R&R

Jessica wrote about and drew about her weekend at the pool!  In addition to sun and water, she got a massage which helped her through the long slog of work that she had just endured.  She asked about good books to read in order to help get her life back in balance- a long term quest of hers!  I remember living in Cairo and spending weekends at the pool, we had a membership to a hotel and it had a tiny fitness center and pool.  Because of either a good exchange rate at the time, or maybe an inflated sense of earnings, we often ordered lunch pool side.  It felt so extravagant to order a cheeseburger and eat it while relaxing by a tropical pool.  How about you pal, do you snack on American foods in your bikini?

Doodles

Last time dots, this time doodles.  Jessica's busy life in Ghana had her stressed and pressed for time.  She wrote that this card started as a doodle and grew. It was literally all she had time for in a month filled with hiring and managing projects.  At one point, she said she was writing the date on a paper and realized "Oh my gosh, its March already!" Seems funny to me because last march I was feeling like the dreary, gray month was going on forever.  I wonder if Jessica's doodle of a young boy's face is inspired by any of the young people in her day to day life or that she met on a project visit?

Dots

As I am sure has been said before on this blog, when Jessica draws with dots she finds it therapeutic and relaxing.  This image is from one of her work projects focused on literacy and numeracy.  Jessica remembered the French photographer who came to Ghana to shoot photographs was a lot of fun and had had some pretty cool previous jobs including White House photographer (complete with Press Pass).  I think photographer would be such a fun job, do you?

Pretty but mean

You may remember Jessica's blog about posting my secrets- this is another idea like that.  Look carefully and under all the insects she wrote ps you give me the willies. Making a mean statement on a carefully drawn, hand made card, what a concept.  She wrote about how it was fun to think about this idea, like a fake fly in someones food; but wrote next there might not be much of a market for these kind of postcard sets.  Some days that passive aggressive side of me comes out, and I want to write a card that says something awful. What do you think, what would you write on the front (or back) of this kind of card? Jessica ended her card by saying she needed to draw to get her life back into a balance.  Hopefully February got out of your system pal!

Everything in its place...

Jessica drew all these objects in little boxes and wrote about how things in her life finally felt under control around this time last year! I wonder if that was a conscious or subconscious connection? She was feeling that she finally had a handle on her job responsibilities and life in Ghana.  She also wrote "p.s. I don't like this card very much!" Oh postal pal, sometimes the cards I make I don't like so much (they turn out much better in my head!)

Tangled/Untangled

When I tried to think of what to write for a title, I guess I interpreted Jessica's card a bit.  She wrote this to me last January saying she was feeling refreshed by time at home and then feeling like there was a lot to do to get ready for a new assistant director coming to Ghana (hence the tangled and untangled idea). Overall I think this is a good theme for January, we are starting fresh but often give ourselves tons to do as well begin the new year. 
I hope the scan of this card shows all the little stick figures doing little activities among the colorful swirls well enough for you.  I think my favorite might be the little guy to the right, just about her signature- what is he holding? I imagine he is juggling fire, what about you?

Winter Cardinal

Around this time Jessica was visiting last year and we were able to meet for a day in Traverse City.  We had plans to do a lot, but ended up eating good food and doing a lot of talking.  It was great.  She showed me some cut outs that she planned to turn into cards- this was one!

She writes that she mailed it before heading back to Ghana.  She had a great time in DC for New Year's feeling nourished by time with friends and by the time with family in TC.  Isn't that what the holidays are supposed to be for? Hope yours was!

Desert

This card might technically be a savanna but what Jessica wrote about was living in a desert! She was getting ready to leave for a long break in the US and wrote "when I was plotting this card I was about as stressed as possible and in fire fighting/crisis mode" Sounds like a place devoid of life to me! Don't worry about our heroine though, she went on to reflect about having made a lot of progress in one year living in Ghana.  She added that December often makes her nostalgic. I agree, being with family makes memories surface and winter makes us stay inside and slow down.  Both add to the recipe for warm feelings of nostalgia. 

Surfin' USA

I couldn't resist the tile because I love the Beach Boys- but, that doesn't have much if anything to do with this post.  Jessica drew this card while thinking about her soon to be brother in law and his surfing company in the Solomon Islands.  Jessica has never been surfing (although recently she did go paragliding!)  She also wrote about staying connected with family that is far away as well as dreams of starting a business.  At the end of her note she asked me what kind of business I might start.  I have often thought about a car wash or a bakery so that I could employ some of my students/or clients who are out of work, without a steady job where can people go in life? I have heard of these types of business being good models for this type of thing. I guess not as exciting as a surfing company, is it? What about you, what type of business would you start if money and risk were not factors? What is your dream?

Silly

This outline drawing is fun because in Oct of 2010 Jessica was just learning about silly bandz!  Having worked in an elementary school, I had known about the bandz craze for quite a while.  They are really fun! Apparently someone came to Ghana and brought silly bandz in the shape of Sherlock Holmes and Micheal Jackson.  I remember a lot of the time I needed the kids to tell me what their band was supposed to be as some don't jump out at you right away...I'm not sure I would have guessed those two.  Jessica saw some kids on her walk one Sunday and decided to draw up some silly bandz of her own!

Tamale Tree

This is a dot portrait from a photo Jessica took in Tamale.  Sometimes she posts photos of her neighborhood and office which help me to imagine her daily life in Ghana.  Still finding dot drawing therapeutic , Jessica wrote about making time to be creative helped her to add something more than just "de-stressing" to her life.  It was a time for a whole other way of being and thinking.  She sits down two times during a month to utilize postcards as a way of getting in touch with a different part of her life.  My process is more doing batches of postcards at a time, sometimes 4 or more in a day.  It's interesting to me to read about her process and compare it to mine because both of us use these postcards to make time to do art because art is an integral part of our lives. 

Camels

This card reminds me of one Jessica drew at the very beginning of this project, almost three years ago. Then she was visiting Cairo while living in DC. These camels were inspired by a airline magazine (again). Jessica was feeling inspired by the arrival of new staff people and had a wonderful group of summer interns who had just departed. It was nice to hear her upbeat about people and know she was getting some balance in her life in Ghana.  She even noticed that her use of colored pencils showed how much better she was feeling of late!

Stockpiles and Seasons

While I stock pile sketches for inspiration, Jessica sometimes stock piles her cards and sends 6-10 at a time.  I get bunches at a time and then catch up with what she wrote on each one.  Unlike me, she doesn't write them all at once!

This card has a summery image of a starfish but really Jessica drew it in the fall.  She wrote about missing seasons in Ghana, and how the Indian summer and leaves changing color were some of her thoughts of autumn. Oddly enough with all her talk of the fall, Jessica spent hers in South Africa where it was actually spring.  She wrote about feeling like a new beginning was happening with the blooms and the energy. It is fall now, again, and for me back to school always makes me feel a renewal.  What about you, do you think of fall as starting again (new things like supplies and new faces, kind of like when you were a kid with back to school) or is it just spring that makes you feel energized and like starting fresh (maybe cleaning and waking up after a long winter)?

Running is a "Jessica" theme just like Africa.  On this running postcard she announced she was running again!  This was good news for me because I knew that meant she was attempting some work/life balance.  She wrote about the gym where she runs, it was interesting for me because when living abroad I too was a hotel gym member!

Jessica was a big runner in college when we were roommates.  (I may have written here about how I often was dragged on runs/went along willingly only to end up breathlessly in pain after a few minutes).  Jessica had this wonderful running log.  She would write about runs she took and after each date just jot something memorable about that day.  I imagine she started writing in that again, and while running inside meant she wouldn't have to make notes about running past African scenery, she would have ways to remember non-work events.
Enjoy this colorful card!

Kenya!

(a.k.a to continue an African theme...)
The card is such a classic African image.  I love the colored pencil, this one and her next card are just stunning!  

Jessica drew this card after a trip to Kenya to see her former host family.  She hadn't seen them in a decade, but found other than all being a bit older and further along in their careers it was an easy reconnection.  I often wonder about visiting my old host families, but don't live or travel anywhere in their area of the world anymore.  Its been 10 years for me too, and I like to image what my host siblings grew up to become. Any people you used to know that you wonder 'where are they now?' This postcard also is a continuation of our recent 'inspiration' theme.  Jessica was inspired by an in flight magazine.  She wrote to me these are a great resource.  So, I think we have finally found the one purpose for this type of reading material- congrats on that Jess people were never sure what those were for until now :-)

Los Animales

Jessica drew this little sketch of an animal as she was thinking of Northern Ghana.  That area is quieter and full of nature, so maybe she was channeling its peace into hectic work life? Having just been on Safari myself I can identify him as a Thompson Gazelle or Impala!

She went on to write about turning 30- a transition we've both had lately.  Apparently, Jessica read that the 20's are now emerging adulthood while 30 means you're truly an adult (this has something to do with the brain).  Jessica jokingly says we are both slow to mature, but according to science we're just following normal human development!

Back to making her art

This was an icebreaker card last year, Jessica had not drawn or been to the post office in a while.  What do you see in this card? Its abstract and fun to imagine what it could be.   Any ideas?

Tech toys and more

Jessica drew me this litte guy and then wrote about being busy at work.  Who is he Jess?
Anyways, she was working a a record breaking speed and feeling recharged by vacation.  She had gotten a cool gift from her dad, tiny speakers that plug into her iTouch.  These fabulous little speakers came from Singapore, she was impressed by the quality from the small size.   Hopefully her music or podcasts helped her to get through the summer where work was doing amazing and interesting projects but keeping her worn out!

Life from Above

Jessica sketched this image out of the book Earth from Above, which was a gift.  She re-received the gift when her Mom moved and a box of her things arrived in the mail.  I really like the photographs in the book, so I really liked this postcard. 

Unfortunately for Jessica, she had recently got bad news about the tsunami reaching the small island of Samoa.  This was very sad because Jess lived there while in the Peace Corps for two years.  Never one to sit back and mope, Jessica quickly got involved with RPCV's and organized a fundraiser for the survivors.  I'm so proud she was able to turn her feelings into action and give back to her adopted country and family there. 

On this card she wrote about hope for 2010 to be a more positive year, after several sad events in 2009 of my own I heartily agreed. 

Vessels

Jessica had been throwing pots for months by the time she wrote the card.  And our blog had been up for a while too.  She was in the throws of creativity and seeing her cards online reminded her of her other art, I guess she decided her cards were always drawn with little boxy borders.  She wrote "I have been so stuck in a box!" and then decided to draw this lovely gathering of vases around a box to branch out! 

She wrote about how art was helping her stay centered during her job search, something I know we both share and one of the reasons we like this project and blog!  Jess also asked about Holiday plans for 2009, which was fun because we would get together!  Its a bit earlier this year, but Jess has already started to make her holiday plans, and I'm thrilled they will include me again!