Awesome Crafts & A New Place To Meet Fellow Epbot Readers!

Time to show off some of my favorites from the Epbot Facebook page! 

I do this A) because you guys make awesome stuff, and B) to remind you guys to SHOW ME your awesome stuff.  Because I need crafty/geeky inspiration, too, peeps. DON'T LEAVE ME OUT.

Ahem. So.

Lookie!

Every newborn needs this outfit. Knitters, could you get on that?

So gorgeous, I want to try to make my own! You could paint your House crest on the front doors, line it with velvet... ah, the possibilities!

YEEES. Did you guys know I love paper craft? I have a whole board of it on Pinterest, and sometimes I go through and bust out a few in a week. It's very soothing, in a tedious, paper-cutty kind of way.

Of course I'm always chuffed to see what you guys do with my craft tutorials, and I've already had a couple foam bracer pics come in!

Love that Galaxy paint job!

(John just walked in behind me and went supersonic. "OH MY GOSH ARE THOSE FROM YOUR TUTORIAL?!" It was almost as cute as little warrior Elsa here. Almost.)

Oh, that reminds me!

Marie-Elodie says she had a little fun with Photoshop:

WOOT WOOT! Bwahahaha! I like my firey pink aura. :D

A STUNNING version of my Dollar Store Raygun:

Another thing that makes me so happy I could bust? Stories of you readers going to cons. Even better, stories of your FIRST cons. I get these a lot, and they're like my personal power-up potions. LOVE 'EM.

Technically not a con, but let's be honest: totes close enough. Rock on, Pam!

Which brings me to the awesome thing that's happening on Facebook right now, inspired by my Adult Playdates post. You know how you guys asked for a way to find each other and maybe even connect IRL? Well, Julie S. took that idea and ran with it, and Fans of Epbot was born.

Julie suggests you list your city/state when you introduce yourself on the page, and already I see some IRL meetups brewing, along with a lot of new online friendships. (Yes, I'm totally lurking. WHAT.) Be smart about it, of course, and remember you don't HAVE to meet anyone offline, but this is a great way to chat with fellow geeks, show off projects, recommend books/shows, and generally hang with folks you already have at least one thing in common with: you both have IMPECCABLE taste in blogs.

:D

Just don't stop sharing your pics over on the real Epbot FB page, k? 'Cuz I get lonely. SO LONELY. [big kitten eyes]

Note To Self: To Remember When You Are Sad

Sometimes when you're sad you want to hide, but other times there's this pent-up, "I need to SAY things" kind of pressure that goes with it.

I'm pretty sure that's the healthier kind.

You don't want to bring anyone down, of course. But you want to get it out. But it's not a big deal. But it would be nice to talk about. But then people will THINK things about you. But it would help. But... well, you get the idea.

Sometimes a series of mildly unfortunate events conspire to poop on your parade. I've had a few days of those now. Little things. An angry comment. Some new aches and pains. Shopping for summer clothes (ug). A post I had to take down. Losing a favorite Disney thing. Bad dreams.

This morning I woke up crying. Coming out of dreamland with tears on your face and that hiccupy thing going on in your chest is oddly soothing, though. Like my body and subconscious figured they were DONE with all this "holding it in because ADULT" nonsense, and just started cleaning house without me. I can dig that.  

But now I have to write funny stuff. That's the way of this job. Of any job that requires entertainment or creativity. And for over 8 years, whether someone just died or I'm doubled over in pain or it's just a terrible, awful, no-good day, John and I get the job done. (::Hamilton high five::)

Truth be told, most of my funniest posts were written on my unfunniest days. Anger, pain, frustration - somehow they give me an edge and a clarity I don't otherwise have. (And an extra helping of snark, of course.)

I read a great quote recently. It said - and I may be paraphrasing here - "Everyone isn't against you, they're just for themselves." I know that sounds terrible and pessimistic, but wow is this important - and something I remind myself of often.

That person who cut you off in traffic or just yelled at you on your craft tutorial doesn't hate you, doesn't even mean anything personal by it; they're just more concerned with their own thing than they are with yours. What's more, that's true for all of us -  it's just most folks aren't as vocal/awful about it.

So when I write, I write for you. I write to give you something that will help with that thing you're carrying. Maybe you need a laugh. Maybe you need to know you're not alone. Maybe you need one little spark of inspiration. Whatever it is, you're reading these words right now because you need something, and writing these words gives me what I need. It's a beautiful symbiosis. The circle of blogging, no baby lion power-lifts needed. (Though ALWAYS appreciated.)
 

 

 (Couldn't resist. Sorry/not sorry)

Maybe we are all inherently selfish, but we also have the capacity for unimaginable kindness and compassion. I've learned that more online than anywhere else. Because when you meet someone's needs - when you help them lift that burden, even for just a moment, even for just the breath it takes to laugh at a silly cake or ooh over a pretty costume - they will reward you tenfold in beautiful, unexpected ways.

So I'm going to go to work now. I'm going to crack jokes and brainstorm puns and pretend the world isn't upside down or quite so scary. I'm going to give people a five-minute break from their stress-filled days with a bit of silliness. I'm going to meet some needs, including my own.


And yes, I DID just give myself my own pep talk. I do that a lot. I think some of you need to see it written down sometimes, though, so you can practice giving your own.

Let's go meet some needs, peeps. [blows nose] [gets to work]

 *****

[Note: I wrote this a week ago. As always, I have to let personal stuff sit for a few days while I gather the courage to hit "publish." I can't say things are better here, but I can say I *feel* better, and re-reading this post is what I needed today. Hope it helps you, too.]