So I'm going to write. I had all of these plans, these backed up ideas of posts to write. And I finally sit down to get it all done, and all of my ideas just fade away. Posts that I set up are now meaningless, the threads of ideas that I had are long since gone. All of which is just a lesson to sit down and write...when the idea strikes.
Here I am on a bleak Monday night, sitting with the modern-day devil's advocate. I have Google at my finger tips, a mind that won't sit still, and a pint of ice cream. This is a recipe for insomnia - if that's even the right term for it. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my head that I feel I could go days without sleeping, then I see that it's 2 in the morning and I remember that I have to go to work tomorrow (even if said work is just my 3-yr-old).
I don't even know what I'm doing... And I'm not even sure if that statement is exclusive to this blog.
Well.. that's all the more I've got... Until next time.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Making Progress
My work on this Zero-to-Hero blogging project has been limited in this past week. In part, this is due to the days' workings not being compatible with Blogger. In part, this is from me picking up my knitting again - it's unfortunate that you can't knit and write at the same time.
In general I'm not very good at leaving comments for people, so those days were a challenge to begin with. However, I sort of followed through with Day 12 "From comment to blog post — be inspired by the community". A friend of mine takes part in the Pagan Blog Project every year (at the very least I heard about it from her last year and she started again last year). Following her Altars and Shrines post I was inspired to start myself. I'm still working on my posts, but I will catch up - this work will be on my other blog found here.
Today's (Day 18) specific assignment is about social media and using it to your advantage. I don't share all of my posts on my Facebook or Twitter accounts, though I do share some. I am still building confidence in my work, and still trying to round out my practice with this all. I started this project during a 2 week holiday when I was mostly just sitting on my couch, and I kept up with it that first week back to the office... then I started to falter.
Like I said, I picked up my knitting again. I'm working on this blanket, and I've finally updated the profile on it on my Ravelry account - note: you do need a free account to view. This image is one round past halfway. The final blanket will be 552 stitches round (about 38 inches), well square really. Though if I have enough yarn I'll go ahead and make the larger size, which is 888 stitches (about 48 inches).
I am quite happy with how it's turning out. The corners need some TLC when I get it off the needles, and hopefully all it will take is some heavy blocking. Even though I've had my challenges I'm looking forward to making another. So long as there are contrasting colors, this can be done fairly easily. The center is a trick unto itself, but everything after that is counting rows and remembering to do the increases. The original is in garter stitch, and I really would like to do another that was stockinette.
Beyond that I've started back on the book I'm reading, it's still slow going - but it's nice to be reading again. I just wish I could do all of these things at the same time - read, write, knit, draw... All of the things that require either your hands or your total mental focus, or in the rare case both. I'm happy to be active and dong stuff all the same.
In general I'm not very good at leaving comments for people, so those days were a challenge to begin with. However, I sort of followed through with Day 12 "From comment to blog post — be inspired by the community". A friend of mine takes part in the Pagan Blog Project every year (at the very least I heard about it from her last year and she started again last year). Following her Altars and Shrines post I was inspired to start myself. I'm still working on my posts, but I will catch up - this work will be on my other blog found here.
Today's (Day 18) specific assignment is about social media and using it to your advantage. I don't share all of my posts on my Facebook or Twitter accounts, though I do share some. I am still building confidence in my work, and still trying to round out my practice with this all. I started this project during a 2 week holiday when I was mostly just sitting on my couch, and I kept up with it that first week back to the office... then I started to falter.
Like I said, I picked up my knitting again. I'm working on this blanket, and I've finally updated the profile on it on my Ravelry account - note: you do need a free account to view. This image is one round past halfway. The final blanket will be 552 stitches round (about 38 inches), well square really. Though if I have enough yarn I'll go ahead and make the larger size, which is 888 stitches (about 48 inches).
I am quite happy with how it's turning out. The corners need some TLC when I get it off the needles, and hopefully all it will take is some heavy blocking. Even though I've had my challenges I'm looking forward to making another. So long as there are contrasting colors, this can be done fairly easily. The center is a trick unto itself, but everything after that is counting rows and remembering to do the increases. The original is in garter stitch, and I really would like to do another that was stockinette.
Beyond that I've started back on the book I'm reading, it's still slow going - but it's nice to be reading again. I just wish I could do all of these things at the same time - read, write, knit, draw... All of the things that require either your hands or your total mental focus, or in the rare case both. I'm happy to be active and dong stuff all the same.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Perspective
Every now and then I have a moment where twelve things dawn on me all at once - today is one of those days...
Days come and days go, years pass by with us hardly knowing. We are in a society where the finer things in life take a sort of back seat to the duties we must adhere to. Bills need to get paid, kids need to be fed, dishes washed, clothes cleaned, toys picked up, and on and on and on. Days turn to weeks, turn to months, turn to years - all of a sudden you're in a place and you don't know how you got there.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Breaking Out of the Box
The assignment for day 6 is about breaking habits, and trying new forms of expression. If your blog is mostly text - add a picture, or reference a tweet. If your blog already sticks to images - add a video, or a song. If you already do some of that, do something else. Break routine, and shake things up. Since I have tried some of the ideas offered, I'm going to explore other possibilities.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Changing it Up
Day 5 is all about changing the theme of the space. I cannot tell you how many hours I've gone through themes and layouts and whatnots with this specific space. Being someone with OCD issues and ADHD, the idea of changing something that I spent hours upon hours of tweaking to get it just.so is anxiety inducing. So. I am taking this task to my other blog - the one that is actually WordPress hosted: found here.
In the meantime, I'm going to openly explore my choices in 1) having two blogs, and 2) why I'm using different companies for this purpose. As the prompt for the day actually brings up the different places people have their blogs (and bless them for adding in the non-WordPress features for those of us not using their services in this project).
First things first, why do I have two blogs? Simple - I wanted one for my everyday non-committal type posts (this one), and I wanted one so that I could openly explore my journey into the Tarot (and other magickal things) without cluttering the space or confusing either genre of readers. For those who stick around for life experience - this is your spot. For those who are interested in how I go about my magickal practice - the other is for you. Or hang out in both :)
I am still developing and shaping the other blog space, and thus why I'm taking the more creative aspect of today's assignment there. I have 3 posts up - April & May 2013, and January 2014. Two of them are Tarot readings, and the other is a Welcome post. I do want to offer regular readings and explain my take on the cards, but somehow I feel that only doing that is just a waste of the technology WordPress has to offer, and somehow limiting in my expression.
Which leads me into part two - why two different companies instead of just creating separate space on one of them? Simple - I wanted to see what each had to offer. Without playing with them both how can I possibly decide where to keep my things? I know people who use each site, and from just looking alone I couldn't tell which would meet my needs better.
I do enjoy the simplicity of Blogger/Blogspot, it's user friendly and really nice when I just want to type and go. However, WordPress has a lot more customization options. Obviously not having too many posts up means I haven't explored things too thoroughly, but in the past week or two that I've been playing around shows me that it will likely meet, and possibly surpass, my needs and allow me true freedom.
So then I get into complicated territory... Do I maintain both places as they are? Do I move all of my posts over (whether I remove them from the unused blog space or not)? Do I not move my posts, but only update on the one space and just let the other die out? Do I, do I, do I? I don't know. I am starting to lean towards just moving everything over and continuing where I left off though. But then do I keep two separate blogs still? Do I wrap my tarot/other specific exploits all into the main "What I Call Life?"? Do I change the name? Given that the other blog still doesn't actually have a name, I do have a lot of freedom around this - I would anyways, but I think I've got more options since I don't.
Many thoughts, many many thoughts. And since the start of this Zero-to-Hero project, I'm also considering going out and buying my little corner of the internet. I may not have a following base, and I might never, but it's exciting to think about. However, that too brings on it's own set of complications if I continue this "2 blogs" thing. We'll see :)
Until next time.
In the meantime, I'm going to openly explore my choices in 1) having two blogs, and 2) why I'm using different companies for this purpose. As the prompt for the day actually brings up the different places people have their blogs (and bless them for adding in the non-WordPress features for those of us not using their services in this project).
First things first, why do I have two blogs? Simple - I wanted one for my everyday non-committal type posts (this one), and I wanted one so that I could openly explore my journey into the Tarot (and other magickal things) without cluttering the space or confusing either genre of readers. For those who stick around for life experience - this is your spot. For those who are interested in how I go about my magickal practice - the other is for you. Or hang out in both :)
I am still developing and shaping the other blog space, and thus why I'm taking the more creative aspect of today's assignment there. I have 3 posts up - April & May 2013, and January 2014. Two of them are Tarot readings, and the other is a Welcome post. I do want to offer regular readings and explain my take on the cards, but somehow I feel that only doing that is just a waste of the technology WordPress has to offer, and somehow limiting in my expression.
Which leads me into part two - why two different companies instead of just creating separate space on one of them? Simple - I wanted to see what each had to offer. Without playing with them both how can I possibly decide where to keep my things? I know people who use each site, and from just looking alone I couldn't tell which would meet my needs better.
I do enjoy the simplicity of Blogger/Blogspot, it's user friendly and really nice when I just want to type and go. However, WordPress has a lot more customization options. Obviously not having too many posts up means I haven't explored things too thoroughly, but in the past week or two that I've been playing around shows me that it will likely meet, and possibly surpass, my needs and allow me true freedom.
So then I get into complicated territory... Do I maintain both places as they are? Do I move all of my posts over (whether I remove them from the unused blog space or not)? Do I not move my posts, but only update on the one space and just let the other die out? Do I, do I, do I? I don't know. I am starting to lean towards just moving everything over and continuing where I left off though. But then do I keep two separate blogs still? Do I wrap my tarot/other specific exploits all into the main "What I Call Life?"? Do I change the name? Given that the other blog still doesn't actually have a name, I do have a lot of freedom around this - I would anyways, but I think I've got more options since I don't.
Many thoughts, many many thoughts. And since the start of this Zero-to-Hero project, I'm also considering going out and buying my little corner of the internet. I may not have a following base, and I might never, but it's exciting to think about. However, that too brings on it's own set of complications if I continue this "2 blogs" thing. We'll see :)
Until next time.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Mind Games
Day 3 of this little adventure is writing about what made me want to blog in the first place.
I had originally started this blog as a journey into my single-parenthood. I wrote about my beautiful son, how he came to be, and the magic he possesses. Then I got wrapped up in actually being a mom. That post sat up on the interwebs for I don't know how long, it had 0 views (or close to it), and when I came back sometimes in 2012 I decided that that wasn't to be my main focus in this space. While I have and will continue to write about moments of my parenthood, I don't want this to be all baby all the time. I wanted the freedom to explore my writing.
When I finally started getting serious about blogging, I was into my Initiation year of becoming a Priestess within my coven. My magickal nature is not one that I hide, and is something I'm quite proud of in fact. So the first visible post is just that - my magickal journey. I thought that I wanted this space to be for magick specific topics, but that didn't happen - and is actually why there are only a handful of posts for 2012. Also, I moved - twice, and that took a lot out of me. (I'm still going through boxes if that gives you any idea.)
2013 came around and I just started writing. Whatever came to me - I put it down. It is what it is, and I'm proud I did it. I wanted to write more, and I'm sad that I didn't. Who knows how many countless entries I could have added if I had just sat down to write.
This year I plan to do just that - sit down to write when I feel the need, even if I don't have something clear and concise to put into writing.
I'm still trying to process just all that I want to accomplish in life. Part of me wants to write a book - of what, I do not know, yet it's still sitting there in the recesses of my mind. Blogging, to me, is the first step of that journey. If I can't commit to writing once a week, or when inspiration strikes, or on any other defined timetable - how can I possibly commit to writing a full book?
I'm also doing a lot of soul searching right now. I'm trying to figure out the ins and outs of my mind. What makes me tick, what makes me happy, sad, etc. This is a really visible way for me to do that. I have to hold myself accountable if I'm going to put it on the net. That's a big step to be taking.
Where I'm going - I don't know, but I'm committed to enjoying the ride :)
I had originally started this blog as a journey into my single-parenthood. I wrote about my beautiful son, how he came to be, and the magic he possesses. Then I got wrapped up in actually being a mom. That post sat up on the interwebs for I don't know how long, it had 0 views (or close to it), and when I came back sometimes in 2012 I decided that that wasn't to be my main focus in this space. While I have and will continue to write about moments of my parenthood, I don't want this to be all baby all the time. I wanted the freedom to explore my writing.
When I finally started getting serious about blogging, I was into my Initiation year of becoming a Priestess within my coven. My magickal nature is not one that I hide, and is something I'm quite proud of in fact. So the first visible post is just that - my magickal journey. I thought that I wanted this space to be for magick specific topics, but that didn't happen - and is actually why there are only a handful of posts for 2012. Also, I moved - twice, and that took a lot out of me. (I'm still going through boxes if that gives you any idea.)
2013 came around and I just started writing. Whatever came to me - I put it down. It is what it is, and I'm proud I did it. I wanted to write more, and I'm sad that I didn't. Who knows how many countless entries I could have added if I had just sat down to write.
This year I plan to do just that - sit down to write when I feel the need, even if I don't have something clear and concise to put into writing.
I'm still trying to process just all that I want to accomplish in life. Part of me wants to write a book - of what, I do not know, yet it's still sitting there in the recesses of my mind. Blogging, to me, is the first step of that journey. If I can't commit to writing once a week, or when inspiration strikes, or on any other defined timetable - how can I possibly commit to writing a full book?
I'm also doing a lot of soul searching right now. I'm trying to figure out the ins and outs of my mind. What makes me tick, what makes me happy, sad, etc. This is a really visible way for me to do that. I have to hold myself accountable if I'm going to put it on the net. That's a big step to be taking.
Where I'm going - I don't know, but I'm committed to enjoying the ride :)
Friday, January 3, 2014
Brand New Day
Today I'm jumping in with both feet into this blogging assignment that I've taken on...
Day 1: Why am I here? Why have I started blogging? What do I hope to accomplish? etc. etc.
Looking back at my blogging history - I never did a "How do you do" post. So let me...
I created this space so that I could have an outlet, a place to share the various things happening in my life. To this day I still think this objective is true. I enjoy greatly having something come to mind, and having the freedom to put it all into this on space. This is my life, and what I'm doing with it. Sometimes it's nonsensical, sometimes it's something that I hold dear to my heart.
This year I'm hoping that I can figure out just exactly what it is I'm doing in this world, and if it's one I'm going to stay in. Maybe I'll gain a sense of direction. Maybe I'll be more crazy than I already am. All I know is that I'm not getting any younger, and today is the day that marks the beginning of the rest of my life. If I'm not doing something I love, or even care deeply about, then it's a waste. And life is too precious to waste.
Day 2: Create a title, and update the tag line accordingly. Also, create a widget. I'm starting to gather that widgets are a really cool thing that these Wordpress writers quite enjoy.
In revisiting my title and tag line I really like the name "What I Call Life". Because this blog is not meant to cover one aspect of my life and I want to be free to write about whatever I choose, I think that title is fitting. I'm sure it could be more original, but I'm not great at playing with words in such a way that others would be able to understand.
My tag line "This is just me going through life, wandering about, and discovering things along my way". Again, this could probably use some updating - but again, I'm not sure how. I might change the "my" to "the", but beyond that I'm at a loss.
Back when I created this blog, I did spend a lot of time going over this stuff. I knew it would be a 'take it or leave it' item in the eyes of my readers. I hope that people haven't dismissed my page as a direct result of these items, and have actually given my posts a read.
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| Shamelessly taken from the Zero to Hero page. |
Looking back at my blogging history - I never did a "How do you do" post. So let me...
I created this space so that I could have an outlet, a place to share the various things happening in my life. To this day I still think this objective is true. I enjoy greatly having something come to mind, and having the freedom to put it all into this on space. This is my life, and what I'm doing with it. Sometimes it's nonsensical, sometimes it's something that I hold dear to my heart.
This year I'm hoping that I can figure out just exactly what it is I'm doing in this world, and if it's one I'm going to stay in. Maybe I'll gain a sense of direction. Maybe I'll be more crazy than I already am. All I know is that I'm not getting any younger, and today is the day that marks the beginning of the rest of my life. If I'm not doing something I love, or even care deeply about, then it's a waste. And life is too precious to waste.
Day 2: Create a title, and update the tag line accordingly. Also, create a widget. I'm starting to gather that widgets are a really cool thing that these Wordpress writers quite enjoy.
In revisiting my title and tag line I really like the name "What I Call Life". Because this blog is not meant to cover one aspect of my life and I want to be free to write about whatever I choose, I think that title is fitting. I'm sure it could be more original, but I'm not great at playing with words in such a way that others would be able to understand.
My tag line "This is just me going through life, wandering about, and discovering things along my way". Again, this could probably use some updating - but again, I'm not sure how. I might change the "my" to "the", but beyond that I'm at a loss.
Back when I created this blog, I did spend a lot of time going over this stuff. I knew it would be a 'take it or leave it' item in the eyes of my readers. I hope that people haven't dismissed my page as a direct result of these items, and have actually given my posts a read.
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