My brain is sometimes mashed potatoes

Hello girlies!
    

    You know I'm having a bad day when I post the above GIF. Actually, today itself hasn't been too horrible (except for school, coupled with my complex anatomy assignment, coupled with senioritis). I just haven't had time to sleep lately, and I have recently become stressed about the unnecessarily high cost of colleges everywhere. I advise you all to quit school now and join me as I jaunt off to the hinterlands and become a semi-homeless hermit. Who needs higher education? All it brings you is the grief of a 100k student loan and a job you probably hate and an obligatory mortgage that ends up costing THREE TIMES what your house is worth, because it takes you thirty years to pay off all your debt (Laura has also been taking a personal finance class, which has also been stressing her out).
    Okay. End rant. Other than everything mentioned in the above paragraph I have nothing to stress about! Really. It's one of those gray October days, when the wind softly blows the yellowing leaves off the trees and they flutter to the ground like snowflakes. I just took a shower and shaved my legs, and I feel so clean and ladylike. And a good friend of mine is coming over in about an hour (which is why I'm writing this now, instead of five minutes before midnight [and yes, I realize I did not publish this until ten. Past Laura was so hopeful that she would not procrastinate for once]).
    And, ladies, I have been creating.
    All your posts last week definitely inspired me. They opened my eyes to the fact that I simply have not been as creative as I used to be. Lately, my attitude about almost everything I do or think about doing has been "if it gets me into college, or wins me a scholarship, then it's worth it." Thus, since I don't intend on getting an arts degree, I simply have been neglecting my creative spark. My brain, instead of looking like this

has been looking like this

I'm sure y'all go through times like that. 
    So, lately I have been coming out of my uncreative funk, and I wanted to share with you girls how I have been gettin' crafty:
1. This blog. All the reading and writing I have been doing lately for OTAS has been a great workout for my cranial muscles. We are only entering into the third week of this project and I can already feel my thoughts clearing up from reading all of your fabulous posts, which enlighten and cheer me in a thousand different ways.
2. Reading. I haven't had a good book to lose myself in for a long time. But now I am perusing "Looking For The King," a World War II-era novel about Tolkien and Lewis with a Camelot twist. It has also aided in my thinking process, as well as giving me more of a scope for imagination. Also, I went book-hunting on the dusty shelves in my house, and between what I found here, and several other book recommendations from a friend, I am set to hibernate for the winter.
3. Photography. I got a new phone. With a halfway decent camera. So I have set out to capture the little things -all the details I love- through the lens. I'm not going to lie, I am not the world's best picture-taker. But it's amazing what you can do when nature is simply begging to be photographed this time of year. I love fall and technology. Both make me look like I really have an eye for things like this:

gah this one is my favorite.

this leaf was on our hummingbird feeder. #nofilter

on the steps at SHU<3

I'm not even gonna pretend I didn't edit this.

    These are my creations. This is what you ladies have inspired me to do- all of the sudden I am less afraid of being wrong and more motivated to notice and make beautiful things. I'm singing Les Mis in the shower again- at the top of my lungs and somewhat off-key, but I am singing. I don't say "I'm bored" as much as I used to, because now there are books to read and pictures to take and people to talk to. We should keep this blog up. I have a feeling it will cause some wonderful things.
    So, before I say goodbye, I want to know: what have you been creating? Please, share furiously with me every inspiration, dramatic monologue, foreign recipe, or piece of calligraphy you have. I am excited for where we are going to go with this.
-- Laura :)