Thread: New studio
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Old 08-31-2017, 05:04 AM
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joseph engraver joseph engraver is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Sarzana,Italy
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Default Re: New studio

Thank you Jim for the nice comments, they made ne smile.
The force that motivates me
At dinner the other night my wife said, “Joseph, my friends on Face book want to know what is wrong, you look unhappy in the photos I post of you, and the frown on your face seems to be permanently etched there. Our banker and the neighbor have even asked me if you were angry.
All of this came as a surprise to me, as I consider i am fortunate to have been born in America, to be self employed for the last fifty years, and to be able to be a creative, free, and happy man. France´s question made me get up from the table, go to a mirror and look at my reflection. There staring back at me I saw a face with a frown and a mouth that never smiled.
I practiced smiling at the reflection and it looked silly. I tried a big grin, that looked idiotic, but a small lifting of my upper lip looked ok .Finally I gave up and returned to my dinner. ” How does this look? I asked as I lifted my lip a bit. “You look like you are in pain, try relaxing that frown." So I tried her advice the only way I could think of. I stopped thinking of my many new and (to me) exciting projects, relaxed my frown and lifted my upper lip. Franca laughed and said “That’s perfect, now you look happy.” Then I explained that the number of people I count as true friends is small, that I don´t like gossip and have spent my lifetime thinking and working in solitude, and I am happiest while discovering what I am capable of. Not reflecting on what I have already accomplished. Her answer “I know you are not going to change, but when my family comes to visit, or you have your picture taken, practice your new smile, you look much better.”
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