Dogs Laugh With Their Tails.

Today would have been the 14th birthday of my best friend; Sadly six months ago because of medical reasons Mozart Picarro Houston had to be put down :( I'm going to have love for that little guy until the day I die. I grew up with Mozart no dog will ever be able to replace him...

 

Mozart Picarro Houston (1996 - 2009)

R.I.P.

Happy Birthday Buddy! I Miss You Everyday.

“Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.” 

- Max Eastman

Art Update #1

I am making a commitment from this day forward to update once a week a few sketches and or drawing that I deem acceptable for the world to see..... You have no idea how scary this is for me I don't like showing off my art, but I need to get those fears out and destroy them!

 *Both pieces are Charcoal and White Pastel
If you would like to use these images please ask me first. They are my property and would like to keep it that way. Thanks, Justin

Drink What?

If you know me at all you would know that I don't share food or drinks and that I get crap all the time about it from everyone... Apparently in the time periods I have know certain friends they have not noticed my strange eating habits so let me enlighten you:

• I use multiple senses when I eat which means:
• The food must look appetizing (I don't eat anything that resembles excrement*)
• The food must smell appetizing (and yes I smell any food before it touches my tongue)
• The food must of course taste appetizing (that's a give in right?)
• Sound and touch don't really apply but you never know I may have to use them one of these day

I know it's different but that's the way I am, so take it or leave it I'm not changing. 

You want an example you say? let me see....... Okay got one

Scene: Lunch at ASU

Time: Around 1:30pm

It was just a day like any other when Justin Houston set out to meet his associates for a quick lunch. He walked through the maze of a campus until he finally found his way to the MU dodging bicycles and bodies along the way. He waited and waited time flew by as his associates were late.... they always were. Soon enough they showed up and after remaining in line for maybe 5 minutes they were seated. Justin and one of his people set out to get refreshments as they were parched from devouring plates of grub. His associate then said to him "Here try the red stuff it's delicious!" Justin asked "Red stuff? I am positive I will not be putting any liquid in my body called red stuff." And he didn't. Justin was given many strange looks during that lunch but none phased him. He went on living his life enjoying the fact that he was neurotic about his food/drink. 

 

Moral of the story? I am me, and I like to know what I am drinking and or eating. I will use sight, smell, taste, and any other sense I deem necessary.

Do One Thing Everyday That Scares You.

I found the lyrics to this on another blog and looked it up, it a song adaptation by Baz Luhrmann from the early 90's of a famous essay — written in 1997 by Mary Schmich, a columnist with the Chicago Tribune.

I found myself falling into the words because they are so real, they take you to a place in our lives we don't usually remember to venture everyday. The things stated are what we being human worry and think about consciously and sub-consciously. Enjoy it and please listen to the whole video you won't regret it.

Mustaches on Strings are the Finest of Things.

This past weekend I spent two and a half days with 100 teenagers at a winter retreat in Prescott, Arizona. I was asked to lead a breakout session along with being a leader and that entailed that I would basically have no free time which I honestly didn't mind. I was going to be leading the painting breakout and if you know me at all that is right up my alley. The whole week before I was going crazy trying to figure out what direction I would give to the kids for paintings. On Thursday night I sat down and wrote down a list of all the things I would need to have ready for the next day when i would be leaving. I checked almost everything off except for an example painting that I had been putting off for as long I possibly could. 

During the breakout sessions I would have the kids for an hour and I would have two classes. I thought to myself what can I paint to show these kids some techniques I have learned and something that is possible in an hour? I am not one to only spend an hour on a piece of art I will devote up to 3 weeks of my life to one piece so this was an idea hard for me to wrap my head around. I sat down and decided to just go for it and time myself for an hour and just see what I would get. I turned my  T.V. to MTV and watched ABDC (America's Best Dance Crew) and set off on my hour short long journey. I got my paints and canvas ready and just slapped color over color and as I went on it began to form into something that I could give a shape to. I went to a place in my mind I rarely visit and just let my creativity flow out all at once and I didn't care or hold my self back at all. 

The end result in my opinion looks like it took way more than one hour, and I am pleased with it. I just wanted to share that story and let all you fellow bloggers/ readers know that it is okay to just let go sometimes and be free. I think that that release of creativity opened up my mind to new possibilities with my art and with any creative endeavor I may go on. I challenge you to go and do something you would never do this may be a painting or anything else. The possibilities are limitless and the only person in your way is you.

Photo Credits: Me

I'm so Neurotic.

I ordered a book online a couple of weeks ago and it was written by an everyday girl who had in her words a "come-to-Jesus" moment where she had a realization of how messed up in the head she really was. She then began to write out the different things she was neurotic about, and soon after she birthed http://iamneurotic.com/ where you can anonymously confess your neuroses. Lianna Kong the author of i am neurotic (and so are you), as well as the creator of http://iamneurotic.com/ created the website so that her and her friends could share their neuroses in an easier way than through emails, but then the website began to explode with submissions and through that she compiled the best and most odd neuroses. I think that we all have our own "special" neuroses and most people hate to just admit the little fact that they could just be a tad neurotic. I in fact embrace the fact that I am neurotic and that I don't care who knows it. I encourage you to go through your days and be aware of the little things you always do that no one else seems to. Just write them down or keep mental note it will make you laugh out loud when you realize some of the things you do, but those things make you who you are as an individual so embrace and keep on doing them!

• I will only use one specific type of Spoon, Fork, and Knife when at home.
• I refuse to share drinks out of fear of getting mono.
• I loathe the feeling of raw ceramics it could almost be described as a handicap.
• My arms or legs can not hang off the side of the bed out of fear that something under the bed will get them.
• The closet must be closed all the way before I go to bed if it's open a crack I feel as if something inside is watching me sleep.
• I check behind the shower curtain every time I enter the bathroom for intruders, sometimes I punch it just to get the first hit in.
• All markers, colored pencils, or crayons must be rubber banded or kept in color families.
• If I wake up in the middle of the night I must check to make sure my alarm clock is set even if I wake up multiple times in one night.
• I cover my web-cam out of fear someone will hack my computer and watch me with it.
• I have to squish any sandwich flat before eating it.
• I compulsively check my cell phone, and even feel phantom vibrating in my pocket.
• I use hand sanitizer after I touch any public item or touch any thing in general.
• and on and on and on.......................
  

I'm so confused, I must be losing it.

Justin

1.an awesome dude who could take over the world 2.genius 3.has tons of friends person 1: i just got back from taking over the world and curing the common cold with my 67630 friends person 2: You're a real Justin