Dream Gigs. I dream BIG.

My friend Bolt asked me to help her dye her hair awhile back. I said yes and managed not to ruin her hair. She asked me again this past weekend and I obliged. I've become her personal colorist. That led me to thinking about other gigs that I would want to do if given the chance. Some definitely require experience but if Homer Simpson can go to the moon, why can't I be whatever I want to be?! Bolt suggested I go to hair school. My friend Sarah suggested I be a tattoo artist.  Or finally write a book called Z-bonics: A New Language. The things that come out of my mouth. oy!

Currently I'm in the shipping industry and my night gig is my love - Art!

With that being said, here's a list of alternate careers/dreams gigs I would love to do:

• A puppeteer for Jim Henson. I would work on any project associated with him. I grew up on Sesame Street and I'm a fan of the Muppets. I'd have to work on different voices though.
• Monster makeup/prosthetics person ala Rick Baker. I want to make the most insane monster, creature or zombie anyone has ever seen! RAWWWR! Spend days on movie sets putting on insane makeup on people. 
• Working on nails at a beauty salon. I love being creative with my nails. Given the chance, I'd work in a salon giving manicures and talking about last night's True Blood. I love you Bill Compton!  
• Marine Biologist who only studies the Blue whale. They are amazing to me and I'd become a crazy whale lady living on her boat in the middle of the sea hanging out with them 24/7. Hot tea and binoculars please!
• A comic book artist. I don't like doing anything half-ass so I haven't attempted this feat...yet. 
• An animator for the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim shows. Again, I can draw but don't know any technical skills to become one.  oh what? I can go to school for that? GIVE ME MONEY THEN. :)
• A Farmer that raises llamas. I personally would like to own a llama. I'd call it BROCK ADAMS. 
• Zookeeper just so I can be called "Zoraida the zookeeper" lol

I'd die a happy women if I was able to accomplish the above. So far I've worked at a sex shop, a grocery store, a vet clinic, worked as an art assistant, a paint your own pottery place, an animal humane society, a library, retail store selling home goods and now helping people move their stuff. 

I just like trying everything once and see how it goes. 

For now I'll settle having one job and working on my free time on my first love. 

It's all good. Things work out the way they should even when you don't like the outcome. 

No worries. Go take a walk. You'll feel better. 

Non-Smoker and left hand exercises

A good group of people I work with are smokers. Hey! I'm not hating, I'm just stating.
So like any smoker, you take smoke breaks which are allowed at my job.
I work in a very stressful industry so whatever gets you through the day. Do you boo do you.

Here and there I decide to take "non-smoker breaks".  I don't want to start a cigarette habit just so I can take a breather. I try to keep them under 10 minutes since there's always work to be done and I don't want to be there until 10pm.  I could just sit outside the office on the bench contemplating my life.
do chubby latina women not have lifestyle blogs about being in their 30s, having debt and lusting over dorky white guys? where you at boo?!

Anyways, to relieve some stress I decided to take out a piece of paper and a marker and take it outside to draw.  Side story - I hate just being dominant in my right hand. So since I was a teenager I have made an effort to write or draw with my left hand. In my weird thoughts, if for some reason my right hand got chopped off, I would still be able to draw with my left hand. I know. Insane thought. I never said I was normal. I do have a sound mind. However, it just more whacky than others. I draw or write with my left hand when I can.
OK now back to what I was saying. My friends know I start talking about one thing, hit the brakes and start talking about something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. No transition. I just assume everyone  has the same logic I do. haha

I took the paper and pen outside and took to drawing something with my left hand.
BEHOLD...my left hand came up with this...

I don't exactly know what it is or where it came from. I started with the eyes and worked my way out. I have contemplated painting with my left hand. My drawings are more free flowing when I draw with my left hand. My right hand is very controlled and knows where to go. My hands are somewhat reflective of my personality. I do like having control but I'll let go since it always seem like the other person needs it more than I do. Fuck it.  I'm good. :) 

I have simple goals in my life so far and having complete control is not one of them. 

I just want to make art, pay off my debt, be really good at my job, own a dog someday and have fun responsibly. Also owning a boat, petting a blue whale and living on an island is somewhere in my crazy dreams.
I digress...my non-smoker breaks are my tiny moments to breathe and let my imagination have recess time.

TO A CREATIVE QUALITY OF LIFE. CHEERS! *while holding a pineapple tequila drink.

Philly weekend REWIND:

My Philly weekend was amazing. It was about 2 weeks ago. 

It started at 7pm Saturday night and ended at 10:30pm Sunday night.

My friends Dave and Conal were in D.C. promoting their magazine STRETCH and I was happy to go hang out with them. There were reading from the magazine and offering free wine, cheese and crackers. Oh well hey! gimme some queso y vino por favor!

After the reading, Dave mentioned their next stop was Philadelphia and I impulsively offered to give them a ride. In my head it was doable. Philly isn't too far away, I want to hang out with my BK friends and road trips are always fun. DONE. I don't ever THINK about the actions I take. I just do it! for better and for worst. 

We hit DC for a bit for some beers and crashed at my place afterwards.

The next morning we got coffee and drove up to Philadelphia. 

By far, one of the best road trips I've had. When you have the right people in the car, it's always going to be awesome.

My friends are awesome. 

I WAS SO FREAKING EXCITED. This was only my third time in Philly and I couldn't believe I was there. I have the excitement of a five year old. weee! I drove through the streets of Philly onward to Dave's brother's house. Ghetto gentrified fabulous streets full of history, questionable smells, people and art here and there. I was loving this moment in my life. Here I am, in Philly on a whim because I wanted to help out my friends and shit! I have to parallel park??? wait, what?! greeeat. grumble mumble. BUT I DID IT. I managed to find a good spot and not too bad at parallel parking. FYI - Left-hand turns, changing lanes at the last minute and parallel parking make me super nervous and stress me out.

I mean I still do it. I'm no wuss but the anxiety is still there. hahaha

We dropped their stuff off and headed to Red Hook where their reading and mingling was to be. We found rockstar parking in front of the coffee shop. Oh yeah! I took it as a sign. This trip was meant to work out the way it did. Let's get our creative juice on. oooww.

I thought it went great. The stories kept my attention and I was in awe of how creative some people are.  The stories were pretty bitchin' yo! I miss being constantly surrounded by creative people. They are my cup of tea. I was standing, sitting, leaning and observing this moment of creative awesomeness. I also have a problem standing still. 

I stepped outside with Conal after it was over to get some fresh Philly air. I turned to Conal and said "I'm so glad I'm not boring. I love being creative." He smiled and hugged me.  Surprise hugs are the best.

I was standing next to a writer and inside there were more writers and I'm an artist and we were in this moment of doing what we love. I wasn't reading. I was there to cheer them on. 

That should be on my resume - 30 years of Moral Support cheerleading. haha something like that.

To some it may seem like a small moment, but to me it was a grand moment. To have the ability to express yourself through any medium is great. To create a new idea, poem, story, painting or anything you want and follow through is AMAZING. I was so proud of them for promoting their magazine, for all the writers who contributed to it and proud to call myself an artist. I NEVER WANT TO STOP.  Art in every form will always be part of my life. I embrace it fully and I'd never let my dreams die. I'd feel my light would be dimmer if I snuffed out my creativity. Philly was so much fun. Beer, a pickle back, witnessing your friends' creativity in action, cheesesteaks, a street magician and awesome company to boot?!

Shut the front door! I was happy.

We walked to the waterfront later that day after ingesting GIANT cheesesteaks we had at Steaks on South. 

They were mad delicious. 

I always breathe in and let out a happy sigh when I see the water. I love being near it. It was a super nice day in Philly.

We parted ways a little while after since I live 3 hours away and they were there to stay for the night. It was so good to see them and just to be a part of their creative endeavour. The drive home by myself didn't bother me. I was full of energy and I just wanted to get home and paint the shit out of something. Hand me my brush, I'm going to make something weird. I love having a creative soul and that weekend my impulsive nature paid off.

Great weekend, great friends and great vibes.

New work in progress...

I'm not sure what's gotten into me but I was inspired to draw a Day of Dead wedding scene. I can already tell I'm over it. The creative process becomes harder when you're not inspired to finish the painting. But I will see this all the way through. My trusty feline sidekick is always by my side while I paint! Most of the time he is asleep. What an art critic! hahaha
Anyways, here's progress so far.