breath of fresh air. It was actually more like finally being able to breathe after being denied any oxygen for years. It felt that good and scary and exhilarating and terrifying and gratifying. To hear this woman sing about having sex and relationships with other women like it was all the most normal thing in the world... I mean... what?? It just blew my mind.
So those are three records that changed my life. Maybe I'll find another one this afternoon.
*Please note: these are not my three favorite records or the three best records I've ever heard. They just all impacted my life in significant ways.
The past few weeks have been kind of crazy- but I'll get to that tomorrow (maybe...). Right now, I just want to celebrate Record Store Day! In honor of this glorious day, I present to you...
Three records that changed my life!*
1)"OK Computer" by Radiohead
First of all, I am just extremely thankful that I have two sensible older brothers who listen to good music (though slightly too "jam bandy" for my taste). I honestly don't know what kind of person I would be without their influence. My guess? I would be way more lame than I already am.
I remember listening to this album in my brother Jeffrey's tiny room. At the time, I think I was pretty into boy bands and pop music (z100 like woah), so this was quite a departure. I didn't appreciate the album at the time (I really loved "Karma Police," but I thought some of the other stuff was a little weird), but looking back- I'm just so glad I was exposed to something besides BSB. Radiohead is now one of my favorite bands.
2) "Lifted, or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground" by Bright Eyes
This was probably the first album where, after buying it, I got home and shut myself in my room and listened to the whole thing several times (while reading the lyrics, of course). I was a confused, emotional teenager and it was like Conor Oberst was screaming out all my feelings. (I had a lot of feelings.) To this day, whenever I hear the first few notes of "Lover I Don't Have To Love" I am magically transported back to my Honda Civic- speeding around New Jersey back roads in the dark and screaming at the top of my lungs.
This record also connected me to other "Indie-type" artists (Rilo Kiley, Death Cab, Tilly and the Wall, etc.), which in turn led to me feeling like part of a community of people who were actually kind of similar to me.
3) "Little Plastic Castle" by Ani DiFranco
Shockingly, I started listening to Ani as I was coming out (both to myself and to the world). In fact, the first person I ever verbally came out to was an Ani-loving, free-spirited pothead named Amy (at least, I think that was her name... it is terrible that I don't remember).
It's not really enough to say that it was a breath of fresh air. It was actually more like finally being able to breathe after being denied any oxygen for years. It felt that good and scary and exhilarating and terrifying and gratifying. To hear this woman sing about having sex and relationships with other women like it was all the most normal thing in the world... I mean... what?? It just blew my mind.
So those are three records that changed my life. Maybe I'll find another one this afternoon.
*Please note: these are not my three favorite records or the three best records I've ever heard. They just all impacted my life in significant ways.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
more 30 days of good...
Oops... as it turns out, March is almost over. When did that happen?
I've checked the following items off my list:
+ Take a photo
Took this yesterday while attempting (and failing) to see the cherry blossoms.
+ Create something handmade and give it to someone:
I guess, to be fair, I didn't make this in March... but I gave it in March. Count it? Count it.
+Make a card for someone you love (happy anniversary, Steph!):
+ Add and art blog's RSS feed to your reader:
http://dcartnews.blogspot.com/
+ Frame something you have been meaning to frame:
I'm finally getting my Decemberists poster framed... only 4+ years later...
+ Support the local arts scene by going to a local festival, music event, art show, play, museum exhibit, etc.
Not sure The Black Keys count as local... but the concert was in DC.
Yikes, time for a mad dash to the finish.
I've checked the following items off my list:
+ Take a photo
Took this yesterday while attempting (and failing) to see the cherry blossoms.
+ Create something handmade and give it to someone:
I guess, to be fair, I didn't make this in March... but I gave it in March. Count it? Count it.
+Make a card for someone you love (happy anniversary, Steph!):
+ Add and art blog's RSS feed to your reader:
http://dcartnews.blogspot.com/
+ Frame something you have been meaning to frame:
I'm finally getting my Decemberists poster framed... only 4+ years later...
+ Support the local arts scene by going to a local festival, music event, art show, play, museum exhibit, etc.
Not sure The Black Keys count as local... but the concert was in DC.
Yikes, time for a mad dash to the finish.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
GOOD 30-day challenge
This (along with the freelance design gig I just got... more to come on that later) is the perfect thing to get me out of a somewhat stagnant creative period.
I know that all the tasks are listed on the website, but there is something so gratifying about checking boxes- pen on paper.
Plus, Steph gave me this sweet notebook:
I know that all the tasks are listed on the website, but there is something so gratifying about checking boxes- pen on paper.
Plus, Steph gave me this sweet notebook:
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
the time has come...
me: steph...
i have something important to tell you
and i feel like you should be the first to know.Stephanie: ok
me: i
gosh this is hard to say
i think i'm going to
Stephanie: haha ok...
me: start using twitter.
Stephanie: hahaha i love you
me: i'm so ashamed
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
where do we go from here?*
Yesterday was my day off from work and I spent it on the couch, feeling down and crappy. I finished watching Party Down (which was great, btw). This is fairly sad considering to finish watching the series, I watched about one and half seasons yesterday.
Anyway, I found myself relating way too much with most of the characters. Though they are struggling actors and I'm a struggling graphic designer, the sentiment is pretty much the same. When the fuck is someone going to say yes instead of no? Am I actually good enough to do this? Should I keep blindly or stubbornly trying to "make it?" I guess it kind of brought to a head all the frustration and anger and sadness I've been feeling (or, more accurately, trying to ignore) lately about my "career."
Well, I don't want to drop any spoilers here, but I will say that the series finale had kind of an open-ended finish that I'm choosing to view in a positive way. So, this morning I went to work when it was still dark out with a slightly better-than-usual attitude. And when I got home, I decided to go for a run (instead of putting it off as I have been lately).
I had probably my best run since I've recovered (more or less) from my foot injury (stress fracture? who knows). I didn't stop or slow down at all and I pushed myself to speed up at the end even though I didn't have much left. The weather was amazing (is it really almost February?) and I was feeling pretty great when I walked home to cool down. To top it all off, I was greeted by an email when I got home proclaiming that I had set a personal milestone for distance. (To be fair, this is only because I just started using a running app for my iPhone, so it was my first recorded run. I literally could have run .25 miles and it would have sent me the same email. Whatever, it was inspirational.)
I'm not really sure what this semi-rambling post is aiming at. Do I think that I've turned a corner and am all of a sudden going to get a super fulfilling job? Mmm, that'd be awesome, but no, not really. I guess I just feel like trying harder than I have in a while and, just maybe, attempting to not get so discouraged by every setback.
*Yeah, this post title is a song from the Buffy musical, so what?
Anyway, I found myself relating way too much with most of the characters. Though they are struggling actors and I'm a struggling graphic designer, the sentiment is pretty much the same. When the fuck is someone going to say yes instead of no? Am I actually good enough to do this? Should I keep blindly or stubbornly trying to "make it?" I guess it kind of brought to a head all the frustration and anger and sadness I've been feeling (or, more accurately, trying to ignore) lately about my "career."
Well, I don't want to drop any spoilers here, but I will say that the series finale had kind of an open-ended finish that I'm choosing to view in a positive way. So, this morning I went to work when it was still dark out with a slightly better-than-usual attitude. And when I got home, I decided to go for a run (instead of putting it off as I have been lately).
I had probably my best run since I've recovered (more or less) from my foot injury (stress fracture? who knows). I didn't stop or slow down at all and I pushed myself to speed up at the end even though I didn't have much left. The weather was amazing (is it really almost February?) and I was feeling pretty great when I walked home to cool down. To top it all off, I was greeted by an email when I got home proclaiming that I had set a personal milestone for distance. (To be fair, this is only because I just started using a running app for my iPhone, so it was my first recorded run. I literally could have run .25 miles and it would have sent me the same email. Whatever, it was inspirational.)
I'm not really sure what this semi-rambling post is aiming at. Do I think that I've turned a corner and am all of a sudden going to get a super fulfilling job? Mmm, that'd be awesome, but no, not really. I guess I just feel like trying harder than I have in a while and, just maybe, attempting to not get so discouraged by every setback.
*Yeah, this post title is a song from the Buffy musical, so what?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
my life is awesome.
[Ellie, one of my cats (obvi), jumps over to me on the couch and rubs her head all over the book I'm reading.]
Me: "Ellie, you know what? I'm reading here. I am not going to pet you right now."
[Ellie purrs and continues rubbing her face on my book.]
Me: "Everything is not about you, okay? Right now, I'm reading and I want to keep doing that. So, sorry."
[Ellie meows loudly and looks at me.]
Me: "I mean, do you ever wake up and say, 'Hey Jenna, do you maybe want to be scratched on your face or on your head?' Which I know you know I like. [Pause while Ellie keeps purring, loudly.] No, you have never done that once. Not ever."
Me: "Ellie, you know what? I'm reading here. I am not going to pet you right now."
[Ellie purrs and continues rubbing her face on my book.]
Me: "Everything is not about you, okay? Right now, I'm reading and I want to keep doing that. So, sorry."
[Ellie meows loudly and looks at me.]
Me: "I mean, do you ever wake up and say, 'Hey Jenna, do you maybe want to be scratched on your face or on your head?' Which I know you know I like. [Pause while Ellie keeps purring, loudly.] No, you have never done that once. Not ever."
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