Here he is in all of his glory! Since I received my very first commission request, I’ve spent time just looking at the details that I asked for. James Fuller from Fuller Designs has been making cute little terrors that first caught my eye: his L’il Jammies. It always awesome when you can find a fellow admirer of all things fierce and scary and cute, all at the same time. But when you find someone who can create something from your own imagination, while breathing life into that dream, well you’ve found someone special. I was bitten by the art collecting bug years ago, but only buy pieces that really speak to me so that they remain special in my heart. Usually, the artists that I’m drawn too are depicting something deep inside of me that is pushing to get out….like the Hulk but less painful? And then I saw him: Lobo:

My very own Lobo by the amazing Fuller Designs (thx James)

Of course the one I saw was like him, but not mine because he was already gone (check out James’ store). And I was heartbroken when I realized that I’d found him too late. So I finally mustered up the courage to approach the creator of this magnificent beast to see if I could somehow get him to make another so that my dream would come back to life. Yep, courage because I’ve never approached an artist to ask for something specific that could be touched, admired, loved, and just for me. And lo and behold, he agreed and we discussed the little details that would make him part me as well. I was also a bit leery because there are artists out there that only certain kinds of wallets can meet (that’s definitely not mine). But I’d met someone who is doing this for more than just earnings – he was doing it because he loved what he did. Conversations finally turned into what your eyes are now feasting on. I’d followed Fuller Designs for a while and knew that others were equally ecstatic about him, and now I knew why.

My dreams are probably no where near yours. I’m attracted to so many different things, though they all seem to tie together by an underlying current that strikes at my soul. Whether they are cute or scary, they reflect a little of me. No, I’m not a beast, but I’d like to think that I have that something that keeps someone on a particular path without flinching. Of course, we all flinch, but it’s pushing past that dread that makes us find ourselves.

This is the magic that artists like James hold. There is talent and dreams all around us, waiting for us to find them. Their creations reach out and poke us in the gut to say “Hey! Can you see me? Don’t you want me?” And without question, our answer is “YES! YES! OMG, YES! (Let me check my wallet first) What am I saying, YES!” To James and artists everywhere, thank you, and please don’t stop. Your dreams are fueling a world that we all want to dive into.

…from the bottom of my soul, Thank You!

So, like most of you, I’ve been busy creating dams for others and not for myself. Boy, do I miss being creative. I hope that you all are doing much better at making things than I am.

Well, this has been the week for movie trailers, what with the impending release of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. While I do love Chewie, I am more of a Batman fan. So when I saw the trailer leak yesterday, followed by the official teaser from WB today, I shrieked like a little girl. Seriously, take a look at it:

I’ve only vaguely followed the comic story lines, but there are just so many now that it’s a bit exhausting to keep everything straight in my head. And I’m a writer who thought that I was good at details?! But the storyline of Superman getting a god complex and needing a takedown is indeed a pretty amazing way to twist a character into fitting humanity, don’t you think? Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and it does the same for aliens as well. We’ve seen it in stories like the Green Lantern, Batman, and so many more, and it’s a good reminder that stories are taken from real life which has a tendency of creating trials and tribulations for the masses.

OMG, I cannot wait until 2016 to see Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. March 25, 2016 is so far away. I’m even starting to think that Ben Affleck is going to be pretty good by the looks and sound of him – there’s an honest attempt to capture Batman’s dark side to full potential and I’m all for that!

I will always say YES to the Bat! How’s this for sparking some creativity?! And I forgot to say thanks to the WB for the early present.

update: I made a slight update to the Book of Life movie below, because I can’t believe I was so thoughtless in not recognizing the entire team. Sorry about that because it really was a team effort, as most things are.

It all starts out in silent white. Like new fallen snow waiting for that first footprint before the happiness can come to life. With each new covering, the world gets a chance to start anew. This is what world building feels like to those who choose to build worlds with their hands, their minds, and their hearts. Have you ever tried it yourself? Do you want to?

This picture (thanks, free stock photos) is what happens when the ideas take over and start to create the world that’s in your imagination. Sure, the snow is still there as it’s the foundation, but it’s also transforming into the ever-changing water that takes the shape of anything that you can put it into. Tempted yet?

If not, then try some other inspirations:

Eric Canete: I missed his Kickstarter when he was in the process of creating his epic book, Encore. When I first looked through it, the images simply couldn’t enter my brain. Each image had a life of its own, and the buildup of pages made a whole new world of superheroes, gods, and fairytale denizens. Who knew that lines of black and white could open up a world that was ready to capture all of the colors we could ever come up with? To show you how much I love this book: I lost it during our move, so I got another one because it’s that important to my inspiration process. If you haven’t picked up his book yet, go to Essential Sequential. It’s a treasure you’ll hold forever!

Eric Canete's Encore

Pascal Campion: And to go to another part of the art world, let me introduce you to another visionary who brings heart into every line that he draws. Pascal has such warmth that exudes from ever curved line, every tinge of color that lifts the soul. And he really is such a great guy  who clearly loves his family. Luckily, he came out with a compendium of his sketches called 3000 moments that also got its start through Kickstarter (noticed a trend here?).

Are you like me and words are just as important (all of you writers know what I’m talking about)? Then you probably have your list of favorite authors, just like I do. My latest passion that I finished recently is called the All Souls Trilogy which is made up of A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. The gifted author, Deborah Harkness, is a master of  weaving the stories of history into the magic of the occult, culminating into a breathtaking ride through space and time. If you’re a fan of the likes of Harry Potter and want to mix in some romance, then these books are for you! I hope she writes again soon, but in the meantime I’m planning on going back to the beginning and taking the time jump all over again.

And to bring in the magic of movies, I just got to watch a masterpiece that I didn’t get to see on the big screen. The title will sound familiar to you, but the time and place are in a different part of the world. The Book of Life by Guillermo Del Toro brings the story of Mexico’s Day of the Dead to life in a burst of glorious technicolor through his brilliant use of animation. There simply weren’t words when I finished watching the movie. And when the Candle Maker ends the story with the perfect reminder: Write your own stories, I came to the realization that all of us are driven for this very reason though in very different ways. But first, thank you Guillermo for bringing more magic into our lives as only you can do.

edit: I should have said thank you to the team of the Book of Life because that’s what it took to make this masterpiece. Jorge Gutierrez directed a crew of amazing talents and literally brought a book to life in a way that we used to do all of the time as children.

These are just a few of the people who inspire me . Browse through this blog if you want to see more – anyone or anything that inspires me are the heart of this blog. All of the people that I’m drawn to in my life are creators. Even my husband the engineer can build just about any world with his bare hands and some electronic parts – it’s beautiful to watch. And every person I reached out to on Twitter (my first foray into social media) are people who use their talents to build the world of their dreams. And that’s what world building is all about: DREAMS.

What do you dream about? Does it make you want to put things together in new and magical ways (if it’s magic to you, then it’s magic)? Does it fill you with yearning until you decide to create with your hands, your mind and your soul? If it does, then get busy and build. In case you hadn’t looked around lately, the world could use some fresh new dreams. There are so many creative people out there, but they can always use the support in building a world that even dreams couldn’t come close to.

Just like the Candle Maker said, it’s up to you to write your own story. The rules are yours to make and break, so that you can make the world that you want to build. So get to it!

…p.s. – Reddit had an awesome post today that lead to an important conversation basically reminding us not to judge a book by its cover, but wait to see what’s on the inside: read the comments that’ll make you cry here – they show us that there are good people all around us.

I just stumbled on this Japanese band named Itsue by accident when a video was forwarded by Reddit. Needless to say, I jumped on buying the CDs (yes, I like to hold my music as well as listen to it) and was excited to receive one of them called “Ikutsumo no E“. Here’s a sample of one of the songs on their first album release back in 2012:

Between Mizuki’s beautiful vocals and the powerful instrumental accompaniment by her equally talented bandmates, it’s easy to tell that Itsue (イツエ) is going to have an amazing music career if they stay true to their sound. Their sound is so much more deeper than other JPOP groups (though I haven’t been keeping up with the new groups) that it really draws you in from the first note. Their second album, Tonight Absolutely (今夜絶対) ) is going to be released on 1/21/15 and I for one can’t wait to hear it since they haven’t released anything in a couple of years.

Music is the universal rhythm that links us to the mysteries of life, and teaches us lessons that resonate deep in our souls. And now this amazing band, Itsue, is about to embark on broadening their sound to the world, one song at a time.