I've been rather silent as of late.
And I'd like to say that it's because I'm busy, productive, and happy, but I think that might not be entirely true. I am busy, productive, and sometimes happy--but most of the time busy, anxious about being productive, and sitting too-rigidly in my desk chair while I work on my website. But having a creative outlet makes me happy and makes me think about doing something, instead of the ever present "how do I get back to Africa" question.
My website is coming along well. I'm pretty excited about the new layout, because I think it's good, and also because I think it can last for a good long time. That said, of course, my paintings have fallen by the way side for a little while, but the interest in my website has sparked interest in other projects, like photo essays, and touching up my Ghana photos. A preview of the new layout is on my journal, since I've already reformatted it to fit inside the new layout.
I've also begun working on the proposal for my honors thesis. I'm a little daunted by it. So far, I'm not sure if it's going to prove to be way. too. much., but I'm excited about learning all of these things. The tentative title for the project is: Khadija, Aisha, and Fatimah: History and the Matriarchs of Islam. I find a lot of things about Khadija are inspirational, and I hope that this project will prove to be as important to me, personally, as the Sufi project was.
School starts in less than a week. It's hard to imagine that. I don't really know how I'm going to take it. It's seemed so far away for such a long time. Now I'm realizing that I suddenly have a whole lot of things to do, and a whole lot of "busy" to be. I haven't really been busy in months. Ugh. I dunno how I'm going to take it... but I know I need to take more time in transit, so that I don't feel rushed.
April and I sat down last night about planning for Multifaith Alliance. We have five settled topics, and I think it's going to be a good semester--a good year, too. I'm leading discussions on three of the topics, since April and I are sharing the first one, a talk on spirituality in art. The other two are a discussion of Heaven and Hell and a discussion of Saints and saintly figures. April is heading up the other two in the series of five, one on extreme physical acts of devotion and another on sex and the divine. The discussion topics are great and I really think we'll go a long way.
So all in all, the outlook is good, but it is consistently overwhelming, and I think it will take me by surprise. I just have to remember to keep everything in order--and get a planner. I still am thinking about that laptop.... I really have no idea how I would swing such a thing, but it seems like it would really help pull my life together, lol. Leave it to me to figure that some expensive gadget would pull my life together. What a joke.
My website is coming along well. I'm pretty excited about the new layout, because I think it's good, and also because I think it can last for a good long time. That said, of course, my paintings have fallen by the way side for a little while, but the interest in my website has sparked interest in other projects, like photo essays, and touching up my Ghana photos. A preview of the new layout is on my journal, since I've already reformatted it to fit inside the new layout.
I've also begun working on the proposal for my honors thesis. I'm a little daunted by it. So far, I'm not sure if it's going to prove to be way. too. much., but I'm excited about learning all of these things. The tentative title for the project is: Khadija, Aisha, and Fatimah: History and the Matriarchs of Islam. I find a lot of things about Khadija are inspirational, and I hope that this project will prove to be as important to me, personally, as the Sufi project was.
School starts in less than a week. It's hard to imagine that. I don't really know how I'm going to take it. It's seemed so far away for such a long time. Now I'm realizing that I suddenly have a whole lot of things to do, and a whole lot of "busy" to be. I haven't really been busy in months. Ugh. I dunno how I'm going to take it... but I know I need to take more time in transit, so that I don't feel rushed.
April and I sat down last night about planning for Multifaith Alliance. We have five settled topics, and I think it's going to be a good semester--a good year, too. I'm leading discussions on three of the topics, since April and I are sharing the first one, a talk on spirituality in art. The other two are a discussion of Heaven and Hell and a discussion of Saints and saintly figures. April is heading up the other two in the series of five, one on extreme physical acts of devotion and another on sex and the divine. The discussion topics are great and I really think we'll go a long way.
So all in all, the outlook is good, but it is consistently overwhelming, and I think it will take me by surprise. I just have to remember to keep everything in order--and get a planner. I still am thinking about that laptop.... I really have no idea how I would swing such a thing, but it seems like it would really help pull my life together, lol. Leave it to me to figure that some expensive gadget would pull my life together. What a joke.