A different kind of Christmas

I think you should all be empowered by this new video, which has become my favourite clip on the cost of materialism. I think it says very simply what we all know about the price of a consumerist society, and what we can simply do to have a better life and community now.

It was posted by Christine Sine on her blog with a lot of other cool tips and resources on how to do Christmas differently. I highly recommend checking it out. Merry Christmas.

Cars Go Fast

Life isn’t fast all the time, that’s just perception. Maybe we should relax a bit and try lose momentum. I think it’s in times like that that we’re best able to see where the car is going, who we’re going with, and what we have to do to get there; if we want to truly get ‘there’ at all. Funny that the thing that slows us down can be going too fast. This was fun to draw.

What to do…

I spent some time on this week’s comic. It’s supposed to be encouraging really. See, it’s about the ingenuity and achievement of people, who do amazing things, but are stumped when it comes to solving problems. We can use our creativity and smarts to solve the worlds issues, we just have to fight the fear and want it. i think that’s where faith comes in, at least for me, and where hope for something better is so important.

Carpe Diem

I made this image in paint when I was a teenager, and I’ve decided to use it (in its incorrectly-spelled glory) here. The intent is “never let an opportunity go by”. What kind of opportunity? Well, I guess the opportunity to push a friend in a hole.
Chances are you’ll enjoy it, and they’ll enjoy it, and everyone will laugh about it later. Just choose your friends and the holes you choose to stand next to wisely.

Augusta 26/2/11

Here’s some sketches I made while in Augusta recently. I coloured them as well. I like the colours, but I’m not sure it was exactly like that. Thanks for reading. Theo

Animal Magnetism - Strengths based failure…

This week I was thinking about the direction of my career and thinking about my strengths. Jess, my wife, was helping me and writing down the list. Some of my strengths, animal magnetism for example, made the list easily. As I recalled them, however, Jess suggested that a few of my strengths were not actually very helpful to my career. Like always being right. I’m very good at that; people think I’m right all the time even when I’m not. And even when people think I’m wrong, I’m usually sure I’m right. Being defensive was another, it’s like an art form for me, which helps in the ‘always being right’ department.

So then I thought not all of my talents are good ones. I don’t really want my greatest skills to be the ones that tare down my relationships. I could be the all powerful defence man! but I’m sure I’d be a super villain if I was. And I have plenty of strengths that could contribute to society, using my power for good instead of evil. I guess I just have to put as much energy into them as I do into being hard to live with and contributing to myself. Peace to all of you!

Pictionary

I had some friends over and we played a little digital Pictionary. This involves a graphics tablet and a dictionary. Here are some excerpts that came out during the night, see if you can guess what they are! I’ll post the answers in a bit!

Check out Kaleb’s awesome blog at http://myexcuseforfailinguni.blogspot.com/

Boxing

Bono feels like he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for. I think a lot of us can relate; a feeling like we’re not quite there yet, or there’s something more, a general dis-content. Maybe we are all coming short, or perhaps we’re just hoping for a brighter future. Either way we’d best know what we’re looking for, and then probably where to find it.

I don’t want to get stuck, I want to keep looking. I don’t want to avoid finding what I’m looking for. It may be hard to cope with, but I’d rather die in the right place than avoid it forever. Then I think we’;; have found what we’ve been looking for all along. Just a thought…

Waiting………….

Life isn’t a race, but why wait to get started. I’m often so scared that things won’t work out, but when I try things I’m always proud and excited. There’s still things I want to start, so maybe I should get them underway. If the right moment doesn’t come, I’ll have to do with the moment at hand.

What are you waiting for?

Distractions

These will pretty much take up my entire time…Still, sometimes it’s nice to be distracted.

But how do you tell the difference between your actual task and a distraction? I guess that’s why we have goals. A lot of people don’t really think about what their goals are, and so they never really achieve them even though they do all the things they think they’re supposed to do. If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you get there. Just a thought…

Butter Fly

My body, in moments of great emotional stress, can create such tangible discomfort. Like the discomfort you feel when you have to do something that is impossible (seemingly or otherwise). It’s a comfort to me to know that I’ve accomplished some of these impossible tasks, butterflies or not…

I haven’t posted anything since before Christmas so here’s my latest instalment. There’ll be more to look forward to from now on. Thanks for watching this space!

New and unusual pet

Sometimes life is an adventure that you should make the most of.

Sometimes It has dangers or distractions that you should avoid.

How do you decide which is which?

Its moments like these you need…

Strangely enough this is an experience I had today. And despite the huge amount of effort to get the couches through the eye of the needle, as soon as I was done I thought “that wasn’t so hard.” This is a crazy statement based on the transpired events of the afternoon.

I think the reason it seems plain now is because my biggest obstacle was actually not knowing if it was possible to get the couches (yes, plural) in the lounge room. Was all my work in vain? Were these couches to remain outside forever? 

I was once told that all couches are made to fit through standard doorways and, vice versa, all houses were built with moving couches in mind. This ensures that while it may seem impossible to do, there’s always a trick to twist said couch through said house. I’d like to say that the designers of the couch and house, in this instance, did a particularly poor job. After trying every possible trick, removing several doors and dismantling the couch, we finally got it in. But now it’s easy (ish), now all I have to do is reverse that pattern to get it out. And I know it’s possible, I know because I saw it.

Here’s the punch-line:I would like to live my life with the abandon of knowing that there is a way, even when no way is apparent. Having the faith that soon I’ll look back on my impossible problems and say, “see that wasn’t so hard”. Let’s God and us overcome our impossible obstacles together.

Are you in?

Positive Affirmation

I once had a friend comment on why they always complimented people. They said something like “its such an easy thing to do that cost absolutely nothing, why wouldn’t I just make people feel great?”

I think that’s an amazing piece of insight, especially when there’s so much negativity in our culture, not only in media images which feed our insecurity, but from our friends and family as well. I tend to compete and put people down without even thinking about it, I’m getting better at seeing the truly best in people.

You look great by the way.

All’s fair in love and war

 

This is a result of an ‘Ends justifies the means’ thinking. I’ve been reading some Lee Camp, and am reaffirmed in the need to teach more creative ways of achieving our goals and resolving conflict than violence.

From little things…

I literally kill everything I try to grow. I think I lack the emotional intelligence to grow plants. They’re all “Theo, we’re thirsty!” and I’m all, “Hey plants, you need some fertilizer!” and they go,”No Theo, we’re thirsty, we’re dying!” then I say, “Have some water!” and they say, “Yay! Water!” and I say, “More water!” And they’re all, “We’re drowning! Please stop…” and then they die.

Hazel is not like this:

She’s all “Theo, I’m thirsty!” and I’m all, “Hey Hazel, you need some fertilizer!” and she goes,”No Theo, I’m thirsty, I’m dying!” then I say, “Have some water!” and she says, “Yay! Water!” and I say, “More water!” And she’s all, “I’m drowning! Please stop…” and then Jess takes her off of me and says “What are you doing with this fertilizer inside?”.