There is an art in the stagnant things like Christmas lights turned on top of a closed book on a shelf. In silverware and china plates, air conditioning and cracks in the sidewalk. Coat hangers. Candles. Magnets and cloud formations. The number of people getting coffee in this morning and the amount of time it took you to count them. The shape of ice. There is are in all these magical mundane things that are somehow man-made and perfectly eclectic at the same time.

February in Poetry

February is the shortest month of the year but definitely not the shortest entry in my diary. A lot of the time I journal but on top of that I have a little collection of those same thoughts except in verse. Basically I condense an entry into a poem and keep a separate record of my life-  in poetry. Sometimes they rhyme and I call them songs but sometimes they are just fleeting thoughts I want to remember. Usually they are inspired by things around me or other songs I hear but they are still poetry to me and February is always a good month to write.

Most days I write down these little lines that come to me or short four line poems that describe my life at the moment so it is sort of like a journal but not quite. They really don't make sense but in general I've been liking my work from this month so this a bit of a monthly wrap-up in verse. Maybe someday I'll expand on them but for now here is just a bit of ideas. There are ups and downs to life just like there are in writing but I encourage everyone to exercise that muscle!

On Creating Your Own Meaning

In one of my classes we talk endlessly about metaphors and the way that artists create pieces with meaning that sometimes people cannot see. How we can look at a photo of an empty bed and make a connection about love or loneliness even though all we see is an empty bed. It's our culture that has trained us to make these associations and to know that gifting flowers is a sign of love, and we've been conditioned to find meaning in these things that don't inherently have any, so what does that mean for us?

7 Easy Valentine's Day Cards You Can DIY!

Although Valentine's Day is pretty much a reason for florists and card companies to create more business, I've always loved the pink and red aesthetic. I love the heart shaped everything and the concept of giving gifts to the one's we love. Gifts can be small like homemade baked good or even DIY Valentine's Day cards! I used to make cards and little notes for all the time so I'm looking forward to listening to music and working on these. This is also an excuse to play with construction paper and glitter on a Friday night. Here are a few cards that are easy to make with any art supplies you have laying around that you can give to anyone who plays an important part in your life.

I found some inspiration from classic Pinterest crafts as well as anything had in my art supplies box that I haven't used in a while. These don't require any sort of artistic ability as long as you persist. If you like them or recreate something similar be sure to let me know!

Why We Only Post About The Good Things Online

I believe there is value in the things you keep for yourself. In the pictures we don't post and the stories we don't write down.

People like to talk about how much of our generation lives on the Internet and the ways we confuse what's real and what's not but I think there is so much more to that discussion than just our desire to see the best from other people. I know that we want to show everyone the best parts of ourselves and get recognition for that, prove that we belong here and get the validation we deserve before we can continue, but that doesn't mean we are hiding what we don't show.