#jem scribbles thoughts

[flyingjemsaucer]

Ok, I know it's 6 days until shark week, and I realize that probably has something to do with the fact that I'm having feelings... But dammit, I'm having feelings. Mostly anxiety about putting my kids in school. I received a harsh reminder today that my son struggles hardcore with language arts. His spelling is nowhere near his grade level, he can't compose a proper sentence without correction, and he doesn't understand how written language functions, despite all my years of efforts trying to teach him. His reading comprehension is good, however, as long as he's interested in what he's reading. I'm just feeling like a failure, moreso than usual. I think he might have a learning disability, and I don't know what to do. I'm so stressed out. I just want him to have a positive experience, and he struggles with self esteem as it is. He's such a tender hearted young man, and so easily discouraged. 😢

[flyingjemsaucer]

Some house things. 😙 the lights in the porch slats are experimental.

[flyingjemsaucer]

Just to piggyback on my last post, here are some books I recommend. Several are for comic book artists and writers, so some things might not interest you, but honestly, I learned a lot from all of these books that can be applied to most types of art and illustration. Figure Drawing Design and invention by Michael Hampton--the best, most applicable book on artist anatomy I've read. (More focused on form and movement than in depth anatomy, but if you want a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the human body, Grey's Anatomy is an excellent resource.) Perspective Made Easy by Robbie Lee--using the comic book pov, but perspective is a universal topic that applies to any type of art. Words For Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis--the writer's side of comics, but there's a wealth of information here for anyone interested in using their art to tell stories. Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes by Jack Hamm--great use of simple shapes to imply trees or other scenery, which is an important skill if you want to keep your lines natural and fluid. Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Mestre--fantastic book on comic book composition using the rules of cinematic photography. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Buscema--oldie but a goodie, a good starting point for those who are toying with the idea of drawing. Sort of a fun book. Not too serious or in depth. Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden--designed as a textbook to be gone through in a group environment, but I found it interesting and informative on an individual level. Again, obviously focused on storytelling with pictures.

[flyingjemsaucer]

Been toying with the idea of an URL change.  I started out intending this to be more of a place to promote, but it’s become more personal than that, even if I do still sell and promote here.  I want to put aside that “brand” feeling. Jemscribbles is a title I use for my professional networking, and I’ve never been happy with the hyphenated version that I have here (because Jemscribbles was taken). It rubs me the wrong way like you wouldn’t believe (unless you have OCD tendencies like me. Then you would believe).  Anyway, thoughts?  I have a new name reserved, and it still has Jem in it, because let’s face it--even if I’m not actually named Jem, I feel a lot more like Jem than Josie these days, haha!

[flyingjemsaucer]

Some house things. 😙 the lights in the porch slats are experimental.

[flyingjemsaucer]

I love convention season. All this new DT content is just making me grin.

[flyingjemsaucer]

I’m beginning to doubt the possibility of dying your own hair without getting anything on your skin.  Like, how?

[flyingjemsaucer]

Guys, thanks for all the encouragement on my recent posts.  I don’t know what I’d do without you, and I definitely don’t know what I did to deserve all you lovely people in my life.  It was a real boost, and one I very much needed today, as it turned out.

It was a rough day.  I did nothing but rake the whole time.  Mostly raking up rocks, which is murder on the shoulders (especially if you have loose ligaments like me), but I also did some grading and leveling in preparation for hydroseed.  There are building codes that require a certain amount of slope from the foundation so that water doesn’t pool next to the foundation and weaken it.  So you basically go around the house with a level and check to make sure everything is up to code.  The rest is just trying to make everything as smooth as possible.  Rake out lumpy areas, fill areas that are too low, etc.

It’s hard to bust your ass all day long, and every time you look up you see clumps of people just standing around talking.  Sometimes I think me and Hubby are the only ones who actually want to finish.  One person spent the entire day only working on her own house (when she wasn’t standing around yammering with people from the other build group).  She practically had a fine tooth comb out trying to get everything perfect.  We’re supposed to be efficient with our time and work on getting all the important stuff out of the way so that we can finish, but she takes too much time working on her own shit because nothing is ever good enough for her.  I spent two hours raking her house, and she went and raked over everything I did because it wasn’t perfect enough.  It’s insane.  

A few others only worked when the boss was watching.  There was a crew clearing the ditches, and they worked their butts off, so that was good at least.  But the lack of work ethic in our group in general can be really discouraging at times.  Only 50% of the homeowners were actually working hard.

Everyone wants to be finished, but I just feel like screaming, “How is it going to get finished if you don’t buckle down and work??”  The answer, of course, is that they’re just waiting for someone else to do it.  =/  *sigh*

Anyway, it’s not that I mind doing the work, I just want to get it done, and it will take longer if people are lazy about it.

My boss said the folks who run the program say it’s pretty typical for a build to get this close to the finish, and people will just stop working, because they know someone else will do the work, and they figure it’s too close to the end for them to lose their house.  God, how could you approach life like that?  Where is the sense of accomplishment?  How can you just spend your life existing on the backs of others and be fulfilled?  It’s something I very much cannot relate to.  I want to be proud of myself, and know I did the best I could.  I don’t understand why others don’t feel the same.