I Needed Color -- Jim Carrey Paints

Did you know that Jim Carrey paints?
This video surprised and inspired me, so I added captions to it.

Some great Jim Carrey quotes from this video are:

• "What you do when life chooses you, you can choose to not do it. You can choose to try to do something safer. Your vocation chooses you."
• "I think what makes someone an artist is they make models of their inner life. They make something physically come into being that is inspired by their emotions or their needs or what they feel the audience needs."
• "Art has to be service. You know, it's like you're servicing your subconscious. And at the same time you're doing something that someone's going to relate to, hopefully."
• "The energy that surrounds Jesus is electric. I don't know if Jesus is real, I don't know if he lived, I don't know what he means, but the paintings of Jesus are really my desire to convey Christ consciousness. I wanted you to have the feeling when you looked in his eyes that he was accepting of who you are. I wanted him to be able to stare at you and heal you from the painting. You can find every race in the face of Jesus, and I think that's how every race imagines Jesus. They imagine him as their own."
• "Something inside you is always telling a story."

This took me 13 minutes to transcribe, which is roughly double the length of the video, and then another 42 minutes to clean it up, complete the sync, review, and publish. Enjoy!

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog

"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."

I start just about every realtime translation by writing those phrases on my steno machine. The first is a pangram, which, I've written about before here, is a sentence using every letter in a given alphabet. They're often used for keyboarding practice and displaying typefaces, etc.

Beyond words

In the course of our careers, we stenographers get really good at sharing the narratives of others. Our brains and bodies work together with machine shorthand and turn sound waves into text on a page or screen to communicate what was said.

The testimony I hear and transcribe is often beyond words, and I couldn't talk about it even if I wanted to; so more and more, making art has become one of my favorite means for self-expression. This practice, whether it's sketching, coloring, or maintaining an art journal, puts me in a great mood, probably by helping to release emotions and pent up energy from working in this intense but rewarding field. When I'm able to creatively express myself, my days are just somehow more awesome.

What is your favorite creative outlet?  Feel free to share in the comments.

The art of stenography

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so I'll be brief.

This marker drawing of a Diamante steno machine was completed in honor of Court Reporting and Captioning week, February 14-20, 2016. It represents the amazing opportunities that stenography offers the willing student and shows my appreciation for it and all other forms of art. This design is available for purchase as wall art, a tote bag, travel mug, or even a throw pillow, so get yours now!

Hiatus

In every education, career, relationship, story, year, or life, there is a beginning, middle, and an end. In my case it's been a bunch of satisfying whirlwind middle where I could barely keep my hat on nor wipe the smile off my face.

A lot has happened since 2012, when I last wrote: I co-planned a high-class $4,000 wedding and reception in six months, got married, went on several vacations & business trips, bought a house, and gotten through some challenges that make me strive for continual improvement. Maybe I'll write about some of these things someday, but nevertheless this is adulting at its finest!

I've been through some self-discovery, my priorities have changed a bit, but my core being has remained. Steno and court reporting has been an amazing constant in my life, and I'm still a creator at heart who just wants to share my insight and experience with those who will listen, so I do hope you'll continue on this journey with me.                  

Nama-steno.

Putting on Your Court Reporter Hat

When I was a kid, I loved to watch Reading Rainbow.  It came on right after Sesame Street, if I can recall correctly.  My all-time favorite Reading Rainbow episode was one I remember seeing many, many times. The episode was called a Three Hat Day and featured the same-titled book, A Three Hat Day by Laura Geringer and Arnold Lobel. Something about that episode was so magical. I watched it every time it came on. When LeVar Burton, the host, put on different hats, he was transported to different places based on the hat he put on. He put on a jockey's hat and instantly he was riding on the horse in the middle of a race.  He put on a hockey mask and became the goalie in the NHL, and the last one, I believe, was putting on a train conductor's hat.

So the question occurred to me, what kind of a hat does a court reporter wear? And wouldn't that be awesome if it were that easy? To just put on a court reporter's hat and be done with school and be out in the working world would be pressing the proverbial easy button. Unfortunately such a magic bullet doesn't exist, so get practicing! Of course, you can finish reading this post. THEN get to practicing.

Figuratively speaking, a student does have to put on their thinking cap. Always be listening to others, TV, and radio for new words to add to your dictionary. Never hesitate to try a new steno technique out. Be a force of positive energy around your fellow students. Dress the part.

Or literally speaking, when it comes to breaking away from your loved ones to go get your practice hours in, you could don a favorite hat or sweatshirt to get in the zone, so to say. Then take it off when you're done practicing. (Wash it frequently!) Make a rule that there's no surfing the net or being interrupted in between takes while wearing your court reporting "hat." We have to learn to tune out distractions while working, so we might as well start now. Sorry, hun, for not saying hi right away when you get home. xoxo

Just like a runner can buy a new pair of jogging shoes or athletic gear to spice up their workout routine, we too can find "the magic" again and get excited to practice. These are what I throw on when I'm not to be bothered while practicing.

I made these. So happy w/ how they turned out!