Blank Canvas – Relax, Relate, Release!

An Artist and a blank canvas – how their creativity spills out…

I have been blogging for the past 8 weeks on me and the many lanes I travel in my life.  Let’s make this a stop sign for me to reflect, or in the voice of Jasmine Guy from the old Bill Cosby sitcom, ‘A Different World’ ----- Relax, Relate, Release!

Sometimes the road I travel feels more like a roller coaster ride and I can’t get off.  But one thing that kept my eyes on the road was my weekly blog where I reflected on one thing I’ve either done, experienced, thought of, or need to think of in that week. 

I may have to add Blogger to my list of trades.

Well, I am reaching the end of my spring semester for my master’s degree.  One more semester to go and I will officially have a Masters of Business Administration. Yippee!  It has been a stretch and I have stretched myself – not my muscles, those are still tight from all the tension. 

My husband and kids have been a bit more understanding in giving me more time for my school work (I didn’t threatened them, I just asked J - that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). 

I know it’s been hard.  They’re really going to feel shafted because I’ll be taking two classes over the summer.  But I’m on a mission and they’ll have to deal! Oh, sorry, was sounding mean there.

I need to back track for all my avid readers…I teased you with how wonderful my kids are, but I didn’t elaborate like I said I was.

So, we’ll start with the youngest – they always go first.

My 12-year old daughter, artist, pianist, and guitarist is so Blessed and gifted and that makes me so proud. They say artistic people seem to be withdrawn because they have so much going on inside. That would explain why she stays in her room with her headphones on listening to the dark, emotional music that I have to monitor.  Maybe she’s just going through her pre-teen change.  I recall how I didn’t want to be bothered with any of my family members at that age. 

But at such an early age, she draws with such detail and depth it is unbelievable.  Her drawings will be from something or someplace she may have seen and she will draw every single detail of what she seen down to a piece of paper blowing by and the bird dipping into the trees.  It’s like a snapshot in her head.  I really need to get her into some art classes that will help her take her talent to another level.

The drawing amazes me, but her piano playing blows me away. She begged for a piano starting at the age of 5 – of course at that age, I hesitated for a long time.  But she begged and begged.  When she turned 6, I brought her an electric keyboard.  She played with it a bit and started making up tunes.  And the shocking part is she would actually remember the tune days and weeks later.  A couple years later, she would play some of the pre-programmed songs, mostly classical, and then would mimic the songs from hearing them. AMAZING!  I just wish she would embrace her talent – to her it’s like no big deal, it wasn’t that hard.

Which brings me to her next passion….along with the piano, she wanted to start playing the guitar.  Sent her to lessons once a week and after a couple of weeks, they stopped teaching her from the book because she was reading the music like it was regular language, so her teacher had her bring CD’s of music she likes, they will write out a few measures and now she plays from hearing the music and reading a couple of bars.  Again, AMAZING! 

She is truly an angel.  When she does come out her room, she is so loveable and helpful without me even asking.  Hmm, maybe she’s listening to the right music!  I’m still checking!

My 15-year old son, philanthropist, writer, saxophone-playing-old-soul who wants to have multiple careers in Screen writer, Design Engineer, and Meteorologist…I think he’s finding more things he likes as he goes on.  He is either following in my foot steps by having so many trades or his curiosity is all over the universe.  Which would explain why we both walk around having this over tired, over worked, overwhelmed look because like myself, he is a full-time student, with a part-time job, is on student counsel, is the President of his Keystone club, is in the marching band (for those who know how demanding that can be), plays soccer, participates in the Go Green club at school (your mouth would drop with all the water bottles he saves at home), and he still manages to do like 100 hours of community service every year.

He is also a world traveler at this point.  He’s traveled to London, England via an invitation to his high school band by the Queen of England to play in their New Year’s parade.  A great opportunity and week long experience.  He will be leaving for Germany in a few weeks for a two week long escapade with his German class.  Which brings me to his next trade... he’s able to hold a fluent conversation in German.  He also speaks Mandarin and is plotting to travel to China.  I don’t even have a passport, and his will be full before you know it.

Now to elaborate more on his career passions…he is a storm watcher (can’t really call him a chaser because he don’t drive – although he has gotten on his bike as if he was going to chase a storm).   He watches the weather channel like kids watch cartoons.  And he is the family’s personal weather advisor.  I even have to make sure he’s not standing outside during lightening.

Then there is his other passion to be a Design Engineer.  This is what attracts him to roller coasters.  He’s all in to the velocity, mph, the suspension, etc. – can give you the history on almost every roller coaster as far as when it was built, how, etc.

The last spectacular thing about my youngest son is his passion for writing.  He also wants to be a screen writer.  He’s already written a few scripts and is urging to get them published.  I guess I’ll have to find time to help him out with this.  This reminds me of one of his other hats, being the Editor in Chief on the newspaper staff at school.  He wears me out talking about him.

My scholar!  Always striving to do and be the best.  He is really going places – not just the expensive trips across the world, but actually going places in life!

This is my lengthiest blog, but these passionate words don’t even seem like I’m saying enough about my children – my blessing.

There is one more child…

My oldest, 22-year old son, who just became a truck driver and is traveling from state to state.  The one who gave me a run for my money, had me worried as to the road he will be taking and when in the world was he going to be getting on that road.  He wasn’t the band player.  Nor was he the athlete.  Actually, he just showed up for school, did what he had to do and graduated.  He did have a passion for game design from his hypnotic passion of playing video games.  And he was very technical with the ability to take a computer apart and put it back together.  So he dabbled in going to a technical school for game design, but why in the world would you have to take English and Math!  So that was a short road trip in that path.

After a few trial and errors, and realizing that KFC cannot get you a new car and all the video games you want he decided to pursue truck driving, because it was very lucrative.  With nothing to hold him back, this was his prime opportunity.  He’s been driving for almost 6 months on the road now and you would think he got an A in geography the way he can tell you cities, states, highways and interstates like it’s his childhood neighborhood.  All he can see is dollar signs.  I just want him to enjoy it while he can – and the most important info from his mother…save your money while you can before you get tired of being over the road this much.

Yet, he is my first born – the first to drive me crazy and try my patience – and the first to leave the nest.  So, I am very proud of his accomplishments and dedication to being all he can be. 

This is my blank canvas and I’ve opened up and let my words splash on the page.

This is the end of my 8 week trial of writing a blog, and I actually think I may keep it up.  So stay tuned and I hope you enjoyed my post.

Let me know if you want to hear more or if you need any how to tips.  I also know a little about carpentry! 

Almost forgot....I have a Bonus Blog coming up later this week!  Please check back.

Thank you for your support, and please comment!