“We, all who live, have A life that is lived And another life that is thought, And the only life we have It’s the one that is divided In right or wrong.” ― Fernando Pessoa
The closer life brings me to the exact place(s) of wisdom, it becomes clear that all my interests have run a bit amuck. What that means is that I’ve got blogs, accounts, and what-have-you, that are laying forlorn in the wires. Other the past few weeks I’ve been trying to find all those loose ends, weave them into a tapestry of where I am now, and give them a place to rest.
But it’s not been easy.
Sharing that much of myself, especially what is in my heart, is just part of what makes me who I am. However, as life moves along, I can see the benefits of just throwing all the ingredients of my life into one mixed media creative piece. It’s kind like something that I shared with Mr. The Mister – “Just because new ideas come into my head, there is no reason to make a new place for them to live.” There is also a part of me that has been conditioned to believe that artists have to pick a niche to stick with forever. That’s a great formula, and it works for so many people — just not for me.
What inspired today’s blog title, is the fact that I logged into the wrong site earlier this week. While I truly feel that there are no “accidents,” the timing was interesting, and it helped me see that maybe, just maybe, having too many outlets is not exactly a good way to share my work/life/etc. While I do love a good ramble, and enjoy being able to walk around in different places with ease, it is time to bring the “multitudes” home. Along with that, it is time to stop diversifying myself to please others.
As per usual, there are some more thoughts on all of this running around my system, but I’ve got some work to finish up today. Next time I post, it will be in the correct place — and I will be a little less “scattered.”
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”
― Gabriel García Márquez
“Pretty soon you’re gonna get a little older Time may change me But I can’t trace time I said that time may change me But I can’t trace time” – David Bowie
Hello friends and dear readers – I hope all is going well in your part of the world! How is your year going so far? Are you feeling a bit nervous about going back out in the world as things open back up? Do you have a good support system in place in case things get wonky for you? Know that I’m sending you buckets of good energy, hugs, and support!
Not much has happened since my last post, so there’s not much to update. I’ve been working some long hours to get everything ready to share all my creative goodies. Nothing is exactly where I’d hoped it would be, but that’s not stopping me from moving forward. Also, during that time I learned a lot about what my limitations are, and what is easily done in a day without sacrificing my personal time.
With that, I’m gonna hop off for the day to work on some projects. Thanks to all y’all for being here. Looking forward to sharing all the new stuff, and seeing how y’all like it.
Big hugs! ~ KimboBurly
Today’s Music: David Bowie Current Mood: Awake On My Desk: So many art supplies. LOL
”Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
– Albert Einstein
Hello, my name is Human.
How are you doing today, fellow Human? Is everything going okay – do you need a moment to collect your thoughts? Tell me about what’s going on in your life. Remember, it’s all a bit very tactile out in the world, and taking a hot minute to rest is okay.
Also, I love and support you with my whole being. Just know that as you read this, little beams of light are shining from my heart to yours. Dear every single person – you are a beautiful being, and I love you!
”You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”
– Nietzsche
Yesterday I started two projects to boost my creative serotonin. The first is Daisy Yellow’s, Index Card A Day , and the other is a delayed start with the 100 Days Project. Because I can’t just do one thing at a time – thanks to the lovely squirrels that live inside my cranium – these two processes will more than likely blend into one mish-mash of happy daily creating.
Also, I’ve started the “countdown to 50” timer on my Instagram. Yesterday it was 49 days to 50, so I made some art (see below), and today is 48 — which means I’m itching to finish this post and go work on my title page for ICAD.
May your day be full of things that make a day not be so sucky. Sending lots of support and hugs your way! – Kimboburly
Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way to get through it. Face it.” – Conrad Joseph
Sometimes the Universe decides to give you a gift that you didn’t know you needed. It can be an ending, that feels heartbreaking, but was actually way overdue. It may be a brief moment of space/time that opens up a new beginning. And, sometimes, it looks like crying a river of tears – salty drops of awakening that wash over your soul in an deeply healing way. Or, it could just be a Thursday that was between a Full Moon and the beginning of Mercury Retrograde. However it happens, or the actions behind it, sometimes Life really does have your back.
Understand that I fully know that there is a modicum of entitlement in the above paragraph – as millions of people do not have an opportunity to reflect on their survival because they are still in the midst of extreme chaos and sadness. Whether it be a war torn area, poverty, dealing with mental/physical wellness issues, or a situation that is harmful — not every human has the chance to find serenity. Because of this, those of us who have the ability to help, in whatever capacity that may be, should work to ease the suffering of others.
”When people show you who they are, believe them.”
– Maya Angelou
Like many others, the past year of COVID times has been, well, interesting. I’ve come to see myself in a much different light, and have learned what is helpful to me as I begin to understand my place in the Cosmos. While I would have much preferred to gather these lessons in a different way, we don’t always get to chose the events that happen in our life. In this same thought process, we cannot control the actions of others, and should understand that their actions, or reactions, are not our responsibility. One of the things I witnessed in the past year was the monitoring and judgement of choices people made. Honestly, I jumped in that boat for a bit, too, and have worked to make amends where needed. What I learned in those experiences was that compassion, along with understanding, is more important than being “right.” And while I many not have liked what was going on around me, there are much better ways – for me – to stay true to my beliefs without causing discomfort to another.
In 2019 I made several goals that I wanted to achieve by my 50th birthday this Summer. For some of them I required a little bit of assistance, and did the work to find folx who had the expertise to help me. Sadly, not all of the relationships worked out as I hoped, but thankfully the lessons learned were exactly what was needed. Each one made me stronger, reminded me to trust my intuition, and to honor my boundaries. Even when the interactions left me scratching my head, wondering how it got to that point, I would happily go through them again. Why? Well, because each one taught me a valuable lesson, that will not easily be forgotten, and that means I will (hopefully) be able to move to the next stage(s) of my life. An interesting twist to all of this is that what I wanted to achieve happened – with a few curve balls thrown in to keep things lively – and my goals are very close to being met.
The first goal was to learn more about personal sovereignty and boundaries. Lemme tell you, the Universe did not shy away from giving me plenty of lessons on these. LOL As I joke with Mr. The Mister, there is now a 3-tier system of coming to hang out in my space. There is the expanse, which is kind of the outlying areas of my place in space. It’s a nice venue for hanging out, and it gives others access to me, but in a safe way for all involved. The next level is the gardens. This is kind of a “purgatory,” where visitors can walk amongst beautiful trees and flowers, but only chat with me over the hedge surrounding the next space. Finally, there is the castle – the amazing fortress of my body/mind/spirit – which holds the sacred parts of Self. It’s a wonderful system that works, allowing others to honor their boundaries as well. However, if a threat is perceived, colorful unicorns will escort the offending energy into the hinterlands, and no further access will be granted.
The second goal was to figure out what I don’t want to do in life. Yes, that sounds counter-intuitive, but it worked for me. With the ability to explore many avenues, what was/is truly speaking to me soul became clearer. For example, in 2020 I realized that working in the wellness industry – in any capacity – is absolutely 100% not my thing. I did give it the old college try, however, and stuck with it for 20 some odd years. It was rewarding, and helped support my family…but it’s just not for me. To others I most surely appeared to be wish-washy, as I went through like a 5 year stint of “Oh, this is what I want to do,” only to say some time later, “Oh, no, uh, I mean — not this. Sorry.” Thankfully, after all that wandering, things came to rest fully in the Land of Creativity. There is a lot of gratitude in my soul for the ability to make a lot of mistakes so I could get to the right answer for me.
The third, and last, goal was to find my inner strength. This one has been tough – like super tough, fraught with more existential crisis events than anyone could dream of – but I made it through. At this point you could queue up Elton John’s song, I’m Still Standing, and it would be the best theme song ever for what was experienced. Gratefully, nothing was too harsh, so any wounds that came about were easily healed.
”Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
– Seneca
So as I stand on the precipice of New Beginnings, there is a little extra wisdom in my human toolkit. While I most surely have more to learn, and I understand that new challenges will arise, anything that comes my way can be handled with graceful awareness. All broken areas have been filled with gold, creating a strong vessel of hope, possibility, and beauty. It’s gonna be alright, and if it isn’t…the skills to face any challenge are available when I need them. As the saying goes, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood,” and that’s exactly how I will embrace the remaining years of my life.
If you need a space to share your truth, please feel free to do so in the comments. Know that I see you, hear you, and honor your path in life. Also, please remember that as humans we are not called to always be in agreement, but we do have the ability to communicate with compassion.
Sending all y’all tons of love and good energy, KimboBurly
”Nonconformity is the basic pre-condition of art, as it is the pre-condition of good thinking and therefore of growth and greatness in a people. The degree of nonconformity present — and tolerated — in a society must be looked upon as a symptom of its state of health.” – Ben Shahn
Hello, loves! Or, as I like to say in my childhood vernacular, “Hey there, all y’all!” How are things in your part of the world? What’s going on in your life? Are you getting enough sleep? Remember, the entire globe is going through change. While life is always in movement/flux, the past year has been quite difficult for many. Please reach out if you need a listening ear. ❤
Lately I’ve noticed a trend on social media that makes me a little sad. In the sea of “be yourself,” and “authentic vibes only,” it concerns me that people will say, “Oh, that might be the real you, but it’s not how other ‘real’ people are.”
Huh?
So the Greek Chorus of the Internet wants you to be true to yourself, but only in the way they want you to be. Uh, no thank you. It’s taken me one red hot minute to let my wings unfurl, fully, in front of others. Sure, I’ve tried the route of the non-conforming conformist, but it just left me feeling kinda weirdly – well – inauthentic. Now I’m not talking “cancel culture,” or things of that nature, but more like this aggressive propaganda to be just like everyone else. For example, self care doesn’t always look like a huge claw foot tub, with a sandalwood board holding up your wine glass and streaming device. It could look like screaming into the void, or dancing in the middle of a public park. Whatever it may be for you, that’s your path, and it’s nobody’s business to tell you what is right, or wrong.
Of course there are more thoughts rolling around about this, but I think it is best to just stop here. As y’all know, I do have a tendency toward verbal walkabouts. 🙂 Instead, let me invite you to love yourself as you are, and to tell you that where you are in life is okay – and you are perfect just as you are. Take the time to bloom and grow as it works for you. Learning from others, and being inspired by what they do, is a wonderful way to gather resources for your path — just remember that your walk is your own. And, know that I see you, hear you, and validate your place in the Cosmos.
Hello loves – I hope all is going well for you this day. The world is still a bit overwhelming, and it’s okay to not feel “okay.” Just know that if you are feeling overwhelmed, that it’s important to let someone know you are struggling.
As I dip my toes back into the waters of professional art, the amount of “let us help you promote our work” ads have increased 20 fold. That’s not an exaggeration – literally any time I log on to post updates/photos/etc., I have to wad through content creation folx showing me a highly produced 30 second “promotion” on getting millions of followers. If you happen to click the link, you know – just because their might be some good ideas there – you are literally perfume counter spritzed with jargon. From someone that spent part of their college education in journalism, ft. business management/advertising, I can see the writing on the wall. However, I’ve no idea what the words say, or if the wall even exists. It’s super weird to me, and I’m not sure how a camera lens, painting, or vintage paper would benefit from using hashtags such as: selfcare, authentic, cottagecore, hashtag (yes, this is an actual method of getting people to look at your context on social media), bestlife, spiritualaf.
Before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk algorithms and shadow bans. No one is immune from these, and as much as none of us like them, complaining about them into the vacuum of the digital space time continuum won’t do much for you. Well, I mean it will make those who have turned on notifications see your post, comment, and maybe even share it with the words, “[insert social media platform, but usually Facebook] has done it again – my friend’s account is being taken out of the algorithms, so can you go to their account and show them some love?” In simple terms, you are the product of social media. Not trying to be a bummer, but it’s the truth. If Advertisers are looking to gather revenue, they ask to be placed in the timeline of folx that use a specific hashtag. How do I know this — well, I’ve placed ads on social media sites before. You can literally have your content pop up with specific hashtags. While I’m not a full expert on these things, what I do know is this – if your hashtags aren’t bringing in revenue through ads with those same hashtags, your content appears to be hidden.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty. Social media sites are free for a reason. I’m not going down conspiracy rabbit holes, but stating business facts. In short they are bigger versions of, “Hey, give me some of your free product, and I’ll promote you because I’m an influencer.” Just in case you missed it above, you are 100% the product on Social Media. Along with that, corporations and large businesses don’t have to pay research firms anymore – they just log on to their professional page and let the stats give them the data that the need. Then, they decided how much to spend on ads, work on some copy, and send it over to the bots for approval. From there, as you are looking at fuzzy cats, or wholesome memes, and an ad for rainbow cookies pops up with a “Love is Love” banner. For whatever reason you decide to click it, that makes no difference. Somewhere in technology land, your view registered somewhere.
Same as it ever was…
Now that I know this, and have really done some deep dives in researching the new face of marketing, I am no longer doing my work to please the Hashtag Deities. Honestly, I don’t think I ever was, but it feels good to declare it out loud on my blog, which is like social media lite, to all y’all.
So let’s get down to some fun stuff, shall we? Currently I’m working on about 10 projects at once. Only 10, you say – well, that’s down from 20, so I still have my distracted creative human credentials. Plus…y’all know that I’ll most likely pick up another 30 as the weekend goes along. I totally have serious “I can make that”-itis, and have dealt with it my whole life. Pretty sure my first words as a baby were, “Bet I can create something like that.”
Another brain wrinkle is whether or not I want to list items for sale on Etsy. Great Maude, it’s just easy there, and the traffic is much greater than other “sell your own things” sites. But in the same breath, it’s not very creative-types friendly. Also, you can post an original digital image/file, add all the proper watermarks, etc., then see the very same thing being listed from another seller. How did this happen you say – well, they copy/paste your image, remove all traces of you, put it into a program that will copy the image, make a few edits, and VOILA! they have free content to sell. Quite a few artist friends of mine have had that happen, and the powers that be don’t really do much about it. So…that’s why I’m mega on the fence about using Etsy. There is always the option of selling directly from my site, but – phew – y’all, I can only take this one woman show so far without rolling totally off the rails. 🙂
As much as I’d like to just sit here and ramble, the cats are peeking over my monitor, and the the dog keeps looking outside. Gonna hop off for today to put my feet on the ground, bow to the Sun, then clean my paintbrushes.
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. – Rumi
Hello, hello! How in the heck have you been? Are you doing okay during these COVID Times? Are you getting enough rest? This past year has been tough for many, and it’s okay to not be okay right now.
Right now it’s about 6 a.m. (EST), and I’m enjoying a hot cup of coffee as I ponder the events that have transpired since my last post. Of course I want to share it with all y’all, mostly because I think it is important that we share our stories with each other. However, I’m not sure how to condense it all down into an insightful post that will accurately explain where my life is right now. Heck, I’ve already hit the backspace key about eleventy billion times, as whatever comes from my fingers doesn’t really describe my experiences.
If hard pressed, I could kinda sum it up like this: I lost my “mojo,” found it hanging out in the strangest places, then spent a long time navel gazing. Like, y’all, things take as long as they take, but I was starting to wonder if the Universe decided to hand me every life lesson all at once. Nothing was “all bad,” nor was it a time of chaos. Truthfully, it was the most quiet my wee family and I have had since like, 2012. It was like every thought I’d put off decided to pay a visit like Marley’s ghosts in A Christmas Carol. None of them appeared to teach me a valuable lesson about being kind to my fellow sentient beings, but more like, “Remember when that happened, and you did that one thing,” or “This is how that idea would have worked if you had followed through.” It was a nice retrospective into the daily machinations of my over thinking noggin.
There were outside sources of mojo loss, too. At the end of last year my identity was stolen, and it’s taking quite a bit of time to get that straightened out. Talk about gathering a fierce inventory of everything you’ve done, everywhere you’ve been, and who the person that stole your information wants you to be. Doing that has been a TOTAL mind melt. All the representative and legal folx I’ve talked to will say, “That must be so intrusive and scary, to have that level of vulnerability because of this.” My reply usually goes something like this: “Well, it’s nice to see who I am not, so that I can understand who I am.”
As per always, I have also been dealing with the Corporate Western Medical Institution. Sadly it is in need of some serious work, and it will take a lot of dedicated people to fix it…that is, if it can even be repaired. The best thing might be to just toss it, then start over again. Profits should never, not ever, be put above people. It would be easy to lay the blame on a single entity, but the truth is that there’s this wacky trinity of medical, pharmaceutical, and insurance shenanigans that make getting good care difficult for those who make less that 7 million dollars a year.
Coming in fast after the above two paragraphs, is my relationship with Social Media. I’m not going to wax nostalgic on how I’ve been using the Internet since the time of dinosaurs – it’s a trope that’s been used far too many times by myself and others. What I will say is that I never imagined that such a wonderful tool would be used to foster division, spite, and FOMO. As we say for fun around these parts, “This isn’t your Dad’s Internet anymore, kiddies.” To remember that I am, in fact, a human, I took an extended time away from being online so much. Any time I felt the need to check my social media, I would write a USPS sent letter to a friend. If my mind was full of thoughts, I signed up for a swap of some kind, then spent time being creative.
So, that’s what I’ve been up to these days. It’s nothing spectacular, earthshaking, or influencer worthy – just a human person doing human person things.
“How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen, to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.”
― Haruki Murakami
Hello friends!
How is everyone doing? Hopefully your life is clicking right along, and all is well in your world. Sending love, hugs, and support your way!
One of the things I love most of all, but had to put on hold for a few years, is sending letters to folx. There is a certain kind of magic that happens when you put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and send snippets of your life through the mail.
This year I’m renewing my love of snail mail, and am once again (cue the Bernie memes) asking for your address if you would like some drops of sunshine in your mailbox.
The safest way to do this is through Postable. I’ve been using it since…gosh…almost forever, without any issues. Also, it is pretty much the standard place for those of us who love sending mail.
If you would like to add your address, please do so at the link below.
”I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I cant change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.” – Charles de Lint
Here we are again, back in the land of blogs, blogging, and bloggers. The past few years have been gloriously chaotic, peppered with a fair bit of “Oh, this again, eh?” Honestly, I’ve been lost for the last 10 years, and all I could do was frantically run, repeatedly, into the same dead ends. I mean, it’s good work if you can get it – you know, just constantly taping your feet to the floor and wondering why you can’t move forward.
This year is the big “five oh” (50, one half of a century, semi centennial, a quinquagenarian) for me. At some point I thought this would be the year when my book got published, my art show would make headlines, my groundbreaking research on using complementary wellness techniques for healing epigenetic health issues would be published, my supercilious discussions on the nature of religions would be de rigueur for college theology classes, and my squad would follow me everywhere.
My, my, my, my, my…
While cataloging old art pieces, I found a mini vision board full “goals” that are similar to the paragraph above. It seems that 30-year-old me had some issues with validation, being seen, and acceptance. What was missing were strategic plans that would actually help me walk through all the things my life had been up to that point: self compassion, slowing down, deep navel gazing – ad infinitum/ad nauseam. However, the Cosmos is constantly working to shower you with blessings, so it sent me a decade of never-ending reminders that – 1) getting recognized doesn’t make life easier and 2) clearly I had some shit to work on. And, oh, what fun it was to go through several soul-changing, life evaluating, consistency avoiding, and brain melting, iterations of My Self.
Okay, it wasn’t really, but as we’ve all learned recently, hindsight is 20/20.
And now, here I am in the baby steps of re/re-RE: re-inventing my path. More accurately, I took a very long walk away from everything — only to realize that what I needed was already right in front of me.
——-
So, fellow travelers, welcome to The Kimboburly Tales. There’s no real gist, thesis point, or “agenda” to this site – just a human being doing things that make for good stories around a campfire.
May the road rise up to greet you — or at least not trip you when you’re on a walkabout.
Kimboburly 