trick or treat
Here’s a little trick-or-treat Sprite for Illustration Friday. She really wants to be in a series of four cards with all her trick or treat friends but it’s been a busy week so I don’t know if I’ll get around to it. I really miss making graphics just for me.
I’m sort of in a weird place right now. I want to vent about some work frustration. I’d also love to tell the story of my love affair with Adobe Illustrator… but those posts could run long and what I really want are some short posts for a change. Sometimes I even get sick of myself, if you know what I mean?
What do you want to read? I want to hear from you instead. Do you guys ever internalize your stress? I know they say don’t bottle it up but I don’t think I’m in any danger of that. I’m usually on the “too open” side. I guess the definition of maturity is not acting on every single emotion that comes along. How do you do that? What does it feel like when you have paragraphs and paragraphs of things to talk about but you decide to just smile and say everything is fine instead? Does it go away?
Please don’t worry. Things are fine. Nothing horrible or debilitating has happened. I promise. Just work stress. More fun happy stuff coming soon.
21 Comments
BeachMama
Love the illustration. I used to check illustration Friday all the time, but I seemed to have forgotten al about it.
I have to say that some frustrations I internalize and others I probobly should but can’t keep my mouth shut.
I can give you one example of paragraphs and paragraphs of things to say, but I just sit there and smile. I talk a lot. I mean A LOT. I can’t help it I come by it naturally, it runs in my family. Once Hubby told me to stop talking so much at his Mom’s house. So I did. And well, four years later I don’t say much around his Mom and Step-Dad. They always think I am mad, but I don’t care. They all thought I talked too much so now I don’t say anything. That will teach them to stiffle the talker of the family. Now we just sit in silence because I was the only one who had anything to say or introduce new topics, now they all just sit and try to think of things to say. It is a drag, but we only get together about once a month. Sometimes I just want to open my mouth and say all the things I have going on in there, but I don’t. It has made me realize that I can keep my mouth shut if I have to, but it is just no fun.
I do look forward to your post of Ilustrator, it would be great to see what parts you love so much.
familymclean
I so want to hear about your affair with adobe…someday when you feel like a long post, and any hints and tips too. ;)
I got it for an anniversary gift and am so used to photoshop I am lost in illustrator…anyway
I sure know what you mean when you say you get sick of yourself. I will leave it at that, I could do a post on that myself, maybe
I have, hmmm.
Island Mummy
I tend to be a bit too open sometimes too. But I really think it is best not to bury things. Within reason, screaming in the grocery store is generally frowned upon!
As I have a toddler a few months younger than Baby Bug I always love your stories.
Your photos are amazing, and were what hooked me in the first place.
I think many of us would be interested in reading about your creative process and frustrations as well as the successes.
I tend to talk things out with my friends and family, sometimes ad nauseam, but I am always prepared to listen when they want to do the same, so it works.
I would also love to hear about the creative things you have planned for the holidays or the kind of things you do. I love holiday crafts, decorating and baking, and I am always interested in other people’s family traditions.
nina
Oh goodness, I’m a talker. Or an emailer. Paragraphs and paragraphs. Usually to my husband’s aunt, who is one of the few older people I know who really likes emailing. We’ve discovered that ranting online to each other, 1000 miles apart, is a great stress reliever AND if we save all the emails, don’t have to write diaries.
I love whatever you write about SAJ. Baby bug is precious and bright, your artwork is amazing and it’s the ups and downs of daily life, with all the colorful details, that make for great reading. Also, I would say that with the ups and downs, over time it seems that your site is mainly “up”. It’s a real day brightener for me. I remember being a mom myself of a little girl (and how thrilled I was to have her, just like you are) and I’m continually fascinated as to how you manage to do your art with a little one in the house. It took me ages before I could return to mine (child number two was into every single thing!).
We’re bird people at our house, too (a grey and a ringneck) and I would love to see some bird illus and some more on your birds.
Angella
Girl, just write what is on your heart. It seems that whenever I burst forth with what I’m trying to repress (one is coming), people are so great and supportive.
xoxoxo
Neil
“Do you guys ever internalize your stress?”
Ha Ha, what kind of question is that? Everyone does that.
I certainly don’t equate maturity with bottling up. I mean, it’s not healthy to be open about everything, but it is good to talk about your stressors… to someone. Those who never do, always end up shooting people in post offices.
Oopsy Daisy
Do I internalize your stress? HAH! Let me give ALL of you young moms a warning (and old ones too). Don’t EVER internalize your stress! I had a very, very stressful job with bankin software. So when I had a client down millions of dollars were at stake. I ended up getting pancreatitis from the stress of it all. I don’t drink so stress was pretty much the only thing the doc could figure that caused my pancreatitis. It fried my pancreas so bad that I have been a brittle diabetic ever since. That means I take 6 insulin needles each and every day.
Now, whenever I feel deeply stressed I get a nasty bout of pancreatitis. My doc has warned me not to internalize my stress by I have no idea how to stop.
So gals (and guys) STOP STRESSING!
Oopsy Daisy
Oops, my bad, I mean I internalize MY stress, not YOUR stress. See, now I’m stressing! Oopsy!
Michelle
I think everyone, to a degree, internalizes their stress, because they don’t want to stress others out. Does that make any sense? If you have paragraphs and paragraphs of things to say, say them :o) We all enjoy helping out when needed (an observation I’ve made on this blog especially). Vent, girl! You don’t have to smile and say that eveything’s okay. Sometimes it’s not okay, and you need to let it out! TMI is acceptable on your blog too from what I can tell, so no worries there! Being in a weird place is good for the soul….you’ll look back on your trip to said weird place and learn something from the journey. This, I guarantee.
Hugs,
Michelle
Jennifer
Oh my I’m such a blabber mouth I don’t think I’ve ever internalized anything. I don’t know how good or bad that is. Since Jeremy (husband) works from home at the kitchen table I bounce a lot of my stresses off of him throughout the day. Sometimes I think he’s zoning out and has no idea what I’m talking about but most of the time he’s a great source of comfort.
I agree with previous posters. If you have lots to type about share it. I love reading what you have to write. I read your underwear post the other day on the way to Murrieta. It really gave me a good laugh.
Lori
i like the long posts. i say, bring on the long posts.
also, i love hearing about other people’s problems. it is very cheering. when i am having a particularly rotten day, i call my sister and ask her to tell me about something bad that’s happened to her. then i start laughing and i feel better. then i tell her my thing and she feels better. and it’s all good.
amy
I think you should allow yrself to use this amazing platform as all things to you…inspire others, creativity, reality, all of it. I think you should not second guess yrself. I feel the same way often…let go-unhunch and let it all flow…Yr real and it rocks
aimee/greeblemonkey
Cute illo.
I destress with massages, pottery class and stupid movies.
SAJ says: That sounds like a plan. I just need BB to hurry up and be eight. Nevermind. I don’t want her to grow up too fast. I just need a babysitter.
lynne
Hello, I love the illustration. Am I right in thinking your trying something new ideas out as your line looks different? If you tell me your love affair about Illustrator and I’ll tell you mine with Flash lol. Yes, I internalise stress, I’ve been stressed and over worked for months working on a full time freelance animation job and teaching, working days, weekends and evenings. I’m greatful for the work, while it’s here as who knows next year might be a slow one and I have a mortgage to pay. I wish I had time to breathe though, and reading your blog and seeing the photos of you and your daughter by the sea gives me an insight into the life I might have if I’m ever brave enough. I know everything is not all roses for you though and you and Toby work hard too to maintain your life. When this job ends I’m going to revamp my website (it’s in dire strates) and put new work up, who knows even start a blog (?) and get all the imaginary people who are in my head and let them live on paper.
shy Victoria
I’m pretty much a stress internalizer.
it’s no fun. : )
Estrella
Emerging from my usual lurking status to say that I love your posts- long and short! Regarding writing about the stress- I tend not to openly blog about it because I’m afraid of putting negative things in writing. (My mother’s voice rings in my head- “Don’t put anything in writing that you don’t want to be kept forever or that could haunt you later.”) Even though I try to protect my identity in my blog, I don’t want my negative thoughts to somehow be found out and linked back to me. Maybe that’s not conscience; it’s probably paranoia. :-)
Anyway, if I really have to let it out- I’ll write a private post. Still not 100% secure online, but it can be deleted later if I decide I don’t want to keep it. Love the cute picture ~ hope you find time to create the others you wrote about!
bethany actually
I suppose everyone internalizes some stress, but that’s not a bad thing altogther. Stress causes people to make changes, often for the better. But then, too much stress causes people to get pancreatitis and have heart attacks, which is bad. Hm.
I don’t internalize much. I have plenty of people I can talk to, and I write, and I crochet and paint and tickle my daughter, and those all help.
Write what you want, SAJ. We all will read it and like it, because you’re a good writer. :-)
Erin
I second the health dangers of internalizing your stress. I have IBS and when I’m really stressed out, my digestive system throws me for a loop and things are miserable for a few weeks. It’s funny how your body won’t let you ignore some emotions. When I get really sick, I sit back and think about what caused it, and usually it’s not a food trigger, it’s something at work or in my family that has stressed me out more than I had realized. That’s the beauty of blogging – you have an outlet to spill your stress and get positive feedback from your loving readers. We’re excellent support;) Hope you take a moment to take some deep breaths and come back to us feeling yourself!
Joy
For all us graphic geeks out there, please tell us about your love affair with Adobe Illustrator!
SAJ says: I think I will! One of these days…
JennB
Just read your other post…. good luck on baby #2!!! That is exciting!
Kuky
Yes do please talk about your love affair with Illustrator. I rarely use it. When I took a class for it, the only one available was a morning class. I am NOT a morning person. So that’s probably why I didn’t really understand it until much later when I had to work on it on my own.
And about bottling things up. I rant to someone, it’s usually the hubby. Once the rant was about him and I didn’t want to talk to anyone else about it I so I ranted on my blog. It showed up in my feed and then I deleted it because I wanted to talk to Alan first before he read it on my blog. That way I got it off my chest and had people who read my feed email me their thoughts. It made me feel loads better.