jonettevalenciano.com

嬉しい (ureshii):

To be glad, happy, delighted, joyful, overjoyed, cheerful, pleased, contented, grateful, elated, jubilant, exultant, ecstatic, euphoric, enraptured thrilled (to bits), over the moon... you get the picture. ;)

At last! A new Happy post! Oddly enough, I finally get the time to write it on a day I stay home sick.Well, truth be told, I was feeling perfectly fine for the first half of my shift. I must have eaten or inhaled something, because an hour into the second half, I couldn't bring myself to eat, nor hold my nonexistent dinner in. (did that make sense?) One thing led to another, and I soon found myself a few ounces short of blood and the doctor diagnosing me with a Bacterial Occult Infection.

Oh, yes. They found Aleister Crowley in my blood, doing the Butterfly Stroke to race the Loch Ness Monster. (Interestingly, there's a tale going 'round the internet that dear old Nessie might have been one of the after-effects of a spell Crowley tried out. Hmm... Let's just be thankful he never found out about The Miskatonic University. ^_^" )

Anyway! I'll need a couple of days' bed rest, lots of fluids, half a dozen antibacterials, and a paracetamol whenever I feel feverish.

Quick! Bring on the happiness!

Photo courtesy of Gavriel1.

1) Father-daughter time. For some strange reason, the best times my dad and I get to spend together now I've grown older are usually right after he fetches me from the ER. I really like it when he finds me sitting in the Waiting Section for my results and settles in beside me. We usually start out rather quiet, then a few words, what happened, folks at the office, memories of my great-grandmother, and that gets the ball rolling. Best part of the night? The conversations in and out of the hospital. We talk about anything -- color theory, how technology, geography and politics affect it, Kumb Mela, National Geographic, historical reenactors, documentaries, stuff. We usually have a super-late-night dinner before he brings me home. Yeah, great times. :)

Photo courtesy of Sunday.Girl.

2) The Marie Antoinette OST. It's revived my taste for British punk rock and the 80's. Favorite Tracks? Gang of Four's Natural's Not In It, Bow Wow Wow's Aphrodisiac, Siouxsie and the Banshees' Hong Kong Garden.

3) Pretty planners! When it comes to girlish cuteness, the Koreans seem to have it down to an art. I do admit, I'm terrible at keeping tabs of dates and organizing my life in general, but this just might be the best way to persuade me right now. ^_^*

Photo courtesy of oddgumi.

4)Mythbuster weekends. After anime marathons, dinner, and desset, Jaime and Adam bring on the experimentation. I like seeing how their determination fuels them to take their experiments further, and at the same time, how they discover and consider more options along the way. It's great to kick back and enjoy watching them take on scientific challenges and discoveries so we don't have to.They're the experts, after all! ^_^

5) New nail color! I now know how glamorous women must have felt back in the post-war era with cherry red at the tips of their fingers and toes. It's such a classic look, and it makes me feel very classy. On the other hand, I just couldn't resist a little embellishment. ;) teeny holograph stars are happiness. (kisses to Gala for the idea. ^_^)

6) Jonette, Alumni 1960. I wonder what my Master's Degree diploma would have read back then? If you have a taste for vintage glamour, mod, or vibe, Yearbook Yourself will be worth a try. I spent two hours on the site, trying on each look, and giggling myself silly. Have a full frontal mugshot ready, and you're set. (Merci beaucoup, Edwina!)

7) Successfully adding code to the blog template. Notice any changes with the longer posts? Thanks to Hackosphere, I can now set my entries to give previews. That gives you, my fine fabulous readers, the liberty to click and read through particular ones that tickle your fancy. (pretty much like this one -- seems you've come as far as this, I reckon it has. ^_^) Peekaboo!

6) and lastly: this lolpolitics:

Alright folks! I've shown you mine, you show me yours. What things have made you smile this week? ^_^

Here's something good for your soul, whether you're a student, an artist, an engineer, or a homeboy, or anything that strikes your fancy. I found this rom one of GalaDarling's weekly Carousels, and thought it would be great to share it with all you beautiful people. Yes, I confess, Gala's been truly an inspiration, ever since I hopped into this blog. She rocks the pink hair of my childood dreams, and will mix you a martini from the Fountain of Eternal Youth. Bring cupcakes, while you're at it. ^_~*

And so, ladies and Gents, I give you How to Be Creative.

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

32. Allow your work to age with you.

33. Being Poor Sucks.

34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.

35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.

36. Start blogging.

37. Meaning Scales, People Don't.

37. When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams.