prepare for a chance of a lifetime, be prepared for sensational news

O N E W E E K

until I depart for the west again
until I have to say goodbye to my family...again
until I embark on the most epic of road-trips
until I see Nashville for the first time
to accomplish lots of tasks in preparation

(check it)

I am going through quite the gambit of emotions...

...but

I welcome it.

also
B I G N E W S

keep an eye on this here blog during our trip
it will be transformed into a video blog
full of special guests, road-trip tips, best playlist moments,
quirky stops, silly noises, status updates & so much more
it will feel like you are on our adventure with us!

until then,

i will be pacing back and forth, procrastinating, enjoying this fall weather.....

...and going mildly insane

Somone's Work of Art

So I was at work...
trying to find the perfect song...

when all of a sudden:

make a



with all kinds of


creating

i am excited.


stay

In regards to Creation...

Yeah, Creation Explosion is still going:

from the blog of the loverly elYse:

Today was a day bursting with… lots of things!

I had recently come up with some ideas for some t-shirt designs, so decided that my creativity would involve following through on that project.

But first… I had to do laundry.

While doing laundry, I picked up locks and lights and a tire pump for my bikes (so my roommate and I can ride them!). Thus adding an explosion of productivity to my explosion of creativity!

Then I went to Goodwill…

…where I got a great deal on some shirts for printing on!

Then… as if this day wasn’t cool enough… the productivity and beginning of a creative explosion was followed up with an inspiration explosion at the Freedom Fest in Oceanside, where the Feeding the Soul Foundation put on a show featuring Bushwalla and Luc & The Lovingtons.

So much creativity and inspiration in one day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Creation Explosion was a big hit all over. I am so blessed to have such great people in my life that not only come up with these brilliant ideas (Grace- my stupendous, amazing, wonderful, crazy, inspiring, loving, caring, beautiful, fantabulous, scrumtrulescent sister) but also friends, who at the mere mention of the word, "creation" are on the move and ready to go.

i.feel.happy.

I don't have a Clue about Life, I'm Sorry.

as a wind-down to creation explosion today, I spent the night at a friends playing bored games.

sometimes it's not about the tangible things you create.

tonight i created memories, good times, laughter and fun.

we played Sorry(i lost), Clue(i won, twice!), and Life (I won BIG)


Meanwhile, one of my most favorite people ever, Elise, created art in her cute new apartment in San Diego.

so i think i had a creativity trickle today rather than an explosion...it took me hours to paint this little wacky whim! he does make me laugh though...because he forgot the mustard...again! oh dear. also, i included a photo of a "natural smiley face" jeremy left for me one morning before he went to work.

Elise is Amazingly quirky, Ridiculously Generous, Magically Patient, and just all around good times. She is also supremely talented in many departments.

Every so often i open the mailbox and there is a tasty treat, or little nugget of love in the form of music, in a package created by hand, and thought through to the last detail.

She is truly an inspiration to me, I love her dearly, and was so glad to have her be a part of Creation Explosion.

*update*
I got a late night pix message from Jeremy hoping to be a part of the explosion.

Dreams really do come true.

"Sunset Mirror Tire ExplowzSHUN"

see it, be it. "life goes 'round like a tire on the ground"

Stay tuned to see what Elyse (notice the 'y' not 'i') has exploded her creativity into this weekend.

Ground Control to Major Tom(s)

Creation Explosion is well under way.

Here's what I'm working on


I used my old purse to update my ripped up Tom's



back:


front:


side:


This project was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Somehow my toe was able to attack the durability of the shoe better than my needle. Add that to the awkward angles I had to try and sew at, and well- Ouch! Right now I only have one shoe done. My poor little fingers are taking a beating. But I am pretty excited for the final outcome, and it will be worth the pain and suffering.

well, shit. Isn't that just life.


Given my terrible attention span, I now plan on being creative in other ways. give my fingers a rest, and get back to video editing.

I'm going to Explode!

Creation Explosion has erupted in the farmhouse... and ALL across the country.

My wonderful sister Grace has dubbed this weekend "Creation Explosion". We are getting crafty up in here. And so should YOU!

Tapping into our creativity and productivity is what it's all about right now. We even have guest bloggers from all across the country joining in and getting creative and crazy with us! Mary in Nashville, Elyse in San Diego, Kelly in Baltimore, Sarah in Gettysburg, Jonah in LA- and YOU! you don't need a blog to participate. Just a heart for creation.

It's a beautiful thing, really.

As for me- I'm just getting ready to work on a few things.

first step was Coffee (and always is)




For the past 6 months my job has been video editing/production for a camp. It's always been something I was interested in pursuing, and for now it's my job. I've been feeling a little sluggish at it lately, because I am not as invested in the content as I would like to be. And (until now) have not had an opportunity to work on something of my own. Well that all changed last night, when i began editing my footage from a great beach weekend with awesome friends.



I bought this purse a few weeks ago at target- with the sole purpose of editing it's image. I got big plans for this.




My first pair of Toms. Got them a half size too small. My large toes quickly punched a hole in the front.



With the help of my old purse (which i ripped a hole in also...theme? )


I will create a very unique pair of Toms.



That's what is happening here today. Wanna join? hit me up. Everyone is welcome. Every form of creativity is encouraged.



keep an eye on Graces Blog for updates from all over!

brain brain go away

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solution:


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I Have Been Inspired

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I have been doing some "youtubing" recently to find some interesting videos to capture the attention of hundreds of teens attending a youth conference. I had originally planned on compiling a bunch of silly videos, set it to music, and be done with it. Until i found this guy. Am I late? looks like it. This video won Time Magazines #2 viral video of the YEAR. His Youtube channel has 68,000+ subscribers. He has made commercials, which I recognized, for big name companies. The point really isn't when I found PES. Its that I discovered him at all.

I have always wanted to delve into the world of stop motion animation. I have seen inordinate amounts of stop motion shorts, music videos, and commercials. But Western Spaghetti got me. And it got me good.

I decided to use the 20 min of time I have with these youth (5 four minute segments) and tell a story (ish) using stop motion animation. I feel like i keep saying this, but this will be my first real video-brainchild. Something I have little to no boundaries with. Something that will allow me to unleash my creative juices on the WORLD.

yikes.

to say I'm nervous is an understatement.
to say I'm qualified is an overstatement.
to say I'm ready, willing, able, excited, and INSPIRED... well that's just my statement.



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A Drooling Tribute to my Favorite Nut: THE Almond.

It would be better if Steve wrote this "review" himself. He already understands the weight of his words. He knows what he wrote about himself is true for so many of us out there. That’s why he wrote it. He knows he is not alone. He knows we needed those words. He knows he is the one who can deliver them in such a way that we collectively ban together, physically & mentally, to give each other the nod. The nod that so simply states “I understand you, I am with you. Let’s fucking rock out”

Confused? I speak of the book, Rock & Roll Will Save Your Life, by the man who very rapidly became my favorite author. It was (Not That You Asked) that convinced me I loved his writing style, his content, his devotion, his humor. It was Candyfreak that breathed achievement into my cavities, and cleared away my guilt as I finished an entire box of nerds almost daily, realized I was NOT the only one who felt that way about circus peanuts, and reminded me of simpler times with simpler candy. It was the first chapter of Rock & Roll that convinced me, that as of April 13 2010, Steve Almond is my favorite author.

Every page was a new journey, truth, laugh, or squeal. I read passages aloud(sometimes falling on deaf ears)- so enthralled with every word I just had to share. Someone else had to know how perfectly this book described me, my thoughts, my feelings.

I finished the book today. I was dragging my feet a lot with this book. I did not want it to end. Every word is truth. He managed to harness the energy of so many musicians that we drool over, and spew out an entire book of words that he most definitely pulled out of MY brain. And when he wasn’t taking the ideas from my brain, he was putting them in. When I wasn’t squealing at a mention of Patty Griffin, Bob Schneider or Hem- I was adding artists to my ever growing list of “musicians to most likely fall in love with” . Any reference that wasn’t taken from me, was aimed at me- as if to say “HEY! You there! Go check out this fucking cd/artist/song. You know you will love it” I think I even found myself talking back to the book at times, with my own suggestions. This is something we thrive on... us “Drooling Fanatics”.

Steve successfully coined the term “Drooling Fanatic” and defined it brilliantly, poetically, and with brutal honesty. He lit up our strengths and called out our weakness’. With this book Steve has no doubt created an underground army. An army of emotionally fragile people full of musical arrogance, with the power to change the world-but who are too preoccupied organizing their music libraries to do so. People holding onto rare artifacts thrown by sweaty musicians. Musicians we can’t help but love so deeply, its sick- yet feels so right.

I will never be ashamed of my alphabetized record/cd collection, the size & contents of my iPod, the disgusting amounts of knowledge I possess about hundreds of musicians, and the amount of time I dedicate to learning more. I am not alone. I am not the only one who is left dumb and stumbling over words in the presence of rock god-dom. Steve has explained me, so I don't have to.

My Name is Emily. And I am a Drooling Fanatic.









“Maybe it was the music itself--the sounds as my body and heart received them--that the magic resided. Maybe my failure was some kind of subconscious effort to preserve the joy of being a Drooling Fanatic.”

Just as so many musicians have crept into my heart, soul, brain and made the most amazing music “just for me”; Steve Almond has done the same with Rock & Roll Will Save Your Life.


That "review" would have been better if Steve wrote it himself.



side note: I have been challenged by Steve, in this book to create my "Desert Island Discs" list(only 10 YIKES). I shall attempt, in time, to successfully complete this list. stay tuned...

"I am looking for a 'dare to be great' situation

Today I took a step... the first step.

there are more than 12 in this program.

I talk of Adobe After Effects.
I really only started "officially" editing video about 6 months ago.
Final Cut was easy, in theory. I had general knowledge, and previous "experience" (read:fucking around for years with Windows Movie Maker/ iMovie) And though Final Cut is a way more in depth program than those, once i have the building blocks, it seems as though I can fake it til I make it, which is exactly what I did.

And then I got ambitious.

And then I got After Effects. And not the "after effects" that you get from a night of drinking, or sleeping with your cousin.
This program holds so much in it's confines, its almost threatening to my life. The potential is scary and exciting at the same time.



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This is what I'm looking at & dealing with. Seeing a gigantic mound of ice, sitting above water. Not knowing what to do with it... and knowing still there is more waiting for me that I haven't even seen yet.


Yet it's something that I can't wait to learn. Literally, I can't wait. I'm extremely impatient. Not only will this program test my patience, but my skill, creativity, drive, passion... yikes.

I made a flower move today. This was a big step. Up until now, I would open the program, and begin to cry...not quite literally, but just thinking of all the power that is right there at my fingertips, and not having the SLIGHTEST idea of what to do next, is well, intimidating to say the least.




















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Knowing just how much I COULD accomplish and create with this program has actually been stifling me. I don't wanna start something I can't finish. So up until today, I put it off.


Yet here I am. I have begun to chip away at the fear of failure and disappointment. I have begun to convince myself of my own potential. This is something I want to get good at...and I can't let my own impatience get in my way this time.


Testing my potential seems to be a theme lately, in many areas of my life; And I am welcoming it. Quite stubbornly, but I believe in baby steps until it's time to leap.

For now, it's all about what I can do soon, and not what I can't do yet.

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