Silverpen Productions Blog Reminder

Just a reminder that the Silverpen Productions blog is now primarily located (and updated) at www.silverpenproductions.com/blog.   Please be sure to follow us there as this site is no longer regularly updated.

If you are currently subscribed to our blog directly through WordPress, you will no longer receive the SP updates in your email. You will need to re-subscribe through the new site.

Once you are on the new SP Blog site, enter your email in the right sidebar to subscribe to the current SP blog. Each blog post will then be sent to your email once it is published.

If you are interested in everything that SP is up to, you can also subscribe to the newsletter. (The Silverpen newsletter is different than our blog posts.) You can subscribe to the general SP newsletter at the very bottom of the page.

Thank you for your continued support of Silverpen Productions and we’re looking forward to interacting with you on the new site!

 

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Just a Thought: Let Love Be…

The world feels topsy turvy to me lately. It’s like someone turned things around and started shaking – like a snow globe. Everything is upside down and backward. Everything – even the weather.

Everywhere I turn, I see hate. The media thrives on it. Fuels it. Creates it. Whether if it is politics, religion, diets, Hollywood, fashion, human rights, football, food – Everyone has something to complain about. Looking at my newsfeed lately has left me feeling drained and weary.

Why?

Why is there so much more hate in the world lately? Is it just that social media allows an easier and larger platform? Does it give people a feeling of empowerment to voice these rather loud opinions in a way they would have never considered a decade ago? Or is it more than that?

I don’t know if the reason is really important or not – that certainly is a subject for another day. Regardless of the reason, the fact still remains that there is unabashed HATE everywhere.

Yes, there is a lot going on in the world today. Yes, there is also a lot of change. And change can be scary. But let’s take a step back for a moment. Let’s put our opinions on these issues aside and take an unbiased look at them –

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New Blog Address

Silverpen Productions has always been so appreciative of our followers and the support we have received over the years – both through our blogs and in business!

We are happy to announce that this main blog can now be found at a new address: http://www.silverpenproductions.com/blog/

Please be sure to subscribe to us there to get all of our blog updates via email. You can also subscribe to the SP newsletter at the bottom of the page to receive periodic updates about the company and special discount offers for our followers. The newsletter is not sent out very often, so you do not have to worry about adding more to your inbox!

And as always, “Like” us on Facebook to be eligible for some of our Facebook only discounts as well as to enjoy tips, updates, and pictures from all of our various divisions.

Thank you again for your support over the years, and we look forward to interacting with you on the new site!

Bailey’s Corner: Find the Hidden Treasures

I love early spring. Know why?

Because regardless of the temperature, there’s still piles of snow around. And each new day I find new treasures. As the snow begins to melt, a different layer is revealed. They may complain that it’s just different layers of my poop that have accumulated over the winter. But I know better. The poop is just guarding all the hidden treasures!

I find something new each day – perfect chewing sticks that fell from the storm a month ago, the kid’s toy she thought she lost, scents from a whole bunch of animals that wandered through our yard over the winter, the Christmas tree that disappeared in the blizzard, large amounts of tennis balls that fell in a snow bank and never found their way out. The other day I even found a flower trying to push its way up! The list could go on and on.

Every day they let me out has a fresh adventure waiting for me. New growing scents fill the air each day. An old toy becomes new again. New life and a new start emerge from the piles. It might appear ugly outside until nature finishes cleaning itself, but if you actually take a look around, you’ll find all kinds of hidden treasures. Take a minute to really notice your surroundings. What do you see? Dig a little – what can you find? Even within yourself – what kind of treasure is waiting to be found?

It doesn’t matter how the day starts, or what it may initially appear to be. It doesn’t matter if it is cold, dark, sunny, stressful, too long, too short, etc. – Each day holds a “hidden treasure.” We just need to open our eyes, stretch our paws, and search. It’s there somewhere. And when we find it, we are as rich as a king – even if only for a day.

The McDreamy Dilemma

SPOILER ALERT – If by some miracle you have not seen Grey’s Anatomy this week, or have not already heard what happened, STOP READING.

 

The internet was buzzin’ after Thursday night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy. People were outraged that Shonda Rhimes not only decided to kill off yet another character from the show, but the beloved McDreamy himself!

Yes, I am a fan of the show and have watched it from the beginning, so certainly I am attached to these characters.

But let’s take a look at this just from a writing perspective. Was it smart to kill off one of the most popular characters of the show and one of the few remaining original characters at that?

While the episode was well written (although, not the best episode they ever had), and while it certainly created a buzz, in my humble opinion, I think it was a dumb move.

The show has been losing viewers over the last couple of years. We all know that it is drawing to an end – It has already been stated that they are planning on ending it after 2 more seasons. Wouldn’t you want to keep as many viewers as possible over your last 2 seasons?

Derek Shepherd earned the nickname “McDreamy” for a reason. He is written to appeal to women as the perfect guy. And women across the world love him for it. Many people have continued to watch the show mainly because of him. Now he’s gone.

Perhaps his storyline was done. Perhaps he just wanted out. It doesn’t matter the reason. Killing such a beloved character at this point in the series is not a smart move. There are plenty of other ways you could write him out that would leave it open for him to be back for the finale, or to still be part of the storyline without actually being on the show. Keeping it a little more open ended – whether if he ever appeared on the show again or not – would keep viewers watching. It would keep viewers happy.

Now, if Shonda didn’t already have the habit of killing off almost every character she wanted off the show, would my opinion on this be different?

I think it would. It would make Derek’s death much more shocking and traumatic. It would hit the viewer’s core even more. We wouldn’t be ready for it, and it would send us reeling. We would want to keep watching to see how Meredith would survive.

But since there have already been a ridiculous amount of deaths on this show, quite frankly, this wasn’t much of a surprise. Of course she would kill him off – she killed everyone else off (except Christina). Of course Meredith is going to survive and move on – she did with everyone else.

Was I upset Derek died? Sure, I love that character like everyone else. But did I have the ugly tears while watching it like I would have expected in other circumstances? Nope. I was fully expecting it, and I was quite annoyed. This show has proven that it has some fantastic writers. Some of the opening/ending narrations have been darn near genius in the past. So I KNOW they have good writers. So I KNOW they could have created a better storyline. So I was annoyed that they took the easy way and killed him just everyone else. Derek deserved better. The show deserved better.

Was the episode itself well written? Yes. Was it the best written episode I’ve seen from them? No.

It was a fitting way for McDreamy to die – a hero. I would expect nothing less. It was an interesting choice to have the great neurosurgeon’s brain being what ended up killing him. Nice move. It is within Meredith’s character to be strong and stoic like her mother. However, that said, I felt it was weird, especially considering the final song that was playing, that Meredith didn’t lay down next to him one last time. To hold him, as he always held her and supported her, while he passed away. That last part of the ending left me unsatisfied, and it seemed like there should have been a bit more than just hearing the great McDreamy’s last breath.

But that is just this one writer’s humble opinion. What did you think? Was it a fitting ending? Was it a smart or stupid move in the overall arch of the show’s story? Do you think viewers will still watch till the end of the show?

It certainly will be interesting to see how it ends up panning out….

 

Photo Credit: Patrick Dempsey via photopin (license)

Are You Ready for Google’s New Settings?

Did you hear the news?

Google is making major updates to its search results. And if your company’s website is not super mobile friendly, you could be losing some major hits!

Not sure how your website ranks? Try using Google’s Webmaster Tool to see how your site adds up. You can also use their Mobile-Friendly Test Tool to see just how “friendly” your site is. If Google says it’s not so friendly, they will give you a list of options on how to proceed to the next step.

Time is short to make these updates. Google is already beginning to implement these changes, with the major impacts starting on April 21st.

While you’re updating your site’s coding, take a look at your content. How effective is it? Have you been getting the results you need off of your website? When is the last time you changed your content? If it’s pretty much the same content you started with, you should think about making some updates. Fresh content impacts your Google ratings as well, and a stagnant site will not get as much attention as one that has recently been updated.

Also take a look at how professional your content is. Does it portray your business in the best possible manner? Or are there grammar issues? Typos? Elementary sentence styling? Can you tell that an amateur wrote it, or does it sound like you paid a lot of money for a true professional to write it? Does it relate to your audience, in their “language”?

The answers to these questions are all important considerations. You don’t just want a web presence. You want a web presence that will reach your target audience. You want a presence that will get you and your business true results!

Your website is a reflection of your business and you want to appear as professional as possible. You want people to have confidence in your products and services. Believe it or not, if people are searching Google for a service, the “tone” of the site will determine whether if you get a call or not. If the site looks too amateurish, they will move on to the next one on the list. If all other considerations are the same between two businesses, people will pick the one with the better site, every time.

If you’re not sure if your content is at the standard it should be, contact us. Silverpen Productions does free consultations and estimates. Let us help you make your site the best it can possibly be and be sure that you stay at the top of Google’s rankings, regardless of the upcoming changes!

 

Photo Credit: Google Main Search via photopin (license)

Fall = New Beginnings

Photo by Jesse Storms Linton

Many people view fall as a time of endings – the end of summer, the shedding of dead leaves, the long sleep of winter, the end of another year. Granted, most people enjoy fall activities – playing in the leaves, apple picking, pumpkin patches, hay rides, cider, cider doughnuts, etc. – but they dread the day that last leaf falls and winter officially begins.

However, I’ve always looked at fall as a time of new beginnings. I don’t see “death,” I see the preparation of life. It is a time to reflect and make needed changes. It is a time to recharge and renew your mind, body, and spirit. It is a time to take charge of your goals for your life and/or business. It is a time to give thanks and be grateful for everything you have and your accomplishments, and a time to think about what you want to achieve in the fast approaching new year. It is the rest (not death) before the new growth.

I know January is the usual time to make new year’s resolutions, but to me, fall has always seemed like the real start of the new year. Maybe it comes from all those years of being in school and everything starting in September – I don’t know. But whatever it is, fall is the new beginning for me.

As I did the usual Thanksgiving reflections, I realized that I once again have much to be thankful for this year. I was lucky enough to have many great things happen both personally and professionally. There are some new, promising opportunities lurking on the horizon for this coming year that I am also looking forward to. I get another wonderful year on this earth to make my own little mark any way I can, and I am so grateful.

So as the season turns from fall to winter, I am not going to mourn the end of summer, flowers, good weather, sunshine. I am going to rejoice in the chance for another new beginning. I am going to continue to walk confidently down this road of life and enjoy every moment of my journey – leaves or no leaves. I will cherish each detail the season offers. I am going to take full advantage of this period of rest, while everything around me renews and recharges – myself included. I will come out revitalized and ready to rock this year even better than last!

So let that last leaf fall – It’s not just an end. It’s a fresh start. A new beginning. Another bend in the road that offers a different view and new adventures. My journey awaits!

 

Photo Credit: Jesse Storms Linton
Copyright (c) 2014 Jesse Storms Linton. All rights reserved.

Photos are not to be used without prior permission & license.

The HIMYM Dilemma From A Writing View

SPOILER ALERT

Ok, so we all know that How I Met Your Mother ended this week. After 9 years of watching, the show’s loyal fans finally got all their answers. And while some were quite satisfied, most of the fans were left confused and angry. Was this show really supposed to be called How I Met Your Stepmother??

Personally, I’m a little torn on my opinion of this ending. On one hand, it’s a tidy roundabout finish – it ties up the story, and it’s nice to think that your first love can come back. On the other hand, I was disappointed. I felt that Ted’s character had grown throughout the series and actually evolved beyond Robin. I was excited to see him find true love with someone new and felt a little robbed by the mom being more like a long montage than anything else.

But personal feelings aside, let’s take a look at this strictly from a writing structure point of view. A good story obviously has a distinct beginning, middle, end. A good story has foreshadowing, repeating patterns or symbols, compelling characters that not only draw you into their world, but become so familiar they are a part of your world. A good story, like life, often has various twists and turns, bringing us down a different track and always keeping us on our toes.

Does HIMYM have these things? Yes, it most absolutely does. Everyone can point out the repeating themes of Ted’s quest for love, his big gestures, his dogged & determined romantic side, the blue horn, the slap bet, The Playbook, The Bro Code, and “Legendary” moments – the list could easily go on. Every character was on a journey and we knew their love and loyalty for each other was what always carried them through. They grew up together. They grew together.

The creators have stated they knew their ending from the very beginning and the story across the seasons show that. It always came back to Robin. That blue horn periodically made an appearance. We knew the mother herself was not a major part of the story. The story was really more about Ted’s journey. Not only his journey in finding the mother, but his journey in finding himself and growing up in the process.

So does the fact that he eventually ends up with Robin anyway, blue horn in hand, make sense in terms of story structure?

Well, yes, it does. Life, like stories, have repeating themes. Robin is one of Ted’s themes for sure. The story came full circle and everything was tied up. There were no other questions left to be answered. Except for perhaps the question of how the future of Ted & Robin would work this time. Yes, Ted already has the kids, so that solves that problem. But Robin is still a famous world reporter that has to travel all the time. Ted is much more of a responsible homebody than Barney ever was, plus he has kids. So if it didn’t work for Barney, why would Ted & Robin work any better considering the difference in their lifestyles?

But that wasn’t the point of the ending. The point was the story coming full circle. It may not have been the most satisfying ending that fans were looking for, but that’s life too – it’s not always a clean, satisfying end.

Could it still have worked the other way? Could Robin have stayed just Aunt Robin and Ted ended his dialogue with, “And that, kids, is how I met your mother.”? That could have been followed by a montage of some snapshots and/or “home videos” before a fade to black. The End.

Yup – that could have worked too. Maybe it wouldn’t have brought the story to a complete full circle like ending up under Robin’s window again, but it still would have worked well with the themes because Ted evolved. He learned from his on-again off-again relationship with Robin. He found out what really mattered to him and what the kind of love was that he needed in his life. What the mother of his children should be like. And even if she still ended up dying, it would be ok because he has learned over the last 9 years that it isn’t just about the end result – it’s about the journey, the story itself. It’s about the adventures, the people you meet along the way, and the knowledge you gain. The happiness and life in general that you experience is what makes up your story, not your ending. In the end, he knew that’s what it was really all about. Not just mom, but what made up the path leading to mom. That was his story all along (with or without Robin).

Yes, that ending could have worked too.

But then, if that had been the ending, everyone wouldn’t be talking about it so much, would they?

 

What did you think about the ending of How I Met Your Mother?  Did you like what the creators decided to do? How did you feel it fit in terms of a writing technique?

Photo Credit: Kwintin via photopin cc

Quote of the Day

“Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

-Mark Twain

Keep Stress at Bay Every Day

“Stress is now considered the foremost contributor to our modern chronic maladies. Recent medical research by well-known clinicians has shown that stress is a major factor in causing heart disease, cancer, and a myriad of chronic and acute diseases of today’s world.”
-Nischala Joy Devi*

Stress is a huge factor in our everyday lives – it doesn’t matter if you’re naturally a chronic worrier or if you are a yoga meditation master – stress is still there. The world is naturally stressful now – just the physical noise of modern-day life alone is enough to send your body into overdrive, but add on financial worries, career pressures, family life, terrorism & increasing societal violence in general, constantly changing technology, sedentary jobs – the list can go on and on. These factors all add to a stressful environment. And stress – both physical and mental – can lead to a whole host of problems.

While there are some things we can do to lower the stressors in our environment, unfortunately, many of these factors are now a part of everyday life and we just can’t avoid them. So what do we do? How do we avoid unavoidable stress from taking over our lives?

“Physical and mental stress accumulate. This can lead to fatigue, a drop in performance level, and a feeling of anxiety. If not checked, stress creates more serious problems and disease occurs. Mental and physical dis-ease OR well-being can be fundamentally improved by acquiring a few simple tension-lowering techniques…. While stressful events around us may not change, we can learn how to respond skillfully to life’s difficulties, maintaining our equilibrium and a sense of well-being.”*

HERE ARE 10 TIPS TO HELP YOU KEEP STRESS AT BAY AND ESTABLISH CONTROL AND BALANCE FOR YOUR OWN WELL-BEING:

1. Accept that there are many things in our lives that we can’t control.
Sometimes you have to just make yourself let go and let it be.

2. Make time to exercise.
Although this may seem like added pressure to your day, it is proven that exercise not only helps you to mentally feel better, but the more fit and strong your body is, the better it can fight stress. Activities like walking, hiking, bicycling, swimming, the gym, yoga, Zumba, etc. all help to instantly lower your stress level. Don’t feel like you have an hour or so for a “full workout”? Try to at least work in 20-30 minutes of one of these activities – you can still gain full stress-relief benefits even in a shorter amount of time.

3. Add in extra time whenever possible.
Give yourself extra time to do things. Perhaps leave a few minutes earlier or start that upcoming project a week in advance. When you are able to give yourself those few extra minutes, it takes away the stress of the impending deadline, or that unexpected traffic jam. Work is stressful enough – you don’t need to start the stress process just by trying to get there!

4. Avoid the “quick fixes.”
Things like alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and recreational drugs may seem like they help, but the effect is just a short-term mirage. They actually add to the stress level in your body and will exacerbate anxiety. Keep your use to an extreme minimum, or better yet, not at all!

5. Take a break.
Hitting a freak out level? Stop yourself and walk away. Even just a 5-10 minute break will help (Heck, even 2 minutes can help!). Take a walk. Go someplace quiet and do some deep breathing – anything to just slow you down for a moment.

6. Watch your breath.
It is amazing how much the breath affects both the body and mind. Most people today naturally take shallow, fast breaths from their chests.

“When you breathe mostly from your chest, the part of your nervous system that increases your arousal and heart rate gets stimulated. Plus, you use mostly your chest muscles to do the work. Your chest muscles are not really designed for breathing the way that certain abdominal muscles are. In instances of extreme chest breathing, people will even feel sensations of tightness or pain in the chest as these muscles get tired. On the other hand, taking deep breaths from your belly stimulates the branch of your nervous system linked to slowing the body down, resting, and relaxing.”**

Many times our inhalation is longer than the exhalation. However, long exhalations give our heart time to relax, since the heart only rests in between beats. A long, slow exhalation will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and allow you that much-needed feeling of relaxation. Not sure how to breathe with your diaphragm instead of your chest? Try this trick –

Lie flat on your back on the floor. Place a book on your stomach just under your rib cage. Take a deep breath and send all the air down to your stomach. Your stomach should expand and naturally lift the book up in the air. Slowly breathe out, allowing the book to go back down. Once you get the hang of breathing into your stomach, concentrate on slow breaths – four counts in, four counts out.

Anytime you feel your anxiety level rising, turn your attention to your breath. Is it all in your chest? Take a minute to pull a few slow breaths down into your diaphragm and you will feel an instant calming effect and a clearer mind. Try to use at least a few minutes each day to sit and just focus on breathing.

7. Eat healthy.
Regular wholesome foods allow your body to work smoothly, without the added stress of trying to process junk. Like exercise, it also allows your body to be in strong physical condition to more easily fight off the effects of stress.

8. Use imagery.

“Imagery, our inner guidance, allows us to create and experience. It is the language of the mind…. We practice positive imagery as a means to allow the mind and body to mobilize all available resources that assist in the healing process. This creates an intention that brings about positive physiological and psychological responses, such as lowering of blood pressure, boosting of immune function, clarity of mind, calming of brain waves, decreased heart rate, production of a feeling of well-being. Through positive mental imagery, signals are sent to the body to help it repair and sustain energy.”*

There are many forms of imagery, but if you use even a basic method, imagery can help calm and focus the system and make your stressors more manageable. Here’s an easy method of imagery:

Picture yourself relaxed, feeling good, full of energy. Everything is done that needs to be. Picture your body strong, healthy, healed. If you are worried about a particular task – picture it completed in your mind. “See” it done the way you want it to be – in its “perfect” state.

9. Sleep.
Our bodies heal themselves when we sleep, as do our minds. Sleep allows us to process the events of the day and the worries stuck in our heads. It allows the brain to “clean” itself and let go of everything we don’t need. Sleep heals the mind just as much as the body. Force yourself to go to bed at a decent hour every night to allow the body to recharge so you can approach the day from a calm, “clean” slate, and be stronger and ready to fight off the rest of the stressors of the day as they come.

10. Attitude adjustment.
“Fake it till you make it.” That phrase can be so annoying sometimes, but is so true. Try to keep a positive attitude. Instead of saying things like, “Nothing ever works right for me,” say, “I’m doing my best.” “This will work right.” Instead of, “I feel so tired and crappy all the time,” tell yourself, “I feel great. I am strong. I am capable. I can do this.”

It takes work to remove stress, or at least the effects of stress from our lives. There are many methods out there – some more complicated and time-consuming than others – but these few tips are ones that you can easily work into your everyday life to get started.

Deep breath in. Slow breath out.

 

*From The Healing Path of Yoga: Time-Honored Wisdom and Scientifically Proven Methods that Alleviate Stress, Open Your Heart, and Enrich Your Life, by Nischala Joy Devi

**From Women Who Worry Too Much by Holly Hazlett-Stevens, Ph.D.

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