"Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart." ~Ecclesiates 5:19-20
This blog is about to have it's first anniversary, WOW! I've learned so much about blogging since the beginning! 'The Occupied Optimist' has come so far in just one year! To God be the Glory! ^_^ I'm feeling optimistic about this blog's future and am excited for it to be soaring to new heights this coming 2017 year! Blogging has become such a therapeutic hobby for me. Thanks to all of you that read my blog entries and support me in it. It is because of supporters and faithful readers like you that taking steps forward is worth it, and even possible. Thanks for sticking with me. The best of crafting, cooking, ballet, travel stories, and tips are yet to come!! Today I would love to share with all of you what I've learned this past year about blogging. Maybe you are a fellow blogger like myself, or perhaps you are not, but you might just find it interesting to hear about all what goes into blogging. The biggest thing I discovered is that blogging shapes one's WHOLE lifestyle!
#1Overcoming paralyzation. One of the most important lessons that I have learned for becoming a better blogger is how to conquer that feeling of paralyzation that can sometimes overtake me when my mind gets flooded with an overabundance of ideas of things to write about. It may surprise you for me to say that this could be an issue with the dreaded infamous 'writer's block' being the issue that most people struggle with, but when I have a mind overflowing with inspiration and creative ideas, it can be debilitating for me if I don't know how to organized my thoughts. Preparing a good blog entry can be time-consuming and can sometimes require research in order to make your blog substantial, helpful and interesting for readers. Researching facts, as well as collecting/making media and photo material all take time, which can be overwhelming if you have a thousand blog topics you want to write about that are floating around in your head. I first have to write all my ideas down, prioritize them, and then make a realistic plan of action on how to accomplish all the writing that I want, in a well written, informative manner, without rushing. This process of organization really helps to dispel any paralyzing anxiety that may arise.
#2A blogger doesn't write about living life, but lives life to write about it! Don't just sit around forcing yourself to come up with blog content expecting something to come out of nothing. This will undoubtedly lead to a writer's block! Live your life, then write about it; what you do, what you see, what you eat, what you read, what you learn. And what I have learned about this is that a balance is to be maintained. Be careful not to 'live up life' so much that you end up neglecting your blog, but then also be careful not to find yourself sitting around all week trying to muster up something to write about. Sometimes writer's blocks are unavoidable. What kinds of ways do you break your writer's blocks?
#3Balance the time you invest in your blog with making time to do the things you love! Blogging might just cross over into the area of 'things you love doing', but regardless it can be hard work sometimes. As much as I love blogging I had to teach myself not to become a slave to it. Getting burned out is the last thing a blogger wants to do and only leads to writer's block and/or depressing content. Take a break sometimes and make time to do other things you love. Still, in my current situation, the most difficult challenge for me is balancing blogging, doing the things I love, AND working full time! If anyone has any advice about that, hit me up! But even so, I KNOW making time for doing things I love, like I wrote about here, is worth it! You will be refreshed, and like I mentioned in #2, you will surely have things to write about!
#4 A few life adjustments may have to be made in order for 'doing the things you love, and blogging about it' to be made more accessible, more achievable, and easier! The serious blogger is NOT going to want to be jumping through hoops to connect to the internet to submit a blog entry; having to use their neighbor's oven to make a recipe for their food blog; digging through piles of mail, bills, and receipts trying to find that rough draft of a blog entry that was written on the back of your sermon notes from that service from two weeks ago; having to go up to the creepy, unfinished, abandoned, attic every time craft supplies is needed... catch my drift? Take my advice while you are ahead! Save time and hassle by streamlining the blogging process ASAP. Make sure everything you need is at arm's length and accessible. This includes your technology, editing tools, and blog topic resources. Discard of any unnecessary obstacles in your way. Your workspace should be clean, clear, and organized which leads me into time management. I have already touched on the fact that blogging takes time so make sure you have time or make time! Your time should be just as well thought-through and organized as your environment and if not, evaluate what adjustments can be made to simplify and promote a blogging-friendly lifestyle.
#5 Timing is everything. I used to not think timing mattered but after a year of blogging experience, I am convinced otherwise. Posting blog entries during the most popular online hours of the day will guarantee you more views. Being consistent with how often and when you post your entries will help your readers know what to expect, and builds up trust and the reliability of your blog. Whether you are posting once a week or daily, try to be consistent, and post during peak hours so that your article has a fighting chance. Also, it is worth mentioning that if you are going to be posting an entry about a current event or trending topic, make sure you post it in a timely manner while the topic is still trending!
#6Sleep is important and not to be sacrificed! While it may be tempting to stay up into the late hours of the night fine-tuning your blog, don't do it! Especially if you are a lifestyle blogger, lack of sleep diminishes your quality of life, which diminishes your quality of content. In the long run, I've learned sacrificing sleep is not worth it.
#7Make templates. Over the course of this past year blogging, I have grown accustomed to formatting my blog entries a certain way depending on what the topic is that I'm writing about. I think finding a consistent way you like of formatting your entries is good and important, but my advice to you is that once you discover what those preferred formats are, make templates that will preserve your layout and HTML styling. This will save you tons of time and energy!
#8 Count your wins. Everyone needs a little motivation to keep them going. "Base your life off of wins. It doesn't matter how much you accomplish in your life. Every week, every day you need 'wins'. It doesn't matter what you accomplish today. Tomorrow you'll need new wins and that will be what drives you," in the words of Lilly Singh in one of her vlogs. Whether it is how many views your blog gets, or how many comments people leave, count your wins. And be grateful.
#9Mindset. A lot about blogging is about making a name for yourself and being an entrepreneur if your blog crosses over into that realm. It is all about the mindset you hold about your blog. How you see your blog is how others will see your blog. If you have no expectations, no confidence or convincing hope, your readers will not have those things either. Cherish your space on the world wide web and make it into something you want to be proud of.
#10 Different kinds of page visitors will have different motives and required needs to be met in order to keep them sticking around! Those faithful readers that have been with you since the beginning will need incentive for sticking around, whether by special treatment or by continuing that consistent, reliable supply of helpful, informative, fresh information for them. Your blog will have to withstand the critique of new visitors by making good first impressions with a clean, alluring, and easy-to-navigate homepage. P.S. An overabundance of ads polluting your blog can turn off readers! So be careful and advertise tastefully! To attract old-comers and new-comers alike, clearly present all that your blog has to offer in an upfront sort of way without being too forceful or pushy. Even now, am I continuing to learn about how to meet the needs of my readers! That is why I always finish my blog posts asking for feedback, which is a good idea! So please leave me with any opinions or feedback you may have about how I might better be able to improve your reading experience! ^_^
#11Don't hide yourself! There is no allowance for 'modesty' concerning the existence of your blog on the world wide web. People need to know you are there!
#12You're selling your lifestyle! Make it sound interesting ( like it is 😉 )
I hope you found this helpful or at least interesting,
Thanks for reading!
Do you have a topic idea or suggestion of something I should write about?
Okay, so maybe this entry is not for everybody, but if you have an appreciation for R&B, hip-hop kind of music and are open to learning about some new Christian artists that I discovered this past year while listening to the gospel radio station here in Jackson, Mississippi then check out these guys below! Clicking on their underlined names will link you to their official pages. Enjoy watching the music videos and reading their lyrics!
I truly understand what people may say They believe to think how we think is far from okay But I believe it's never okay to abandon your dreams And it just so happens that our dream is to lift up a holy king See this is my life, my choice, and I choose to lift up my hands And please don't be alarmed if when the music comes on I begin to dance And run across the room until I can barely catch my breath And fall on the Floor because I gave it all and have nothing left
See I'm gon to worship until I pass out (there is no other option) See I came to worship until I pass out (there is no other option) Cause we go Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint We go Hard in the paint when we worship 4x
If you came to laugh at somebody you can go ahead and laugh at me Because why your steady laughing I'm dancing off shackles and being set free See I may look like money but you don't know what I've been through And I'm still going through some of it so dancing is something that I got to do See Jesus was the only one that saved my soul He took a chance on this broken hearted man grab my hand and he made me whole, Yeah
See Jesus was the only one who saved my soul, Yeah And Jesus was the only one that made me whole
So I'm gon to worship until I pass out (there is no other option) See I'm gon to worship until I pass out (there is no other option) Cause we go Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint We go Hard in the paint when we worship 4x
I came here to worship a holy God (Holy God) And I don't care about what you've been through cause our soul my life is going hard (going hard) And I've been through some pain that nearly left me dead (nearly left me dead) But God changed my way and he said this is something you should do instead (Something you should do instead) See I was singing for the world, singing for these girls, and singing for This fame (singing for this fame) But just like Saul changed into Paul Jesus Christ came and changed my name Hallelujah
So I came to worship until I pass out (there is no other option) Did you come here to worship until you pass out (there is no other option) Brothers and Sisters gon worship until you pass out (there is no other Option) Brothers and Sisters worship until you pass out (there is no other option)
Cause we go Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint, Hard Hard in the paint when we worship Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint, We go Hard in the paint when we worship Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint, We go Hard in the paint when we worship (There is no other option) Hard in the paint, Hard in the paint, We go hard in the paint when we worship
I, I can't even turn on my phone Without being reminded of the lie That I am alone and broken, unsuccessful I, I can't always talk to my friends 'Cause they've got expectations That I may or may not be living up to I really need to rid myself
Of the pressure, pressure, pressure To be someone else that the world has made Jesus take from me All the pressure, pressure, pressure To be someone that you did not create
Help me be me And only see you Let me decrease And glorify you
I, I thought my intentions were good Just act like a Christian should And hope someone watching would approve And be inspired But you're not feeling my show Then how far could I go Before all of my accomplishment Go down in fire
Just cause of Of the pressure, pressure, pressure To be someone else that the church has made Jesus take from me All the pressure, pressure, pressure To be someone that you did not create
I just wanna live I just wanna live for you Nobody else, but you
I don’t need fame and fortune I don’t need honorable mentions I don’t need a fancy mansion All I need is faith in You Faith in You I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You FAITH in you I don’t need it I don’t need fancy cars I don’t need to be called a star I don’t need to be where they are I don’t need it All I need is faith in You Faith in You I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You Oh oh oh oh oh I don’t need no pants saggin’ I don’t need no band-wagon I don’t need to know what’s happenin ’I don’t need it All I need is faith in You Faith in You I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You FAITH that doesnt waver, that gives me favor, I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You FAITH in the midst of it all, whenever I call, I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You walk by faith, live by faith, believe I Believe in what you said You’d do Faith in You Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh these hands are tired Oh this heart is tired Oh this soul is tired But I'll keep on I'll keep on [x2] I'll keep on [x3]
Faith is something I am not accustomed to Trusting other people 's something I don't really love to do I've never been a fan of it, I act tougher Really my shoulders they ain't built for this and I don't have nothing It's like I'm standing in the rain and you offer me a raincoat But I would rather stand there being wet than take the handout What's wrong with me? You said, you've always got your hands out And I can't continue on my own so take my hands now I give you everything, God, not just a little bit Take it from me, I am nothing but a hypocrite I hate sin but I built a house and asked to live in it Afraid to open up the door to you 'n let you into it My soul is lost and what it needs is your direction I know, I've told you I do not need your protection But I lied to you, this thing is tiring A man was not created for a God Please retire me now
Trust is something I am not accustomed to And I know the Bible says I should always trust in you But, I will never read that book enough
And when I have a question I don't take the time to look it up Or pick it up It collects dust on my nightstand I'm just being honest Please take this outta my hands I have no control - I am just a person But thank the Lord that I serve a God that's perfect I do not deserve the opportunity you've given me I never knew what freedom was until I learned what prison means I am not ashamed, I don't care if they remember me My life will always have a hold of you and a sense of peace Take me out of bondage, take all of my pride If I don't have a Savior, I don't have nothing inside Take all of my lust, take all of my lies There's no better feeling then when I look in the sky, in your eyes It's amazing
Woaahh Woah woah woah Woaahh Woah woah woah Woaah Woah woah woah I'll keep on I'll keep on I'll keep on [x3]
I want a heart that forgives A heart full of love One with compassion just like yours above One that overcomes evil with goodness and love Like it never happened, never holding a grudge I want a heart that forgives that lives and lets lives One that keeps loving over and over again One that men can't offend because your word is deep within One that loves without price like you Lord Jesus Christ I want a heart that loves everybody Even my Enemies I want to love like you , be like you, just like you did I want a heart that forgives, want a heart that forgives Want a heart that forgives! When the ones that are closest and that I've known the longest hurt me the most; I still wanna love them just like you loved me Even though I'm hurting, Ohhh, want a heart that forgives When the pain is so deep and it's so hard for me to speak about it To any one just like your son , I give up my rights to hold it against them with hatred inside I want a heart that loves everybody, even my Enemies I wanna love like you, be like you, just like you did Wanna walk like you, talk like you, just like you did, Wanna be like you Jesus wanna be like you, live like you, just like you did Because the heart that forgives that is the heart that will live Totally free from the pain of the past and the heart that lets go is the heart that will know so much freedom, Lord I want to let it go Lord I need to let it go Its been holding me back I don't want it x3 I don't want it no more I don't know exactly what to do to get rid of it but Here I am Lord Jesus X3 Oh Lord I need you X2 I know this is me that you're talking to right now this is me x4 Lord I let it go Every person x2 thats ever hurt me God I let it go, every single hurt God I let it go, every single pain God I let it go x3 Lord you can have it x4 You can have it now x2 I don't want it no more now
*Lastly, A Kevin LeVar Bonus:
Lyrics to
Destiny - by Kevin LeVar
This is not a time to get distracted This is not a time to go off course This is not a time to lose your focus
Got a work to do for the Lord, and you can't afford to lose your way
You've come too far from where you started So please don't let the time you've sown be wasted On things that you'll later regret Wishing you never had Once you realize it wasn't worth it. Your destiny It's too important to give up for anything
(Repeat)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Your destiny Said it's too important to give up for anything ... anything ahh ... anything Yeahhh
Said it ain't worth that skirt, Said it ain't worth that tie ... no it ain't ... no it Said it ain't worth that girl And it ain't worth that guy ... naw
Your destiny, your destiny, your destiny is too important to give up For anything, anything yeah ... mmmmm
Waiting on the other side of temptation Waiting on the other side of this test Is everything you ever dreamed, everything you prayed for Everything He promised you that you'd get (Repeat)
So hold on, and don't let go ... Hold on, you're just that close Hold on and never give up, Hold on ... Hold on ... Hold on ... Yeah ... Hold on ... and don't let go Cause you just that close ... Hold on, and never give up Hold on, say Hold on ... you say: It's only a matter of time Cause I can see the finish line My victory is days away So imma get ready
It's been a long time coming but I know it's coming for sure I got a promise from the Lord ...
Waiting on the other side of temptation Waiting on the other side of this test Is everything you've ever dreamed of Everything you prayed for Everything HE promised you ...
Praise be to God for another successful year of touring! Over the past year, I have been collecting a list of random things I have learned from random people all across the country, just for fun! Today I am going to share that list with you! Note, I don't believe the geographical location in which I learned these random facts has any significance to the random facts themselves. I wonder if any of my dear random tour friends and sponsors from all over, will recall discussing these topics/ introducing these random facts to me?! ^_^
Did you know...
1. It takes 15 years for a cactus to grow one foot tall.(Phoenix, AZ)
2. The winding million dollar highway full of hair pin turns and tight curves, running through mid-america is supposedly name after the fact that it cost millions of dollars to construct! (Ouray, CO)
3. Apparently we all need more K2 in our lives. (Lubbock, TX)
4. I've learned from experience that Kerrygold butter is THE BEST!(Jacksonville, FL).
5. Ottmar Liebert is an awesome guitar instrumentalist who's flemenco, easy listening type music is often featured playing in the background at restaurants; great music for chilling! (Kansas City, MO)
6. Bags of ice are sold at sonic! Who knew!? (Amarillo, TX)
7. I fell in love with Boursin cheese the first time I had it! (Bakersfield, CA)
8. This flavorful seasoning I discovered known as "Kickn Chicken" is where it's at! It makes nearly anything you put it on, taste AMAZING!(Montrose, CO)
😊
You never stop learning.
Here's to another year of discovery and adventure!
What a dream it has been these past couple of weeks during my holiday vacation, to be able to have a substantial amount of time to devote to my crafting! Lately, I've been concentrating on getting reacquainted with watercolor! I used to love watercolor painting when I was a kid, but somewhere along the way, adulthood extinguished all my childhood passions. Perhaps I've let my childhood passions become forced into a slot of lesser priority in my life, in the face of all the adult responsibilities and obligations that have come my way over the years.
There is just not enough time, not enough money, not enough energy...something has got to give, you'd think?!
This past year I was determined to rekindle some of my old childhood passions. I made it a priority and was very intentional in attempting to do at least ONE childhood leisure activity (painting, puzzle-ing, bike riding etc.) each week. In my life, in this season, after a year of intentionally making time to do these things, I've discovered it to be EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL. It has resulted in a deeper enrichment of love, joy, peace, and creativity in my life. It has caused me to become firm in the belief that one's mundane routine of adulting, and doing life can actually be enhanced by throwing some childhood passions into the mix.
Another silly thing that has kept me away from my painting, and doing some of the things in life I love, is fear! Fear has quenched my creativity, and my right to express myself freely in my own different, and unique way. I suppose somewhere along the way growing up, I became overly concerned about the opinions of other people and what they think about me. I've realized that people tend to not always approve of 'different', 'out of the box', and being unique. But those are the very things that it takes to be creative. Therefore, creativity takes boldness. We are not all meant to be the same. We were not created that way. Not having the approval of everyone can hurt sometimes. But I've learned that sacrificing my uniqueness, whether it be in what I create, or in who I am, is not worth losing the joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment that can be attained when one freely operates as one was created to. God is the ultimate creator who created us, and he doesn't make mistakes!
Creativity and self-expression can be a touchy topic these days...I'm talking about creativity in the realm of all things biblical. Creativity has been redefined for me, and it is changing the course of my life, my dancing, my crafting, and in every area!
It's not about replicating the creative person next to you.
Have you noticed these artsy floral wreaths popping up everywhere; on Pinterest and Facebook, on stationary and greeting cards!? With only a little bit of creativity and this tutorial, you can learn how to design and create floral wreaths of your own! They are not hard to make but are simply comprised of leaves and flowers. The sky's the limit as to anything else you might want to add to them! They can be as simple or elaborate as you choose! It is popular for a favorite quote or bible verse to be centered in the middle of these wreaths, or maybe you might want to personalize it with a name or an initial, and give it away as a gift! Whether Winter or Spring, these creative wreaths can be sported on greeting cards for any occasion. Just follow a few of these easy steps and guidelines to get you started! I had so much fun preparing this blog entry! Check it out!
What You'll need :
Either Colored Pens or Pencils
A Pencil, for sketching
Either colored pens or pencils
OR paint and paint brushes
I like to have a black pen or fine marker on hand in case of outlining
Paper, the drawing or watercolor kind
extra scrap paper for testing
Something round such as a cup or bowl or CD to trace
My personal favorite set of paint brushes.
I actually don't know very much about all of the different types
paint brushes that there are, but you can educate yourself HERE if you want to learn about it.
Le Pens are my favorite kinds of pens
for illustrating with their fine nibs
and light weight barrels! I love them!
My mom is never really a fan of when I turn her guest room into my art studio! 😆
Check out this article about what my 8 most essential things are for when I sit down to paint!
The Steps :
Here's what you'll do as shown in the tutorial photos above:
1. With your pencils, lightly trace your circular object, making a perfect circle on your paper. You will be erasing this later.
2. Next, I like to preplan and make a rough layout of where the predominate flowers (if any) will be placed, still in pencil and very lightly, keeping symmetry and balance in mind.
3. Next, whether working with pens or paint, I like to practice my flowers, leaves, and berries on another paper before jumping into the main project.
4. Lastly, have at it! Let your creativity run wild! Start designing your wreath on top of your layout and erase the pencil lines as you go, OR if you are using watercolor you can completely erase the pencil after you are done painting and it's all dry, without disturbing the beauty of your masterpiece. Remember to embrace your own style and signature of creativity! No one can create quite like you can and that is the best part!
Below is a time-lapse video of me working on my Christmas floral wreath!
A photo posted by Lillian Marie Ortiz (@oqpiedoptimist) on
Tips, Examples, and Variations :
Examples done with pen, markers, and colored pencils.
Examples done with watercolor.
Check out my article on watercoloring tips for beginners!
When water coloring a floral wreath I like to paint all the objects of the same color first, before switching to another color, to give my piece time to dry. You then also benefit from not having to wash your brush as frequently.
Flowertopia at Creative Market is a helpful resource for cultivating inspiration and great ideas for wreath making!
The incomplete circle of this simple pen-designed wreath is a great looking variation to the more common typical wreath.
This playful wreath extends to the very edges of the paper!
This simple wreath is done with watercolor and then if you will notice, I went back and outlined
some things with pen giving this piece a more illustrated look.
A variation; trace a square to make your design into more of a frame!
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