Surrounded by Ideas

Great Space of Creative Ideas. Digital artwork by Karen Gadient, 2013.

I had a dream last night where I saw the embodiment of ideas. My ideas, your ideas, or maybe all the ideas of Earth or the universe. Not really sure. But I got the vibe that ALL THE IDEAS was what I was looking at. And so, here goes:

It started out like a spirit guide, only a spark that I followed in darkness. It didn’t speak to me. Instead, it circled like a firefly—tiny and glowing. It had no true form and was made up of the elements. Fire, water, air, and even scattering bits of earth. It soon grew so that I could see its details better. Like a tiny galaxy, floating around the blackness where I stood.

Quickly—BAM—it expanded and surrounded me. Then it took me inside it and enveloped me so that I became part of it. I couldn’t see my hands or be sure that I still had a body. All I had was an intense warmth and the sensation of water washing over me, air I knew I was consciously breathing, and the view of what looked like a million little worlds before me.

Very super cool. I mean, I was a speck among specks, but it was awesome.

Now that I’m awake and back to reality, I’m left with a sense that we’re all so small and yet so powerful. Dreams like that drive me to not waste a moment of life.

Although I did take some time to create what I saw so that you could see it too.

Do you ever have dreams that stay with you and inspire you?

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Filed under Beliefs, Creativity, Digital Artwork, Dream Stories, Graphic Design, Ideas, Imagination, Inspiration, Journal, The Unknown

Illuminathia

Illuminathia. She started out as portrait art, but caffeine gave her superpowers.

Illuminathia by Karen Gadient 2013

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Filed under Art, Art Portfolio, Creativity, Digital Artwork, Fantasy, Freelance, Graphic Design, Imagination, Portrait, Sketchbook

Mother Universe

Poster artwork. It’s a little bit psychedelic. Had some fun creating this one.

Mother Universe

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Filed under Art, Art Portfolio, Creativity, Digital Artwork, Graphic Design, Imagination, Poster, Sketchbook, Space

First, I’d like to thank the Academy…

Award Ribbon

I understand that award nominations come from a place of affection and are a great way to share links. However, I don’t want to pick and choose favorites or make anyone obligated. It’s not how I blog. Roll? Blogroll? Well…

It’s award-free blog time. I’ve had it posted as text on my sidebar for a while, but I’ve just added an image. I don’t want sore feelings. It’s just not my thing.

While I appreciate folks thinking of me when it comes to nominations, I must decline. I’m not the only one in the blogosphere who feels this way and I hope that my blogging friends aren’t offended that I don’t participate.

First, awards are time-consuming. Second, many blog awards have requirements that I’m not comfortable with passing on like a chain letter. Also, some of my blogging friends have blog formats that don’t allow for answering or posting lists of questions without ruining their blog style (experimental art, blogging from a fictional point of view, filmmaking, business professional, and so on).

But! I want to thank those who have recently nominated me. These are all writers I follow closely and I try never to miss one of their posts:

Chelsea Brown (who nominated me for the WordPress Family Award) — You need to check out her Jenny Mac series!

Andrew Toynbee (who nominated me for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award) — A fellow writer who shares my passion for metaphysics.

Kristen Mazzola (who nominated me for the Liebster Award) — She inspires me daily and is one of the most productive writers I know.

I follow so many of you. So many blogs that some days it’s hard to keep up.

Yet, I darn well try. I also drink a lot of coffee.

You’re all so brilliant and talented and I think it’s fantastic that we have technology to weave our experience together. I never really thought I’d love blogging, but I do. And that’s because of the pure awesomeness of the blogging community. I just hope you’ll still love me back when I don’t accept awards.

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Filed under Blogging, Decisions, Friendship, Journal, Life

Today’s fish is…

Cowcod Fish

It’s a cell phone picture—not artwork. Not a bad catch, though.

Behold! The glorious cowcod.

What? You’ve never heard of him? Well, he’s mounted on the wall of our local King’s Fish House. My husband took me there for a delicious dinner.

I’d never heard of cowcod either, but they’ve got conservation areas in California and are an ESA Species of Concern. Overfished. Poor things.

Hence, King’s didn’t offer us any cowcod soup.

Wait. Cowcod soup (click for the wiki) has nothing to do with this fish.
As George Takei might say: Oh my. (YouTube: 0:06)

Check out the real (or at least non-mounted) fish in vivid color. Whoa, huh?

Lastly, because I’ve been throwing Red Dwarf quotes at everything lately:

FISH! (YouTube: 0:29)

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Filed under Arizona, Entertainment, Food, Journal, Nature, Photography, Sea

Fashion and Digital Textile Design

One more post about the Phoenix Art Museum. These images, also taken by my husband David, are of the Digital Print Fashion exhibition. Everything you see here is digitally printed textile, which allows for some fantastic color and pattern. With digital printing, the sources for fashion inspiration are without limits. Many of these designs inspired me to write, because they look like they’d be at home in a science fiction or fantasy novel—yet, I’d still wear a few of them out to a party this weekend if I could! Which ones catch your eye the most?

Digital Textile Printing - Fashion Examples

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Filed under Arizona, Art, Fashion, Graphic Design, Inspiration, Photography, Printing

Black Cloud Butterflies

Black Cloud Butterflies

At the Phoenix Art Museum this past weekend, my husband David took some fantastic photographs of the Black Cloud multi-room installation of Order, Chaos, and the Space Between.

Butterflies. Swarms of them. Over the walls and ceilings.

So striking. I think the angles he used for these shots help convey what it’s like to be there yourself. I hope you enjoy David’s photography as much as I do.

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Filed under Arizona, Art, Inspiration, Nature, Photography