Thursdays and Thinking Those Thoughts - Thursday Thirteen #18

Yet another Thursday and I find myself, once again, pondering what to.. um... ponder for the day.

No, I'm not feeling full of myself, but I do love me. Ya can't love anyone else until you truly love yourself...

Someone told me recently, that for my Thursday Thirteen I should be talking more about myself... Thursday 13 not ment for business. I agree with that a gazillion%. So I've been thinking for a while now, what exactly does that mean, and how does it apply to me?

So here's my 13 thoughts on what it means when someone says "this should be about YOU" (when it applies to me, JGoode).

1. My Art - doodles, photography, illustration, animation and site design... is ME

-- I've been actively involved in some kind of art community since I was 5 when I won my first coloring contest.

2. I happen to be one of those very fortunate people that gets to do what I love. Or better yet, have made the opportunity for myself to do what I love.

-- My art is my business. I make it my business, I'm nosey like that. Not for the reason of being in business (see #3)... no no. If it were up to me, I'd draw all day and just give it away. But... if I love it, and someone else likes it, why not feed my family doing it? Why struggle with a job one doesn't love just to make money... sounds like a waste of one's lifetime to me -- So that's the goal, Spread the happiness and smiley doodles.. and make money doing it. Howe COOOOL of a concept is THAT?

3. Believe it or not, my art isn't my "real job".. Newp! Yes indeedy, I have a day job - totally unrelated to "who I am" (or it's unrelated now anyway)-- thus the need to doodle and share and doodle some more... it's a preventive tactic for my mental well-being.. with the help of daily gallons of
coffee

which of course inspired the coffee doodles.

4. Standing up and showing someone else what one has created for the shear purpose of creative expression, takes balls, guts, courage, strength or maybe just vodka. However you want to phrase it; so for me to stand up and share with complete strangers, something I have created, it helps me grow as a creative thinker as well as an individual. It also opens the door for unsolicited critiques...


Which leads me to --

5. I also share what I do because critiques inspire improvement. Feedback, viewpoint and opinion are all invaluable assets to acquire.
-- I love learning how I can do something better. And Lordy, I definitely have room for improvement. -- so yes, please comment freely!!

--> Now this brings me back to, who am I and why don't I talk about my family or my house or my dog or whatever. What is it people would want to know more about me.. hmmm - if you got this far, maybe you've picked up on the idea that I am a doodler and doodling is me... (I used to say piddle, but that sounds more like someone needs to clean the carpet when I'm finished) So anyway... I'll give you a few more insights:
(an no, I don't have a dog. I have boys.)

6. One of my favorite artists is Leonardo Da Vinci - not for his art, but for his brilliance, his thinking processes, his courage to explore and his daring spirit.

7. My most fun doodle right now is my Penguins. Funny enough, I've never collected penguins nor had a specific love for them. Never had a facination with them or anything of the kind. I just happen to really like this particular doodle.. started out with an Egghead
, and then turned into a similar shaped critter, the Geek Chick
and now I just darn like the Penguin
. ... interesting how things trangress dontcha think?

8. I reallllly love Dragonflies. However, they're really difficult to create with various personalities.. clothing doesnt fit their wings right. its just all wrong.. believe me, I've tried LOL.

9. The very first doodle I did, that inspired me to go in the direction I am going now...

Peace Love and Happiness, a simple cartoon style drawing. I just started building a design collection last year and I created this design as an attempt to express my view on the topic of "peace". Almost immediately, I sold a handful of this design on the Hooded Sweatshirt . -- At the time, sales were very very rare, and I was drawing as a way to balance out my mind from my disheartening day job. When I started selling this first design, a lightbulb nearly exploded with ideas -- not to mention the motivation that followed!

10. One of my all time best selling t-shirts has nothing to do with my love for drawing nor my skills, it has everything to do with my boys and the inspiration they throw at me every day. I can be a bit grumpy.. I'm a mom and a wife and I stay home doing it all... and being the only female in the house makes it all that much more fun... - wink -


11. Last fall I started a small shop purely for the sake of raising money for charity. My thought was (and still is) - I may not always be able to afford donating money. Because of my own family obligations, I may not always be able to donate time. However, I have a skill that I will gladly share for the sake of helping another. So.. with this, Design for a Cause was born. Every design in the shop is focused at a specific cause and 100% of my proceeds go to help that cause, whatever it may be. I have also scattered additional doodles throughout my sites with the same purpose... "creating to inspire hope".

12. My husband thinks I'm a dork - I say he's the kettle - (he usually agrees).

13. I learned yesterday, I am not fond of snakes.... especially 4+ ft snakes that slither through my own yard. -- I'd show you a picture here of the friendly new neighbor. But my organizational skills have empowered me to temporarily forget where my camera cable went. :D


So there you have it, more Thursday Fun.. and it's all me
I'm happy to share it with you!


Have a Ducky Day