We Win Together, and We Loose Together

Here's a little peak at a (another) WIP I have going for this month. The scan didn't really come out clearly but that's life! I put a coat of acrylic spray on it so the glare from that must be affecting the scanner. Note to self--scan before spray! This piece is going to have some 3 dimensional parts to it which I don't really do a lot of but I coerced a handy carpenter friend into cutting me up many pieces of wood for future projects so some of my mini pieces he cut up for me will be incorporated into this piece. I'm hoping to finish the piece off tomorrow and then after that---everything I make for the next couple of weeks will be for my Etsy shop. I have to buckle down because I haven't added any new art in over a month! I have been working on things, but they've all been for gifts or trades so with almost a month of 2008 slipping by us already--it's time to get busy for the business side of my art.

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In other news, my youngest son started playing basketball in our local town recreation youth league. This is his first time joining a team of any sort, and first time playing basketball with anyone other than me and his brother. Now, I'm no Michael Jordan or anything but some of you may be surprised to know that I can shoot some mean hoops here and there. Mostly there but who's counting?! I actually enjoy playing basketball as a form of exercise! Once it warms up, I think I will play more often because gosh knows I need some exercise! Bleck! I don't want to even go there. Anywhoo--the kids won their first game Tuesday with a score of 18 to 4! It was a total surprise because his team is sorta the Bad News Bears of Basketball and the other team was a more straight laced, organized and tight in their drills kinda crew. We scrimmaged the Saturday before and everyone thought it was going to be a blow out on their part. The exact opposite happened though and it was hysterical! Saturday was the kids 2nd game and this one was more of a nail biter. They didn't win, but it was a very close game, 14 to 10--Josh didn't score at all unfortunately but did do well with defense. As an only child--I think it's especially good he is participating in a team sport. He needs to learn to work with others, not just for himself.

I never played sports in school. I've always worked alone and for myself. Oddly enough, I did become a manager in my career, which in a way is definitely like playing on the team. I wonder if I would have been even better at what I do if I had played on a team growing up??? As I've grown as a manager I've definitely learned that you can't have a superstar on a team and forget about the rest of the team, and expect them to still win. You are only as strong as your weakest person. One person can't and shouldn't row the boat alone--you need to work for the greater good of the group to be successful. It's interesting though, I've found that the more challenges you give your team, the more they rise to the occasion. One thing we go by on our work team is taken from a quote from Coach K--"We win together, and we loose together". No one person should bare the responsibility of winning or loosing--yet so often it does seem to point that way, especially with the media who focuses on the Superstars or the Fumblers. The better person realizes, a team and a group comes to be and exist from all the individual parts-their success or failure doesn't happen because of any one person. I hope Josh learns this as he develops in his basketball skills and his team player mentality. It took his Mama a lot longer to realize it in her life.

I've been thinking about what I'd like to focus on for my artwork in 2008 and I haven't really pinpointed any one theme just yet. However, the team concept is an interesting topic to explore--the realization of how everything we touch is connected in someway in a myriad of ways to a bazillion different things. The chain effect of life. The bigger picture. We may feel alone some days, but we are part of so many different groups (teams), that feeling of aloneness is so unnecessary, if we only open our eyes to it. Connections, our role in this world, the chain effect of our actions, the progression of our development, the ups and downs of that journey--all areas worth exploring. Now to put those thoughts on the canvas. Hmmmm. Dream big, start small.

Have a great week!