tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27977751145007448872024-03-05T15:24:22.728-08:00Lovely CreativityOnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-30657537406096821572014-03-09T17:52:00.000-07:002014-03-09T17:52:17.705-07:00Nerdy and FuzzyI believe that creativity shows itself in more ways than just the ways people typically think of. Really anything that shows an expression of you or a message you are trying to convey can be considered creativity!<br />
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That being said, I thought it would be fun to share something quick I did a while back with my dog. I thought it would be funny to dress him up that could somehow show his personality to people who don't interact with him. And of course, who's never thought about putting their pet in clothes.<br />
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His name is Bear.<br />
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He's getting up there in age, but he's been a goofball his whole life. A popular nickname for him around the house is Dopey because he is so happy-go-lucky. Despite his playful and clumsy appearance, he's really smart and has a great personality. Here are a couple pictures of the mini photo shoot Bear and I had, with a special thanks to my husband who was patient enough to repeatedly replace the glasses and hat every time Bear let them fall off.<br />
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Bear had SO much fun, and my husband and I were laughing at how excited he was getting about all the attention. He did pretty great; better than I had expected.<br />
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The picture we got with Bear wearing the hat went better than with the glasses. It only took a few tries with the cap, but it took us quite a few tries for the glasses because he would lean his head forward and let them fall off.<br />
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It was fun and I'm glad I have the pictures. Have any of you ever dressed your pets up and taken pictures of them? It might be kind of weird, but it was a blast and Bear loved it. You can even tell in the pictures how much fun he was having. Here are a couple of our failed attempts for those who want to see more.<br />
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OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-59231739884647886522014-02-27T05:02:00.003-08:002014-02-27T08:21:12.415-08:00The Deep and Mysterious Thoughts of Me (Brain Spill)Sometimes I just like writing words. I have never just sat down to a blank page and tried not to think, but just write the first words that come to my head. This post will probably never be actually available to the public, but I thought it would be kind of fun to try!<br />
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I wonder if anyone else has ever done one of these before. You see, I believe people's brains are way more random than we realize. We only sort through the nonsense to speak semi understandable sentences. I'm closing my eyes to write this sentence for some random reason. I wonder if I've messed up at all. I even had an apostrophe in there, hahaha. Oh, look! My eyes are open now, and I didn't type anything wrong! Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah, random brains.<br />
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I find that if I just lie down and sit in the quiet of my bedroom, in a comfortable position with my eyes closed, head leaning back on a pillow, my mind cycles through a ton of crap! I'm always thinking about stuff I wish I had accomplished that day or maybe things that I'm currently stressing about or even things that have happened way in the past.<br />
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But, if I INSTEAD try to NOT think, I feel somewhat free. I'm not trying to make sense of all the thoughts that go through my head. They stop trying to organize into patterns and shapes which lead to me having some sort of opinion of the groups they are forming. Instead... they start floating. The thoughts don't try to organize at all. They are like small clouds that float around very slowly every so often bumping into each other causing a new cloud to form.<br />
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It's almost like the happy thoughts start to emerge because the clouds aren't trying to form a storm like they always do. They are free, letting the thoughts that are more shy and less aggressive peep through and float to the front. Instead of my brain forcing them to form groups and me grabbing around from one thought to another, I'm just laying my head down watching the little, white, poofy clouds float by me as I observe them peacefully and let them float away without another though to them.<br />
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Of course, this can lead to many random thoughts that I see which make absolutely no sense, but it's okay because they don't need to. In those peaceful moments, it's okay to just let them be. I might just think of chocolate milk or maybe a Christmas tree. Almost every time penguins will make their way around, though I'm not sure why when someone asks me to think of something random one of the first things that comes to mind is penguins... They are cute though. I can think of so much. Singing, whistling, parks, tire swings, snow, daisies... Really, I just lie with my head on the pillow letting my mind work the way it WANTS to, and not the way I'm always telling it to for a while.<br />
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I think I should do it more often. I feel like I can be too hard on myself and my brain, which is in fact me, because you are what you think. I wonder how different people would be if they stopped telling themselves so many things every single second and just let their brain do what it wants in the quiet. Maybe some think I'm talking about daydreaming, but I'm not really. Even daydreams are directed purposefully to pretend and play out possible experiences that you think would be enjoyable. No, I'm talking about free, light, thought. Floating.<br />
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Maybe, people would fall asleep. I know that can happen to me. But, doesn't that mean you're relaxing? If you are relaxed enough to fall asleep, it must be good for you to give your brain a rest like this every so often.<br />
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Anyway, I had no idea what this post was going to be about when I started it. Even the title was a brain spill. I just kind of wrote what was coming to me without stopping to think. This is probably one of the strangest posts anyone could ever read, though I'm not sure. I haven't gone back and read any of what I wrote and I'm not really thinking about it. I would LOVE to read some posts like this from other people. I don't think I have many out there that read my posts, but if you've made it this far, I'd love to see a post from you like this, no matter how random and weird you think it might be, if only to try out the exercise and see how it makes you feel. You just have to make sure and keep typing. Don't stop and try to think. I might do more of these and add "Brain Spill" into the title each time I write one. Do you know I love it when people smile?<br />
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Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-54314412733575394122014-02-13T21:04:00.001-08:002014-02-13T21:05:56.762-08:00My LovesSo, this post doesn't really have to do with being creative really. I just kind of felt like sharing some of my loves. I'm curious if "creative" people have similar likes and loves. I'm going to skip over the obvious answers which include my husband, family, a wonderful home, and other things that I am very grateful for. I'll just stick with the little things in life that I enjoy. Also, I believe people are more creative when they are in a good mood and are focusing on the positive, so here I am to go to my happy place! These are in no particular order, rather I'm just writing them down as they pop into my head.<br />
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<b>#1 - CANDLES</b><br />
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There's just something about candles that puts me in the most wonderful mood! They really help create an atmosphere that makes me happy. Candles make me feel romantic, inspired, thoughtful, calm, contemplative, cozy, and just happy in general. I light candles around my house all the time. I like all different kinds including tea lights, scented candles, crackling candles, etc. If you've never tried writing with a candle burning near you, I would recommend it!<br />
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<b>#2 - SCARVES</b><br />
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There's just something about picking out a cute scarf with a pattern you love to express how you're feeling that day! I love them and would be perfectly fine with having a nice dedicated space for them in a nice big closet, despite the fact I only wear them in the fall and winter. They make me happy. I can't really think of any good solid logical reasons for it, I just do.<br />
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<b>#3 - PILLOWS</b><br />
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My husband always laughs at me because I'm always saying, "You can NEVER have too many pillows!" Cozy=Happy. That's it!<br />
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<b>#4 - CHEESECAKE</b><br />
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Yum, yum, yum, yum! This is my favorite dessert in the whole world. I never turn it down, and every flavor I have tried I love. There is cheesecake in my happy place.<br />
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<b>#5 - PLAID</b><br />
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I really love the down-to-earth, country feel, and I believe plaid plays a part in that. I just love the pattern, and it makes me happy! It might be crazy to say, but I love plaid everything. Plaid tops, plaid skirts, plaid scarves, plaid shoes, plaid blankets, anything! One day I hope to have a Christmas tree with plaid country decorations on it.<br />
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So, these are just a few of the many small things in life that make me just a little happier. I very curious as to what some of your loves are! Maybe you can write a blog post dedicated to some of them or comment below? I hope you all have a wonderful day and stay focused on the little things we are blessed with that make us happy.OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-48566966327676835412014-02-12T16:21:00.003-08:002014-02-12T16:29:05.262-08:00Christmas Candy, Scribbling, and YoutubeHello everyone!<br />
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So, I'm back from an insanely long holiday hiatus. I had family visiting all through the months of December and January, and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things! So, here I am, ten pounds heavier from all the amazing holiday food and lack of exercise and ready to engage my lovely creativity again!<br />
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My writing has been going well and I'm making progress. It was slow around Christmas, but there's one thing that has helped me tremendously and I really want to share it with you guys!<br />
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I've joined a website called "Scribophile" and it's the most amazing thing ever! It's a site for writers to post their work and get critiques from other writers who are also Scribophile members. The thing that makes this site work so wonderfully, is it's karma point system. Basically, you can't post work unless you have a certain about of "karma points" which you earn by critiquing other writer's works. This ensures that people are always reading and critiquing people's work so they can post more of their own!<br />
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It's a great system and the community is friendly, encouraging, quirky, professional, and fun! It has helped me improve my writing in ways I thought I'd only be able to if I went somewhere to take writing classes.<br />
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It was free for me to sign up, and I was allowed to post two written works. I got my first critiques in a VERY short amount of time because there is a special place on the main page for new members to post their first piece to ensure getting critiques quickly. I was so happy with the feedback I was getting, that I went ahead and purchased the Scribophile membership which is not very expensive and am so happy I did!<br />
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This is truly a great resource for anyone that wishes to get other people's honest input on your short stories, novel, poems, etc. for those who have dreams of publishing.<br />
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Here's the link for those who would like to take a look at the website. Just click on the word below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribophile.com/dashboard/" target="_blank">Scribophile</a><br />
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Also! To continue to add to the many creative endeavors I start, I have started adding videos to my Youtube channel! It's been very fun, and my husband has joined me in a couple of them, making for some very funny and entertaining videos. I've got some songs on there in addition to the vlog videos. It's really been a blast and it's another avenue that I can take to express myself creatively!<br />
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If you guys are bored and happen to want to watch a funny video with my husband and I completing the "Not My Arms Challenge", here is the link to break up your regular internet surfing routine!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUXFO9x5NC8" target="_blank">"Not My Arms Challenge"</a><br />
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Do any of you have experience with Scribophile or posting videos on your Youtube channel? Let me know!<br />
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I hope you all had a wonderful time over the holidays and continue to be creative!OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-89843605309416769302013-12-05T11:17:00.000-08:002013-12-05T11:17:00.105-08:00ReturnWell, NaNoWriMo is over. I didn't win this year having completed only a little over half the word count and me not writing the last two weeks of Novemeber, due to my unexpected early trip to visit family (which was wonderful by the way.) But, I had started my novel before I worked on it for NaNo and I am just shy a few hundred words of a total 50,000 words for my novel! That makes me feel some better, but I do have a little twinge of guilt that I didn't finish, only because I hate not finishing what I start.<br />
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But, I'm getting back into the swing of things now that Thanksgiving is over and will start trying to do my creative things more now! My husband and I ended up waiting a few more weeks to save money and instead of buying the new Rebel Canon we ended up getting the new Canon 70D!!! I love it so much and I've already taken at least 400 pictures with it if I'm calculating correctly. It was so nice to have it around the holidays and capture so many beautiful memories than I otherwise would have never been able to record.<br />
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To kick off my lovely creativity again, I sat down and drew a portrait today. It took me around two hours which may seem slow, but for me was actually pretty fast. No, I don't know who the woman is. The reference picture I used was of a woman I don't know, but her picture was on Pinterest and I liked it. I usually use a grid when I start a drawing because I never had much luck free-handing without the guides, but this time I didn't! For a first try I think it came out fairly well.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have fun getting ready for Christmas! Take advantage of the time and be creative!</span></div>
<br />OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-68950588534745078002013-10-26T16:54:00.001-07:002013-10-26T16:54:14.014-07:00NaNoWriMoIt's official! I'm participating this year in NaNoWriMo! My amazing sister-in-law has participated in it before, and I was inspired by the fact that she was able to complete it. I'm very excited and will be using it to get the word count I need for my novel. Fifty-thousand words in one month... Goodness.<br />
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I am nervous about being able to complete it, but I love a challenge and I'm very competitive, even if it's only with myself, so I'm looking forward to it. I've been doing as much preparation as I can by filling out my character development sheets and working on my plot structure. It's coming along! I already have about six chapters of my novel written, but I'll just start doing the word count from what I start writing in my book on November 1st.<br />
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Is anyone else participating or has anyone participated before? What kinds of things are you doing to prepare? I'm finding myself feeling more comfortable the more I flesh out my plot, so we'll see how it goes. For those that are also doing NaNo, I'll hopefully be able to post some encouragement on my blog to help get us through the process. Good luck everyone!OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-24757525909635051252013-10-19T09:15:00.000-07:002013-10-19T09:15:03.367-07:00Pumpkin CarvingHappy Saturday, everyone!<br />
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So last night my husband and I had a ton of fun carving our first pumpkin together! The last time I did any pumpkin carving was when I was about nine years old and I did it with my sister, mother, and aunt. It wasn't as difficult a process as I remember it being. I guess because I was younger. But the crafting was very successful, so I decided to post some pictures of our creation!<br />
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Here are some pictures of our work-in-progress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjdBa8Dqbfn5aOu33zi7FT4O_F0_1ggUPsi7-AbU82wuYFjOGrXU9lL7Y0O8DSMeM-UtLT2bcshAp5KkzkwiRCTsMMKrs0VE-55IRsgtr8me00BoouogqIRxBD67xkgnGHnX-FudtBPE/s1600/Pumpkin+Carving+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjdBa8Dqbfn5aOu33zi7FT4O_F0_1ggUPsi7-AbU82wuYFjOGrXU9lL7Y0O8DSMeM-UtLT2bcshAp5KkzkwiRCTsMMKrs0VE-55IRsgtr8me00BoouogqIRxBD67xkgnGHnX-FudtBPE/s320/Pumpkin+Carving+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvzI5PQvUzkxnldchP96PeBAvd8uQ4coDeCXL1E2yydKvJPX0Jdv0U4Xm5IUMLz-IJc7zZwIMrEQhFLFRisg5D-Gkx1jeVlfy8itVnuHbXI-b8AZ9P7yRLrk2YC8ty0Y6Ox3UoXXsz7g/s1600/Pumpkin+Carving+3+Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvzI5PQvUzkxnldchP96PeBAvd8uQ4coDeCXL1E2yydKvJPX0Jdv0U4Xm5IUMLz-IJc7zZwIMrEQhFLFRisg5D-Gkx1jeVlfy8itVnuHbXI-b8AZ9P7yRLrk2YC8ty0Y6Ox3UoXXsz7g/s320/Pumpkin+Carving+3+Edit.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nbAcWfhr5_Ft9PN1gXFlVCNYP2akizNtbYk3mFxCBkzVtVdAotadUmBTBPdCgmK5rSiIaz8FJFaOCQAwLNuQ-JvtHBButL3ayySjB4NJVoA0qQ_FC32DoXxbcWvgSvIDvzEKfOny6js/s1600/Pumpkin+Carving+8+Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nbAcWfhr5_Ft9PN1gXFlVCNYP2akizNtbYk3mFxCBkzVtVdAotadUmBTBPdCgmK5rSiIaz8FJFaOCQAwLNuQ-JvtHBButL3ayySjB4NJVoA0qQ_FC32DoXxbcWvgSvIDvzEKfOny6js/s320/Pumpkin+Carving+8+Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is our final product!!! My husband did a great job carving out the guide drawings I penciled onto the pumpkin. We decided to go with a moon and stars theme because we don't really celebrate Halloween and we thought it would be pretty to make it more of a fall decoration that would be nice to look at off our bedroom deck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy88t53aHxqfy8MDU3QwWoHaO3Uyn33rwqiSd6AFIkPalO_13gutSPLVfMU7PTr3L6VuPbu5ZM9DGdoSOu5uyQwcJmsBNmILJrSHc-4O8AF-NDa9Dmyyj7FqZuNXC3edlV2XSg_jsfhF0/s1600/Pumpkin+Carving+9+Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy88t53aHxqfy8MDU3QwWoHaO3Uyn33rwqiSd6AFIkPalO_13gutSPLVfMU7PTr3L6VuPbu5ZM9DGdoSOu5uyQwcJmsBNmILJrSHc-4O8AF-NDa9Dmyyj7FqZuNXC3edlV2XSg_jsfhF0/s320/Pumpkin+Carving+9+Edit.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was really a lot of fun! I highly recommend going out and picking a pumpkin or even just going out to the store to get one. It only took us about an hour and a half I think from start to finish. We just put a little tea light in it and it looks beautiful.</div>
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Have fun being creative this fall! Take all the opportunities you can.</div>
OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-3371444432136057722013-10-16T10:44:00.000-07:002013-10-16T10:44:06.483-07:00Character Development QuestionsHello readers!<br />
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I thought I'd post the questions I use to help develop my characters. I did not come up with these questions on my own. I found a bunch of great questions from a website a while ago, but of course, I can't remember from where. I changed some of them and got rid of a few and added a few. They have really helped me out. I'm still going to try and complete one of these character sheets for almost every character in my book if I can. Let me know if you can think of some other good ones and I'll add them to the list! Have fun developing your characters!<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Character
Name<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b>Does the character have a nickname?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your characters hair color? Eye color?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars?
How did he get them?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Who are your characters friends and family? Who does he surround himself
with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he wish he were
closest to?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Where was your character born? Where has he lived since then? Where
does he call home?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Where does your character go when he’s angry?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Does he have a secret?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What makes your character laugh out loud?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is in your characters kitchen right now? On his bedroom floor? On
his nightstand?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>When your character thinks of his childhood kitchen, what smell does he
associate with it? Sauerkraut? Oatmeal cookies? Why is that smell so resonant
for him?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If he’s
eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If he’s stretching out in her
backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does he lie on?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your idea of perfect happiness?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your favorite occupation?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your most treasured possession?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What or who is the greatest love of your life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What has been your favorite journey?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your most marked characteristic?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>When and where were you the happiest?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is it that you most dislike?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Which living person do you most despise?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Which talent would you most like to have?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is the quality you most like in a man?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is the quality you most like in a woman?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What do you most value in your friends?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Who is your favorite hero of fiction?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Whose are your heroes in real life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Which person in your life do you most admire?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What do you consider the most overrated virtue?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>On what occasions do you lie?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Which words or phrases do you most overuse?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>How would you like to die?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your goal?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What/Who stands in your way? (Why can’t you reach your goal from where
you are standing? What do you need in order to get there?)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What do you do for a living? Do you like it? Are you good at it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your secret dream?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What does your home look like? Where do you live?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your education?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What are you secretly embarrassed by?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What are your hobbies?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What was your family like growing up?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your biggest fear?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your best strength?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What do people like about you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What are you most proud of?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What event changed you/your life the most?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What are your talents?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>How do you react to adversity?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What music do you like?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>What is your religion?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p><b>How do you feel about love?</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Hope these help. Have a great day!</o:p></div>
OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-13088567940127521252013-10-09T12:33:00.000-07:002013-10-09T12:33:12.597-07:00Just a Little UpdateIdeas to give more depth to my book have been coming to me constantly! It's the best feeling, and I only wish I could write faster. Lately, I've been creating more back story for my character's other than my main characters. I find that it is easier to write about how they would react in interactions with my main characters to know where they have been in life, even if my main character doesn't know it.<div>
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Besides writing, I am really looking forward to next week. My husband and I are buying a Canon Rebel t4i camera!! I am so excited to get back into my photography addiction!! I'll finally be able to take pictures of our first apartment together and take creative pictures. I'm excited to start adding photography to my blog, so expect some photos in the future.</div>
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A little side note, a friend of mine has a wonderful blog where she talks about beauty, cosmetics, and being a person who loves themselves and makes the most of life. She gives some great encouragement. Check it out!</div>
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Belle Fleur's Blog: <a href="http://maybellefleur.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Be Empowered</a></div>
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Be creative today!</div>
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OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-81258972926089158162013-09-30T20:42:00.001-07:002013-09-30T20:42:09.527-07:00Fall Photoshop PaintingToday's creative endeavor was completing a piece of work in Photoshop. I was in the "autumn" mood today which is what inspired the content.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAwhHyF40CqTE0WYkt5a-piKpz86kFaY6eE2MyStiajCv0x6ueV1ZV1a1U1QsuA8tJui3yl5phwWcz3aqVIFKYQ9FgaxsTnVyjTMITe6F4JTkyB2jel2EjOlCdNcMs6_2ue4uDVUCR2w/s1600/Fall+Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAwhHyF40CqTE0WYkt5a-piKpz86kFaY6eE2MyStiajCv0x6ueV1ZV1a1U1QsuA8tJui3yl5phwWcz3aqVIFKYQ9FgaxsTnVyjTMITe6F4JTkyB2jel2EjOlCdNcMs6_2ue4uDVUCR2w/s320/Fall+Painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am so happy with it. I finished it surprisingly quicker than my normal pace! I usually spend so much time over every tiny detail, being my natural compulsive self when it comes to being creative. But I decided that an imperfect look was good for this picture. I used a reference photo that I found on a stock photo site that I like to start my painting from.<br />
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Here is the link to it if you ever have a need for stock photos: <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos</a><br />
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I painted the trees and the ground by using the eyedropper tool to pick color pixels from my reference photo. I then used a styled brush to paint the color on top of my reference picture.<br />
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I switch back and forth between my brush and the eyedropper tool every time I feel like I'm painting over a different color. I just hold down the "I" key on the keyboard, select my new color from the photo, and continue painting.<br />
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I used the eyedropper tool for the leaves as well, but I switched to a maple leaf scatter brush that I have before I painted them.<br />
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When I created the hills, I took the forward most ground layer I had and multiplied it a few times. I did some free transforming and changed the positioning of the copied layers to create the different hills in the background.<br />
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To get the foggy effect, I just created a blank layer and chose two different color grays for my foreground and background colors. I filled the empty layer with one of the grays and applied the "render clouds" effect. After putting a gaussian blur on the layer, I copied it and placed one layer on top of my hills that are farthest away the last one on the hill in the middle. I changed the opacity to make it look like it gets foggier deeper into the picture.<br />
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Well, that's that! Hopefully it puts you in the autumn mood, too!OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-60154264562765451932013-09-30T13:35:00.000-07:002013-09-30T13:35:01.861-07:00Voice ItThe most amazing thing happened last night!<br />
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I often talk to my husband about my book and tell him current frustrations I find myself in. Recently, I've been considering my plot. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to do, but was having trouble adding a good amount of depth and substance to the story. I wanted my book to be richer, but I couldn't think of anything. I figured I'd try the "fly by the seat of your pants" method, where you just write, write, write, and let the story develop as you go.<br />
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But, last night something wonderful happened, and as I was voicing my thoughts, amazing plot ideas began coming to my mind as we talked. My husband was very patient as I continued brainstorming out loud. I typed everything down as quickly as I could, and when I read it back to myself, I found the interesting story I've been looking for so desperately, laid out before me. I am so happy and am more excited than ever to continue writing.<br />
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Have any of you had any amazing epiphany moments?<br />
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If you're having trouble, try telling someone about your book! Voicing it out loud and trying to explain to someone what your book is about could trigger ideas in you head. It has helped me a lot to be able to talk with my husband about it and also my sister-in-law, who I'm very close with, who also writes.<br />
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I suggest to try and find someone you can really talk with about your book. My experience with having people like that has only helped me stay motivated and keep me excited about what I'm doing. Feel free to comment here about your own thoughts, too.<br />
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Be creative today!OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-61626345682278160632013-09-29T15:11:00.000-07:002013-09-29T15:13:01.226-07:00MegHappy Sunday!<br />
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One of my recent creative endeavors was drawing a Disney character. I adore Disney, and I like sketching. When I sit down to draw, it often takes me a long time before I actually put my pencil on the paper. The white space can be very intimidating to me! Also, I spent the longest time looking for the perfect picture that I wanted to try and copy. I finally found one of Meg from Hercules that I liked. It took me all of three hours to draw it, which is probably a little ridiculous, but I can be so compulsive!!! Here was my result.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH2861LOWPdh35eeoWiBf_JXSt2x9ZICf9KOmCJ2gvGWLiRrm23t5AiKxqzsYuRBBKKlXNxHPo4O8j3oXywEBfwJZ1kyVqFpgHW8bPpl-PKHKYWkv3TE429RVqlQ0jExmXii3-3sqcp0/s1600/Meg+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH2861LOWPdh35eeoWiBf_JXSt2x9ZICf9KOmCJ2gvGWLiRrm23t5AiKxqzsYuRBBKKlXNxHPo4O8j3oXywEBfwJZ1kyVqFpgHW8bPpl-PKHKYWkv3TE429RVqlQ0jExmXii3-3sqcp0/s320/Meg+drawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The picture quality isn't the best, but you get the idea. I was actually surprised by the result and happy with it. It just proved to me that people really should try doing something that they want to do, even if they think it will be a disaster, like I believed this sketch was going to be. I usually don't try to free hand my drawings. I like using the grid method when copying from a photograph, but I figured since it was a cartoon I could try it. It's too bad I couldn't find my blending sticks or I would have tried smoothing out the lines in her hair more. I had a blast, so I think I'll try drawing more Disney characters in the future!<br />
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Here are some random things that I have taught myself when sketching.<br />
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<li>When the white space looks intimidating, just draw a random line on the paper (lightly) and erase it! It makes it easier to get started when I trick my mind into thinking, "The paper has already been messed up so it doesn't matter if you mess up and have to erase anyway." Ah! The insecurity!</li>
<li>When I just started drawing, I always tried to start by drawing the shape of the face or an eye, but I have recently found it much easier to start with the nose! It helps me keep everything proportioned more correctly by working from the inside out. I don't do this when I'm using the grid method though.</li>
<li>I also used to find myself afraid to draw dark. My pictures used to look as if they were faded, but my first drawing class in college helped with that. Every time my teacher would come over to whatever assignment we were working on she would always say, "Make your shadows darker!" I've been working on that and can see improvement in the depth of my drawings.</li>
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Do you have any tips that you feel have helped improve your drawing?OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-87354264130061693352013-09-28T15:42:00.001-07:002013-09-28T15:44:35.918-07:00For the Love of Writing<span style="font-family: inherit;">Progress on my book is coming along! I am so in love with writing my book. I'm a new writer I guess you could say. I've been writing since I was sixteen but haven't written this consistently in a long time. I finished the first draft of chapter two. It might not seem like much, but I have already done so much brainstorming for my book that I feel like finishing chapter two was another giant leap ahead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My book is about a seventeen year old boy, looking for purpose in his life, a precious stolen family heirloom, and best of all, pirates! I feel as if I learn more about about my characters every day I write. Diving into the secret thoughts, feelings, and desires of my character makes me feel as if my book is truly coming to life. I am always looking up fiction writing tips to improve my book. One simple tip that every writer always hears helped me. I've always heard, "Use all the senses!" But, until I read through what I had written did I realize that I was sometimes only using two or three of them. I've been trying to put in more description to help my book breathe. I'd love it if I could write a book where the reader truly felt like they were in a real world every time they opened the pages and felt like they knew my main character intimately.</span><br />
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A great blog I've been reading from is <a href="http://www.dailywritingtips.com/" target="_blank">DailyWritingTips</a>. There are so many amazing articles on writing! If you're writing a book, too, check it out!<br />
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One thing that I've also been enjoying is filling out character sheets. I'm still working on creating the perfect one, but I've compiled a lot of different questions from other sites that should help you learn more about who you are writing about. If I continue editing it and make it the way I want it, I think I'll post it on here for other people to use. It has helped me feel closer to my characters and understand more how they think. It takes me a while to fill them out, but I'd love to be able and have a complete character sheet for almost every character. Maybe it's crazy, maybe it's not, but I'd love to try it anyway.<br />
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If you're writing a book for the first time, too, just try and keep up your motivation! It often seems like a daunting task but imagine the beautiful product you will have when you finish. Let your creativity pour from you and decorate the pages. If you love what you're writing, there is going to be someone out there that would love to read it.OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797775114500744887.post-56617167101516234622013-09-27T13:46:00.000-07:002014-02-13T20:15:08.192-08:00Thoughts on Creativity<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever felt the aching in your chest that means to draw you out of your humdrum self, telling you that you can do something amazing? I feel it almost daily, and I like to call it my lovely creativity. There's really nothing more freeing to me than being able to create beauty in some sort of way that makes people really stop and appreciate what they see. We can all live similar lives and go about our days performing the same tasks over and over again, but creating something that's beautiful in your eyes is leaving a small piece of you with the world that can always be remembered.</span><br />
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I'd love this blog to be an expression of me, my thoughts, and my life, hopefully inspiring people to explore their unique creativeness. Likewise, I hope to be inspired, too, and continue growing in my love for beauty and people. Creativity is within everyone, and everyone is unique. Be creative! If you don't, the world could be missing out on something only you could give.</span>OnlyWhenJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738190165173567706noreply@blogger.com1