Here There be Dragons!

Dragons come in many shapes and sizes in our imaginations. Growing up it was the damsel held captive by a dragon and a knight was sent to rescue her. We still have dragon dreams today. the dreams depend on the author and so does the dragon.
Dragons and tigers and different powerfully regarded animals make our world and ideas take shape.
For example:
Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn has a Fae world coinciding with the human world (as the Fae have always done) and in her "OtherWorld" series...there are shape shifters in Dragon Form....very powerful indeed.

This one is beautiful and shows the love and care of an adoring and beautiful young girl holding and loving what seems to be a baby dragon. It's a gorgeous creation that makes me wish I was that girl holding such a magnificent and mythical creature. Isn't that the purpose of art and illustrations....to take you further into the depths of a story or transport you into a dimension envisioned by the artist?

Then like owls, dragons are given to be the "Keepers of Wisdom and Knowledge" as it would or could appear here with the red dragon...Is the girl talking to him, asking for advice on a matter of life, death, or daily council? or Is she the dragon's next tastey morsel? What do you see in the depths of the red dragon as he peers at the beautiful brunette standing before him?

Dragons seem to resemble magic, long life (centuries long giving them the title "keepers of knowledge" in some realms), power, strength, freedom... to each author they are more than they were before.
To each child, they resemble something larger than life could ever be......

Then there is that crazy children's movie "How to Train Your Dragon".....Well that is certainly a different take on Dragons isn't it!

Then there is Anne McCaffrey! Her vision of dragons was one of my first teen visions of the mighty creatures who could be small enough to ride on your shoulder or large enough to ride and destroy threadfall.
Anne McCaffrey will always come to mind for me when dragons are mentioned.
She is the original "Mother of Dragons" to most book-lovers though Daenerys Targaryen is a great "mother of dragons" to those who have seen the television series "Game of Thrones". The books were awesome to read and the tv series has done great things with the images described in those pages taken from the magnificent mind of George R. R. Martin.
In dreams of an alternate reality...I would love to be a dragon rider of Pern or "Mother of Dragons" who can walk through fire.

Dragons have often also been symbols of the elements....earth, air, water, and fire. Most can "breathe fire" and most can fly. Some even breathe ice or fly (swim as it were) through water.

   

So..... Which of these Water Dragons did you picture at the mention of such a creature?

Then there are Ice Dragons, Fire Dragons, Dragons of Air or Wind....the elements incarnate! Then there are other dragons of magic...."The Last Dragon" Chronicles are written for children by author Chris D'Lacey. a must read for children who have great imaginations or who love family and dragons and art.

Dragons influence many cultures and history as well as the imagination....

the Chinese New Year:

The martial arts of the world have all seen this piece of art or clip art:

Dragons:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon

Today there are any number of creatures associated with dragons. Checkout the Kamodo Dragon! Yes are REAL dragon....well at least it carries the name "Dragon" and it is a lizard!

Yes, when it comes to dragons....the topic and directions are endless...

So where would you take a dragon....would your dragon be more like "Puff" or "Elliot" or "Cassie" or "Org"

Or would you ride that dragon or fight a dragon on a dangerous quest like Harry Potter?

There be Dragons HERE!

(please note: all pictures were taken via "copy URL" from the internet. No Copyright infrigment was meant. 

If you disagree with the pictures posted here, PLEASE contact me via email!)

Another Life, Some Other Place

I love to read! Books were my travels long before I could travel. They were my escape long before I realized that was what I was doing---escaping! This picture says it all. Becoming another person, someone you want to be or can relate to....leads to a different place, maybe a different time...and sometimes to adventures impossible here on earth in whatever city or country you live in. 

Reality and society have their own ties that bind and their own expectations. We readily adopt a lot of those expectations for ourselves and sometimes set the stakes even higher. goals and high expectations are a must in order to thrive in life. You need challenges to grow. Books are challenges for the mind and a subtle hint that sometimes the impossible that you are dreaming isn't necessarily impossible at all.

Remember to dream....to live another life, have another voice, another soul.....YOU make it happen!

What is the title of your latest adventure?

Who are you today? Who will YOU be tomorrow?

Who is YOUR favorite author?

Here are a few of mine...check them out if you need a jump start on your adventures in reading!

Anne McCaffrey

Iris Johansen

Keri Arthur

Diana Gabaldon

Mercedes Lackey

P. C. Cast

Jim Butcher

Melissa Marr

Empty Nests

A Glorious Flight!

Graduation is a glorious experience. High School is over and life is just beginning....talk about a serious change and an exhilarating time of unknown possibilities!

It's May and graduations from High School and from College are taking place all around us. I find myself trying to redefine myself due to the changes happening all around me. The environment you are in impacts you as much as you impact it and others around you--even if you don't realize it.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philipeans 4:13

 When I graduated from High School, I believed this with all my heart and soul. I was ready to take on the world. When I graduated from College, I still believed it was true and hoped I could take on the world.

Now my first child is graduating from High School and I am more lost and unsure than I was at 18 standing on the brink of life ready to take on the world.

Changes came and went and are still coming and will continue to become normal....and I will continue to embrace change in and of itself.... Some changes in the specific sense are a little harder to embrace. I find it was easier to take the journey myself than to watch others that are my responsibility take on those challenges. This of course offers more challenges and more change. 

Embrace life! Embrace Change!....Live, Laugh, and LOVE to the fullest in all that you do!

Change is inevitable.

Need a hand in CyberSpace?

Does "Social Media" frustrate YOU?

I read an article on LinkedIn the other day. It talked about the frustrations of a photographer and listed the main frustrations of a lot of today's modern photographers. Among those frustrations was blogging, websites, and social media. This is a common frustration among many people today. Computers and Social Media are an ever changing area. We, as a people/society in general, try to avoid change if possible. Yet the digital age makes avoiding change very difficult.

frustrated Photographer

IF you are a frustrated photographer (or have frustrations in any industry) in these areas, then you should outsource to someone who loves to be involved in these areas. We tend to out source the accounting areas with not of a second thought. Why not outsource these areas as well?

Personally, I love to blog. I enjoy social media and websites too. They are all forms of creativity. We all get frustrated at things that are viewed as outside our "realm of comfort" or outside our "area of expertise". Things that make that list of obligations are a source of frustration as well.

For those that are frustrated in the areas of cyberspace...contact me! I will be glad to offer my services in that area. A phone conversation or email can set things on the right track for YOU! I can be reached via email (mishalowther@gmail.com), phone, or facebook. I also tweet, blog (obviously) and would love to help YOU!

Cyberspace frustrating YOU? Contact Me!

Cyberspace doesn't have to frustrate you. Let it "frustrate" someone else--someone who WANTS to deal with it FOR YOU!

Not frustrated--just don't have the time?  I can still help you out. I love to blog and spend time doing all of these things. It is a wonderful thing to spend the time doing what you love! We all love our business. It's what we do and what we create. Loving what you do makes life much happier and easier to enjoy.

Have a great day and enjoy the thought of letting go of one area of frustration or obligation...or just getting something done that has been haunting your professional "to do" list. :D

mishalowther@gmail.com (Send me an email!)