January
20
2010

Twitter Friend Finder and Automation Organiser

contemporary British landscape artist Steve Slimm

Something to look at while You read!

Hi, this is Steve (y’don’t say!)

It’s not often I rave about software – but I’m going to with this one! I’ve tried a number of different websites for organising my twitter account and finding the right people, as well as sending regular automated tweets. (plus sending easy manual ones too!). The problem with many of the sites is they can be really slow at times. Also Twitter is putting restrictions on certain automation functions on sites too.

I was beginning to get somewhat frustrated, but then I found this software! I’ve been really pleased with it – and it’s been worth every penny!

I won’t bore you too much with the details – go and take a look yourself. If you decide to get it, and need any help getting to know it – don’t hesitate to email me, as I know the basics pretty well now.

Here it is then -

Happy tweeting – and have fun with what you do!

Steve

;)

January
12
2010

The Blue/Green Water Pulls You Down into . . .

Beach with Tidal Pool by Steve Slimm

The Blue/Green Water Pulls You Down into . .

Blue/Green water always has the effect of pulling me down toward it – especially if it’s a hot day and I have the urge to peel off and jump in!

This painting – painted a few years ago shows the effect of the ‘down and into’ pull that I experience at such times. Fortunately the horizon of the picture also pulls the viewer back up again toward the sky.
Much of my work has this dual perspective – and occasionally viewers are disturbed. But generally this is not the case, and they see where I’m coming from.
Hopefully you do too!
Have a great day,
Steve
;)
[ps. You have a Free Art e-Book waiting for you - well later this year - but reserve it today above!]

January
12
2010

Enter a Magical Forest and Imagine . . .

Friendship Woods II by Steve Slimm

Enter a magical Forest and imagine . . .

Imagination plays a great part in creating art like this. I usually begin with something I’ve seen – but before long the painting transforms itself into a place of dreams.

I just can’t help this happening – unless I really try hard. But even then it never works fully!

The painting shown here was originally begun in a place called Friendship Woods – not far from where I live in Cornwall, UK. But the trees have somehow grown taller, and the whole woodland taken on the enchantment of a magical forest!

Anyway I don’t worry about it these days, as you can always take a photograph if you really want reality. 

Have a great day,

Steve

;)

[If you like the art on this site - remember to sign up for my free art e-book  above]

January
7
2010

The Opportune Therapist – a Limmerick

Therapist on bike in the snow - wondering where to go . .

Opportune Therapist on bike in the snow!

 

A therapist got caught in the snow

Through riding his bike much too slow

His fingers got frost-bite

An’ he had to spend all night

With a woman he di’nt even know

.

Steve

;)

January
7
2010

Is a Slow Computer Really Annoying You?

"Slow computer make me quickly turn manic"

slow computer hair tearing blues!

A sluggishly slow computer is probably the most frustrating computer experience next to Internet credit card fraud! Believe me – I’ve suffered with both so I should know! The fraud was a one-off that got sorted – but the slow computer thing took a long time to work through – and it was a slow job! There are many gadgets available on the Internet to speed up your computer – and you don’t know where to start for a while. So to speed up the process for you, I’ll tell you my story.

For several years I suffered most severely and frustratingly with slow computer syndrome (SCS), but thankful to say eventually found out how it all worked, (or didn’t work), and managed to slip smoothly into overdrive – even with my five-year-old laptop. I then did the same for my partner, (with the same model), and then for my mum, (who has a desk jobbie computer which probably came out of the ark – with a nice new flat screen though, I hasten to add!) Talk about slow, (my mother’s I mean) – we’d wait several days for Hotmail to open, and another week to read her first email! Things just had to stop somewhere. So in I flew to the rescue! But to top it all, although I hate admit it, her old crate is now doing naught to 60 in several seconds less than my treasured Sony Vaio- and all thanks to my wonderful ‘slow to speedy in half an hour computer work-out’!

Well – she was so thrilled an’all, I decided to share my experience with the world – well with anyone out there with a slow computer anyway – as I know how f**kin’ frustrating it can be!

You can read my extremely sedate “turn your slow computer crate into a Lamborghini in under an hour” kinda web page by following this link – R E A L SLOW!

The slow computer link: 

computerslow.notmuchfun . . .

Have fun,

Steve

;)

January
6
2010

The Empowered Emo – a Limmerick

empowered emo

Empowered emo - or at least his shadow

An emo who pinched himself just for kicks

Decided instead to write limmericks

Which proved so empowering

He ended up showering

Each morning before he ate Weetabix

.

.

January
6
2010

Not So Mad Emo – a Limmerick

Not so Mad Emo limmerick

Not so Mad Emo?

 

An emo who thought himself mad

Decided he wasn’t so bad

After all said and done

He still loved his mum

His sister, his girlfriend and dad

.

.

January
5
2010

Fun-Loving Emo – A limmerick

The church where the emo in the limmerick went?

Emo Limmerick - chuch where he went!

An emo who wore a string vest

Decided that fun would be best

So in one giggling fit

He tore off his kit

Then went to church nude and confessed

.

.

January
5
2010

A Limmerick – The Student (actually a double limmerick!)

The Student who writes Limmericks

Limmerick writing student - Steve Slimm

There was a young hitch-hiking student

Who was shall we say quite imprudent

For to camp after dark

In Yellowstone Park

Is not all that bright for a student
.
.
Now grizzlies can be quite unruly

While this student of course was yours truly

So the night that ensued

Left the bears in a mood

And sadly the lad with one gooly

.

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December
29
2009

How Fragile We Are at Christmas!

Heart of the Land by Steve Slimm - Contemporary British Landscape Artist

Steve Slimm - Heart of the Land

What a heart we have – we beings on this tiny planet who call ourselves human – such a small world amongst the trillions of planets, stars and galaxies – but what a large heart! And Christmas certainly seems a time for expanding that large-heartedness in all sorts of ways; and through some strange process of artificiality – making it more real.

No wonder we stress and strain toward the day – considering what’s at stake. I believe we have very little idea of what’s really at stake; all we know is what we expect from the experience – and more importantly from ourselves. And of course much of this expectation gets projected into what we expect of other people. But when we manage to touch base, we all instinctively know the truth – it’s only about ourselves really.

So we ask ourselves: how will my heart match up to this mysterious call for extraordinary largeness, for unconditional giving, and for strength? How will I fare in this amazing time of goodwill – little old me who feels so small and helpless in all of this huge machinery that somehow manages to drive us all to act in ways we would not ordinarily behave?

Yes, the very nature of Christmas demands of each of us something extra-ordinary – something many of us feel we haven’t got, even after prolonged inner search. And yet somehow the extraordinary is demanded of us – so what can we do - for Christ’s sake?

Maybe in this paradox lies the true magic of Christmas . For it’s only in the struggle and strain through and beyond the ordinary that greatness is eventually realised – not by any planned and contrived state of ‘how we decide it’s going to be’ – but rather, through simply letting go to the wonder of the heart, which is the magic of Christmas . And what is ‘greatness’ in respect to the depths of the heart? Greatness in such context is nothing more than the experience of the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary – a true heart of love in the centre of the everyday moment by moment comings and goings of thoughts, feelings, and emotions that we believe to be less than love.

I say what we believe to be less than love – but are these thoughts and feelings really less than love? Are we actually failing Love when, for example we don’t fully appreciate our gifts, when we don’t quite consider others as much as we think they need to be considered, when we can’t quite give as much as we’d like to give; when we don’t quite love as much as we’d like to love?

Maybe the truth we don’t yet understand is: that Love itself has no such concept of ideals and standards. The simple truth is: Love demands nothing of us whatsoever. Love is happy with who we are – exactly as we are, with all our mistakes, faults, misgivings and our own perceived lack of love. No, love cannot be pinned to any high ideal, as the thing about Love is this:

Love Is – purely and simply – Love just Is.

 
And if Love were to ask anything at all of us it would be just that – to Be like Love itself – simply to just Be who You Are. No – Love does not judge anything of who we are or who we aren’t – it’s only we ourselves who do so.

And so, amongst all the trappings of superficiality and artificiality of Christmas, we somehow manage to process ourselves incrementally, one annual step at a time, toward the fullness of a heart of love – a love that expects nothing, either of self or of others – and therefore has plenty to give.

But even in this there lies a paradox, as it seems that ‘here we go again setting ourselves a standard!’ But no – this is not something we could ever achieve, (as if there is some merit in such achievement, as if there were low and high standards of achievement) – No! But rather this fullness of a loving heart is just the simple magic of Christmas (birth of  Christ consciousness) – and the maybe the result of allowing ourselves to feel so incredibly fragile – and still be okay with it.

So – here’s wishing You a Just-be-Happy-with-Yourself kind of New Year!

Steve :)

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