I just had a thought, I have another blog which was created with a group of wine drinking friends called "Hello Wineaux".
Being grown-ups with jobs and kids means our club doesn't find as much time to meet anymore, so the blog has been a bit of a ghost town as of late.
So, until the next H.W. post, and since I generally post with a full glass anyway, I can combine the two passions (mental health and wine) into one, a.k.a. "dunken bfborn".
The previous blog entry was brought to you by...
Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards
2009 Charlotte's Home
Southern Sonoma, CA
Sauvignon Blanc
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (which is pretty high for a red drinker!)
light, crisp, citrusy. Would be very refreshing on a very hot day!
$13.49
Friday, June 3, 2011
Strength and inspiration from a meeting of the minds
Deep down I consider myself to be an artist.
I also consider myself to be a writer.
The problem with these labels is that if you tell this to people, they inevitably want to see your work! I’m not sure why, but just the thought of that makes my skin crawl. So, am I really an artist? Am I really a writer? Can I use those definitions if I’m not willing to share my work with the world?
I recently met a woman though my volunteer work with a local non-profit organization. The two us hit it off while working to help this group build a social media presence. We have a lot in common and through the course of one of our recent conversations I realized that the quirky workings of my brain may not be so bizarre after all.
She, too, is an artist. She showed me some of her artwork. I don’t think she believes she’s very good because, as I would, she made excuses for herself as she showed it to me. No excuses necessary, by the way. I liked her stuff. Since she showed me hers, I mustered the courage to show her the oil painting I recently completed. I don’t recall, but I am sure I made my share of excuses, too. Surprisingly, she didn’t fall on the floor in fits of hysterical laughter.
She is also interested in blogging, so I told her about my “bfborn” blog; which she read and is now following. Oh the pressure!
It was because of this meeting that I revisited the blog, which I have left floating out here alone for almost a year. In fact, the day that I tuned back in was EXACTLY one year since my last post. Weird.
It's because of stupid, little occurrences like these that I believe there are no accidents. I believe events and meetings happen for a reason. You just have to recognize the message when they come and then act on them.
So, I'm acting. Originally my biggest fear with posing this blog was that someone may actually read it. But now, upon my return, I see I’m safe. No one, except for the two people who have encouraged and inspired me to do so, is reading. So, thank you for the encouragement my two, dear fans! And, like sharing the painting, I think it will get less painful every time I do it.
As of now, I am working toward a day when I don’t have to make excuses for my artwork. Also, I am looking forward to a time when I sign in to BlogSpot and feel bad because no one is reading!
I also consider myself to be a writer.
The problem with these labels is that if you tell this to people, they inevitably want to see your work! I’m not sure why, but just the thought of that makes my skin crawl. So, am I really an artist? Am I really a writer? Can I use those definitions if I’m not willing to share my work with the world?
I recently met a woman though my volunteer work with a local non-profit organization. The two us hit it off while working to help this group build a social media presence. We have a lot in common and through the course of one of our recent conversations I realized that the quirky workings of my brain may not be so bizarre after all.
She, too, is an artist. She showed me some of her artwork. I don’t think she believes she’s very good because, as I would, she made excuses for herself as she showed it to me. No excuses necessary, by the way. I liked her stuff. Since she showed me hers, I mustered the courage to show her the oil painting I recently completed. I don’t recall, but I am sure I made my share of excuses, too. Surprisingly, she didn’t fall on the floor in fits of hysterical laughter.
She is also interested in blogging, so I told her about my “bfborn” blog; which she read and is now following. Oh the pressure!
It was because of this meeting that I revisited the blog, which I have left floating out here alone for almost a year. In fact, the day that I tuned back in was EXACTLY one year since my last post. Weird.
It's because of stupid, little occurrences like these that I believe there are no accidents. I believe events and meetings happen for a reason. You just have to recognize the message when they come and then act on them.
So, I'm acting. Originally my biggest fear with posing this blog was that someone may actually read it. But now, upon my return, I see I’m safe. No one, except for the two people who have encouraged and inspired me to do so, is reading. So, thank you for the encouragement my two, dear fans! And, like sharing the painting, I think it will get less painful every time I do it.
As of now, I am working toward a day when I don’t have to make excuses for my artwork. Also, I am looking forward to a time when I sign in to BlogSpot and feel bad because no one is reading!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Paralyzed!
I have had this idea for a blog for a very long time. It was stored away with all my other GREAT ideas until recently a girlfriend and I made a pact to start blogging. We decided to use the blog trend as a tool to build confidence and to hone our writing skills. Hopefully as a result, we'll end up with a few good pieces to include in a professional portfolio of samples.
It was for this reason that I resurrected my idea of a sort of grown-up diary. Here I am, well into my forties, and I feel as if I am just as screwed up as I was when I was 15. The issues are still pretty much the same: my weight, my love life, my insecurities, my fears and what I want to be when I grow up.
Back then, all it took to work out a problem was a marathon telephone session with a close girlfriend followed by an hour or two with my favorite fountain pen and my hardbound journal. In no time...problems solved!
Maybe the modernized system will work just as well. Keep the girlfriend(s), add a bottle of wine and a laptop. Once again, problems solved!
I started the process by following my typical protocol. I thought about the idea. I thought about it. And then I thought about it some more. I made an initial plan, then I thought about the plan. I let the ideas marinate for a day or two at which time I analyzed it all. I made some changes and then set out to think about it a little bit more.
Meanwhile, my enthusiastic, or some may say "showy" girlfriend, had already started her blog and had made 7 or 8 entries. They were pretty entertaining reads, the lot of them.
It was a pact, so I pushed myself to come up with a blog name. Then I thought about it. I ran it past a few people and even little Miss "over achiever" approved. A week or so later (You can't be too hasty about these things.), I created an account on Blogspot, chose the design and added the definition of Neuroses to lure the reader. I went “Live”, planning the first entry to follow shortly. But wait! First I needed a plan!
I started to create a mental schedule of topics and an editorial calendar. I brainstormed ways to get the word out to attract followers; people who will engage so that together we can work through common problems. I was encouraged. I was on a roll.
It was about then that ole "O.A." called my attention to the DREADED TYPO in the name of my blog. I had feared the word "neuroses" would trip me up. I swear I checked it, or so I thought. I was horrified that MY BLOG had been sitting out there LIVE all this time with a TYPO. It needs to be FLAWLESS if I am going to put myself out there in front of the world. It needs to be PERFECT!
I knew I needed to take a step back to conduct extensive analysis in order to prevent that unbearable shame and embarrassment from ever happening again!
This was weeks ago and several more blog entries by my pact-mate. The pressure is on.
Now, here I am on a balmy, Sunday afternoon in May doing anything to avoid the painful process of paying bills. So I say to myself, “Why not take a few moments to get back to that blog thing? “
Still avoiding the original task at hand, I opened a bottle of wine to get the creative juices flowing. I was only a few sips in, when it suddenly occurred to me to scrap the plan! I realized that I needed to JUST DO SOMETHING to get myself out of this blogging black hole. "What if I were to mix the intro with the first editorial?" "Hmmm, I'm not sure. Maybe if I sleep on it for a day or two?"
O.M.G.! MAKE THE DECISION and OWN IT!
I like to think of myself as a rational, contemplative person but this sort of situation occurs almost daily. It must make my husband crazy!
HELL, I make myself CRAZY!
In so many ways, my need to over-analyze the pros and cons of any given situation keeps me paralyzed. Just like this blog assignment, I must DO SOMETHING to break myself out of this personal black hole I have created.
From this day forward this will be the mantra for my life...
It’s time to STOP PLANNING and START DOING!
I will NEVER ADVANCE UNTIL I take the FIRST STEP.
And...expect a typo or two along the way;
those who love me will BE THERE to CATCH THE ONES I MISS.
It was for this reason that I resurrected my idea of a sort of grown-up diary. Here I am, well into my forties, and I feel as if I am just as screwed up as I was when I was 15. The issues are still pretty much the same: my weight, my love life, my insecurities, my fears and what I want to be when I grow up.
Back then, all it took to work out a problem was a marathon telephone session with a close girlfriend followed by an hour or two with my favorite fountain pen and my hardbound journal. In no time...problems solved!
Maybe the modernized system will work just as well. Keep the girlfriend(s), add a bottle of wine and a laptop. Once again, problems solved!
I started the process by following my typical protocol. I thought about the idea. I thought about it. And then I thought about it some more. I made an initial plan, then I thought about the plan. I let the ideas marinate for a day or two at which time I analyzed it all. I made some changes and then set out to think about it a little bit more.
Meanwhile, my enthusiastic, or some may say "showy" girlfriend, had already started her blog and had made 7 or 8 entries. They were pretty entertaining reads, the lot of them.
It was a pact, so I pushed myself to come up with a blog name. Then I thought about it. I ran it past a few people and even little Miss "over achiever" approved. A week or so later (You can't be too hasty about these things.), I created an account on Blogspot, chose the design and added the definition of Neuroses to lure the reader. I went “Live”, planning the first entry to follow shortly. But wait! First I needed a plan!
I started to create a mental schedule of topics and an editorial calendar. I brainstormed ways to get the word out to attract followers; people who will engage so that together we can work through common problems. I was encouraged. I was on a roll.
It was about then that ole "O.A." called my attention to the DREADED TYPO in the name of my blog. I had feared the word "neuroses" would trip me up. I swear I checked it, or so I thought. I was horrified that MY BLOG had been sitting out there LIVE all this time with a TYPO. It needs to be FLAWLESS if I am going to put myself out there in front of the world. It needs to be PERFECT!
I knew I needed to take a step back to conduct extensive analysis in order to prevent that unbearable shame and embarrassment from ever happening again!
This was weeks ago and several more blog entries by my pact-mate. The pressure is on.
Now, here I am on a balmy, Sunday afternoon in May doing anything to avoid the painful process of paying bills. So I say to myself, “Why not take a few moments to get back to that blog thing? “
Still avoiding the original task at hand, I opened a bottle of wine to get the creative juices flowing. I was only a few sips in, when it suddenly occurred to me to scrap the plan! I realized that I needed to JUST DO SOMETHING to get myself out of this blogging black hole. "What if I were to mix the intro with the first editorial?" "Hmmm, I'm not sure. Maybe if I sleep on it for a day or two?"
O.M.G.! MAKE THE DECISION and OWN IT!
I like to think of myself as a rational, contemplative person but this sort of situation occurs almost daily. It must make my husband crazy!
HELL, I make myself CRAZY!
In so many ways, my need to over-analyze the pros and cons of any given situation keeps me paralyzed. Just like this blog assignment, I must DO SOMETHING to break myself out of this personal black hole I have created.
From this day forward this will be the mantra for my life...
It’s time to STOP PLANNING and START DOING!
I will NEVER ADVANCE UNTIL I take the FIRST STEP.
And...expect a typo or two along the way;
those who love me will BE THERE to CATCH THE ONES I MISS.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Noun: neu•ro•sis \nu̇-ˈrō-səs, nyu̇-\ pl. neu•ro•ses \-ˌsēz\:
a mental and emotional disorder that affects only part of the personality, is accompanied by a less distorted perception of reality than in a psychosis, does not result in disturbance of the use of language, and is accompanied by various physical, physiological, and mental disturbances (as visceral symptoms, anxieties, or phobias)
a mental and emotional disorder that affects only part of the personality, is accompanied by a less distorted perception of reality than in a psychosis, does not result in disturbance of the use of language, and is accompanied by various physical, physiological, and mental disturbances (as visceral symptoms, anxieties, or phobias)
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