“Blogging On”
pen and watercolour illustration 9″ x 12″
Jean Burman Copyright 2008
It’s been one year today since I wrote my very first article for this BLOG! Back then I didn’t have a clue what I was doing! And 52 weeks… 66 articles and 40 cartoon/ illustrations later… I still don’t! ~grin~ But one thing I do know… it’s been massive fun!
I have learned a couple of things though.
I’ve decided there is a very good reason why the word blog also rhymes with the word slog… not to mention the words plod, flog, job and sob. And they say there are no coincidences! ~grin~
Blogging is not for the faint hearted. Topics don’t just fall from the sky on the day you would like them to… but having said that… I’ve been very surprised how often they turn up at the eleventh hour and pretty much write themselves! Like all creative “process”… it can’t be hurried. I firmly believe there is a time and a place for every story… and every picture ever made or written. Having faith and trusting in the “process” really helps!
Blogging is hard work. Especially when you need artwork to go with stories at least once a week! The cartoons and illustrations have really helped here… as once the idea has been “conceived” the work materialises onto the page fairly quickly. The cartoons are pure joy… I love to do them! They generally take around 3 hours to complete… sketching out… inking in… then applying the watercolour washes… (allowing for drying times in between). By the time I’m done I’ve become firm friends with many of the characters who turn up on the page. And they all pretty much remind me of “someone somewhere” in the real world!
Blogging is a solitary pursuit… (but way less lonely than the pursuit of the practising studio artist). It does however require that a certain amount of solitary time be set aside “just to think”. Ideas percolate continually… and I’ve learned the hard way how imperative it is to write them down as soon as they surface… even if it means getting out of the shower with your hair still in a lather… or screeching to a halt in the express lane on the Motorway… or crawling around on the floor in the dead of night looking for your glasses! This past year I have written and sketched on pretty much whatever I had to hand when the idea struck… from paper napkins to toilet paper… but even then… the best ideas slipped by in the middle of the night when I was too tired to get out of bed… and too sure they would still be there in the morning! They weren’t……. alas! *sigh*
Blogging is a great way to find out who your friends are (okay just kidding)… but this place would be way less fun without the loyal support of the many friends (who visit here from the four far-flung corners of the earth)… and who choose to step up to the plate to comment on what’s been said… or what’s been painted… or just to say “g’day how are ya’ mate!” I love you all!
Blogging is a mystery to most people in the real world. Sad but true. I can’t tell you how many times friends in the real world have enthusiastically told me “Oooo… I love your BLO(B)… I read it back in September… anything new since then?” Sheesh… I can’t even remember September… a year’s a long time in the blogger’s world! LOL
Some interesting stats…
In excess of 17,000 people from a total of 25 countries have visited this website over the past 12 months. Kinda scarey eh? (but in a good way!)
There have been 1,085 comments made over that time… (probably at least half of them mine! ~chuckles~) as friends and visitors participate in the many and varied conversations that go on “behind the topics” on any given day. For those not in the know… it’s a whole ‘nother world back there and a great place to be! Conversations sometimes ramble on for a week or more and have reached the over 40 mark on several occasions as we banter back and forth on relatively tame topics ranging from politics to sex to religion (!) So next time you visit… don’t forget to check the COMMENTS… and jump right in if you want to!
I’ve discovered that Blogging is a lot like life really. Unpredictable, unreliable, unrelenting, and consistent only in it’s inconsistency… but thoroughly absorbing and fascinating too! The pays nothing to write home about… but then that’s not the reason we do it. So why do we do it? (As a working artist, writer, wife and mother, with my work cut out for me already… I really can’t say! *wink*) No-one really knows. We just do it because we can’t not… and it IS a heck of a lot of fun!
{ 1 trackback }
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Good work mum!
Thanks for stopping by Andy! You’re beautiful!
Aaaawwww…ain’t that sweet! Thanks from me too Andrew!!!
Well congrats to you girl!!! A job and a blog well done Jean, it has not been a task to visit you here at all! Many cuppas have been had, whilst contemplating the world “according to Jean” LOL!!!! In fact it has become a ritual of my every day (Must pop in to Jeans to see whats happening!). I raise my glass, tea cup and beer bottle to you!
Love the cartoon too Jean!!!
The world according to Jean!!! Crikey!!! Is the world really ready for that? (((hilarious laughter)))
Thanks Jools… it’s been great fun!
You my dear have to be commended for all the treats we enjoy and with very little effort compared to your slog . I have tried a notebook by the bed but the written word scrawled in the dark is not understood in the early morn. I now have a dictaphone (as once known) can I undestand the jargon ? Nope ! so it lies forlorn
Meditation sometimes brings back the forgotten night thoughts .Then it is also so easy to dream off somewhere else and we are back to square one grin.
I also looove the cartoons Long may you reign
Elinor… you know exactly where I’m coming from… those illusive thoughts… and worse yet… those elusive dreams! LOL I was reading recently the words of some famous author or another…(umm… maybe it was Herman… can’t remember cos I didn’t write it down! ~grin~) but he/she said… always write down those ideas and words when they come to you because they won’t come again. Whoever they were… they were right! LOL
Thanks Elinor… you’re a sweetheart
Jean, your writing has become a ray of sunshine in my life! I love your angle, your humor and your trust in the goodness of people! And to top it off you are a fabulous artist! My! Where do you find the time, let alone the energy!? Kudos to you girlfriend! My you continue on indefinitely!
PS Just a curious footnote…why is the lady kicking a tray full of butts? You don’t smoke, do you? Please tell me you don’t smoke! If so….STOP!!!!!! Please!!!! For the sake of all those fans of yours that love you!
Nooo Mary… I definitely DON’T smoke! The reference was to “kicking butt” which I’m apt to do in controversial topics! LOL Thats all… nothing sinister… in fact I have no vices at all… DARN it! (except for maybe coffee and cake) LOL
Thanks so much for your warm praise and lovely encouragement… what a beautiful gift that is! I will take it to my heart and march more determinedly on…
Thank you
Don’t you think encouragement is the warm breeze this world needs to reach it’s full potential? If only there were more of it… and I DON’T mean for me… I mean for EVERYONE! I have a crazy hunch there is “nothing” that couldn’t be achieved in the world, if every person in it, gave the open-hearted gift of praise where it was due… and encouragement where and when it was needed. And believe me… EVERYONE needs it! There are no exceptions. In my view… this would be our ultimate gift to each other… and to a world sorely in need of more good things. I know it sounds corny… but just imagine! I know I know… EVER the idealist! LOL
It’s perfectly fine to be an idealist Jean…just not a smoker, (Ha! I knew in my heart you didn’t smoke…you’re so health conscientious…but I have to say, I’m relieved, nonetheless…I could just never imagine you lighting up, (except with ideas and creativity, of course!). So…Kicking butt…I should have picked up on that! What a ding dong I am! March on, dear friend, march on…
Jean …encouragement is the soil that grows the seed of inspiration! And you, dear friend have a well fertilised paddock!!! Many seeds have been grown!
And it’s a good thing we don’t have water restrictions… a girl can’t grow seeds without adequate water… even if the paddock is well fertilised! LOL Thanks Jools!
Jean….I so wish to have enough water.
Oh boy, as you well know, Jean, this resonates with me deeply, having just posted my 455th daily blog entry without missing a day. (And by the way, I appreciate more than your know your loyal support and participation.) Everything you said about the crazed life of the blogger is absolutely dead on, except that I must admit for me it’s become so much of a routine and habit that I can’t imagine life without it. A joyous routine. I can tell you I’ve greatly enoyed your efforts. Stick with it. I’d miss it if you didn’t.
Can I please break this thread just for a moment to announce ……
A picture painted in oils of “Cottages in Fife” by George Leslie Hunter (1877-1931)
has just been found in a garage in Irvine Ayrshire . Wrapped in newspaper from 1940 ish The valuers expect it to raise over a five figure sum next month The lady (deceased) bought it from him way back Nothing else in the house was of value
So live old horse and you will get corn ……..
Thanks John!
E… what terrific news! Was George Leslie Hunter one of the Glasgow Boys do you know? And was this one of his “known” works or a surprise addition?
Hey… did you see that movie “Who the ^%$#$#@ is Jackson Pollock”? It’s a doco about a similar occurrence… only the Pollock in question was shunned by the art establishment as a fake. The work was unearthed in a thrift shop sale and fell into the hands of a trucker woman who spent the best part of 10 years trying to prove up it’s authenticity. The documentary doesn’t resolve the question… despite considerable efforts to establish the works authenticity forensically. What surprised me was the art establishments flat refusal to even consider it. What a bunch of boffins they are!
Think he was not exactly one of them BUT did know them .
This picture isn’t shown amongst his exhibition at the various galleries SO anything goes .We shall see .
Maybe I should visit here more often. Congratulations …wow a year! that is great! John, you have been blogging for a year too? Congratulations to you too. I tend to keep my thoughts to myself. Maybe I should be more like you two. Jean, what a wonderful legacy you are leaving to your children and to the generations to come. I envy you and John because I have never had that gift. Keep up the good work.
Ellie
Thank you Ellie!
I didn’t mean to end the conversation.
Ellie
Ellie… here you are! I’m glad you eventually found us over in the next topic. Anyone who’s having a similar problem… simply refresh your browser upon each visit… and that will bring you to the new front page. New topics go up usually around about once a week give or take a day or two… if that makes any sense at all! LOL
Alternatively… you can register over in the right-hand sidebar for email updates which will automatically send you the new article as soon as it’s posted up. However… you’ll need to re-visit the website to get the latest comments.
Hi Jean,
Haven’t visited your sight for a while……as always too much on and not enough time to stop and smell the blogs! Your website is truly beautiful in every sense of the word. Your magnificent illustrations are both funny and deep. Your words of wisdom are exactly that. I have really enjoyed spending some time reading through your various postings and revisiting some of the year that was. Thank you so much for sharing.
With love,
Andrew G.
Hi Andrew!
It’s great to see you here! Thanks so much for the lovely encouragement… I’m pleased you enjoyed visiting my humble blog pages. It’s been an interesting year… and like I said… plenty of fun. I’ve learned a thing or two about a lot of things along the way… but best of all I’ve learned a thing or two about myself. And that’s got to be a good thing!
Thanks for stopping by… I am honoured that you did
well done, man