Loves & A Confession

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First some loves. I am a huge fan of the work of painter/illustrator Deth P. Sun. Heroic cats (or cat, who knows!) on dangerous quests, encounters with ghostly tribes and all manner of strange beasts. Little flashes from a larger narrative that never appears, intriguing and poetic Sun’s paintings transport me to another place and time. Oh, and check out the Deth P. Sun Etsy shop for random pieces from this extraordinary artist.

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Sigh! I would love to own all of the above.

I may have to raid the coffers and bag one of these wonderful pieces from Wunderlust. All of the ‘Wankers’ have been sold but you can request a custom word or phrase of your very own.

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I have become enamored with The Fox & Hare: Responding to Collective Nouns, a blog run by Gracia Haby of Gracia & Louise. I too find collective nouns beautiful and they often become a fulcrum for fabulous flights of fancy. I’m not sure if one would be able to find references to many of the collective nouns found here, they may be suggestions, who cares, the illustration pictured above is probably my favourite. You can find it in A vagary of impediments & a sneak of weasels, a zine by Gracia Haby.

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If you have time be sure to have a peek at this delightful animation from Russia entitled The Fox & The Hare, based upon a folk tale there is so much inspiration here. Tender hearted predators and one tenacious fox.

And now for my little confession which will come as no surprise to some of my lovely readers. I feel quite silly addressing this issue here but, hmm, I’m at a loss and time to face up to one of my oddities and peculiarities. I have email anxiety (yup, I told you it was silly and it looks even more stupid written down!). I’m not going to go into detail but this ‘tick’ of mine really causes me a great deal of guilt and, that word again, anxiety. I hate being such an unreliable correspondent and I have lost budding and established friendships over this issue in the past. In fact this anxiety stretches out to include the telephone and often times one to one meet ups too. I am attempting to ‘sort it out’ & writing about it here is a good starting point. I have set myself some segments of time during which I *must* sit down and write, no excuses, delays or evasions. So, Monday and Friday mornings are now set aside for writing, responding, connecting. When the words flow it is such a joy, when they don’t near panic. Ok, phew, now I am nervous!

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18 Responses to Loves & A Confession

  1. you are so brave my sweet lisa
    most of us can go through most of our lives and never ever admit any of our fears, anxieties or phobias
    this is one of the many many things that makes you such a very special friend.
    ps.
    love the kitties this morning.

  2. oh thank you for sharing – I’m exactly the same! I’d much rather email than call someone, then I can take my time and think of what to say – and edit if need be!!!

    lovely selections btw,
    x

  3. meplusmolly says:

    Hello!

    I’m forever visiting your blog, not sure if I’ve commented before now though?…..

    Anyways I think you’re being brave in admitting and facing your anxiety. I’m not too bad at emailing people but have real issues when it comes to making personal phone calls at times. No idea why…. So go you in your endeavour!

    Beautiful post as always ;0 x

  4. diane says:

    I’m exactly like pumpkinsputnik!
    Fear of speaking on the phone and moreover if it’s in English!
    thank you for sharing, i’m sure that everyone have some kind of phobia.
    And thanks for the beautiful discovery, your blog is so full of great creations!

    xxx

  5. Marichelle says:

    I’m happy to report that I too have anxiety issues when meeting people for the very first time. I have a tendency to shut down and for some odd reason, I forget how to speak and my vocabulary dwindles down to an embarrassing level and I end up slurring/stuttering/mixing up the 10 words I have left in my arsenal. My body also begins to sweat (worse in warm weather months). It’s getting a little better, I’ve been forcing myself to do things that I ordinarily wouldn’t. SO, with that said, I look forward to someday meeting you my friend – we can be completely odd together and be comforted by that fact!!! x Marichelle (ps. thank you very much for posting about my work, such a lovely surprise)

  6. Eerika says:

    You know, I have terrible phone anxiety too. So much so that I actively avoid talking on the phone, unless I know the other person well. If I have to call someone/some place I don’t know, I sometimes write out my “lines”, as I’m afraid I’ll get it all fuddled without, and then proceed to get a bit flustered if the conversation veers from them.

    So you’re not alone with your communicational “ticks”.
    *hugs*

  7. trying to leave a comment I keep getting lost in your links! the beautiful cookie led me to this ( http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/06/insulting-inscriptions-101.html) !
    add me to the list of nervous and hesitant communicators.
    still… how ever and when ever you speak up it is so warm and welcomed!
    xo !

  8. Jessica says:

    Lovely collection, once again.

    As others have said, you are brave to share your anxieties with us. Take comfort in knowing that you are definitely not alone, and you should definitely not be embarrassed by this. Good luck, and know that we’ll all be here cheering you on!

  9. I can totally relate to your anxiety issues! Such a strange thing…because you want to keep in touch but then when you get around to the actually doing it part…

    Love your blog. I’ve been following for awhile and have finally de-lurked! =)

  10. Amy says:

    I totally understand! I, too, have lost new and established relationships because I could not bring myself to commit to a simple act of communication! I thought I was the only one. Here’s a suggestion, since there seem to be so many of us: no more guilt. We’re all doing the very best we can, and a little patience with ourselves and others goes a long, long way to a happier life.

    This anxiety gets worse for me, the older I get. Is that true for you, too?

    xoxox.

  11. Rane says:

    Lisa~

    It is not so uncommon I think. When I first got onto the internet
    I had to make myself send mail. I still feel nervous when I get
    E-mail from the kids teachers. I don’t know I guess I feel like I
    am being Judged too, I might not stand up to the standars if that
    makes sense. I know it is not true, but if I face the teachers then
    I am fine! It is so strange, right? hehe! Lisa all this tells me is
    you are human…. and its “tick” endears you to us even more!!!
    There is no human that is perfect…. we all have so “tick” some
    a bit more than others. My other is the post office. Taking all
    of my kids and standing in that long line…. waiting to see a stern faced
    person that often to me looks like they need to visit nature badly.
    And hoping that my kids don’t bother other busy people.
    I have many ticks…. as everyone. The thing I have to remember
    is that others have self doubt just like I have… then I tend to
    relax a bit.
    I love your loves!
    Loads of squishie hugs to you and your sweet family!
    Rane

  12. Phyllis says:

    I have been a little lost lately trying to pry more creative time out of the air. It is a constant source of anxiety and stress for me, so I am wondering if you might feel that correspondence consumes so much time that perhaps you might avoid it for this reason. If not, then your honesty and sharing is very special and to be considered with care and tenderness. I don’t mind not hearing from you. I simply love visiting your beautiful blog and having a chance to see such lovely, remarkable things. It is all so inspirational! Just be good to yourself. That is the most important thing to remember!

  13. My Dear Lisa,

    I have the same kind of anxiety / panic …
    And it’s all linked to the very same thing : MY FRIGGIN’ PERFECTIONISM. Perfectionism is often known to be paired with its evil brother, PROSCRATINATION.
    And that leads to never ended, sometimes not even STARTED projects, letters, messages, etc …

    I decided to fight that demon.
    And my solution is : never be ashamed of what you do. Don’t over-think. Just do it.
    Especially with when dealing correspondance and friends.

    Just go for quick and efficent emails. Because you won’t feel overwhelmed.
    Just go and write the ONE sentence you HAVE (WANT or NEED) to write.
    And sometimes, a much longer message will follow (like the one I’m leaving right here, dam !)
    Sometimes not. But hey ! I am ALWAYS happy to read from friends. Even a single sentence, a few words or an “inside joke” image …
    So why wouldn’t my friends be ? Hu ?
    I’m sure your friends are just the same !

    *hugs & kisses*
    x x x
    ___mathyld___

  14. Sari Hod says:

    Don’t be nervous – draw a bunny!

  15. melissa says:

    oh, lisa, i so know where you are coming from. i put off all of my communications until the last minute, and worry about email far more than i should. you are not alone!
    love the links- like nicole i kept getting lost in them before i finally left this comment! xx

  16. Pingback: Fears & Phobias

  17. Melissa de la Fuente says:

    Oh, dear sweet Lisa! Never fear, and don’t worry! We all understand, and like most of the ladies here said, we all have those phobias(myself included). I will be here whether you write or don’t. We love you hun and thank you for including that sweet little animation above….just adorable and beautiful!
    xo
    Melis
    (a big hug to you my friend)

  18. Stefanie says:

    Same here! And I always ask my partner if every word is correct, because English is so difficult.
    Thank you so much for your wonderful blog, I love the way you write!

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