[/Let's start with a 30 day trial of this\]

[sparklyappolion]

Glad I didn't post an entry...whenever it was I last started. It was full of emo. Anyway, I've been bursting with creative energy for the past few hours. I started a study for illustration today (painted this time), and I'm pretty pleased with it. It's far from perfect, but I don't think it's bad for a person who's only painted a human face four times. I've stopped for now--the painting is too cool and neutral for a Valentine, but I wanted to take a shot of it in it's current state. Unfortunately, it's about one in the morning, so the lighting sucks, and the painting is too wet for my scanner. Hopefully the conditions will be better in the morning.

But I've gotta say, I am so glad to go back to painting. My lasting illustration was a total disaster, and I feel a huge need to sort of redeem myself. Plus, my eyes have been opened recently. I'm a religious person, I'll admit, and I've been praying a lot more lately. Apparently, whatever's out there has taken it upon it's divine self to help me and show me how much I've been struggling when trying to merge illustration and the computer. Oddly, I seem to be having little trouble when it comes to graphic design, but with computer illustration, I've been trying this simplified look, and it hasn't been working. I haven't be able to sort out all the pieces, which results in something terrible. But for me, painting isn't about sorting out the pieces. It's about flowing from one point to the next.

I love it.

Oh, and these water-soluble oil paints are fucking awesome. I love not giving myself cancer.

Anyway, this new "revival" is helping jog me out of my winter funk. I'm feeling more geared towards getting my life together and making myself happy instead of just existing. I'm ready to take care of myself, to get up in the morning and get my blood flowing, to work on homework while eating raspberries, to go for long walks in the sun. I'm ready to actually co-ordinate my appearance, instead of just throwing clothes on in the morning.

And before I go to bed, a list. Things to do tomorrow!

• Wake up at 8, 8.30, and exercise. Do some general cleaning things (laundry, dishes, bedroom)
  
• Take Holly to the post office and supply store at 10
  
• Take reference of dryderin, then do some studies
  
• Head to the store and possibly the beach with Tiffany. I need to get some canvases, and reading and drawing while sitting at the beach would be fun.
  
• Work on Illustration once I get back. I may have to take more reference photos of thesinfulsaintx, though. I hope she doesn't mind > >
  
• Coraline!

Of course, I say this a lot, but bear with me. I'm gonna go with a 30-day trial of this to make it seem less daunting. To be more specific, I'm going to:

• Exercise every day, even it it's something as silly as The Wake-Up Workout
  
• Drink water and eat vegetables. If I have to have a sweet drink, it can only be tea or natural fruit juice. I'll also try to drink green tea each night for all the detoxy-ness (oh, such a clinical term!)
  
• Refresh myself with art inspiration every day, to get me pumped and ready to work
  
• Paint. This one might not happen every day, but I want at least one painting for myself a week. They'll most likely be studies of landscapes, the apartment, or still lives I've set up, but occasionally I'll actually take photos.

Wish me luck! In love and joy ♥