DJ Gaskin
Lion's Paw
August 23, 2009
Welcome to the fourth issue of Lion’s Paw! · WordWorks – poems scattered far and wide – missed the bus, made the boat, heading back to prison. · ArtWorks – The Art League landscape show, three at the Fairfax County Government Center, and selling the universe. · GardenWorks – meet Mothzilla – two-inch long alien lifeform invades back yard! · WorkWorks – a little help with the deck redo. · CreativityWorks – from Mr. Potatohead to Mr. Picassohead… you can play too! · QuoteWorks – about being true to yourself…whoever you are. WordWorks... Freeing my soul into the pages of a book: I have two poems included in the Liberated Muse Productions anthology How I Freed My Soul. If interested (note: adult themes and language), you can order your copy through Outskirts Press. Also available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. If you order, please let me know. The editor is asking contributors to let her know when personal referrals result in purchase of the book. Thank you! Back to prison: I’m heading back to the Lorton Workhouse (formally Lorton Prison, now an arts campus) in October as part of their Poetic Art exhibit. The reception program includes the selected poets reading their poems that accompany their artist’s work. My partner artist, sculptor Novie Trump, selected me as her personally inspiring poet specifically for my poem “When a Tree Dreams.” If you’re in the area and interested in attending, the event is Sunday, October 25, 2-5pm, directions here. Grassroots art. Three collages on display as part of Springfield Art Guild exhibit at the (still fairly fresh & new) Fairfax Government Center (1st floor), through mid-September. Other recent shows. Participated in Del Ray Artisans’ “Bond for Life” and “Mixed Media Multipled” shows. My "Universe in a Nutshell" (detail on right) sold just before the mixed-media exhibit closing. A nice unexpected bonus! J Doors opening and closing. Since Impulsive Gallery succumbed to the depressed economy, my handmade journals have now moved to Stifel & Capra (see one of my 'man journals' on left). Sales are great so far! And, it’s a wonderful shop with a great variety of fun, functional and frivolous necessities and dreams. Stop by on a First Friday or visit them online. My 'haikugami' cards can now be found at Falls Church Art & Frame, host of First Friday events. Good fortune, good learning. Fabulous recent workshop opportunities have included time with Eileen Olson, Mark Cameron Boyd, and Jonathan Talbot. Details eagerly shared if interested. pounce to top Paper or plastic? Eight excellent reasons for writing on paper once in awhile… vs. blogging/ texting/ twittering/ hollering/etc…. · No risk of battery burnout or Website crashes. · Practice your handwriting. · Remember what handwriting is. · Very little risk of hackers reading your secret thoughts. · No chance of impulsively hitting “send” or “reply to all” and sharing something you probably shouldn’t. · Easier to get in touch with your Inner Child, who first learned to write with a crayon. · Writer’s Cramp is easier to treat than Carpel Tunnel Syndrome or other gadget-inspired repetitive stress injuries. · You can keep a journal for each area/concern of your life, and squirrel away the wildest ones in hidden corners for recovering and reading privately later. · Why bother? ~ Rita Mae Brown
Happiest wishes to your genuine self! You may have received the Lion’s Paw email for any of several reasons…
In this issue, DJ shares a few fun things working in her life these days and hopes to work a little fun into your life as well.... 
Moving Words: One of too many sluggish afternoon rush hours on the Washington Beltway inspired a haiku I call “Caravan.” When the “Moving Words” call for poems crossed my email inbox, I couldn’t resist entering my tiny statement on our traffic woes to a competition that would result in winners’ poems displayed for the benefit of those fortunate enough to be able to use public transportation for their commute and other life transport needs: Arlington buses. I missed the bus fame, but made the finalist list. If interested, more info and winners’ poems reside here… and here's my modest little almost-winning haiku….
Caravan
Journey slow as jam
trapped in a steel caravan
all the beltway home
Drought inspired: A new poem – How the Rain Wants – is now out in the esteemed online journal, The Chesapeake Reader.
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ArtWorks...
Third try’s a charm! – finally made it into an Art League exhibit… their annual landscape show of all things! The Second Thursday Art Night reception (see photo on left) was hot… not just popular but a bit overheatedly crowded… though great fun… a good show... and I was able to celebrate with a couple other artist friends who also made it into this show. In the area but missed the reception?... the show runs through September 7th. 
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GardenWorks...
Mothzilla. Puttering in the garden one July evening, I suddenly spotted a huge bird-like insect thing hovering at the butterfly bush. It 
Spring has sprung... and the sparrows were clearly VERY busy. Leapfrogging past spring and into summer are dozens of them! Luckily for me and the cats, these common feathered chatterboxes haven’t crowded out the more elegant and colorful inhabitants. Papa cardinal is frequently seen feeding his little ones, the habitat has a regular (and quite vocal!) catbird who mews loudly at me from his regular fencetop perch, a crazed red-headed woodpecker has been seen taking beak-stabs at the cardinal feeder, a fat chipmunk I’ve named MiniVac scampers across the mulch and creeping jenny sucking up anything edible into his swelling cheeks (he's mighty thirsty too; see left), and other ordinary and extraordinary natural goings-on continue to make the tiny habitat an amusing joy.
WorkWorks...
Yes, I still like my job. It’s had some crazy times, but things are good. Not only do I have a fabulous boss who supports telecommuting and flexibility to balance work and personal (and artistic!) lives, but she also very much appreciates our efforts. I was recently surprised with another recognition award for leading a team in redesigning a Web site I manage. The award was timed perfectly… the extra in my paycheck came the same week I finally had my decaying deck redone. J
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CreativityWorks...
· So, why journal? What do you write about? Click here for a few ideas.
· Do you have some favorite journal-writing prompts? If you’d like to share, I’d be happy to include in a future Lion’s Paw (with credit to you, of course). Just send me a note.
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QuoteWorks...
The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.
dj
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Each issue of Lion's Paw attempts a quick, sharp swipe at a small part of the world of poetry and art and/or other related and unrelated slices of being, as blundered upon by the lion-hearted author. Lion's Paw is released on an artistically unpredictable schedule. Comments? Suggestions? Feedback warmly welcomed.
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