Feeling Accomplished

There are some systems that suggest that when you have a task list, you should prioritize and do the most important tasks first. Or the hardest task first. Well, that might be effective...for somebody. It doesn't work at all for me.

I'm a habitual lister and I'm also easily distracted. I'm usually doing too many things at once, so the lists actually help me to remember what I've done and what I need to do. Then I cross things off as I go along and I begin to see the list dwindling down and lots of spaces between items (because I list in my Blakkberry). That makes me happy. What works best for me is writing my list the night before and attacking the easiest items as soon as I get out of bed. By the time I've crossed 5 small things off my list, I'm on a roll. I'm feeling good about myself and about my progress. I'm excited about all the stuff I've done already and oddly enough it gives me energy as opposed to just making me feel like I've been working all morning. If I start a difficult task early in the day and it takes 4 hours, when those 4 hours are up, I feel like I can't do anything else. I'm tired. I'm annoyed. So, when I have big things like that, I may not get to as much in a day. It's odd, but whatever. It works.

I gave my list the business today! Only 1 task left. Could have done it, but I decided to blog instead. Lukky you!

P.S. I finished one shoe. Decided, after looking at it for a while, that I don't like it. I will be starting over from the beginning. Yay!! -__-

2 Things I Learned While Not Painting...Aha!

I'm bakk. Still working on the shoes. I say I'm about 35% done. I'm STILL not sure how I feel about them, but I'm going to rokk them anyway. I've already pikked an outfit and everything. I'm excited. To finish something. To finally be done with these shoes. To have something new to wear. That's plenty. I'm also hungry, but that's for a different blog. Anyway, while I'm waiting on side one of shoe one to dry, I figured I'd write a blog. I've learned two big things (so far) during my hiatus this past month.

Thing 1: I can't be a housewife. I was thinking, "I could do that. I could be a housewife." Spend my days taking care of home. That's what I do anyway. Especially now, considering mommy's not able to help much anymore. But, up until recently, I always had my work too. Man, when I made a decision to stop painting, although indefinitely, tomorrow suddenly became very boring. I didn't have anything to look forward to BUT laundry and dishes. Cleaning and bills. Mommy doesn't even have her weekly doctor's visits anymore, which completely ended my weekly date with self. Womp and double womp. I didn't realize how much substance work was adding to my life. So, I've resolved to be a working housewife. Ha! Now...I just need a husband. :o)

Thing 2: I had aha moment. As mentioned, repeatedly, I've been some sort of miserable since I haven't been painting. And when I'd post it people would say "well, just go paint." But I had resolved not to do that, so I could take care of home. I was putting everything before what my mind/body/heart was telling me to do. GO PAINT! Granted some things couldn't wait, but most of them could. I hadn't really considered it until now, how much I'd put it on the bakkburner...for laundry. For grocery shopping. For dinner. For anything else that was important. But everybody that has a 9-5 still grocery shops. They still cook dinner. They still do laundry. They probably don't sleep much, and I do...but still. Why is it that I felt I couldn't do both? I was treating my profession like a hobby. Damn.

That blew my mind. I am so ashamed. I get so offended when other people act like it's a hobby...like I just do this for fun, when that's the way I've been treating it. Not that I don't respect my work, it's just that I'm always finding something more "important." If I didn't have an order, painting had to wait. It was me taking advantage of myself, the flexibility of working from home and being my own boss. I think the fact that I enjoy painting made it easier for me to do that. I was feeling like I was sacrificing something that made me happy to do some things that I needed to do. Something that I considered work. Like if it's fun, it doesn't count. Silly, silly SYM. *shakes head at self*

Well, now that I realized that, I'm going to do better. No, I'm not opening the store again. Not yet. I still have to prioritize and I can't fully commit to both. I can, however, commit to making time to create. To give my work the respect it deserves. To put it on the list of things that MUST BE DONE, whether I'm bombarded with orders or have time to simply work on something new. It makes me happy. It keeps me even.  It pays the bills. It supports my family. I can't stay away. And that's the way it always should have always been. This is not a hobby. It just happens to be a job I like to show up to.

Update: I have needs!!!

Hey everyone,

I missed writing. I miss my paint. So, I thought I'd just shoot you all a quikk update on how things are going over here.

I suffer. Not a lot, but a little. I miss my paint SO much. True enough, I should and intend to paint just because. For fun. For personal pleasure. I just haven't found the time yet. It's been a month. I know, during these times, it's important to carve out time for myself just to do things to keep me....even. I have been. ANYthing to get out of the house. Even if it's just to the gas station. lol. I read a book...in one day. Those are one of my great escapes and I can do that in the room with mommy. It's convenient.

The paint, however, is messy and it restricts me to a certain part of the house...away from her. Then with all the housework and the day to day stuff, that I really feel should come first, it seems like a lot. Well today, I'm saying fukk that natural disaster that is my bedroom! I'm pulling out the paints today! I'm going to work on those boots that I mentioned here in 2010. *shrugs* Sometimes it takes a while for an idea to come together. I still don't know what I'm going to do to them. I'm thinking florals and stripes. Something graphic. We shall see.

Mommy's still hanging. She was able to share another birthday with me. Her friends came to visit. She had a good time. All is well. :o)

Until next time friends...

SYM STORE CLOSING (Indefinitely)

As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Despite aggressive treatment it appears the cancer is spreading and I have decided to make more time to spend with her. In order to save myself some of the hassle and headaches, I will be CLOSING THE STORE on Friday February 10th. Although it is my intention to open the store again, I cannot give you a definitive date as to when that will take place. In that respect, I have also decided to have my BIRTHDAY SALE early. if there's anything that you would like from the store, please purchase it now as I do not know when I will be accepting orders again.

50% off EVERYTHING using code "HAPBDAYSYM" @http://sym1didit.bigcartel.com/ Also, I have "Egypt" "Naomi's Garden" "Leilani" and "Scrambled Legs" available, but not at the sale price. If you're interested in any of these, please contact me directly and we'll work that out. Prices good until Friday Feb. 10th.


Also, since I may not be painting much...or at all, that means there won't be many blog posts either. Feel free to chekk out some previous posts while I take care of my situation at home. There are plenty to choose  from. Then, when that gets old, prepare yourself. I'll be bakk with something extraordinary. At least that's the plan. 




Thanks in advance for your support and prayers. 


SYM

Naomi's Garden

Finally getting around to doing something else that I wanted to try. I suppose I just found the right frame to make that happen. I bought the frame and got to work it shortly after.

Here it is:

319/1000
"Naomi's Garden"
18x24 

This piece is done in 3 layers. Well, 3 distinct layers. There are actually more than 3 layers of paint. The first, the bakkground, is actually a piece of some super fancy, very expensive metallic, silver and cream printed wrapping paper I have been keeping around for a while. Then a portion of the painting is painted directly onto  the bakk of the plastic. The rest is painted on the front. That means it can't come separate from the frame. It IS the frame. It's cool too. The blakk part actually looks like lacquer...and shows an awesome and clear reflection. That's not something you can achieve on canvas. I really like the look of this. The contrast between the colors and the subtle differences between the reflective qualities of each layer makes it interesting. I was actually going to paint the frame, but I like the natural looking wood grain compared with the rich metallic one.  All types of coolness.

I suppose in contrast to the last nude I posted, "CURVEsive," Naomi seems a little more...forward. She's like "come get this fresh from the garden goodness." I like it.

I made more...BRACELETS!!

It's gotten so serious the bf thinks something is wrong if I'm not wearing my bracelets. I usually rokk about 6 at a time on the weekends. Maybe just a single charm bracelet on a regular day. I should write about that bracelet one day. It's one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. I got it for FREE @ Macy's. May have been a Blakk Friday giveaway. I'm not sure how I got it for free...but I did.

Anyway, I recently got a really great deal on some beads, so I ended up making a few more bracelets. Keeping in line with my self imposed rule...one (some) for me, one (some) for you. So, be sure to chekk out the store as the new pieces are up and available.

315-17/1000
1 for me, 2 for you. Which is going to make up for the next one. 

I like these because of the rugged look. It looks like I just pikked these up in my yard. However, I did not. They are smooth and hand dyed. It's a fancy natural look. These will look great alone, but I'm probably going to end up rokking them with a few other pieces.

318/1000

 I ended up using these in a way I didn't intend to. I only had enough for 1. I'm keeping it. ha! Sorry.

Oh and for your viewing pleasure: How I Rokk my Stakks...

I only made two of these...but this is the norm. 7 pieces! 

The only issue in the winter is sometimes I can't get my jakket on/off with all the bracelets in the way. BUT I bet my right arm is getting a good work out.

P.S. 10% off all apparel and accessories this week using code "92CHCT" when you place your order at the SYM Store.

Jesus Hoodie

Last year, I made a hoodie for my mentee. It was cute. I still want one. I posted it here along with some other stuff I made.  Well, I guess she showed her grandmother, because I got a request to make one for her too. Here it is...

314/1000 (front) 

314/1000 (bakk) 

Oddly enough, I didn't consider this to be a lot of detail, but all these little circles took hours. That was my design choice, by the way. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I like the way it came out.