Jennerosity Land

The pacing of this episode felt rather slow to me and the crisis didn’t feel very urgent. This is what happens when time experiments go terribly wrong! But that doesn’t feel like the main story for this episode. It’s actually all about Picard and his old flame resolving things. Tangentially, it’s also about Dr. Crusher dealing with her feelings for Picard and helps establish some of the sexual tension there. I wish they’d had more of that aspect and less of the old flame.*

Cool Science/Tech:

non-linear time experiments
Anti-matter patching the time rift**

Fun Stuff:

We get to see more of Picard’s hobbies – fencing! Unfortunately, my husband reports that they had terrible fencing form.

*The outfit his old flame was wearing made me cringe every time she was on screen. Silver shiny baggy jumpsuit – yuck!

**You know you’ve watched too much Star Trek when you start to remember inconsistencies in the science of Trek . . . “But didn’t Wesley say in that other episode that there is only one correct matter/anti-matter ratio?”

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Skin of Evil

2009-04-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

There are many people who rejoice at this episode as it marks the end of a character that they didn’t particularly like and is the beginning of the reconfiguration to the bridge crew that we all came to know and love.

The episode really speaks to the value of life as well as being a comment on how your environment and experiences can shape you. For all the advancements of the Star Trek universe, this episode also demonstrates that there are some things that even they cannot overcome, such as death.

One of the things in this episode that I had totally forgotten about, but liked this time around was Deanna’s role in her own rescue. Even though she was trapped in the shuttle, she was still using her knowledge of psychology to do what she could to help her own situation. Her resolve, intuition, and wisdom are really what makes her character excel in her position. It’s refreshing to see a woman character who succeeds at being awesome without supreme athletic skills or a niche specialty.

I found the ending sad this time through. They just left the skin of evil there and couldn’t help at all. He wasn’t saved or destroyed, he was left there for an eternity of rage, sadness, and loneliness. I guess it was one more problem that they didn’t have the resources to tackle and had to just accept it as is.

Cool Science/Tech:

A holo-recorded speech

Fun Stuff

A reference to Data as ‘tin man’ by the creature. Maybe one day I’ll do a blog post highlighting all the literary aspects of the Trek universe . . . if I’ve got the time.

Quote

No goodbyes just good memories ~ Tasha Yar

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Symbiosis

2009-04-09T21:57:00.001-07:00

This episode is all about drug addiction and the ethics of imposing our values onto another culture. It’s really just a big message episode. Not that it’s bad or anything, it just isn’t the most gripping or interesting episode they ever did. I find these types of messages interesting as it gives the writers a chance to make a comment about current issues, but it’s really all there is to the show.

Cool Tech/Science:

People that can control an electrical surge through their body.

Fun Stuff:

Geordie gets to pick his own heading and chooses a system they’ve never been to before – heart of an adventurer!

Full Pink Moon Dreamboard

2009-04-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

Tonight we celebrate the Full Pink Moon along with Jamie Riddler at Starshyne Productions.

I’ve only participated once before, but I’ve been feeling particularly creative lately and wanting to try out a few new supplies and different techniques lately and this was a god opportunity.

What I want to be blossoming in my life right now has to do with this blog actually. I’m in the process of setting up a new blog that will be hosted on my own domain. It isn’t ready for a formal introduction just yet, but once it is I’ll be putting up links and sending everyone over to have a look around. When it is fully set up, I don’t intend to come back to update this space anymore. It was fun while it lasted, but I’d like a fresh start. The new site will be a spot where I intend to live, share, and enjoy my geek flag.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Arsenal of Freedom

2009-04-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

I never realize just how busy I get when I’m traveling. I thought that I had already posted about a couple of episodes but I guess not, so here goes . . .

This was always one of my favourite episodes. It definitely is a lesson against extremes of all sorts along with one on ethics and responsible science/tech.

One of the other themes that I also find fascinating is humanities inherent mistrust of machines and robots. You can see it come up again and again in sci-fi and fantasy that the machines will one day wipe out humanity if we make the machines smart enough. I wonder if it’s just paranoia or if it has something to do with a species-wide feeling that we deserve to be wiped out; that any purely logical beings will take one look at us and decide that we are definitely inferior.

We also get to see a bit of internal politics on the Enterprise when Geordie’s command is questioned by another officer. I’m glad that we didn’t see more of that in the show, but it did give Geordie’s a chance to show his leadership ability. I’m glad that he eventually switches to a different career stream in engineering as I think it really helps to show all the different aspects of running a star ship when we have a main character represented in each of the areas.

Cool Science/Tech:

Evolving weaponry

Fun Stuff:

The USS Drake is one of the ships that was offered to Will, but that he passed up to be commander of the Enterprise. The Drake is just one of the many ships that Riker could have captained, but that gets destroyed during the series.

Star Trek VII: Generations

2009-03-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is the seventh in a series of Trek Tuesday posts counting down to the next Star Trek movie set to be released this May. Be sure to check out Shannon, the Movie Moxie, for her posts (she started the countdown) and feel free to jump in and play along or leave some comments.

This was the first Star Trek movie that I ever saw in theatres. It’s the first Star Trek movie with the cast and crew of The Next Generation and I really enjoyed re-watching it.

I think the movie does an excellent job of passing the torch to the new generation of Star Trek actors, while still following the premise set up by the previous Star Trek movies. The sentimentality surrounding the ship itself is there. The movie is framed with an Enterprise being launched and an Enterprise being destroyed. There is a nice mix of humour and the camaraderie and sense of family among the crew is definitely there as well.

This particular movie appropriately focuses on time. Not only are they dealing with a temporal anomaly, but Picard is having to deal with the passage of time and its affects on his family line.* A familiar theme for Kirk in all of the movies is dealing with the march of time leading to his own obsolescence. When each of them is given the chance to create their own perfect world, regardless of time, each of them chooses reality over the fiction.

The villain is pretty decent as far as Star Trek villains go. Though, you don’t really get a sense that he is battling the Star Trek crew, so I found that the conflict was a bit indirect. Dr. Soran uses the metaphor of time as a predator, stalking you until it’s too late. He makes a good foil for Picard’s character, who characterizes time as a companion, reminding you to cherish each moment.

I also took from it that you need to let go of the past, or you will simply get stuck in it. It’s an appropriate theme for a movie that is saying goodbye to so many things, and transitioning to the new. I thought the sub-plot with Commander Data highlighted the fact that true growth often comes with some element of risk. Progress may come at the price of never being able to return to the past.

Cool Science/Tech:

Trilithium is mentioned and briefly explained.

Fun Facts:

Tim Russ is one of the crew on Enterprise B. He later plays Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager.
We get to see Picard and Kirk show off their equestrian skills.

Side Notes:

I love the theme song that goes with this movie. It ranks right up with Deep Space Nine’s second theme song, for the best Star Trek theme music. I played a segment of it in a Star Trek medley back in high school band. Boy that flute part was a bitch!
The end of the movie got me feeling kind of sad and mushy and now I’m really looking forward to re-watching the next movie.
When I was in New York, I went to Pylones, which is a store that carries a very brightly coloured and funky array of merchandise. I managed to buy the most banal coloured object in the entire store: a silver book-light. I used it for the first time tonight watching the movie and I LOVE it! I'm hoping it'll make it easier to watch Star Trek movies and episodes and take notes at the same time. You see, our main tv set up is a projector. It projects the images directly on our wall and functions best in the dark, making note-taking a bit difficult. The book-light solves that little issue wonderfully!

*I find it a bit ironic that Picard gets this way since the beginning of The Next Generation clearly establishes that he isn’t comfortable with children. Guess it just goes to show how much his character really progressed over the years.**

**In case you’re wondering, these are end notes, which are distinctly different than the above side notes.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

2009-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is the sixth in a series of Trek Tuesday posts counting down to the next Star Trek movie set to be released this May. Be sure to check out Shannon, the Movie Moxie, for her posts (she started the countdown) and feel free to jump in and play along or leave some comments.

This was the first Star Trek movie that I can distinctly remember being released in theatres. We didn’t go to see it, but I can remember watching an episode of an entertainment show (like Entertainment Tonight perhaps?) that had a feature on Iman starring in the movie and the makeup, costume, etc. It’s one of the movies that I’ve watched the most, so I don’t feel quite so guilty about falling asleep when my husband and I tried to watch this (in my defense, we started the movie after 11pm).

To me, this film is reminiscent of a Shakespearean history play. Though, I’m not sure if that’s because of several of the prominent Shakespearean quotes. It also is very political in its themes. It deals briefly with sustainability and, luckily for me, has some brief hints of Spock’s vulcan mysticism. More importantly, this is a pivotal movie that deals with the fundamental transition of the Federation and Star Fleet from a militaristic tradition, to more of a diplomatic and scientific role. This is a very important distinction for any fan of both Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, because the flavour of Star Fleet is quite different between the two series.

The movie is a defining moment in history for the Star Trek universe because the Federation is faced with a situation in which one of their greatest enemies is brought to its knees by an outside crisis. Now they have to decide what the correct response is . . . compassion or ruthlessness?

Upon re-watching (the first bit of) the movie, I also really appreciated the cultural blending and borrowing that occurs. Spock comments on a Vulcan proverb that only Nixon could go to China and the Klingons in the movie like to quote Shakespeare and claims that it is best enjoyed in its ‘original Klingon.’ It’s quite noticeable in the movie but it reminded me of how much it happens in our world as well.

I think one of the best quotes that wraps up the fundamental choices facing the characters of the movie is the line from Hamlet quoted in the movie “to be or not to be.” They are dealing with the future of two races/cultures. One race, their very continued existence hangs in the balance. For both, they also need to consider the manner in which they are going to move forward and their culture integrity.

Cool Science/Tech:

This movie didn’t really feature much cool science/technology. The closest is an honourable mention for the tracking device Spock plants on Kirk that the Klingons don’t pick up on, but that allows Spock to track Kirk down wherever he may be.

Fun Facts:

Let’s just take a moment and review some of the cast in this movie: Iman, Christian Slater*, Brock Peters*2 (the actor who will eventually play Ben Sisko’s father on Deep Space Nine), Kim Cattrall (Sex in the City), Michael Dorn*3, Christopher Plummer, Rene Auberjonois*4
I’m not sure where or when I heard this, but the original Klingon language that was invented didn’t have the ‘be’ verb, because Klingons are all about action. So, they had to invent a new word so that they could translate the line “to be or not to be” into Klingon.

*He doesn’t get an actual name for this movie, he’s just Excelsior’s Communication Officer.

*2 Here he’s reprising his role as Admiral Cartwright, but he also plays Ben Sisko’s father in Deep Space Nine.

*3 The Klingon defense lawyer, whom they named ‘Colonel Worf’

*4 One of the Star Fleet brass who will later play Deep Space Nine’s Odo
P.S. I love the ability to schedule posts. At the time that you’re reading this, I’m actually vacationing with my lovely sister in New York! We’re probably watching the St. Patrick’s Day parade wrap up right now.

New York City!

2009-03-12T22:21:00.001-07:00

As you’ve noticed, I’m behind on some of my regular blogging duties. I haven’t done last week’s book group blog post and I don’t think I’ll get to this week’s or next week’s book group blog post. (I do have my Trek Tuesday post ready and loaded though.) I’m going to go ahead and blame it on me being super busy preparing to go to New York with my sister next week. So, don’t expect much action here next week at all.

However, if you just can’t get enough of me and want to read about our trip, you can always check out Sauntering Sunflower,* where I’ll be attempting to blog about it as it happens. It’s the blog my husband and I started for our trip to Japan.

Also, if you want a New York postcard sent to you, send me an email with your mailing address and I’ll do my best to send away a postcard to you while we’re there.

*Just for the record, my husband’s the sunflower and I’m the daisy.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

2009-03-03T23:02:00.001-08:00

This is the fifth in a series of Trek Tuesday posts counting down to the next Star Trek movie set to be released this May. Be sure to check out Shannon, the Movie Moxie, for her posts (she started the countdown) and feel free to jump in and play along or leave some comments.

Like my last Trek Tuesday post, this one is also a bit late in coming. Not for any particularly good reason, though I did just spend an hour reading some more of The Watchmen, getting ready for its release this weekend.

I’m so surprised that I couldn’t remember the main plot of this movie. I was fairly certain I had seen it at some point in the past, but when I tried to recall it, the only scene that I could conjure into my imagination was Kirk mountain climbing, which is hardly pivotal to the plot. However, as I began watching, the memories of the plot started flooding back to me.

I have to say, I enjoyed this movie much more than I expected to. I think it’s one of the Star Trek movies that often gets overlooked. Part of the familiarity that I felt from watching it may have been from the fact that it was filmed at the same time as Star Trek: The Next Generation. The plot was more action-oriented and had a more 1980’s vibe to it all.

The movie does its best to remind us of the sea-faring exploration roots that are at the heart of the Star Trek universe. We are also reminded that exploration is all about pushing past boundaries to try to find out what is beyond everything that we already know. It’s stretched beyond physical exploration to the exploration of our minds, psychological boundaries of pain and fear. Using our minds to create psychological peace and also to create the reality around us.

Cool Science/Tech:

Rocket boots

Fun Facts:

Cameo by producer Harve Bennet
I think that the character of J’onn looked A LOT like the movie portrayal of Voldemort. But, that’s just my opinion.
The atmosphere of Nimbus III reminded me of the feel that Joss Whedon created in Serenity/Firefly.

Ok, so 2 of the 3 fun facts are really just my own opinion/thoughts, but they fit better here than in the discussion of the larger film.

Hairstyles through my ages . . .

2009-03-01T11:32:00.001-08:00

I’ve been feeling like it’s time for a change of hairstyle lately, but am lacking inspiration. I picked up a magazine to look through the styles, but realized what looked good in the magazine, might not look good on me. Then I thought I’d dig through my old photos to see what hairstyles I’ve had in the past, just in case anything popped out at me.

Here I am with my thin wispy hair as a baby. I don’t think I’d go back to a hairstyle this short!

I don’t think we ever actually used a bowl for this particular hair cut, but you almost could have. See how much more easily my sister’s hair held that curl around her face? My fine hair still doesn’t hold a hair style very easily.

See my cowlick? They were traumatic for me. I’m still scared to have bangs in case it’s still there. Does anyone know if you grow out of them? (Oh yeah, and I know I have a weird expression in this picture. Makes me giggle whenever I see it.)

At times I’m grateful that my hair is so thin. For instance, it means that this is the best I could ever manage at the feathered bangs look that was so popular then. This is probably one of my most cringe-worthy 80’s hair-do’s and it was the last time that I had bangs.

Before re-discovering this picture, I’d been thinking about getting an almost identical length bob. Then I found this picture and have changed my mind about going back to all one length.

I let my hair grow and grow and grow, and then my adventures in layers began.

Layers &more layers

My hair is still currently layered, though it’s so long that the layers don’t really frame my face at all.

So there you have it. If you want to check out more of my pictures, you can look at my Flickr account. I’m still not sure what I’ll do with my hair. If you have some inspiration for a great haircut for me, let me know in the comments!

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Heart of Glory

2009-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

So, I think it’s safe to say that the episodes that focus on the Klingons, their mythology, philosophy, and beliefs, are among my very favourite. There is something in them that calls to my own warrior within. I like Klingon quotes and like to throw some of them out there once in a while. This episode gets into a bit of Worf’s past and Klingon politics as well.

Some of my favourite Klingon spiritual beliefs in this episode are surrounding death. The Klingon death yell I think has a very Norse appeal to it. The yell is a warning cry so that the dead know that a Klingon warrior is about to arrive. They also have the belief that the body is just a shell for the soul.

Race Study: Klingons

Cool Science/Gadgets:

Visual Acuity Transmitter – a technology that never takes off
The Klingons assembling a disrupter and force field breaker from shoes and such

Fun Stuff:

Klingon death yell – ok, maybe not everyone finds this fun/cool

The Next Chapter – Secret #8 Selecting Empowering Partnerships and Alliances

2009-02-26T22:37:00.001-08:00

I’m taking part in an online book blogging club called The Next Chapter. This post is part of our discussion about The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. Feel free to jump in to the conversation here or with some of the other posts about secret #8.

My first thoughts about this chapter were about creative collaboration. I’ve had a few thoughts about some different creative projects that I think would be fun to embark on. Usually with a particularly talented visual artist, whose style I find intriguing and powerful. But, this chapter is about more than just a creative collaboration, it’s also about business partners and support groups. And after Jamie’s prompt, I’m trying to think about the characteristics of my ‘dream team.’

I enjoy working mostly on my own. Collaborative brainstorming for ideas is great in groups. But the actual meat and bones of the work, I like to do it all myself.* However, I never think that my creation is all my own, because there are so many other people involved who make it possible. Did that make any sense? I hope I made that clear enough.

I tried to think of one giant list of characteristics for my ‘dream team’ but then realized it was silly of me because the characteristics will be different depending on what role they are fulfilling. So, I broke it down into smaller ‘dream teams.’

Inspiration Team

These are the sources of ideas, new projects, etc. These are the types of people who I would be willing to talk an idea out with when an idea is in its raw form.

optimism
diversity of background, interests, opinions, etc.**
faith
energy
engagement
dialogue
kindness

Guidance Team

These are the people I turn to when I’m looking for specific advice. I’ve usually identified a problem and know it needs to be fixed, but can’t (or don’t want to spend the time to) fix it. So, I turn to the experts for the ‘how’ questions.

patience
intelligence
expertise
expressive

Feedback Team

These people are a source of complete honesty. Finding people who do a good job of critiquing is difficult and I always worry that they are being overly kind. I don’t need (much) kindness here, I just need brutal honesty.

honesty
high standards
expertise
assertive
dialogue
expressive

Cheerleading Team

I do also need a group of people who will be out there for me cheering me on. In a business sense, I’m thinking specifically of an agent.

energy
optimism
faith
extrovert
assertive
kindness
intelligence
expertise

*Because I’m a stubborn, proud, perfectionist type of person. It isn’t that other people aren’t good enough, but I need to know that I can do it well enough for my own standards.

**I LOVE learning about different cultures, religions, beliefs, traditions, jobs, topics, etc. Even just diversity of appearance or hearing different languages is fodder for my imagination. This is why I love living in an area where we have such high diversity!

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Coming of Age

2009-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

This episode is really all about tests of all different kinds . . .

aptitude
qualification
character
loyalty
interpersonal skills

As Wesley gets tested along with some other youths, the adult crew members of the Enterprise are being tested in more ways than one. Picard gets to show off some of his piloting skills. The episode sets up some things for a later episode as well.

I found a couple of good quotes/truisms too. First from Worf: “Thinking about what you can’t control only wastes energy.” I find this is a very Klingon attitude and one of the first times that Worf really gets to share some of his personal philosophy. Second from Picard: “You have to measure your successes and failures from within.” Very captain-like if you ask me.

This was also one of my least favourite episodes. I think it’s due to the choice of the guest starring star fleet officers, perhaps related to the bad costuming of the early episodes.

Cool Science/Gadgets:

Shuttlecraft

Fun Stuff:

We get to see the dress uniforms

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Home Soil

2009-02-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is actually one of my favourite episodes. It involves a scientific mystery and digs into the nature of life and sentience.

The other really cool thing this episode deals with is terraforming science. It’s something I find really interesting because the planets that are closest to us are also ones that aren’t really suited to human life. But what if we could change that and change the planets so we could live there? It opens up limitless possibilities for the expansion of humanity across the galaxy. But, with a science that grand in scope, there will be all sorts of other issues as well. How do you determine if there are no other life forms on the planet? Are some life forms acceptable? Where do you draw that line? Who gets to decide how to design a planet? You can just imagine all the different interest groups trying to influence things one way or another! And then there’s also the thought that our planet got it right by some cosmic miracle. Who are we to be ‘playing God’ on another planet and trying to shape it to our needs? It’s one of those issues that I can’t really get onto one side or another about, I just continually debate and consider issues in my head.

Cool Science/Gadgets:

terraforming

Favourite quote:

I am a gardener of Edens.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – When the Bough Breaks

2009-02-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest differences between the original series Star Trek values and the Next Generation of Star Trek values, is the introduction of family. In the original series, the crew was a family. In The Next Generation, while the crew is very much a family to each other, they also have families on board the ship and this adds another array of issues to explore.

This episode is a chance to demonstrate the importance of family connections to humanity. Whenever children and families come into play in an episode it was always a good opportunity to show one of the weaknesses of Captain Picard, who is extremely uncomfortable around children.

The show also has a few cautionary messages about global warming, taking technology for granted, and that a great blessing/advantage can also be a great weakness/disadvantage as well.

Cool Gadgets/Science:

medical tricorder
planetary shield and cloak

The Next Chapter – Secret #7 Consulting with Guides

2009-02-23T23:07:00.001-08:00

This chapter was a bit difficult for me to wrap my head around. I’m stubbornly independent, so I don’t generally seek or consult with guides very often. I’m too proud for that. I don’t like the feeling of scrutiny when I work too closely with someone. I like being in the background, watching and observing, absorbing guidance quietly from the world around me in an unassuming kind of way.

First

Thinking back on my life, I’ve had a few different avenues from which I’ve gleaned inspiration and guidance. When I was quite young, and my social interactions controlled and guided by my family, my guides were largely fictional – characters who were first introduced to me from TV movies and then the books that inspired them. Books and movies have continued to inspire and guide me. I’ve moved beyond being absorbed in a good story and become more involved with the mechanics of what makes a story a good one.

Then

When I was in high school, I think I had a void of creativity. It was all about survival for me. I didn’t feel as though there was much guidance available from any source that would help me get through the drama of high school.

Now

As an adult, especially recently, I’ve been seeking out guidance and finding it in some unexpected places. One of the best guides I had was a University professor. I don’t remember her name or the name of the class, though the name Lynn rings a bell and the class must have been some sort of English teacher education class. The exercises seemed to speak to me personally and show me how to fire my imagination and put my strengths to good use.

I’ve also taken to throwing myself into new experiences and keep my eyes open for whatever I might find there. From real-life classes, lectures, to online groups, websites, message boards, and challenges. I’m becoming increasingly active at seeking out guidance. That’s probably why I’m making such progress at developing my writing, my imagination, and enjoying the creation process.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

2009-02-17T19:55:00.001-08:00

This is the fourth in a series of Trek Tuesday posts counting down to the next Star Trek movie set to be released this May. Be sure to check out Shannon, the Movie Moxie, for her posts (she started the countdown) and feel free to jump in and play along or leave some comments.

This post sure is late, but it’s still Tuesday, so it counts. Let me start by saying that this was one of my favourite trek movies so I was really looking forward to re-watching it. The plot of the movie really just feels like an extended episode. No big ship battles or action sequences, just a problem that only the crew of the Enterprise can solve! Its a good thing this problem cropped up, because the crew sure needed to do something to redeem them after all the stuff from the second and third movies!

The episode also picks up on one of the things that Star Trek does best – commenting on the human condition and social problems. In this case it is pointed out by a recovering Spock that it is illogical to hunt a species to its extinction.

Some of the best scenes in this episode are from the crew experiencing Earth of the past and trying to figure out how to do things correctly. Things like figuring out directions to get to the nuclear vessels or navigating a public transit system are a welcome bit of comic relief in what would otherwise be a fairly dire situation.

Cool Science/Tech:

Clear aluminum
Time warp

Fun Stuff:

Thanks to watching the text commentary, I discovered that Eddie Murphy had originally been considered for the part of the marine biologist! I think it worked out rather well for everyone that he did Golden Child instead and they cast Catherine Hicks.
We’re starting to see some pretty good cameo appearances too. (Guest stars and former cast members of TOS, a singer from the Go-Go’s, and a world class tennis player).

P.S. I have watched a bunch more episodes of The Next Generation, but have been too busy lately to blog them. I’ve got high hopes that the upcoming weekend will afford me some ‘catch up’ time.

My Own Domain

2009-02-14T15:04:00.001-08:00

Today is turning out to be a GREAT DAY! I just won my own domain. So, now if I can work out some hosting deal with the current web host L and I use, I may be switching to a platform like WordPress.org! So, if things start changing around here, that’ll be the reason why, just fyi.

The Next Chapter – Secret #6 Conquering Saboteurs

2009-02-12T22:35:00.001-08:00

My Little Crazy Thoughts

When I first read the chapter highlights, nothing much stirred for me. But, as the words sat in my head and marinated with the rest of my experiences and history, a theme came to me. My most pervasive saboteur is ‘the little child.’ She isn’t so much a child’s voice inside of me, but that’s how it manifests on the outside.

When I think of all the times I want to share my ideas about anything, I get small in body and voice. Mentally I think that my ideas lack validity and are easily dismissed. Or that people won’t hear them and will talk right over them.

Relapsing into childhood is one of the things I struggle most with in life. I usually do pretty well, but when I’m in a context that reminds me of the past, it’s so easy to slip back into old patterns and habits. Some of the things that this comes with include: not wanting to take responsibility, crippling shyness, self-effacing sarcasm, and sarcasm in general.

This is also an issue for me because I look young. Usually I don’t mind being mistaken for someone much younger than I actually am, but in some contexts, it’s very disempowering. I suppose this particular problem will eventually solve itself as time marches on.

Ironically, my child-like sense of play and fun is also one of the sources of my creativity and inspiration.

Fake it until you Make it

I’m reminded of one of my favourite blogs about Happiness written by Gretchen Rubin – The Happiness Project. One of her 12 Commandments is to ‘Act the Way I Want to Feel.’ It turns out that our mood is more influenced by our actions than we realize. It’s something I try to do with all sorts of things and works really well.

Discernment and Ownership

As I read the last bit of the chapter, one word did leap out at me.

DISCERNMENT

This I think is key to dealing with our saboteurs. We really need to see what’s going on in our life and recognize our doubts and fears for what they really are.

Discernment really puts the power back into our own hands. It isn’t up to our friends or family to recognize our inner gremlins and defeat them. We can get support and love from them, but the final step is ours to take. We need to see what our own issues are and take ownership of them. We get to choose whether they are going to stop us or whether we are going to knock them down and achieve our dreams anyway.*

*Wow, I seem mean. First I visualize a little child and then I visualize knocking her down. I just need to remember that she’s really just a gremlin.

Better Sleep Checkup

2009-02-12T19:28:00.001-08:00

So, last month, I shared my Action Plan for Better Sleep and I figured it was time to check in and let people know how it went.

For starters, I deviated from the plan almost immediately. Not with the media ban (which we managed to keep up for a full month) and not with my sleep plan visualizations and such, but I added something to it, which makes it difficult to know if the presence of media was part of the problem or not. But, more on that later.

Over the course of the month I am very happy to report that I did not have to relocate to the living room and didn’t have any nights where hours were spent trying to fall asleep. Not that I didn’t sometimes still have difficulty falling asleep. And I still had many nights where I woke up part way through the night, though I managed to fall back asleep when that happened.

A few nights into the month, I decided to start using earplugs as well. I was finding that it was the sound of snoring was still bothering me.* When I used earplugs, it was dampened enough not to keep me awake. At first I used some foam ones, but they were aggravating as I have oddly shaped ears and it was taking a long time to get them in properly (like 20 minutes of fiddling!). Then I got some wax ones that you warm with your hands and shape into your ears and they worked better. But I’m still getting used to them. I don’t like wearing them. But, my fondness for sleep is stronger than my dislike of them, so I guess I’m going to have to get used to it.

Now that the media ban is lifted, we’re slowly introducing media back in. We started with some music, which is fine. I’m sure I’ll also start reading in bed again, when I’m back to reading books instead of listening to audio books (just going through a phase right now). And, I’m sure sooner or later we’ll put on a movie before we go to sleep. The key now is going to be to see if the sleep problems return or not. I’m hoping not.

But, even though I got more sleep than I was getting before, I’m still not getting enough sleep to feel truly rested. My biggest enemy to sleep is myself. I stay up too late and am so busy with plans that it becomes almost impossible for me to get everything done and get enough sleep. I’m working on getting to bed earlier but I’m not sure how much of my social life I’ll want to sacrifice right now. With the work schedules of our friends, getting together earlier in the day just won’t work. So, I’ll have to see if I can manage it some other way.

So that’s where I stand for now (or should that be ‘sleep’?) I’ll try to keep updating as things progress. If anyone has any tips, tricks, or advice, feel free to comment away!

*And I just had a revelation the other night that when L sleeps facing towards me, it’s much more difficult to fall asleep because the snoring is louder :(

The Next Chapter – Secret #5 Committing to Self-Focus

2009-02-07T17:15:00.001-08:00

I’m taking part in an online book blogging club called The Next Chapter. This post is part of our discussion about The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. Feel free to jump in to the conversation here or with some of the other posts about Secret #5. I haven’t had as much time to read, comment, or blog this week, so I want to send a great big THANK YOU to all the lovely bloggers who are reading and commenting!

This post is, in itself, an ironic comment on my level of self-focus: written late, squeezed in while I’m at the office*, because I’ve been too busy with everything else to take the time to do it during the week.

Time for my self and self-focus is something I’ve always been very bad at. Yet, when I have an entire chapter reinforcing how important it is, I feel uneasy instead of empowered or inspired. Was this part of the reason I couldn’t get it together and write a blog post by Friday? Probably.

So, why is self-focus so hard for me?

Do I have fears of selfishness? – Yes
Do I put myself on top of the priority list? – Rarely
Do I allow distractions? – Yes
Does my perfectionism stand in my way? – Yes
Do I set healthy boundaries? – Probably not
Do I create solitude? – Sometimes, but rarely for creative endeavors or for things I want to do

Where do my difficulties come from?

My mother put the needs of others above her own
My father put the needs of others above his own
I am a Virgo, I have high standards, especially for myself, and perfection takes time
I have struggled with self-esteem and worthiness my whole life. Who makes a date with yourself if you don’t even like yourself? Didn’t learn to do it when I was young so it’s hard to pick up this habit.

I would have liked to finish off with a third list titled “What am I going to do to Change This?” The ambitious part of me would put things like ‘get up a half hour earlier every day to write,’ and ‘tell my husband when I need him to take care of household things, so I can take care of myself.’ But, I think that list would end up a bit too bold. The steps would be too big for my little legs to reach. I already struggle trying to fit in exercise and sleep around my work schedule, and I don’t think adding more obligations for doing things that are good for me would help my stress level.

But, doing nothing is also not an option for me. So, I’m taking two tiny baby steps to bring self-focus more into my consciousness and daily life. First, I’m re-framing and re-thinking my time and my actions to bring self-focus into the things I already do. Second, I’m going to be keeping my journal even closer at hand, and open it and use it whenever it strikes me to do so.

*Well, it was started at the office. I then ran out of time to finish it there and so it got finished at home two days later.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

2009-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is the third in a series of Star Trek Movie Marathon review posts. I’m playing along with Shannon the Movie Moxie and we’re counting down to the release of the newest Star Trek film, due out in May 2009. Here’s a link to the Countdown post in case any of you want to play along too. I’m paying particular attention to doing my reflection spoiler free, like Shannon does. Like my TV episode reviews, I’m going to focus on what I find fun and inspiring about Star Trek.

This film followed very close on the heels of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and I think they did a very good job continuing the story and keeping a good pace throughout this film.

The film continues on with the themes of loyalty and the sense of family among the crew of the Enterprise. The counterbalance to Spock’s philosophy is pursued as the crew puts it all on the line to save Spock – the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.

The film also explored more of the Vulcan mysticism, culture, and language. And, on the opposite end of the cultural spectrum, the Klingons also get a chance to demonstrate some of their unique cultural beliefs and traditions.

In case the condemnation of pursuing science for its own sake wasn’t clear enough, this movie reinforces that and tacks on a reprimand against scientists using unstable substances in the pursuit of science.

This film has some very cool special effects. But, since the film comes right after the previous movie, there is little chance for there to be many new technological developments. This doesn’t stop Star Trek though, they just use some technology from a different race.

Cool Science:

Klingon cloaking device
Klingon Bird of Prey vessel

Fun Stuff:

This was Leonard Nimoy’s directorial debut.

Next Trek movie review: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on February 17th. It’s one of my all-time favourites!

The Next Chapter – Secret #4 Surrendering to Creative Cycles

2009-01-29T23:26:00.001-08:00

So, I’ve run into a very small snag with the book blogging thing . . . I had to return the book. It was a library book (one of only 2 copies in Vancouver library) and it was requested by another library user so I could no longer renew it.* But, I did scan all the important pages into my computer so I can read those bits and base my blogging off of that, along with the other posts I read.

Crazy Creative Cycles

Ok, so I struggled to try to think of what my creative cycles are like. Since I struggle to put myself under the creative banner, I’ve never really reflected on my creative cycles. Never really stopped to take note. I’ll have to try to pay more attention. Cycles are one of those things where the more you know about them, the more you are able to use them to your own advantage.

I acknowledge that outside events guide some of my cycles. November is increasingly becoming a time of literary intensity for me. The turn to fall weather still carries with it certain studious impulses. Winter and snow makes me feel like hibernating (but only because I can’t afford to spend two months off of work so I can be on a mountain skiing).

The Void

When creative voids come, I’m usually too busy doing other stuff to notice. I throw myself into something, become engrossed, and when I’ve saturated myself, move on to something else.

There are times that I do feel like I’m just not connecting with the right life rhythms in general though. I get into kind of a funk. That is the frustrating void that I sometimes have to work through. How do I manage? None of my methods seem particularly sage or special . . .

reading
thinking
writing
occasionally talking
forgetting
cleaning and organizing, clearing the air
getting in touch with my primal visceral self
looking to higher powers for guidance/signs
returning to or creating rituals

Perhaps it was my Christian upbringing or just my own life experience that has taught me to have faith that things will work themselves out. I also have a certain stubborn streak – there are some things that are just not an option for me. Things like: not improving, not surviving, not making the best of it. I may feel moments of fear and doubt, but I know in the big picture, the void is just temporary.

The Pinnacle

I also get times of intense energy and passion. Actually, I sometimes think I might be slightly manic-depressive. I like the phrase ‘strike while the iron’s hot’ so when I’ve got the energy, inclination, and passion to do something, I usually shuffle things around so I can do it. Sometimes when I’m in a manic phase, I will take on a bit too much for myself and have to dial it back or get burned out too quickly.

My pinnacles are usually fairly personal things. If I come out and share with you voluntarily the bright spot with something creative, it means you are part of the inner circle. Generally, I’m not going to jump up and down and shout it from a rooftop.** I might manage to convince myself to a small celebration or a treat, but I have difficulty allowing self-indulgence. Instead I’ll just glow inside for a little while, and then get back to the rest of my life.

*I did have to incur a small library fine. As a Virgo and a person who is always punctual about returning library books, having to pay a $0.60 fine actually caused a bit of anxiety and stung my pride a bit. But, it was my own fault. Had I not left it to the last minute to try and renew it, I would have seen the request and been able to return it on time. My only option for a timely return would have involved breaking my writing date.

**I sometimes think it would be nice if some of the people I knew would do some jumping up and down and shouting from rooftops on my behalf.

Writing Date Results

2009-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I set up the challenge last week to spend the entire day Monday writing, and here’s how it went . . .

Was busy on the weekend getting some things done so that they wouldn’t bother me when I was supposed to be writing. Resulted in two loads of laundry being clean, but unfolded and most other things taken care of. I can live with that. (A truth which is well demonstrated by the fact that I’m sitting here blogging, instead of folding laundry.)
Started around 9:00am.
Didn’t feel like working out when I got up, and didn’t end up doing much exercise :(
The phone did not ring once, all day.
That was kind of disappointing because I was looking forward to ignoring the phone. I find it liberating to not answer the phone. Go figure. I’m odd like that.
Aside from a break or two for food and hydration, I spent almost 12 hours working on my manuscript.
When I say ‘working on my manuscript’ I was, more specifically, figuring out what was going to happen in each scene of the novel, and what was important about each one.
I didn’t take a break to do any laundry.
But my husband did.
I didn’t take a break to change it from the washer to the dryer, even when it had been sitting in the washer for a few hours.
I realized that I need to create not one, but two, TWO more maps for my story.
I planned out 20 scenes in total on Monday.
I will probably end up shuffling the order or changing the content for some of the scenes.
I stopped when I reached my goal for January. It was just after 9:00pm.
The book is not yet completely plotted.
But I’m close.

Overall, it was a very good experience to immerse myself into the novel again. I think I might be brave enough to set more writing dates in the future. But I’m not sure exactly when, but I’ll let you know. For now I’ve got 3 loads of laundry to fold and put away, several stacks of dishes to wash, and 2 chapters to read before class tomorrow.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Too Short a Season

2009-01-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

I really tried to like this episode, but I just find it kind of flat. We do get to see the limitations that the Prime Directive places on people in situations of war and terrorism. We get to see the implications and ripples that reach into the future when the Prime Directive is ‘interpreted differently’ as the character puts it.

It also touches on the relative merits of age and wisdom vs. the vitality of youth and the issues that would arise if we really could turn back time and regain our youth.

Fun Stuff:

. . .

I really tried to see some fun stuff but the episode is rather dry and dramatic. Between the wheelchair, 40 years of civil war, and some bad acting by the guest stars, there really wasn’t much to geek out about.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – 11001001

2009-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what will happen if our growing dependence on Crackberries, iPods, cell phones, laptops, etc. were to continue to grow so that we become more and more integrated with technology, to the point where we would be inseparable from our machines? What drama would then ensue if the planetary hard drive got corrupted or crashed!!!!!!!

Interesting scientific musings aside, this is another really fun where we get to peek into the passions of the crew members, and the holodeck gets shown off once more. Perhaps it’s a comment about balancing work with play. A balance that each of the crew members handles differently.

In the holodeck they really take a look at the implications of creating images of human being who seem real and what would happen if there were to be a character created who was self-aware of their situation.

It is the holodeck character that points out the ideal work situation in the future – everyone has found work that consumes and enthralls. Don’t I wish! That’s one of the things that I find so appealing about this vision of the future . . . you can go wherever your interests take you. We’re getting closer to it now with the internet making information so readily available but still have a ways to go before everyone is truly free to live out their passion.

Race Intro: The Binars (though, I don't think they come up again).

Fun Stuff:

We find out the Riker plays trombone and enjoys jazz, though I take exception to his comment that Blondes and jazz seldom go together.
Picard’s piloting skills are also introduced as he has to pilot the Enterprise back at the end of the episode.
We have a blind man teaching an android how to paint.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Angel One

2009-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

So, here we have another ‘issue’ episode. This time, we’re examining gender imbalance. Can’t have one of these episodes without some sort of crisis going on in the background, so this time, everyone on the ship comes down with a cold that is transmitted by smell. Weird, I know.

Fun Stuff:

This episodes establishes the beginning of a very basic formula: away mission + Riker + women = Riker ‘goes native.’ For the sake of diplomacy of course ;)
Apparently in the future, ski fashions turn REALLY ugly!

The Next Chapter – Secret #3 Following Your Fascinations

2009-01-22T22:58:00.001-08:00

I’m taking part in an online book blogging club called The Next Chapter. This post is part of our discussion about The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. Feel free to jump in to the conversation here or with some of the other posts about Secret #3.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

-Helen Keller, Activist

My Crazy Little Fascinations

This week is all about taking that leap of faith and following the little tugging sensation in your heart. I think I sometimes find it difficult to separate my own fascinations from my surroundings. When people are passionately engaged in something, I tend to get caught up in their energy and enthusiasm about it. I have to really watch myself after interacting with a particularly passionate person because I might jump on board with what they were doing before I realize that it isn’t something that was truly in my own heart in the first place.

But, when it comes to creativity and fascinations, here are some things that do actually have staying power for me . . .

literature, both writing and reading
teaching and helping people
Asian culture and aesthetics
spirituality and self-evolution
geekery

My Crazy Encouragement Toolkit

The prompting post this week encourages us to build our encouragement toolkit – what makes us brave and ready to take risks and follow our fascinations? Hopefully sharing these will help give others ideas on how to build their toolkits. So here goes . . .

My biggest one is my husband. Good news for me, he’s wonderful! Bad news for you, I won’t share! :D
Having a plan or a list or instructions or something to follow. It’s essential for me. Even having a rough template that I can examine and deconstruct is great. It doesn’t make it feel as risky for me.
Being part of a community – Hello Wiffers! Hello NaNoWriMo Vancouverites! Hello bloggers!
Writing my thoughts out. Even if the writing doesn’t make sense, it’s like the confusion transfers to the page instead of being stuck in my head. I at least find peacefulness if not sensibleness.
Having some affirmations. A couple are original, but most come from somewhere. The first that really resonated with me said in a Lipgloss and Laptops podcast. It went something like “sometimes you just have to fly your geek flag.” Can’t remember the episode or which host actually said it. But repeating “fly my geek flag”* to myself really affirmed accepting myself. I suppose now I’m working on “flying my creative flag.”

My Crazy Step

The next part of this Jamie’s challenge to us is to take one brave step towards our dreams. For me, I think that this is going to involve blocking off an entire day for writing. I’ve been trying to finish plotting the book that I started during NaNoWriMo this year. I’d originally intended to get this done in January, but haven’t made much progress yet and time is running out. So, Monday, I’m going to spend the day writing and working on the plot. It’s a big step for me to devote an entire day to something like that. I’m shrugging off all the other responsibilities like laundry and cleaning and I’m just going to write.

*As an example of flying my geek flag, I actually have all my affirmations embedded on my computer desktop so that they are in front of me in my office. I love the idea of having some affirmations in my emerging creative space downstairs, something more like Kathryn Antyr has done.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 - Datalore

2009-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

As I progress through the first season, I can see all the different ways that this season laid out a foundation for the series to grow and expand on. This episode established two recurring villains and a great recurring character with the appearance of Lore and the Crystalline Entity.

We really get in to some bogeyman territory here with a villain that is never really explained but has terrible powers. I think it’s part of human psychology to fear things like this, which is why it shows up in the show.

The episode has a brief mention of the Laws of Robotics invented by Asimov and his vision of a positronic brain. It also shows an alternate vision of how things might turn out if artificial intelligence is possible. Another theme that is touched upon with the larger story arc that develops with Data and his brother is the debate between Nature vs. Nurture. Or, in this case, programming vs. experience.

Cool Gadget/Science:

Data has an off-switch – Shhhh! Don’t tell!

Fun Stuff:

We really get to see Brent Spiner’s range as an actor since he gets to play both parts.
Incidentally, for any of those twitter folks out there, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton, and Wil Wheaton are all on twitter. (And I am too.)

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Big Goodbye

2009-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

One of the things that The Next Generation did really well was that it allowed the characters to develop a lot of personality and interests. With the holodeck, the writers also have the fun opportunity of sticking the characters in real settings from history, without figuring out the sticky science of time travel and polluting the timeline. Here we get a prime example of that as we see the first of many holodeck episodes that illustrate the characters background and interests. In this case, it’s the beginning of a recurrence of holodeck mysteries, this one featuring Dixon Hill, one of the captain’s indulgences and heroes.

We also get our first glimpse of the potential dark side of the holodeck technology as things get a little too real, as well as a bit of the philosophical implications of the reality for the people who are created.

Science Highlight:

Holodeck technology – the Captain even gives a little speech about it.

Fun Stuff:

The Original Series was always good about having random scholars and scientists on board. These characters were usually disposable and only really served as a font of information about whatever situation they were in. Here, we have a crewmember who is the literature historian and specialist in the 20th century show up and get shot. At least they didn’t put him in a red shirt!

Wishcasting Wednesday – Organization

2009-01-20T23:33:00.001-08:00

Edit: Forgot to put a link back to the prompting post from Jamie. My bad! If you want to play along, just pop over here.

What do I wish for my space?

The answer to that is quite simple. I wish for organization. A place for everything and for everything a place. I’m currently slogging away on my crafting space and it seems that everywhere I turn, I wish for more organization. I want more shelving. But not just any shelving . . . I want custom shelving. Something that will hold all the oddities in my life.

When we moved into our new townhouse two years ago, we had the standard wire rack shelving that comes with any new development. And, we’ve done nothing with it. We removed some of it and put in some plain wooden shelves for a miscellaneous closet in the office. But things are just kind of shoved in there.

And, we have a lot of oddly shaped things in our lives that don’t really suit traditional bookcase or closet solutions. If I had money to burn I’d go and outfit our home with boxes and shelves and cubbies so that everything would be put away. But, as I don’t have limitless funds instead I’ll wish for some inspiration in dealing with what I’ve got.

Trek Tuesday – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

2009-01-20T23:11:00.001-08:00

In case you can’t get enough of Star Trek, I think that Shannon did an excellent job reviewing Star Trek II. Go check out her post here.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

2009-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a series of Star Trek Movie Marathon review posts. I’m playing along with Shannon the Movie Moxie and we’re counting down the release of the newest Star Trek film, due out in May 2009. Here’s the link to the Countdown post in case any of you want to play along too. I’m paying particular attention to doing my reflections spoiler free, like Shannon does. Like my TV episode reviews, I’m going to focus on what I find fun and inspiring about Star Trek.

It’s easy to see why this movie is one of the highlights of the Star Trek movie franchise. The film has one of the best villain roles of all times! The episode that featured Khan was one of the classic Star Trek episodes and the movie brings us right back to that moment. I think the role of Khan is very well acted and his character is really willing to do anything to achieve his goal, which is what makes him such a great villain. His egomania is a good foil to the philosophy that Spock gives voice to: the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.

The crew of the Enterprise really captures the old charisma and luckily the second movie has more action and less gratuitous shots of the Enterprise. Even though this one had less action than some of the newer installments, they really manage to make it more interesting with a cat and mouse suspense element to it, proving that you don’t need warp speed to have people on the edge of their seats.

There was also a bit of philosophical exploration to do with the science element going on in the show. Dr. McCoy points out that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. And there’s the reminder that science only does good if it is in the hands of those who would use it that way.

Cool Science:

Rapid terraforming of planets.
Retina Scans for security.

A bit of fun stuff:

This was the film that introduced Kirstie Alley as a motion picture actress.
New uniforms! I’m so glad they didn’t keep the uniforms from The Motion Picture!
Klingon Proverb: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Need to catch up? Here’s a link to my post on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

The Next Chapter – Secret #2 Honouring Your Inspirations

2009-01-15T22:20:00.001-08:00

My Little Crazy Thoughts

This week I have actually been quite busy engaging my creativity. With the wishcasting prompt I knew immediately that I need a creative space. Somewhere I can do more than just writing. I need a place where I can have access to all of my colourful bits and bobs that I like to play with. I felt so powerfully drawn to the project that I’ve already started working on it.

The First Challenge

The first challenge of the book was to find 15 minutes every day to cloister yourself away and get in touch with your creativity. This gives me a small problem as I don’t think that this is possible for me right now. It’s ideal, but not right for me at this time. I’m hoping that creating a crafting space for myself will help let me take advantage of the bits of time that I do get in the future. If everything is organized and ready, I’ll be able to more easily jump in and out of some creative explorations.

I also found myself wanting to defend the city. It seemed as though the author was saying that nature is only the territory of creativity and I would disagree. I think that the human mind and spirit has the capacity to find inspiration amid a chorus of chattering voices, horns, and machines in the city, as well as it can amid the sounds of birds, trees, and insects in the wild.

The Second Challenge

The second challenge was a Creative Style Inventory and I thought I’d briefly report my answers . . .

When did your creative reawakening occur? Probably in 2007 when I decided to commit to writing a novel in a month. I’ve always thought “I’m a writer” but this was the first time as an adult that I’d attempted to write.
What talents do you have naturally? This one was really hard since I don’t usually think of my own talents, or of myself as talented. But, I do know that I’m naturally organized and very determined. I love reading and teaching and explaining things to people too.
Which elements draw you toward them? Earth (mountains & trees) and Fire
Where and when do you create? I create writing on my computer at home or work. Or in a notebook in almost any place that will give me a few minutes to focus on my story. Usually in the afternoon when I’ve finished all my obligations for the day (if I manage to get them all done).
Where and when do I wish to create? At my neat and clean desk in a neat and clean office in the morning.
What activates your creative energy?

structure
timelines
projects
passionate people
rules
processes
puzzles
good stories
What drains it?

What drains it?

too much openness – I feel lost
getting caught up in what others might think/say
too much distraction
too much outside input

Do I use creative rituals? I’ve started to this year . . . lighting a candle when writing . . . curling up with a good movie to sift through magazines for words and images that inspire
Does nature influence my creativity? The inspiration for my 2007 NaNoWriMo challenge started from staring at the mountains every morning. One of my other old story ideas (yet to be developed) comes from the crows!
What has been your greatest creative hurdle so far? Justifying and finding the time for creative pursuits.
What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration? Definitely the morning!

The inventory really had me pondering my girls in the basement/my inner muse*. Not only what they/she might look like but also about what they need to be inspired. They need a little space to do business and play. They need to be fed good stories. They like to get up in the morning and spend time planning out projects, making lists, and putting things in order. And they need challenge to keep their creative juices fired up. In fact, they sometimes prefer to do things the hard way. I’m looking forward to getting to know them/her better.

*’girls in the basement’ refers to the same basic thing as an inner muse but is an expression commonly used among the community of writers (aka Wiffers) that I enjoy being a part of. I like the term because it allows many different facets of your creativity along with some interesting conversations to take place inside of yourself. Though I am also drawn to the idea of defining a set of characteristics that make up my inner muse.

My Wish for My Creativity

2009-01-13T22:26:00.001-08:00

I had originally intended on saving this particular picture for when this project would be finished. It was going to the ‘before’ for the ‘before & after’ shots, but then I saw this week’s Wishcasting post by Jamie at Starshyne Productions and I just had to pop it up here today!

My (first)* wish for my creativity is SPACE! Dedicated, respected, properly organized and appointed space. It doesn’t have to be a lot of space, but somewhere I can have a project sitting out and my supplies organized. After all, I am a ‘little crazy’ who usually makes little projects, I only need a little space.

I’ve never actually had my own creative space even though I know fully well how important it is (my mother had her own painting room as far back as I can remember). I’ve had creative stuff, that’s lived in boxes, or been crammed in drawers, and never really been properly organized or fully utilized.

The picture above is supposed to be my eventual crafting space. It’s in the kitchen, right next to the arcade cabinet. Part of what is creating the clutter there is some tools and supplies that were/are being used to build the arcade cabinet. I keep waiting for the arcade cabinet to be ‘finished’ so that I can start working on organizing my own little space. Really, it’s just an excuse I’ve put up to not work on the project. Like I need more excuses than the fact I don’t have a lot of free time to keep up with the clutter that builds up everywhere!

This year I’d like to transform this space into one that is bright and organized. A place where my creative implements are easily accessed so I can just grab them and spend my time playing.

*I say first wish, because I’m sure there will be more as I go through the steps in The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.

**Here’s a little game. It’s like one of those Eye Spy books that I love so much. See what objects you can find in the picture above: a case of pop, a corded drill, a bag full of empty boxes, a little spritzer bottle, cases of wine, tea towels, a video game with a bright orange sticker, a case of cider, three boxes of tea light candles, a level, a novel, a pincushion, an empty water jug, a pencil and a pen. If you’re very lucky, you might be able to see the edge of my two plastic drawers, which have all of my craft stuff shoved in them, but the ancient sewing machine is completely covered.

Star Trek TNG – Scheduling update

2009-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to do a quick post letting people know that I probably won’t be posting any Star Trek episode reviews this week. There isn’t a fixed schedule for it, so I’m just fitting it in around normal life events. Life events right now are featuring a lot of re-scheduled Christmas family events that got cancelled due to the snow and weather in December. Plus, we’ve been serious about the media ban in the bedroom, so less media is being watched in general.

But, next week, there will be a review for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and probably a few Star Trek TNG episode commentaries as well.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Haven

2009-01-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

It’s really all a matter of perspective. Cultures clash again when it comes to wedding rituals and each culture thinks that its own is evolved and the other barbaric. The episode also has a nice heavy-handed caveat about using technology responsibly. Because, if you don’t, you will inevitably wipe out your entire species. It’s a good thing they had all the petty bickering and wedding planning to lighten up the tone of the episode!

Beyond the cultural differences between Betazoids and Humans, the episode also takes a look at the idea of destiny vs. free will. It’s kind of nice to see that even though the technology has advanced so far, there are some things that are still beyond explanation.

This episode also prompted a discussion between L and myself on the image projected of the ‘ideal Captain’ theme that came up in this episode. Do you think the role of Captain is one that is supposed to be a life of solitude, without family and personal connections? Even though the Federation is rather sugar coated, they are still a military organization at their core. And military life doesn’t always blend well with family life. Or, is it just that Riker’s intense ambitions lead him to choose his own career route over the possibility of a family?

Recurring Character Intro: Lwaxana Troi, played by the magnificent Majel Barrett Rodenberry, who recently passed away on December 18th, 2008.

Lwaxana Troi is another character who is always a pleasure to watch. My own descriptions of her can’t do it justice, so I thought it would fun to throw in some quotes about her from the episode . . .

Lwaxana Troi: I am Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx and the Holy Rings of Betazed. Who are you?
Deanna Troi: I should warn you, Sir, my mother is a little ... eccentric
Lwaxana Troi: I am always serious, dear boy. Only my pleasant nature makes it appear otherwise.

Some fun stuff that I found writing this blog post:

Memory-Alpha – A Star Trek wiki!
Star Trek Minutiae

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Hide and Q

2009-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

What a brilliant move it was to create a recurring character who could pop in and out at will and cause all kinds of chaos! He really puts the Enterprise on the receiving end of a breach of the Prime Directive (well, I guess it’s only a breach if Q actually followed the Prime Directive).

On the surface the show is about temptation and the old saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But Q’s return really provides a foil against which humanity can be measured. The undercurrent running through the episode is the human drive for change and self-evolution. At the heart of Star Trek is the drive for exploration, learning, change, and the human potential for limitless growth. Picard even hints that Q might feel threatened by what humanity might become in the future. With Q’s access to limitless power there is no motivation for change, growth, or improvement. But humanity has flaws and limitations which provide the impetus for change.

This episode provides another link between Star Trek and literature. This time delving into Shakespeare! Q is great for bringing out the literary elements as he is a character that embodies Drama. He is often ridiculous and goes over the top to illustrate his messages. So, it’s only fitting that he bring up one of Picard’s favourite authors and quote from Hamlet. One of my favourite Picard quotes: “Oh I know Hamlet, and what he might say with irony I say with conviction - What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty. In form, in moving, how express and how admirable - in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a God.” The episode is worth watching just for that scene between Q and Picard!

The Next Chapter – Secret #1: Acknowledging Your Creative Self

2009-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

I’m so excited to be participating in a book group. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. In fact, it’s even on my life list (listed under ‘Pinups & Pearls’ #19). This may sound odd to some, but it’s really taking me back to my days at University. The ones when I had good English lit classes and got to listen to (and occasionally even participate in)really provocative discussions about books and the wonderful worlds they opened up to us.

My Little Crazy Thoughts

First and foremost, I have a hard time putting myself under the creative label. I usually associate creativity with some sort of visual artistic endeavor or intuitive expression. I don’t paint or draw. I have some musical ability but no ability to improvise or compose. I enjoy dancing, but don’t really think that I excel at that either. And that’s another thing that I usually associate with creativity – excellence. It isn’t good enough to simply do something, you’ve got to be good at it too. But perhaps that just the Virgo in me coming to the surface.

Yet, I still consider myself an ardent admirer of creativity in others and I still feel the need to engage in creating activities. But, I have also come to realize that I usually thrive with ordered creativity. I feel that creative calling, but will feel lost when I get there, unless I’ve learned some of the rules of the road that I’m on. (Even as a child I always felt compelled to colour within the lines). I guess it’s just one more contradiction to add to my list of personality quirks.

I feel like I’m the thing you look at when you turn the kaleidoscope. I’m always changing things around and tumbling past this point, on to the next stage and the next and the next. So, it’s hard to pin down where I am today. I always am trying to find new ways to change . . . improve . . .evolve.

As I said before, I don’t really feel comfortable putting the ‘creative’ label on. But, I’m working on accepting myself for who I am and acknowledging that my creativity might not match the stereotypical ‘creative’ label. I crave order. Give me lists! I need to intellectually understand the principles behind the creative process. I need to unlock the puzzle and deconstruct the process and why it works.

I’m glad the book works on challenges and specific questions that we think and write about. I feel like writing is one of my strengths and an area I’d like to continue strengthening.

I Am Here

As Jamie suggested, this is a great time to share where I am in my particular journey to my creative self.

I can’t pin down why or when it all began, but I only remember always questioning my own intuition. Perhaps that’s one of the childhood memories that has become completely blotted out by time. Perhaps it is just a function of my shyness. Whatever is the cause, I’m working on letting go and loosening up.

Looking back, 2008 was a phenomenal year for my creative process. It started with a little event in 2007 called NaNoWriMo, which lead me to this great podcast about Writing and Wine. I learned a lot about writing and then jumped into a community of writers, some of whom are just like me. And I learned a lot. Then when I did NaNoWriMo again in 2008, I really felt the joy of the process. I felt like I was a writer, instead of just someone who was writing.

I also have started feeling comfortable with some of my own style choices. Mostly, my secret has been to stop caring what everyone else in the world might think. I think the closest to artistry that I get to, is applying my makeup. And this has been the year that I really started to let myself play, even if it meant standing out a bit (like by wearing orange eye shadow). (But, last year I also finally found some good instructions and realized that I had fallen in love with steampunk without knowing it.) We also started decorating our house this past year. I still let/make L make most of the decisions. But I think the fact that we have an arcade cabinet in our kitchen speaks a bit to my own creativity too ;)

A bit of background: The Picard Maneuver

2009-01-08T23:14:00.001-08:00

I mentioned ‘The Picard Maneuver’ in my post about ‘The Battle’ and The Nighthawk commented that he hadn’t heard of the shirt one before. So, I just had to dig up something that would demonstrate it. You only really need to watch the first bit and you should get what I meant with my shirt comment.

Better Sleep Action Plan

2009-01-08T15:40:00.001-08:00

I had originally thought to write this post titled as “Insomnia Action Plan” but thought that it really set the wrong tone for my intention. My intention isn’t to devise a plan for insomnia, my intention is to devise a plan for better sleep.

This week, like many others before it, I’ve been having difficulty in getting a full night’s sleep. It’s a problem I’ve dealt with on and off for years, but lately it’s been intensifying. In the past, I’d go through short periods where it almost felt as though my body needed to reset. I’d have a night or maybe two, where despite my best intentions, sleep would evade me. Then I’d be fine and not encounter it again for months. Now, it’s getting to be a problem that crops up several times each month.

So, L and I have finally had enough of it and are going to try to change things up. So, my better sleep action plan is borne.

The first thing we are trying is a media ban in the bedroom. When L suggested this, I was surprised. He is the type of person that usually sleeps best with some sort of background noise – music or a movie. So, we have a computer in our bedroom just for such purposes. But, it’s going to remain silent for an entire month, while we test out the effectiveness of the media ban. Books, since they are also media, are banned as well.

So, any DVD watching, any book reading, any music enjoying will be done in other rooms. For the next 30 days, the bedroom is for sleep and sex.

I also have another part of the plan, that just affects me. I’ve got an action plan for how to handle difficulty falling asleep. I won’t bore you with all the minute details, but I’ve got different stages mapped out that are complete with sleep positions, visualization techniques, etc. I’m hoping that having a plan like this will help to stem the tide of frustration and help me to feel more relaxed when the problem does come up.

Last night was the first night of no media and my own action plan and I didn’t have any sleep problems. I’m hoping it’s the start of a trend.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Battle

2009-01-08T09:30:00.001-08:00

One of the things I enjoy about Star Trek is that you always have this tension between an almost idyllic picture of the Federation and the fact that there are still really difficult decisions that need to be faced. I also like this episode because it reinforces the fact that the Federation is idealistic but not stupid. They may hope for the best from every situation, but they aren’t going to go in blindly without protecting themselves either.

We get to see the Ferengi again and their emphasis on profit is reinforced. They talk a little bit more normally in this episode and we get the tiniest sense that the majority of their legal code revolves around sound business principles in the pursuit of profit. The Ferengi and Federation come together in an awkward philosophical agreement at the end, declaring that there is no profit in revenge.

Cool Science:

The common cold has been cured in the future – huzzah!
Headaches have also been mostly eradicated – that would just be so nice!

Cool Gadget:

The evil thought-maker device – forbidden even for the Ferengi!

Fun stuff in this episode:

The real ‘Picard Maneuver’ is described – the one with the ship, not the shirt :D

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Justice

2009-01-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

Really, you don’t need to know much more than the title of this episode to get what it’s about. It’s a morality discussion that goes into all those issues of justice vs. fairness, one life vs. many, etc.

Despite all of those wonderful issues explored by this episode, I think that the Trek theme that I find most enjoyable is one that comes up most often when discussing classic Trek – the blatant display of scantily clad pretty people. It’s just part of the cheesy, campy fun of the Star Trek experience. People are usually quick to pin this kind of sensationalism on The Original Series, but The Next Generation had quite a bit of it as well. However, Next Generation suffered from 1980’s inspired future fashions that tend to blot out a lot of the other stuff.

Fun stuff from this episode:

Riker manages to impress another godlike entity with his line “When has justice ever been as simple as a rulebook?”

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

2009-01-05T21:08:00.001-08:00

This is the first in a series of Star Trek Movie Marathon review posts. I’m playing along with Shannon the Movie Moxie. Here’s the link to the Countdown post in case any of you want to play along too. I’m paying particular attention to doing my reflections spoiler free, like Shannon does. Like my TV episode reviews, I’m going to focus on what I find fun and inspiring about Star Trek.

My Adventure Finding the Movie

First of all, a huge shoutout to L, my wonderful and supportive husband, who took me out looking for the movie on several occasions. The first stop at the used video store resulted in no success. Then we went to go to our usual rental place, which has closed! We found their second location and drove over there the next day, only to find that they only had the newer Trek films. Then a stop at Best Buy resulted in successfully locating it. But, they didn’t have the fifth movie, which is the only other one missing from our collection. But, I’ve got until March to track it down (and will possibly order it from Amazon). Don’t worry about L, he’s a Trek fan too. And, I bought him Chinese food and popcorn as a thank you treat.

My Reflection the Movie (Spoiler Free)

One of the things that I think has helped Trek span the ages is that it always reflects the society that helped create it. If you’re a fan of 70’s era films, particularly sci-fi, this one will probably not disappoint as it has a lot of those elements in it.

Partly because of the era and partly because it was a return to Star Trek after quite a break, there are a lot of scenes showing off the new shiny ship. In terms of ship technology, the movies do appear to really bridge the gap between the original Trek and the Next Generation.

The movie is different from the later movies, in that, it’s quite light on the action side. Definitely more philosophical than action packed. Not to say that they didn’t have their fair share of 70’s grade special effects, because they definitely threw those in.

It goes into the basic questions of existence. What is it all really about? Why am I here?

I enjoyed the bit of Vulcan mysticism they showed, but I’m a sucker for cultural explorations and sociology. I would have enjoyed even further exploration into this kind of thing.

I’m not a huge fan of movies from the 1970’s (much to the disappointment of my husband, the 70’s dystopia fan). However, I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would. I have seen it before, but I remember it being more boring than I thought it was this time. Plus, the DVD I got has some commentary features that I might actually take a look at. Generally speaking I’m not one to watch a movie with the commentary on, but I might make an exception to watch it with Michael Okuda’s text commentary. You read that right – TEXT commentary. I’m intrigued to say the least. We’ll see what happens though. I’ve got a lot of movies to watch and not a lot of time to watch them in.

Race Intro: The Deltans (actually, they may be introduced in the Original Series because everyone seemed to know all about them and their Oath of Celibacy and why that’s important)

Fun stuff from the film:

Isaac Asimov was a special science consultant. There is definitely a connection between the author and some aspects of the film!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Myspace Happy New Year Graphics

Hope everyone is enjoying a safe and wonderful start to 2009!

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Lonely Among Us

2008-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

This episode is really all about trying to cross boundaries and reach understandings with different beings. In this case, they are dealing with different species, but the analogy can carry over to any differences you like. You’ve got the background conflict that is demonstrated with the very visibly different races, which are also there just to show the abilities of the costume and makeup special effects.

What was more compelling for me is that it introduced a link between Star Trek and the world of literature that would come up several times throughout TNG. Here, they are trying to solve a mystery and the notion of a private investigator is brought up leading Data to discover the world of Sherlock Holmes. I realized as I was watching that TOS, TNG, and DSN all had their literary links that were often quite popular episodes. I love the idea of people looking to the world of fiction for answers to their real life problems. I think that fiction has a lot of potential to enrich our lives and shed light onto things and I’m always glad when I can see that notion reinforced in TV.

Cool Gadget: The only real technological highlight was the use of the transporter.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Where No One Has Gone Before

2008-12-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

This episode is really packed with a lot of inspirational ideals that sum up a huge reason of why I love Star Trek so much. This episode deals with the potential of humankind to do wonderful and awesome things. It sends the message that the future and the power of human thought is really limitless.

When they are flung to the far reaches of the galaxy they find a place where thoughts really do become reality. But, as The Traveler points out to them, we really do have the power to shape reality with our thoughts. Our thoughts are the basis for reality and we do create our own realities with the power of our thoughts. “Space and time and thought are not the separate things we think.” Quote from Wesley Crusher.

The other great thing that is brought up in this episode is the spirit of curiosity and exploration. Not only is The Traveler on a journey across galaxies because he is curious about humankind and wants to explore their race and learn about them, but when the crew discovers how lost they are, it is suggested that this is also a wonderful opportunity to explore and see what no other Federation crew has seen before.

Fun stuff from this episode:

It is demonstrated that science, when sufficiently advances, is indecipherable from magic
We get to hear a sort of prophecy about Wesley Crusher’s future potential. His character arc is eventually brought back to this early prophecy.
Wesley is made an acting Ensign and becomes part of the crew.
Co-written by Diane Duane, who has written several Star Trek books along with a Wizard series that I read and loved when I was young.

Cool Science:

Warp propulsion
Phasing

Race Intro: The Traveler

My Life List v 2.0

2008-12-29T16:43:00.001-08:00

I’ve used a list like this one to inspire and motivate me since I was in high school. Fairly simple concept – list the things you’d like to have accomplished before you die. Here is my latest version, complete with categories. Any comments or discussion is welcome :)

Adventuring Wench

Speak French
Speak German
Speak and read Japanese
Learn sign language
Learn to snowboard
Learn to snowshoe
Learn to cross-country ski
Learn to serve volleyball overhand
Skip stones
Go sky diving
Go scuba diving in the ocean
Go kayaking
Go white water rafting
Travel by dog sled
Travel by sailboat
Ride in a hot air balloon
Ride an elephant
Ride a camel
Visit Greece
Visit Germany
Visit Turkey
Visit Portugal
~~Visit Japan~~ (May 5-24, 2008)
Visit Hawaii
Visit Prague
~~Visit Hiroshima~~ (May 7 & 8, 2008)
Visit the Pyramids of Egypt
Visit PEI – filming locations for Anne of Green Gables
Visit L'Anse Aux Meadows
Visit Niagara Falls
Visit the Rocky Mountains
Visit the Grand Canyon (with my husband)
Visit Stonehenge
Visit the MacLachlan Castle
Visit historic battle sights, Viking settlements, religious ruins, and Scotch breweries in the UK
Kiss the Blarney Stone
Walk the Great Wall of China
Visit the Statue of Liberty in NYC
Attend a Broadway show in NYC
Go on a cruise (with my husband)
Go on a winery tour
Go whale watching
See the Northern Lights

Awesome Evil Genius

Write down the family stories that I remember
Write my last will and testament
Write books
Publish books
Own a telescope
Own a heavy bag
Own good binoculars
Own a be proficient with professional camera equipment (video & still)
Own a canoe
Beat Lance at a video game
Read Dante's The Inferno
Read Joyce's Ulysses
Read Sun Tzu's The Art of War
Live to be 100 years old

Pinups & Pearls

Learn to give really great massages and give them
Learn to ballroom dance
Learn to belly dance (lessons September – November 2008)
Learn to Tap Dance
Learn to Pole Dance
Pierce my navel
Get a nude portrait done
Grow flowers without killing them
Grow/keep a bonsai tree
Learn to appreciate and describe wine
Take drawing lessons
Practice Japanese calligraphy
Take an art class
Attend an opera
Write haiku poetry
Memorize and recite my favourite poems
Study Western Astrology
Research Vedic Astrology
Be part of a book club
Be part of a movie/film club
Volunteer in a soup kitchen/homeless shelter
Learn to make amigurumi
Make a kite that flies well
Sew my own clothing and costumes
Learn to cook perogies the way my mother does

Zombie Survival Skills

Carve my body into a state of fabulous
Be financially independent
Be a millionaire
Remember better
Learn to drive a motorcycle
Learn to ride a horse
Learn to safely administer first aid and CPR
Make my own wine
Make my own mead/beer
Fix household problems
Know how to use power tools
Learn how to start a fire without matches/lighters
Learn to chop wood
Learn to tie knots well
Learn to identify the major constellations in our area
Learn to identify the major types of plants in our area
Know how to safely and accurately operate a firearm
Know how to safely and accurately operate a bow and arrow
Learn swordsmanship
Learn to accurately and safely throw knives
Learn to accurately and safely throw axes
Learn martial arts (boxing 2005-2006; kick boxing 2007-2008; . . .)

(Revised December 29, 2008)

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Last Outpost

2008-12-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

I watched this while working on revising my Life List and it reminded me that I wanted to add Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to my reading list. This episode deals mainly with the philosophies that lay the foundation for the Federation. The ideas it touches on are pretty basic and can be summed up fairly simply:

discretion is the better part of valour
trust is the foundation for relationships
fear is the only enemy
live & let live

Some fun stuff from this episode . . .

This is the first time that Riker impresses a seemingly omnipotent being with his high ideals and philosophy, but it won’t be the last!
Armin Shimerman (who later plays Quark) is a guest star as one of the three Ferengi who beam down to the planet.

Race Intro: The Ferengi

I’m so glad that the Ferengi get more developed in later episodes and that Deep Space Nine takes some time to let their race develop more fully. The foundation is laid here for a very cut-throat capitalist society with extremely good hearing.

Cool Gadget: The Ferengi energy whip weapon

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – Code of Honor

2008-12-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

I’m certain that this episode is one of those hot button ones that could be hotly debated for how it treats issues of culture. The alien race they are negotiating with is quite stereotyped and they happened to use all black actors and compare them to some of Earth’s Ancient Asian races. Hmmm, not going to touch that with a 10-foot pole.

When these fictional races appear in Star Trek for just one episode, they are usually used as a foil for humanity, to highlight how we transcend above more backward or barbaric traditions. In this episode they are highlighting gender equality (just in case you don’t catch any of the male extras that they put in mini-dress uniforms) and the ideals of a meritocracy. They also bring up a few others in passing, once again highlighting that humanity is continually drawn to self-improvement along with an affection for imperfections.

A couple of other things also stood out for me in this episode. The Prime Directive is one of the things that comes up again and again in this series and this episode shows one of the less dramatic attempts at applying it. Even though they could simply impose their own will and values on the culture, the crew of the Enterprise does everything that they can to accommodate the culture that they are meeting. They show that restraint and responsible use of power are more important than simply finding the easiest way to get what they want.

We also get to see the very beginning’s of Data’s exploration of humour.

Cool Gadgets: Not much in this episode except for Geordie’s cool razor.

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 – The Naked Now

2008-12-27T09:30:00.000-08:00