senplisite

[senplisite]

When I'm not writing, this is how I excuse my lack of productivity. Though THORNE 21 is finished. So... win-win? #digitalart #digitalportrait #amateurartist #hernameissymone #procrastination

[senplisite]

Adrift Words 01.21.18 #writing #wordvomit #excerptfromabookillneverwrite

[senplisite]

Latest blog post on Ingenue. Check out my post on watercolor succulents! Thank you Jay Lee Watercolor on YouTube for getting me motivated and ready to start painting again. https://www.fromnoria.com/single-post/2017/09/07/Succulents #watercolor #art #jayleewatercolor #ingenue #fromnoria

[senplisite]

Faith Journaling #2 - Confidence 2

Faith Journaling #2 – Confidence 2

I wasn’t expecting the positive response from my last post, I honestly thought the heaviness of it would throw people off, but I’m glad that it didn’t. And I’m moved to keep going with the faith journaling process. Today, I’m going over prompt #2. http://journaling4faith.com/writing-prompts-confidence/ The question is …. Do you believe you are beautiful? Why or why not?   Do I believe I am…

[senplisite]

Faith Journaling #2 - Confidence 2

Faith Journaling #2 – Confidence 2

I wasn’t expecting the positive response from my last post, I honestly thought the heaviness of it would throw people off, but I’m glad that it didn’t. And I’m moved to keep going with the faith journaling process. Today, I’m going over prompt #2. http://journaling4faith.com/writing-prompts-confidence/ The question is …. Do you believe you are beautiful? Why or why not?   Do I believe I am…

[senplisite]

Faith Journaling #1 - Confidence 1

Faith Journaling #1 – Confidence 1

  I’ll be tackling the first part of the confidence prompts here on Journaling 4 Faith: http://journaling4faith.com/writing-prompts-confidence/   The question is…On a scale of 1 to 10, where is your confidence level? How do self-doubt and fear impact that ranking? 2. My confidence is a two. Some days it’s higher, but most days I feel like crawling into a pit. I put on a show, I play with make up…

[senplisite]

Journaling 4 Faith Writing Prompts

Journaling 4 Faith Writing Prompts

Good Morning! It’s a new month and I am pleased that April is finally over and done with. It has been a difficult month to say the least and I’ve had many bouts of self doubt and fear and regret in the past month. Wondering if I’m doing the right thing or moving in the right direction. Wondering if I have unshakeable faith or if I would crumble at the first sign of disaster. It’s been a hard…

[senplisite]

Good Morning Scrawlers!

  Greetings from the desk of idle hands and procrastination! And also my desk at work where I wish I was still in bed. I bring you news of what I’ve been working on instead of posting regularly, like I should have been. But first, I have to share my amazement.

I can’t believe it! Has it really been a month since I last updated this blog?

You’re probably saying, “Yes, Indigo. It has been a month. And we have all forgotten about you, feel the shame.”

But I can’t say that I’m surprised or shamed by the lack of updates. I have been planning a hiatus for a little while, but it just came a bit sooner than I expected. I wanted to get fifty posts under my belt before taking a short breather to work on other projects. But when inspiration strikes, you have to take the plunge before it dissipates. I know, I know.

What the heck is she talking about?

I haven’t been as idle as it may appear at first glance. In fact, I’ve been working hard on a number of different ideas and projects I have. Many are art related, most are writing related. Before I started this blog, I had another dedicated solely to writing. I would post snippets of what I’ve written, none of it was religious in content or context, but it was something that I enjoyed sharing. But I found it hard to stay consistent with it.

That’s when I shut down all four of my blogs. One of them was dedicated to fashion blogging, another was just random creative things, another was concerning my graphic design stuff. It was just too much, too quick and I overwhelmed myself.

After following a couple of Christian Inspirational blogs, I learned that I have a passion for sharing my perspectives on various issues that we face in our lives and the connection that it has to our spiritual well-being. So, that’s why I started Sunday Scrawlings.

But it is hardly the first undertaking in writing that I’ve done.

I said all of that to mention some of what I’ve been doing since I’ve been away.

  1.Writing Novels and Books and Such – 

As I mentioned above, I have always been interested in writing. I’ll write whatever comes into my head, and sometimes that means writing a novel about a tormented young woman trying to figure out who is stalking her and hunting on her college campus. Or maybe a story about a young drifter who finds herself caught up in the harrowing world of vampire politics.

But I’m also working on an ebook that ties closely to what I write here on Sunday Scrawlings that would have devotionals and chapters about spirituality and self-love. I’m working on titles and trying to pin down a cover idea. But I know what I want the book to be about. And I know that I want to offer it on my website for free. Because I don’t believe that something of that nature, something meant to help, should be sold purely for the gain of self. However, if there is interest in a physical copy, those would have to be bought.

I can’t exactly afford to come out of pocket for physical copies to give. Maybe one or two as gifts or giveaways, but in general those would need be purchased.

  2. Designing Covers and Websites and Such – 

Here are some of the covers that I’ve designed for my current works in progress.

These are covers for my WIP (Work In Progress) Thorn Throne Series. This is following Shira Thorn into the world of the vampires as a day time companion. And a very poor one at that.

These covers are for The Daemonesque Saga, following Penelope West as she tires to navigate a dangerous game of heaven and hell. This was the first novel I ever completed, but I had to split it into two books because of the length. I’m currently editing and rewriting Origin and Damned. Union is plotted out, and I’ve got the synopsis of War altogether.

And finally, my author website. I spent a lot of time working out all the kinks and making sure all the pages worked and functioned. As well as the aesthetics. Wix made it easy. I’m not endorsing the site, but I can say that it was simple to use and had a ton of resources that made my site look and feel more professional. (That sounded like an ad, but I promise it’s not. It’s just how I feel.)

  3. Getting Ready for a Wedding and Such – 

My brother is getting married! I’m a bridesmaid for the first time in my life. I’m helping to decorate and coordinate the event as well. My mother and I have a kind of company when it comes to doing gorgeous, but low budget weddings. So we are working around the clock to make sure that everything is perfect. Which leaves little time for writing posts and keeping up the blog.

  These are some fabulous excuses, and it does help explain away some of the shame in why I’ve been gone for so long. However, I can feel in my heart how I’ve been affected by this time off. I’m wanting, spiritually. And my soul is weary because I haven’t been tending to it. Because, ultimately, that’s what Sunday Scrawlings is for me. A way for me to mend my soul and care for my spiritual self.

So, expect more updates in the near future, maybe not on the strict schedule that I had before. But I will be doing more posts.

  ~Indigo

            Has It Really Been A Month? Good Morning Scrawlers! Greetings from the desk of idle hands and procrastination! And also my desk at work where I wish I was still in bed.

[senplisite]

A Little Thought - Grief

A Little Thought – Grief

I lost my great uncle last Tuesday. He was Daddy Kinnon and he was 69 years old. At the time, I’d known he was sick. He was in and out of hospice care, and we knew that his condition wasn’t going to get any better. But it never really hits you until… it hits you. When he passed, I wasn’t terribly affected, and during the funeral on Saturday I held together pretty well. But this morning, at 2AM I…

[senplisite]

My Favorite Thing - New Website!

My Favorite Thing – New Website!

My favorite thing this week is the new layout of my website. That’s a little vain, but I’ve worked my bottom off trying to get it to look like my dreams. Plus, I have a logo now! And I love how my site looks. I definitely enjoyed my old layout for numerous reasons, but this one affords me a little more color, freedom, and individuality. (more…)

[senplisite]

Author’s Note: Buckle up, kids, this is going to be a different kind of blog post. We’re digging into astrology and numerology today, and if that isn’t your cup of tea, please feel free to read some of my other posts. Also, this is a super long one today, but there are plenty of pictures. ごめんあさい、どうもありがとう。I’m finally learning Japanese this year!

I have always had a strange kind of belief system.

While I am a Christian, my theological beliefs sometimes border on buddhism, pantheism, mysticism, Hermeticism. And I believe that God is in everything around us, the sky, the trees, the ground, and everything in between.

I also believe that there are certain practices that can bring us closer to God without all the pomp and circumstance of a regular church service. There are definitely days where a spoken message hits me in such a way that I feel the overwhelming presence of God. But more often than not, I feel closest to Him when I’m in a garden, the warm sun peaking through a dense canopy of tree leaves and branches, peacefully listening to all the wondrous sounds nature produces. The calm that engulfs me completely, a lightness in my chest and hope for brighter days to come, despite where I might be at that moment.

I feel like that’s when my faith is strongest and I’m most open to His Will.

You could say that I’m a bit of a flower child. Words are powerful, but I am a visual/tactile person. Surrounded by visual stimulus, the ability to interact with what’s around me, that speaks to my heart. On a deep level. In a way that makes me certain about my next move, and I have complete faith in what’s coming and what God has for me to do. I find that when I’m not grounded in that place, at least in my mind, I tend to flip flop and become indecisive and unsure. Constantly worrying about every outcome.

I mentioned that I am a mystic and Hermetic. This means I’m all for astrology. You might be reading this and rolling your eyes, saying, “Oh no, not one of those people!”

Yeah, I am. *shrug*

I don’t rely solely on astrology, or put my entire faith in tarot cards and rune stones. I do it mostly for fun. Occasionally to enlighten myself about things I didn’t see before as truths concerning who I am. Here’s one major example:

I’m a Libra.  A proud Libra.

I’ve noticed we get a bad rap because of the more selfish of our sign who make everyone miserable with their cold, standoffish ways. I admit that we can come off a bit indifferent or apathetic. And in the pursuit of justice and what’s right and fair, it can seem like we are a bit harsh. But DEEP down, we care very much about people, so much so that we don’t want to inflict any unfairness on anyone. We are always weighing our options and don’t want to make a decision too hastily. This can sometimes make us a wee bit indecisive. 

Which is why it’s such a big deal that I’m rooted in my faith and sure of my future when I’m in that “happy garden place.” For me not to question where I’m going, that’s huge. And wonderful. It’s exhausting always trying to know which is the right path to take.

When I can find the calm of that place, it frees my mind so that I can hear God speak.

Here’s another example of me playing around with mysticism. This time using numerology (Numerology is any belief in the divine, mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events):

In numerology based off of my birthday, I am associated with Life Path number 1. Based off my name I am associated with the number of 8.  This is what the website “Scientific Psychic” says about my numerology numbers.

“The Life Path 1 suggests that you entered this plane with skills allowing you to become a leader type rather easily. Your nature is charged with individualistic desires, a demand for independence, and the need for personal attainment.”

And…

“Number Eight People like to set their own hours and will not tolerate too much discipline. They are also very offended if they are criticized. They cannot work well under pressure and must be allowed to do things at their own speed.”

This was news to me, at the time I read it. I wasn’t sure what it was talking about. I’ve mentioned my strong relationship with my parents, and how much I enjoyed school for the learning aspect. I couldn’t fathom what it was saying about a need for independence, in fact, I was perfectly happy depending on others. I chalked it up to “generalized descriptions meant to appease the masses.“

Eight years later, and I’m sitting here imagining hitting the road, driving in a gypsy caravan, tied down to no one and nothing. A debt free life of adventure and change and INDEPENDENCE. The freedom to choose where I work, how I work, what I do, and when I do it. With my eyes closed, I can see my RV. I can see the open road, the glorious country side. And, just like when I think of my happy garden place, I feel content. In my heart, I know this is what I want. In addition to this dream.

Independence. Freedom to choose my life. And the ability to run as far and wide as I desire. A close relationship to God. No worries, bills, constraints on my time. A fresh, organic life of motion and action. No desks and phones and reports. Making the things I love, selling what I can. Living simply.

That sounds like one great life to me. But some people would look at me like I’m crazy if they knew I was secretly looking at RVs for sale online, or pricing out how much I have left to pay on my little student loan debt. They would say that I was losing my mind, to choose the road over a large house, husband and kids, good paying job that works me from 6 AM to 6 PM. Picket fence, little beagle for the kids to play with. Sub-compact car.

The “American Dream”.

After years of fretting, fearing that I was broken because I didn’t want that future, I accepted that “The American Dream” doesn’t have to be my dream. All I’ve ever wanted, even as a child, was to be happy. In fact, that was routinely my answer for the “What do you want to be when you grow up” question.

Happy. 

And if that means living the life of a Hermetic, Mystic, Pantheistic, Buddhist, Christian Traveling Crafter, then so be it.

I guess, I wrote all of this to say… We’re all different. Too many times, I find myself and others looking at various success stories from other people’s lives and wondering how to get the same result.

“She has a loving, godly husband and she went to this church to get him. I need to go there.”

“Her kids are smart, well mannered, and don’t eat sugar. I want to raise my kids just like her.”

“His small business is thriving, and he has a nice house and cars. I need to follow his business model exactly.”

We analyze each thread of their clothing, trying to emulate it to get the life they have, because that’s what we think we want. And that’s how we think we will get it. But if we are honest with ourselves, we should know better than to aspire to someone else’s life. We will just burn ourselves out and become disappointed. Or worse, disillusioned.

Life isn’t a one size fits all kind of deal.

Just because I want a life a independence with little responsibility, doesn’t mean that you should. And just because I find myself closest to God among nature and the sky, doesn’t mean that you should forsake your congregation to run barefoot in the fields with me. It’s so important, in your physical life and your spiritual life, that you find what speaks to your heart.

The Heart Chakra from 3ho.org

I am many things.

I am a woman, African American, 24, creative and artistic, investigative and analytical, family oriented, flighty, a Libra, a year of the Goat kid, a ‘1’, a ‘8’, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Pantheist, a Mystic, a Hermetic, a daydreamer, a writer, a sister, a couch potato, a yogi.

All of these things make up ‘me’ and what I want. There is no one exactly like me.

There isn’t a mold made for another person will fit me perfectly. It may come close, but it won’t be perfect. This is something I know. Following a recipe made by others will only get you so far. Only by taking that recipe and making it your own, to satisfy your tastes, will you truly find what you need. And, at the end of the day, whatever brings you closest to God (so long as it doesn’t cause harm to others) is all that matters.

Whatever speaks to your heart, is all that matters.

I think we all deserve a life of happiness and love. But that might just be the hippie in me talking.

~Indigo

The RV dream actually came to me as a suggestion from my parents who are thinking of doing the same when they retire. I’m still family oriented, ;D, we are all just going to be on the road together. And just for a reference, here’s mysticism. You can learn more about Hermeticism on the new page in the menu!

  Hopes and Dreams – Speaking to My Heart Author's Note: Buckle up, kids, this is going to be a different kind of blog post. We're digging into astrology and numerology today, and if that isn't your cup of tea, please feel free to read some of my other posts.

[senplisite]

A Little Thought - Neighbors

A Little Thought – Neighbors

Good Monday Morning Everyone! It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and a beautiful day to be neighbors! I always loved Mr. Rogers. His soothing voice could have ended the most terrible tantrums. I would watch his show and just marvel at the stories he’d share and the lessons he’d teach. He was an amazing man. Even now, when someone says the words neighborhood and neighbors, his voice comes…

[senplisite]

My Favorite Thing - Psalm 91

My Favorite Thing – Psalm 91

My favorite thing at the end of this warm, rainy week is Psalm 91. The whole thing. That’s right. The ENTIRE Psalm. I love this Psalm. When I had terrible nightmares, this Psalm saved me from never sleeping again. Reading through this made me feel incomparably safe. And loved. Here it is. Psalm 91 (ESV) My Refuge and My Fortress 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High     will abide in…

[senplisite]

Devotion - 20 Posts in 2016

Devotion – 20 Posts in 2016

A long time ago, that wasn’t really that long ago, I started this blog. And like the rest of the projects I had at that time, I assumed it would be a display of my passion and dedication to the arts and my faith. I thought, “Surely as I rise each morning and sleep each night, I will post everyday, messages of faith and triumph and love.” Alright, it might not have been that poetic. But I didn’t…

[senplisite]

A Little Thought - Public Speaking

A Little Thought – Public Speaking

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Except handle heights, jump out of an airplane, kill a spider, watch scary movies at night, deal with clowns, and public speaking. Isn’t it funny that we have a list of things we just CAN’T do? Things that we can’t handle or even want to try. It could be fears, it could be phobias (different than fear and a lot harder to combat), it could be…

[senplisite]

My Favorite Thing - Pictures

My Favorite Thing – Pictures

My favorite thing this week has to be melancholy images. I’ve always had an affinity for melancholy. I once saw somewhere that Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad. And sometimes, that’s true. I love the calm, quiet, introspection that melancholy brings. It blossoms creativity in me. I can’t lie and say that brooding has never been enjoyable. I believe that there are seasons for every temper,…

[senplisite]

50 Likes on Sunday’s Scrawlings This post was both unplanned and unexpected, but I wanted to thank you all for supporting me through this blog.