Love OR Life?

No filter or filter?

Four months down the road; and I am just getting the opportunity to share with you my 'happy new year' design. although, it was completed in March.

March. Quite the despondent month for me. A lingering feeling leftover from February. Between the end of February and beginning of March, I had the strongest urge to write, to the extent that I carried my journal wit me to work for a fortnight.
Two weeks of just opening and leafing through the pages without an entry. Two weeks of going through past entries in search of inspiration. Two weeks of staring at the numbers: 2018, that I had written a few weeks into January, to mark the year and subsequent entries that would follow. Two weeks of nothingness but the numbers 2018... 2018... 2018...
I, then stopped carrying my journal with me to work.

He Called Her At Midnight. Earlier in the weeks of March, I went through the last entry to the short story I was trying my hand at... He Called Her At Midnight, to gather more ideas on where I should take the story. As the ideas emerged and were quickly noted, I felt the need to transfer the noted to he pages of my Journal because that was where the story originated from.

2018. As I was going through my Journal, I hesitated on the page with 2018 on it. I looked at the dullness of the numbers and decided to give them a bit of shading for, I had left them as an outline at the beginning. In the process of shading; I mulled over my mental resolutions and wondered if any would come to pass.
'Would this look pretty if I added an I? How about this 2? Does it look like an L? Do I want it to be Love for Life or Love or Life? Which one is better? Life or Love first? Should I add an R to the 0 or make it For? It seems lengthy. Better an R at the end to make or.
Something is missing. Can the word happy fit at the top of the page? How will I draw it in? Won't I spoil the design? Let me put it next to the 2 and make sure it forms the H without losing the number.'
As questions plagued the mind; the fingers flew over the page, in an attempt to answer them while bringing the ideas to life.
In that moment; my first design for 2018 was borne and the installment to my story quietly forgotten. I blue inked the additions before settling on color. Seeing that it was my first design of the year, I went on a coloring spree and don't regret the decision for it the color added a bit of cheer to it. So much so that it leaves a smile on my face whenever I look at it.

It might be a little late to wish y'all a happy new year but it's not too late to ask God to make it better, if not the best, for all of you. :) I have shared the completed design with a few touch-ups for pomp. You can follow up on my creative work and process on Instagram at ShanahOduty  and Facebook as ShanahOffDuty.

New Year...

Glossy filter on the left and without on the right.

This is not a trite and cliched new year post inasmuch as it bears the words. It is about the time I suffered an acute bout of FOMO (fear of missing out) over the influx of Christmas cards on social media during the festive season.

The beauty, creativity and thoughts put into releasing the final product in true spirit of the season not only lifted my mood but had me reaching for the pencil a couple of times. It is that unabated excitement and flow of creative juices that heralded the decision to come up with something personal for New Year's. 

It took me 3 days to settle on the lettering and another 2 for color. After the pencil sketch was done, the finishing touches were more or less a walkover!

Coming a cross filter that gave it the glossy and sparkly finish was quite the feather in my cap! It brought my vision to light and got me so excited that waiting for the remaining days and five minutes after midnight on the 31st almost dampened my mood.

The feedback after the reveal was insane! Thinking about it, right now, warms my heart! 

A fortnight into 2017 and there's nothing much I can say except Alhamdulilah. For the gift of life, for the new dreams we get to dream after fulfilling old ones and the opportunities that drive us to discover our potential and become the people we desire to be.

Life may not be perfect right now; but it is absolutely alright!

Happy New Year!

Is it late to wish y’all a happy new year?
To get right into it; my new year’s eve was quite unremarkable, spent it quietly by myself watching telly while waiting for the fireworks display unlike the first of the month. There was a snake sighting around the house which made the day chaotic. I don’t think I have ever indirectly inhaled a lot of paraffin as much as I did that day in my whole life.
As if that wasn’t enough, I accidently super glued one of my fingers to a ring I was fixing. I was busy fidgeting and trying everything from soaking the finger in hot water to trying to chip away the glue with a blade. All this went on until my brother decided to help me out. If it hadn’t been for him, I would have had to get it surgically removed. What a way to start the year?

On the upside, I got away from home for a few days to visit with my cousins Smooch and Baby J. I have seen them quite a bit lately but it had been awhile since I lived with them in their home. It was good to get away and be missed by the family. Short as it was, I loved it.
I don’t know how the new year is shaping out to be for you but, on my side, I think it is getting better. A few good things have happened these few days that I am appreciative of. And, I have no resolutions except to continue my gratitude journal. It helped me find my zen zone and got me focused on the positive. So, I shall continue with it.
Happy New Year everyone. May some of your dreams come true.

PS: Photo credits go to my brother. He felt I should take a picture to commemorate the day.
PPS: I spent a few days going through my comments and past posts and it made me miss one of my followers, Nick. He was great with feed back and sage advice. Hopefully you're still a reader and will see this.
xo

Hello, 2013.

I miss the past New Year’s Eve tradition where my family and I would go out for dinner then catch fireworks to usher in the New Year. Since I have been quietly ushering in the New Year from home for about two years, I guess I am used to it.
This time round was special in its own way despite spending it home. One of my gurls came over to spend the last few hours with me. We watched Michael Jackson’s This Is It then a bit of Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone bad concert. I wasn’t by my lonesome.
How about that, a New freaking Year!! Prior to New Year’s eve, me and my gurls talked quite a lot and I kept asking if they were anxiously anticipating the New Year and all of them gave a resounding NO! I guess we are officially grown up now that we don’t get giddy with excitement over the arrival of a new year. We are past the stage where we expect monumental changes to happen in our lives!
There’s one or two things I would love to happen (if at all they do) this year so I wouldn’t call them resolutions as such.
It would be nice to become financially independent. Yes! I am putting it all out there for God to work his magic while I do what I can too.
I’ve been told on more than one occasion the previous year to find a MAN! LOL. Is this a priority?! I don’t know. Basing on the fact that the last time I were in a tentative relationship was at University, I guess there is need for concern and it isn’t on my side. I’ve been single for too long anyway. Being in the comfort that I am currently enjoying and luxuriating in, it’s going to be hard. However thrilling the chase and flirting are, I hate putting myself out there! I guess I should use this opportunity to sharpen my extremely rusty and previously retired flirtation skills.
Seeing as I've put everything out there, I’d like to wish each and everyone of you all a Happy 2013. May God give you good health, Happiness and all that you ask. To all my friends and family, may the bonds of our friendship strengthen and tighten with each passing year. Amen!
Now that the year is a new and filled with prospects, let’s get to this idea…'start 2013 off with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen. On new years eve, empty it and see what awesome stuff happened that year.'