Jewish-American Calendar 2023

By in General, Jewish, Recent News

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I can NOT believe we’re at the end of 2022! 
 
As I’m currently under-employed, I’m using the time to catch up on my end of year sorting, filing, organizing, and tying up the loose ends of my to do list. There’s a lot on there as I didn’t have the time to do this LAST December so I’m playing catch up. 

This year I got a jump on my 2023 “Realtor Fridge Calendar” insert! Yes, this is now officially a THING for me.
 
There was a time, for a few years, where we’d receive a promotional 11 x 8.5 paper calendar every December from one of the local realtors. A few years ago, we stopped getting them but I was able to score one from the local Buy Nothing group. The following year, I was out of luck. I was actually really upset because I like the format and I used the heck out of those calendars! I did look around to see if I could buy an insert someplace because I still have the holders, but I couldn’t find one that looked like the realtor calendar I loved. So I made my own.
 
Since I made it for myself, I could put what I wanted on it. I made a progressive Jewish-American calendar with Jewish holidays that don’t usually make it onto the standard calendars, Hebrew month starts and each Rosh Chodesh, as well as the Hebrew year(s) and moon phases.
 
I also put in several non-Jewish holidays that are relevant to living in a multi-ethnic area. It’s fascinating to see where other lunar and lunar-solar calendar holidays sometimes align (and sometimes don’t) with Jewish ones because each tradition uses different calendar calculations.
 
As in years past, I’m sharing my calendar for free. If you want a copy of the 2023 progressive Jewish-American calendar, download the PDF to print it out for your own realtor fridge calendar holder. Or just tack it on a wall. Maybe next year I’ll add some art to it (I KNOW I keep saying that). Obviously copyrights apply so it should go without saying but please don’t go selling my work.
 
I’ve done my best to proof everything but I’m only one set of eyes. If you see any glaring mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them!
 
 
january

Folktale Week 2022

By in Children's, General, Other Challenges, Recent News, SCBWI

Follow #folktaleweek2022 to see all the work shared Nov 14-20, 2022

Every year, I think “I would like to do something for #folktaleweek!” And then life happens and I get too busy. And this year would be no different except my primary EdTech client is going through some changes and quite suddenly stopped having work for me. So starting Friday, I decided to try and get SOMETHING together for this week. I started sketching and pondering and some ideas started to coalesce. I don’t have time to write my own story with the prompts, so I decided to use existing stories for inspiration.

Sometimes when you do personal projects, they sort of make themselves and this one also has a mind of its own. Since I prioritized The Omer Project for the last couple of years, I haven’t done any new portfolio or figurative illustration work in a while. So I decided to go back to a beginning of sorts. When I was a bit younger and studying theatrical design, I was inspired by Erte. I loved the idea of an illustrator who also designed scenery and costumes (and yes, also Maurice Sendak among others). Although I loved his clean, elegant lines, and poster flat colors, his work was never something I attempted to emulate. This is before the days of digital so I assumed it all had to be screen work. This was also over 30 years ago.

I had zero intention of doing this project in Adobe Illustrator. I’ve spent the last several years working on my non-digital techniques. And I’ve hated Adobe Illustrator for a very long time. The software and I first met 25 years ago at a time when you had to reverse paths in order to compound them to poke a hole in a shape. This was not particularly user friendly. And pulling Bezier Curves into place with handles was too much for me.  I didn’t like fighting with my drawing. So my twenty year hatred of Illustrator ran up against a wall five years ago when my vector-ish software of choice, Adobe Flash (formerly, Macromedia Flash, formerly FutureSplash – yes, I was there with it all along), suddenly became software non-grata and I was forced to start creating elementary school spot and technical illustrations using Illustrator instead. 

I have to say this software has improved substantially with age. While there is still quite a bit I don’t know about Illustrator, it seemed the appropriate medium for what I had in mind. And, as I’ve already got a work flow of building library elements in it, it may also be the quickest tool to create the most polished *ahem* rough drafts in my current arsenal. My initial plan was to do up wireframes in Illustrator and print them out to finish traditionally. But there’s not enough time for that. I’ll be lucky if I can get in all seven drafts this week. Also for brevity, I’m going to attempt to do these paper doll portrait style. And I’ll be keeping an eye on how long they take. It’s always good to know how long work takes you so you can give good time estimates. Well, here goes…

Fool - The Emperor Has No Clothes

Day 1: Fool

Based on “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. One of the most well-known morality tales, “about a vain emperor who gets exposed before his subjects.“

Day 2: Tree

This is inspired by “The Golden Tree,” a Jewish-Indian folktale that I recently stumbled on. This one will require a little more research but the tale itself is intriguing including it being BOTH Jewish and Indian! With a lack of handy resources, I based the clothing on a combination of 19th century Turkish and Afghani Jewish clothing styles.

The Golden Tree - A Jewish Indian Folktale

And the golden tree grows within that fountain, surrounded by it on all sides. Many have tried to reach it, but all have failed and drowned in the boiling waters. But if you take my shoes, and wear them when you enter the waters, the heat of the waters will have no effect…

There, in that sacred circle, the Emperor saw the golden tree face to face, as had happened so often in his dreams. But now he was astounded to discover that the golden tree was not a motionless object created out of gold, but was itself a golden fountain that sprang up in that place, with molten gold that formed the shape of a golden tree…

Excerpted from https://jewishfairytales.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-golden-tree.html

Attendant to the Queen of the Night

Day 3: Star

An attendant to the Queen of the Night from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Inspired by Erté and Billy Porter.

I technically finished this one at 11:59. Pencils down. It’s not exactly what I intended and still very much not where I’d like it to be, but that’s why I’m calling these drafts!

This is also one of those reasons for my hating on Adobe Illustrator. It’s really difficult to make complex shapes like the star halo look like they’re coming from behind to overlap the fronts of other shapes. 

Day 4: Rebel

The Scarlet Pimpernel. Need I say more?

I AM, however, fessing up to “pant-sing” this challenge. I started late and have been trying to do these around my life, which got a bit hectic these last two days. So I missed posting this one on yesterday’s deadline and will now miss posting today’s. 

Rebel

December 13th

I have officially slipped out of the challenge. I intended to keep going but we went away for Thanksgiving and life happened and so I’m just going to leave these now and take what I’ve learned on to the next challenge or project which is likely to be a much needed portfolio update!

The Omer Project Card Decks Are Finally Here!

By in General, Jewish, Recent News, The Omer Project

The Omer Project

I’m excited to announce that The Omer Project Meditation Card Decks are FINALLY here!

This is an initial run of only 250 card decks. If there is more interest, I will create a second run well in advance of the Omer count next year!

Also, I plan to keep sending the daily card image and message via the MailChimp email list for the Omer count this year.

It’s not too late to subscribe: http://eepurl.com/ht15Yn 

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!

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Order The Omer Meditation Card Deck

March 2022 Update on The Omer Project Card Decks

By in General, Jewish, The Omer Project, Updates

The Omer Project

Hello Friends!

Thank you for your your interest and patience! I am finally writing with an update on The Omer Project Meditation Card Deck.

The Omer Project Meditation Card Decks are finally in the queue at the printers! Yayyy! Unfortunately, they are currently scheduled to ship on April 20th, which is a little late to arrive for the beginning of the Omer count this year.

I am told that date is the latest they will ship and that it’s entirely possible they will be available sooner. Once they enter production, I’ll be able to give you an order link and the card decks will be shipped directly to you at the same time they’ll be shipped to me. You may get to see them before I do!

This is a limited initial run of only 250 card decks. The cost is expected to be around $30 per card deck plus shipping in the United States.

If you are local to me in Northern Virginia and want to save the shipping cost I’ll have a different order link for you and we’ll make arrangements for pick-up or drop off or a coffee date. 

If you’re international, we’ll make other arrangements as I’ll need to work out specific shipping costs. When the links become available, please message me and we’ll figure it out. I am very sorry that international shipments will not arrive in time for the start of the Omer count this year.

Stay tuned for the purchase links. I’ll let you know as soon as I have them!

Additionally for the Omer count this year, I plan to send the daily card image and message via MailChimp mailing list. Subscribe: http://eepurl.com/ht15Yn 

Hopefully this will make up for the card decks arriving a little late. Though the printer says, you never know, they could finish sooner.

And, again, thank you so much for your patience! This is the first time I’ve done a project like this and I’m working hard to try and get it right!

Sincerely,
Mishka Jaeger

Jewish-American Calendar 2022

By in General, Jewish

Happy 2022!
 
There was a time, for a few years, where we’d receive an 11 x 8.5 paper fridge calendar every December from one of the local realtors. A couple of years ago, we stopped getting them. I was actually upset about this. I really like the format!
 
I looked around to see if I could buy an insert someplace because I still have some of the magnetic and vinyl holders. I couldn’t find one that looked like the realtor calendar so I made my own.
 
Once again this year we didn’t get one so I’m continuing to make my own. This year, I made myself a Jewish-American calendar with all the Jewish holidays, Hebrew month starts, and the Hebrew year(s). I also put in all the non-Jewish holidays I want to remember as well.
 
I know it’s already January 10th but if you’d like a copy, you can download the PDF (free) to print out for your own empty realtor fridge calendar holder. Or just tack it on a wall. Maybe next year I’ll add some art to it!
 
(Also, if you see any glaring mistakes, please let me know and I’ll update it!!!)
 
 
January2022

The Omer Project 2021

By in General, The Omer Project

The Omer Project - #omercountcards2021

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What is an Omer

Omer was a biblical unit of measurement, sometimes translated as “sheaves.” Beginning on the second night of Passover, Jews count the 49 days (7 weeks) between Passover and Shavuot on the 50th day. This is called Sefirat HaOmer, counting the Omer. 

In 2021, Sefirat HaOmer begins on the second evening of Passover, Sunday, March 28 and ends on Shavuot Sunday, May 16.

What is The Omer Project?

The Omer project will be a deck of meditation cards based on the Kabalistic journey of the soul through the 7 weeks days ending on Shavuot.

Here’s a fun video from BimBam with more information about Sefirat HaOmer which gives some context for what I’m doing as well.

The seven sefirot (attributes) are assigned to each of the seven weeks. We contemplate how they interact with each other and manifest in ourselves and the way we address the world around us.

The approach I’m using for the art of my card deck was originally inspired by Pamela Colman Smith’s work for the Arthur Waite’s Tarot deck.

I assigned a primary image for each of the sefirot, as well as a secondary gesture to indicate the action within another’s week. The final week, Malchut, is a little special so it’s backwards in that the primary is the gesture and the secondary is the image. I will leave you to contemplate the gestures.

Week 1 – Chesed – Loving-kindness 
Symbolized by the cups and water

Week 2 – Gevurah – Discipline, Strength
Symbolized by the standing stones

Week 3 – Tiferet – Harmony, balance
Symbolized by flowering trees

Week 4 – Netzach – Endurance, Perseverance
Symbolized by fireballs

Week 5 – Hod – Humility, Splendor
Symbolized by crates defining the space inside them and out.

Week 6 – Yesod – Bonding, Foundation
Symbolized by rings and links

Week 7 – Malchut – Sovereignty
Represented in the letter, shin, as crowns, influenced by Sefer Yetzirah

Count With Me

I’ll be posting each card image on my Instagram feed this year. Follow the Instagram Hashtag, #omercountcards2021 for my daily posts. You don’t need an Instagram account to see the posts but you probably will need an account to follow the tag.

Each day we count, we recite the blessing:

Baruch atah A-donai E-loheinu Melekh Ha-olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al S’firat Ha-omer

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.

And then we give the number for the day.

The Card Deck

The Omer Mediation Card Deck will be available for purchase at some point after Shavuot. I’m still working on finding a printer, so I’m also not sure about the cost. Initially, I expect to make to make a small print run so the cards will likely be digitally printed rather than offset, but that can change depending on interest.

Please click here to leave your name and email address with MailChimp so I can let you know about ordering a card deck when they become available. I promise I will only use your contact information for that purpose unless you’re a long lost relation I’ve been trying to track down.

Additional resources for Omer meditations

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