Get the Support You Need

Learn from thousands of users who have made their way through our courses. Need help getting started? Watch this short video.

today's top discussions:

logo

Addiction

Lynn123

2024-03-27 3:02 PM

Managing Drinking Community

logo

New Year's Resolutions

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-25 2:47 AM

Managing Drinking Community

logo

Water

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-17 5:24 PM

Healthy Weight Community

logo

What motivates you?

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-10 10:30 PM

Quit Smoking Community

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

DM555 3 3

Browse through 411.742 posts in 47.053 threads.

160,431 Members

Please welcome our newest members: Jgorilla, anna13, CCaballero, JJAY EVANGEL, VKATE DARLENE

Expressing yourself creatively


10 years ago 0 177 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
That earthquake would've been a big shock (no pun intended). I know in New Zealand and Japan, earthquakes are an everyday occurrence and if there's a bit of a tremor they'll just keep doing whatever they're doing and carry on with their day like nothing happened.

Haha it might- who knows? ;). Actually, in another thread a while ago you mentioned your Scottish friend who says "Good on ya." I always thought that was an Australian trademark! A bit like "See ya later."

Kaitie.
10 years ago 0 1071 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Kaitie,

We actually had an earthquake, here in Southern Maryland, which is unbelievable. Well, actually, it was technically in Virginia, but we felt it over here.  It's only happened once, so I'm chalking it up to not much to be concerned about as well.  Our area is swamp land and tends to flash flood at times, nothing too serious, plus our house is on a hill.  The back third floods up to the half acre fenced backyard on rare occasions, but again nothing to worry about :-)

I like the cockroach saying.  I'm going to start that saying in the U.S. :-)  Will let you know if it catches on - ha ha.

Shari
10 years ago 0 177 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Shari,

That's okay, the site's been quite busy lately with lots of threads to read.

We'll have to get busy drawing! :)

That sounds a bit extreme, like killing a cockroach with a sledgehammer (is that an Aussie saying? haha). There are plenty more things to worry about, rather than a once in a lifetime tornado ;). Two years ago, almost the whole state of Queensland flooded and more than 20 people died. My city, Toowoomba, is built on an inactive volcano so although flooding isn't impossible, it's usually minor. On this occasion though, our city centre flooded so badly cars were washed away and several of the death toll were in Toowoomba alone. It's been described as an "inland tsunami" because it came out of nowhere, like a tsunami. Earlier this year Queensland flooded again, some areas worse than in 2011 and others not as badly, Toowoomba was only minor. The 2011 floods were a once in a lifetime event, and even though we're better prepared now than we were before, we can't let it rule our lives.

Kaitie.
10 years ago 0 1071 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Kaitie,

I didn't have enough time yesterday to respond to your posts, but I'm catching up now :-) 

I have pictures of Diagon Alley at Universal, so I'm going to do sketches from those photos for fun :-)

Landscapes and portraits are great!  I've enjoyed doing those as well.  Clay is also a fantastic medium; I sculpted a little brown dog :-)

The tornado siren is more annoying than anything else.  About ten years ago we had one tornado, there were none for 50 years prior, so they spent all of the taxpayer's money on a warning system that is really not needed.  One time there was a tornado warning on t.v. and they didn't run the siren, so what good is it, if they're not going to use it.  I find it an unrealistic fear.  A tornado is a realistic fear, but thinking one is going to pop up every year is not.  We don't live in Tornado Alley in the Western States of Oklahoma, etc.  We don't have a basement, nor a hidey hole, as the Westerner's call it (an underground shelter to hide in, specifically for tornadoes).  I refuse to live in fear about it, because the majority of the things I worry about, never happen.  And, the lack of tornadoes each year is proving that theory, that they are nothing to worry about :-)

Shari
10 years ago 0 177 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Shari,

I love Harry Potter too, although I wasn't into it right from the start. Universal Studios is definitely somewhere I want to see, and the Harry Potter set would have been so much fun. The castles truly are amazing aren't they? There's something about watching the movies that draws you in, and you almost feel a part of it.

I'm interested in painting landscapes and portraits, although the book I really wanted about drawing and painting landscapes is out of print and I haven't found anywhere in Australia that sells it new! Another thing I've wanted to try is portrait sculpture in clay. There's a lady in Brisbane who teaches some classes so I'm hoping to do a road trip there sometime.

Tornado siren? That in itself sounds scary! We actually had several tornados across the East Coast earlier this year, I didn't even know it was possible to have tornados here..

Kaitie.
10 years ago 0 1071 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi, 

You can get mentally tired too, as well as physically tired.  When I used to have panic attacks, I would get up and do a circle word puzzle or play computer games until I was worn out tired and then would go back to bed.

I get bored really easily too.  The experts say that bored people are really intelligent people.  There's a positive way to look at it.  I haven't painted in awhile either.  I'd like to draw architecture like castles and English buildings.  So, I'm going to get a book to inspire me.  I'm good at drawing animals, and okay with buildings, but as my daughter says, "If you want to get better at drawing castles, you need to practice drawing them."  So, I will do that today.  I like the cinematography of Harry Potter, maybe I can draw scenes from the castle.  I miss The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.  The Set Designers from the actual movie, flew over to America to replicate, exactly, Diagon Alley and Hogwarts.  I always liked going there to Honeyduke's candy and Zonko's joke stores.  You felt like you were there.  Especially, when you first walked into the theme park and saw the Hogwart's train at the station.  I guess I'm just a big kid :-)  

Well, I'm off.  The town is having the bi annual tornado siren test for a half hour and I need to get myself and my dogs out of here.  It's too ear shattering to stay.

Shari

10 years ago 0 177 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I've had a few ideas for paintings and drawings lately, but it's been so long since I've actually done those things. I'll have to get back into it again.

My brain tends to be over active, I always need something to occupy it. Its a good sign though, if I'm feeling bored again, it means I'm not spending as much time focussing on anxious thoughts. I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing around the house, but I find that I often don't need to physically tire myself out. The mental strain of doing assignments, or even working on a painting, is enough to do the trick.

Kaitie.
10 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Lunch time.

I used to sketch when my hands worked better. I have a CAD program (computer assisted design) in my computers I use to design things whether I build them or not. 

I find that after a bit of physical work I can relax easier. It's a combination of many things including not feeling guilty for not getting things done. I do spend a fair bit of time between projects balancing them so no one thing consumes all my time. Today is a combination of watering plants disassembling a piece of equipment straightening the bent pieces and putting it back together and then some pre gardening work. A lot of this I can do sitting. I'm going to sit on the deck and have a cup of tea before going back to work. I have more seeds to start so that is going to be priority for tomorrow. Boring as can be but it does take some concentration. These will be brassicas to transplant to the garden in three weeks. 

Back outside now.

Davit
10 years ago 0 1071 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Ashley,

I have done everything on the list you have, at one time or another.  I knit, crochet, draw, paint, write, scrapbook.  I have to reevaluate my creative outlets to include more physical activity, in addition to, sedentary.  Bird watching and sketching birds, gardening, dancing, going to flea markets to find dog treasures and coming home and arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing way.  I think a combination of active and inactive creativity, as well as a variety of creative things to do works well.  I need to balance mine more.  Davit seems to have a good balance of woodworking and gardening.  

Shari
10 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ashley

None of those things help me. I need physical labour. I need something that will actually tire me out upon which time then I can rest without my mind going where it doesn't belong. So in winter I spend long hours in my shop. In spring I spend time cleaning up outside. Summer is of course gardening and fall is processing the garden and cleaning up. In between is going to be making meals I can freeze for busy days. I have two green houses so rain doesn't even shut me down.

Why this? Simply, the only way to block the physical pain is to work so I don't focus on it. It still hurts but not mentally.
Accomplishment is for me better than all the pills I take.

Sun is shining all next week so I will be very busy and I have some equipment to repair also. Minor stuff but it still has to be done. Good thing I don't mind working alone because all of this has to be done alone. Just me and the birds and one huge Black Bear for company. They are out now and looking for greens to eat. The geese don't seem to be bothered by it.

But then some people don't have the room or the inclination. I could never live in a city with nothing but a computer to occupy my time. I'd rather die face down in the garden.

Davit.

Reading this thread: