Hey Rabble Rousers – I hope you had a great and safe holiday with friends and family. It’s always a mixed bag when it comes to the years’ end. On one hand, it makes me a little sad thinking about the good times and looking at old photographs. But on the other hand, it’s a new year to create new memories, new projects, and face new challenges. This also means that right after the holidays, it’s time to hit the road at full speed!
Here are some random tidbits to get us going!
(1) Get creative with Tara Lazar’s annual StoryStorm Challenge!
It’s not too late to join Tara’s StoryStorm. It’s an annual creative challenge to help you shake that old noggin, get inspired, and get some story ideas going. It’s easier than you think, and anyone can do it.
I wrote an article for StoryStorm last year and you can find it here: (https://taralazar.com/tag/ken-lamug/)
To register for the challenge (and also participate in the daily book prizes) just follow the link: https://taralazar.com/2021/12/27/storystorm-2022-registration/
(2) How to Find Yourself Again
Whenever I’m needing the extra kick I often find myself watching motivational videos of all kinds. Here’s one I found a few weeks back that really inspired me in the right way. I hope it does the same for you.
(3) Draw backgrounds in 2 Easy Steps with Google Earth!
Drawing videos always make things sound so easy, but they’re usually backed with thousands of hours’ worth of experience and knowledge. In this video by Ethan Becker, he shares some of his knowledge on how to create some beautiful backgrounds with the help of references.
(4) Be who you are and say what you feel!
A memorable quote by Dr. Seuss reminds us that it’s important to be true to ourselves. We’re bombarded with so much information that often, we listen to the wrong “influencer” or compare our accomplishments to others. We know how this affects us emotionally and mentally yet it’s something that we tend to do because it’s in our nature.
Part of celebrating the New Year is to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have and those who have supported us along the way. So, thank you, once again, my friends. These simple words are more significant today than ever before.
(5) Who else loves looking at old videos? Vintage Los Angeles from 1930s
Moving forward in the year also means looking at the past and where we’ve come from. I’m really enjoying these vintage colorized videos of Los Angeles from the 1930s. Even back then it looks pretty busy! It truly is amazing to see how far society has progressed and yet there’s still so much we can do to better ourselves and each other.
(6) New app to try out – Notion!
I know some of you are gearheads like myself… nothing is more fun than trying new software and seeing what we can make of it. Here’s a new writing app that my son showed me — NOTION. It’s a cool app that’s great for writing, notes capturing, task management, journaling etc. I love the simple interface and yet powerful functionality. You can give it a go for free and let me know how you like it: https://www.notion.so/
(7) Get my latest book — Mischief and Mayhem!
A quick plug (of course)… make sure to get your signed copy of Mischief and Mayhem from my local indie bookstore. I’m often at the bookstore signing books and including posters, stickers, and other cool stuff with every order.
Get yours here: https://www.thewritersblock.org/mischief
(8) Last one, “The Art of Encanto” Art Book
Did you get a chance to see my previous blog post about Disney/Pixar’s latest animated film, “Encanto”? It’s a great movie full of heart, magic, and singing. I was able to get a copy of the art book and made a nice video preview of all the goodies. Make sure to check it out and see some of the behind the scenes: https://www.rabbleboy.com/preview-disneys-the-art-of-encanto-art-book/
So, with that being said, let’s wrap up this post and I need to get to work. My 2022 goal is to create more stories for you to enjoy and enjoy more of life to inspire those stories!
By the way, how are you liking this blog post? It’s a little bit of a mixed bag because we all love all kinds of stuff (like myself). Let me know, do you dig it or should we kick it?
And if you dig it, make sure to share it!
-Ken (Rabbleboy)
