Tag: Next Steps

Becoming A Student Again

I just celebrated my 29th birthday.

As a joke (though, only partially) I told a friend I needed to make this year the best year ever. Since I’m such a procrastinator, it would make sense to push as much as possible into the last year of my twenties. For some reason, I (like many people) feel that turning thirty is some sort of deadline. I have to have a list of things I accomplished while I was still a twenty-something in order to start out the next decade of my life on the right foot.

Insane, I know, but this is my strange little world.

The reality is though, I probably won’t accomplish most of the things on my imaginary list of ‘have-to-do-this-before-I’m-thirty’. I don’t say this because I doubt myself, but because I realize that I don’t want to live my life according to checklists any more. I don’t want to live under the cloak of proof or the shadow of external worth. It’s too exhausting.

Rather, I decided that 29 is the year I will become a student again. I want to become Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet. I want to study great storytellers. I want to form a study group. I want to listen more, practice more, and find out all the things I don’t know. I don’t want to pass the test, I want to digest the lesson.

I think this is the next stage of my journey, and I am looking forward to walking into the unknown places it will take me.

Continuing the adventure,

Jess

December 29, 2013
Pedipublic Commuter

For the most part I am a pedipublic commuter. Pedipublic is just a fun word I made up meaning that I get around either by walking on foot or taking public transportation. For most people that really isn’t that special of a feat, but anyone who lives in Southern California knows that in general your life is determined by your car, especially in Riverside where everything is very far apart and public transportation…well…its public transportation.That being said I really enjoy being a pedipublic commuter. The long walks help me make sure that I am at least getting some sort of exercise during the week and I think traveling at a slower pace lets you open your eyes to the world around you and really see what is there instead of passing it by in the cocoon of your car. I wanted share with you some of the things that I see on my walks to work, so I left a little early and took my camera with me to capture a few sights. Enjoy:

December 1, 2007
Fearing Failure…

I usually don’t get freaked about failure. Usually, its a scrape on the knee, a chance to learn, a chance to grow. I usually get freaked about not trying.Right now, I’m freaked about about failure. As I check to see how many people have registered for Marchen Studios first workshop and I only see two, my heart starts to sink, first a little, then a lot.I keep praying that the 7th will be amazing. That it will be full house of family and friends laughing and embracing my hearts desire with me. That desire is to give everyone an opportunity to be creative, to step outside their box, to be an artist.Then that fear gnaws at me a little: what if you’re wrong? What if no one really cares about being creative, about art?So, do you care? If so, sign up.

November 14, 2007
Spirited Dreamer: Painting in Progress 4

Spirited DreamerOriginally uploaded by marchenstudiosShe is coming along. I am calling the painting “Spirited Dreamer”. It is based on the idea that sometimes dreams and reality seem to blend together and that we can dream with as much of our spirit and passion as we live with. I think she still needs some work but I am going to leave her for a little while. I’ll come back to her when I feel ready.By the way, sorry about the lack of creative confession this week. I know many of you are very distressed about it 🙂 Its getting to be crunch time for our art party/sale/workshop/other stuff and so we really truly just ran out of time and didn’t want to make another confession about how we are tired and don’t have any time. But keep an eye out for us next week when we’ll be back.-Jessica

October 20, 2007