monsbrick

Here’s a secret. I love watching trailers for movies and tv shows. Mostly movies though! I can watch them all day long.

With books and especially audiobooks I love to go through and listen to audiobook excerpts.

Started up a readers digest subscription again. We grew up with that subscription for my grandfather. He always had a book in his hands. Even he’s fallen asleep. Then he’d wake up and go back to reading it again.

But it feels like a guilty pleasure. Like it is some kind of cheating. Carl my husband and Sabrina his daughter both believe in reading books from beginning to end. In the correct linear pattern. Not me, even mysteries. I love to dive into the middle of the book and peak into the characters lives, or the language of a book. Last night I bought a pile of used books: a National Audubon society wildflower guide book. Drives me crazy when I forget the names of flowers and fauna.

Two Graham Greene books skinny old almost like travel books. An historical fiction of Ireland. I want also to learn more about Scotland so I need to get more books or research more about my roots there.

Another Hawaii book, if I ever retire my dream place to go of not resettle is Hawaii. I’ve been there. And I like it. My local church has a sister church in Lahaina and it survived the Maui fire though many people have been displaced.

Maybe I won’t get to all the books on my bucket list. It I can read bits and excerpts of them. Get a taste. ————-

If I send you mail that has postage due please let me know!

I'm currently reading about 7 books. Will settle down and focus on one of them soon.

On audiobooks, listening to The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling & William Gibson. I’ve read it before but this is my first time listening to the audiobook. Gibson is one of the authors I reread and listen to his books over and over.

My reading goal for 2023 was to read about 150 books. I read about 52 books last year. I am aiming for another 52-55 books for 2024. The goal is now a 3 year goal instead of a one year goal. I’m wayyyy behind my goal. It’s April now but I have only finished two books this year. I’ve read X by Sue Grafton. Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto. Reading The Judges List by John Grisham and Jesus by James Martin. Still haven’t finished those two books either. Really slow year reading for me.

Also started There, There by Tommy Orange. Really enjoying it. Local author. Nominated for a Pulitzer. Love his unique writing style. It’s jagged but perfect for my taste.

My writing goal well I don’t really have a goal with writing. My practice around writing is structured around several areas of my life. I keep a few log books and planners for work, workouts, finances, volunteer work, art, and pen pen letters! Phew! And I almost forgot my spiritual practices log and Bible study notebook :)

For decades, I did morning pages and other practices around The Writers Way by Julia Cameron. It was such a big part of my life and what I found most challenging were the “artists dates.” A common pattern for me is to avoid or push something or even someone aside and then to decide I do like that thing or behavior or person. Now I find I do tons of artistic work. Experimentation and doodling with pen or with paint or fabric or embroidery. Or different mediums like crayons, pencils, markers, paints, and more.

Probably my writing style is more like memoirs or storytelling. As a teen I loved anthropology. Documentary films or shows. Oral history. But now I also love dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. I love science fiction and fantasy. I don’t write that way but I love mystic writings and experiences. I’ve started a bit of St. Teresa of Avila’s writings and she had many mystical experiences. But I’m not aspiring to have more of those ecstatic experiences.

Being grounded is also important to me. Walking, swimming, yoga, dancing all help me stay grounded in reality.

All right I am prone to streams of consciousness as you can tell.

I have been in therapy for decades and go to a few different types of 12 step meetings. That helps me stay grounded.

♻️

Paper: I love paper!! Any kind of paper, stationery, loose pieces of paper, letter sets, postcards, notecards, ephemera.

Arts & crafts I’m into are journals, book pages like old books including illustrated flowers and plants, washi tape, wrapping paper, home made paper, yarn, tissue, packaging, found objects, and more.

Thank you for all the extras and gifts from you all!!!

Likes: [I'm always trying new styles and techniques. I don't think there's a single style that defines me unless maybe eclectic is a way to define. Though there are times I want more of a simple austere look. Then there are times I want a more busy collaged and contrasting look.]

Vintage or new but in a vintage style

Junk journals and fodder for them

Art all kinds and every style of art and crafts

Die cuts

Doodles

ephemera, any

Lace

Ribbons

Rice paper

Sari ribbon

Stationery anything

Stamped images

Stickers

Washi tape

Found objects

Dyed by ink or store bought or hand dyed fabric or yarn

Recipes

In general I like all colors.

** For Journals **

I’m making art journals, junk journals, scrapbooks and more. I use planners for work and church and include some other financial and other details in these.

For junk journals, any size works for me.

And I like all themes. To give you a few ideas, here are some: sea, nautical, floral, circus, antique or vintage even if it's new but in the vintage style, Asian theme or French style. Grunge or distressed are also good for me. I often think of French as distressed though there is the sleek French style too. I’m really all over the place.

Any theme is good as I like eclectic or putting various themes together in more a mix! Ha ha!

I have been collecting things to put into a junk journal but I haven't actually started making the journal itself. I've no doubt it'll happen. I'm having a ton of itself and enjoying the process. I hope you enjoy your process too!

Been watching lots of tv or streaming shows.

Binge watching The Crown on Netflix and enjoying it.

After all these decades I o my recently started watching Law & Order but I am slowly catching up. I watch all 3 variations: the original, Special Victims, and also Organized Crime. Plus police and detective shows from Europe such as the Paris Murders, Van der walk, Murder in Sweden, and Prime Suspect the old ones with Helen Mirren.

And on Amazon, I’ve watched and rewatched The Peripheral. I even relistened to William Gibson’s audio version. I’d read the book in print too.

I think we used to call this cyberpunk fiction but I don’t know what it’s called anymore. I just like it.

And the Amazon series based on Tolkien’s Silmarillion which is ambitious don’t you think? If you’ve ever paged through this collection of myths and songs and stories. But I did enjoy the show on Amazon, it’s called The Rings of Power.

I watch the Jesus Image and EWTN. My life feels so fragile. Well it is for all of us. It can be all gone on a moment. And that makes me push myself very hard and always has. Since I was a little thing. My caretakers died when well one of my caretakers was murdered. And it sort of jaded me but I’ve been through lots and lots of therapy and prayer and 12 step programs. Art is therapy now. But I try to not make everything cathartic. Sometimes a doodle really is just a doodle!

Here are a few of the artists and makers I watch at YouTube:

My newest discovery is Marcy’s Misadventures in Mixed Media on YouTube.

Ana Bondu she works in French mostly and her specialty is Gelli prints

Barbara at 49dragonflies who makes grunge and other fun styles of journals

Claire at art_journal love

Cathy’s Garden

Denise Love aka @2lilowlsstudio and she makes intuitive abstract art very colorful

Tim Holtz

Dina Wakely

Maremi Small Art

Amity Bloom

Gayle Agostinelli

Helen Colebrook

Jackie Bernardi

Jane Davenport

Louise Heinzl

Mystele

Niamh Baly

Nicole Relax.Cut.Glue

Nik the Booksmith

Pink Odd Bird

Roxy Creations

Shabbydabbydoodah

ShanoukiArt

Shawn Petite

Susanne Rose Art

Teal and Tattered Journal

The Paper Outpost

TiffanySmplySharpe

Willowing

These are my favorites!!!