The Need for Creation

Self care is not in the large things. The victories are externally small and mundane but internally immeasurable. 

I know I talk about this topic quite frequently but, as it is a central problem in my day to day life, I keep wanting to write about it.

My current summer routine is to stay up until 3:30am, sleep until 1pm, and go to work at 4pm. There are some exceptions in there but it stays pretty consistent. What do I do while I'm awake and not at work? Usually shut off my brain and consume the internet. Why? Because sometimes it is too hard to push myself to productivity or believe I could be so. So I slip off into a near-unconsious state of internet surfing knowing the whole time that I shouldn't. Same applies to sleeping so late; I do it because consciousness is hard. 

So how does this translate into self care? 

Exercising my mind and body.

Reading a book or writing -- actively working my mind and not letting it slip into passivity.
Doing some simple exercises or stretches. Even hoping online to open up a yoga video to give me something with structure. 

Personally I find that I feel drained and empty allowing myself to operate passively. Actively comprehending knowledge or plot from a book or pushing my body to embrace challenge for it's betterment make me feel alive, real, individual, and the potential for contribution and creation.

Anything is good in small doses. Over sleeping and internet consumption have always been a form of escape. Turn off, shut down, and reality doesn't exist. 

You are a unique, competent individual. Choosing to become merely passive and consume other people's work, lives, and thoughts is a disservice to yourself, who you can be, and what you can create.  Human beings possess an innate desire for creation.

Creation is not limited to pencil or word but is in everything you, well, make. A meal, family, house, anything that you have taken, shaped, and put yourself into.  It makes us feel alive.

New Happy Things

Hello wonderful human beings!

So here is just a little list of things that have been making my material world a better place lately :P

1.) SCENTED CANDLES. 

In particular the Water Lily & Aloe ones from Target. A lot of scented candles are too sweet or overpowering in someway but these are perfect -- light, clean, and fresh. Love.

candle, candle, burning bright....

2.) Home-Roasted Coffee & Co-workers.

Sunday evening I drove one of my co-workers, Adam, to an art gallery so that he could drop of his work. After that he treated me to Piccadilly's (YUM!) and we went back to his apartment where his dog knocked me over with some loving. We took her to the park and just had a relaxing, enjoyable time. Before I left he gave me a jar of home-roasted coffee beans spiced with cinnamon & nutmeg. It smelled like heaven and tasted delicious. He had named the blend "over it" because by the time he had finished he was "so over" making it. 

This all made me so happy not only because they were good events & good coffee but because it was my first real time hanging out with this guy outside of work & I have admired and thought he was a freaking boss my past 3 years of working there. For him to enjoy my company in return makes me so happy. 

Shout out to his work here: http://www.adammarkanovic.com

3.) Alice in Wonderland Mug

I LOVE IT. Bought in Cali & looks like my childhood. WIN. 

{These photos were taken before work while consuming Adam's coffee}

PERFECTION. 

 4.) Cheap Make Up
Lemme tell you, Nordstrom Rack is the place to be. Super nice things for very affordable prices. I found Stilla make up for $3-4 dollars -- cheaper than the drugstore! Win.
The brown & green ones are glitter but the brown one is surprisingly wearable. It's soft and not overpowering. 

5.) Urban Outfitter's Sweatshirts.

The first one here is black with Looney Tunes: Bugs, Taz, and Daffy. Looney Tunes are my life. I own a collection of the episodes, Space Jam was my all time favorite movie, and as a kid (...and now...) my favorite concert at Blossom was the Cleveland Orchestra playing the soundtrack as people spread out on blankets and watched the cartoons roll on huge screens *sigh*

 Now of course I only shop the sale section at Urban so each of these were about 20 bucks. They are well made, adorable, and suuuuper soft and comfy. All I do is win, win, win, no matter what... got money on ma mind....

 The second one is this grey with the black outline of an elephant. It also has some gold detail one it. lovelovelove.

 These will be staples in my 2014 Fall wardrobe. I can invision it now... I'll have a 9am class and want 30mins to get to campus. I will finally awake to my phone telling me it's 8:20. I'll spring up, chuck on a sweater and some jeans, grab some coffee, and the day is saved :D

Well, that's that. I hope you & yours are finding the little things to make daily existence a bit more pleasant.

 That's all folks!

 with love,

Liz

HEYA

Hello world! Hello long neglected blog!

Well, well, well.

I've been home for the summer for about 2 months now. I've been working loads, visiting Cali, and being my normal stressed out self =P 
I've been thinking -- as usual -- about how motivation and self worth have to be completely internal and independent of any external causes. For example, having good employment, good people in my life, sitting in my room curled up in sweatpants, a scented candle burning, and a yummy drink should make me feel content, capable, good. Why then do I still give up and do things like binge? Murp. I'm going to have to work very hard this semester to make myself work to degree to which I can and not sell myself short. It is very hard. But since I'm only taking four classes I'm hopeful.

Random fact of the day -- straws are friggin awesome. I am far too impatient to sip my coffee like a normal person so I need a straw to sip it quickly into my blood stream :D  YAY.

Anyway... my current life plan is a year in Cleveland, a year back at Franny U, a year in England, some time in China, then... who knows? 

I hope you -- whoever you are, wherever you are -- are having a wonderful day filled with hope and excitement. 
:)

with love,

Liz