GYPSY GIRL'S GUIDE

Studio Time, San Francisco, March 2007

Dear readers, since I've been away from the "blogsphere" for a few days, I decided to invite you into my world for a bit. Take a peak at my creative area!

Here is where I've been spending a lot of my time lately : brainstorming, planning and developing ideas for my own artful business. Truth be said, I have also been (madly!) working on another big film project. I am now producing the visual effects for Spiderwick Chronicles (that's my day job, btw!), a feature adaptation on the children's book series of the same name . If you have young readers at home, I highly recommend these fun little books and (especially!) the illustrated field guide!

Here are some of my other projects at the moment:

More Kids' illustrations - I have some samples up in the picture above! Illustration has become my biggest passion (after Dance and Travel)! I dream of the day when I will do that for a living... (That day is closer and closer now! Yay!) I'm working on a portfolio to take to the SCBWI conference in August. Any of you coming to this event too? I went last year and it was fantastic!

Book Project - This is a great new opportunity for me. I can't tell you much right now... But it's going to be incredible!!! And as soon as I can, I promise I'll let you in on that journey.

Gypsy Shop - Some of you have emailed and asked me about it, so here we go: I'm setting up an online store to sell prints of some of my photos and illustrations here. I'm both flattered and excited about this! And I'm in the process of testing several print services too. The images are very hi res so they can be printed fairly big. Cool, uh? Some of the photos that will be available are here on the blog and some will be totally new.

Gypsy Girl's Guide site - I'm redesigning the site to include more features. Surprise!! More on that soon!

Partnership and Collaboration - This is super new and exciting! I'll be collaborating on a creative project with a very special Blogger! Who could it be??? More on that soon!

Travel - Finally! I need to keep moving!! :D Starting this October, I'll be spending sometime in Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte and the island of Fernando de Noronha in Brazil. The plan is for me to document this tropical paradise with lots of photos and illustrations ~ All for you! I can't wait!

***

Phew. I think this is it for now. I cannot squeeze anything else besides kisses from my "Sito" (who is such a good listener and who cheers me up all the way in everything I do!)

As for you, my dear ones, I'll be back to full swing, reading and writing by the end of this week. Till then, I'm sending you lots and lots of inspiration and happiness!

Fresh Tomato at home, 2007.

"If a woman wants to be a poet, she must dwell in the house of the tomato." Erica Jong

I found the quote above in Gayle Brandeis' fascinating book, Fruitflesh. I am completely inspired by it and I can't put it down. If you haven't done that yet, order it immediately. I guarantee you will devour Brandeis delicious words! (Huge thanks to Michelle and Susannah for the tip. I saw it on your lists and I knew it had to be yummy!)

As far as writing guides go, Fruitflesh has been a completely new experience for me. Every chapter starts with a ripening meditation, exploring how a particular fruit looks and how it feels to the touch and to the tongue. Then, it invites you to taste it with your whole body and awareness. Needless to say, in that process, you are unleashed on a feast for the senses, marrying your body, your sensuality, your deepest secrets and words.

In one of the chapters, Brandeis describes the tomato as a misunderstood fruit once considered poisonous, aphrodisiac, and still often mistaken by a vegetable. She then makes a comparison to artists, who are also often misunderstood, but who eventually, find appreciation for their fruitfulness. I love that analogy!

The tomato got me thinking about simplicity and wholeness as well. I envy the tomato. It hardly needs anything to enhance its flavor. It's comfortable in its own skin. I wish I could handle myself as it does, in its tight and neatly packed complexity. I envy its boldness. How well it carries the color red without any inhibition. How it is well rounded. I want to have its effortless beauty. Be unassuming yet powerful, holding many layers and textures. I want to exuberate the same smooth glow on the outside and real coolness, on the inside. I want to claim my juiciness and all the creative seeds that are waiting to be discovered underneath my skin. I want to be just as simple and just as whole.

I believe we are one sweet and complete package, just like the tomato. Yet, we accumulate so much clutter and responsibility. We over complicate our lives and distance ourselves from our pure essence. When I travel, I always come to the conclusion that I really don't need that much to be happy. I become part of the world. I merge with it. I don't need a variety of outfits, belongings, etc. A suitcase with some essentials is more than enough. In that context, I'm like the tomato: a succulent fruit in balance with nature.

So why is it so hard for us to cultivate the tomato's easiness in our everyday life? Can we un-complicate our lives for the sake of being able to really know and reveal the uniqueness and truth of our flesh and soul?

(Thanks so much to Gayle Brandeis! Your book is more than delightful! It's pure pleasure and it's making a huge impact on my writing and in how I experience the world around me and in me! Absolutely delicious and inspiring!)

For more inspiration... Go here!

Thanks to lovely gals Frida and Mardougrrl for the fabulous link! I had so much fun playing with this!

Go get yours... I'm curious to find out more about you too :)

Here is what my full profile says... (This is better than horoscope, guys! In my case, the profile is right on the money!)

And many many thanks to the Imagine crew, who put this fun project together for us.

MOOD: "Easy Rider"
You're a bit of a romantic and have a taste for the exotic. (YES!) You love feeling the sea breeze in your hair, sun on your skin... Slip those shoes off... You like to kick back. (YOU BET!) When it comes to art. you like to think you've got a good eye and some knowledge too. ( I DO!) Highbrow, and in the know ~ you're experimental and sometimes a little unconventional. (I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THIS IS TRUE!) As for music, you're a focused listener and always on the look out for something new. (I'M VERY OPEN TO LISTEN TO NEW GOOD STUFF!) Your (BOYFRIEND'S) music collection is your treasure. (HE BUYS WAY MORE CDS THAN ME! I LOVE IT! :D)

FUN: "Escape Artist"( ABSOLUTELY!)
You like to keep a clear head, and know what to do to keep balanced. Your calm attitude is a lesson to others. (I'D LIKE FOR THAT TO BE TRUE. I LIKE TO INSPIRE HEALTHY & HAPPY LIVING!) You slowly inhale, exhale ~ and Om! For kicks you like to switch off and immerse yourself in another world. (AH... TRAVEL!) You are thoughtful and imaginative ~ You like to look at life from a different perspective. (ALWAYS!) Cultured and creative. When it comes to holidays, you reckon they should always be indulgent ~(I TAKE LOTS OF TIME OFF!!) a very special treat. You love to be in charge of where you are and where you go. (YEP! I LIKE THE CONTROL THING A BIT... :D)

HABITS: "Back to Basics"
You never have enough rest ~ either you're too busy, exhausted or perhaps just a little lazy? Either way your snooze is your best friend, (YES!) and at times your worse enemy! (VERY TRUE!) Your choice of drink reflects your love of the stability and comfort of routine. (IT'S THE STABLE CAPRICORN IN ME...)As for the home, you have very cool and contemporary taste. (I THINK SO!) You have a simple approach to style, but you like things to have their place. (YEP. I LIKE ORDER AROUND ME... ALTHOUGH I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR MY CLOSET!)

LOVE: "Love Bug" (I'M A HOPELESS ROMANTIC... SINCE I MET "MY SITO"!)
You're a real romantic and a bit of a dreamer. (DO I NEED TO COMMENT ON THIS? ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?) For you, love is about devotion and tenderness. (ABSOLUTELY!) You try to show your feelings in simple ways everyday. (I LOVE YOU!) Your heart is right down on your sleeve. (WANNA CHECK IT OUT?) When you think of freedom ~ you think of living for the here and now. (LIFE IS TOO SHORT! I TRY TO LIVE AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE!) You're pretty fearless and take any opportunity given to you. (I DO!!! YES!)

See... I told ya... This is so cool!

Sweet times with Leonie Wise, San Francisco, 2007.

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting one of my "bloggie" mates ~ Leonie Wise ~ from Chocolate Covered Musings ~ and her sweet husband Nic. Leonie was one of my first readers and she is now the first gypsy girl I had the pleasure of meeting in person through this blog. Yay! All the way from Wellington, New Zealand. I gotta say... It is pure magic to cross the line from virtual to real! Joined by our fellow sweethearts, we exchanged life stories and enjoyed some very tasty Mexican tapas (accompanied by a few too many margaritas) at the Colibri Bistro in downtown San Francisco. I'm still overflowing with joy!

I was first attracted to Leonie's blog because of how she described herself "an adventurous spirit, a loyal friend and a seeker of truth... both in myself and others." I thought: "What more could I wish for in a kindred spirit?" And I'm glad we started corresponding, because meeting her was truly a gift. If you have not been to her blog yet, I highly recommend you do. Check out her fabulous book reviews, photos, her inviting, honest and hot (yes! hot!) poetry... I'm thrilled to have found her and I look forward to seeing her again very soon.

Also, even though I've been sort of "nesting" lately, this whole experience brought me back to what I love the most about traveling: making connections. I think there are few things in life that are better than the spontaneous friendships that come to us while traveling... Oh! I speak of the delights of sharing sunsets, meals, tips, soulful conversation, laughs or simply a bumpy bus ride... These moments are nothing but delicious and unforgettable. And that is what I want to create here. A place to connect, a hub for information, a bridge, an incentive to travel and a safe harbor where this community can find shelter and fun on the road.

And since I can't go traveling right now, I want to keep this feeling of openness alive and invite all of you to look at your life as an adventure as well. Free yourself to possibility and invite special moments in by simply following your heart's interests and clues. Sometimes the main journey is exactly where you are. Let happiness come your way...

Between the lines, San Francisco, 2006

This week I am pushing myself to be more transparent and to magnify all the thoughts and ideas I am usually too careful about. I want to experiment with exposure, embarrassment, imperfection and truth. My heart is wide open.

Between the lines

Between the lines lay our truths.
Next to them sit the fear of failure
And our friend safety.
By their side, hope doesn't stand a chance
And tears roll quietly down the blank space.

Thoughts of regret follow
Sweet little lies down a straight
And predictable path.
Passion is muted by the void
We create, as we let anxiety
Take over the smallest gaps.

Things are left unsaid and silence
Commands a new direction.
Before we know it, a joke
Covers up the surface and
Shadows of laughter and resentment
Obscure the purity once found
In fantasy and dream.

Timing finally wins over truth.
Soon is too late now
To find the way back to possibility.
A moment of restraint is enough
To stop the flow of emotions.
A lack of faith deviates us
From full acceptance and true living.

Sometimes I wish we had
Subtitles beneath our hearts.
I wish we could read
What can't be translated.
I wish there was a way to
Understand the mystery
Behind the logic
That keeps us hiding
And seeking
What can be found, surely,
When we expose the truths
That lay between the lines.