Prefontaine

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I was running yesterday.

I figure if my mind is at full exhaustion, my body should be too, right?

but running for me is more than that. It is about pushing myself. chilling out. and focusing.

Before I was a runner, I was a non-runner. 

Duh. I know.

But I feel like when you are a non-runner, it is usually said with an adamant- NOOooooo thanks, 

But

Once, when my life seemed upside down.

When everything was scary, different, and out of my control, I knew one thing I could literally do was

just run.

So I did. 

The first time I ran, and I mean 

ran,

I crashed to the ground. my arms made a grass angel. and I smelled the air as hard as I could. 

Because if I could really feel that moment... I knew things weren't so different. 

And the only way to stop worrying about the future or tracing backwards 

is to be present.

So whatever it takes to get present.

You should do.

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The secret no one tells you is that things spin out of control all the time. 

And just when your life looks peaceful and still. 

You realize the movie is over. and you have to file out of the theater. 

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That's why I feel like it is our job to reach out when someone's life is spinning faster than ours.

When parts of my life spin, I have people that step in and they are perfectly in focus. 

like being in ballet class, but seeing your mom in the observation room. 

Oh. OK. I can do this.

and for the love!

 it's like seeing someone at the door with a casserole after a loved one dies.

the billions of people who show up.(thats what it feels like) and just stand there in focus. on the front porch.

every.dish.counts.

that should be a freaking bumper sticker.

Or what about right now. 

I'm figuring things out. I'm a little overwhelmed. (understatement). I have been doing this 

art - full- time parade since January. 

I wake up wide-eyed and sometimes freaked. 

I'm sorry this picture KILLS ME. because I kept telling myself to stop drawing it. and I couldnt. ahahaa

but even strangers seem to say the right thing sometimes. 

if you listen.

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BUT OH WOW are there a lot of people who have ideas.


And bless their hearts everyone is trying to help, But ideas are like snowballs.
Everybody has a stash and
they will keep chucking them at you and you have to dodge the ones you want to dodge.

Because sometimes people say things that paralyze you.

You think. Uh.What?... I need to what? I need to have what sort of paper? or qualification? or number?

And if it makes you slow down...or feel like theres no way you can move forward.

just duck and run.

And I will admit though, I have been hit by great ideas.

and wonderfully helpful people. Go team. I seriously appreciate.

And I hope everyone keeps throwing things at me.
Because I know it means they care.


The best idea I ever got came Day 1 after I quit my office job.

And I looked around at my sewing machine, and glue gun, and paint, and creatures... and totally froze.

I called my friend. had a minor melt down.
and she said:


PUT EVERYTHING INTO YOUR ART.

THIS IS WHAT YOU QUIT FOR.


GO!

So I did.

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And when I start to freeze under pressure, I look at my to do list. and I add MAKE ART to it.


And...


for sanity. and because LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE AWESOME.

I add WANTS.

 you need to start adding WANTS to your to-do list. 

because sometimes they are actually NEEDS. and you don't realize it until you are visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. 

Im telling you, your list will always be there.
So start filling in some wants.
I do this on purpose because otherwise none of the important stuff would get done.
The stuff that makes you the happiest.

LIKE THESE DINING ROOM CHAIRS.


I inherited my Great Aunt's dining room table.
Oh Happy Day.

I LOVE that it was hers. and I LOVE having a piece of her in my house.

Lolly was an artist too and would be glad I love these chairs.

CHECK OUT THE MAKEOVER.

I cannot stop looking at them in real life.

Cannot. Stop.

So, these were the chairs as I knew them in Lolly's dining room.

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And now, all dressed up...
Look at them go.

Once there was a contest I entered in Brooklyn. 

They said- Make a squirrel out of soft material. And win fabric from The Brooklyn General Store. 

It was like winning the lottery. 

(the older post is here.)

I want this one. and this one. and this one. and this one. and this one. That's all I kept saying. 

The pink and red print ( which I'm obsessed with) and the white with yellow and orange flowers are both from that place. The others are from Hancock Fabrics. and truthfully. 

When you go there prepared to hunt. 

You leave with some beautiful things. 

Fabric stores are toxic. I can only go in with a gift card :)

 If this was a waiting room. I'd totally wait.

If I had a dime every time someone said.

"Ha. I don't have the time to do that."

I would take those dimes to the Coinstar Machine. 

Then I would respond like I always do-

I don't have the time either.

I MAKE TIME.

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If you dont get the title of this post, then click here, and read about Steve Prefontaine. :)

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