I have a dog,
I walk in the fog,
Built like a pig, like a hog
This is a blog,
I have good dialogue,
In the morning I take a jog,
I love cereal, Kellogg
Barbecue, Hotdog
I jump high, names frog
Around the holidays I drink eggnog

I have a dog,
I walk in the fog,
Built like a pig, like a hog
This is a blog,
I have good dialogue,
In the morning I take a jog,
I love cereal, Kellogg
Barbecue, Hotdog
I jump high, names frog
Around the holidays I drink eggnog
Do ya’ll ever feel talentless? Like there’s no special skill you have thats like unique to you? Because I feel like that all the damn time, and have been felling it even more recently. Like I’m a solid writer, I get A’s and B’s on my english papers, and somewhat similar grades on my journalism stories (so long as I remember to submit art). But like I don’t really have something special. Like I’m not artsy at all, I can’t draw or paint for shit, partially because I don’t know how but also my hands are so damn shaky I always mess it up. I can run like ok, I’m not like Ben running 18 minute 3-mile races, but I can run. I’m not crazy good at soccer or volleyball, I’d say I’m pretty average at both. I managed to make starting squad for volleyball but it’s also the first year we’ve had a boys team since like forever. I’m not especially gifted in terms of smarts. Not like Sarita who is somehow naturally good at every subject, she always sets the curve in AP Chem which lowkey pisses me off because it means she gets a 100 or close to it and I get like a B or an A- at best. I can like build shit, but I’m not the only one who can. There’s Caleb and Ben and Emanuel who are all pretty good at Robotics, though Ben and Emanuel don’t really like it all that much. I can’t play music, I mean I can kinda play the drums, not like Sully but I can play. It’s not like I’m crazy good at piano or guitar or something which are instruments that people actually can listen to alone like on a camping trip or something. I can’t sing at all, like at all, It’s pretty rough when I try. I dunno it just feels shitty sometimes you know? Like I wish I had something that set me apart like that, like in a positive way because believe me there are plenty of things that make me different in a negative way. I dunno maybe I haven’t found what makes me different yet, but I have a feeling that I won’t find it anytime soon, if it exists at all.
I feel guilty for the grades I get in art class. I feel the pieces I do shouldn’t be called art, they are just drawings, sketches, and paintings. In other words, they are not artistic.
But what is considered artistic? Is there a standard to measure how artistic art is?
If we evaluate art on its aesthetics, many pieces will be disqualified. Because for pieces like Duchamp’s toilet and Maurizio Cattelan’s banana duct-taped to a wall, you can’t really tell if it’s atheistic. Especially in modern art, a lot of artworks don’t even have a concrete representation. With these cases, the value of art can’t be determined by if it looks pretty. Many artists also purposefully create art that is “disturbing” or “unpleasant” to the public, which is not “pretty” in the eyes of most viewers. But they are considered art.
As I joined the workforce over summer I found an underlying passion for making smoothies. From the outside smoothies seem basic and boring; but once I was introduced into the world of smoothie making my eyes were opened for the first time in my life. A good smoothie is defined by a smooth texture and an even yet diverse flavor profile. I mastered my techniques while working full time at a deli, juggling responsibilities and multiple orders at a time, while still sanctioning my control over every ingredient and the overall texture of the cool beverage. In the end, smoothie making taught me to keep a level head through adversity.
Photo Credit: tasteofhome.com
Anything is possible
Your ideas scream
You hear screams of passion
Screams of possibility
Screams of the hope you can bring
Screams of the sorrow you lead
Screams of the love you can spread
Screams of the hatred you can unleash
You hear as you release the passion and possibility
The hope and sorrow
The love and hatred
You hear as these overwhelm your mind
Then, you stop hearing and start listening
You start to go
With no thought or care
The pen moves by itself
The music plays itself
Everything becomes thoughtless
Moving with ease
As i have finally arrived
What a beautiful place
Full of people like me
They took a different road
But now we are all here
As one, two walk pass
Free
Going where they please
With such ease
What a wonderful world.
The lights gleam
Everyone is on their own path
Tonight is a soulful night
Now is my time
To look back on the past
i enjoyed the journey
The bluejay has been away
And now is my time
To finally fly
Today I sat down and threw a platter on the wheel. In the end, it will be a chips and salsa platter once I attach another bowl I made to it. I was throwing with a larger amount of clay than I’m used to, and I was seriously struggling. I’m sitting there, sweating, in my stiff wooden chair, cursing and extremely angered at this lump of clay that won’t center for anything. Finally, it centers enough so I can continue. I get it into a nice shape and feel better about my ceramic abilities. Then I go to smooth it, can’t find my usual smoothing rib, and use this old one. Suddenly it slices my finger. I’m bleeding all over this platter, exhausted and mad. I finish the platter with thick clay water, bloody clay water all over my hands and the platter. And surprisingly I feel more accomplished than I have for a while (after finishing a thrown piece).
Moral of the story. Perseverance will not only end with a nice platter, but you will finish your task feeling satisfied and accomplished.
Music is everywhere, even if you do not realize it. It could be playing in a shop you are walking by, or it could be someone playing the trumpet on Hollywood Boulevard.
There are so many different genres of music, for example, pop and blues. Radio shows like Kiss FM and the Heat predominantly play popular songs, like Good Days by SZA. You can find any music genre of your liking on the radio. Music streaming sites such as Apple Music and Spotify allow listeners to create playlists to their liking.
Listening to music one thing, but making it something else. Being able to sing a song or play a chord on the guitar is another feeling. Making music is so moving and beautiful. Even if you are not good at it, making music is an art form. Depending on your mood, for instance, sad music is a very different mood than happy music.
Music is all around us, and it is being made and listened to every single second of every single day.
Right now I am planning for a mural I will be painting on former OVS teacher, Ms. Pasqua’s house. She has inspired me to paint a scene of Ojai with the Topa Topa mountains lined with inspirational quotes. This mural is an outlet for me to express my passion in the fight for equity.
The Ojai Valley has given me so many opportunities to improve myself as an artist, and painting a mural visible to its residents is my way of giving back to the community. I have had practice with this form of art in middle school when we worked on large-scale projects. I helped to work on the Fourth of July parade floats as well as life-size paper mache projects. I painted giant decorations to add to our OVS float, and created letter-signs that spelled out the name of our school.
Growing up and seeing the beautiful murals in Ventura County, I have always wanted to add my own color to the town. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to gain more experience with painting and share my art with the Ojai community.
I have begun selling jewelry to share my hobby with others. It was an arduous process, first creating unique designs, then waiting until the perfect moment in the day where the sun could accent my photographs. I propped my jewelry up against white satin and took four photos of each piece.
Now that I had the photographs, I had to list the jewelry and create titles for each one. My jewelry ranges from sleek, dainty earrings to pearl necklaces with crystal accents. I adjusted the price adequately for each listing, and my shop was up and running.
I created an Instagram account for my shop, @jewels.by.jocy, and now post not only the collection itself, but tips on styling and sneak peaks at new jewelry designs.
For a while I had no sales, though when I began to advertise online, I had received two orders. Now came the many ideas for packaging.
I invested in prettier packing supplies than the ones I had in my desk, and now my jewelry comes propped on custom cards, tucked neatly into a white lace bag with extra floral stickers, and packed away into a bubble mailer with pink crinkle cut paper. I seal it off with a golden sticker before driving it to the post office, ready to find its new home.
Shop my jewelry on Depop @jocyvgonz ❤
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