Day 1.

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 SnapDragon X.9 Comments

‘Cuz it’s the first day of the rest of our lives, right?

. . .

Hi. (waves)

Today is my first official day of being a full-time, stay-at-home mom.

And despite the whole working remotely thing happening for months on end, it feels pretty good to be 100% done. Close the book. Wave goodbye.

It’s over.

And so begins the next chapter in The SnapDragon Tale!

First and foremost, I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to lose my salaried-with-full-benefits job, and not feel the sense of panic so many have experienced lately. I live a very comfortable life, for which I am extremely grateful. That’s not lost on me.

I’m definitely a stop-and-smell-the-roses kinda gal, and this situation is no different.

There is always something to be thankful for, Dear Reader.

. . .

So as I take a breath–during nap time, that is–I’m going to get a few kinks worked out.

Clean Up, Yo. If I want this blog to take off, I’ve gotta get my shit in order. Yes it’s a fun outlet for me, but I know I can turn it into something more. I’ve got ideas. I’ve got material. I need to establish a schedule I can actually stick to.
Office Space. As ridiculous as it sounds, I have trouble getting started on things. Like, a lot of trouble. I’m talking like, my laptop being closed instead of open kind of trouble. I look for any and all barriers to prevent me from my creative work. (Why I do this, I do not know.) And so, I’ve realized that I need my own space. My own desk, equipped with my (open!) laptop, easel and canvas at the ready, and a stack of delicious notebooks and pens for creative thought. It’s happening. And soon.
Keep Calm and Be Kind. It’s the only thing I can control. I will never get everything done in a day. I will never arrive at some task-free life. I will never have total understanding from each and every person. But I can be kind. Always.

See you soon, friends. Be well.

. . .

SnapDragon is a human being who finds satisfaction in clipping coupons.

Follow Snippets of SnapDragon for a little of this and that, yo.

Two-Bit Musings.

Again.

June 26, 2021June 26, 2021 SnapDragon X.9 Comments

A weirdo-artist rant from a SnapDragon near you.

. . .

I like who I am. Really, I do.

But it’s hard to be a thinker sometimes.

A dweller. A stew-er. An inspired little nugget of a human.

Even as a kid, I was dominated by my own thoughts:

Should. Should. Should. Should. Should. Should. Should. Should. Should.

The only time I’m truly at rest is when I’m asleep, or sick.

Well, maybe that’s not true. I watch high-quality television. But I’m not really relaxing. I get so wrapped up in the magic of the story that I inevitably turn my brain to my own creativity. My stories. My characters.

There they sit, just waiting.

For me.

. . .

In my thirty-four years I still have yet to understand time.

24-ish hours in a day.

Focus on what matters, Snap.

Don’t be someone you’re not.

. . .

Who are you?

I am a mother; partner; homemaker;

reader; blogger; poet; fiction-writer; photographer; painter; draw-er;

friend; family member;

listener;

patron of the arts;

collector of funky clothing, jewelry, and postcards prints;

traveler;

non-meat eater;

anti-religionist;

occasional crafter;

unapologetic snacker.

(And probably a few other things that have slipped the old skull.)

. . .

So I guess what I’m getting at in this toilet-paper-of-a-post is this:

I can’t do it all.

Not everyday, anyway.

No one can.

So I have to stop wasting the precious time I have feeling regretful. Feeling antsy. Feeling like a fraud of an artist because I’m not churning stories or paintings out each day.

Because the process itself–the living, the loving, the dreaming and nightmaring–the coffee breaks and heartfelt conversations–the slipper slides and magazines and sweat-pant days–they bring us to that pinnacle of inspiration, whenever it may arrive.

Deep breaths, yo.

You got this.

. . .

SnapDragon is an artist who invites you to follow her craziness on Snippets of SnapDragon.

Two-Bit Musings.

Brain Dump, Yo.

October 13, 2020 SnapDragon X.15 Comments

*Inhale,* 2020. Pennsylvania.
Original Photo by SnapDragon X.

Ahh, yes. Time to let out a few half-baked notions before calling it a night.

(And also figuring out how to gently wake up Henry and Raja, my sweet felines, who are both currently snoozing on top of me.)

Brain Dump, Yo.

1. I love coffee ice cream. Like, old-fashioned, hand-dipped, plain creamy coffee ice cream in a bowl. Tickles my taste buds every time.

2. Screens are taking over society. Umm, thanks for the late-breaking news, Snap. I forced myself to lay still for 30 minutes this afternoon. No reading. No blogging. No emailing. Just me, supposedly resting my weary bones. It was. . . harder than you’d think.

3. Reading Time. I think I want to write and illustrate a children’s book. I think I’d be pretty good at it, what with my love of simplicity, and my cartoonish art. I just need an idea. . .

Good night, Dear Reader. Be well.

. . .

SnapDragon is an artist who kind of wants to play a steel drum.

snippetsofsnapdragon.com

Two-Bit Musings.

The Company You Keep.

April 20, 2020 SnapDragon X.17 Comments

*Real Life,* 2020. Original Photo by SnapDragon X.
All rights reserved.

As I watched my infant son snooze away the afternoon, the old adage “You are the company you keep” popped in my head.

I suppose his sweet, five-month-old face reminded me of how impressionable we all are.

I also know I read or heard this somewhere:

We become the five people who are closest to us.

Wow, really?

It makes you think, you know?

So.

How do we spend our time?

What values, attitudes, and energies make up our days?

Because influence not only comes from our family, friends, and co-workers, but also from our daily dose of life.

news; books; TV; movies; games; music; online social forums

Hmm.

I don’t make a habit of following celebrity tabloids (from this century, anyway), but for whatever reason I caught something Angelina Jolie said, and it always stayed with me.

I’m paraphrasing, but she said something along the lines of:

“At the end of the day, I just want to be a smarter person.”

Me too, yo.

I want to surround myself with:

Intelligence.

Integrity.

Passion.

Creativity.

Critical Consciousness.

I want to live my life with curiosity. I want to take the adventures, eat the food, and sip the drinks.

I want to be loyal.

I want to be kind.

I want to be humble enough to admit I’m human.

For I am only one person, but I will be the best one I can be.

. . .

SnapDragon is a writer, painter, and flawed human being.

Follow her Two-Bit Musings and more on Snippets of SnapDragon.