Ellie Di Julio's Blog, page 33

The particular sadness of feeling like a hack

In the creative world, there’s this disturbing phenomenon of reading, viewing, hearing, experiencing art that slaps you in the face with your own insecurities and makes you never want to pick up a pen, brush, camera, tutu ever again because you’ll never be that good, that skilled, that talented. It taunts you with its beauty and ease, sweetly whispering these are heights you can never even aspire to.

It breaks your heart even as it delights you.

For my whole life, this demoralizing bitch-slap h...

The Internet is Amazing 03.10.13

Telling your truth is the bravest thing you can do. It also gets haters, but fuck ‘em.

We need more stories like this. Gabi talks abouther journey to body-loveand fat activism.

Allow me to ruin your productivity for the day with a PANDA CAM.

Pixar knows how to tell a damn good story. They’ve got some sweet rules to write by.

THIS HAPPENED.

Other stories you might like:

The Internet is Amazing: 12.23.2012
The Internet is Amazing 02.23.13
The Internet is Amazing 02.01.2013

100 Things: #51 Tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I didn’t realize I’d always wanted to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until I was standing in its front yard.

This is the first time I’ve been in Cleveland. I’ve followed along on one of Lino’s week-long business trips here, and I figured, hey, why not? The museum is literally right down the street from our hotel. And I knew that if I didn’t go, I’d be kicking myself for ages. It’d be like going to London and not seeing the Tower.

After navigating the (thankfully free) downtown trolley sys...

The State of the Ellie: March

Waaaay back in the day, I used to write this blog called Apples and Porsches (holla if you remember!). I equate it to my adolescence in blogging – not a newb, but not skilled enough to be a pro. To my great surprise, the posts that got the most attention were the “here’s what what happened in my life last month” ones. Since downshifting this blog from OMG SRS BZNZ to laid-back and groovy, I thought it might be time to restart the practice. I want to form better connections with you guys (hi!)...

The Internet is Amazing 03.03.13

Want to know more about my main authorial muse? A Francesca Lia Block interview.

10 questions you should know the answer to. Deep thoughts.

Pity parties are the best – you should complain more.

If practicing compassion makes you feel drained instead of joyful, you’re doing it wrong.

Other stories you might like:

The Internet is Amazing: 12.09.2012
The Internet is Amazing 02.23.13
The Internet is Amazing: 01.06.2013

Graturday 03.02.13

Saturday + gratitude = Graturday!

Every week, I like to thank the universe for all the things I’m grateful for in my life in the last seven days. It could be as simple as having heating, as deep as answered prayers, or as silly as Twister. The only real rule is that you share at least one thing – and yes, you can be grateful that something didn’t happen or doesn’t exist.

Here’s what I’m grateful for this week:

This incredibly adorable Inkchanger fan!
The gentle flow of ideas for the Work In Prog...

Artists and the art of asking

Amanda Palmer just moved up several notches in my inner hierarchy of awesome people that I want to be when I grow up. Her TED talk went live, and I cried three times in those short 13 minutes. Cried because I want to be a part of the world she’s talking about.

Not her fandom – I’m already there. But part of a world where we can ask for help and get it from the network of trusting, supportive connections we’ve formed in our lives. Connections that extend beyond close friends and family into the...

Empty nest management

After nearly five years together

(one of courting, three and a half of marriage, six months of questioning),

thinking all I needed to be truly

productive,

insightful,

creative,

authentic,

efficient,

and successful was

distance

- from you, the marriage -

and time

- to be alone with myself, the work -,

I discover I’m at a loss to know

how to structure my time,

how to feed myself,

when to go to bed,

when to get up,

if it’s worth getting up at all.

Every day a series of loose ends that

leaves me wandering around our...

Putting words to the Wordless (or Writer hell is the best hell)

I finally picked up Finding Your Way in a Wild New World by Martha Beck. I’ve resisted her work because it’s always talked about in super fluffy-bunny terms so annoying I want to punch someone in the face. But when a dear friend says, “This book is about you,” it’s probably worth reading 50 pages.

And holy shit were they right. I laughed, teared up, had goosebumps, and thought deep thoughts, all in the intro. By the time I finished the first section about Wordlessness, the space where words di...

Crowdsourcing the INKCHANGER love: What do you want to see?

I’m plotting a little plot to bring more Inkchanger love to the world. The support on announcement day was so rad and then this happened and now I’m wondering how I can make more of it.

I’ve got some ideas. Let me tell you them:

Record a significant passage from the book to share around for free.
Compile a soundtrack. I’m thinking 10-15 songs arranged on 8Tracks.
Signed books! Someone brought this up, and I felt dumb for not thinking of it.
There’s always the standard giveaways, but that’s kinda b...