Graffiti Joins the Art game!!!!

Here’s my contribution to Dolly’s Art Game!!!!!!!!!!!! Weeeeee………..:)

Floating…

At night, when the sky is full of stars and the sea is still you get the wonderful sensation that you are floating in space.
Natalie Wood

I had the most comforting dream this morning. When I dream it is usually very vivid and this morning was one that was soooooo good I didn’t want to wake up! I was dreaming that I was in Wales, very near my families hometown of Cowbridge. I was sitting on the side of an inlet from the sea and I was surrounded by small children that all came up and told me their names. Some of them were swimming in the channel and there were gentle waves. After going into the town I found myself floating in the channel and the water was so warm and soothing and there was a blue light coming from underneath me as I was floating. It was so nice I didn’t want to wake up. It was so comforting to know that I was so close to my families hometown and I had such a feeling of peace. Most of the time when I have dreams about water they are usually fraught with danger and fear. This was the first time I had ever dreamt such a pleasant dream of water……I think I’ll go back to sleep :). With that I leave you with Christopher Cross….

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Shape Shifting…..

Aquarius Horoscope for week of January 31, 2013

Poet Jacob Nibengenesabe was a member of the Swampy Cree, a First Nation tribe in Canada. He wrote shamanic poems from the point of view of a magical trickster who could change himself into various creatures. In one poem, the shapeshifter talked about how important it is to be definite about what he wanted. “There was a storm once,” he said. “That’s when I wished myself / to be a turtle / but I meant on land! / The one that carries a hard tent / on his back. / I didn’t want to be floating!” By the end of the poem, the shapeshifter concluded, “I’ve got to wish things exactly! / That’s the way it is / from now on.” I hope that will be the way it is from now on for you, too, Aquarius. Visualize your desires in intricate, exact detail. For example, if you want to be a bird for a while, specify what kind.

In his book Starbucked, Taylor Clark says there’s a woman who goes to a Seattle Starbucks every morning and orders a “decaf single grande extra vanilla two-percent extra caramel 185-degrees with whipped cream caramel macchiato.” Maybe her request seems overly fussy and demanding, but it could be a good act for you to mimic. Try this: For a given time, say 12 days, be equally as exacting in asking for what you want. Assume that you have a poetic license to be extremely specific as you go about your quest for fulfillment.

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Being Yourself…

Aquarius Horoscope for week of January 24, 2013

“Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it.” So said the eccentric, outspoken, and hard-partying actress Talullah Bankhead (1902-1968). Can you guess her astrological sign? Aquarius, of course. Her greatest adventure came from trying to keep up with all the unpredictable urges that welled up inside her. She found it challenging and fun to be as unique as she could possibly be. I nominate her to be your role model in the next four weeks. Your assignment is to work extra hard at being yourself. 

 In some ancient Greek dramas, a god showed up out of nowhere to cause a miraculous twist at a crucial point in the tale. This divine intrusion was referred to as theos ek mechanes, literally “god from a machine,” because the symbolic figure of the god was lowered onto the stage by a crane. In modern usage, the term is Latin — deus ex machina — and refers to a story in which a sudden event unexpectedly brings about a resolution to a baffling problem. 

Write a tale in which you’re the beneficiary of such an intervention.

I really love Rob’s astrology from last week. I was out sick and didn’t have a chance to read it, but he always has some great grains of wisdom embedded in his astrological horoscopes. 

I Have Come to the Conclusion…

I have come to the conclusion that the Geico Piggy makes me very, very happy and makes me feel better. Who needs antibiotics when you have the Piggy? 🙂

Out Sick…..

There is one consolation in being sick; and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before. Henry David Thoreau 

I have so missed everyone this last week! As some of you know I have been fighting an upper respiratory infection for over a month now. I think I am just going to have to buckle down and go get antibiotics. This week has been by far the worst. Not only was I down but my monitor was down as well so I couldn’t take care of anything. I am back, and no I am not 100% yet. I sang all weekend with terrible laryngitis, which is the hardest thing to do for a vocalist. My big concern now is being ready for the acoustic gig at Willi B’s on Saturday. I really need my voice to be 110%! There have been other struggles and I won;t get into that because they have been dealt with and we are moving on. There are some people who bring bad juju into your life but they are so irrelevant they aren’t even worth mentioning, much less wasting your time even thinking about. Anyway, I have missed you all and am glad to be at least 50% back up 🙂

 

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I love this artwork!

Cam's Art

Hey just wanted to thank all those that helped last time. I am trying to get up to 150 supporters. It will be the last so called push. I have 10 more days before I see if I can get a grant for my art. Please help me out. It would be much appreciated. If you would like to share on your own blog that would help as well, the more supporters the better. (this is how you can support me. Please click on the link below the photo and then press support. Thanks)

cameronchristensen.see.me

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My Favorite Part of the Night!

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. Steve Martin

We had such a great time last night! Whenever you pick up a new venue you never know how the crowd is going to be. Last night was phenomenal. By far, though, my favorite part was in the fact that my best friend, that I haven’t seen in a long time, came out to support the band last night, and me of course. I love Shane and he has such a good spirit. I have missed him not being a part of my life. I’m so glad we mended our fences because his love is a cherished gift and I will NEVER throw it away again! On that note I leave you with a song I love by Led Zepplin….

Celebration of Life………..

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ― Dr. Seuss

I have recently been reminded that life is far too short to take for granted. I think we are all guilty of doing that. We simply go through the motions and forget that each day is precious, each day is gift to be unwrapped and cherished. It is just so easy to get wrapped up in problems and drama that is going on around us. I have to constantly remind myself to not react to the negative energies that are flowing around me. It’s so easy to get sucked in. It will be 14 years ago in a few days that my brother took his own life. Life was just too much for his sensitive heart. He couldn’t take it and decided to opt out of his contract. Even to this day I am still saddened by the loss of him. To this day my heart still hurts for him. He still lives in my heart and in my dreams and for that I will celebrate his life, celebrate the man that he was, celebrate everything he taught me when I was growing up. I miss him and he will always be my big brother and yes it still hurts. 

With that I leave you with Led Zepplin….

 

 

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Treasure Valley Rally for Children’s Art Programs!!!!

‘If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.’ — Rachel Carson

With that I leave you with The Psychedelic Furs…

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Tiger’s Eye

TIGER EYE is a Very Strong Stone. It Unites so many powers all together. It brings protection from the Evil Eye. Tigers Eye Stone is also used for protection against all forms of danger. It always been considered Strong TALISMAN in many cultures, especially against the Evil Eye. Tiger Eye was used by Aztecs to Protect their HOME from Negative Forces and Energies of their enemies. They Believed that Tiger Eye Stone will Keep their Home and Family Safe at all times. It was believed that a person possessing one could see everything, even behind closed doors. Tiger Eye stone has been used through the ages to avert the Evil Eye. Tiger Eye helps to defeat negative forces.

I got this beautiful Tiger’s Eye ring from my Grandmother when she passed and recently read something that has made me start wearing it. I have read that is a great protection against your enemies. It is also supposed to bring one good luck. I’m all about getting every bit of protection and luck that I can. I don’t know how much truth there is behind this, but heck, what have I got to lose. Here is a pic of the ring….

With that I leave you with Survivor….

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Portable Magic Hole….Aquarius Horoscope 1-17-2013

Aquarius Horoscope for week of January 17, 2013

“Ronnyjohnson618” is a guy who posts his opinions on a wide variety of Youtube videos. Many times, he claims to be an expert in the field he’s commenting on. Responding to a live music performance, he says he’s a conductor for an orchestra. Offering his opinion about a mimosa plant, he asserts that he is a botanist. Beneath other Youtube videos, he declares he is a meteorologist, chemist, psychologist, soldier, and geometry teacher. I love this guy’s blithe swagger; I’m entertained by the brazen fun he’s having. As you express yourself in the coming week, I recommend that you borrow some of his over-the-top audacity. Create a mythic persona. Imagine your life as an epic story. Play the part of a hero. 

In certain Native American traditions, the hole was a symbol for the female genitalia, through which souls enter this realm. In American scientific lore, a wormhole is a backdoor shortcut between two places in space separated by an astronomical distance. In my personal mythos, those are my two favorite nuances in the archetype of the hole. 

When I was a kid I loved to fantasize that I’d obtained a magic hole like the one Bugs Bunny had in the comic books. It was a portable hole that Bugs could take with him everywhere and apply to any barrier he needed to slip through. Once he even managed to slap it up against the sky, giving him access to another dimension where the whole world was inside him, not outside. (Or was that a dream I had?) 

What would you do with your portable magic hole?

Squirrel Whirrel…..

Put a lid on it, and everything will be all right. — Squirrel Nut Zippers

I got handed the biggest laugh today! The neighbor’s cat was chasing a squirrel and I swear to you I think the squirrel was laughing at him. I tried to get more pics but they were just too darn fast for me LOL 🙂

With that I leave you with The Squirrel Nut Zippers…..

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Moving On….

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Mark Twain

Man do I ever let things get to me. I really have to learn to stop being so sensitive. My problem is I feel too much that can’t be helped. I hurt over things that are really beyond my control. I was talking to my very good friend Rick last night and he pointed out that I should not react to people that are pointless in my life. I know he is right. I even have to learn to not take everything my husband says so seriously. I need to just do what I do and not allow people that are negative to have such a hold over my heart because it hurts. I love my husband but he can be the worst pessimist about everything and I am never going to be able to change that, ever. I know that and I need to stop trying. I play guitar the way I do and he’s just going to have to learn to accept that and stop criticizing me. I am not him, I am not a lead guitar player, nor do I want to be. I am a vocalist first and foremost.  I have to let go of the people that are hurting me because it holds me back and the pain that it causes is unbearable. So on that note I am moving on, I have no choice because if I keep allowing this crap to hurt me I am going to become stagnant and unresponsive. To hell with that! 🙂 With that I leave you with Bad Company….

This is Another Song….

In struggling against anguish one never produces serenity; the struggle against anguish only produces new forms of anguish. Simone Weil

This is another song I am having a problem with. It’s kicking my ass, so to speak. It’s got so much going on that I feel I can’t convey. It’s called Llosgi Yn flam. It’s so pretty and so very different from everything I do normally. Yes, it is sung in Welsh. The song means Burning the flame and I am actually scared to play it live. Kind of like Dac’w Nghariad. Let me know what you think. Your opinion is important! 

While My Guitar…..

In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.
Lee Iacocca

My only goal at the end of the day is to produce music that will have some meaning. Somewhere, someway, I just want to touch someone’s life. Not in anger, not in remorse. In love. It’s kind of like George Harrison, I think he said best what I feel right now. On that Note I share with you…..

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I’m Nuts LOL

Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live. Charles Bukowski

Ok I have lost my mind. Now that we’ve got that out of the way! You all might as well know that my crazy posts have stemmed from a personal attack, once again. I have come to the conclusion that craigslist is EVIL! Yes, I should just stay away from it. I couldn’t help myself. I found out that someone has taken a vendetta against me and is posting a bunch of lies on craigslist. Well, I got fed up and I put it out there and told them if they have something to say they can come say it to my face. I told them exactly who I was and where I lived. Now you may not understand how craigslist works but basically you can get on there, post anything you want about anybody or anything and you don’t have to put who you are on there. So you can attack someone and no one would ever know who the sick source of the attack is. Someone has got a personal vendetta against me and I really don’t understand why. They accused me of going on craigslist and bashing other bands. Which everyone knows that IS NOT how I roll. No matter what I think about a band I don’t criticize. Do you know why I don’t? Because words hurt! I always try to find something good about every band I hear, no matter what they sound like. There is always something good to be found. I don’t care how badly a performance may be going, mine or anyone else’s. It is NOT my place to judge. Yet these jackwagons can get on craigslist and say what they want and hide, like a chickenshit, behind the anonymity that craigslist allows. It’s BS!

Yes, I realize I am in the public eye and I am subject to attacks about everything and anything. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. In all reality I am a very caring, sensitive person and I do indeed get hurt easily. That’s why I try not to hurt others. That is the Buddhist in me. Words can hurt more deeply than a fist. I guess I need to grow thicker skin huh? You may as well know right now that I have a serious love/hate relationship with music and being a musician. Yes, I love playing music, it is such an integral part of who I am. Yes, I actually love performing. What I don’t love is that by being a performing artist I am open to attacks like this that come from people that are so jealous and insecure that the only way they can make themselves feel better is to attack someone else. With that I leave you with Incubus…. 

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I Shouldn’t Fight Back….

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. e. e. cummings

That is probably the most perfect quote I have ever heard or seen! That’s all I have to say for this day. On that note I leave you with These Eyes by The Guess Who the song that breaks my heart the most….

Insecurities Suck LMAO….

Marriage brings up all the things I pushed to the back burner – the fears, the mistrust, the doubts, the insecurities. It’s like opening Pandora’s box. Jennifer Aniston

Ok I am in a very talkative mood so lets run with it. Before I start this let me be CLEAR. I AM NOT fishing for compliments! I am simply stating how I feel on a regular basis OK so don’t send me back a bunch of responses that say something to the effect of “No, you are great”, “You are beautiful” blah blah blah…I am just telling you straight out how I usually feel OK.

1. I usually feel pretty unattractive on a daily basis
2. Sitting in front of a band is intimidating and scares the crap out of me
3. I realize that my head is too full of shit
4. sometimes I speak out about things that upset me and I should just keep my mouth shut
5. I feel how I feel about certain political and social issues and I should just learn to keep my mouth shut because I piss ppl off like Jobydopr, he’ll never speak to me again
6. speaking your mind is not always a good thing
7. It pisses me off that I can’t speak my mind without mortally wounding someone like Jobydopr
8. I am insecure’
9. I hate my voice
10. I hurt ppl unintentionally because I have a really bad streak of being far too honest
11. I am a mean person in spirit, hence the reason I am trying to be Buddhist and failing
12. ppl have fucked me over so my mind set is if you’re gonna Fuck me, Fuck you back
13. I hate my voice, did I say that. I hate the way I sing. The only reason I sing is because I started when I was 3 and I can’t seem to stop
14. Did I mention that I hate the way I sing and I hate the sound of my own voice. The only reason I play music at all is because it was a great release emotionally from being abused as a kid
15. I hate the sound of my own voice and being a writer is such a relief cuz I don’t have to listen to my own voice, which I said I hate BTW.
16. Sometimes I wish I would have chosen a different path, like being an accountant or some shit. It sux being a musician. You are always different, no matter how much you try to meld, YOU never do.
17. I hate myself, that’s a big one. Yes I hate my life and I hate me. That’s the big one! I hate being a musicians, whyt couldn;t I have just been a fat woman knitting sweaters?????
18. Being a musician, a true musician sux ass
19. I hate the fact that I am never good enough
20. I hate me!

With that I leave you with about how I feel most of the time 

Thinking is the Enemy….

Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things. Ray Bradbury 

Good Morning! I wanted to share with you the thoughts behind creativity. One of the hardest things I face right now as a musician, vocalist first, rhythm guitar player second, is the fact that I am married to a lead guitar player. Now why would that be a difficulty. Weeeellllllll, it’s like this. He loves my vocals but absolutely hates my guitar playing. He gets frustrated with me because I refuse to listen to him…LOL 🙂 It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that when I am playing a song I tend to play it on the guitar more like I feel it rather than by the structured “rules” of guitar playing. I don’t mean to do it, I really don’t mean to break the “rules”,  it’s just that when I am singing and playing rhythm guitar my guitar tends to pattern the rhythm after what is happening with the vocals. He has said that my rhythm patterns are too much alike. I don’t think so, I know that there is a definitive difference between the way I played guitar 10 years ago. Hell, to me there is a vast difference between just 6 months ago. My rhythm guitar playing skills is probably the biggest challenge I face as a musician today. I want to give you an example. The song I have been talking about, Dac’w Nghariad, is incredibly difficult. First it’s sung in Welsh, secondly it’s such a pretty song that as a musician you just don’t want to trash it. In just a moment I am going to play the song for you so you can see what I am up against. At any rate, even after playing this song for about 6 months I am STILL intimidated by it on the vocals and on the guitar. I don’t pick the song like you will hear in the video, I simply play the rhythm, but it’s incredibly hard. There is SO much going on with the vocals, and not just in the fact that it is sung in Welsh. I don;t know if a person who is not a musician can understand what I am referring to so let me see if I can put this in perspective for the non-musician out there. It’s like trying to iron a dress and at the same time use your foot to rock a babies crib in time with a lullaby and have a phone ringing in the background that you desperately want to answer but if you put the iron down the dress will burn and if you stop rocking the cradle the baby will cry. It’s that crazy LOL. I don;t know if that makes sense to you, but here is the song and maybe just by hearing it you can understand the difficulty. You know who’s opinion I really want on this is Bumba. Anyway, with that I leave you with Dac’w Nghariad, which BTW means “there is my love” in Welsh…..

 

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Crazy Pants!!!!

Well, here is the latest vlog. Now, just a little FYI. I am not crazy about shopping or clothes, however, as a performer I have to constantly update my wardrobe for stage. I actually do a lot of thrift store shopping because I can usually find some pretty cool, retro clothes. And as you all know I am very strapped for money. So here I am LOL 🙂

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Make You See by Jaz

Well here it is, the video I have been promising everyone. This is the song I was referring to the other day. It was written about 13 years ago after I had suffered a terrible relationship blow. I won’t go into the sordid details but my heart was broken. It was produced at Cunningham Audio by my producer Don in 2001 and was released on my solo album “Sublime Evolution”. This song has really started to change. I hadn’t played it for a long time and just started playing it again recently. It is really developing into a song that I love, though painful. I really hope that you enjoy. The images are courtesy of my good friend Lisa Brunetti at Zeebra Designs in Costa Rica another of my wonderful WordPress friends! Thank you Lisa!

Steven Tyler, Dream On???

Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
Sing with me, just for today
Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away~ Steven Tyler Aerosmith

Ok, I’ll be the very first to admit that this is just bizarre! I had a dream last night that I was working for this company cleaning this very strange hallway that seemed to be made of stone bricks. Now the deal was that we had to scrub these stones with bleach to keep the moss from growing back. What wasn’t bizarre to me in this dream was that I was scrubbing these bricks with bleach, nor the fact that even though I am awake I can still smell the mossy/bleach smell. What was bizarre is that we weren’t done yet and our shift was up and I wanted to leave and when we went to leave the job our foreman, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, told us we had to stay until it was finished. I for one can tell you I have never ever dreamed about Steven Tyler before and I am not sure where that one came from LOL! 🙂 With that I leave you with Aerosmith….

 

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Oh, For the Snow….

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. Mae West

I really don’t care much for snow, and we have been getting a lot of it lately! I had to drive to the computer store today to pick up a new computer for my mom and maaaaaaaaaaan was it ever slick out there. The good news is I got home safe and sound with her computer and a brand spanking new printer for us so I can now do all of our band posters instead of paying someone else to do them! YAY! 🙂 Oh, it’s the little things in life that make me soooooooo happy! I keep threatening to go outside and build a snowman, but not today. I am enjoying procrastinating. Maybe I’ll take the easy way out and just settle for a snow angel….What do you think? With that I leave you with The Red Hot Chili Peppers……

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Diplomacy…Aquarius Horoscope 1-10-2013

Aquarius Horoscope for week of January 10, 2013

“Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggie’ until you can find a rock,” said humorist Will Rogers. I hope you’ve been taking care of the “nice doggie” part, Aquarius — holding the adversarial forces and questionable influences at bay. As for the rock: I predict you will find it any minute now, perhaps even within an hour of reading this horoscope. Please keep in mind that you won’t necessarily have to throw the rock for it to serve its purpose. Merely brandishing it should be enough. 
How can you conspire with life to create the best possible future for yourself? What well-informed and ingenious approaches can you use to get the most out of the raw materials you’re presented with?