JGoode

I think about it constantly… what inspires? Not only inspirations for my own work, but others as well.

Why do some artists prefer photography while some prefer oil? Why do some writers focus on children’s stories while some are masters as murder mysteries?

Where does the inspiration come from? Why when we aren’t feeling our creative best, do we blame it on lack of inspiration… as our usualy inspiration pool left for a coffee break?

I don’t think so. I think sometimes we just stop to look at life a little differently than usual. Our focus now unfocus, we lose site of the things that inspire us most. My inspiration is the tiny world I live in.

I think about inspiration quite a bit. I’m constantly in awe of the life that surrounds me. I often wonder how I got to where I am and where I will be tomorrow. But no matter how I look at it, I always come back to a single constant…

my family.

Good, bad, delightful or quirky, sometimes they may be backwards or upside down… my family is the constant that keeps me moving forward. They are the inspiration behind the drive to do more, to be more.   Life inspires me… ultimately my family is my life.

[tags]family,jgoode,tuesdays topic[/tags]

Connections… when I think of making connections, a lot of things come to mind. Connecting to the internet, connecting to people, connecting to clients and customers… connecting legos. Brain waves connecting in my 11-year-old’s head is a connection I often ponder.

My favorite connecting, however, is that of meeting new people and making new friends, business associates and people I can brainstorm with. I love to bounce ideas around with others… troubleshoot problems or dream up new ideas. Finding the right kind of people to “click” with is the fun part, but discovering new ways to look at something and new insight because of those people is the priceless aspect I appreciate most.

Because I work online, and for the most part I eat, sleep and breath online, the majority of my connections have been online and through online means of communication. These relationships are invalueable to me. They tie me to the world of people I can’t necessarily talk with face to face. I learn from these people, I grow and hopefully become better.

I have accounts all over the place at various social networks, galleries and other membership based locations. A few of the places you can find me, other than the obvious of this blog or google “jgoode”, I used to be very active MySpace, now I play on twitter.

I connect with people on yahoo groups, the Switch boards, Ning and now even my own forum over at Nothing But Penguins. A new forum I’ve just started checking out is Indie Boomers, I’ll be over there more soon.

I connect with people while I sell my designs at CafePress, Printfection, ImageKind, Greeting Card Universe and even etsy.

You can connect with me at many more locations like facebook, pods, linkedin, yahoo’s 360 and Y! mash and much more… some I update far more than others… twitter is my favorite right now. It’s like announcing a um, announcement to all my friends at once, plus being in a roomfull of people all yelling out what they’e up to. Kinda neat I say.

You might even find me playing with my kiddos on club penguin – look for a goode and it’s probably one of us – say hello, make a connection. 😀

To finish off my connections thoughts for today, did you know, September 18th is National Play-Dough Day, marking its invention on this date in 1956. I think I’ll connect with the kid inside and play with some dough today 😀

YAY!

What does “making connections” mean to you?

[tags]connections,networking, social networks,tuesdays topic[/tags]

Tomorrow, September 5th is sisters day. So to my sister all the women I call “sister”…

“Sisters touch your heart in ways no other could. Sisters share… their hopes, their fears, their love, everything they have. Real friendship springs from their special bonds.”
– Carrie Bagwell

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.”
– Amy Li

~•~

“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”
– Marion C. Garretty

“Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister.”
– Alice Walker

“Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood.”
– Louisa May Alcott

~•~

“When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder,who stands a chance against us?”
– Pam Brown

“A sister smiles when one tells one’s stories – for she knows where the decoration has been added.”
– Chris Montaigne

“Sweet is the voice of a sister in the season of sorrow.”
– Benjamin Disraeli

~•~

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.”
– Isadora James

Fun Sister Designs:

[tags]sister,jgoode,tuesdays topic,sister day[/tags]