I started an eraser collection in junior high because they gave us certificates worth cash at the student-run store. They had so many different kinds of erasers: dinosaurs, robots, spaceships… I’ll have to dig them out of my stuff when I get back to Oregon to truly see what was available. I’d get a certificate, go to the store and get an eraser or two. We got to choose, so there was no reason to get doubles. I stopped doing much with my eraser collection when we moved away from California. Oregon’s middle school didn’t have a store where I could get free items – at least, I don’t remember it having one, maybe I wasn’t good enough to get free certificates.
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The Journey of a Thousand Miles
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
There are various translations of this ancient Chinese saying that inspires people to begin their mostly metaphorical journeys. It’s the equivalent to the quote attributed to Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” It’s hard to start a project. There is a lot of fear involved. People can get stuck in trying to create the perfect plan, which will probably get thrown out the window at the first sign of adversity.
Continue readingBe Gentle: Tip Tuesday
Right now, the world needs more kindness. It needs more people who are being gentle with one another. There is a lot of hateful things being said, but we can contribute to making the world better, simply by providing words of encouragement, love, and joy. If you want things to get better, it starts with being gentler with one another.
Continue readingSo You Think You Can’t Draw? I Know You Can.
One of the most important pieces to the puzzle of becoming more creative is believing that you can. In the area of creativity, your mind is the key to unlocking and unleashing your potential. Unfortunately, far too many people have been taught and convinced that they’re just not creative. It’s a disservice to them and to society. If you happen to be one of these people, I have created a course for you: “So, You Think You Can’t Draw.”
Continue readingPeppy Penguin Finds a Home
When we get word, either from Etsy or from our website, that one of our plushie penguins has been adopted, the first thing we do is we find the penguin. Our stuffed penguins are free range, so it can be a little difficult to locate the penguin in question. They’re very social and very curious. However, recently, they’ve been in the rookery that has formed on the back of our couch and arm chair. Peppy was hanging out with Franklin and their big sibling (who is still waiting to find a name). She was so excited to hear that she was going to Alaska, but she thought she might need a sweater.
Continue readingCookie Saturday Offers Stress Relief and Penguins
I look forward to when Cookie Saturday rolls around. Jenya doesn’t make cookies every Saturday because she gets busy working on her translation class or sewing penguins, but when she does make them, it’s amazing.
Continue readingThe Creative Process of Writing ‘My Life in the Projects’
Someone once said that being creative isn’t just about having ideas. There are billions of ideas out there. The creative person has to choose one of the ideas and bring it into the world. As a writer, I have tens of ideas for books and series, and hundreds of ideas for articles. (This year alone, I’ve written over 275 articles on my website and more at my day job.) So, how did I come to choose to publish “My Life in the Projects” as my first book? Here’s a peek at the creative process of writing that book.
Continue readingWinnie the Pooh Figures: Collectors Corner
My wife loves Winnie the Pooh. The characters are gentle, kind, and imperfect. The stories are wonderful to read and remind the reader that he or she can live in a world of love and friends if the reader makes that choice. The Hundred Acre Wood is a safe place to imagine, create, and enjoy the company of your best friends, who are all accepted in spite of their foibles and quirks – even Rabbit finally accepts Tigger and Tigger’s bouncing and pouncing after Rabbit discovers what happens when Tiggers aren’t allowed to bounce. Russia has its own version of Winnie Pooh, so collecting the figures has an interesting international side to it.
Continue readingIf You Can’t Say Anything Nice… Isn’t Enough Anymore
Kids are brutal because they have no filter. They ask grandma why she has a moustache. They ask little people why they’re short and wonder out loud what happened to the person who is in a wheelchair. Generally, they don’t say these things because they’re malicious; they do them because they’re curious about the world. Children also have no idea what’s acceptable and what isn’t. At some point in life, children begin to grasp the concept that there are things you can ask and things you should leave unsaid. Back in the day, this was usually communicated with “Billy! If you can’t say anything nice…” and Billy would finish the sentence: “Don’t say anything at all.”
Continue readingDefy or Fire Up the Imagination: Tip Tuesday
In the “Go-Giver” (affiliate link) and several of the business gurus’ advice videos and self-help guides, one of the first pieces of advice you get is to provide more value than what you take in. At first glance, this means to avoid making money. After all, if you provide more than what a person pays for, you’re going to go bankrupt. However, what you’re really doing is providing people with what they need to achieve their goals or fulfill their needs in a better way. If you can do this genuinely and organically, you’ll find that you have a rabid fan base, who will help you succeed. To start, you need to defy or fire up the imagination.
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