a little life update

For those of you who may be curious about my transcription progress: I finished the third of four notebooks this week, and I'm currently on page 115 of my single-spaced Word document [over 70,000 words]. Now it's on to the final notebook, then into the great drafting and editing abyss beyond. I've got a general idea of how to approach moving forward from the place I left off, but it involves changing POV to a character that isn't directly connected to the main cast so that'll need some planning. I still can't really believe that I wrote all of these words—though the fact that everyone is shrugging all the time is less of a surprise.

I've started my summer class this week [focusing on the Adobe creative suite—Illustrator, InDesign, and PhotoShop], and we were assigned our first project today. We're focusing on Illustrator right now, and we have to trace a photo of our own signatures with the pen tool for this assignment. There's a lot of little stuff that I've learned in just a week, but I had to laugh when my professor explained what we're doing. Drawing over an image is, like, the only digital art experience I already have [not that I'm good at it], and I know from experience that it can be detailed, neck-breaking work. A perfect first exercise, but definitely one that's going to leave me with a crick in my neck.

Those that know me via facebook/instagram are aware that I borrowed 18 books from the library about three weeks ago. I'm hoping I can renew some of them, because I'm currently reading my twelfth, and, while I am a prolific reader, I don't think I'll be able to polish of the remaining 6 before this Saturday. Now, you may be wondering if I'm planning another book review post, since that's my usual wrap up for book-binges like this. I am considering a review post, but it will probably be somewhat abbreviated for a few reasons: 18 is a lot of books to write about, and several of them are parts of series that I had begun before [Dealing with Dragons and the Once Upon a Time series]. So, in the interest of avoiding spoilers and giving myself a bit of a break, I'll probably give you the entire list, but reserve full reviews to my select favorites. Thus far, I've only run into one book that I was really disappointed in, but, for those familiar with my last review post, sometimes you don't find the icky ones until the end. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't come across more of the graphic content I dealt with last time.

Speaking of graphic content, I have to throw in a small plug for Bridge of Spies, for those of you like me who somehow haven't seen it yet. Thanks to some in-laws, I was able to watch it this weekend, and, guys, it is so good! It didn't occur to me until the credits were rolling, but I'm pretty sure this is the cleanest [as far as sexual and violent content goes] non-animated movie I have seen in maybe ever [with the exception of The Martian (which I also loved), but come on, he's alone on a planet]. I mean, no crazy explosions or  bloody gun-fights, no superfluous romantic subplots with inexplicably half-naked women lounging around. I would honestly recommend this film just for that fact, seriously. It's so refreshing to be able to get wrapped up in a story and its characters instead of being constantly bombarded by all that crap. That being said, I could see some people feeling like the film moves slowly [which I personally believe to be a side-effect of all the explosions and racy-times that we've been inundated with in the media, but whatevs]. The absence of flashy action scenes was probably purposefully done, considering the movie highlights the tension associated with the Cold War when everyone was expecting to be bombed any minute. With that in mind, I felt that Bridge of Spies was masterfully done. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I loved that the drastic difference in action and pacing really highlighted the key character moments in the film. It is so satisfying to see characters coming to respect each other despite working for opposite teams. I really don't feel like I'm doing it justice here, but I really really really just loved this movie and you guys need to go watch it if you haven't before.

My brain is slowly turning to mush so, by way of parting, I will leave you with these pictures that I saw today. Hopefully they'll make you laugh as much as I did.

equality vs equity

A while ago, I was introduced to the distinction between equality and equity. Why this wasn't something I was really aware of until my 20s, I don't know [I've always just associated equity with finances and the housing market?], but I've been thinking about it off-and-on for several weeks. Most of you have probably seen this comic by now, or at least the first two panels:

It's a pretty helpful illustration for differentiating between two somewhat confusingly similar terms. I've most commonly seen it used in the context of social, political, and economical discussions [where it is certainly relevant], but it came to mind in a different way a few weeks ago when I came across Psalms 98:9 "for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." [As a side note, why did I decide to read the Old Testament from start to finish? Guys, this thing is long.] With this terminology in the back of my mind, this verse stuck out to me. 

When we discuss equity of resources do we include patience, charity, and service on the list of things that people need? We ought to, especially because in our own day-to-day lives these are the resources that we are most able to provide. In our interactions with other people are we being equal or equitable? We've all been born into unique circumstances, with different privileges and challenges, and, because our own circumstance is the only one we really know, it's really easy to fall into the habit of holding others to the same standards that we expect to meet, regardless of their personal circumstances.

The thing is, it's easier to enact equality in our own lives than it is to use equity. Equality in our interactions with other people is a blanket behavior, everyone is given the same things, held to the same standard, etc. To utilize equity in our relationships requires us to actually have relationships with those around us. Heavenly Father can judge us in equity because He knows each of us. He knows our circumstances, our resources, our intents. We cannot truly serve and love those around us unless we come to know them, in some way, and see them the way He does.

I am far from being proficient at this. We live in a world that encourages and constantly bombards us with snap judgments—a thought process that I've seen sneaking into my life more and more. That's not the kind of person I want to be. Thankfully, I will always have a choice in that, and a loving Heavenly Father who will encourage my every effort to improve.

writer problems and heat

I'm so bad at talking about my own writing. It's a serious problem, guys. As an introvert, I really don't like having people's attention focused on me [contrary to what my having a blog might suggest], so explaining my writing and story ideas is really uncomfortable because there's no way to deflect the listener's attention as everything they're hearing is something I've made up so the information has to come from me. I'm also notoriously bad at summarizing things in a concise fashion. The two combined results in me responding to any inquiries with "do you have half an hour for me to explain this to you, but please don't look at me while I do?"

I've always been an easily embarrassed person, but there's something specific about writing that makes me feel like people will see my ideas and decision to write at all as something childish and silly. I have yet to come across someone rude enough to express that opinion to my face. but the paranoia is still there, especially at an age where I'm trying to establish my credibility as An Adult in a world that, generally, views creative fields as less legitimate uses of time than more traditional careers/pastimes. I suppose that's something that thicker skin is for. In the meantime, there might be pre-prepared summary cue-cards in my future as I suspect that my on-the-fly descriptions are more confusing that anything, haha.

In the last week the temperature around here has jacked up from the mid-70s to the mid-80s to low-90s and I am dying. How does the weather go from pretty comfortable to p;ease let me die so fast? And it's only a difference of like 10 degrees! I have quickly come to the conclusion that I do not currently own enough skirts and loose, flow-y tops to survive this summer. Sometimes I really wish it wouldn't be seen as weird for me to find my coolest outfit and just wear that every day to work. My life would be so much easier.

just leave this here...

I spent this afternoon writing a post to go along with this tumblr post I found earlier in the week, but after review, I believe I'll just leave this here. I think 1 Corinthians 13:11 is frequently misunderstood.