A grateful heart seeks hope . . .
Thursday, March 1
Wednesday, February 29
Thursday, February 23
Tuesday, November 1
Monday, October 31
Thursday, October 27
Wednesday, October 26
Monday, October 24
Hidden Dreams...
When I was in grade school, there was a poster contest. I wanted to enter. I wanted to win.
We were the Lincoln Lions. Incorporating a lion into the design would have been a good idea, however I didn't know how to draw lions. I did know how to draw Bugs Bunny. I had watched enough (probably hundreds) Bugs and Elmer and Daffy cartoons that I could clearly see the characters in my head!
I found a piece of thick yellow 11X17 construction paper--the only thing I had available at the time--and began to draw a roadster being driven by Bugs. The roadster was something I'd seen the rascally rabbit drive on TV, but only once or twice. I didn't have any comic books to reference so I carefully sketched and erased, sketched and erased, AND sketched and erased until the vehicle looked just right.
Bugs was easy. I positioned one of his white-gloved hands on the steering wheel. The other hand he held aloft as he waved. I positioned some of the other characters around the car and added lettering. I carefully shaded everything with colored pencils. As I remember, the entire endeavor took several nights of work. I was proud of what I'd accomplished.
A group of sixth graders served as judges for the contest. Their reaction to my poster? "It's good!"
Too good.
You cheated, a girl named Donna told me. Her hands on her hips, her dark brown pony tail bobbed as she informed me that it was impossible for a kid my age to draw Bugs Bunny as well as I had. I couldn't have come up with the design, layout, or the positions of the characters, she claimed. "You traced it from a book," she concluded.
Thrust back into my trembling hands the poster suddenly felt cold and ugly. "It's on construction paper," I offered weakly, hoping she'd see reason in the fact that that the characters would have been impossible to trace.
She walked away.
I wanted to disappear and never return to school again.
I didn't see any value in knowing I had actually done the drawing, and that the other kids thinking it had been traced was--though they didn't realize it--a compliment. In my young mind, the girl's words meant I was stupid for entering the contest. I was not, I reasoned, an artist at all.
That evening I shoved the poster to the highest point of the very back of the deepest recesses of my bedroom closet. I never wanted to see it again. I never wanted to draw anything again.
Even now I remember how utterly small and worthless I felt under the glare of that sixth grader. In the many years since, every time I draw something those emotions still rustle through me. Even with an award-winning picture book out last year--a book that took me a year to complete because of my self-doubts--I still hesitate for a moment when I start to draw or paint or do anything artistic.
Am I good enough?
The point could be argued. One woman's art is another woman's, well, not so much art. Yet these past weeks I've had the privilege of meeting lots of children at my book signings--their faces light up when they see the illustrations. "You're the illustrator?" They ask with awe in their voice. To them I'm okay.
And the fact is I love to draw.
Last week I got a crazy idea. What if I did one quick digital piece each day and posted it here on the blog--one every day for a year?
What if?
Eugene Delacroix said, "Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything."
I'm going to continue to keep up the pace of my writing, and as far as art goes I'm going to shove the emotions evoked back in sixth grade to the highest point of the very back of the deepest recesses of my bedroom closet and just have fun!
We were the Lincoln Lions. Incorporating a lion into the design would have been a good idea, however I didn't know how to draw lions. I did know how to draw Bugs Bunny. I had watched enough (probably hundreds) Bugs and Elmer and Daffy cartoons that I could clearly see the characters in my head!
I found a piece of thick yellow 11X17 construction paper--the only thing I had available at the time--and began to draw a roadster being driven by Bugs. The roadster was something I'd seen the rascally rabbit drive on TV, but only once or twice. I didn't have any comic books to reference so I carefully sketched and erased, sketched and erased, AND sketched and erased until the vehicle looked just right.
Bugs was easy. I positioned one of his white-gloved hands on the steering wheel. The other hand he held aloft as he waved. I positioned some of the other characters around the car and added lettering. I carefully shaded everything with colored pencils. As I remember, the entire endeavor took several nights of work. I was proud of what I'd accomplished.
A group of sixth graders served as judges for the contest. Their reaction to my poster? "It's good!"
Too good.
You cheated, a girl named Donna told me. Her hands on her hips, her dark brown pony tail bobbed as she informed me that it was impossible for a kid my age to draw Bugs Bunny as well as I had. I couldn't have come up with the design, layout, or the positions of the characters, she claimed. "You traced it from a book," she concluded.
Thrust back into my trembling hands the poster suddenly felt cold and ugly. "It's on construction paper," I offered weakly, hoping she'd see reason in the fact that that the characters would have been impossible to trace.
She walked away.
I wanted to disappear and never return to school again.
I didn't see any value in knowing I had actually done the drawing, and that the other kids thinking it had been traced was--though they didn't realize it--a compliment. In my young mind, the girl's words meant I was stupid for entering the contest. I was not, I reasoned, an artist at all.
That evening I shoved the poster to the highest point of the very back of the deepest recesses of my bedroom closet. I never wanted to see it again. I never wanted to draw anything again.
Even now I remember how utterly small and worthless I felt under the glare of that sixth grader. In the many years since, every time I draw something those emotions still rustle through me. Even with an award-winning picture book out last year--a book that took me a year to complete because of my self-doubts--I still hesitate for a moment when I start to draw or paint or do anything artistic.
Am I good enough?
The point could be argued. One woman's art is another woman's, well, not so much art. Yet these past weeks I've had the privilege of meeting lots of children at my book signings--their faces light up when they see the illustrations. "You're the illustrator?" They ask with awe in their voice. To them I'm okay.
And the fact is I love to draw.
Last week I got a crazy idea. What if I did one quick digital piece each day and posted it here on the blog--one every day for a year?
What if?
Eugene Delacroix said, "Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything."
I'm going to continue to keep up the pace of my writing, and as far as art goes I'm going to shove the emotions evoked back in sixth grade to the highest point of the very back of the deepest recesses of my bedroom closet and just have fun!
Friday, October 21
Saturday, October 15
Friday, August 26
Wednesday, August 10
Dreams...why we shy away from them
The biggest reason we shy away from advancing toward our dreams is fear: fear is the direct result of negative thoughts. Allowing negative information from the media, or the negative outlooks and perceptions of others--or memories of what we perceive as our past failures--into our minds holds us back from being all we are destined to become. Thoughts create the current that powers behavior and, ultimately, our circumstances.
Want to write a novel? Start a new blog? Run a marathon?
What can you do today to change your thought patterns so you can advance in the direction of your dreams?
Thursday, August 4
Changing Negative Thoughts
Do your children struggle with negative thinking?
Patrick Cohn over on The Ultimate Sports Parent Blog talks about how you can help your kids change doubts into statements of confidence. While the post is about helping kids who are involved in sports glean confidence to reach their full potential, the vital tips can help all kids overcome the fear of making mistakes. Overcoming self criticism is an important step toward living a full and happy life. Click here for the post.
Speaking of positive thoughts, Valerie Ackley will be appearing at the Lehi, Utah Costco tomorrow--Friday, August 6, and Saturday, August 7--from 11 to 5 where she'll be signing copies of our book What Are You Thinking? It's a great opportunity for you and your kids to meet Valerie and learn more about the story behind the book and how it is helping kids of all ages as they work to embrace their hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
Monday, June 20
Useful Writing Links...and few more things
Sharing some useful writing links courtesy of one of my writing lists. Click on the Useful Writing Links tab above to access them. Let me know if you have other helpful writing sites you frequent and I will add them to the list.
~
I'm getting caught up on email today. Please forgive me if you haven't heard from me in awhile...hoping to go through lots of mail and get back in touch! Thanks for the outpouring of support for Benjamin's Bags. We hope to touch the lives of countless homeless kids.
~
Thanks to dear friends and family who have supported my husband these past weeks through lots of changes and challenges and his determination to accomplish the new qualification goals.
~
Have a wonderful day!
~
I'm getting caught up on email today. Please forgive me if you haven't heard from me in awhile...hoping to go through lots of mail and get back in touch! Thanks for the outpouring of support for Benjamin's Bags. We hope to touch the lives of countless homeless kids.
~
Thanks to dear friends and family who have supported my husband these past weeks through lots of changes and challenges and his determination to accomplish the new qualification goals.
~
Have a wonderful day!
Monday, June 13
Got Faith?
On our recent zip line tour, I decided to be bold and courageous--this after a bout of nerves that kept me grounded for a time. I departed a hillside to zip a couple of hundred feet down to a platform in a tree. As the incline of the cable leveled out and I came within twenty feet of safety, my down-filled coat billowed out at my sides and I slowed to a stop. I was stunned and didn’t realize what was happening. The pulley that held me suspended thirty feet up in the air started to propel me backward. Terror coursed through my body when I realized that going in reverse would put me farther away from help. In a split second I had to make a choice: faint, scream . . . or listen! Listen to the inspiration that flowed into me—the impression to focus on our tour guide, Pat, who stood on the platform in the tree, and pay careful attention to what he told me to do.
Pat’s eyes locked on mine. He instructed me to reach up and put my hand behind the pulley to stop myself. No way did I want to move my hand from the safety of my harness to reach above myself and grab the zip cable!
Listen.
The experience taught me about faith: doing all we possibly can and then--when we reach the end of our rope (or the momentum of our zip line)--continuing to cling to hope with the firm belief that help will certainly come.
What have you learned about faith?
Thursday, May 19
LDStorymakers Conference winner...
I was so sad I couldn't be at Storymakers this year,
but happy to have the opportunity to give away
two of my books.
The winner of
What Are You Thinking?
was Theresa Sneed.
Congratulations, Theresa.
I hope you enjoy it!
Thursday, April 7
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Since 1983 the month of April has been set aside as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The US Department of Health and Human Services website has a wealth of information on how to recognize and prevent child abuse. Please click on one of the banners for more information:
My home state, Utah, ranks 10th in the nation
for confirmed child abuse cases.
I love what they're doing to draw awareness to the issue:
Pinwheels for Prevention
From the website:
"Pinwheels are bright and fun, just like childhood. As a national child symbol for child abuse prevention, the pinwheel represents the positive effect we can all have on Utah’s children and families. Pinwheels for PREVENTION focuses on activities that prioritize prevention to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur."
How are you, your state, or community, involved in child abuse prevention this month?
How do you think we can all help?
I'd love to hear your ideas and stories.
Wednesday, April 6
Haley Hatch Freeman
My amazing friend anorexia survivor Haley Hatch Freeman was featured on Good Things Utah yesterday.
Please click here to watch the segment.
Please click here to watch the segment.
Tuesday, April 5
Sharing the Afternoon
Monday, April 4
Lesson from the Hail Storm
Storms,
as all storms do,
move on.
Even ice-hard
hailstones melt
and lend life giving water . . .
Today
I'm grateful
for life's storms
that give me
the opportunity
to learn and grow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
