Author: Gleniz

Categories
Art Career

Validated Pero Magulo

Few days ago, nag-reply sakin yung art agent for children’s book illustrators kasi nag-submit ako ng portfolio ko. Although hindi successful, sobrang natuwa ako sa feedback nya kasi sobrang detailed. Super agree ako sa sinabi nya na feeling daw nya nag-eexplore pa ko ng style ko. Na hindi pa ganun ka-cohesive yung portfolio ko. Sobrang saya ko talaga nun. Pinuri nya din yung mga illustrations ko. Sobrang nagpasalamat talaga ko. Sabi nya:

I love your palette and many of your pieces – the image of the animals in a haystack, the old man sitting in a takeaway, and this image of a tree I saw on your instagram stood out. Also, your hand-lettering is wonderful, and that’s a skill which can come in handy especially for jacket illustrations. However, I get a sense that you are still exploring and haven’t yet found your personal style.

Nagandahan daw sya dito ❤️
Continue reading “Validated Pero Magulo”
Categories
Books Romance

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert | Book Review

READ THIS IF…

  • You’re in the mood to read an adult fiction with explicit sexual content
  • You’re into awkward dirty talks and cringey e-mail exchanges

QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY

This is a romance novel na may halong erotica. It’s about a rich girl (Chloe) na nagkaron ng near death experience so naisip nyang gumawa ng bucket list kasi feeling nya ang boring ng buhay nya. Sample nung items na nasa checklist nya ay ‘Go camping’, ‘Have meaningless sex’, and ‘Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage’. Enter this guy (Red, an artist) na tutulong sa kanyang ma-accomplish yung list nya.

Already convinced? Click to buy on Amazon.

📷: nerdybooknurse.com

Ang misleading ng book cover and blurb. Kala ko sweet and romantic yung story. Na may konting adventure kasi ang interesting nung list nya. Well, adventure nga naman kaso sexual adventure pala.

Continue reading “Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert | Book Review”
Categories
Insights Life

Selfish?

Naalala ko nung college tapos nagdi-discuss yung CI (clinical instructor) namin (si Ms. U) about procreation. Na isa daw yun sa mga purpose natin kung bakit tayo nandito sa mundo. Tumaas ako ng kamay para itanong, “What if I choose not to participate in procreation?” Ang sagot nya (with kasamang gigil), “Then you’re selfish.” Tumatak yun sakin at naniwala ako sa kanya. Pero hindi pa rin masyadong nagbago yung pananaw ko sa pagkakaron ng anak. Tinanggap ko na lang na baka nga selfish nga ako.

Pero ngayon naisip ko, parang selfish din kung mag-baby ako. Kasi personally, eto yung mga reasons bakit minsan napapaisip akong mag-baby:

  • Pag tumanda kami parang ang lungkot, wala kaming kasama (This is selfish, it’s not their job to ease our existential worries)
  • Walang magaalaga samin pag nagkasakit kami (Self-serving. Again, it’s not their job.)
  • Sayang naman kasi baka maipasa ko yung artistic genes ko sa kanya at yung pagkagaling sa Math ni Kenneth (Self-serving)
  • Curious ako sa magiging itsura nya (Self-serving)
  • Baka pagsisihan namin (Fear based. Self-serving.)

Siguro magbabago yung isip namin kung wala na ‘tong mga ‘to. Thankful din ako kasi on the same page kami ni Kenneth. Pero hindi pa naman sarado yung isip namin. Ayoko lang syang gawin for the wrong reasons or dahil lang sa social pressures.

Nakagawa na ko ng post about dito pero napaisip nanaman ako kasi may nag-trigger. May chismosang tita nanaman na nagbigay ng unsolicited advice. Na minsan kelangan kong isulat para ma-process ko ng maayos. I-block ko na lang sya pag nag-message ulit haha.

Categories
Books Insights Money Diaries Non-Fiction

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel | Book Report

READ THIS IF…

  • You want to find out how humility plays an important role in financial independence
  • You hope to have a healthy (-ier) relationship with money
  • You want some powerful insights if you’re looking to invest or already investing in the stock market

I discovered this book through a YouTuber. Interested ako sa money matters kasi ayaw namin na maging problema ang pera pag retired na kami. Gusto kong maging prepared sa mga pwedeng mangyari. When it comes to budgeting, lahat ng expenses namin up to the very last cent naka-track. Pero lumalagpas pa din kami sa budget. Dumating yung point na na-frustrate ako. Parang wala naman effect yung expense tracking ko. So mas lalo akong naging interested sa book na ‘to kasi parang kulang pa yung alam ko pagdating sa pag-manage ng pera.

Lahat naman tayo gusto na pag nag-retire tayo, sapat yung pera natin. Pero feeling ko kasi hindi pa ko sobrang knowledgeable para ma-achieve yung financial independence. Ang hirap nung gusto mo lang pero hindi mo naman inaalam kung pano. Kaya curious ako kung anong matuturo ng book na ‘to. And gusto ko rin yung title kasi hindi sya yung tipong, “How to be a Millionaire in 90 Days” (whut) or “How to be Filthy Rich”. Gusto ko yung The Psychology of Money.

To rephrase an old saying: everyone talks about retirement, but apparently very few do anything about it.

Continue reading “The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel | Book Report”
Categories
Life

Haysss.

Nakaka… disappoint? asar? tawa? na hanggang ngayon, lagi pa din akong tinatanong ng Mama ko at ibang kamaganak ko kung ano daw ginagawa ko. Akala daw nila nagaaral ako kahit ilang beses ko nang sinabi na HINDI NGA AKO TUMULOYYY. Nakakafrustrate na kahit nanay ko hindi alam. Tinanong daw kasi sya ng lola ko tapos hindi nya daw alam ang sasabihin. Kahit nasabi ko na sa kanila ng ilang beses at kahit madalas akong magshare sa social media ng ginagawa ko (at nagcocomment pa sila lagi na okay daw maganda daw), parang hindi talaga nila magets yung concept of freelancing. Or in denial pa din sila hanggang ngayon na hindi ko piniling maging nurse? Parang sarado ata yung isip nila na, “Kung nurse ka dapat nurse ka.” 9 years na po akong hindi nagpa-practice. Mag-give up na po kayo.

Nasa isip ko, ano bang problema nila sa pinili kong gawin? Dahil ba hindi nakakaproud sabihin na:

AMIGA: O nasa Canada pala yung anak mo. Anong trabaho?

MAMA: Nagd-drawing.

Kailangan ko bang makapasok sa Disney para maging proud sila na ang trabaho ko ay mag-drawing? Hayssss. Eh hindi naman kami nangungutang sa kanila, hindi kami nagugutom, nakakapagbigay naman kami sa kanila ng papasko, pabirthday etc., sobrang kuntento ko sa buhay namin dito pero ba’t parang sila yung hindi mapakali? Hayssss ulit.

Categories
Books Insights Non-Fiction Personal Development

Essentialism by Greg McKeown | Book Review

READ THIS IF…

  • If you’re a very busy leader or a person who’s really in demand
  • You want to learn to say “No.” without feeling guilty (but also, if you’re someone who won’t get fired if you say no to a task/meeting)
  • You want to value simplicity more (although I’m sure there’s a better book about simplicity out there somewhere)

Already convinced? Click to buy on Amazon.

Ang subtitle nya ay The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. I had high hopes dito sa book na ‘to. Kala ko more on about minimalism and simplicity sya. Well, tungkol naman sya dun pero akala ko holistic yung approach. Pero hindi pala.

📷: sloww.co
Continue reading “Essentialism by Greg McKeown | Book Review”
Categories
Art Books Life

Injury + Current Reads + Polar Bear and Almond

Sira ang plano ko ngayon. Kung kelan finally nagkaron ako ng motivation na mag-film ulit ng video para sa YT channel ko—balak ko sana gumawa ng isa pang ‘Draw with Me’ video kasi nasa mood din ulit akong mag-drawing—pero sumasakit nanaman yung braso at kamay ko. Nagse-self diagnose ako pero feeling ko repetitive strain injury pero sana naman wag carpal tunnel. Nakakaasar ilang beses na ‘tong paulit ulit. Parang kelangan kong maghinay-hinay sa mga hobbies ko.

Pansin ko kasi sumasakit pag medyo matagal akong nagd-drawing or after ko mag-piano. Hays miss ko na mag-piano ulit pero natatakot ako na baka sumakit nanaman katulad nung dati. Nakakainis talaga. Pero kelangan kong ipahinga ‘to at baka lalo pang lumala. Pero eto yung nasimulan ko kasi balak ko gumawa ng new sticker sheet para sa aking online shop.

Vintage pottery
Continue reading “Injury + Current Reads + Polar Bear and Almond”
Categories
Books Classic Mystery

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson | Book Review

READ THIS IF…

  • You’re in the mood to read something strange and different
  • You want to read about disturbing and misanthropic characters, but still very likeable
  • You want something haunting and charming at the same time

QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY

It’s a story about two sisters, Merricat and Constance, living in a “castle” without adult supervision because everyone in their family is dead (hindi counted si Uncle Julian kasi may sakit sya and si Constance yung nagaalaga sa kanya). They are super anti-social and hate sila ng mga townspeople for being unusual and rich.

Continue reading “We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson | Book Review”
Categories
Calm Life

Internal Monologue #1 | Why?

Q: What is my why?

A: To live comfortably but simple, while having enough time and resources to travel and do my hobbies (reading, playing the piano, learning languages).

Q: But this is what I’m already doing now (except for the traveling).

A: So my goal is to maintain this lifestyle? Maybe I should add another layer to my purpose.

Q: Okay. I want to sustain and nourish my relationships with people I care about and help the world become a better place. What do I have to do now?

A: So put more effort in connecting with people and hustle more to earn extra income to help the world.

Challenges:

  • Not recognizing that I’m already living 70-80% of the life that I desire because I’m not used to this kind of feeling — the feeling of satisfaction. I didn’t expect that this would come early in my life.
  • Aways attaching monetary value to my hobbies which makes me feel pressured. It strips the enjoyment that comes from that hobby. Sometimes, a hobby is just a hobby.
  • Taking for granted the amount of time that I have. Or maybe I’m already making use of my time in the best way possible and I just fail to recognize it because my work is unconventional. This is a reminder to go easy on yourself because of your health condition.

Advice:

  • It’s alright to do a variety things. It sparks creativity. Just give more focus to the one thing that is the most purposeful.
  • You don’t have to have a label.
Categories
Books Insights Non-Fiction Personal Development

Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks | Book Report

READ THIS IF…

  • You want to learn how to craft and tell better stories
  • You want to read a super entertaining book filled with the author’s own stories
  • You want to know how storytelling can be a superpower

Naka-discover nanaman ako ng hidden gem sa book na ‘to. Lately, madami akong pinapanood na YouTubers na ang niche is self improvement. So na-recommend ‘tong book na ‘to. Ang subtitle nya is Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling. Lately ulit, mas trip kong magbasa ng mga non-fiction books. Halos hindi ako makausad sa mga binabasa kong fiction.

Continue reading “Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks | Book Report”