Soul Mate

What's a gal to do when she's both analog AND digital? I can identify only ONE soul mate who is both (and I think you know who you are!!!) - who loves the hands on adventure of stamping, calligraphy, bookbinding and more, and who is also Blogging, Twittering and Facebooking with regularity.

These are crazy times and we are all so busy, but there is also an opportunity to make choices. If we don't make those choices, the choice is made for us. Sticking to the old routine and trying to "keep up" can be deadly. But shifting into a new gear can be lonely. I'm all hyped up and that's a good thing. But there truly aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I want. The joke about cloning has been around for a long time. But I've started cloning myself. Actually, I'm creating an alter ego.

I'm so excited because I found a resource online to make my DimSumGirl image (postarized on Adobe Photoshop) into a rubber stamp (http://www.picturemystamp.com/). I ordered DimSumGirl postage for my analog Artist's Trading Cardss which I will mail (http://www.zazzle.com/). I also made a Stamper Pen (http://www.stamperpens.com/) for my ATCs. I have a Stamper Pen with my business info on it, and it never ceases to surprise and delight my friends when I whip it out (it doesn't get dog-eared like business cards). Check it out!

I finally watched "Helvetica" last night and got a huge kick out of Michael Bierut talking about branding yourself...So stay tuned!!!

25 Random Things

What a concept. Is it for the writer or for the reader? For the writer, I think.

My friend Geoff tagged me first. How lucky is that! Geoff is one of the most eloquent and humorous writers I know. He wrote more than a list. Hilarious. Descriptive. Heartbreaking. And because I had this example, it took me three damn weeks to write my list. Does it qualify as "Random Things" if I really worked the list over, adding and subracting and ruminating on the effect my selection of personal disclosures might have on each individual whom was tagged? Okay - so it wasn't random after all.

It was, in fact, better than a therapy session. I was forced to choose what is important. What sticks in my head. What I want to be remembered for.

Geoff warned me that it would be challenging because it seems, well, ego-centric. But, oh, isn't this a lovely opportunity to lay out our guts for all to see exactly as we wish to arrange them?
I do not assume that everyone struggled as I did with this list. But, then again, I know that some did. For example, my awesome son told me that he purposefully did not read my list until he wrote his own - and then told me he felt "selfish."

But I did not experience "selfish." Rather, it was a gift that brought a tear to my eye to read that baseball feels "second nature" to him (just like his Dad - how did I not know this?), and to read how he views his inner machinations. Yes, a gift, to add a few brand new notions to my understanding of the one human being on this earth who is composed of my own flesh and blood.

Okay - I just contradicted my opening line. For it is from the perspective of "reader" that I am reflecting on my son's list.

But the reflection inherent in this act of compilation is powerful nonetheless. Much the way when interviewed about what I do for a living, I come to understand better why I make my choices, this act of listing is a very profound way of knowing ourselves and others.