New on my main website: Annie's Gallery

New on my website, Annie's Gallery! Some of my favorite drawings, paintings and multimedia I've done, all in one place!

Here is the link to my website: Annie Dameron, Artist and Writer. Posted are my poetry and writing samples, links to my e-books and free chapters (PDF download). 

If you're a writer, artist, or other creative, I have a links page on site. If you'd like to be included (free, no charge), drop me a message w/your information, and I'll add you to the list. 

Stop on by and say hello, and I'll return the gesture! :-D Annie

Creativity can save your sanity...

This past week has been somewhat of a nightmare, for many reasons. Not only for personal reasons, but technological too. We had a modem problem that made accessing the Internet difficult. Since our Internet and main phone line were bundled, we lost main phone service too (thank goodness for working cell phones!). Now that the technological problems are straightened out, I've had to play catch up on a lot of things.

On the good side, I used the time to work on creative projects. I finished my second short story/poetry collection in time for Halloween, and started to put together a collection of my art. Spent more time with the kids and generally tried not to go insane. I finally got rid of a lot of clutter around the house...Goodwill and the used bookstore received plenty of donations.

When times are tough and people question your relative sanity (literally, figurative or otherwise), writing and art are good outlets for sadness and frustration. Put those words on the page, draw those images, mix those colors and throw them on the canvas. A slow boil can make a tasty spaghetti sauce or a great cup of tea. A quick flash can spark more ideas down the road. Get those emotions out there before it has a chance to fester into a gaping emotional wound.

This past week has been a lesson in patience and self-preservation. I can say this, though: creative work has been (and continue to be) a way for me to cope when my world's turned upside down. 

Mini-Collage Art Journal

Here is my newest art journal. It's a hardback medium-sized Piccadilly journal with with plain pages. I got this at the Borders closing sale for 50% off. The strip above says 'Celebrate Creativity' and the 'distressed' sticker at the bottom says 'Recenly Discovered'.

I haven't done any mini-collages in quite some time now. I usually went through the Sunday paper and cut/tore out any pictures that appealed to me, even on a subconscious level. Later, I'd arrange and glue them down in arrangements and added sparkly glue, stickers, etc. When I was short on time (with 3 kids, that was normal), it was a quick and easy way to make art.

I want to get back into the 'habit', so this will be my mini-collage journal. I'll post some of these mini creations as I do them. 

Some of my favorite artists' Facebook pages (Part II)

Like the previous post, this is NOT meant to be comprehensive, but a sampling of some of my favorite artists and artisans on Facebook. Check out their pages and give them your support! Thanks! If you want your FB page/website page/blog included in my upcoming Links Page, drop me a line at artistmum1@gmail.com or DM me on twitter at @ladyrainbow! 

 

Art and Illustration:

Arty Aitch: link

Lesley Atlansky Art: link

Julia Crossland Art: link

Jennifer Donald Art: link

Gregos Art: link

Healing with Art (Emelisa Mudle): link

As I Am, Reborn: The Art of Nyela: link

Robin Maria Pedrero: link

Art and Design by Sand625 (Sandra Lock): Link 

David Sandum Art: link

Marcaeus Yates: link

 

Creative Business:

ABC Creativity (Andrea Schroeder): link

Crafty Chica (Kathy Cano-Murillo): link

GoddessGuidebook.com (Leonie Dawson): link

SARK: (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy): link

 

Handmade:

ArtsCow: link

Itsamistry Design Studio: link

Maimy: link

Variya Hand-Crafted Jewelry: link

 

Pens:

Mestari Designs: link

Photography:

Cryptic Fragments/Tammy Winand : link

 

Pottery:

Dirty Girl Pottery: link

 

Tattoos:

Xenographics: link

 

From my sketchbook...a snapshot of my creative process

Countryside (Draft)

rough draft of future painting

 

I don't normally post sketches or rough drafts because they rarely look anything like the finished product. This time, I'd like to share some aspects of my creative process when I draw or paint. It shares some similarities with my writing process, with a few differences.

"Countryside" will be a painting, either oil or acrylic (haven't decided yet). A river runs through a small settlement in the mountains. The landscape highlights the daily life of the inhabitants and their simple, yet mystical architecture. This is connected with a new fantasy novel series that's in the planning stages right now. The first book takes place mostly in a land similar to Ancient China, with some touches of ancient Persia.

Here's another page from my sketchbook, this time dealing with some architecture:

 

Architecture1 (Draft)

I've always been fascinated by the structure of buildings, gardens and fountains. In fact, I had serious considered becoming an architect/graphic designer type while in college (I was at the right place for it: Virginia Tech). For this project, I've consulted books and internet sites about East Asian temples (like the Vietnamese and Thai pagodas, the sketch on the left), Chinese and Japanese Buddhist temples, and Roman temples. The small pyramid on the bottom right was borrowed from the Egyptian. History has given us plenty of skilled and innovative architects, from Imhotep to Frank Lloyd Wright. 

When I imagine a fantasy culture, I make a list of important Things To Keep in Mind (capital letters). Setting is an important component, as well as character (what does he/she/it do for a living? What kind of personality do they have? How do they interact with other characters?). Language plays a role and social structure, like a class system, influences the characters and the plot. Painting and writing have to convey this through visual means, either on the canvas or on the page.

I'll post updates on this process as they happen. :-D

 

Lessons learned from a dysfunctional laptop...

laptop. Yes, this is a confession. 

The kids dumped water on my old laptop about a week and a half ago. The power supply shorted out and made it completely useless. When the smell of burning plastic wafts past your nose, that's pretty much an indication that it's time to hold an electronic funeral. I still had WIPs in various stages trapped on the harddrive. Since Hubs is a computer software engineer, I hoped he would manage to save those lost files.

He did, but it took a little while. In the meantime, I had to use his computer. It wasn't a problem at first, but eventually, Hubs got tetchy about the amount of time I spent on it. Of course, he never actually said to me, "Get off my computer." Sometimes, the unspoken is louder than the spoken. I had to be mindful of just getting on to check e-mail and touch base with other creatives. So writing, blogging and processing art took a hiatus for nearly a week and a half. Thank goodness for the ability to schedule blog posts for the future.

Eventually, we managed to find a laptop that I liked. It was out of stock in Best Buy, and I actually considered getting another make and model. Not my first choice; the keyboard was arranged in a weird way (the F1-F12 keys were integrated with the number keys, plus some other quirks that I wasn't used to). When Hubs tried to purchase that one, there was a mix-up with the Best Buy credit card he tried to use.

We went home without a laptop. I was frustrated as Hubs tried to get through to BB's Customer Service. Eventually, the mess was straightened out. He searched around the net and found that the original model of laptop (the one I liked) was available at a different store. This time, Hubs called the store to make sure it was THERE before he took the time and effort to drive out there.

By the time the day was over, I had my new laptop in hand. Hubs also purchased an external harddrive with certain connections to retrieve the lost data from the old laptop. I was relieved that it wasn't confined to the ether...I was afraid it'd been lost forever.

Lessons learned during this episode:

1) I spent more time scribbling in my various sketchbooks. Now I have several 'drafts' for future drawings and paintings.

2) Writing longhand isn't as much of a pain as it was. Then again, I've always carried a notepad and pen with me wherever I go. 

3) Kids can spark the most unorthodox ideas, without even trying.

4) Never mess with a software engineer's computer. Just don't. Even if it's completely by accident.

5) It's amazing how much housework gets done when you're (temporarily) electronically stuck.

6) Patience is a virtue, but it's a learned virtue. 

and last, but not least,

7) If the kids can tolerate episodes of Doctor Who, I can tolerate unendless repetitions of Wiggles videos.

Personal Creativity?

"One of the first things you will find as you begin to share with the word this beautiful, wild-hearted, lovingly developed gift of your personal creativity is that the world wants no part of it."

Jim Borgman, Cartoonist

 

"Problems can't be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."

Albert Einstein

 

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

Scott Adams, Cartoonist

 

"Creative minds are rarely tidy."

Unknown

 

"The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense."

Pablo Picasso

 

"Nothing creates creativity like the chance to fall on one's face."

Eric Hoffer, Writer

 

"Creativity is the ability to see relationships where none exist."

Thomas Ditsch 

Art: Mama Java Banner (Day 1, 30 Days of Creativity)

Mama Java Banner

(Day 1, 30 Days of Creativity)

acrylic, gold ink

© 2011 by A. Dameron

#30DaysofCreativity

All of my active blogs...

Here's a list of my various blogs and where they're located. Some are pretty subject-specific, and I've indicated those.

 

Writing:

Purple Muse's Pondering's: Writing and Creativity.

I Gotta Write! My general writing blog about life.

Mama Java's: Hodge-podge of stuff about art, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Stargate, books and reading, food, chocolate...a LOT of stuff.

Writin' Across Universes: My fanfiction archive. Star Trek Enterprise, Stargate Atlantis, SG-1, Doctor Who/Torchwood

AU Switcheroo Series: An alternate universe series of Star Trek Enterprise. Same ship, same mission, same people. Different universe.

 

Art:

Phoenix Fire Arts: My general art gallery, includes my paintings, sketches and drawings.

An Eighth Shot of Espresso: My photography blog

USS Sarasvati: Fanart specific to Star Trek (all series, but mainly Star Trek: Enterprise)

LadyR1218 on Deviant Art

 

Artist Trading Cards, New Phone, and Other Random Stuff

I've been working on multiple projects at once, plus dealing with 3 kids by myself this past week. Hubby was in New Jersey on a business trip, so there was definitely no rest for the mommy-minded! I ended up doing most of my writing and art after the kids were put to bed, about 8 PM. So I'll throw in a load of laundry or stack the dishes in the dishwasher and try to have a few minutes of peace.

Time's been in short supply, so I've been doing quick sketches. I'm working on a series of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs, 2 inches by 3 inches. Think trade-able art cards, like baseball cards) connected with Chinese New Year. Chun Lian are New Year's couplets, traditionally written on horizontal (or vertical) strips of paper and affixed to your door frame. Usually, it's a quote about the coming spring or a saying from the Chinese classical scholars, like Lao Tzu or Confucius.

My phone's been on the fritz lately, so I've had to get a new one. The old one kept dropping calls, and after my son's teacher tried to contact me (and I finally got her message on the home phone), I told Hubs when he got back that I can't afford to have a bum phone. So I got a new one...spent a while transferring my important phone numbers into it, but as long as I can actually receive my calls, it's worth it.

Still working on my creative website, and I'm planning on adding PDFs of some of my writing and some podcasts (connected with this blog and Phoenix Fire Arts). Slow going, but it'll get there.

So there's no rest for the Creative Mommy, never mind the wicked.



All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2011

One at a time vs. multiple projects?

I know some writers who write one story at a time, some artists who paint one painting, some potters who fire one pot at a time. They focus their energies on a single project and don't divide their attention. This way, they complete their tasks before starting new ones, and nothing is left unfinished. On the other hand, a complicated project can take weeks (or months) before it's completed. A fellow painter puts it this way, "The quality of my work is more important to me than just the quantity. If I end up cranking out picture after picture, the process loses something. I end up losing my soul."

Other creatives have multiple pots on multiple burners on their stove. I admit that I'm more of this type. If my writing Muse hikes Her way to Key West again on my novel, I can work on my poetry, or my drabble collection. If I can't make any headway on my acrylic painting, I'll grab a few old magazines, cut and paste a collage to my heart's content. Sometimes I'll get an idea on how to approach my original problem (by doing something completely unrelated), so I'll scurry back to it.

Of course, some of my projects sit untended for a while, and eventually may go to the reject or the recycle bin. But that doesn't bother me as much. Things ebb and flow, and change, other ideas come and go.

Everyone has their own style, methodical or chaotic, but as long as it suits your creative life, have fun!

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Thinking too Much with the Intellect, Not Enough with the Heart

"Lovers and men of intellect cannot mix:

How can you mix the broken with the unbroken?

Cautious men of intellect shrink back from a dead ant:

Lovers, completely carefree, trample down dragons.

The intellect says, "the six directions are limits; there is no way out."

Love says, "There is a way; I have traveled it thousands of times."

The intellect saw a market and started to haggle.

Love saw thousands of markets beyond that market." 

Rumi

*****

I read this quote and this really spoke to me. Thinking too much can hamper our creativity. When confronted by the unexpected (the dead ant), sometimes we panic and freeze in our tracks. If we don't allow the weird and the wonderful to throw us off balance, we can tackle the biggest problem and triumph over it.


Once we hit a barrier, it's so easy to just give up. "There's no way around this problem; there's nothing I can do!" Look for unorthodox solutions, try new ideas, see what works. If it doesn't work, try another way. And another, and another. 


When your livelihood depends on your creativity, it's easy to fall into the 'will this sell and for how much?' trap. The practical side keeps us fed, clothed, and able to make more creative items. Once your main goal becomes achieving a bottom line, the quality of your product suffers. It becomes just a means for an end: to satisfy a certain "market". "Love saw thousands of markets beyond that market". Don't lose sight of what matters the most to you, and don't limit yourself to just one way of doing things.New roads and new directions can inspire more ideas and the circle begins again. 


Think, but also use your heart in your creative efforts.






All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Creative Art in Real Life

Squeezing in time to make art can be a challenge, especially with 3 kids, and a hubby. "Irish Lass" was drawn in about 15 minutes, with pastels...on the back of a paper grocery bag. LOL! That's why it looks partially crumpled...Not neat and tidy, but that's Creative Art in Real Life.


All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

How to Deal with Cold Noses and Wet Blankets (Part II)

Then there are the other ones, the Wet Blankets and the Cold Noses. We've all run into them, the naysayers of gloom and doom. Cold Noses are worse---they stick  those noses into your creative life and try their best to freeze your enthusiasm. It's harder to ignore a Cold Nose than a Wet Blanket. You could always disregard a Wet Blanket's Pessimism, or at the very least, toss them in the Dryer for a few cycles. A Cold Nose is like getting your tongue stuck frozen on a flagpole. You can get it unstuck, but it's pretty damn painful.


I ran into a Cold Nose/Wet Blanket combo just earlier today. It's not unusual to find one with the other, one following the other, or both in one delightful package. This one was the specialty package.


"What're you doing on your computer?"


"Just doing some editing." (I had a picture editing site up, processing digital pics of my recent art).


"Really? Wow. You know, those colors look too bright. Maybe if you move the slider a bit that way."


(pause). "They're supposed to be that bright."


"No, trust me, that doesn't look natural at all. Maybe if you crop it from here...no, it'd look kinda lopsided. This doesn't look like a real person. Looks more...'organic'."


"You make 'organic' sound like a bad thing."


(Cold Nose/Wet Blanket backpedals) "Oh, no, it really isn't. I know some kinds of art isn't supposed to be like Da Vinci or Michaelangelo."


"Or a technical drawing."


"I'd be lousy at technical drawings. They wouldn't get done because I'd be obsessed with getting it exactly right."


"But this isn't a technical drawing, and this is my style."


"Oh, I know that, but still..."


Yes, this was an actual conversation. Cold Noses don't care about your boundaries; your business becomes theirs and they have all sorts of "helpful" advice to impart to  you. First and foremost, learn the magic of containment. Julia Cameron talks about this in her "Artist's Way" series, and her advice can save your sanity. Don't share your artistic work indiscriminately. Find supportive people that will offer constructive criticism while nurturing your talents. It sounds difficult, but your personal cadre of cheerleaders can make the difference.


Wet Blankets try to dampen your enthusiasm. They point out how difficult it is to make a living in the arts. Artists are crazy, broke and/or drunkards. Can't you find a steady, reliable job that brings in a predictable income? Get your head out of the clouds and back to reality. Their negativity is enough for you to tear up your manuscript, burn your canvases, and find a pub somewhere.


We're hypersensitive to criticism like this. We must learn to have selective hearing and thick skins. A writer friend of mine puts it this way, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, tear down the ones who do. Don't let 'em." Sound advice. Ignore such gloom and doom (easier said than done), and/or get away from the Wet Blanket. Some people decide to throw the Wet Blanket in the dryer for a couple of cycles. Others gently hang them out to dry on a clothesline. 


Still others fold the Wet Blankets and store them in their linen closet. The problem with that is that eventually, all your towels get soaked as well, and that leads to all sorts of moldy problems. It takes courage to throw out the ruined stuff and restock with pretty sheets and fluffy towels.


It also takes courage to find the Warm Fuzzies and Itchy Toes. They're out there. If they're not local, then find some writers/artists/sculptors/jewelry makers/scrapbookers/designers/whatever your specialty on-line. Support is crucial to finding your bliss and nurturing it against the Cold Noses and Wet Blankets. 


Go on and be daring!






All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Warm Fuzzies and Itchy Toes (Part I)

Ever since I decided to give a creative career a go, I've run into two kids of people. One kind is the Warm Fuzzies and Itchy Toes. They hear my plans with great enthusiasm and suggest all sorts of ideas. Sure, the ideas may be kooky and impractical and just plain silly. We sit in the coffee shop and hatch all sorts of plots:

"Walking Zombies overrun the Earth!"

"A big boat sinks in an overrated explosion!"

"A reindeer stalks hunters with a machine gun!"

"Oh wait, a minute. Those are already taken! Damn!"

"So? In that case, every plot's already been taken. Put your own spin on it."

"How about boy meets girl, boy and girl are stranded on a tropical island---"

"---boy finds a treasure chest and becomes rich and girl kicks his butt and opens a spa and salon."

And we're off again. We feed off each other's energy and give each other permission to be as crazy as we want. No one judges (the Warm Fuzzy) and each person takes an idea and runs with it (the Itchy Toes). Creative energy thrives in such an environment, among the lattes and black coffees, the croissants and carrot cakes.

These are the friends I call at 2 AM and say, "Hey, what about..." And they forgive me. Even with the time zone differences.

Then there are the other ones, the Wet Blankets and the Cold Noses. We've all run into them, the naysayers of gloom and doom. Cold Noses are worse---they stick  those noses into your creative life and try their best to freeze your enthusiasm. It's harder to ignore a Cold Nose than a Wet Blanket. You could always disregard a Wet Blanket's Pessimism, or at the very least, toss them in the Dryer for a few cycles. A Cold Nose is like getting your tongue stuck frozen on a flagpole. You can get it unstuck, but it's pretty damn painful.

Part II to come: How to Deal with Wet Blankets and Cold Noses.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

7 Steps to Creativity by Christopher Lowell

Christopher Lowell is an interior designer with a quirky, yet practical flair. I remember the first time I saw his show on the Bravo channel and thought, "What a weird guy." There is a method to his madness...creative boldness yet classy at the same time. Quirky but not kitschy. It takes a skilled eye to break away from the ordinary without being so obnoxious that it can't appeal to people.


These seven steps are from his book, "7 Steps to Creativity":


1) Don't second-guess. Make a decision.


2) Don't procrastinate. What you hate, decorate.


3) Don't back down. Stick to your guns. Have faith.


4) Create a safe environment to make choices. Dare to dream. Let go of stress.


5) You're the boss. Give it a toss. Cut out clutter.


6) Put away your ego and pretensions in your back pocket. Be willing to be open.


7) Lighten up! Keep an aerial view! Be flexible!

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Key Qualities of Creative People

From Fanning the Creative Spirit: Two Toy Inventors Simplify Creativity by Maria and Charlie Girsch © 1999 by Creativity Central

They are:

-willing to generate lots of ideas.
Just write down anything that comes to you, without stopping to edit them. See a situation from multiple angles and think out of the ordinary. Who cares if a solution doesn't seem practical (or sane)? Write it down anyway!

--curious.
Think "Why?" "Why not?" "How come?" "What if...?" "I wonder..." and "How about if I (we)...?)" and "How does this work?"

--aware and observant.
Slow down and take the time to notice the details. They can tell you about a person/place. Use your senses. An ink stain on someone's hand? Blue eyes and freckles? A table with papers and bills scattered on top of it?

--improvisers and risk-takers.
When life throws you a curve ball, swing anyway. Life doesn't happen the way we expect it, but we can control our reaction to it. Sometimes the best solutions are the ones thought up on the spot. Take opportunities when you find them. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

--able to see the "old" in new ways.
Spend a few hours with a child. Their sense of wonder and innocence can surprise you. A "boring" cardboard box can be a bus, a spaceship, a train, a house, a race car, a turtle shell, a chair, a tea trolley...you get the idea.

--dreamers.
Practical is fine for the real world, but the impossible can inspire new inventions. Visualizing new ways of doing things can change the world.

---fun loving.
A sense of humor lightens the heaviest soul. It's also catching...when the members of a group are relaxed, ideas flow between them.

--able to live with ambiguity.
Sometimes there are no answers to life's questions and that can unsettle even the most steadfast person. If you can accept that discomfort, you can push through it to find a creative spark.
All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Q&A: Productivity and Circumstances

Question and Answer: Contemplate your most productive periods. Did you act alone? With others? Were you striving to be creative? Specific incidents that caused you to act? Serendipity and happenstance?

Oddly, mostly alone. When I teach, I usually think up creative projects for my kids. When I write, it just happens, for the most part. I just "show up at the page", as Julia Cameron put it. Same with art. I paint and draw when the kids are in bed and there aren't many distractions.


But lately, I've been reaching out to fellow writers and artists. I've found that I enjoy bouncing ideas off people. Talking or chatting about it can inspire other ideas that I wouldn't have considered otherwise. It just seemed like the "right time" to stand up and say "I'm a creative artist."

Unproductive times: What forces were directing your actions?

Bad health, family issues, and doubt in my own abilities. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by real life and become paralyzed. 

Creative achievement: Were they proceeded by difficulty?

Definitely. I began painting at 30, a few months after my son was born. I was feeling trapped by being a stay-at-home mom with a new colicky baby. Art was my outlet. Years of professional frustration and marriage problems finally spurred me to take my writing seriously and not as just a hobby.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Quantum Physics, Sci Fi, and Real-Life Probabilities.

I'm currently reading Michio Kaku's book Hyperspace. People who know me seem a bit surprised that I'm interested in something as "obtuse" as quantum physics. I've always liked the subject, but the mathematics is my Achilles' heel. Kaku has the knack for explaining the concepts in words that the lay person can understand, whether it's the (supposed) origin of the universe, multiple timelines, or warp speed. The right side of my brain can accept vague possibilities, but the left side is very practical, which is probably why I decided not to make physics my career. I'd go nuts stuck in a lab all the time.

Mr. McCausland was my physics teacher in high school. He was enthusiastic about how to apply the principles of physics, instead of just spouting equations more complicated than "energy equals mass times the speed of light (squared)." Schroedinger's Cat (aka, does the cat blow up?), the Great Paper Airplane Race (aka, how to achieve lift without taking a nosedive) and the G-force of roller coasters (aka a 'field trip' to Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA). Hey, we needed to gather data; it just meant riding the Loch Ness Monster multiple times.

And Mr. McC was proud of his Scottish heritage. Think Montgomery Scott as a high school teacher. He even played the bagpipes once during a free period (much to the other teachers' dismay). Plus he was a big Star Trek fan.

I'm always astounded at how often I run into these lessons in other areas. For example, Michio Kaku talks about stuff called "string theory" of matter. Ten years earlier, I'd read it in a Star Trek novel, "Mirror, Mirror", by Diane Duane. One of the minor characters was a "string specialist" on a scientific mission. He tried to explain why it was considered controversial in the scientific community. Interesting that Ms. Duane wrote about the concept a decade before Kaku's book (though scientists like Kaku and Stephen Hawking obviously knew about it and worked on the concept). Life complements-or at least imitates-art.

So...if these quantum theories are true, does it mean I've got an evil mirror double running around in another universe? Does it mean that every time we write about new worlds and new characters, they spring into existence the moment they come out of our pen (or computer)? Literally, in another universe? Like Schroedinger's cat, we won't know the outcome unless we look into the box, but until then, everything's possible and they all have an equal chance of being right?

Does this mean we're all the creators of new worlds and new possibilities?

Yup. As long as we are writers, artists, poets, sculptors, and use creativity in our daily lives, we are.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Creativity Quotes, Part II

"A pat on the back is only a few inches from a kick in the butt." Anonymous


"Exchange embraces with your enemy. Then check your back for knives." H,.L. Mencken


"Kaisen (translated from the Japanese): "Continuous improvement."


"The person who says that a thing cannot be done should not be interrupting the person doing it." Chinese Proverb


"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: They know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." Brendan Behan


"Life is playing the violin in public and learning the instrument as you go along." Lord Bulwen-Lytton


"Today isn't any other day, you know." Lewis Carroll


"Be ye lamps unto yourselves. Be your own reliance. Hold to the truth within yourselves, as to the only lamp." Buddha


"Creative minds have always been nown to survive any kind of bad training." Anna Freud


"Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Samuel Beckett


"A little of what you fancy does you good." Marie Lloyd


"Only the heart knows how to find what is precious." Fyodor Dostoyevsky

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010