Mad Macedonian

Synchroncatity 3: Of Empty Parking Lots, Catty Book Bags and Refunds From Glenn Beck

A couple of weeks ago life took me to a vast empty parking lot at a closed Costco, in Huntington Beach, then to the nearby Barnes N Noble. :-D
 
This new Costco has its food court outdoors, which allows for it to thus have a vast area of tables.
 
So I plopped myself down in the middle of all these tables in this empty lot for a half hour of journal writing as all these cars, full of people who had thought, as I did, that the place was gonna be open, drove by, looked at me funny. :-D
 
One car had its windows down so I yelled..."I decided to get here early to avoid the long lines tmorrow morning!" :-D

 

 
Anyway, I went to the bookstore and out of curiosity asked if they had a book, by Nina Amir, called How to Blog a Book and More.
 
They had 1 copy, and a search  found it was not where it was supposed to be, but we found it.

 
I decided to buy it, and as I made my way to the checkout I came across a $17 book bag, meant for long use, with cute cat art in the form of Cats drawn as famous writers Shakespeare, Twain, Poe, Tolstoy, on one side and Austen, Dickinson, and the Bronte Sisters, on the other.
 
More Synchroncatity? :-D

Speaking of which...

 

Dear Mr. President: No One Does My Writing For Me

The other day President Obama attacked the ingenuity, creativity and drive, of the Americn Buisinessman and woman.

“If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.”

By extention he attacked all of us who want to do great things with the talents given us by The Great Creator, whether it's start a business, or turn our writing into books, or put it to other creative media uses.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney responded: "Obama attacks success" and These Hands Ad.

Glenn Beck gives a powerful response.

Rush Limbaugh gives a powerful response.

Zombie, of PJ Media: 

"President Obama’s instantly infamous “You didn’t build that” speech is a major turning point of the 2012 election not because it was a gaffe but because it was an accurate and concise summary of core progressive fiscal dogma. It was also a political blunder of epic proportions because in his speech Obama unintentionally proved the conservatives’ case for limited government."

The Ultimate Takedown of Obama’s ‘You Didn’t Build That’ Speech

 

Faith and Creative Affirmations

Here are some thoughts I wrote down back at the beginning of the year, in my Artist's Way Workbook...

I believe in a Higher Being who gives me the power and strength to grow as a person and a writer. I believe a faith, not just in God, but in myself, can go a long way toward supporting my creative growth and expansion. I just have to be open to the signs and messaged the great Creator sets in my path and sends me, that will guide me along the path that is best for me and I'm meant to travel in my personal and creative life.

I'm open to developing a deeper, stronger, understanding of the Bible and gaining a deeper, stronger, creativity sustaining faith.

AFFIRMATIONS ABOUT MY CREATIVITY GOING FORWARD:

1. My creativity helps in my physical healing and renewed good health.

2. I have begun to nurture my inner creative writer in new ways.

3. As I follow my creative heart I am taking a journey to a more fulfilling personal and creative life.

4. I am willing to create and be led by my faith in a great Creator and my abilities to let myself be creative.

5. I am willing to be of service to others through my creativity.

6. I am willing to go where I am led by the Great Creator, my inner intuition and trust, to start my life personally, career-wise and creatively, even if it is in anotehr state than Ca. entirely.

7. I am willing to challenge myself in new ways personally and creatively.

8. I am taking new steps toward a creative life!

9. I am finding new ways to explore my creative talents.

10. I am gaining confidence and competence in my creativity.

11. I am and will continue to create, new poetry, new stories and new humor.

12. I am bike riding again!

13. I will get a new job!

14. I'm not afraid!

15. I'm not worried about the future. With faith and courage, my future will take care of itself in God's own time.

PYTW 42: Wishes for the Future

Prompting Yourself  To Write 42: Six categories, five wishes each.

This was an exercise, from The Artist's Way Workbook, that I did back around January.

Things I hope to do in the next 63 years, hee, hee! :-D

A. Health

1. Live to 115 years of age 2. Lose 35 lbs. 3. Regain health and mobility in my ankle.

4. Don't get a cataract in my right eye. 5. Don't lose my eyesight.

B. Spirituality

1. My faith grows and evolves in positive ways. 2. I find a church with a creed I can believe in. 3. I find a church I can join and be a part of. 4. There is a God. 5. There is a Heaven and I will see my parents there once again.

C. Possessions

1. I will get a new computer someday. 2. I will get a new bike someday. 3. I will get a new desk someday. 4. I will get a better, affordable, apartment, or own a small home, someday. 5. I will get new bookshelves and furniture to fill my new residence up nicely.

D. Creativity

1. I will keep writing poetry and stories. 2. I will keep performing in public. 3. My Cat blog will gain a following. 4. MY blog will too!  5. My Cats and I will get published in various formats beyond just blogging.

E. Career

1. I will move out of the OC and start over elsewhere, preferably Texas. 2. I will get a good paying job that will give me steady employment for at least a decade. 3. I will take career retraining as needed. 4. I will consider going back to college if needed. 5. I wish I win the Lottery big time! Hee, hee!

 F. Leisure

1. I will ride my bike on my 1st Century. 2. I will continue to build my book collection. 3. I will continue to walk and hike for fun and exercise. 4. I will attend my 1st Blog Paws Convention. 5. I will get out more to zoos, museums, galleries, fairs, flea markets, and any other venue that might spark a bit of writing.

PYTW 41: Framing Myself as a Way to Inspire My Hopes and Dreams

Prompting Yourself  To Write 41: Frame yourself!

An April blog post of mine so deeply affected my new friend in writing, Amanda Socci (The Creative Idea Gal), that she strongly suggested I do something a little radical to thus inspire myself.

After reading PYTW 34 - Dear Mad Macedonian: A Love Letter she shared her thoughts in a comment, and on Facebook, where she also share my piece with her friends.

This was her overall message to me:

Dear Kiril: I love this blog post on so many levels.

I cannot begin to express how potent it was. I found it to be exceptionally inspirational. A rich, creative, fulfilling writing prompt. Kudos for having completed this exercise so well.

Here is liquid gold, carefully integrated from your pen, leaving multiple windows of insight into your unique world wide open. Here is my favorite line, and one which I think speaks volumes: "I'm your imagination...proud, bold, unchained, and unafraid!." You are not just the mad macedonian, you are Groucho Marx incarnate!

You write so richly about your life experiences in a way that is truly enviable. You have captured your successes and turned them into power. You must print this out, autograph it, and frame it so that you may remind yourself each and every day of how good you are with your writing and talents.

Bravo!

After re-reading the piece, for the first time since I wrote it, I got to thinking.

I went to Target and spent $10, then came home and printed out the piece, as well as her comments to me.

Then I found 2 other pieces of mine to add to this little creative art project.

Being My Own Cheerleader is a piece I wrote a month ago, inspired by another new friend in writing.

Jo Ann Jordan's  Chronicles Blog began in 2005, and I'm finding it an interesting read.

The last piece added is A Creative Writer's Prayer, written by me last December.

Underneath a B & W printout of the header of this blog is this quote:

As long as I am an American citizen and American blood runs in these veins, I shall hold myself at liberty to speak, to write, and to publish whatever I please on any subject. - Elijah P. Lovejoy, America's first martyr to freedom of the press.

Lovejoy Monument

Original quote: "But, gentlemen, as long as I am an American citizen, and as long as American blood runs in these veins, I shall hold myself at liberty to speak, to write, to publish whatever I please on any subject--being amenable to the laws of my country for the same."

When I once again am settled in a new city and residence, this poster will be hung above my new desk, in a place of honor, and inspiration.

For now, it is leaning next to my desk, within easy reach.

Thank you Amanda, and Jo Ann, for your friendship, encouragement and inspiration.

 

PYTW 40: Dear Me - A Couple of Letters to Myself

Prompting Yourself  To Write 40

Back in December I did a couple of exercises, in The Artist's Way Workbook, involving describing oneself, and writing to oneself.

1. Describe myself at age 80:

Bold, healthy, mentally and physically, though the ankle had a 2nd surgery, to finally remove pins and screws, when I was 65. Living in Texas, 5 years retired from my last job and living off income earned as an award-winning writer of cat themed books of fiction, poetry and short stories and an award-winning online jornalist as a blogger and its successor platform, under the personas of Nikita and Elvira and her 2 proteges.

Married to a woman 30 years my junior, the father of 2. In my early 50's I moved to Texas, and my career as a writer began to evolve and take off and i became more confident in so many ways.

2. Write a letter to my current, 51 yr old self, from my 80 yr old self:

Now hear this, Mad Macedonian!

I know times are tough as 2012 is nearing and you don't know what the future holds for you and America, not to mention the rest of the world. It's against the rules for me to be too specific, but I can at least tell you this much...

Your ankle will get better, you will trade in Ca. for Texas and get a good paying job. Just as important your creative life will will begin to take off in new, profitable, directions. You will, finally, be sent that photo of you on the Red Carpet at that charity event in LA, in 2011, your skills as a writer, storyteller, poet, humorist and online journalist, will finally be seriously noticed and you, Nikita and Elvira will gain new readers and critter blogging connections.

As you gain confidence books will be possible.

Oh, and you WILL meet the woman of your dreams...trust me. :-D

Nikita may be gone by the end of the decade, but Elvira will live just as long as he did and she will raise and nurture and mentor, her own young proteges, rest assured, even as technologies and online platforms, change and evolve.

So, stay strong and keep the faith! America will rise in glory once again and the rest of the world can and does, got to hell. :-D

 

A Mad Macedonian Went to Social Media Day...

The technology and social networking blog Mashable, three years ago, created Social Media Day, on June 30th, as a yearly event where independent meetups occur worldwide for attendees to gather to learn and chat about social media.

Yet again the event at the OC Register HQ, here in Santa Ana, on the 29th, was among the largest in the world (800 people attended) and, this year it had something no other event could lay claim to...Me! :-D

There were 11 presentations and I sat thru 8 of them, taking a few notes along the way. The presentations I found most interesting were about how freelancers can utilize social media, going beyond youtube 101, how to use pinterest for brands and integrating videos on a blog.

At one point I was among some attendees that were taken up to the 3rd floor pressroom, and sat at a table with Register Journalists for a chat about using social media.

I mentioned my blogs and, so far, inefectual efforts to attract interest from OC shelters, rescues and pet stores, in Meowsings, wondering what could be done to turn that around.

Their responses were interesting and I passed out my card in the hope they might stop by for  look.

The OC Register has the 4 hr. video, of the presentations, with details about how to skip to the speakers you want to hear.