to counteract the negative, here is something positive. i have a list of things to be thankful for, best to do it now before i chicken out:

+ family & friends: i don’t have many but the few that i have, i appreciate them a whole lot. they do so much for me; a lot of the times i don’t even have to ask.

+ good health and just being alive: walking, seeing, breathing, hearing; i tend to take these simple acts for granted.

+ being able to create: i bitch about not being able to do so, but in reality, i just gotta make more time for it if that’s what i really want.

+ having a job: i bitch about my job (A LOT) but in the end it suits me. it’s close to my house, no one bothers me, i wear what i want to wear, i have my own office and my co-workers and i work in harmony most of the time. there were some times (and people) that made it difficult, overwhelming and frustrating, but i came out of it alright and learned a lot during the process.

+ taking the good times with the bad: no one likes bad times in their life, but it builds character, forces you to learn about yourself as well as others and experience growth.

+ getting older: i’d never thought i’d actually say this, but i really like myself right now. being comfortable in your own skin, knowing who you are as a person and not caring what people think anymore feels great.

+ people who trust me to do the work: thank you. hard work does pay off, people recognize it eventually.

can i bitch for a little bit? i’ll keep it short, i promise…

i HATE it when people ask me for shit, or hint that they want something…but once they have it…they don’t fuckin’ use it. it’s such a big pet peeve of mine, and a waste of time and (or) money on my part. people are just ingrates sometimes i guess.

for example:

- a few people have asked me to set up blogs for them, and so i did, for free…just cause i’m fuckin’ nice like that. but apparently, i’m just a pushover. what happens after that? one person i set it up for doesn’t even know how to blog, or doesn’t even bother to try to search for the knowledge online or read up in the help section and learn how to blog on their own. i don’t get that shit?? i’ve always tried searching for a solution or answer and exhausting every resource available to me, but if i can’t find it, THEN i ask for help.

- other people have been given stuff and don’t use it.

i’m going to be stingy this year. in the dictionary, there is another word for it: niggardly. wow.

sorry dudes, i’ve been blogging up a storm. i guess i got a lot on my mind. it sucks because i spend more time “getting inspired” which really just means “surfing the web and wasting time”, instead of actually buckling down and creating something. sigh. life is hard for artists & designers, isn’t it? well it is, damn it. you have to constantly out-do yourself. you have to constantly generate great ideas, then refine them into something better and while you’re at it make sure you’re not blatantly copying anyone else. the internet makes it easier to be aware of it all. so thank you internet!

it seems like i am better at generating good work when i’m under pressure or on some kind of deadline, so it would make sense that pressure & deadlines provide motivation & inspiration because you don’t really have the luxury or time to bullshit and “explore” all day, you gotta think & act fast for the demanding people who want it done right away. i guess schedule & structure do bring order to my life.

p.s. happy new year.

i’m debating whether to jump on the bandwagon again and convert the website into blog format.

pros:

- it makes it way easier to update

- not a whole lot of building and maintenance to do; just follow the step-by-step instructions, post and hit publish!

- everything will look consistent across the board

cons:

- most likely it will look like everyone else’s

- it will have too much of a templated look and feel to it

- though i can probably customize it, i won’t learn anything new since all the pages & code will be created for me. i’m just barely getting a grasp on using div’s with css; it takes me so long to understand this stuff.

i’m so torn right now…

p.s. natalie dee is hilarious.

because i’m getting tattooed again this weekend. it’s all that i have been obsessing over lately. usually i look forward to the weekends just to paint but even the desire to paint has been slipping farther and farther away from me. anyways i gotta do this while i still have the money and a job, ’cause shit…you just never know these days. i’ve been fortunate enough to not get fired or laid off (yet), i actually should get smart and save up that money in case i fall into that situation. but as they say, carpe diem.

You can read another interview with me over at Fatcap: http://www.fatcap.com/sherm/

Happy Holidays to all of you who read this. Be safe and don’t eat too much.

It’s been 2 years since my mom left this earth. This photo sums up one of the things she enjoyed the most in life: eating good food with her family and friends.

We love and miss you so much Mom. A certain someone misses your cooking, especially the lumpia you used to make; and I miss seeing you at the house, hearing you play the piano and spending time with you while eating spam, eggs and rice. Chubby misses you too.

This 16×20 print is available now at Crewest for $30. Printed by Two Rabbits Studios

Guardian™ Portrait of the Protector (ISFJ)We are lucky that Protectors make up as much as ten percent the population, because their primary interest is in the safety and security of those they care about - their family, their circle of friends, their students, their patients, their boss, their fellow-workers, or their employees. Protectors have an extraordinary sense of loyalty and responsibility in their makeup, and seem fulfilled in the degree they can shield others from the dirt and dangers of the world. Speculating and experimenting do not intrigue Protectors, who prefer to make do with time-honored and time-tested products and procedures rather than change to new. At work Protectors are seldom happy in situations where the rules are constantly changing, or where long-established ways of doing things are not respected. For their part, Protectors value tradition, both in the culture and in their family. Protectors believe deeply in the stability of social ranking conferred by birth, titles, offices, and credentials. And they cherish family history and enjoy caring for family property, from houses to heirlooms.

Wanting to be of service to others, Protectors find great satisfaction in assisting the downtrodden, and can deal with disability and neediness in others better than any other type. They are not as outgoing and talkative as the Provider Guardians [ESFJs], and their shyness is often misjudged as stiffness, even coldness, when in truth Protectors are warm-hearted and sympathetic, giving happily of themselves to those in need.

Their reserve ought really to be seen as an expression of their sincerity and seriousness of purpose. The most diligent of all the types, Protectors are willing to work long, hard hours quietly doing all the thankless jobs that others manage to avoid. Protectors are quite happy working alone; in fact, in positions of authority they may try to do everything themselves rather than direct others to get the job done. Thoroughness and frugality are also virtues for them. When Protectors undertake a task, they will complete it if humanly possible. They also know better than any other type the value of a dollar, and they abhor the squandering or misuse of money. To save, to put something aside against an unpredictable future, to prepare for emergencies-these are actions near and dear to the Protector’s heart. For all these reasons, Protectors are frequently overworked, just as they are frequently misunderstood and undervalued. Their contributions, and also their economies, are often taken for granted, and they rarely get the gratitude they deserve.

Source: humanmetrics test