Animated Illustration – A Star is Born, Encore!

Thank you Neighbor.

Listening to my neighbor inspired this illustration. Cleaning can be an effective stress-reliever. My neighbor goes at it with wild abandon.

This is when I usually put on the “greatest noise canceling headphones ever.” Silence is rapidly restored and I continue happily with my tasks. But today for some reason, I didn’t look to the heavens and immediately reach for the headphones. Instead I just listened, and then I began to smile. I could see this in my imagination.  First I made this simple illustration;

Yikes! Now she was really having a good time! I was listening to a full-fledged concert, so I added her rock star lighting.

Going with the flow is when my imagination really kicks in and it can verge into the silly. I wondered if she were playing her air guitar/broom?
Is her mop bucket providing percussion?

And of course she needs an audience and fans!

I wanted to bring this illustration to life and complete the cleaning rock star concert experience!

Animating requires a different file set-up but I didn’t plan on doing anything with this, I was just playing and also, I was having fun. The concert had ended, and I imagined her encore and gracious acceptance of the applause. Let’s make this illustration “rock!” (I hope this moves in the WordPress Reader.)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a time to reflect with gratitude for the previous year and how we have learned through our experiences.
Yes, this year is different.
Possibly this change can enhance our gratitude for all that is in this moment, while not bemoaning what is different. That’s my plan.
We are all experiencing a loss of some sort. For some, very little has changed. For others it has been horrendous.
It feels like a collective grieving to me. I realize I can resist or accept.
Accepting the cacophony presented by my neighbor opened a door to many hours of playing and fun. I would have missed out on this if I had resisted and judged the situation as a momentary loss of peace.
I don’t readily enjoy challenges, but when I accept them a mystery seems to unfold.
As always, I become the true recipient. And, I am grateful.
This Thanksgiving may we all find a grateful heart in each moment …just as it is,
and allow the mystery to unfold.

Thank you.
And to all, happy Thanksgiving!