Blur.

I have been sitting in front of my computer for nearly an hour - bouncing back and forth to Pinterest to see if I should do a Pinterest-pins post, and then racking my brains for other things to say.

It's not that I'm out of ideas, it's just that this week has been so fast.

So. Fast.

I honestly thought it was Tuesday, and just found out that the office baby shower that I planned to go to, and the happy hour I was going to stop in at were on Wednesday and Thursday respectively....so I completely missed them.

Apparently today is Friday?

But I promise, this isn't a "I was a busy blogger so Im going to make excuses" post.

I was busy doing some kick ass stuff!

I'm working on a new blog theme for a client, and broke into the CSS stylesheet yesterday to make some customizations.

One of my girlfriends recently gave me a small yogurt making kit, so mid-day and mid-project I decided to try my hand at homemade yogurt. Cause you know, I don't have enough going on.

There was a moment where I was literally stirring my homemade yogurt with one hand, while coding a website with the other.

Watch out Martha Stewart.

Also, I spent like a collective 3 hours this week watching tutorials on book design because the momentum has really started to pick up on my Cookbook Project (OHMYGOD FINALLY). I literally have been working on this for a year, and every step of the way has felt uphill. It is just now that I feel like I am starting to pick up steam, and getting a vision for what I where I am going. It's been painful.

A few things that have helped that have been:



ONE - MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME THE WORLD'S MOST AMAZING CAMERA.  I know I've said this a before, and you probably don't care, but Steve is freaking amazing.

"What honey? You wanna quit your job to be creative? Sure. You need a new camera in order to pursue your creative ventures? Ok. Here you go."

Olympus OM-D

It took me a really long time and two returned cameras before I finally settled on "the one." But this little sucker came in the mail a few days ago, and I have been trying to take as many pictures as I can.

I'm not an amazing photographer.  I don't claim to be. But I have committed to a few things: a) MANUAL MODE. ONLY. Gonna figure out how to take pictures that are interesting, and have nice composure, so that when I see something in my head, I can make it happen on the camera. b) one photo every day. Every single day. One photo. So far most of them are of my dog. Cause she's literally the cutest dog in the entire universe, and who doesn't need a bazillion images of her? Email me if you want one, I can send them to you.

REASON TWO - I found an inspiration for the cookbook. I have been tearing through cookbooks, and blurb books, and any sort of sel-publishing library to find something, anything that spoke to me.

And then I found this:

It's an art student's final book project.

He's basically doing the same concept that I was going for. Which isn't suprising, considering I am not the first half mexican who has decided to do a "Recipe Book." That part is totally unoriginal.

But this has been THE FIRST self published cook book that I have found online that doesn't totally suck. The kid is creative, and good at graphics, and his photos are good.

When I found it, I literally sank into my seat with envy...."why didn't I think of this? Im so mad he made this first. Cause I literally LOVE everything in here."

I mean it as a compliment to the author. We all have those moments where something is so good you're pissed you didn't come up with it. But it also gives me relief. I FINALLY have an image in my mind of where I'm going. THANK GOD.

But the downside is, now my mind doesn't turn off.

Every night this week, Ive had dreams of graphic designing, kerning fonts, editing CSS, formatting websites, taking pictures, creating feature images......I literally toss and turn with all of the ideas that cloud my brain.

When I left my job in October, I wanted to be more creative.

Now Im so inundated with creativity, I cannot sleep. I cannot think or even remember what day it is. My mind is filled with blur.

I promise, I'm not complaining. It's an amazing problem to have.

I feel like I have learned more skills in the last 2 - 3 months than I did in the last 2 years at any job. There's something about just sitting in front of a computer/program/camera/project and just starting to run forward. Learning by brute force of will.

It's amazing.

So. If you're not inspired, get inspired. I know not everyone can quit their job to drown in the things they love, but you can make space. You can start with just making a goal. And then making sure that every single day you do a little something to come closer to that goal. Because I will tell you, drowning in blur is wonderful.

Kisses,

J