Creative Challenge #1: TV Show - Results!

It's Creative Challenge Monday!(Pretend there's a pretty banner here. I should do that before next week. PRETEND HARD!)

In case you're completely lost, here's the Creative Challenge #1 post that explains the process & inspiration behind the weekly challenges.

Last week, I challenged everyone to create a piece of art inspired by the theme of TV. I was really pleased to find that I got a few comments, and even two submissions! I also have people promising to join Challenge #2 - and I'll hold you to it, guys!

The first person to play along was Grant. He wrote a haiku about the show "Chopped". Have you seen it? It's is a really fun show on Food Network, where four contestants battle to get through appetizer, entree and dessert rounds. There are four mysterious ingredients in each round's basket that YOU HAVE TO USE - and they're often really wild. He wrote:

"What is in the box?
Gummy bears, taro, fish sticks,
Get set for a meal!"

The best part is that this could totally be one of the baskets! Thanks, Grant!

The next submission was from the lovely Ms. Amber.

"I find it fundamentally strange / you're not a dessert person / that's just weird and it / freaks me out"

Amber said: "It's based off of New Girl. It's so simple, I will do better next week! Lol :))"

This is adorable, and so much fun! Amber really has a talent for doodles and text art, and she combined them beautifully in a fun print. I hope she does many, many more! And I totally agree - it freaks me out, too.

Finally, I had been wanting to start a small painting inspired by the Game of Thrones character Tyrion Lannister. I made a super quick sketch rough or what I was thinking of.

Booze and women, what a rascal! Tyrion the Imp.

Did I mention it was rough? In the books, they talk about how absolutely grotesque "The Imp" is. But the actor, Peter Dinklage, is really handsome :D I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go, so he sort of came out like a drunk child. Were it not for the Challenge, I'd not share this first rough...but hey! I played along and made something...and that's the whole point.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and kicked the challenge's butt! Next Creative Challenge topic coming very, very soon! Ridiculously soon. I should schedule these better. No matter. ONWARD!

<3K

A blog, seriously?

Why Sparkly, you might ask. Maybe I was in the mood for something bright, to name this after something that could catch attention or keep me attracted and invested. Something a bit unexpected, something to shake us from the usual ruts and petty patterns of the everyday. Something different, a little exciting and bright and wild - like I'd like to be.

Did you know? Life is always beautiful. And miraculous. It just doesn't always feel that way. Which is such a stupid thing to even type, for someone like me - someone with a roof, clothes, food. Someone with love, for God's sake. But despite the good, things can get very murky sometimes. From things dredged up from the past. From chemicals confusing our poor tired hearts. Sometimes, from no real reason at all. And we slowly get trapped in a terribly great pit of self-loathing and smallness, right inside our own little heads.

How do you clean the lens?

Sometimes, I get the blues. They can be pretty navy. It's hard to explain. There's not always a particular reason. But I get despondent, and gray (blue and gray, work with me, I'm a colorful one), and immobile. I don't really want to see or speak to anyone, and I don't like myself very much. I walk a fine-line, it seems, between this innate sense of brilliance with great optimism and hope for a wonderful future andddddd on the other side a very strong sense of what seems to be well deserved self-loathing. Because I'm interesting, dammit. Or maybe not. Oh, God, my poor human-sized brain that's so bad at math and yet so good at remembering facts about Doctor Who.

But I keep trying to make small stands on getting myself back: starting a painting. Organizing old writings that might go somewhere one day. Working on some freelance pieces for a few extra dollars, for another post-grad job under my belt. A few days at a time, I'll have a spark. And then it's dead. Most things are never finished. And I just resign myself to being this mediocre disgusting creature that let all of its passions fall behind.

Guys. Something that is so important to remember, when you're in this little spiral of disgust and frustration and NOTHINGNESS, is to not let yourself fade.

When you get gripped by the very uninspired and unnecessary clouds in your own brain, fight back. Even if it's something as incredibly small as writing little internet letters and creating silly, stupid, wild (and lovely) random acts of art - whatever your art may be - for no other reason than you still can. Do it. For the love of all that is good smelling and lickable in this world, DO SOMETHING.

"Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE."
-Joss Whedon

Hop up and down, dance your stiff limbs free. Scream if you can't stand. Sing. Drum, shake, growl. Let the world know you will not lie down and be still, simply because it's convenient to whatever mold you've badly jammed yourself in. Never again listen to the people who make what you want to do seem unimportant, because it's silly or you're not good enough or because it's 'no way to make a living'.

This? This isn't really a way to make a living, either.

Which is EXACTLY the reason why it had to happen.

Make something, make anything. Now. And make YOU.