A Lonely Soldier

365 Days of Creativity:

day six

A poem for today. I was caught up in thinking about The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, and how good he makes that path seem. Frost never mentions how lonely the trip could be. Though it might take you to wonderful places, what's a life without someone to share it?

Down the path that's rarely traveled,

a lonely soldier scuffs the gravel.

The road is long,

with many bends.

Though they say glory

is at the end.

But the lonely soldier

hangs his head.

For unlike him,

his friends are dead.

They took they way

more commonly used.

But that road was tired

of being abused,

of hitchhikers

who lazily cruised.

Their trail was straight,

and easy to march.

But it did not end,

with a golden arch.

A blank abyss,

with cold, cruel air,

was waiting to flair

ensnare and tear.

Watching from his tangled lane,

our soldier saw them whither and wane.

A smile should have lit his face,

for he could walk at his own true pace.

He was on his way to paradise,

but a friend or two

would have been nice.

Down the path that's rarely traveled,

a lonely soldier scuffs the gravel.

Monster Loves Mocha

365 Days of Creativity

day five

 An acrylic painting, yay dollar store supplies! I've never done any serious painting so this is all new to me. Turned out like I imagined it though, so that's a plus!

I also sorted my books into read, not read, and sell. Then Alphabetized them by Author and by book title.

(The top shelf is my "to read" shelf. Also alphabetized.)

It's not really creative I just love my books.

The Idea of Fear

365 Days of Creativity

day four

Wise as he is cruel,

the snake slithers near.

Harbinger of truth,

he says in your ear;

"I bring you a notion-

the idea of fear"

What's this? It's here,

A feeling of shame.

A feeling of cold and dark and pain,

suddenly scared, alone and afraid,

you spin around lost with no one to blame.

That man, who is he

why does he stare?

He's waiting and watching,

ever aware.

You keep walking

away from the eyes on your back.

When did the sky

get so empty and black?

Where there used to be stars and beauty and awe,

you see only demons, with gaping black maws.

This feeling of dread,

I'll put it in short:

The whole world is hungry,

and you're the main course.

What Would You Never Do?

I barely had time to do anything creative yesterday, but in between my two shifts at work I managed to squeeze out a piece of writing. Unfortunately I had to wait until today before I got an opportunity to post it.

365 Days of Creativity

day three

         People have their own set of basic rules, ethics and boundary's. It's easy when someone asks you, "Have you ever cheated in a relationship?" to say "Oh I would never!" But as life goes on, you realize more and more how much you lie to yourself. How many things you told yourself you wouldn't do. That person you said you wouldn't fall for, the job you said you wouldn't take, those words you promised not to utter. And that line you said you wouldn't cross is now miles behind you. Now someone asks if you've ever cheated and your answer is a jumble of half formed explanations and excuses.

"Well... this one time... but I was reaaaally drunk."

"It wasn't a healthy relationship anyways."

"A bit of fooling around, but it wasn't like we fucked or anything!"

           It makes you look at who you've become. What about everyone else that's cheated? Are they still disloyal sluts and disgusting liars? Or is there maybe a story behind every broken promise.

          Ask yourself: What would I never do?

And think, really think about your answer. Before you deny ever being able to kill someone, imagine that your victim has just kidnapped your child. No? What if they raped your sister? Your mother? How about if they killed the love of your life. Now? Now would you kill them? What if, if you didn't, your whole family would be ripped to shreds in front of you?

            If you still think you wouldn't do it, maybe you really obey your moral code. Or maybe you live in fear. Of the repercussions, of god, of your guilt. But more likely you're thinking... "Well if the guy killed my dad... and if I could get away with it..." And now that you've even considered murder, are you sure about those ethics you've lived by and judged others by?

So I ask you again:

What would you never do?

            As for me? I honestly can't say. So many times I've turned my back on myself, on others. Am I a bad person because I can't list a hundred morals?....Maybe. But who are you to judge?

Sailor Moon Sketch

365 Days of Creativity

day two

If you can't tell who this is, then I should probably not do drawing as any more of my creative days. And yeah I realize my version has a little more junk in the trunk than the original.

But that's day two! And now I'm about to go serve at a barmistvah while slightly buzzed off sharpie fumes. 

DIY Tote Bag

I find if I decide to put off writing for a day or two, those days almost always stretch into weeks. So to keep myself inspired and crafty I've decided to take on a self created project. To do at least one creative thing a day. Whether it be a story or a drawing or a photo, I've GOT to do something creative. No they won't always be pretty or high quality, but at least I'll be keeping them valuable juices flowing.

365 Days of Creativity

day one

For my first day of artsiness, I decided to make a tote bag out of an old shirt. I did a step by step guide for this one in case anyone wants to try their own. I'm sure there's lots of better tutorials out there, but I didn't look any up, so this is how I ended up doing it.

On a side note, this is the first thing I've ever sewn, other than a rip in my jean skirt.

What you'll need:

One shirt that you no longer wear. This is a strapless top so if you're using a t-shirt you'd probably have a lot more work to do than I did. I especially liked this shirt because it has pockets. You'll see them at the end.

Scissors, a needle, and thread. Or a sewing machine if you have one. I'm poor, so my budget was maxed out when I had to buy the fifty cent spool of thread and the dollar's worth of sewing needles. (dollar stores rule)

You'll also need another old shirt to make the strap out of, so pick a colour that doesn't clash too much. (or does, who am I to tell you what to do?)

Step 1) Turn your shirt inside out. We're going to sew along the bottom edge. I sewed just above the seam.

I used a back stitch along the bottom of the bag. Apparently it's a really sturdy stitch. I doubled it up just in case.

Step 2) Take the other shirt you don't want and trace a line down the bottom. Leave about 4-5 inches.

Step 3)  Cut off the bottom section. Using the bottom stitching means less work for you! Now cut open one side of the tube so you have a long strip. Measure how long you want your strap to be and cut the strip accordingly. 

Fold and sew the edge of the strip that you just cut, so the strip has more of a finished look.

Step 4) Turn your bag right side out, and fold in the top. Now sew each end of the strap to the opposite sides of the inside of your bag.

And voila!! You've got your own homemade tote bag.

Look how great those pockets are.

There it is, Day One of my challenge.

and yes, that is The Office in the background.

The Top Up and Coming Action Movies

Oh hello interwebs, fancy meeting you here!

This is my list of the best action movies to keep your eyes peeled for.

1) Sept 16 2011

Drive

First on our list is Drive. While director Nicolas Winding Refn's last film, Valhalla Rising, was slow and at parts too heavy for it's own good, seeing him paired with Ryan Gosling for an action flick makes for interesting chemistry. Combine the moody direction of Refn with a fast paced story and we might end up with a decent flick that hopefully has at least a little more dialogue than Valhalla.

2) Sept 23 2011

Abduction

I know, I know. Taylor Lautner's name scares away any guy that's heard of Twilight and thinks that the Actors in the series spread gay like it's a disease. Well put away your homophobic reactions for a second and think about this: Lautner probably doesn't want to be seen as a furry douchebag forever, his costar isn't bad on the eyes, AND the director of Abduction is the guy who did Four Brothers. And it looks like he got a budget this time.

3) Sept 23 2011

Machine Gun Preacher

If the title itself hasn't roused your attention, try this: "Machine Gun Preacher: Starring Gerard Butler". Now I know I at least have the ladies' attention. Butler is personally my favourite action hero as of late. I absolutely loved Gamer and 300. I'll watch pretty much any flick with Butler's name on it. (Even Timeline... though I wouldn't recommend that one.) But if you think I'm being too biased, consider that the director is the guy who brought you Quantum of Solace, and is currently filming World War Z, but more on that later.

4) Sept 23 2011

Killer Elite

I'm just going to throw out a few words and you tell me what you picture; Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, elite assassins.

If you pictured anything but explosions, blood, and electrifying action you can GTFO. The story doesn't really matter on this one, but you can expect lots of chase scenes and hand to hand combat lined up with solid acting.

5) Oct 7 2011

Real Steel

So the concept seems a bit gimmicky, and yes director Shawn Levy looks to have no business heading an action flick, (his wrap sheet consists of Night At The Museum, Pink Panther, and the recent Date Night) but it's fighting robots and Hugh Jackman. Plus it's the kind of movie you could see with your dad. If your dad is too lame for the other, way cooler movies on this list.

6) Oct 21 2011

The Three Musketeers

Another more family oriented film, Musketeers will be interesting. Though I hate Orlando Bloom, other members of the cast (Milla Jovovich and Christoph Waltz) and the director of AVP and Death Race make for a promising collection of talent / action knowledge. Not to mention the set design and costumes are sure to be brilliant.

7) Oct 28 2011

In Time

Not so much action as it is a crime-thriller, In Time is one of the movies on this list that really peaks my interest. Writer/director Andrew Niccol got my attention with Lord of War, and I really want to see how the ever rising stars Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy do in a world where people stop aging at 25.

8) Nov 11 2011

Immortals

A greek warrior battling against imprisoned titans. What God of War fan doesn't want to see that? How bout if it's presented by the producers of 300? I personally love anything to do with ancient greece. The story of the Zeus-blessed mortal, Theseus, in an epic high budget film is like a box office wet dream.

9) Dec 16 2011

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

I loved the balance of wit and action in the first Sherlock Holmes, and I'm sure Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law will deliver the same crowd winning performances the second time around.

10) Dec 23 2011

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Yes they're milking the series for all it's worth, but the movies have never disappointed in the action department and the presence of Jeremy Renner is always welcome.

11) Dec 23 2011

The Darkest Hour

Another theme that's been worked to the bone is the alien invasion story. But this time around we've got a group of young adults in Russia, (awesome) who are trying to survive the aftermath of an attack.

12) Jan 20 2012

Underworld: Awakening

A prequel that takes place before Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, but after Rise of the Lycans? Whatever, I just want to see Kate Beckinsale kick some ass. We can only hope the series doesn't kamikaze itself like Resident Evil: Afterlife. (Which is also trying it's hand in the taboo art of prequels with Resident Evil: Retribution.)

13) Mar 2 2012

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Fan-made poster

One part action, one part horror, and two parts comedy, this twist on the childhood story sounds worth a watch. It's 15 years after the gingerbread house and siblings Hansel and Gretel have turned to hunting witches. The duo of action-man Jeremy Renner and Prince of Persia beauty, Gemma Arterton boost this film on the intrigue scale. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the immediate denial of romance between the two stars. You know, because of the whole incest thing. Oh and director Tommy Witkola will bring his fanbase from zombie cult hit: Dead Snow.

14) Mar 23 2012

The Hunger Games

Even if you haven't read the books you're sure to have heard of them. And if you've been living under a rock for the last five years, all you need to know is that teenagers fight to the death. Jennifer Lawrence stars (recently seen as Mystique in X Men: Origins) alongside Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Teribithia) who I'm hoping can successfully break out of his child roles and into a more adult career.

And if you don't feel like waiting to watch a competition bloodbath, take a look at Battle Royale.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/

15) June 1 2012

Snow White and The Huntsman

I couldn't pick my favourite character banner, so here's the three I really like. The actual Huntsman's banner is a bit drab.

In another twist on a classic fairy tale (they won't stop until all our childhood stories have been raped) we see Chris Hemsworth of Thor as the Huntsman, who's protecting Snow White. She's played by Kristen Stewart who is, like Lautner, trying to break away from Twilight. Here's hoping she can play a female who might not be a total pussy. But don't worry, she's not straying so far that she doesn't need protection from a strong man. Oh and the fact that Academy Award Winning actress Charlize Theron is playing the Evil Queen is a big point for the good side of the film.

16) June 22 2012

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

This movie makes the list because of Night Watch and Wanted director, Timur Bekmambetov and because of the successful reputation of writer Seth Grahame-Smith. In this story Lincoln's mother is killed by a vampire, and so he takes to hunting all vampires and they're associates. I'm not exactly against all these twists on historical fiction, but I always approach them with a handful of salt. They could so easily turn from twisted gem to over-forced flop. 

17) Dec 21 2012

World War Z

Marc Forster, the guy who's also bringing us Maching Gun Preacher is lucky to be taking Max Brooks' novel to the big screen. Not only will he have the books' fanbase, but zombie lovers are going to flock left right and center to see this unique story. It's about a U.N. representative interviewing survivors of World War Z. Sure to be chalk full of bloody zombies and gory flashbacks, I hold high hopes for this one. Did I forget to mention they nabbed Brad Pitt for the lead?