Tag: well-being

Sketch Style

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"Night Sketch" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “Night Sketch” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I spent some time this evening drawing simple faces while looking at other artists’ work that I admire. I’m trying to find a style that I like – something that I can draw quickly to create stories. It’s fun to break down the different elements of a face and try to figure out the minimum number of strokes to create an eye that can convey some emotion or individuality. I’m sure this is the realm of the comic artist and animator, and it’s kind of cool to peek into that world. I feel like I am exploring the unknown! 😀 I guess this is part of the joy of learning new things, isn’t it?

To see all the sketches I’ve been working on, you can check out the Flickr album “My Sketching Journey”, or my Instagram account barron.sketches which I created just for posting sketches, watercolors, and stationery items.

I hope you had a nice day!

またね～

Don’t Be Mr. Grumpy

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I have a Google Keep note in which I save quotes and other snippets. It’s called “Thoughts to Live By” and I often look back at the things I’ve collected there. One of the items, which isn’t a quote, but something I try to keep in mind is “Don’t be Mr. Grumpy”.

I don’t like when people are in bad moods and they lash out (even gently) with their anger and the whole atmosphere gets a bit toxic. It’s not a good thing. But I try to keep in mind that the person must be having a bad day, or something recently happened to put them in this state of mind.

And when I think of myself getting grumpy, just remembering that note helps me step outside of myself and reassess what’s going on. It might not be the cure for my being upset, but I think it definitely makes things better. And over the years, I think I am a much less grumpy person than before! 😄

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This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.

Readily Available

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"Warm Sun" Austin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/10, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Warm Sun” Austin, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photo is of the notebooks that are on my work desk. I was chatting with a friend about journaling and writing in notebooks, and I thought about the barriers that prevent me from writing more. And by writing, I don’t mean writing stories or the great American novel. But just jotting down reminders, practicing kana, doodling, etc.

And I realize that one of the big barriers for me is just the proximity of the notebook and pen. For instance, when my notebook is in my bag on the floor, that’s too far. However, if I keep the notebook on my desk, opened to a blank page and a pen resting on top, then I write a lot more.

It’s kind of like photography for me. Since my X100T is so small and easy to carry around, I almost always have it with me, and therefore I take more photos. It’s readily available all the time.

So, making the pen and paper easily accessible has been key so far this year. My notebook might not be the prettiest, but it’s functional and I enjoy writing in it. It’s just another small thing that makes life a little more fun.

I hope you had a nice day!

おやすみ