Why bother?

A package arrived today, with the goods inside wrapped in that nifty invention of the modern world: BUBBLE WRAP.

Ahhhh, but look closely, grasshopper. You'll see from the photo that all is not right in Bubble Wrap Land. Bubbles are there; yes, they are.

BUT THEY ARE UNPOPPABLE! UNTHINKABLE!

Press one bubble and the air squirts out through the little connecto-channel to the adjacent bubble. Probably makes for better cushioning - no popped bubble, no areas of potential damage risk - but what the heck! One of life's little pleasures is squeezing until you get that lovely little popsnap.

Makes a lovely pattern, tho', doesn't it?

For a virtual simulation: http://www.puffgames.com/bubblewrap/

Be Bad

Lately, I've been thinking about impediments, notably what sometimes stops me dead in my tracks when I am working on something I really want to do. Simultaneously, I've been doing some reading about the topic of creativity and inspiration.

And something I've learned is that adults really, really, really don't want to be seen to be "bad" at anything. We take a French class at the local night school and we want to be composing love letters within three weeks. We start an exercise plan and plan to run the marathon next month.

I think we should give ourselves a break, grant ourselves permission to try something new and be bad at it for a while. So, go out there and be bad at something!

p.s. This is the topic of the current "TeeZeeTee Tidbits" newsletter. If you want to read more about it, just drop me a line at the email address teezeetee@comcast.net and I'll shoot you a copy and add you to the mailing list.

Not the FULL Picture

Laura, our well-loved DIVA, challenges once again! This time, it's draw with your non-dominant hand. I have to tell you: I totally love this one. I often do an exercise in my Creative Thinking classes that pairs people up and requires each partner to draw the other partner, using the non-dom hand. Similar "rules" apply: pen only, no eraser, just draw!

So, I embarked on my tile, string first. A little wobbly, but not so bad.

The tile turned out pretty well, too.

I found that I was holding my non-dom (for me, the left) hand still and moving the tile a lot more (lesson one: move the tile!)

I had to move slowly and deliberately, guiding the pen through each stroke (lesson two: duh!)

I made Crescent Moon first, as that's the pattern I generally teach first but decided to take a "risk" and include Betweed, which requires concentration (for me) and Trentwith, a tangle of my own, just to develop some more mastery over it (lesson three: don't be scared!)

I found that shading was the hardest part, as I couldn't quite get the pencil to "behave itself" (lesson four: let the tangle happen!)

Now, here's the REAL story. What the string can't show and the tile doesn't show is the amount of effort, concentration, and work (in a way) this tile was. What DOES show that is the following photo, of the nib of a brand new pen. Not so new, now.

New Classes!

WOW! The class schedule contains sessions in October! Talk about planning ahead!

Something V-E-R-Y cool is coming up - at least I think it's cool. The lovely people of the Philadelphia Calligraphers' Society host an event each year called "The Writes of Spring." Quite a catchy title, in my opinion.

This year, guess who gets to be in the spotlight? Or should I say "guess what?" Yep. ZENTANGLE.

They have invited me to conduct a workshop as a lead-in to their event. Registration for the workshop includes admission to "The Writes of Spring." A pretty good deal, I declare!

I got the BLUEZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

That diva keeps pushing me out of my comfort zone! I love, love, love "traditional" Zentangle: black ink on the creamy page. Now, she wants BLUE!

Blue-zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, I got.

It was fun. I may do more.

What about you?

Check out the weekly challenge that Laura poses:

http://www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/