Doodling is good for you! Listen to me and read on. Then, smile during your next enforced down time.

Yesterday I had a lot of enforced down time – Just sitting and waiting – so, I took my computer and my PhotoShop with me.

When I have enforced down time, instead of feeling bored, I always turn these down times  into an excuse to do one or all of these 4 things that I feel guilty doing when I could be doing “Productive” things like house cleaning, painting the walls, doing my filing, etc.

1. It’s Entertainment Time!

• Play music, sing, or dance.

•Read paperbacks, magazines, and your kindle books.

2. Go Online!

Use your smartphone to surf internet, browse information – any topic like “How to kill time and have fun”.

3. Be Creative!

•Updating this blog with new posts.

•Doodle, draw, or paint a picture using your favorite colors.

•Hook a rug, or whittle a stick.

•Write a story, journal entry, hand-written letter, or write a poem.

4. Take Me time

•Become your own manicurist – file your nails .

•Take a short nap or doze off for longer hours.

•Exercise, jog, or do stretches .

•Close your eyes and start daydreaming.

•Reminisce about your past and relive old memories.

•Make a phone call or send a message to friends you haven’t spoken to for a long time.

 I LIKE DOODLING BEST

I found this article at Atlantic.com:  

“Two new books tout the benefits of doodling as tools to facilitate thinking. Perhaps it’s a kind of artistic rebellion over the supremacy of computers and digital media.

Or, maybe the need to draw is simply hardwired into human brains.  Making graphic marks predates verbal language. A more deliberate free-hand drawing is essential to expressing spontaneous concepts and emotions.

Drawing  isn’t just for artists. For anyone who actively exercises the brain, doodling and drawing are ideal for making ideas tangible. What’s more, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology, doodlers find it easier to recall thoughts of the past than non-doodlers, because thy are more likely to daydream.”

THERE YOU GOT IT – Enjoy your down time, killing time, or what ever you call it.

Here is my yesterday’s down time doodles:

Worshipping the sun, in the country, – Oh, find the cloud face.

Did you ever hear of “Love Trees’ – Sort of like “Love Bugs” – Well I doodled these two while “Killin’ Time” yesterday.

I like this version of worshipping the sun too! – You can see I had much down time to doodle.

Don’t see saw in your mind about enforced down time – your only challenge is deciding which fun thing to do.

I see you

Look in the parking lot, the restaurant, the store, the Cop on the street, the doctors office, …… the drone in the sky!  You are being watched.

Drones & cameras are everywhere – floating, attached to poles, in corners of store entries…

Guess what i did for 8 years at the University of Pittsburgh – I studied how to watch people. Why? So that we could see how long it took a person to perform a task, what skills they used, and observe the stress the task put them under.

Then we applied complex equations of statistics and looked to the future. That was, we looked to the future to see what it would be like if we changed some practices of American Industries.  Changed them to improve quality, make more money, better train people, keep industry in  our country, and …….. all sorts of honorable things.

So, now you see why we watched people – even used stop watches to time them – timed their Therbligs  – Yea, look it up – In essence it is the smallest measurable movement in preformining a task – I won’t go into any more detail – It took me 8 years to get to the details of it.

Near my house in Florida – did this bull escape or was he sent here to spy on me

We also studied human nature and human psychology  — ‘Cause when being watched the Hawthorne Effect sets in – we do better ’cause we are watched.

A friend of mine would say the opposite of the Hawthorn effect – so you see, being watched, can play both ends:

“I absolutley can’t stand it when someone’s watching me doing anything. 

For example, I was in my science GCSE exam last year, and my seat was at the back of the hall (typical), so when the exam adubicators had finished their little walk up and down the hall they’d stand at the back, behind me. Even when I knew they weren’t watching me exclusively as such, I found it so hard to concentrate. I could hardly think about the questions while he was there – I just froze really.” 

I took it straight from the dictionary. I love it when someone’s watching me – I love being the center of attention. 

“The Hawthorne effect (also referred to as the observer effect^[1]) is a type of reactivity in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed.^[2][3] The original research at the Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois, on lighting changes and work structure changes such as working hours and break times was originally interpreted by Elton Mayo and others to mean that paying attention to overall worker would improve productivity.

However, later interpretations such as that done by Landsberger suggested that the novelty of being research subjects and the increased attention from such could lead to temporary increases in workers’ productivity. This interpretation was dubbed “the Hawthorne effect”.

See, it is hard to watch people and get accurate readings.  That is why it took me eight years to learn to watch people.

I wrote that to say only one thing about today – you are watched a lot – Smile!!!!

Parked behind a few trees – do not exceed 15MPH in our local streets

A broken branch sculpture in our Nature Center – are all of these eyes just decoration or are 2 of them……….watching you

As I teed off at hole number one – A spy hawk?

At the Green on hole one – .. A Spy Gator?

Title – “Just Me Alone With My Cows On The Range”  – I loved making this Digital Oil Painting of myself on my Texas ranch.  Maybe that Belted Galloway is really a camera?

Did you see saw anyone watching you today. Was it for your own good or ……?

HERE IS MY FRIDAY MORNING STORY:

The story is about Vincent Willem van Gogh – Dutch painter born 1853, died 1890 – He did some very famous works of art. I try to copy his style some times – well, not that I try to copy his style ’cause I cannot paint – I mean, I try to get the computer to paint like van Gogh.

Anyway, life, in my community of 3000 or so old folks, is quiet compared to crazy van Gogh’s life. We do have a few loud old drunks, and a few with memory problems. You know, old guys that are not sure how to get home after they walk outside to get the mail.

Oh, some of us old folks have been know to walk into the church in the middle of a prayer session – you see the church is right next door to the bar.  In senior communities, mistakes like that do happen you know. But, also, in senior communities, mistakes are tolerated and neighbors kindly help each other get through the correct door. That way, prayer continues and the beer on tap flows – all is well.

Now back to van Gogh.  I do not know of anyone, in my retirement community of the Great Outdoor’s Resort, that cut off their ear – a few fingers have been lost in the wood working shop – but that is different.  I am not aware of any prostitutes here either.  But then, we seniors have learned over the years, that it is best not to talk about some things?

Maybe you do not know van Gogh’s story.  Here is all I know. Either during a fight with his friend – French artist Paul Gauguin – or while in a state of depression after the fight (act of self-harm) , van Gogh had had no attached ear on one side of his head. But, he did have an ear on the ground.  He picked it up and wrapped it in a towel.  Then he walked to a nearby bordello and handed it to a prostitute who fainted when she saw what it was.

She reported this crazy man to the police, they went to his home, found him in a blood soaked bed nearly bleeding to death, took him to a hospital in an unconscious state, and when he awoke he ask to see his good friend Paul Gauguin. Paul refused to see him.

There are many very interesting versions of the historical myths of van Gogh and his missing ear. Every time I search the web, I find new interesting versions of what may have happened to van Gogh’s ear and of his relationship with his friend, enemy, lover or what ever he was.  But, all the story versions are crazier than the life I see in the Great Outdoors Resort.

Here is one of his paintings plus my computer’s version of his artistic style:

By van Gogh

My computer’s version of demons in van Gogh’s mind – using his painting style in front of an old Dutch castle.

If it makes no sense to you – just flush it down the drain.

Did you see saw anything of interest here?

Do you want to know something about me? If not I will tell you anyway.

The thing I want to tell you is, I have many questions about life. For example, why does a rooster crow instead of howl like a penned up dog? Why does the rooster crow in the first place? Do  we call the sound of a rooster “crow” because it looks like a crow? What is the relationship that a crow has to a “crow bar”? Do crows have a drinking problem so bad that they have their own bar? Why do we say it scared me so bad my hair stood on end? Do trees get scared so that their leaves stand up?

There is something else about me I want you to know. I want you to know I have a lot more questions about crows and do trees get scared?

The last thing I want to tell you today is, I have questions about why I think all of these questions. But here are some photos to ponder as you ask questions about my sanity.

Do those two customers on the left have a drinking problem?

I wonder what those cranes with buckets – You know, the ones used to fix transformers on light poles – do on week-ends – They are used to give trees hair cuts, I bet.

I isolated the tree to better study it.

Then I gave it a hair cut and a man sat on his rocking chair to study the tree.

I wonder why this is a frightening Halloween pose for a cat. Cat’s hair stand on end when a dog or snake threatens it – I have been told it is to make them look bigger.

The man in the chair fell asleep – had a bad dream – both he and the tree were frightened – their hair stood on end

What was the man frightened by.

Now I know, the tree zapped him – – Or, in a dream anything can happen – maybe the man zapped the tree. I wonder if you saw the white rooster in the cloud behind the man zapping him? I have a question about the formation of dreams – in our mind – but I will save that for another post.

Now I see why they are frightened – the tree is being zapped by a cloud monster.

The man awakens – all is well – no more is his hair standing on end – the man is small again and he and the tree are enjoying each other’s company.

Honest, my brain is normal, – BUT Why do I love a challenge? -This all got started when someone said “I bet you could photoshop a face on that hairy tree.”

No more questions – Oops maybe one or two – I wonder why kids love see-saws? Why is it called a see-saw? or is it sea-saw? or C-Sah?

“SPEEDY” THE EXPERT

Technology has become such a significant part of our everyday lives that we stopped noticing it. The internet has made all of human knowledge available to us. All indexed for finding, not by alphabetic order, but indexed by what ever sentence we want to ask Echo. Amazing, what that computer in the sky knows.

Just ask Echo

We expect to get “smart – be smart ” –  immediately.   And, I mean immediately!  The computer just told me immediately I misspelled “misspelled” and it replaced my “misspelled” immediately.

Smartphones, laptops, social networks, and unlimited access to the Internet gets us involved in learning.  Being involved is the new way of life long learning. It lets us learn skills to change jobs, find new travel routs, learn to cook new meals, and learn new hobbies. By learning quickly we are smarter to better deal with the hustlers that are trying to sell us vacation packages, sell us new cars, buy our motor coach, or tell us what to wear. Most of all, this new immediate ability to learn helps us better understand the experts we” hire” to manage our money, build our house, or take care of our bodies.

For example, let me tell you a story:

Yesterday my lab report said my vitamin B12 was low. I mentioned it to my wife Gloria and to a friend. Then, I went to my computer and did immediate research. WOW, I thought I was real smart after I studied B12 from 4 different Senior Medical Web Sites. Within one half hour, I learned all about where B12 comes from, what it does for my body, and the impact that age has on getting B12 into the body. I learned what to ask a doctor about specifics that related to my own medical history.

At lunch, Gloria explained B12 to me. Later my friend explained B12 to me. (Everyone is looking out for me – I love it). I said to each of them, “WOW, I did not know you knew so much about medicine and the health of the body.” Each of them said they did not know until they went to the internet to do some research.

Technology has become such a significant part of our everyday lives that it is just a part of what we do. After we eat, we clean up the dishes. Now days, after we have a conversation, we go to the internet to learn more about the conversation topics. Immediate learning is just a part of our everyday lives like cleaning up the dishes.

Thirty years ago I would have had to drive to the library, search out a book on B12, read it, took notes. Too much work – I never would have done it.  So, I would have gone to the doctor and only understood half of what he said because as Benjamin Franklin said:   “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”  Todays immediate access to the internet allow us to be involved.

Two days ago I went to the Doctor I hired to take care of my body – He reviewed the lab report – He told me what he saw.  He explained my history from the records he could immediately display on the screen. He explained the conclusion he reached.  He recommended a program and follow up plan.

I had an understanding of his review, conclusions, and recommendation.  Why?  Because previous immediate access to learning made me knowledgable – made me involved.  I had enough learned knowledge from my internet research to understand Mr. Doctor.

Immediate access to all of humankind knowledge

So, the internet and access to immediate learning may actually be the catalyst for me having a healthier life here in the community called the Great Outdoors Golf  and RV Resort .

I live in Florida in a community of two to three thousand people. Almost without exception, they have travelled full time (or for at least for six months each year) sometime in their life. Most of them still do.

Their attitude is “Not all who wander are lost” and  “Life is not meant to be lived in one place.”

Yesterday Gloria hosted a “Meet the artists reception” at an Art Gallery she manages for the community.  There I made small talk with many residents – “We told each other of our exploits as we traveled many roads in the past.

Some travelled in motor couches more expensive than any house I ever bought, some travel down rivers in kayaks while sleeping in tents for weeks on end, others have experiences flying fighter planes with adrenaline highs which I never experienced and living in the extreme conditions of a remote outpost, and the stories went on.

But as we talked (or bragged), I found it was, often, not the building, tent, or coach that we lived in that was our topic of conversation. It was the place, the environment, and the weather and beauty of the season where we wandered. That was what we often enjoyed – or hated – most.

In our senior season of life, we love the warm weather of our Florida winters but we do not like the idea of one Florida season.  We still travel to experience the seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter.  So we changed the phrase “Life is not meant to be lived in one place” to the phrase “Life is not meant to be lived in one season”

That was my motivation for the “Four Seasons” abstracts I created:

Around we wanders go

At the crossroads of another season.

First up then down we travel

I had to sit in the Doctor’s office a long time this morning just to wait for a report on my semi-annual blood work-up – All is great – but while waiting, I read a lot about the signals that your eye’s send to the brain when looking at an abstract scene – you could be looking at an abstract painting, the abstract shape of clouds, or the abstract nature of ocean waves passing beneath your boat.

So, I took the selfie above and turned it into an abstract scene. Then I turned it four ways just to see if my brain felt differently about each way. What you think?

But first:

This is what your camera sees when you look through the camera’s eye piece to take a photo.

This is my creation

90 degrees counter clockwise

180 degrees

90 degrees clockwise

Go ahead, weigh in!

Started with the photo below, turned it into the one above and then turned it into the four below:

Original Photo out my back door this morning

A

B

C

D