If you’re a busy girl like me, you learn to cherish the few true moments of freedom you have with the people you care about. My advice for anyone who is reluctantly working long hours and feels burnt out is this: take that break when you need it. Spend time with your important people. Get things off your mind or talk some things out. Go out. Live life. If you don’t live life, you can’t be the best you can be at your career. (Note, living life is not the same as living in the moment or living life fast. That’s a different blog topic, though). Sometimes you need to put these things on hold while you finish a project, but the moment that project is done–take care of you.
Having moments where you reward yourself and treat yourself well are important for your health as well as your social life–without them, you’ll hit your wall faster than you ever expected. Am I speaking from personal experience? Of course I am. The above advice is something I tell myself as well as you, my friends.
In lieu of art or fashion (because neither have really happened lately–sorry folks! I have the coming week to fix that, but for now I’m focusing on schoolwork), I will show you my night out instead.
Scott and I went out on a night walk earlier this past week, and I took pictures. San Jose is interesting to walk around downtown at any time of day, but at night it’s the most interesting. I’ve been taking these same walks for years and I always enjoy myself.
Walking past Hydration, a bubble tea and coffee cafe.
San Carlos Street. Probably less interesting for you than it is for me.
We decided to stop at Icebee’s, one of the many Frozen Yogurt places dotting downtown San Jose. It was my turn to buy and share, and I love to make my froyo as decadent as possible. Scott wanted green tea, I wanted everything else.
Icebee’s has a really nice feel. Most froyo places have some kind of unique decor to them, and this one is no exception.
Outside the San Jose Repertory theater. I’ve heard rumors that it may close down, which would be quite sad. The more arts we have in our south bay city, the better.
Paseo de San Antonio. One of the nicer aspects of downtown San Jose are these wide walkways with shops.
I apologize if any of these photos are very dark. My laptop screen shows these photos in near perfect (yet night time) clarity.
If any of the photos are too dark or something, feel free to leave a comment. I’ll make sure to fix that for the future.
Kirsty Mitchell: GORGEOUS Photography! Can I do shoots like this when I grow up, please?
Already Pretty – She is Herself: Continuing my list of body-positive, girl-positive-related links. Sally consistently posts things that are quietly inspirational for me.
This is a peer-to-peer network – An awesome concept. Offline, peer-to-peer USB hubs where you can see what people are sharing. Of course, the dangers of malicious software are there.
RockMelt – I’m testing out the beta for RockMelt. Internet nerd goggles are on.
Oddities – Shows like these are few and far between. Check out this new show, based on an oddies and obscurities collection shop!
The Bone Room – in the spirit of oddities, check out the Bone Room. It’s more science oriented, but the people who run it have a similar flavor of different. Mythbusters come here occasionally for pig and scientific human pieces, or at least, have done so in the past. This is a shop I can actually visit, as it’s located in Berkeley.
Blood Spatter Manicure – Jillian Venters presents a spooky spin for nails. Perfect for Halloween which is right around the corner!
Blackberry PlayBook – I’m intrigued. But as with any of these tablets, will it have appeal to the design market, so that there will be art apps created for it? I ask myself that question with every big name tablet that comes out.
Why Can’t Middle-Aged Women Have Long Hair? – An amazing article about a woman in her 50s who refuses to cut her hair off. Considering I love the way older women look with longer hair, I guess I’m one of the weird few who don’t find this a minor taboo. And, considering I’m growing my hair out? She makes some lovely points.
I’m OK. – An article that shoots home a point that is being shouted by more and more women–”all women are real women”. Deliberately uninformed, relentlessly so – A rant about those who willingly keep themselves uninformed in an age where being informed should be standard. Sidenote: I watch very little TV in comparison to the rest of the nation. I have my few TV shows, but otherwise my TV is off.
Disclaimer: I find my links from other blogs, from friends, from twitter, facebook, etc. Sometimes I come across it on my own. If I gave credit to everyone I found links from, I’d probably have very little link on this link list. So, credit to you, bloggers and friends, who find these links and enable me to continue to share them.
Several serious links, nerdy links, and girly links this week.
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Graphene Will Change the Way We Live: Fascinating stuff! It will only begin to be implemented by the time I’m old and wrinkly, but the implications are grand.
Gala Darling: One of the more popular blogs I’ve run across. She gives sound advice and consistently tries to please her readers. Inspiring, really. I purchased her year’s work of podcasts.
Neocon Like Me: An amazing article on ridiculous spending on the American University in Iraq and the gross incompetence of many of the people working there. Why is it still there?
Let me introduce myself. You can call me Mina Caustic, or just “Mina” if you prefer. This website is my personal hub. I blog here. I post my artwork here. I post my photo shoots here as well. I may even post occasional autobiographical comics. I also post my own photography, weekly outfits, what I’m making (whether it be some sort of handmade creation or food), and whatever else I think might interest other people.
If one of the many things I listed does not interest you, simply click on one of the categories above. You will be directed to a portion of my site that focuses on the section of interest you like. Otherwise, enjoy the melange.
I live in San Jose, CA while I attend San Jose State University for my BFA in Animation/Illustration. I hope to go into illustration through my training.
I like fringe fashion, subculture (my home subculture being goth), the sublime, and the whimsical. I admit that I am a huge nerd. I read comics, I love the internet, gadgets and technology fascinates me. I’m always trying to learn about new things and how to do new things (and that distracts me from school). I have too many hobbies and interests, and it’s distracting, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am completely strange, out there, zany, eccentric–any synonym thereof. I hope you enjoy what I have to post.
Hello! Welcome to Sweetly Caustic.