My chosen theme for blog posts during the remainder of 2009 is that of 'being thankful'. The topic of gratitude in reference to the people in my life would not be complete without introducing you to the women who initiated me into the family of digital life.
Meet Mo Jackson. Mo is a digital artist extraordinaire and has a humorous and playful spirit that is the heart of who she is in the digital scrapbook community. I 'met' her in 2005 after long years of an unrequited desire to create digital art. I was not a photographer and had no experience in photoshop what-so-ever. By 2006 i desired to own a good camera for the sole purpose of having more pictures to choose from when creating digital art.
Mo hosts a small on-line community of digital scrap-bookers that has been dubbed 'Mo-Land'. She creates digital 'doo-dads' in her own unique style including beautiful papers and scanned items like vintage lace, ribbons and old photographs. The members of Mo-Land then use those digital doo dads to create digital scrapbook pages. I used her art in creating the images you see below.
Below you see an example of the kind of work i created for the moland community. As you can see i learned the subtle art of attaching my head to a younger, more fit, high-heeled body when needed for an artistic creation. Each and every one of the items on the page all the way down to the staples and wallpaper was created digitally by Miss Mo.
Part of what made the community experience so compelling was the feeling of family that formed within the boundaries of Mo-land'. We functioned like a little town. Mo was the mayor, and distributor of doo dads. Her cousin Jo was the resident trailer park queen who's adventures were a regular theme in many a scrapbook challenge. There was Queenie , Minnie Mo, Minnie Mo's Daddy, Tink and Coco and whole host of characters with unique and delightful personalities that formed the Mo Jackson on-line family.
Peggy who you see below was the Senate, Secretary of State and House of Representatives all in one. She was the virtual 'President elect' who's role included organizing community activities, throwing birthday parties and giving out awards earned in the community for service and creativity.
Judy is a prolific creator of fabulous art. In Mo-land a day never went by without her posting something for us all to enjoy. We continue to share jokes and stories via e-mail to this day.
You have met Kelly many times here on my blog. She has become one of my dearest friends over the years. Every time i travel to Chicago there is Kelly, driving out to see me and to spend time with Olivia. She always arrives bearing gifts and hugs and love. We have shared the love of photography and gone on photo outings together. I will be seeing Kelly again on Monday next week while i am in Chicago :)
Tracy has is one the funniest people i know. She is smart, has a quick wit and will never leave a conversation without making you laugh out loud. I have loved Tracy from the very first time we 'met' in Mo-Land
There are many other wonderful women with whom i made friendships while living in Mo-Land. There's jan who is blogger of many years, loving to entertain her visitors with the antic of her Yorkies. There is dear Rosa who is a long time blogger and who became an important guide and mentor to me as i entered into the new world of blogging two years ago.
I will be forever grateful for the online kinship i have with these women. This is one of many stories i have to share about the grace of friendship. It is very exciting to realize that the experiences i describe in this post happened for me because i did something unexpected. I stepped out of my comfort zone and opened myself up for an unknown future. That future land of possibility is now my present life here with all of you!
If you click on the link you will see a fabulously fun Slideshow of girlfriends. You'll want to turn on your volume in order to hear Frank Sinatra serenading you while watching.
love, robin
