A few nice how to get motivated images I found:

Notes to myself .. or perhaps they are postcards from the edge?


Image by honor the gift
1. I am thankful for colouring monsters because it helped me to feel better and draw out some of my own! It was nice to meet them in a more formal way!
2. I am thankful for working on a piece reminding me to breathe .. because it reminded me to breathe!
3. I am thankful for the Internet because it connects me to very awesome people, ideas and things that I need and want to learn!
4. I am very thankful for the subtle encouragement I have been receiving from people that give a bean or three about me and what I bring to the party that is life!
5. I am thankful that I chose to grow lovely things from the manure people and life have sent my way from time to time. I came across an article that I found helpful. I am thankful that I edited the #$ % out of that entry to make it more palatable.
6. I am thankful for thinking about Superpowers this week!
7. I am thankful for Tracy K whose superpower is lighting a fire under people’s butts to make their own art. She also has another superpower of bringing out our inner goofball. I am thankful that she taught me by her example that if you want to connect with someone you don’t know, even if it is someone with a fancy title, you start with moseying on over to where they are and saying howdy! Or something to the effect.
8. I am thankful for taking my camera out with me on Saturday – the light turned out to be more beautiful than I had expected and the wind blew the +30 degrees heat away to keep me respectably cool. I am thankful that it was quiet in the park that day too!
9. I am thankful for the way that creamed honey tickles the inside of my mouth!
10. I am thankful for my friend JP whom, when I emailed him asking what time it was? (It was PEANUT BUTTER BANANA time!) He emailed back saying that when he saw the subject line his first thought was that it was Hammer time!
11. I am extremely thankful for Jenny that I spoke with about my RRSP. She was kind, thoughtful and emailed me the forms I needed to get things going.
12. I am thankful for Productive Flourishing and his guest writers. I notice that Mr. Gilkey seems a little quieter than usual, I hope he and his loved ones are well. Please wish him well if you speak with him.
13. I am really thankful for this because it illustrated where I was spending my time and helped me think of actions I can and am taking to correct the problem.
14. I am thankful for the helpful resources I found at Mark Silver’s Heart of Business. I like his tag line, “For small business owners that want to make a difference in the world and need to make a profit.”
15. I am thankful for finishing up two of the pieces I was working on.
16. I am thankful for the CD version of Linchpin that I was able to borrow from the library. Although my screen reader is really helpful for learning, hearing Godin bring the book to life is even more appreciated! It was also good to have a reminder that *Real Artists Ship*!
17. I am thankful for the firetruck that drove passed my work window and tooted the horn in a fun manner! They made me laugh out loud and lightened my day. (See next gratitude entry.)
18. I am thankful for beginning work on the “Thank you” piece, finally. The “Thank you” piece will be addressing the thank you note that I have been writing in my head and various papers since that fateful day on the 11th of September 2004 when I received the call to receive a new kidney transplant. I still cry when I thing about it, I may have to cover the paper with plastic! Maybe I need to research if salty tears wears away acid-free, archival quality paper and inks. I don’t mind the tears smudging the ink (because they are real and they DO flow when I think about this) but I don’t want the work to damage this or other works. This makes me think of how Eva Hesse’s work changed, like life does. Anyway, I want and need to write a note of gratitude to the family! I have a feeling this will soon be listed under the “hardest, most important action I needed to take”. Now if I could just quit bawling so I could walk to the store to get some fresh fruit that I can eat now because of this gift. When I put it that way it doesn’t decrease the tears AT ALL! :’)
19. I am thankful for it being nearly six years since receiving this gift of a healthy transplant and how amazingly it matches. I am also thankful for the people and their prayers that helped get me here. Right here. Yep. Here.
20. I am thankful for matching underwear because it gives the wearer superpowers! Have you tried it?
21. I am thankful that The Zeldster sounded better (lighter) when she called today. I am also thankful that she let it slip that she shows my photos to people from her job. I am learning how much of a fan she is of my photography work. I had no idea.
22. I am thankful for having the talk with The Zeldster about my artwork. The Talk that involved letting her know that it is okay if she doesn’t enjoy the non-photography based art work that I do, I know we are still both gosh darn loveable! I had a funny thought about the luggage attached to being a creator of art – ever notice how you might not enjoy the work of a dentist or parasitologist but the professional doesn’t take offence. Professional artists do the same.
23. I am thankful for having the courage to study Arabic, it enriches my life a great deal. I really like that Arabic is phonetic and the fascinating patterns there are. I like how there are root words that help you to understand more when you encounter unfamiliar words. I also like how there are different, deeper meanings to words and phrases, depending on how they are used. I also like that it is challenging and rewarding. I recommend learning a totally different language, it makes other things seem not so difficult AND you get to meet some totally cool people that you may not have! Warning though: it will change how you view the world and yourself. I am thankful for Bassim, who patiently communicates with me while I am learning Arabic! Bassim means “smiling one” in Arabic – I asked him how his parents knew such a perfect name for him?!
24. I am thankful for letting go of the rigid way I thought I had to grow as a professional artist so I could see how I have been moving forward all along. Even when I was in denial about needing to make art and was pretending to be an engineer and computer scientist, those experiences are still beneficial to practising art. Mathematics is not only SEXY, it is useful!
25. I am thankful for the awesomeness that is Bush Brothers Baked Beans. I am thankful that I can now get them in Canada at my favourite local grocer. I am thankful that The Zeldster brought some bush’s baked beans from the US.
26. I am thankful for making what I thought would be too many garbanzo beans and over cooking them because they made the smooooothest hummus and some really good curries! They also froze really well.
27. I am thankful for finding an audio edition of Tom Butler-Bowden’s 50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom from 50 Great Books on Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose. Fascinating reading even if the reader sounds like a doomsday documentarian that needs to have a bowel movement or maybe just a big hug and observe Rule #6. I was surprised to see how many of the books I have already read in part or whole. I am thankful that the audio book drew may attention to some books I might find interesting! I really love learning!!
28. I am thankful for the writers (including bloggers) that put their stuff in places where I can choose to read it. Rock on people!!
29. I am thankful for taking my camera with me and being brave enough to use it more often.
30. I am thankful for hearing lots of happy news from and about people near and far! Which reminds me! Jesse’s Crossing Tracks, A Solo Art Exhibition will only be at the Cumberland Gallery under the Saskatchewan Legislature until 31 August 2010. If you’re going, you better get!
31. I am thankful for Jud Turner and for putting his work where I could find it and be inspired by it. I am also thankful because he said, “some days, making art is like getting into a fight. Got my ass kicked today by the physics and geometry of attempting to install the large gates at BRING. back at it at sunrise tomorrow…” because it reminded me that artwork IS work! I am thankful because he inspired me to stfu and walk my talk! His comment spurred me to deactivate my facebook account and accomplish more in about a month than I had all last year! I am also thankful that I emailed him a thank you note letting him know! Rock on Mr. Turner!!
32. I am thankful that I shipped some thank you notes this week! Hooray!
33. I am thankful for your reading of my list. Now go be awesome!