Step By Step

I cannot stress enough the joy I get from reading Guy Kawasaki's book. As a graphic designer, I want to enchant people through my work. I want to make the world (or maybe just one persons) life better with the skills I have and am continuing to learn. I always say that if I can make even just one person smile, then it's been a great day. I try to stick to that and help bring joy into the simplest and/or smallest things. Sometimes I get so caught up in thinking about the future...how to promote myself, where to work, among other life stresses...I forget to start in the moment where I am. Even writing this blog could be considered one of those moments; if it helps inspire someone to take a look around and breathe during a busy day. I think we're all capable of enchanting others in our own unique way. We just need to remember that.

Go Stand in a Lighthouse

Greetings and Salutations! 

Well, we just pulled into the drive and to tell you the truth, I want to turn right back around and head out on another adventure. It was great to get away for a while. Mind you, I can’t say I was entirely disconnected from the social media scene; I still checked Facebook periodically to upload photographs of our shenanigans and what not. Social media holds a large spot in our day-to-day lives, but it was and is nice to not think about it for a time. I don’t want to always be reaching for my phone. When I was standing in the oldest wooden lighthouse in Canada; watching Lake Erie’s frozen waters gleam in the sunlight, the last thing on my mind was “Oooo I should Tweet this”. My family did want me to post certain events online as they occurred, such as our St. Patrick’s Day festivities and our meeting with the Stanley Cup. For moments like this, social media made for a fun time bringing us together and sharing a laugh. At the same time, I didn’t feel an overwhelming need or urge to keep checking my devices. A goal of mine in the social media world has always been to stay active and connected, without feeling like I’m being consumed. I think I achieved it on this trip, and I hope to keep up with it in the future. 

Switching gears here; the lighthouse I referred to is in Port Burwell, Ontario. It stands next to Port Burwell’s Marine Museum. Near it, you will find the incredible submarine Ojibwa, which you can tour (highly recommended). The lighthouse was completed in 1840 and stands sixty-five feet high. Renovations took place in the 1950’s, but much of the original lumber remained. I have always had a soft spot for lighthouses in my life, so going up into one took my breath away. There was room for…well, the lamp lens...and that's basically it. I barely fit! It was peaceful. I found myself thinking about all the ships it helped guide to safety over the years; and the sadness of the shipwrecks it must have seen...

And wow, what a view.

Off We Go!

Each and every place we travel brings different memories, feelings, and people. As much as I love journeying overseas, there is something unique about exploring “your own backyard” as it were. Going out West is a favorite of mine. When you’re able to hike to a place of quiet solitude; just you and the trees seem to exist. You can hear the wind rushing through them and all through the hills and valleys below. I always feel a peace here that has never been matched anywhere else. If happiness were something I could bottle, I would try to fit these moments into it and seal it up tight for a rainy day. Today brings new adventures as my family and I head North into Canada. Niagara Falls, Moose, and the Stanley Cup wait for our arrival. (There’s more, but I just condensed it for now). Canada will leave an impression, just as every other place has, and I’m excited to add these to my memories. I’m sure this trip will present me with new blog material too. So, as much as I enjoy social media…it will be refreshing to get away for a few days. Ciao for now friends!

Feeling At Home

People react in interesting ways when they hear the term “home schooled”. A whole slew of thoughts, assumptions, and stereotypes arise. Honestly, as someone who was home schooled for part of my education, I find it rather interesting to look back at the way different friends of mine reacted to it. I am not denying that there are individuals who give rise to some of these stereotypes; I am simply saying that I think they are exaggerated quite a bit. I am also saying that it is not healthy to assume that every person who was ever home educated fits into a stereotype. Some assumptions I have encountered include, but are not limited to: being the overly sheltered/unprepared child, the overly religious child, the over achiever, the kid with no friends, etc.

When many of my friends heard I was going to, as some of them put it, “try the home school thing”, I was immediately put into a sort of category. I didn’t like that one bit. Who likes anyone, let alone friends, making assumptions about you? They seemed to think I would be changing or disappearing from the face of the Earth. It wasn’t until after some time had passed that they realized I was still…well…me, and then they changed their behavior. I began to see it as a sort of challenge; show them that most home schoolers, myself included, don’t fit stereotypes. I had my studies, my schedule, my friends…I felt perfectly "normal". It was just a matter of helping others understand this. Some argue that I actually became more social once I started home schooling; which is funny considering many think just the opposite will happen.

I was once asked, "So…do you actually see people? Do you have friends?”

Yes, world. Yes I do.

It was the way in which they asked the question that worried me. They sounded terrified! As if they thought I only saw the Sun but once every few weeks.

I hope I was able to show them a glimpse into my world and help them feel at ease. If people could take a step back before jumping to conclusions they just might realize that their life isn't too different from the person standing next to them. :) 

Think. Thought. Thunk.

I sit here. I sit here staring at this blank screen. For the first time in a very long time, I am uncertain about what to write. I didn't really pick a theme for my blog. It's more a rambling of writings that I hope people will find humorous, helpful, and/or happy. We have such a wide range of subject matter at our fingertips to blog about...yet even so, it can be a daunting task at times. And, even if ones blog has a central theme, writers block can still occur. Therefore, my problem has just turned into my solution! I thought it might be helpful to share some of my tactics for combating the blank page. They are pretty common, so maybe they won’t be as useful as I hope, but you never know.

One technique I’ve used in the past has been writing my stream of consciousness. Just sit down and begin to write, and don’t stop for at least three minutes (or whatever time you see fit). Whatever comes into your brain, write it down. It doesn’t have to make sense or contain proper punctuation at this point. The main purpose is to get some ideas flowing. Another useful strategy is to keep a small notebook on hand. It’s helpful for jotting down ideas as they come to you. Nowadays I use the notepad on my cell phone too. Sometimes it’s just important to remember to get up and walk around for a while or work on a separate project, then come back to the page and see if your writer’s block has gone. Mind maps are another useful tool, and one that is often used to grow ideas for design as well.  I love mind maps because they allow you to draw connections you otherwise might have missed. It's a nice visual representation of thought processes. I hope these are helpful! Maybe you have a few of your own to add!