The Artist's Way...

I said a few posts ago that I want to do something different in my blog. I could just go on reporting on the local fair or craft show, but I want to do something more. About five years ago when I was going through a difficult time, someone recommended that I read this:

It's about how EVERYONE (not just some people) has a creative inner self, but we push it to the side because of all our responsibilities like making a living, paying bills, raising kids, etc. Other societies foster artists, but America tends to squash our creative sides, stressing that we can make more money in fields like business, law, medicine, computers, whatever...and how many times have we heard that we shouldn't focus on an artistic goal...that something more "realistic" will be much more lucrative. As a result, there are a lot of frustrated people out there who have given up on their creative hopes and aspirations to be able to pay the bills with jobs that may be well-paying, but not exactly creatively challenging.

I am guilty as charged. As a single mom who has raised three boys pretty much on her own, I am at a crossroads as far as my creative future. I have had jobs I've hated, but have tolerated them to pay the bills. As a result, my creative side has taken a back road...or even no road.

So, about that same five years ago when I read this book, I decided to pick up a pencil to see if I could do anything like I did in college way back when. I grabbed my Michealangelo coffee table book and tried to draw a couple of his sketches. I've kept them...probably as a reminder that I should pursue something...

...but I haven't picked up a pencil since then...and can't tell you why.

Now since I have gotten into photography...and my boys are gradually leaving home...I feel more of a need to pursue "something." I don't know what it is yet. I guess I'm on a personal kind of journey. This blog helps me figure that out...and wondering if there are others going through the same thing.

Just some different takes...

...on flowers. Kind of like these better than the color ones.

I'm back...

First of all, my apologies for being blog delinquent. Two weeks ago, I had the trouble with my computer which took a week to fix. I can't complain because the Texas State University IT department didn't charge me a dime to fix it. Then this past week, I had internet problems at home which only got ironed out yesterday, so there's my excuse. (Not to mention the fact that when I DID have internet, I also had blog block.)

So now I'm back. I've been at Texas State for two months now and I'll have to say I'm loving it more and more. I've lucked out in that all the staff, students and faculty in my department are extremely nice and respectful. I keep comparing it to my last job from hell, and the differences are so amazing I can't believe it. Now I work with Ph.D.s who you'd think would have the "big head" with a "holier than thou" attitude. Quite the opposite. In fact, at my hell job, very few people (including the owner) had educations and THEY had the big heads! Insecurity, I suppose...feeling they had to prove themselves and making their employees feel bad to make themselves feel better. Sad.

At the hell job of about 20 employees, we rarely had anyone come into the office and none of us ever had a reason to leave the office, so it was just us...all day...every day...no change. Now that I'm at the university, I am loving the activity on the campus. With the elections coming up, it is buzzing with energy.

Lots of booths are set up trying to get everyone's votes.

Everyone on campus can vote early, so I'm going to do that next week.

Love this guy's shoes...and everything is so color-coordinated.

Campaigning dog.

It's a pretty campus and they keep it extremely well manicured. I love walking around during my lunch hour just to see what's going on. Cool Batman book bag.

These guys were clowning around and playing music for tips.

Must have been a kids field trip to the University.

Bobcat bus.

Uh-oh...here we have another instance of "boots with short skirts." You could never guess the weather by looking at this picture. The guy on the right is all bundled up with a jacket, jeans and boots. The girl in front of him to the left is wearing shorts and a tank top. The girl with the boots is wearing a sweater with extremely short shorts. And the guy to the far left is kind of in between them all. I'm guessing it was about 80 degrees that day. To each his own.

Even though I'm not a very political person, I'll end this on a political note because of the upcoming elections. You see a LOT more of these around here...

...than you do these.

But then again, this is Bush country.

This next week will be my last in helping out at the local newspaper. One of my responsibilities has been editing the copy that comes in from groups and organizations into a format appropriate for publishing. The worst are the womens' Republican groups which are dripping with opinions and subjective content...and completely inappropriate for publication. This is a part of what they submitted about their delegates attending the Republican Convention...these are direct quotes.

"Protesters were filthy, vile and despicable. Some of the hooligans had buckets of urine or buckets of nails."

"Most everyone was 'taken' with Gov. Palin. By the end of the Convention, they were referring to the nominees as 'the hero and the hottie'."

I'm sorry..."the hero and the hottie???" How very professional. Needless to say, those comments won't get published. And just as a sidebar...if those kind of comments had been submitted by the Democratic side (which they NEVER have been), they would have been edited in the same way.

"Ugly" Isla

Ah, Isla Mujeres...a beautiful little island in the Caribbean.

Lovely sunsets...

Picturesque cemeteries...

Boat-filled piers...

And the beautiful shoreline.

But all is not beautiful on Isla. In fact, there is a LOT on Isla that is not very attractive. We don't see much of it from on-line posters. We mostly see beach shots and glorious sunsets. A few people post pictures of local buildings, but rarely do you see photos of the not so glamorous scenes of the island.

Like this place which is right in el centro. My first visit to Isla was in September of 2006. This place looked a little bit better than it does now...but not much.

This is on the same side of the block as La Pena. They rent golf cars in the building to the left.

I call this one "Empty Windows." If I recall correctly, it's a few blocks southwest of the zocalo. I like the architecture and would like to have seen it when it was in good condition.

This is right downtown...I'm sure everyone has passed by it many times.

As is this.

This one's kind of tucked back off the street between two buildings. I want to say it's next to Hemingway's, but I could be wrong about that. It's in that general area, though.

This one was another "tucked back" one...it's across the street from Justicia Social next to new condo construction.

This one is behind the orange house with the white fence posted above.

I'm sure everyone recognizes the little row houses on Lopez Mateos close to the cemetery.

I took this last December before the Malecon was finished. I was walking all over the rubble and rocks to see what was back there.

This would have been a good location for a restaurant...the ocean is right behind me.

South of the zocalo.

This was also taken in the pre-Malecon rubble. I though it was one of those ironic shots...pretty, dainty little panties hanging in not-so-pretty surroundings.

This one is also in el centro.

I can't remember where this is.

I don't think I have to say where this is.

This is in the Colonias near where I stayed at Casa Laguna.

In my humble opinion, it's all a part of what makes Isla special, and I'll take the bad with the good any day.