pencils

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

Welcome and thank you for joining me on my descent into the fascinating world of color meanings and representation. In this post I will explore the meanings behind the 6 colors represented in the gay pride flag.

RED: LIFE

Red is the purrrfect color to kick things off! It’s the top (first) color in the gay pride flag, making it a logical starting point. Besides that, red is known in Feng Shui circles as the most active of all colors, making it a great color to examine in preparation for a month full of rainbows, parades and glitter-filled celebrations.

In the context of the gay pride flag, red represents life. Indeed, the many variations of red are associated with power and energy, two sure signs of life that I struggle with on a daily basis. The struggle is so real that I’ve done some pretty deep dives into the practice of Feng Shui over the years.

My go-to for any and all design concerns is a document known as a Feng Shui Matrix (or Bagua). I’m not an expert and it’s complex AF, but for the sake of Pride, I reworked the rainbow colors into a Matrix that should work just fine if you dare to dabble.

Please do dabble carefully – red corresponds with the element of fire.

Red also has the ability to deliver powerful messages of warning, some easier to receive than others.

If you ever happen upon a set of red curtains appearing in a circle of 12 Sycamore trees, know that the color red serves as a warning. Special Agent Cooper, Mr. C, and Dougie Coop know what I’m talking about.

ORANGE: HEALING

Orange you glad you’re reading this post?!? I know I am.

Orange is the second color in the gay pride flag, and in this context, it means healing. I’ve been struggling with this meaning because it’s so broad, yet so specific in the context of the gay community.

I’m going to keep it broad here and share that I think there are many reasons we all need to heal and many ways to do it. From a Feng Shui perspective, the color orange encourages communication, which connects for me. When I know I need to work through some shit, I find that talking to someone is always a good place to start.

Besides communication, the positive qualities of the color orange include happiness, concentration, and intellect. A negative quality of orange is rebelliousness, but I’m on the fence about this label. Without the rebelliousness of all the activists, artists and allies that work tirelessly toward a more inclusive world, we’d all be in trouble. BIG trouble.

YELLOW: SUNLIGHT

Yellow, yellow, want some jello? Me either.

I’ve been looking forward to yellow because, in the context of the gay pride flag, it’s the meaning I love and connect with the most. It means sunlight, which, on its own is pretty great. But let’s go a little deeper here – it’s about being yourself instead of hiding in the shadows.

Come out into the light and get some vitamin D, y’all!

Without sunlight, life as we know it would be nearly impossible. This correlates with the designation that Feng Shui practitioners give yellow – it represents the Earth element.

From a Feng shui perspective, yellow is also known to stimulate the brain and aid digestion. It’s associated with enlightenment, intellect, optimism, reason, and decisiveness.

GREEN: NATURE

Greed is good. Er, whoops, that’s a whole other thang. Green is the color of money though, and I bet if Gordon Gecko had a favorite color that would be it. This is where I really start feeling the colors of the flag.

In the context of the gay pride flag, green means nature. It’s interesting that green comes after yellow, or sunshine, which makes nature possible. Science!

This meaning is the one I relate to the most. Just this morning, we came upon a baby Black-crowned Night-Heron that had fallen from the nest and landed on the concrete sidewalk. The nest is high in the tree, so baby bird is in rough shape. That’s nature. It can be pretty harsh.

Green represents the wood element in Feng Shui.

Besides representing the wood element in Feng Shui, green is known as a restful and refreshing color. It symbolizes growth, fertility, and harmony. It is associated with optimism, freedom, and balance.

BLUE: PEACE

Blue is my favorite color. Like, hard. It’s kind of complex in the context of the gay pride flag though, so I’ve been struggling with this color meaning in particular. To keep it simple, I leveraged the decisive attributes of yellow and decided to focus on one meaning: peace.

I do believe in the concept of world peace and all that jazz, but for now, let’s keep it simple and think about it using the frame of inner peace.

I know that inner peace would be a beneficial tool for me to have, especially when I’m feeling down or having a bad day. I’m not actually working toward it though, and that’s my bad – it looks really really hard.

Feng Shui practitioners use blue to represent the element water.

From a Feng Shui perspective, the peaceful and soothing color blue is linked to spirituality, contemplation, mystery, and patience. The positive associations of the color are trust, faithfulness, and stability. The negative associations are suspicion and melancholia, two associations I’m quite familiar with.

PURPLE: SPIRIT

All month long I’m doing my best to embody the meaning of the color purple – spirit.

Learning that spirit is the meaning of purple in the context of the gay pride flag is one of the main reasons I decided to do a deep dive into color meanings. I mean, spirit? I think I know what spirit is, but how in the heck can it be articulated? Needless to say, challenge accepted, universe.

For me, this means spending time with people I love, and that love me too (including pets, of course). I’m hanging out in nature, letting myself be creative and am excited for the months and years ahead.

From a Feng Shui perspective, purple is known to be a spiritual color and is thought to encourage vitality. Some positive associations of purple are excitement, passion, and motivation. Negative associations include mournfulness and force.

THE WRAP UP

I had fun researching the gay pride flag and am delighted to finally share what I know. I invite you to share this post with anyone that may enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Until next time, I’ll be trying to live my best life and hope you are too!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I’m back, baby. I’m back.

In my last post, I shared three of my 2018 goals. Two of the goals were personal ones, and I have to admit, all three were ambitious. A lot’s happened since that post, and it’s essential for me to fill in the details before posting about my current projects.

I don’t know why it’s important for me to do this, it just is. OK?

OK!

In this post, I’ll share my progress toward my 2018 goals, including lots of photos and a few projects I’ve done along the way. I’ll outline some current projects I’m working on before looking into the crystal ball for a glimpse into the months ahead.

2018 GOALS: AN UPDATE

Goal 1: Get married on May 5, 2018

I’m thrilled to say that this goal has successfully been completed! After 15 years, we finally tied the knot. Literally.

I’m glad we have this photo because the knot went missing soon after it was taken! It’s fine with me though because I’M MARRIED!

I’ll detail the DIY wedding projects I completed in the Maker Space section of the website, but for now, here’s a visual overview.

Dinosaur Placecard Holders

Tags for Wedding Favors

Dinosaur Glitter Veil

In this post, I outlined my process for designing our Save The Dates (STDs), and the design process for our invites is covered here.

Goal 2: Design, Develop and Deliver 8 tutorials by 12/31/2018

My progress toward this goal is nonexistent. I’ve got bits and pieces of a few tutorials recorded, but I need to sit down and go through what I have, what I need, and what I want to do.

Then I need to put the pieces together. This may be a goal I need to revise, but I’ll keep it as is for now. Stay tuned!

Goal 3: Graduate from IDT Master’s Program on May 1, 2018

Check! Dishes are done, man.

CURRENT PROJECTS

I’ve got more projects in the works than ever before! To keep it simple I’ll just cover the three projects I worked on most recently.

Project #1: Updating my Resume

I’m determined to find regular part-time employment by the end of June, so this ~~should be~~ is my #1 priority. I swear it is.

I did, however, spend most of my time today on Project #2.

Project #2: Poe Pencil Pack

I’m just about ready to launch a marketing strategy to sell Edgar Allan Poe themed pencils. The story behind these pencils is long and worthy of its own post, which is forthcoming.

If you just can’t wait, I included a short version in the Etsy listing for this item, which went live today – yay!

The last project I’ll mention is similar to the Poe Pack (Project #2), but I’m taking an entirely different approach to the marketing strategy. I’m excited to see which strategy works best!

Project #3: Pride Pencil Pack

Again, the story behind this project is better suited for a standalone post, which I’ll publish in the next week or so. In the meantime, I included what I believe to be some interesting information in the Etsy listing for this item.

I think I’m at the end of my pencil phase, but who knows, maybe the demand for these pencil packs will motivate me to keep going. I’ll definitely try to work some of these concepts out in future blog posts and newsletters, and I’d love any feedback you might have!

2018 PART DEUX: CRYSTAL BALLIN’ IT

Honestly, I have no idea what the future holds, and I think it’s probably better this way.

Here’s what I do know: I’ll be polishing up my resume and interviewing for part-time jobs shortly. I’ve put it off for too long, and it’s going to be great, right?!?

Right!

Other than that, I’ve got what feels like an infinite number of projects I want to move forward this summer. I’ll cover three of ’em and call it a post.

Future Project #1: Miniatures

If You Build It, They Will Come.

Wait, whaaattt?!? Who will come? What does that even mean? I’m really not sure, but wouldn’t it be cool if dolls really did come to life when humans were sleeping?

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

You’re right. Maybe it wouldn’t be that cool. I could go deep on this one, but I’ll cut myself off here.

ANYWAY…

I want to get back to making miniatures. I have so many mini projects that are almost finished. I think I could wrap most of them up if I make a plan and stick to it. Then I could get to work on some of my other 2018 goals, which I’m not going to go into here, but let’s just say that I want to construct several detailed dioramas.

I’m super excited about one concept in particular, which I call Unsolved Mini Mysteries. If you can imagine Robert Stack as a popsicle stick, I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter to stay abreast of this project.

Future Project #2: Reading and Writing, hold the Arithmetic

I’ve been an avid reader since I learned to read as a kiddo. Now that I’m done with school, it’s time to tackle my ‘Reading’ pile that’s been growing steadily over the past few years.

During my coursework, I spent a great deal of time writing discussion posts, research papers and design plans. Now that I have more time and headspace, I hope to devote some of it to writing.

Not sure what this will look like, but blogging is my way of getting the party started. Thanks for following along!

Future Project #3: Travel and Adventure with Extra Productivity, please. Oh, and a side of Love, please. No tomato. Thanks for asking.

I find inspiration everywhere, especially when I travel. I’m excited about what’s on the calendar for the next few months and I can’t wait to learn all the new things I don’t even know I don’t know.

Next week I’m going to visit my mom in Kokomo, Indiana. She’s going to help me make some table runners to sell in my Etsy shop. I’m going to help her paint her master bedroom.

Offwhite. Sherwin Williams. She had a coupon and got a great deal. That’s my Mom and I expect nothing less! Also, I just need to share this, since it’s the best photo I’ve ever seen of my Mom (and I look OK too!):

Isn’t she so pretty? (I’m referring to the braid) (just kidding) (kind of)

In July Lyn and I are taking our first trip as a married couple! We’re heading to Chicago for a long weekend and I’m already exhausted from the weekend. To say I’m excited is an understatement. More on that later!

I may or may not join Lyn when she travels to London for work in September. I hope I do though – I’m in a bit of a History-of-England’s-Monarchy phase, so I’d love to see some historical artifacts with my own peepers.

UPDATE COMPLETE!

Phew, I feel so much better! Now that you know everything I’ve been up to these past few months, I want to hear from you! What have you been doing?

I’d really love to hear from you! Reach out directly or leave a comment.

CLOSING COMMITMENT TO THE VIRTUAL WORLD (THINK BATTLESTAR GALACTICA)

I know you hear me, understand what I’m saying (for the most part), and if you’ve made it this far, you get me, virtual world. I get you too. And there’s something you need to read/know/compute/scan/analyze/understand:

I LOVE YOU!

I’m happy to teach you what I know about being a human, but no promises on the quality of my lessons.

So today I’m making a commitment to blog more frequently. If you have any, hold on to your butts! I have a feeling this is going to get real weird, real quick. SO EXCITED!

Humans and Inhumans alike (including Cylons, of course), as long as you have an email address, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter – it’s going to be pretty darn good!

Byeeeeeeeeeee!

DEEP DIVE: GAY PRIDE FLAG COLOR MEANINGS