Relay for Life

My Reason to Relay

Honestly, I avoided joining the team last year till the last minute, because it hit a little too close to home at the time. I wanted to live in a state of denial, pretend it wasn't real. But that's how cancer wins: when we pretend that it isn't worth acknowledging and fighting against. And so, in the end, I decided to go, and I'm so glad I did. It helped me cope and find hope. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to raise $100 or more, so let's change that this year! Cancer hits close to home for everyone, and so I hope you will help me out.

Every person who donates, no matter how small the donation, will receive a 1-1.5 inch crocheted heart or awareness ribbon in the color of their choice (colors are listed in the 2nd picture on this event's page) handmade by me to put on their key chains or backpacks as a little thank you gift and reminder that you're doing a great thing. You have two ways to get it from me; either hand-delivery or with a letter in an envelope (send me your address in an e-mail!). For hand delivery: If you live in the Bay, I will get it to you during Spring/Summer Break, and if you live around LA, I'll deliver it sometime during this school year. Just keep in touch and let me know what color/type of thing you want, maybe in an email or FB message (or if you want my number and don't have it yet, message me too)! And if you would rather not have anything at all, tell me. I just really want to be able to raise $100 or more this year, and so I want to use the skills I have to thank you so that it's a win-win situation for everyone!

Donate here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/LindaF  

Thanks so much! <3 Linda

Questions? Email me at littlewillowart@gmail.com.

If you want to see more of my crochet work, go to littlewillowart.etsy.com.

Not Food for Thought, Just Food

When I blogged about "pigging out on Pizookies with a friend", a lot of you asked me what a Pizookie was. I didn't realize it was such an unknown dessert! Basically it's exclusive to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse; based on this map it looks like they don't exist in Midwestern states. They give you ice cream and a warm cookie in a tin, and you pour the ice cream on top so that it has that perfect gooey hot and cold combination of dessert goodness in your mouth. They make the best cream soda as well, which I of course indulge in whenever I'm not gorging on Pizookies.... I digress. I found a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago when I went with a friend to go eat dinner. She owed me money so she decided to slowly pay me back in dessert (Is this a good thing or a bad thing? We will see.)

I haven't been having the best quarter. Whenever this happens, I find myself "self-loving" a bit too much to make up for it, and this always takes the form of impulse buys in food. When my roommate and I trekked into Santa Monica to peruse stores, we came across a crepe place and of course, I had to have one. Did we miss our bus because I had to have one? Yes. Do I regret anything? Of course not!

And the worst part? This wasn't the first time I splurged on a crepe in that cafe. They have the best marketing strategy ever: Put tons of Nutella cans in the window so that you start to drool over the thought of a hot Nutella crepe with fresh strawberries. Sigh... I really need to learn to control myself, food-wise! Comfort food is the best food though, I have to admit. Haha!

<3 Linda
PS. Does anyone know how to insert GIFs into a post? I tried uploading it onto Flickr to get it on here but it was too large, and it's difficult to resize a GIF. Let me know, I had been so excited for it!

Food For Thought: Obstacles

In honor of PostSecret Day, I went onto the site and picked one that really touched me. Many of the posts today about suicide prevention, but I wanted to talk about general hardship that leads to such dark thoughts.

I feel like at this point, I'm not quite sure where I'm at. These days, the only things that really get me stressed is when my problems involve people I care about. Letting go of friendships, opening my mind to new things, and listening to others' problems... these are all things that make me worry. Worrying is good-- to an extent. Those who do not worry at all face being reckless, which is equally as unappealing as being uptight. Life is all about the balance: Caring about people, about the world, without being destructive towards yourself. I used to find myself thinking so much about other people that I wouldn't deal with my own issues, and that's just as bad as not caring about anyone other than myself. And now, I just see everything as being not as terrible, because I know other people are dealing with much worse.

I'm lucky to still have yet to confront major obstacles, but for those of you who are struggling to get over something right now, know that you're not alone. Plato has this great quote: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". It's hard to judge anyone when you know you're not seeing the whole picture; you don't completely know what's going on in someone else's life that makes them react the way they do. I do not often talk about religion because I believe it is a very personal and spiritual thing, but I will say this: If you do believe in anything, you probably have a reason to. You know that you are not alone because you feel a power, a force of the universe, all around you. The hardest person to please is yourself, and that force (whatever it may be to you). These are the only things that matter, in the end. And if you can find a way to get through the hardest of times, you will prove to yourself how strong you are. Life is difficult, but the point is: We always get through it, even when we believe that we can't. That constant surprising ourselves with our own potential is what we live for; it's what makes life worth living. Remember that.

<3 Linda

Food For Thought: The So-Called "Comfort Zone"

Source sadly unknown.

Out of all of the inspirational pictures I've come across in my years browsing the internet, this is the poster that rings the most true for me. How can you expect others to admire you if you can't even please yourself? Happiness is a state of mind separate from circumstance (other than in extreme cases, of course), and so stepping out of that comfort zone will bring about a lot of bad things before the good comes, but we have to stop and think. You can still be happy without allowing your situation to influence your feelings. This is the reason why a lot of people who are doing what they love say that yes, they're stressed, but they love it all the same.

I think one of the biggest struggles in life is to get outside of your comfort zone. I remember moving to the United States, which in and of itself was a challenge. I could've curled up into my little ball and barely scraped through the years, but it became a lot easier to get out of my comfort zone after being forced to do it a million times. Now, I try to do one little thing that pushes me a little further each day-- whether it be to sign up for a theater group (!!), to make plans with friends and follow through with them, to explore a different path back to my dorm, or to even just talk to the cashier when I'm checking out my groceries. Who's to tell you what you can and cannot do? I'm not saying that I've even come close to my goal, but can you imagine being completely free of your own criticism? That's what I strive for... getting that nagging negative little voice that says "What are you doing? You can't do this" out of my head. And I know that one day, I will succeed. 

Things that make me super anxious may not even register on another person's radar as being uncomfortable. Everyone starts off at different ranges of comfort in their lives, but everyone has the opportunity to change it. The next time something pops up and you're offered the chance to do something outside of the norm, be like Jim Carrey and say yes! (That was a "Yes Man" reference; if you haven't seen the movie... You should watch it!)

<3 Linda

10 Potential Strategies to Cope with Social Anxiety

Okay, so this is pretty much the worst thing I've ever drawn. But you get my point!

1. Try to play someone else. This doesn't mean you should be someone else entirely, but it's a way to relax yourself. Encourage traits of what you want to be like, because acting confident often appears genuine when you try to think of yourself as already having those traits.
2. Do a warm-up exercise before leaving the house. This can be either by telling yourself positive things, or even by imagining how the event will go. If you do the latter, try not to think of what could go wrong.
3. Imagine the other people are like your best friends, and try to act like how you do when you're around people you're already comfortable with. I used this one during an interview for college, and though I didn't get in and have no idea if it helped with my demeanor, I do know that it made me stress a whole lot less!
4. If you feel like people are laughing at you, don't shrink. Just try to laugh it off too or move onto another subject. Even though it'll be hard, it'll let people know that you're not willing to put up with mockery.
5. Try to be a "Yes Man". That's the only way it's going to become easier. After a certain amount of time, you'll start to realize how many opportunities have opened up for you, and you'll feel more comfortable with saying "yes" as time goes on.
6. Realize that sometimes other people don't even notice some of the tiny things that you do.
7. Try to think positive things in your head when you introduce someone. Positive thoughts show through in your facial expression and demeanor. 
8. If someone points out your awkwardness or whatever it is, ignore them. I know what you're thinking, sounds easy but it's not. And I agree. But you shouldn't let someone have that much power over you, that they can ruin your entire day! It's one person's opinion, you'll meet plenty more in your life.
9. Slowly build up your confidence by going out with a few trusted people. Try to meet one person at a time, so that you don't feel overwhelmed. You can even test the limits on your own by going out of your house in public. The first time, you can go just outside of your house, and then in later times you can slowly go farther and farther until you're able to even go to a totally new city! Then, of course, treat yourself because you deserve it. For me, doing most activities considered mundane by a lot of people make me panic if I'm in public, like eating, crocheting, taking photographs, buying things, etc. So make it your daily goal to take one small step a day, and you'll feel like you've run a marathon exhaustion-wise, but it'll be worth it.
10. Don't be afraid to seek help. A lot of people confuse social phobia with shyness, and there are plenty more misconceptions that exist out there. If none of the things I've suggested above work, or if you're going through severe social anxiety (involving panic attacks, etc) then by all means, go to a counselor. Sometimes the things we deal with get the better of us, sometimes it's just all out of our control. But sometimes, you can do something about it.

These tips can work for people with varying degrees of anxiety, and depending on the situation. Or any issue, really. A lot of people have problems, that's just the way it is. The difference is that at times, you can do something about it.

<3 Linda

The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Own Artistic Style

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my own work, and I've come to the conclusion that I just haven't figured out what my "style" is yet. When I draw, I allow my idea to develop however it wants to, which isn't a bad thing, but has resulted in my work not looking cohesive. So fear no more! I have searched far and wide and come up with a definitive list for all of us who have been struggling with putting a piece of ourselves into our work.

Find a medium you love. Even for people who love experimenting with all mediums (like myself), it's important to find one or two hobbies that really get you excited. Once you are famililar with the medium, it'll be easier to dig down and do something innovative. However, if you have already found your "thang", stick to it but continue to push the bounds every so often. Who knows, you might stumble across something else that you really like to do! Try not to go too overboard, though, because that could result in feeling overwhelmed. Baby steps!

Gain inspiration, but stay away from imitation. Go to Etsy, Deviantart, Pinterest, or Tumblr to look for artistic inspiration. Are there any particular subjects or colors you like? Once you've looked through a whole lot of images, try to note which ones appeal more to you than others, or which ones inspire you to get creating straight away. When I'm done reading blogs everyday, I feel a renewed sense of motivation to begin working on my own projects. That's how I know what inspires me.

Experiment! Try new things. This is pretty much the key to most things in life. If you're looking for an answer, you've got to do something different than you've been doing before, or things will stay the same! Be the catalyst for change, and change will happen. It's as simple as that. It's a big step in developing your style, because you might come across something that sticks and is distinctive to you. Don't be afraid to fail, because there's nothing worse than being your own worst critic.

Consider what you want your portraits to say. What feelings do you want to invoke in a person when they look at your work? Do you want your pieces to be dark and conceptual, or light and fun? A touch of whimsy or a dose of reality? It's all lying on the table for you to decide. How can you convey your chosen qualities through your work? Once you have figured this out, try to create your desired look consistently.

Make it memorable. Creating a pretty design is nice, but won't set you apart. Gravitate towards things that will help you send a message or try to go for concepts that haven't been done before.

Ask for advice or look it up yourself. Let's face it, it's hard to get through this alone. Talk to friends, artists, entrepreneurs... practically anyone! Having a trademark style is important in most aspects of life, from fashion to business. If all else fails, seek the ever-so-wise Internet sages.

Helpful articles:

http://ask.metafilter.com/76657/How-do-you-find-your-artistic-style                           http://news.deviantart.com/article/42054/        http://www.finearttips.com/2010/01/finding-your-own-artistic-voice/

Be patient. I feel like reading all of these articles has helped, but I'm still at the beginning of a long road of development and transformation. And I'm completely okay with that. Elsie wrote a great post on how "It takes time (sometimes many years) to develop a vision and learn your "craft"...The more time you spend developing your skills and style, the better." And she's so right. 

It's all about learning and continuing to grow, right guys? :) Above all, do what you want to do, not what others want you to do.
<3 Linda

A Much Needed Break.

Hey guys, this post was written on the 4th at night, but is being published on the 5th in the morning. I've been feeling a little down and out recently, so I'm going to sleep in, wake up rested, and continue chugging along. I also need to go on a major supply run, take photos of things (I had to cancel my photoshoot for today because the sky was too gloomy!) and just keep creating. I feel like I've been rushing things and not taking enough time out for myself, and frankly, that's left me a bit drained!

Hopefully looking up positive things to post for my regular "Weekly Positivity" will make me feel a little happier. Expect a post either late at night tonight or tomorrow!

<3 Linda