Exit 2019, Welcome 2020

As we wave goodbye
To what we became and know,
We still share enough.
Our burdens we strip away
In effort to grow, survive,
Escaping the trap
Left behind like a list made
In haste, featuring
Doubt, observations obscure,
Uncertain meanings, some unknown.
Praying a grant, gift,
Of blessings, we tell ourselves
Focus, start this moment new
Build reality
From cherished dreams, independent,
No longer neglected, precious
As the life pulsing through us
Each one making our hope,
Love, present in human form.

This poem is in answer to The Sunday Whirl. In the past, I did a lot of such work, but it has been some time. As a prompt, you could trek over there and participate.

I again changed some site settings. I was not happy with the lack of a pictorial header.

I am writing a decent amount now, here. I am thinking about taking up a 365 Creativity Challenge like I have done in the past, but it is a huge commitment. There does not appear a level of interest here to encourage that much engagement. It is rolling around in my brain like a marble in a pinball machine, though. So, it may or may not happen.

I am grateful:

My son, Alex, has been home over the holidays.
His two excursions away in my Explorer have gone well.
I am adept at working around my technology’s pitfalls.
We have made some little headway on getting my home under control.
I am optimistic about the opportunities for the coming year.

I appreciate your visiting, Haphazard Creative. I hope you will follow the site or come back as you have time and interest.

All the best to each of you going forward.

Site Blunders, Mistaken Communication

I was checking in on the tablet because I turned the computer off. Scrolling through themes, I found one more attractive to my sensitivities. So, sorry, but we are now revamped. This theme is Publication 2. It has my sidebars and widgets, which were sadly missing in SAGA. I am old school, having blogged since 2005. (See Chronicles should you be interested in that history. It has lots on it.) I like as much detail on pages as artificial intelligence can afford me. I am still not paying for the website, though I did keep my domain. (It will happen, just at the appropriate time.)

School has begun in a lot of places. Those of you with kids, (and our crowd of creatives), I recommend you institute a period of gratitude each day. I find this gives a perspective that sometimes slips into the busy oblivion of day following day. Just have a few minutes to write or simply verbally share some things that went well during your limit of hours.

I am thankful:

The Wookie (Marbles) did not injure me while we walked. This being an ongoing problem I am praying about, I would much appreciate an improvement.
My stomach seems to be recovering, I, unfortunately, forgot I cannot eat foods with heavy concentrations of MSG. Mongolian Chicken should be prohibited.
I found a much more appropriate and loveable theme.
I completed reading Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger. An excellent book with some paranormal emphasis and well-developed characters. Missing it. Somewhat adrift trying to find something new. Oh, it was 5 stars, highly recommend it.
Music; brings me through the days when I am straying and finding the way hard to navigate. (We Believe – Newsboys) (Time Waits For Noone – Freddie Mercury) (Anything by the most esteemed Dr. Brian May) (Gangsters Are Running the World – Roger Taylor) ( Hide Away – What can I say, Mick Jagger)

If you can, pull your youngsters (and yourselves) away from screens long enough to do a minimum of ten minutes of creative work, whether art, writing, photography or whatever the penchant. These things will enrich your days and add joy to your lives.

I know many of you are more successful social media mavens than I am. Should you feel inclined and you find my communications of efficacy, please share as you may. I thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative today. I hope you will explore and wander about a bit. There is a follow button, or you may simply return as appeals to you. I think my links are now available again without having to search as much.

As a prompt, if you have a blog or site, which you have not refreshed in some time. Consider what a change might do. I know it takes some investment of time and effort, but the payoffs are sometimes higher than we expect.

Had to share the Tribble, just for the cuteness factor. My buddy.

Love, it may come late, but when it shows up, the world rocks…

Hands touching across
A divide longstanding wide,
Could grow side by side.

The Changes You See

I had to make some site changes. I hope it will inconvenience none of you. It was quite harrowing for me. However, when life gets tough, I get stubbornly tougher. There was a disagreement on what fees I owed, so now I get a refund, and the site goes free. Paying was an expense I needed to do without, anyway. If traffic increases or I begin making more money, I may resume the fees.

So, we have a new theme, which I find I actually prefer over the old one. The theme Fusion which I use on Chronicles has been retired. I had to do some looking, trying, choosing, but I think this is okay. It is called SAGA. The main difference is that all the widgets and sidebars are hidden under one button, MENU. I believe it is uncluttered. It frees the page to showcase what I wish to draw attention.

I am looking forward to this new chapter. Maybe it will invigorate my imagination, it seems saving money usually does. I love my tools and invest in them, but you cannot in my estimation beat free. I am grateful the representative was uncooperative; otherwise, it is unlikely I would have stopped my subscription.

Please do not desert us. I and the site intend to have a continuing presence here.

I did this little bit of art through the night. It seems appropriate to give it this home.

God bless you every one. I do not think you can guess how much I appreciate your support.

If you need a prompt, think about the last thing you felt deeply as a personal injustice. Examine it in detail and create something that explains it.

In My Eyes

When it feels like this,
Seeming to have something caught
Under an eyelid.
Where it hurts like a dying,
But there is no removal,
No relief at any cost,
There must be an ejection,
Some rejection of ongoing
Pain, so life may continue
Even though it may thwart desire
Restructuring well-laid plans.
Some arguments will not be lost,
Some conditions must be met,
Some reasons are non-negotiable;
William described a shrew, not me or you,
But a grain of sand in place
Where one should never exist
Can irritate a person beyond
Reason and cause patience to
Evaporate like rain on baking
Pavement after the storm is ended.
I will not say one course of action
Is superior to another,
But I do say, NEVER GIVE UP,
Do not harbor a thought of QUITTING,
You have a right to what is fair,
And if it is not, you can take
Your game and go home to nurse
Your feelings back to happiness.
Rock your world, create your joy,
Be who you are, and do not apologize,
As long as you are genteel, let things
Go as you believe they must, you
Must live with you and take your peace,
Life is too short to lose your advantage
You carry the seeds of greatness
Follow them until you embody it.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. You may find the follow button under the MENU button. If you do not wish to follow, perhaps you will find your way back again.

All the best to you and yours. May God richly bless you and keep you well.

Rallying

This poem is written in the first person, but I assure you if you need to take its message to heart, it can apply as a rallying cry for more than only me. In fact, that is the only reason I shared. This was journaling work. A suggestion, if you are struggling with any sort of problem, try using a journal or even “Scraps Of Paper,” that is an old poem of mine, but a valid recommendation.

If fear is haunting you, look up, do not give in, do not give up. We can overcome fear, resistance, negativity, but it has always been, presently is, forever will be, a choice. The war is one of continual battles, but if we do not make an attempt so much will go undone, and the world will not become what it could be.

Choosing Freedom

Where I am right now,

Where I want to be today,

Kept apart by me.

I am the factor

Who must make many changes

To realize dreams.

No one else can do

Whatever it is I must;

The power is mine.

Christ gave me these gifts,

But He will not force my work;

I must create it.

Giftedness is not

Placed within to be wasted,

It has a purpose.

Procrastination,

My inadequate feelings,

I must overcome.

I have studied, learned,

Still, I lack enough belief

To discard my fear.

It, False Evidence

Appearing Real, I leave now

Outside, behind me.

I take confidence

As an armor, wrapped in faith,

And banish my doubt.

These abilities

Were put in me to help those

In need, set me free.

My aspirations

I must craft until they can

Join reality.

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

If you need a prompt, consider creating something to rally yourself, which you can also share with others. All of us are consistently in need of positive influence and encouragement. There is a heaviness of unrealized hopes and dreams in our world today. Many are discouraged and barely keeping themselves alive. We need to help one another. Far too many are lost upon giving up.

I am grateful:

1. The positive influence of music has been helping me so much. I highly recommend YouTube music or if you have Amazon Prime, Prime Music. Both these can be streamed without commercials.

2. My dogs, Marbles, and Tribble, who challenge me to develop a greater degree of patience while providing companionship.

3. I am experiencing a rather extensively creative period.

4. Friends, who back me up when I get down into my soles.

5. Queen, The Rolling Stones, and a wide variety of Contemporary Christian Artists. Newsboys, “Crazy,” is a grand favorite.

All Right!

Everyone has problems
We all carry our deep scars,
But there is still hope;
All the things we have misplaced,
Innocence taken away,
Trust broken apart,
Truth found foul fabrication –
Healing still exists;
No matter our trials, troubles,
Love is real, we belong, hold on.
Life is a treasure –
Holy, precious, rare, unique,
Ultimately given
To bring us all transcendent
Blessings, love, peace, eternity.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. I most sincerely hope you found something edifying and encouraging here. My purpose as I share is to arouse the creative genius in others and set other flames to dispelling the sadness I feel is so much a loose in our world currently. If you enjoyed the things in this posting, please check out other entries. If you like, follow this website, or come back when you have time.

Much love to you all, always,
Jo Ann

Project

Notes to A Reluctant Creator

Introduction

Welcome! I am so glad you found your way here. We have things to explore and discover. Jump In!

Oh, sorry, you may be wondering what all this Creativity has to do with you. The thing is you are, whether you realize or not, one of the most creative people on the planet, and elsewhere too, if you like to think that way.

Now, you may not be an artist, writer, poet, graphic designer, photographer, or any of those liberal arts things. You may believe you lack talent, gifts, and skills, but I have something to tell you. YOU ARE CREATIVE!

Have you ever shopped for the perfect outfit and matched up pieces from different stores, to make something decidedly your own? Do you pick flowers and arrange them to decorate your table? When you cook, do you get the recipe and then modify it to suit your needs and tastes? Have you planned a party where you decided the guest list, the decorations, the menu, and desserts, employed a photographer, sent out invitations? Have you written an email on which you took extra time to make sure it said what you meant, precisely? Have you sewn, knitted, scrapbooked? Do you do a bit of home repair or mechanical work on a vehicle? Do you plan and plant a vegetable or flower garden? Are you raising or have you raised a child? Have you trained a dog? I submit, in all these things you have used creativity. There is no hiding from it; you are an individual with creative flair.

In the following pages, I may lean toward the liberal arts, but what I suggest can often be used in other applications. I am going to show you some of my work, and encourage, inspire and prompt you to do your own. Be aware creativity has no rules, though I recommend being yourself as honestly and entirely as you may. Creativity is the quality that makes what we produce undeniably our own.

Creativity can free us when we are stuck and guide us when we are at a loss. It is a significant quality we share with God. *Humanity, made in the Creator’s image, blessed with imagination and ability to create.*

I recommend you get a journal and perhaps, a sketchbook, or if you are like many and more electronically inclined, set up a file for your projects. I am going to put you to work, but it will not seem that way. It will be exciting and fun. You are going to discover what your critic ran under wraps in your soul, and unearth the freedom of creativity you experienced as a child.

So, I do not know about you, but I am very excited to begin. We have things to do and learn together, and we are going to find grace and freedom to embrace our authentic selves. 2017-03-26 Monster after me In Color