Sometimes I wonder if Felicity was as good as I remember it being.

I love it when people see things that go unnoticed (or are at least viewed as "lacking potential") to most others. Maybe "an aesthetic eye" explains it. Maybe it's a matter of simply taking more time. Maybe it's luck. Regardless, I admire the inherent creativity that spawns these artists' end results... and the inspiration that their results inevitably spawn for the rest of us philistines.

Here are a couple of examples...

Okay, I've driven by this abandoned house probably hundreds of thousands of times. This is what I've seen:

And, here is what my sister, Leigh Morgan, sees:


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I've said numerous times that we in Cumberland County are so fortunate to live in an absolutely beautiful place...but I rarely appreciate the landscapes as much as when I see them reflected in Bill Guffey's work.



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By no means am I comparing myself to either of the two artists featured above. I simply include this to show you that ANY of us can take the time to see things, even the most seemingly ordinary, with new eyes. In January I showed you my "draw a tree a day" project. I now offer my "draw a coffee mug a day" March homework assignment.

I love this project not only because it, along with journaling, gives structure to my mornings, but because it forces me to view details in ways I typically would not. It has also become a test of relaxation/non-OCDness. I am a fanatic about keeping a clean house (which is completely incompatible with loving my animals like children), often putting far too much pressure on myself to finish a ridiculous list of chores (including things like: make sure all books are straight on bookshelf, fold kitchen counter towel evenly, dust stairs) before walking out the door. With this assignment, however, in elementary ways, I have to let stuff go. I use a pen. I make mistakes. Often, the mug doesn't look realistic. I don't get myself worked up about it though; I remind myself, "there's always tomorrow morning and that one will look better." This is progress for me.



I encourage you to start your own, "Draw a ________________ a day" project!
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I love it when particular color blocks are cleverly integrated in, and ultimately become fundamental to, the cinematography and the story of films or videos (Watch two of my favorite movies: Amelie and Waitress). This is one reason I'm crazy about this clip: