Boo!

So I while I realise I haven't been good at keeping up in my journal here, I do have a valid reason. I have been massively busy and stressed with stuff going on at work. I'm happy to say the stress has been dealt with and things are a lot more manageable now. Unfortunately, I have had to quit my apprenticeship. I can't remember if I said I was doing it. It was a retail NVQ level 2 apprenticeship I was doing at work. It got really hard and I began getting so stressed I was making myself ill over it. After I decided to pull out, I felt a massive wave of relief, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I feel it was the right thing to do, as being sick because of stress is not a great situation, and I can't afford any sick days from work.
Anyhoo... besides all that, I have been trying also to keep up with my journaling. Sunday I will take some pictures so I can post them here. I'm also reaching out to people. I think I might have mentioned this, so I apologise if I am repeating myself...
I used to write to a lot of people back in my teens, all the way up to my 20's. When I started working, that kind of went to the waste side and I lost contact with a lot of my friends, unfortunately. I am now back, wanting to write with people and have put myself out there on Penpal World. I really want to connect with like minded people, who are into similar things. I'm learning to draw, so I love that. I love Journalling and also music, TV, movies, writing, reading and collecting comic books. If you would like to become penpals with me, please drop me an email at lifeinacartoon@outlook.com and tell me a little bit about yourselves.

I'm excited also to share with you some drawings I have been doing. As I have said I am learning to draw, teaching myself on the internet using tutorials I find on YouTube. I haven't yet made another video, simply because I am lacking in confidence. It takes me a while to build myself up to doing anything like that and while shit's been flying at work, it's kinda knocked me a little bit.
But hey ho.. I'll get there.

I hope it's not too long before I write here again.
You can see my drawings over on Instagram - @lifeinacartoon


Toodle pip

Just Draw It

I've been feeling rather artsy today. I started watching some journal ideas on YouTube, and there was one channel made by Brie. She made some tutorial videos and so I became inspired to paint. Since I've been at it for the better part of the day, I haven't much else, besides bring in my shopping which I ordered online and do a bit of housework. Can't remember if I mentioned this, but I started watching The Good Wife on Netflix. It's a show I kept by passing for ages, but then suddenly got the urge to watch it the other day and have been binge watching it. So here are my paintings. I'm just learning so, I know they're not gonna be brilliant, but I really do like them and very proud of myself for making the effort.

Busy, busy

I’m back at work now, so my hobbies have slowed down a bit. I’m still collecting the materials I need to make my journal look good. Although I have made a start, I feel like I want to start again and make it better. I’ve also started a YouTube channel and posted my first video which you can watch here: I’m still learning so much about these things and I guess it will take some time before I get as good as some of those very popular You Tubers, but for my first video, which was filmed on my phone, I’m quite pleased. It’s also a big deal for me to do anything such as speaking on videos because I have a speech impediment. I’m hoping it will help me with my confidence too. At work, I’m doing an apprenticeship and I’m going to have to do presentations and record myself talking which scares the life out of me, especially in front of people who I’m not too familiar with. So this will help me practise in that area and overcome my worst fears. Already, having uploaded my first video has given me a great boost of confidence and I’m already looking forward to my next video.

Lazy

I didn’t really do anything creative yesterday. Mainly because I need to pick up some supplies. I am trying to make some signatures to insert in my journal and don’t have anything. So instead I spent the day playing video games. Uncharted 4, which I bought when it came out, but only just got around to playing it. I finished it within a couple days. I actually started on Thursday of last week. Although, due to work commitments I only got to play it for a few hours each day. Today I have to go to work and meet with my Learn Direct Coach. I’m doing an apprenticeship in retail, NVQ Level 2. It’s only a meeting for a few hours, so I have the rest of the day to myself. I’m hoping to be able to go into town to get some more scrap paper, but I’ll see how I feel when I get out of work. I have also joined a Penpal site. I used to penpal all the time in my 20’s and I realised the other day how much I really miss it. I didn’t think people wrote letters anymore, but to my surprise, there is still a massive community of people who like to write letters. I hope to find some interesting people who like to write as much as I do.

Progress

Today I caught a bus into town. It was Sunday, so as usual, all the stores close early, but I was able to get most of everything I needed. I’m having some trouble finding everything that I need. Stamps for instance. The rubber ones to make decorations with. They aren’t as cheap as I hoped and the ones I’ve looked at I’m not even sure I like. I’m also waiting on stuff I ordered from Amazon and Ebay. I have no idea when its due. Could be today, then again it might not even get here until Wednesday or Friday. I’ve found I’m slightly impatient waiting for things I want to use! So far I have created two signatures (inserts) and two pages. I can’t wait to do more. Although I really need to get some more scrap paper. When I have done a bit more, I’ll take a photo to show how much progress I’ve made. On other news, the new episode of Orphan Black is out. I went to try and watch it this morning but was far too distracted. I’ve got loads I want to do, and yet feel I haven’t got much time in which to do it. A week can go awfully fast when you’re having fun. I still need to catch up and do some writing later today when I get a chance. Right now I am just too darn tired to think. Gonna sign off and grab some sleep.

The Journal Has Begun

I'm well on my way to creating my journal of my dreams. Actually, I wasn't aware it was actually my dream until a couple nights ago when I searched on YouTube about Journalling and found it it's almost like an extreme sport -- extreme journalling! Here are my favourite vloggers so far:

CreativelyFree2Bme

Johanna Clough

Documented Journey

Snazzy Avery

I mean, seriously, I had no idea it was such a huge thing until I began watching all these videos about journalling, which by the way, isn't unlike scrapbooking, I guess on a smaller scale and things you put in your journal are more personal and meaningful. You can have more than one journal going, according to SnazzyAvery. She has a journal, it seems for almost all occasions. I am not sure how mine is going to turn out, but hey, I am just getting started! However, I'm very psyched. And to boot, I am officially now on holiday so I can begin as soon as I have all the materials I feel I need to start! Right. I know, short entry today, but I'm so bushed

One More Day

I have a penchant for buying stationary stuff. It's not like I actually need, or use most of it, yet I still find myself handing my debit card over the counter - "Please, why don't you take my money again for these post stick notes I'll never use." I can hear the voice of Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail and in my head, he's saying those magic words - 'a bouquet of sharpened pencils."

So while we're on the subject of stationary - I knew I had a point to this post, and here it is: I have bought myself I leather bound journal. I don't know exactly what I'm going to write in it since I never know what to write in journals. I guess is the same reason I have a hard time keeping blogs. I am going to make a concerted effort, however. At least it will be easier to keep a promise to write a journal than it will to tell myself not to eat chocolate (I really need to stop doing that too). Anyway, at least the post stick notes and stationary I have bought might come in handy. All I need now is a polaroid camera. Or an app that makes polaroid frames! Then I can make an awesome journal with photos to boot! I figured if I am going to start taking pictures of stuff to put in my journal, I may as well go ahead and take a picture of it too! You know, to show it off. Because I'm not going to actually show it to anyone. I don't want anyone to actually read it! Hell no!

 

Right, I am gonna turn in and get some much-needed sleep.

See you on the flip side.