Category: life curation

life curation

My Top Three Goals For This Year

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I’m still buzzing from the excitement of welcoming in a brand new year of life, but I wanted to share some thoughts I had over the past few days.

It’s easy to talk about the “stuff” that I want, but I spent some time getting real with myself and asking, honestly, what do I REALLY want for myself in the year to come?

My list is brief, but it perfectly captures what I think will be the most powerful things that I can do to create a wonderful new year.

kindness

1) Be more kind and generous

I always strive to be kind but I want to make this my signature personality trait. That will involve me regularly taking a more empathetic stance and avoiding “hasty” reactions. I’ve been working on these things for a while but I can always stand to improve. As far as generosity goes, giving is one of my favorite things EVER! So I’m looking forward to giving even more in the year to come.

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2) Deepen my commitment to my writing

I’d like to write a lot more. I already work on my craft frequently, but what if I wrote daily? I’ve decided to commit to writing 1000 words per day. This won’t include blog entries, thought that would be a wonderful way for me to rack up my word count. No, these words have to be in the form of entries in books that I will (hopefully) one day publish. It doesn’t matter if the entries are great or nonsensical: the point is to get in the habit of doing it daily. I decided a day ago to do this, so I’m a little behind. I’m keeping count, however, and I’m aiming to catch up soon. Just for fun, I’ll put the count in the bar on the right side of the page, so you all can see my progress as I go along. The end goal is 365,000 words before August 1, 2019. I can do it!

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3) Incorporate more joy daily

Joy is always my daily goal, and I have made it a point to share a lot of my daily joys on this blog. But a bigger commitment to experiencing joy daily is a goal that I can really get behind! I’m open to however it comes – big, elaborate displays, small, interesting surprises, and everything in between – and I am looking forward to seeing how joy shows up in my life daily. Of course, I’m going to make sure that I’m a vibrational match for joy, so that it has no choice but to set up permanent residence in my life!

 

life curation

Operation Birthday Blowout Was A Success!

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I can say, with no doubt in my mind, that my birthday blowout was a success! I got to see Janet Jackson perform, I went to two museums I’ve never visited before, I spent time with friends, I made some new friends, AND I got to try some new restaurants while I was away.

Then, the day after I got home, I was a bridesmaid in a wedding and I went to a family reunion. It’s been a very busy past few days! I’ll admit, though, that I’m loving every minute of it. It’s been a while since I’ve had a whirlwind (long) weekend.

I’m still working on a few of my side projects related to this blog and life in general, so I’m going to keep this post short and save my energy. I’ll share a few photos that will be part of future posts in the next few days. Also, I’m still thinking of a special way to commemorate this blog’s 1 year anniversary . . . I have something in mind but I’m open to suggestions! Feel free to let me know how we should celebrate this first year of Bronze Butterfly!

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En route to the wedding

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Brunching in Raleigh

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Seeing my spiritual mother, Janet Jackson

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A visit to Nasher Museum

life curation

It’s International Friend Day

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friendship

I’m such a nerd for loving this, but I’m excited to celebrate International Friend Day! I saw some of my best friends last week while I was in Raleigh but I’ll be seeing a couple of my nearest and dearest friends later today, as I’m a member of my cousin’s wedding party. Yes, my cousin is getting married on a Sunday, which worked a lot better for most of our schedules (especially the bride and groom’s).

We often think about our friends when it comes to birthdays, holidays, weddings, funerals, and tough times. There will always be “occasional” friends, those friends that are there for highlights and low points but not much else in between. But the strongest bonds are formed while sharing the mundane and predictable. Our lives aren’t a series of consecutive peaks and valleys (and if that’s what you’re experiencing, you have my sympathy: that sound exhausting).

Those “everyday” friendships are so special, because these are the people that know us best and have shown that they want to be in our lives. But how many of us regularly put forth the effort to nurture these relationships?  After all, friends are the family that we’re choosing for ourselves: are we proactively maintaining those bonds? Every friendship doesn’t require constant maintenance, but we should be mindful of what it takes to remain actively involved in one another’s lives and supportive.

Maintenance can consist of many things, and it doesn’t have to feel like “work”. Perhaps that means that we send “just because” gifts, or offer to assist with a task before our friends ask for help, heap some praise on our friends to let them know how much they mean to us, etc. If you need ideas, check out The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Though it’s written with spouses in mind, we can use the principles for showing love to our friends in a love “language” that our friends recognize and appreciate.

We want our friends to know that they can count on us for encouragement, love and support. We want to make it clear to each other that we’re committed to caring for one another. This is what true friendship is all about.

That’s it for today, friends! I’ll chat with you all tomorrow, and don’t forget to spread some love on this International Friend Day!

life curation · travel

An Abbreviated Travel Itinerary

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Happy Thursday, beloveds! I’m enjoying my first full day in Raleigh, NC and, if all goes well, I’ll have a special treat for you all in the next few days. I thought I’d share with you all some of the basic things I consider when planning my travel. I hope it helps you to plan your perfect trip!

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Make a list, check it twice

  • Visit to at least one museum
  • Dine at one of the finest restaurants in the area
  • Dine at a “local favorite” (a restaurant most highly recommended by people living in town)
  • Spend time in a park, at a river or on a trail in the city I’m visiting
  • Shop at a local thrift store
  • View the local monuments and the downtown area
  • Visit a local bookstore

Whenever I plan a trip, I try to include as many of these things as possible. For me, these things comprise an ideal trip: shopping, dining, sightseeing, books, and some time in nature. Every now and then, I can incorporate two or more of these things in one outing (for instance, a visit to a park in the downtown area that’s located a block or two away from the “local favorite” restaurant).

One item that I didn’t list on this sample itinerary that I *hope* you all will include is REST. I can’t begin to describe how hard it is to do all of the fun stuff you’ve planned when you’re exhausted. So make sure that SLEEP is part of your plans, as well!

That’s it for my mini-itinerary. Enjoy your Friday, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

 

 

 

life curation

It’s My Birthday!!!

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My friends, I’ve completed another revolution around the sun! It feels so good to be happy, whole and inspired as I enter this new chapter of my life.

birthday

Feeling lucky!

I’m keeping this extra brief, as I’m currently en route to my mini-vacay out of town. I just want to take a moment to thank you all for spending so many days with me, reading my posts, commenting, sharing my posts, and giving all sort of positive vibrations. I’ve loved every minute of this journey, and I’m excited to enter this new year of my life with you all.

Take care, and talk to you all tomorrow!

life curation

More About My Finished Book . . .

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Happy Tuesday, friends! Today’s post is going to be a light one, because I’m preparing for my trip out of town and I’m taking care of a few open items that need my attention before I get away for a few days . . .

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Thankful that I don’t have to type on one of these beauties . . .

Anyhoo, I just wanted to give you updates on my finished book. I gave it to a few friends for feedback, and they’ve spoken. They love it! I’m so excited, because I need that vote of confidence before I move forward. I trust that they will tell me if there are any topics that need to be discussed further or if there were any incomplete thoughts or unclear ideas. They all confirmed that the book was complete, well-written and immediately actionable.

The SIGH of relief that I felt when I got their feedback was tremendous! I’m eager to get a little more feedback before publishing, but at this point, I’m really happy that it’s being well-received. Every bit of feedback brings me closer to making the book available to the public, so this has been a great experience.

life curation · travel

Planning My Birthday Getaway

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Happy Friday, friends! I’m just a few weeks away from my birthday and I’m in the middle of planning my birthday getaway. I’m so excited – it’s been a couple of months since I got away for a bit. This year, I’m going to Raleigh and I fully intend to have a grand experience: lots of great restaurants, sightseeing, and fun with friends.

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Time for another mini road trip!

It’s been a while since I’ve spent some days in Raleigh, so I’m looking forward to returning. I usually go to Charlotte when heading to North Carolina, so Raleigh will be a nice change of pace. My only regret is that I won’t be staying at one of my favorite hotels: sadly, they were booked solid when I tried to make a reservation. But at least I’ll be trying a hotel that I’ve never visited before, and (of course) I’ll review it for you all. I’ll also be reviewing the art museums, restaurants and other attractions that I visit.

I’m winding down after an insanely busy week, so I’m keeping this one brief. Anyhoo, I’m writing my review of last month’s book selection this weekend, so look out for that. Otherwise, enjoy your Friday, and I’ll talk to you all soon!

art · life curation

Why Technology Will Be a Game Changer for the Art World

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Hey everyone! As you all know, I try to keep my “finger” on the “pulse” of the art world, because it’s an arena that I find tremendously fascinating. You all also know (after reading my most recent goals post) that I intend to eventually transition into an art career. However, one main reason why I’m hesitant to fully leap into the art world is because I want to make sure that I have a lucrative position within the art world, not just a creative one. I figured that the intersection between art and technology would be a good place for me to start.

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It’s funny – I started the draft for this post several weeks ago, but, as with most of my writing, I find that there are other people who are on the same wavelength. As it turns out, Sotheby’s Institute of Art will be incorporate lectures around art and technology into its Masters Degree program.

In my opinion, we’re going to see a surge of technological advances used in unexpected ways. These advances will be critical to preserving cultural institutions and traditions, the liberal arts, and, of course, fine art. At the most obvious level, creativity will be needed to create technology that is both effective and desired. On a deeper level, the technology will be used in unprecedented ways, to preserve cultural heritage and create a new heritage of its own.

I’m revising my goals list to incorporate what I suspect will be the leading edge of the art world. I’ll continue to clarify my vision for my future art career, and I’ll share that vision in my next goals update post.

Thanks for reading my musings, friends! I’ll talk to you all tomorrow.

life curation

My Book is Done!!!

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I finally finished my first book!!! This is the how-to book that I’d been revising for some time, and there was just a little work left to be done on it. If you all recall in my most recent Goals Update post,  I had to complete the supplemental/resource material section of the how-to book, and then the text would be pretty much done. I had done the bulk of the work a while ago (as in, over three years ago) but I had been dragging my feet when it came to finishing it.

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However, a few weeks ago, a friend expressed interest in the book, and just a few days ago, a different friend brought up a topic that confirmed the need for this book. So, after getting those very CLEAR signs that it was time to finish, I spent a little time pounding out the last few pages, and then I whipped up a cover using some copyright-free images. I converted everything to PDF and sent it out for my friends to read.

Sure, this book still needs the critical eye of a professional editor, as well as some spectacular cover art that doesn’t involve my rudimentary photo editing skills. I want it to be GREAT before I offer it on this blog or anywhere else. But that’s neither here nor there, because the book is DONE. My book is DONE, DONE, DONE! I’m so excited that I’m ready to get to work on the next one!

culture · international · life curation

My Cultures and Identities Course is Completed!

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I finished my Cultures and Identities in Europe course a few days ago, and I’m excited to share what I learned with you all. I’ll discuss what I enjoyed about the platform, FutureLearn, then I’ll dive into the course specific details and my take on what was offered in this class.

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For starters, I’d never completed a course through FutureLearn before. I was familiar with the website but never did any of the classes, so this was a first for me. I was really impressed with the structure and content of the course that I completed. This was well-suited to online learners: an appropriate mix of video and written content that thoroughly cover the subject matter while keeping the students engaged. I also loved how easy it was to access the course and complete the modules according to my schedule.

The course, as outlined, takes about 3 weeks to complete. However, additional time is allowed, so if you miss a few days of study, you can easily go back and make up those sessions. The program has transcripts and closed captioning for impaired students. I was impressed with the amount of care that went into producing this free resource. However, if students are interested in access this course indefinitely, or obtaining a certificate of achievement, FutureLearn charges a fee (currently $59) for lifetime access.

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Now that the general information is out of the way, let’s talk about the class. The class is broken down into 3 general sections: European Identities, European Memory and Heritage, and European Creativity. Each section delves into the history of the topic, the current state of the topic, as well as the politics that have influenced each of these areas.

The course defines Europe, European identity as well as European culture, then it explores all of the factors that have previously and currently have defined these concepts. I really loved learning about how Europe has created policy to embrace diversity as well as how Europe intends to approach cultural and creative programs outside of the economic perspective.

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I really enjoyed this course and, while I don’t plan to purchase lifetime access, I can easily see myself signing up for this again in the future, just as a refresher. There was a lot of good information in this course – I’m glad I signed up and completed it!