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Blackout Poem (2)

by Uncustomary | Sep 15, 2012 | Creativity, Goals | 0 comments

Last month I posted about my first blackout poem. I enjoyed doing it, so I made another one which I will share now.

“the golden years lacked in grace. I saw you here tonight.”

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Our younger selves are the ones who have the wisdo Our younger selves are the ones who have the wisdom for us today. 💛 This summer at the Hampden Highlights Festival, I got to share why the Bubble Parade matters to me: 🌈 Listening to your inner kid 🌈 Finding reverence in simple joys 🌈 Saying yes to life while we’re here When we feel good, we do good. That’s why these parades matter, they’re happiness + fun tangible + visible! And guess what? The Bubble Parade is BACK! Flash mob edition 🎉 📅 Sunday, Sept 28 📍 Across from Patterson Park (outside St. Michael’s Ukrainian Church) 🕔 2:30–3 sharp (be on time, it’s a flash mob!) 💸 Free to attend RSVP: uncustomary.org/BP2025 #BubbleParade #BMoreFun #CharmCity #OnlyinBaltimore #BaltimoreLove #BaltimoreHappenings #BaltimoreLife
🚦 What if resetting the universe was as simple 🚦 What if resetting the universe was as simple as pressing a button? When you’re DEEPLY down, feeling good can feel a million miles away. Euphoria, energy, and just “functioning” … it all blurs into “not me, not possible.” The same way a million dollars and a hundred million both feel equally out of reach when you’re broke. But when you get closer, you realize there are levels. Nuance. Small steps that matter and DO make a difference. The truth is messy. Complicated. Sometimes painful. But it’s also where real possibility + opportunity lives. Our brains don’t just respond to what’s happening, they respond to what they EXPECT will happen. (That’s why placebo surgeries can work. Why hotel maids lose weight when told cleaning is exercise. Why expectancy theory is such a big deal.) Fear likes to masquerade as power. But what if we gave more power to POSITIVE expectations? What if we believed that a tiny action, like a “push to reset”, could create a ripple? That’s what I’m experimenting with in Everything Sucks, Now What? It’s not about pretending the world isn’t broken. It’s about pressing “reset” in your own way, in your own time, until you can feel again. #MentalWellness #EndTheStigma #HealingJourney #FeelToHeal #YouAreNotAlone #CheckInOnYourFriends #MindfulMoments #ProgressNotPerfection #BaltimoreStreetArt #GroundingTechniques #HopeDealer #TogetherWeCan #GentleReminders
Nothing is too weird for the Bubble Parade Flash M Nothing is too weird for the Bubble Parade Flash Mob! 🫧 👑 Props + accessories encouraged (butterfly wings, capes, crowns, outrageous outfits collecting dust… bring them out!) 🤹‍♀️ Show off your special gifts! Hula hooping, ribbon twirling, juggling, dancing, whatever you’ve got. 🌈 Either way, just come as you are and blow bubbles with us 📅 Saturday, Sept 28 📍 Across from Patterson Park 🕑 2:30–3 💸 Free to attend Are you coming? Leave a 🫧 if you’ll be there! #BubbleParade #BaltimoreEvents #BmoreFun #CharmCity #OnlyInBaltimore #DMVEvents #BaltimoreLove #BaltimoreHappenings #BaltimoreLife #BmoreTogether #BaltimoreCreatives #JoyTribe #EventPromo
Throwback to 2013: I made a fake infommercial at 4 Throwback to 2013: I made a fake infommercial at 4 AM in my old room at my dad’s house. Rainbow lab coats, giant jeans, miniature sombreros, bad voiceovers, and … Ricky Martin. 🪩 It’s absurd, silly, and somehow still one of my favorite “what even was I doing?” creations. If you ever wondered what the early days of my business looked like… here’s a clue. You won’t regret this one. ⚠️ This video is a parody/satire. Music clips are used under fair use for comedic effect. 🎶 Music credits: ‘Shake Your Bon-Bon’ by Ricky Martin. Used in tiny parody snippets only. This is a transformative parody work for humor/education — not a replacement for the original song. #ThrowbackThursday #FakeCommercial #AltJoy #AbsurdistArt #MakeLifeWeird #JoyfulChaos #PerformanceArt #RainbowScience #DIYArt #WeirdAndWonderful #JoyMovement #TBTJoy #EverydayAbsurdity
Let’s hear it for this week’s Community Featur Let’s hear it for this week’s Community Feature: D from Kansas! Her friend, an incredible woman in her 60s, recently retired from her job as a breastfeeding coach and deeply involved in local social justice organizing, had just had knee surgery. Despite being well cared for, her friend was struggling with receiving support and feeling guilty for stepping back from leadership roles. So D followed a quiet little (Merriment Making) nudge. During a Saturday meetup with her women’s group, Coffee Love, she felt the spontaneous urge to send a “just because” gift. No occasion, no expectations, just love! She picked out a few small but meaningful items (peep the adorable pins 💕), wrote a note, and sent it off anonymously… or tried to. 😂 Her friend figured it out pretty quickly thanks to a not-so-secret return address and D’s adorable lack of a poker face (SAME, BABE!) 🎈It was small. It was silly. It was secret(ish). And it absolutely counted. 💌 📮 Every random act like this adds to the 11,111 Acts of Merriment we’re tracking. You don’t have to go viral to make someone feel seen. (Although I think ALL of our acts are viral-worthy!! You just have to say yes to the impulse. 🫧 Want to be featured too? Submit your story at uncustomary.org/11K #11KActs #CommunityJoy #KindnessMatters #YourStoryMatters #GratitudeCrew #SnailmailLove #PostalLove #SendMoreMail #WomenSupportingWomen #ContagiousKindness #InspirePositivity #PenpalCommunity #JoyAmbassador
Ever noticed how sometimes the most expensive thin Ever noticed how sometimes the most expensive thing… is ignoring what makes you feel good? 💸 When you invest in your happiness… AKA yourSELF, you don’t just feel better, you actually save MONEY in the long run. Think fewer sick days, less “numbing” spending, stronger connections, and smarter choices. This post breaks down exactly how joy and self-investment = financial savings. When life sucks, it’s easy to overspend trying to cope. I get it. My go tos have been online shopping + buying things/substances that numb me out, and being so out of it that I forget to pay bills so I end up with late fees. What about you? Imagine redirecting that energy into building joy that lasts. That’s what Everything Sucks, Now What? is for. Starting October 5th. #EverydayOptimism #TipsForWellbeing #InvestInJoy #JoyEconomy #SmarterSelfCare #WealthAndWellbeing #InspiringVoices #PracticalOptimism #JoyPaysOff #SelfCareEconomics #LifeInvestment #ResilientLiving #InspireDaily
What if all you need is just a peppercorn of pleas What if all you need is just a peppercorn of pleasure? This week’s podcast episode is a quick-hit tasting menu of 33 tiny delights! Strange, sweet, + ridiculous moments that made me smile for no reason at all. Think: 🎉 Bald heads in party hats 🐻 Bears admiring the view 👖 The cozy click of leggings adjusted just right Not exactly grand gestures of happiness, just baby proofs that happiness hides in the tiniest corners of our days. Listen in, laugh with me, and maybe notice your own peppercorns of pleasure along the way. (It’s only 5 minutes!) 🎧 Tag a friend who needs this episode! Save to your playlist! #PodcastCommunity #PodcastsToListenTo #SelfHelpPodcast #GrowthMindset #AuthenticLiving #SoulfulConversations #WeirdJoy #SillyAndSacred #AbsurdDelight #TinyPleasures #WholesomeWeird #JoyfulScroll #LaughterIsMedicine
“I think that happiness is something like a ther “I think that happiness is something like a thermostat, not an original concept.” - Dana Carvey ☂️🌈 Everyone is born with a general biological predisposition for happiness, and then your environment shapes it even more. But I don’t think that thermostat is stuck. 🌡️ We actually have so much more influence over our happiness than we realize. Not everything, but a LOT. Enough to make life feel different. And definitely more than we give credit to. 📚 I’ve read stacks of business and success books, and my theory is that all those principles work for happiness, too. 💸 Not just for making money, but for having fun, being weird, reconnecting with who we want to be, loving ourselves more, and feeling alive. That’s exactly what I’m teaching inside my new program, Everything Sucks, Now What? Join me: uncustomary.org/everythingsucks #QuoteOfTheDay #InspirationDaily #WordsToLiveBy #PositivityQuotes #SelfCareQuotes #InnerStrength #AffirmationOfTheDay #MoodBooster #HappinessClub #MindsetQuotes #MentalWellbeing #CommunitySupport #SpreadGoodness
🧶 Meet the Kindness Knots! I picked up a bunch 🧶 Meet the Kindness Knots! I picked up a bunch of crocheted balls at the @bmorefabricswap and decided to turn them into tiny joy missions. I made colorful tags with messages like: 💕 “A knot-so-subtle reminder you’re doing a great job.” 💕 “Remember the world is tied together with love.” 💕 “Keep it close when the world feels knotted.” On the back I put tickers for the 11K Acts of Merriment project 🎁 (let me know if you found one!) 41 Kindness Knots were scattered around 📍 Mount Vernon (St. Paul + Charles w/ cross streets Read, Chase). It was fun finding places to put them! 👀 I tucked into broken bricks, bus benches, windshields, and ornate fences. I even handed some directly to kids and strangers 💛 👉 Have you ever done something similar? Comment below! 👉 Want to help us reach 11,000 acts? Submit yours: uncustomary.org/11K PS: Would you want me to announce these in advance for a little Joy Drop scavenger hunt? #11KActs #KindnessChallenge #MakeKindnessLoud #JoyfulDisruption #DelightIsRadical #PayItForward #GoodNewsMovement #GuerrillaJoy #ArtAbandonment #UrbanKindness #MischiefWithPurpose #JoyAmbassador #BaltimoreStreetArt
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