Category: Hobbies

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Art Career

Happy 1st Anniv As a Full-Time Artist!

Today marks my 1st work anniversary!🥳

I thought being a full-time artist was all painting and fun and endless flow of creativity—but it’s not. Well yes, it’s sometimes that—but it’s also discipline when you’re not in the mood to create, not getting discouraged even when your relatives have no clue what you’re doing and why you chose to do this, consistency, self-compassion when you feel you’re not good enough and (the most hassle) filing your self-employment tax. But I know all that now and I accept all the complexities that go with it. It’s not at all easy and I’m trying to be patient.

Thank you to everyone who showed their support (whether through DMs or likes or actually hiring me for projects) especially to my husband who really believes that I can achieve whatever it is I want to achieve. It’s just my first year and I’m still trying to figure things out while continuously learning and improving. I gave up my full-time job and a formal art education believing that I can do this all on my own. And I still believe that. Maybe that’s the most important thing of all—believing that you can do it.

Sabi nga ni Emma Stone:

I’m a person who relies very heavily on intuition and feeling out the situation. So I’ve never really made a five-year plan or anything like that. If it’s right, it will fall into place and if not, I understand.

I’m following my own timeline.

AND I!! THANK YOU!!!

Categories
Books Insights Non-Fiction

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman | Book Report

READ THIS IF…

  • Curious ka kung bakit sikat ‘tong book na ‘to sa mga productivity gurus sa YouTube
  • You appreciate endless explanations detailing countless studies and experiments from decades of research by a Nobel Prize winner author

Sa personal reading journey ko, yung non-fiction book na pinaka nag-cause ng mental strain sakin ay yung book ni Neil Postman na Amusing Ourselves to Death. Pero grabe ‘tong book na ‘to. Sobrang dense. Hindi ko kinakaya. Ang daming studies, experiments, statistics at word problems. Grabe talaga.

Nevertheless, eto yung mga natutunan ko sa librong ‘to:

Continue reading “Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman | Book Report”
Categories
Books Insights Personal Development

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey | Book Report [Habit #1]

THE 7 HABITS

  1. Be proactive
  2. Begin with the end in mind (soon)
  3. Put first things first (soon)
  4. Think win-win (soon)
  5. Seek first to understand, then be understood (soon)
  6. Synergize (soon)
  7. Sharpen the saw (soon)

There’s no shortcut in self improvement. Most of the time we do things just because we know it’s the right thing to do or because we think that it’s the appropriate response (like saying sorry just to shut someone up). Hindi bukal sa loob kumbaga. Naalala ko tuloy yung isang tao na kilala ko na mukang religious pero may mga ginagawa syang mga bagay na hindi naaayon sa mga pinagsasabi nya. Sabi dito sa book, you can get by and make people believe that you are a good person; but sooner or later, what’s really inside you will eventually present itself.

Our level of development is fairly obvious with tennis or piano playing, where it is impossible to pretend. But it is not so obvious in the areas of character and emotional development. We can “pose” and “put on” for a stranger or an associate. We can pretend. And for a while we can get by with it—at least in public. We might even deceive ourselves. Yet I believe that most of us know the truth of what we really are inside; and I think many of those we live with and work with do as well.

Continue reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey | Book Report [Habit #1]”
Categories
Books Fiction

The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia | Book Review

READ THIS IF…

  • You think a family drama that revolves around two competing chicken restaurants is something you’d enjoy
  • You want to read about two sisters whose feud is deeper than serving the best fried chicken in town
  • You want something that’s a bit fun and sometimes heart warming (but eventually things will get out of hand)

Already convinced? Click to buy on Amazon.

SUPER QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY

Two rival chicken restaurants. Two sisters who hate each other. Amanda is team Chicken Frannie’s and Mae is team Chicken Mimi’s. The feud will escalate when they compete in the popular TV show, ‘Food Wars’.

Ingredients: spilled family secrets, deliberate sabotage, and a $100,000 cash prize for the Food Wars winner.

Aside from being a Reese’s Book Club pick, I got attracted to the beautiful, bright yellow book cover and the title. And so I read the blurb and I find the premise really interesting. I think this book could be an entertaining movie or tv show.

Continue reading “The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia | Book Review”
Categories
Books Insights Memoir Non-Fiction

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Book Review

READ THIS IF…

  • You feel like you’re the only person who haven’t read it and you’re curious
  • You want to read about a woman who travelled across Italy, India and Indonesia to eat, pray and love 😅
  • You want to read about a person who you may fall in love with or totally hate (or both, like me)

Already convinced? Click to buy on Amazon.

During the course of reading the book, I think I experienced equal parts of annoyance and admiration. There were a lot of comments about her being self-absorbed (and a ton other hateful adjectives) but in her defense, she didn’t travel the world to become a philanthropist (although did everyone forget about the fundraising she did?)

I think there’s nothing wrong with dedicating an entire year just for yourself if you’ve been through something that you feel is extremely painful. And whether people understand it or not (I know I didn’t), it’s none of their business.

Continue reading “Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Book Review”
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
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
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”