Well then. About time I wrote something don't you think?
The photo is one I snagged off of flickr, but I would have taken it myself if I'd had my camera with me this morning. This old Shell Station is a bit of a Winston-Salem landmark and just a few blocks from my new job. It is maintained, but not in use any longer. Too bad. Maybe we wouldn't mind gas prices rising if we got a value added experience, like this cool facade or live music while we filled up...
I love my new job.
Love, love, love.
I have been welcomed with hugs and smiles and enthusiastic "see you next week Nadine!"'s when they leave. And I can leave it behind when I go home. It's fun and no stress and does double duty of making me feel I am contributing a little sunshine to someone else's day at the same time as brightening my own.
I'm also working on constructing two mantras for myself. I'm not really a mantra person and I have no plans to stand in front of the mirror each morning reciting "I am a good and worthwhile person". I was recently inspired by this article in WIRED magazine about Dibert creator Scott Adams though, and thought a little saying to help remind me what direction I'm heading in could be a good thing. My two mantra categories are:
1) Art Career
2) Personal Growth
I'm just playing with them for now, trying to find something that doesn't just sound ridiculous and weird. And I'm having much trouble with the art one because I keep defaulting to "I will be a successful artist" but I can't seem to define what artistic success is to me. Selling X number of paintings? Getting into a gallery I admire? Getting into a juried art fair? Actually, at this point just painting a picture would be success. I haven't picked up a brush since before our trip.
And the personal one goes something along the lines of "I will be present for each moment and live my life skillfully." Doesn't exactly roll of the tongue does it? I want something that I can play in my head like a favourite song, when I need encouragement or decision making help or before I open my eyes in the morning.
A little reminder of what I want my life to be.
