Category: The Blog

SO… this will be a weird post, but I have to share this because it’s so astonishing. It’s how I realized that electro-sensitivity is a thing, after all.

Also, in the future, I don’t plan to include many non-art posts like this (they’ll be at my “Art and Other Things” Substack, instead), but this is important.

Here’s what happened…

Some years ago, I read about electro-sensitivity (aka electrohypersensitivity, or EHS). And – curious to see if it might affect me – I moved my bed.

After all, I’d been sleeping with my head next to not one but two electrical outlets (one in our bedroom, and one in the adjoining room), as well as the outlet for our cable TV/internet connection.

Yeah… just a little electricity running through them. LOL

(More about EHS: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139347/ and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935122007010)

From the very first night after that, I slept incredibly soundly, when – previously – I hadn’t thought my occasional wakefulness was any big deal. (As it turns out, it wasn’t as “occasional” as I’d thought. Not until I slept really soundly and realized how big the difference was.)

After that, my husband & I experimented with other products & methods of reducing EHS issues, including using Earthing mats. (They crumble after heavy use, but otherwise seem to work well, especially when sitting at a computer.)

Our moods, focus, and energy improved. Not massively, but enough to think that – even if it was placebo effect – Earthing/grounding had some merit.

Less snoring? Yes, please!

So, fast-forward a few years… And my husband (who snores like a freight train most nights) tried sleeping on a grounding cloth, and it radically reduced his snoring.

Whew! That’s important since even the best earplugs won’t keep his noisy snoring out.

But then, a few weeks ago, my husband had another snoring-like-a-freight train night, even with the grounding cloth in the bed. Well, it turned out that he’d kicked the grounding cloth to one side, so he wasn’t actually in contact with it.

He adjusted it, and was quiet again for a couple of nights… until it happened again. More snoring-like-a-freight-train. But, what baffled us was that he’d been on the grounding cloth all night.

And then he realized that the cloth had come unplugged.

Next night, after restoring the connection to the grounding pin…? Totally quiet.

Next, grounding sheets

Meanwhile, Amazon Vine had offered me some grounding sheets. So I ordered them: https://amzn.to/4gASebc (I think any similar grounding sheets would work. And yes, that’s a sheet for a twin bed, because we’re in Florida and staying in Airbnbs.)

I felt relief – mild, but noticeable – as soon as I stretched out on mine. I definitely sleep more soundly with this sheet under me. (Since we can’t move our beds away from the electrical wiring in this bedroom, grounding sheets can make a BIG difference.)

[This photo shows an Encanto-themed Airbnb room, with a view of the lanai & swimming pool just outside. We haven’t stayed in this exact room, but in one nearby.]

However, my husband felt that sheet’s cotton wasn’t smooth enough. So, he’s since put his grounding sheet under a normal 100% cotton fitted sheet. And it still works!

There has been zero snoring in the weeks since then. Whew! We’re both sleeping much better.

And now, the “wow, this is amazing” pillowcase!

About a week ago, I heard about a grounding pillowcase and ordered it right away. It’s this one, which isn’t available right now: https://amzn.to/3TCXm4K (The one-star reviews are clearly from people who didn’t actually try the pillowcase. Yes, the cotton isn’t especially polished. Frankly, I don’t care. This pillowcase works!)

Any alternative will probably work as well, such as https://amzn.to/4gMBj5Z .

The first night, I noticed a difference. When I woke up, I felt super-refreshed, but – more importantly – I was able to focus remarkably well. At the time, I thought, “Okay, placebo effect is good, even if it wears off quickly.”

Several nights later, I canNOT believe the difference. Every day, I’ve been fully focused on the day’s project, and – almost effortlessly – stuck with each project to completion.

Finishing projects… finally!

Whether you call it “easily distracted” or ADHD… for me, it’s the same thing: In the past, I quit projects remarkably quickly, albeit with every intention of getting back to them in a few days.

But after using a grounding pillowcase…

This has been my most productive week in YEARS.

• I’ve relaunched three books – despite daunting editing & formatting challenges – in both paperback and ebook formats.
• I’ve identified two new income streams (that I’m implementing today) that are passive and relatively effortless (or at least fun, or both).
• And I spent all day yesterday working on this website, fully focused on improving the pages that are getting far more attention than the other ~300 articles her.

All of this… in ONE week…? Yes, that’s a very big deal.

In addition, I’ve had some BIG “ah-HA!” moments about my family and their likely EHS.

Electro-sensitivity… hereditary?

For example, my maternal grandfather said he came up with all of his best ideas in his workroom… in the basement of his house, where he’d sit barefoot with his feet on a dirt floor. (He’d designed and built the house with that quirky basement, deliberately.)

Papa would regularly get anxiety, big time, in the middle of the night… and retreat to his basement workroom, where he felt calm and happy and “at home.” There, he’d often invent something new and important, and then patent it. Maybe that was due to grounding, aka “earthing,” before anyone even knew about grounding.

No, I’m not giving up electronic devices

Yes, I think phones, microwaves, and a bazillion “convenience” appliances and devices may be culprits for those with even mild EHS.

For me, the answer isn’t to quit using those devices. I mean, seriously, if I don’t have a working dishwasher in my kitchen, I’m not doing much major cooking, and my husband won’t have homemade chocolate chip cookies! lol

The answer is grounding (or Earthing), and it’s working for me.

Links (and a short video) for more info

• Here’s the Amazon page with even more grounding/Earthing related products. https://amzn.to/3ZsXcRq Note: The actual “Earthing” book was kind of a snooze, at least for me.
• Here’s how grounding works, per WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/balance/grounding-benefits
• Here’s the National Library of Medicine article about grounding studies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/#sec-a.s.btitle (A lot of on that page is “ick,” so I linked directly to the Summary of Findings to Date.)
• And here’s a mini-episode of The Minimalists, talking about earthing (aka grounding)…

So anyway… After this week, I’m a 100% believer in grounding. And that’s why I’m sharing my story, even if this sounds ridiculously “woo-woo” and perhaps a bit crazy.

Have you tried grounding (or earthing)? Let me know in comments! I’m interested in your experiences. (Comments remain open for 90 days, and are manually approved.)

 

(This Disney World birthday post was copied from my Substack blog.)

This week, I celebrated my birthday. Of course, that meant going to Disney for a romantic evening with my husband. We went to our favorite park, Epcot, and it was a lovely, surprisingly cool-ish night. Not too crowded, either. Yaayy for romance and yaayy for autumn approaching!

Yes, I got a birthday pin. It has my real name on it: Eibhlin, which is pronounced the same as “Eileen” in English, but in the Irish language (Gaeilge) it’s said sort-of like “Eifflin.” (I say my name the English way.)

On the pin, the Disney Cast Member put Mickey-style dots over each letter “I” in my name. I love that!

Saturday night’s Disney visit was wonderful! My smile was a mile wide when the La Calle lead singer saw me… and wished me a happy birthday! (That happened around the 4:15 moment in the video.)

Presents…!

My husband’s birthday gifts to me included splurging at Barnes & Noble. Of course, I returned home with a bunch of “ooh, shiny!” magazines and books. I’m giddy with delight!

In that stack…

Take the Leap is an inspiring book. Mostly, it’s a series of short (~4 pages), true stories of people who weren’t happy with their careers and – sometimes in roundabout ways – found where their real passion is… and followed it, with success. (It’s more “here’s what worked for this person,” instead of generic how-to insights. For me, it’s encouraging to read.)

Also in that stack of treats from B&N:

• The latest issue of Bella Grace, which has lots of autumn-y images in cozy, cottage-y styles.
• Also the September issue of Town & Country magazine, which seems to have shifted focus to eccentric, affluent people and what they did to gain a following. (I was inspired by some of their stories.)
• And finally Vintage Country magazine, which – to be honest – I bought simply to see the artwork in the photos.

Hidden in that stack is my book, Sewing and Collecting Vintage Fashions. Now that my long-ago book contract has finally concluded (whew!), publishing rights are mine again. So, in 2025, I plan to revisit this topic, update my book (the resources info is very outdated), and bring fresh energy to it. This will be SUCH fun!

Meanwhile…

During September & October, I’m still winding-down a geeky pen name that’s been ridiculously misunderstood. (Don’t ask. It’s not quite been the bane of my existence, but I should have walked away from this years ago.)

By Halloween, I’ll be able to get back to fun, creative, artsy projects. Whew!

So far, 2024 has been epic and a whirlwind, bouncing between Florida and Maine and back again. Every moment of it has been an adventure! I’m not sure how 2025 will look – or even which country we’ll be in – but I know it will include more art, more treats to share with you, and lots of laughter.

Interesting Links

This website offers free junk journal pages (for personal use) and other interesting freebies.

I kind of LOVE these stencils – used with easy-to-wash-off paint or fake snow or something – to leave “evidence” that Santa visited homes, especially homes with little kids. (That’s an affiliate link, btw, but I’d share this cool idea anyway.)

I’m also awe-struck that an MIT team has been working on an AI bot that will help debunk conspiracy theories. This bot can be effective with people who take conspiracy theories far too seriously. That’s kind of overdue!

And, of course…

I’ve recently resumed sharing freebies with friends. The first is this hippie-style coloring page. (I mentioned it earlier, here.)

To download your own copy, click here or on the thumbnail image below. (It’ll be a letter-sized PDF that you can print and color… for personal use only, of course.)

In June 2024, Facebook banned me when I tried to tell friends about a fast-changing privacy policy at Facebook (and how to opt-out of data sharing).

‘Bots were watching.

I was in the middle of writing my post when I was kicked out and banned.

At first, they claimed that I was representing myself as a business I didn’t own. Then they claimed it was because I couldn’t prove my identity.

So, I sent them copies of my driver’s license, my U.S. passport, my change-of-name paperwork from years ago, and even my birth certificate, for heaven’s sake.

They still banned me. (I still think this is because I was about to share Facebook’s own link, explaining how to opt-out of personal data being shared with other businesses.)

Now, after learning more about how Facebook works, and what information of yours they may be sharing, even now, including your exact location whenever you log into Facebook, I’m not sure I’ll go back. (I’m not kidding about what they’re sharing. Click that link.)

In the interim, I paused a LOT of what I was doing. I’d relied on Facebook to remain in touch with friends and family. It felt like the ground was swept out from under me. Or at least a large piece of my world fell off, in one very large chunk.

This blog post is going to be stream-of-consciousness and long. Because: A lot is changing. So, I’m putting the key points in bold type, so you can skim it.

So anyway…

The Coloring Page Issue

When I discovered that people were using my free coloring pages to create their own coloring books… and then selling them, I was furious.

I immediately shut down all of my freebies.  (They’re back, at last for now, at this page: Coloring Books and Samples.)

Since then – and still fuming a bit – I’ve thought about what I’m doing creatively, and how I share my creative ideas and projects with others.

Here’s what I’ve decided:  I’m going back to what worked for me in the past. Things I was doing even before * gasp * the Internet was a thing. (The rest of that story is at my About page.)

This means that I’ll be getting back to art. Lots of different kinds of art… fabric art, collage, painting, mixed media, and so on. Actual art you can own.

And, I’m revisiting my coloring books, too.

I was stunned to discover that the phrase I created for my 2015 books – “bold and easy coloring books” – has since been adopted by others, and it’s a popular a trend… but, until this month, I didn’t notice. (Yes, I’m blushing. Big time.)

My immediate plans will include more freebies, in the mail and digitally, too. (Yes, really. Jerks will be jerks; I’ve decided to let them deal with their own karma… but keep doing what I love to do. Including giving away cool things, free. Like this hippie-style mandala coloring page. Click the mandala-style coloring page image, below, to download your copy.)

But, okay… One step at a time!

To make time for the big changes, I need to streamline what I’m doing, especially online.

A lot of what will wind-down…well, projects that have nothing to do with art. (However, once again, fiction writing may be part of early 2025.)

I’ve already started doing that.

Then, here’s the rest of the plan. It’s big. It’ll take me well into 2025 to get all of this up & running smoothly.

1) First,  I’m going to update this site and make it easier to navigate. This means better categories and tags, so you can search – and find! – what you’re looking for.

2) I’ll probably do something with my barely-started YouTube channel. (I’ll still add to my theme park-ish YouTube channel, but I’m rethinking that, too.) Socially, I’ll probably keep my Substack… for now, anyway.

3) I will continue to create and publish coloring books, including the Bold & Easy series. And probably create a lot more coloring books!

If you’d like to test-drive my coloring pages, click here for what’s available.

4) I’m going to expand into other art-related publishing, as well. Etsy and GoImagine will be part of that.

BUT, I’m also going to set up ways to distribute freebies, because – in the past – that was the #1 most successful path for me to share my art with others.

So, for now, I hope you’ll subscribe to my Substack. Then you won’t miss anything cool. Like the freebies.

 

If you’ve read this far, thank you! (Note: If you’re looking for the L-O-N-G backstory that had been here, it’s now on my “About” page. Click here to read it.)

AND…

If you’d like to be part of the fun, send me an email at artfun@aisling.net, and tell me your mailing address. (It’s just for freebies. No strings attached, and I won’t share your address with anyone else.)

Then, as I’m kicking this business plan into gear, at least by early 2025, I”ll start sending freebies – one-of-a-kind art postcards or zines or something – to friends like you. And I’ll let you know about other crazy-fun things I’m working on. This will be just for fun!

So… let’s play!

During 2020, many of us have had time to pause, reflect on what we’re doing (and not doing), and make different choices.

Like me, you may find your deepest self-expression in art, whether or not you’re ready to describe yourself as an “artist.”

Suddenly, creativity is emerging from our hearts and our souls. That artistic voice is announcing to ourselves – and perhaps the world – who we are.

Unique.

Valuable.

With something to say.

We’re saying that in our art journaling, scrapbooking, drawing and painting, decorating, and more.

We’re using pencils, paint, paper, canvas and cloth, digital resources, and “found art” items.

We’re coloring, reorganizing, and redecorating.

We’re simplifying. Focusing on what brings us joy.

We’re creating journals, wearables, objects d’art, and… well, lots of things we don’t have words for. Not yet, anyway.

This is about US… who we are, inside. The things we want (or need) to say.

And this is tremendously healthy.

Our future is ART!

Celebrate it!

Like many people, I’m working my way through “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up…” by Marie Kondo, also called the “KonMari” process. It’s about decluttering, and surrounding yourself only with things that bring you joy.

The process has been astonishing, and I’m still early in the process.

The following is this morning’s observation, which I shared elsewhere (in social media), but… well, you may enjoy this, too.
…

Clearing out, I keep stumbling onto things I’ll like but I know I’ll never use.

Or, an item that’s long past its “use by” date in the real world, but I’ve had the idea that “I might need this someday.”

Or, the reason I bought it…? Now, it’s LIGHT YEARS off my current and projected creative trajectory.

But, I’ll be honest. Letting go of the item is, on a small scale, kinda-sorta like a divorce.

The breakup itself can be difficult (or not), but the REALLY excruciating part is: letting go of the original dream.

You know… that “ooh, shiny” moment when I acquired whatever-it-is. The idea that it would be the coolest thing EVER, when I used it for… something. Often, that was some specific event or project that was part of an even larger, future vision.

And then, my life swerved in a different direction.

A direction that made more sense and turned out pretty darned cool, and I do NOT regret it.

But each new adventure on that path took me even further from the earlier vision.

So, a lot of the stuff I’m letting go of now… it was part of a rosy, “what if..?” dream. But that’s in the past.

Often, the swerve in my life happened for an external reason.

It’s WAY too easy to blame it on someone who really DID stand as an obstacle in my path, at that point. And he or she really WAS a jerk.

But, jerk or not, my life went in a different direction. And I had fun anyway.

Probably a LOT more fun than I might have had, on the previous path.

Still, some of this process is like a divorce. And it’s FAR to easy to want to hold onto that old dream (and that related, old grudge)… IF I let myself do that.

The process isn’t easy, but it’s healthy. And, by releasing those mini-anchors to the past, I’m allowing myself to move forward with less holding me back.

For me, THAT’s what this is about.