The Liebster Award – I was Nominated! So Cool!

21 Jan 2015 7 Comments

by Camille in My Thoughts Exactly Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Lovely Blog Award

I Won!

 

Yes, I am a Liebster Award nominee! What does that mean? Well, it means that one of my fellow bloggers thought enough about me to nominate my blog for the Liebster Award.

So what is the Liebster Award and what is it doing on my blog? The Liebster Award concept is like a pay it forward kudos to small bloggers. As I was researching this award, I saw that there are several minimum follower numbers going around, but one thing stays the same. A fellow blogger has read my blog and thought enough of me as a writer and my blog to nominate me for this. I have to say that I was more than a little blown over by it. Here’s why.

I believe that I am a good writer. I mean my college instructors always say so and I receive a lot of praise for my writing. But, as it seems with most artists (yes, writers are very much artists), we are our own worst critics. I read so many other people and think, “Wow, they are really good!” And I fall into the trap of they-are-so-much-better-than-I-am mind.

There are times when I am almost too afraid to share what I have written. What if they don’t like it? What if it sounds stupid? What if – what if – what if!

This year I am changing all that, and this award is the impetus for that change. Receiving this from Tess Bartlett at Whisperings of the Mind, the one who nominated me, gave me the courage to say, “Hell, yeah! I’m a writer!” And since Tess was so kind to nominate me, other blogs have invited me to write as a guest blogger. My poetry written under a pen name is being published in February, with royalties, and I have received a writing gig for a lingerie company in Arizona – paid writing gig.

This blog, Dancing Naked, has taken a life of its own since I started it. I didn’t start out very committed to it and wrote sporadically. Last year, I started a five day a week blogging journey in which I played a random song from my music playlist and wrote my emotional response to the song. That journey was painful and ecstatic at the same time. I grew so much because I was forced to really take a look at the deep, dark emotions and fears that were buried inside.

And now, as 2015 has taken hold, my writing is changing – for the better, I think. I have changed the name somewhat to Dancing Naked from the Heart. That is what this blog is all about. Being open, raw, and vulnerable to share my innermost fears and thoughts with my readers, because somewhere in there, we have all felt the same. Somewhere and sometime, we all have wanted to become better, become our true selves, become what we know in our hearts we were meant to be.

As I look at what has happened since 2015 started, I am certain I am on the right path – maybe I should say the write path. I am so honored to be a Liebster Award nominee and to be able to share with my readers a little more of myself. I share what I feel deep inside with the intent that someone somewhere out there feels the same, and maybe, just maybe, I can make some small difference in someone’s life.

Oh, and to Tess! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my own personal growth!

 

For those bloggers I nominate, here are the rules. Remember, this is a pay it forward award that recognizes smaller blogs and lets the world know they exist. So, here is how the Liebster Award works:

1)  Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

2) Acknowledge and link back to the person who nominated you.

3) Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.

4) Share 11 random facts about yourself.

5) Give your nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post about the Liebster Award.

Here are my nominees! I do have a confession. There are a couple that are just over the minimum 200, but they are amazing bloggers and need to be shared. And there is one that is brand new, but he is such a good writer that he deserves to be noted. So here are my nominees. I hope you visit their blogs, read, enjoy, follow, and share! You won’t regret it! I nominate:

Z. Budapest https://zbudapest.wordpress.com/

Wolf Soul https://reflectionsofawolfsoul.wordpress.com/

May https://maydesertflower.wordpress.com/

Jyoti http://jcisnowjs.com/

Emma http://emmawrightsblog.com/

Nam Joti http://spiritualallegory.com/

Jeremy https://jeremymartinson.wordpress.com/

Linda https://ommons.wordpress.com/

K.L. https://secretlydeviant.wordpress.com/

Ruben http://torturedcyclone.blogspot.com

Shae https://shaevere.wordpress.com/

And here are the questions for my nominees –

1)         What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

2)         If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3)         Why do you write?

4)         What makes you sing and dance with joy?

5)         What color describes you best and why?

6)         What does love mean to you?

7)         What is your hidden talent?

8)         What is the one thing that few people know about you?

9)         What does family mean to you?

10)       What stops you from being your best?

11)       You were just given one million dollars. What is the first thing you would do?

 

Tess Bartlett asked these questions of me, and here are my answers:

1)         What did you want to be when you were a child?

My strongest desire when I was a little girl was to be a concert pianist first and an award winning writer and artist second.

2)         What makes your heart and soul sing?

My heart and soul sings when I create art and poetry. While I love blogging and writing stories, my passion and love are painting and poetry. What especially gives me joy is creating a piece of artwork and writing a poem that evokes the emotions within the painting. I am singing at the top of my lungs with that!

3)         What is your favorite topic to write/blog about?

My favorite topic to write about are personal thoughts and wisdom learned through experience in my own life and sharing how I overcame tremendous obstacles to arrive where I am today.

4)         If you could do one thing every day until the day you died what would it be?

There is only one thing that hit my mind, and that is write! Whether it is a short story, writing a novel, but most of all writing poetry, I must do this every day of my life.

5)         What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear in my life is not having love! I love with my whole heart, and to not feel that kind of love myself, frankly, terrifies me.

6)         How do you overcome fear?

Ah, overcoming fear! Well, the only way I know to overcome a fear is to write about it, and write and write and write. Write about every little deep, dark emotion and thought until it’s all written out of my mind.

7)         What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity? I truly believe that each and every moment of our lives are spent creating. Each thought in our mind creates our world outside of us. Being a creative, to me, is also about taking those fears, emotions, and feelings and turning them into art, music, words, or a combination of all three, of some sort of fashion, and sharing it with others.

8)         What does home mean to you?

Home is where I feel safe and protected. Home is a place, either physical or not, where my heart feels safe and cared for. I can be by myself or with someone else, but if I’m safe, cared for, and protected, I’m home.

9)         If you had to pick one word to describe how you intend to be in 2015 what would it be?

One word for my beingness in 2015? BE!

Yep, just BE. I spend so much time doing this and that, and I forget sometimes to just be. So, while I am creating in 2015, I will BE!

10)       If you could travel somewhere tomorrow where would it be, and why?

My dream has always been to travel to France and explore the countryside. I would love to stay in a country chateau and spend the time painting and writing and photographing. That would be heaven!

11)       What is your secret talent?

My secret talent? I love to sing. In fact, I sang a lot when I was younger and was considered very good. I have always wanted to have my own band and sing in coffee houses. Oh, I also play the piano, used to play the guitar, and play the Native American flute. So, playing music and singing – not too many know about that.

And last, 11 random facts about myself!

Fact #1 – I sang when I was a teenager with a traveling youth gospel group, Up With People. I even played the guitar and wrote music.

Fact #2 – I was considered a child prodigy at the age of 10 as a pianist and was offered an audition at Julliard. Mom and Dad said no. They just couldn’t see to move to New York if I was accepted.

Fact #3 – I once planned to run away from home to San Francisco when I was 14. My bags were packed and my plans made. Well, somewhat. At least to get to the bus station and buy my ticket.

Fact #4 – I love two flowers, roses – all kinds – and camellias! I love them both and if I could, I would have them all over my house, on every table.

Fact #5 – My dream home is a cottage by the ocean. It has to be on the West Coast high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. And I have to have a path so I can walk down to the ocean – not to swim, but to just sit and look and think and write!

Fact #6 – I sing like I mean it when I’m driving by myself in the car. Yep, I’m that crazy lady you see at stop lights rocking out to a great song. That is one time I have absolutely no inhibitions.

Fact #7 – I love being alone at home. I don’t like being alone so much as I like being able to do what I want and when I want without feeling like I’m neglecting anyone or anything.

Fact #8 – I have always wanted a nose job. Yep, I have a prominent nose, and even though I am not as self-conscious about it as when I was younger, I would have plastic surgery for a slightly smaller nose in a heartbeat.

Fact #9 – I want to have my own band and sing Stevie Nicks covers, and Bonnie Raitt covers, and blues and Nina Simone covers. Hell, I just wanna sing like I’m in my car!

Fact #10 – I love to photograph things and people and would love to spend time doing just that. There is nothing like getting that great shot of a sunset, a person caught in an intimate moment or in pensive thought, an animal being itself, a flower just opening – catching the emotion of something on camera is happiness.

Fact #11 – I am shy by nature, even though it doesn’t seem like it. When I meet someone new or I’m in a crowd of people I don’t know well, I tend to stay back and watch the interactions. I’m really good at reading people, and I tend to navigate to only one or two to which I resonate.

Final Thoughts –

I cannot wait to read what my nominees say about themselves. And I cannot wait to read comments from my readers as well.

To my readers? Thank you! Thank you for staying with me through the years of my journey here and my growth! Thank you for continuing to read what I have to say and liking it!

And most of all – always dance naked from your heart!

 

 

Gratitude

22 Nov 2012 1 Comment

by Camille in My Thoughts Exactly Tags: , , ,

Today we are joining my eldest daughter’s in-laws to partake of a feast.  Several Facebook posts this morning have caused me to take a few moments to really ponder today and what it means to me.  I warn you, the reader, that this may not be the generous loving and grateful blog that Thanksgiving Day is viewed to embrace. So, with that being said, here we go!  But wait, let me get on my Soap Box first!

If we really consider what this day supposedly commemorates, we see the oxymoron at issue.  First of all, the pilgrims that are portrayed as being benevolent and kind to the people inhabiting this land is a false picture.  The first settlers were not the generous and loving people who embraced the native people and listened to their wise teachings.  Quite the opposite, actually.  The native inhabitants had enjoyed incredible freedom and prosperity honoring the land to which the creator had blessed.  The first white Anglo-Saxon settlers saw this people as barbaric and savage not truly deserving any fruits of their harvest.  I won’t go into a history lesson here, but the natives generously shared what they had and taught the settlers how to work with the land only to receive, not gratitude, but thievery and genocide.  Read about it yourself.

With that being said, and placing those events aside, the truth is, we celebrate this day with great feasting choosing to embrace the actions of the settlers and the first feast giving thanks for surviving their first year in this land.  Yes, they did share with the natives at the first feast, only to start their rampage after the first year when they were sure they could indeed survive here.  So, let’s consider the gratitude part.

We are reminded today to be grateful for all that we have in our lives – our families, our friends, the food we share, the company we share, the fruits of our labors.  Then after the feast has been devoured, the football games watched, and we are passed out in bliss, many of us will rise up to rush to the early shopping day for Christmas in at attitude of getting more stuff cheaper and before anyone else has an opportunity to grab what we really do not need, but in our greed, must have.  Granted there are indeed bargains to be had, and for those of us without unlimited funds, this may be the only opportunity we see to secure that most coveted Christmas gifts for our little Johnnys and Susies.  In the meantime, big box stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Kohl’s choose to open on Thanksgiving evening pulling their employees to leave their families and fight the hoards of shoppers that just could not wait until 8:00 am Friday morning to shop – it’s a life and death matter, you know.

I remember on Thanksgiving Day when nothing – I do mean nothing – was open.  Family time was a sacred thing and no respecting employer would give a second thought to open on this day for shopping.  Black Friday started at 10:00 am instead of midnight, and guess what!  Somehow, we all were able to find the perfect gifts for those we loved without issue and at bargain prices with plenty for everyone.

What does this have to do with the first feast?  Plenty!  The greed that is exhibited is a perfect example of the greed of the first settlers that desired the land on which the native people lived, worked, and played.  It was that greed that created such a horrendous genocide of a people.  The difference is that now our greed is exhibited in the rush into the glittering shiny store pulling and grabbing gifts out of each other’s hands and acting like spoiled little toddlers who believe the world should revolve around them.  Frankly, I find it shameful.  There are always deals to be had and gifts to be purchased at discount prices.  Camping out two to three days outside of Best Buy,missing time with family, and rampaging into the store running over people who get in our way is ludicrous and shameful and is the epitome of greed.

Oh, I understand that some of these prices just can’t be had and without these prices some people would not be able to have the next big thing.  But look at what you do have!  Are you grateful for the 42″ flat screen in your living room, or do you just have to have the 52″ so that you can see the game better?  Some people have nothing even close to a 26″, and yet they are so grateful and generous with what they do have.

I getting down from my soap box is over now, and my rant is coming to an end; however, I wish to leave you with this one thought today.  When I look at today and my gratitude list, the very first item on the list is the opportunity to rant and get on my soap box.  Number two on the list?  I am grateful that through it all, I have the support of my family and those few friends that love me for who and what I am – not who or what they want me to be.  I am grateful that we have the financial resources with which to share food and gifts with each other.  I am grateful that I have a warm place to sleep at night.  I am grateful that I have internet in which to share my thoughts and feelings.  But most of all?  I am grateful for myself and the realization that I am a pretty awesome woman who loves and lives passionately.  I am not perfect, but I am me – and for that I show extreme gratitude!

Now, Happy Thanksgiving!

One of Those Days or Have the Havoc Gremlins Been Visiting?

01 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Camille in My Thoughts Exactly Tags: , , , , ,

Perhaps it would better saying that it has been one of those weeks – one of those days just doesn’t work.  You know what I mean.  It seems that no matter what energy you feel is being sent out, chaos just seems to follow.  I think that there are these little beings out there called havoc gremlins that, once invited in, wreak havoc on our lives.   And we are responsible for inviting them in. This week would seem to be one of those weeks for me.  So, let’s look at the laundry list, so to speak. 

Monday started out just great, actually.  We have been a one car family for a couple of years.  It was very acceptable until my husband got a job.  Then things became complicated, so we put in our order for a really great car, no car payments, and one that we would love driving.  Now. keep in mind that I was thinking a newer hatchback with great fuel economy.  I’m not sure what my husband was thinking about, but I think it was more generic.  He was orderiing a great meal with all the trimmings and better.  I was ordering a red newer hatchback with great fuel economy and no car payments.  He won!  He found a beautiful 1988 Volvo Bertone, low mileage, all the trimmings – a true classic.  When he told me about it, he proudly exclaimed that these 2 two door Volvo coups were designed in 1988 by an Italian named Bertone and that there were only 5,000 made.  I could see the excitement in his eyes, so I looked at it.  It’s a nice car in spite of its age, and looks like it was really babied.  It is a great car at a great price – good fuel economy, low mileage (102,000), aand no car payments.  I have to add something about the price here – my husband is doing handman work for the owner for complete trade.  Yep!  The cost of the car is his labor and the DMV registration.  He did some pretty amazing manifesting on this one!  We picked it up on Monday, so Monday was a great day.  With the new car, I also received my early Christmas present of an Android Tablet.  So far, so good, right?

Tuesday?  Well, that’s when things started jumping.  I went in for my first client and there was a stench in the Center that was absolutely past the point of disgusting.  My first client cancelled all of her appointments for the month of December.  I had to cancel my second client of the day due to no one to take care of my grandson.  My third client was late so I didn’t get home until very late.  That evening, I received an email from my university that I had to take an English Profiency Exam because my college credits are over 5 years old.  Now, I am already in my first class and scoring 100% on all of my papers.  I have a week to take it or I have to repeat English Comp I and II.  Quick email was sent out to my advisor with a very direct statement, of course.

Wednesday?  With more cancellations for the month, my private practice looks pretty grim right now.  Thank Universe I have work at the Center in Concord.  We switched to U-Verse for our internet service and the install was to be done this evening.   I started taking the exam and, Boom!  Our DSL was shut off early.  At the appropriate time, I installed the U-Verse modem.  You guessed it!  It didn’t work.  2 hours on the phone resolved nothing.  I would have to wait until the next morning for a technician.

Thursday?  My clients at the Center were scheduled back to back, so I received no break or lunch.  When I went out to my car to leave, a little note was taped on my window that instructed me to park somewhere else in the future.  Of course, my car had been parked all day in the same spot at the Center.  The Director had seen it and me numerous times during the day, and the Assistant Director had pointed out the space to park.  I got a note taped to my car window.  When I got home, internet was up and running.  Yay!  But my husband was not happy.  I still don’t know what that was about, except I did make a statement when I found the new modem on my Isis altar with some of my altar items moved to the side haphazardly.  Could that have been it?

So, see what I mean?  I don’t remember putting out that kind of energy, but in my world, we are responsible for our lives.  I look at my own energy to see what is being reflected because I know that I have to be putting something out there.  When we are faced with these little twists and turns, we have to look at the simplicity of what we are holding.  Do we get so bogged down in the junk that we perpetuate it?  Do we invite more havoc gremlins into our lives because we stay in the quagmire?  The more we focus on those little things that throw boulders where pebbles should be, the more those pebbles grow into mountains.   If you are experiencing those havoc gremlins, you can send them packing.  Instead of focusing on the chaos in your life, start focusing on those things to show gratitude.  Mine? I have my own car again and it’s a beauty.  I have named her Sophie.  I have internet back on and it’s faster that ever.  I am writing this blog on my new table that docks into a keyboard.  I have a life purpose and am grateful for the knowledge that I am living it. 

Friday?  I know it is already the best day ever!