July 1 Goal: Learn Guitar

Quickly going to apologize that I haven't posted my third month goal, I've been super busy and short on time and I really don't want to write it after a long day where It'll be sloppy and short, I want to take my time and explain my reasoning for every goal. On the flip side though I am not starting my goals on the first day and I feel like I am cheating myself, so starting after this month I will be completing and starting every goal when I said I'm going to - at the beginning of the month and at the very end!

I love music. I honestly wish my life had a soundtrack for everything I did. Whenever I find myself in a certain feeling of emotions there is always certain songs I can relate to and will play repeatedly. There has always been a tinge of jealousy in my body when people have great singing voices, where I on the other hand sound like a dog with a shock collar on still trying to bark. (Great example, I know) But there is something I can do that is still musical, and that is teach myself how to play an instrument.
When I was eight years old I used to play piano, I was very good but my heart wasn't in it, when you're young you don't really know what you want and I was in it because my mother wanted me to and thought I enjoyed it, but when I would go to my lessons I would fool around and slack, I would despise going home to practice and when you are naturally good you're teacher pushes you to play more classical when you would rather just play itsy bitsy spider, you know this isn't something you should be doing. I would win first place talent shows even but there was no pure desire. At nineteen I wish I had stuck in piano and just sucked it up for a little while longer because now I would do anything to be able to still play how I used to. Luckily I still remember how to play notes and understand chords so I thought to myself, why not try a different instrument? Ergo, guitar. My father had an old acoustic guitar he never played and he gave it to me. I haven't really touched it since he's given it to me because there was just no desire to teach myself nor did I have the time. So I think now is the perfect time to make this my goal.

I've decided I will teach myself all the notes and chords, learn some basic strumming and then focus on learning one song to perform at the end of my blog (The song choice I will leave as a surprise for the end of the month!) I am going in with a bit of an advantage having piano under my belt and my father teaching me the basic strums of Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
Wish me luck and if you or you know anyone who does play the guitar and could give me a few pointers on what I am getting myself into, that'd be fantastic.

Fighting!
Savi

Here is my beaut of a guitar! She's tuned and ready to be played.



June 30: Be Healthy - COMPLETE!

My second goal is done and I feel amazing.

One word I'd use for this months goal is, determination. If you want to work out you really have to be determined because it takes time out of your day and you are constantly pushing yourself for the whole time you are there. Not only is the actual work out hard but eating properly is a task on it's own.

What I think of being healthy; It's a difficult task to keep up but you have to just stick to it. I will admit I am a hypocrite, I thought I would prefer running outside and that being majority of my workout but a friend of mine got me a free month pass at his gym so I decided to give it a shot...and I ended up loving it. When I do work out at the gym there is a little bit of pressure around you from the other people working out but if you just focus on yourself and get into it you realize none of them matter, they're there to do their own workout and you're there to do yours. I was quite naive to think that cardio would be the only thing I'd have to do. My friends showed me a good work out for what would work for me and would help me what I want to achieve. I would go everyday after work around seven for an hour, plug my ipod in and run my bottom off to aggressive music like Foo Fighters, Coheed and Cambria, and My Chemical Romance.
While changing my food diet, eating healthier has made me become more aware of what I am putting in my body. When you really take the time to look at what ingredients and calories are in the food you realize that, that moment of something full of sugar that gives it that rich taste is going to have a huge downfall on your body and make you crash easily.
Be Careful. STOP if something feels wrong! Sadly during my work out experience I started to feel an uncomfortable pain in my knee after I would run which would leave me limping afterwards and almost unbearable to walk on. I had developed something called "Runners Knee" (Patellofemoral Pain). The cartilage in my knee was starting to wear and it could be very dangerous and result in having to get surgery. I was ignoring it at first and trying to walk it off until it got more serious and started to effect my walking day after day, so I've had to take care of it so it can heal properly by wearing a knee brace, not running on the treadmill but going light on the elliptical and bike and icing it after every work out. Don't be silly like me and if something is feeling wrong with your body while you work out, find out immediately, don't wait around until it gets worse deal with it before you keep going so you can prevent it from getting worse! 

None of this was easy, it was something I definitely underestimated. But the reward was always amazing, you feel so refreshed after pushing your body and in a few days you feel as if you can push just a little bit more.
If you've been wanting to start working out, what have you been waiting for? If you're unhappy with your weight or you just want to get toned - like me - you just have to tell yourself you can do it. In the next day just go to the gym, pay for a monthly pass so it forces you to go or ask them for a free week trial so you can see if you feel comfortable. Trainers are always available to help you out or just ask someone who goes frequently that knows what they are doing. The best feeling is sticking to what you tell yourself and actually accomplished it. With every goal I do and complete I feel so achieved and have more belief in myself, there's nothing more rewarding I find then doing what you want.

Just because this goal is over doesn't mean I am going to stop. I have learned a lot about my own health and will continue going to the gym to get my body where I want it to be, but also I will be continuing onto my next goal! Which I will be posting about tomorrow. Thanks everyone who continues to look at my blog and supporting me and asking me about it through e-mail or in person, it's an amazing feeling to know there are some people I'm helping out there, seeing 750 views on this was mind blowing!

Fighting!
Savi






Here is a before and after shot of my body, so far so good it is getting there.



My workout

I start my work out with a drink of water that's mixed with something called eboost, it's full of caffeine and vitamins so it burns the good fat and gives you a great boost of energy and it's sponsored by Oprah, who doesn't love Oprah? They have three flavours but my favorite is the pink lemonade, yummy.



At the beginning of the month I would walk on incline for five minutes, run for five minutes, so on so forth for half an hour. Now on the treadmill I run for twenty five minutes straight then do a light walk for five minutes. (With my knee messed up at this time though I do the elliptical for half an hour on a medium resistance then bike for twenty minutes)
Then I do aerobics for half an hour.

I begin with squats, fifteen reps of five sets with a 24lb bar



Then I move onto abs

Eight sets - fifteen reps of sit ups with a 10lb weight

fifteen reps of bicycle movement

fifteen reps of crunches

then plank! (Which is the worst)

                                                 

                     

                   

After a tough work out it's time to flex your sick pipes in the mirror and show off your wicked bod you just worked out...Until your friend comes along and shows you up with their huge muscles...

Good Luck.



June 1 Goal: Be Healthy!

Welcome to my second goal!


I just want to quickly add an apology as it is June fourth when I am writing this, during the weekend I had to go on a wild goose hunt to find the shoes I wanted to buy to start this goal, and let me tell you it was hard to find a size six in the new Nike Free's, I was told I got one of the last pairs in the lower mainland! 


I feel as if I should tread lightly in what I type because I don't want to come off that I think I am fat or obese because I know that I am not fat. I know a lot of people want to lose weight let it be one or two pounds or fifty, it seems to be everyone's goal sometime in their life - and an over used New Years resolution that seems to never be completed. For myself I'm not focused on losing weight but more-so turning my fat into muscle, I want to tone my body and also start a better diet because like almost everyone I love fast food and junk food, but while it feels good for those few minutes you are left feeling sick to your stomach for hours wondering, why did I just do that to myself? I've started to become more aware of this the past few months and have been telling myself, "Savi, stop putting that junk into your body and start working it off!" But with work everyday it just becomes a cheap and easy thing to eat for lunch and then when I am off work I don't feel the need to want to go to the gym, just sit at home and relax. So hence the reason for my second goal, be healthy. 


So this is what I am doing for myself,
For exercise I won't go to the gym I'm not a big fan of over crowded places that have a stench of bad body odor and comparing myself to the other people working out around me, it's almost embarrassing when you've just started working out while a lot of people have been going for awhile already. I'm a nature lover and I love to listen to music so what I've found comfortable is I do a few warm up's in my house like crunches and squats, stretch out the limbs then go for a jog around the block for ten minutes, walk for another ten minutes then jog again for ten minutes. I do plan to further push myself to run for longer but for starting I think that is good enough, you don't want to strain your body too much when you're beginning! Also if you're like me and like to be alone for working out, I usually go around 7PM when not many people are outside anymore, it's quiet and you don't have to worry too much about people seeing you. For food I have started packing lunches for work, usually a sandwich on whole wheat bread with good ol' Pb and J, an apple and then thinsations as dessert or a handful of baked chips (no trans fat!) then of course water, lots and lots of water throughout the day to keep myself hydrated, it's even better if you add some slices of lemon in there. Then when I come home it's around seven so it's dinner time and I'm trying to make home cooked meals that are good for you. 
Always choose proper exercises that are going to benefit you, just because I am doing something doesn't mean it's going to work for you. I have some good friends who know everything and anything about a proper work out so they've been helping me a lot already and giving me tons of tips, if you don't have any friends like that there are always personal trainers that can help you out to even just get you started so you can work out alone - never be afraid to ask for help. 
Some other little things I've found help to get you going is go for a hike, it's a lot of work but usually when you're climbing a mountain the reward at the top is worth it, you get a gorgeous view of what is below you and it makes you feel so accomplished, and you also get that beautiful dose of mother nature and clean oxygen, I know for myself I will be going on more hikes. If you have a friend who is also wanting to start getting into shape maybe they can join you, I know I have a good friend who asked if she could join me in this goal of course i said yes, this also gives the opportunity for us to push each other to keep going because sometimes you need someone to tell you to keep going when you feel like giving up. This may sound silly but those shoes I talked about earlier are another reason to force me to work out. They're the new Nike Free's 2012, not only are they super cute but they are made for running and they cost a pretty penny (130.00$ yikes) so if I spent this much on shoes I might as well get a use out of them - so in a sense by spending so much on them it forces me to wear and use them, or else it'd be like throwing away 130.00$ and who wants to do that!?
Working out isn't going to be easy I know that, I may pass out or throw up, but as long as I keep going that's all that matters. The hardest step is the first one out the door, so just believe in yourself and you can do it (Also put a little belief in me to do this the whole month, my body is already sore from the past three days, ouch)


Fighting!
Savi


   I'm adding a picture I took at the beginning of the month of how my body looks now, it's the "Before" frontal and side body picture and at the end of the month I'll post one of the "After" and hopefully you can see some improvement in my stomach! And yes I do have a Hello Kitty Ipad case.

These are my babies, my Nike Free's in hot pink oh how my feet look like they are illuminating light while I run.

Looking out at the view after our long hike at teapot hill, was so beautiful! And look at those shoes, they are so bright in the picture!

My best friend and I gazing off into the horizon, d'aaw

May 31: create a painting - COMPLETE

It is the end of the month, which means the end of my first goal.

If I could describe painting with one word it would be, challenging. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't a walk in the park like I thought it would be and I feel as if I rushed to achieve something I could have put more time and effort in. Life does come in the way but that is no excuse, if you want to do something you really have to put your heart and soul into it and give your self time to finish it. Giving myself a deadline really does help though because then you're pushed to keep going and finish something by that time. So honestly give yourself a dead line it really truly helps! That is probably what I've learned the most from my first goal, even though I thought I'd learn more about painting - funny how things go isn't it?

What I think of painting; it is very different from drawing, more than I expected. I took a lot of time to learn about the different paints I had, because in the kit I was given I had water colours, acrylics, and oil paints. Learning how all of them are used was a task all on it's own and I found you really need to know your stuff to make the style of painting you want. I'm so used to shading with a pencil that actually taking paints from a darker colour to a lighter version was interesting and I can say I had a little too much fun with that, diluting the red until it was almost white, that was probably my favorite part and you can really tell it was in the painting. Oil was my least favorite as it seemed to clump and dry quickly when I tried to use it, which you can tell in the branches but it had to be learnt sooner or later. Besides painting the picture it was really relaxing. This month I had a couple days where I wasn't in a pleasant mood (We all have them here and there) So I'd plug in my ipod and listen to the upbeat songs by Jason Mraz (The lyrics of I wont give up still rings in my ear) or John Mayer and suddenly find myself happy as this painting came more and more to life. It's the small things that can really lift your spirits back up and realize that what you were bummed out about wasn't that big of a deal to begin with. I'd recommend painting to those who just want to take their mind off something and maybe you'll even create a masterpiece with the anger held inside of you! 

Why I chose to paint what I did. If anyone really knows me they know how fascinated I am with anything and everything that comes from China or Japan. (Being a quarter Chinese also gives me something to brag about, aw yeah) I loved the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha and after that I've always been intrigued to learn more about them and the culture behind it. A Geisha is an art it self and literally means performing artist. So since I am an artist I loved the idea of having an artist itself in my painting, with a bold red colour in the kimono that would fade into a soft pink like it was eluding into the wind, then in the back I focused on a yellow hue that would represent a sunny, happy feel that would also fade into a softer yellow for comfort. It felt empty with just that so I added a branch with cherry blossoms (I will be the first to say my cherry blossoms look horrible in the painting, but I will practice and get better!) and I also added a little detail into the kimono to not make it look so plain. I want my painting to give that warm feeling, something that just makes you feel happy.

It's my first painting and it won't be my last I really want to learn more about it, hopefully I can take a few classes in University that will teach me more about how to paint and skills used to making a beautiful painting. I understand this painting isn't amazing but it is my first and we all got to start somewhere, not everyone is gifted right at the beginning, you have to work hard to achieve what you want.

My first goal is complete and I feel so inspired by myself and even you - the people reading my blog. I came on a few days to check and my first post had 330 views! I've found people on Pinterest re-pinning my blog, Facebook people are sharing it, retweeting it on Twitter, and even Google plus getting it out in the circles. You reading and showing other people my blog is amazing and all I can really say is thank you from the bottom of my heart, it actually means a lot. I really hope that I'm giving you some sort of inspiration to achieve your goals as well because that's what I am truly doing this for! 

I find though that writing only at the beginning and end of the month isn't enough so I think I'll also post in the middle just to write about my progress. 

So starting tomorrow - June 1st I will move onto my next goal! 

Fighting!

Savi

Now after all that reading lets show the painting!

May 1 Goal: Create a painting

Hello again!


So now begins my journey of one goal, one month and all I can say is I am super excited. I've decided to plan my goals in a certain way, starting from the simpler ones to progressing into the harder ones that I'll have to work more towards. I'm not completely sure how I will write posts, maybe one at the beginning of the month, one in the middle and then at the end, but we'll have to see how it all goes.


So let's get to the point of my first goal, "Create a painting".  
There are so many different styles of art; drawing, painting, sculpting, dance, singing, sewing, cooking, etc. But not everyone is good at them we may fall into one of the categories and be a natural at it while we struggle with the others, like myself for example. I have the voice of a hyena when it comes to singing, I may as well have two left feet when it comes to dance, my cooking skill can barely pass making tacos, and sewing...Well lets just not go there. But there is one thing in this category I was blessed with and that is drawing.


 I was five years old when my brother passed away and a family friend gave my mother, sister and I these journals to write in about him. In this journal I would draw pictures of my feelings and get my mom to write beside it what they meant. As I got older I would start drawing more and write little descriptions of my own. Soon though I found myself drawing out of the book and just onto paper, these drawings started turning into stories of my own and I would make little comics, now I don't know anymore what they were even about because I was so young. At the age of twelve I learned what anime was and started to get these crazy fantasy ideas and started drawing out my own 'characters' then making a background that turned into stories and I'd draw for hours - though I kept all of this a secret, I think only my mom knew back then. Sometimes friends would come over and somehow find my hidden drawings and would tell me how good I was, I'd be too embarrassed and just hide them again. My family started to see more of my art and I started to open up because it was never negativity I received, it was always compliments and how I should show more of my art. I started making drawings for my mom and she'd hang them up at her work place, as a secretary everyone would see and she'd always come home telling me how clients loved my drawings. I remember one of the clients that came in to her work saw them and was opening a Japanese restaurant and wanted me to do a mural on their wall, being thirteen at that time I felt way to nervous and shy so I declined. 
As I got older I started to challenge myself, I'd try realistic, scenery, you name it I tried it. There were times I'd sit there and get frustrated, even a few tears here and there but I'd never quit. I knew back then it's hard to find a good paying job in the art industry and my dad told me to be a tattoo artist, at the time that wasn't what I wanted to do, I wanted to make comics so I could also make stories and see them progress into cartoons (or anime). At sixteen that dream started to fade for some reason, I can't exactly remember why, but I got my first tattoo then and I really saw how amazing it is that you can take a piece of art and put it on your skin forever. I started getting more interested in tattooing and ever since then it's been one of my goals (But we're not at that goal yet!) 


So why try painting? I feel that painting can be close to drawing, though I could be completely wrong, but doesn't mean I don't want to try and find out for myself. For my nineteenth birthday my dad got me this huge painting set, I can't honestly say I was pleased with the present because it wasn't really something I wanted to do but my dad told me to try a different style of art. I kept telling him maybe one day but I think I've procrastinated long enough and this will be a perfect first goal. To me it looks foreign because I have no idea what to do with it yet but I'm going to figure it out! 
I won't say what I've decided to paint because I want it to be a surprise at the end of the month, I'm nervous and excited to try it out, even if I do end up making a not-so-good painting I can at least say that I have tried so here's hoping it looks good so I can brag!


Fighting! 
Savi


PS. If there are any actual painters out there that could give me tips, I would love you forever. 


PPS. If you'd like to check out more of my art check out www.facebook.com/savichan while you're at it, give it a like! To get you interested in checking out my art I'll even add a few drawings I've done in the past nyahaha (That's an evil laugh)

hello hello hello!

One goal, one month


Exactly what I am aiming for for the next year. One goal per month. The problem is that there are so many teenagers like myself who have these huge dreams, ambitions, want to make a change but we don't know how or where to start. Maybe because we're shy or embarrassed to share that we truly want deep down, who we are. No one wants to be left vulnerable and hurt or laughed at for something they dream of. 


Why am I doing this? I haven't had the easiest life, losing my brother from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), a nasty divorce between my parents influenced by drugs and abuse, losing our house and moving in with my grandparents but through out it all I have grown into a strong, independent individual always finding the light to the other side, because the sad truth is everyone has a story that could break your heart. We all have our own getaway when we don't want to face the world. When I was too depressed to face reality I'd drift off into my goals, dreaming them and then eventually drawing them out, drawing still is my biggest get away from life where I can get lost and all my thoughts are focused onto one thing that can make me happy no matter what. The only problem is drawing your dreams on paper isn't the same as really living them. But where do I begin? Will people laugh? A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, the time I realized was now. What was I even waiting for? They don't just happen on their own you have to take hold and just, start. I know I'm good at putting things off but if I'm forced to write about it, forced to share it, do whatever to make it public and known I'll have to follow through. Call me cheesy but if I only did this for myself I'd feel...Selfish, unaccomplished, sure I'm finally doing what I'd love to do but it would go unnoticed, I wouldn't be helping anyone along the way. 


I'm going to share my twelve goals for the months coming up, starting May first. I wont go into description about them until it's the month of them because each one of them has a story behind it for why I want to do them.


May - Create a painting
June - Start making healthier choices, take care of my body
July - Learn the guitar on my own
August - Bikini car wash fundraiser for SIDS
September - Further tattoo career
October - Independence
November - Face a fear
December - Volunteer for homeless
January - Meet a role model in my life
February - Spread the love
March - Go to Japan
April - Surprise!


So here I am, hoping to not only inspire myself but you as well. I don't care if you're thirteen or fifty, as long as I can even inspire you and just you, that's satisfying enough for me. 


Live your life
Savi