I Am- Self Portrait

I Am- Digital Art Self Portrait by Tracey Grumbach

Today I will be posting reader questions (thank you to everyone who sent them!) and my answers to those questions. These are always so much fun for me.

Question 1- What are your favorite apps to use for editing on iOS devices?

Well, it depends what I am trying to achieve. If I am simply editing contrast and color of a photograph, my favorite go-to app is Snapseed. I usually use the adjustment tools in the "Tune Image" section of the app. If I am looking to add texture to my pieces, I will often use Distressed FX, Mextures, Stackables, and Formulas. If I am transferring my photos back and forth between my iMac and my portable iOS devices (iPhone 6S Plus and my iPad), then my favorite app is PhotoSync.  To be honest, though, I often times use upwards of 5 different apps on a single digital art piece, not counting adjustments I do in Photoshop CC as well.

Question 2- You mentioned at you Featured Artist Opening Show that you were going to teach a digital art class sometime this summer.  Is that still happening?

Ugh. No. My summer imploded in a very fast way once I started Chronic Lyme Disease Treatment again in May, so right now my focus is my health. This does not mean, however, that I will not do a workshop. It simply means that I am now looking into fall to do it. Keep your eyes open and thanks for being patient!

Question 3- You said you were on a very restrictive diet because of Chronic Lyme Disease...can you elaborate?

Sure, I'll try! Right now my doctor is looking into food sensitivities that I may have as a result of being ill with several different tick borne illnesses.  These illness can cause your immune system (which largely resides in your gut) to attack food particles and cause inflammation, pain, and a host of other various symptoms. I am currently waiting for the results of a blood test that will hopefully make it more clear which foods are causing an issue for me, but in the meantime I am on a Paleo-like diet consisting of only organic whole foods, not including any grains, legumes, corn, nightshade vegetables, certain spices, dairy, coffee, caffeine, or refined sugars. It was very difficult at first, but as I see my pain levels drop, it becomes easier because I see what an effect it is having on my quality of life. When the test comes back I may be able to add foods back into my diet depending on what sensitivities and allergies show. You can check this out to see a similar diet and better explanation than I can give. I am on this exact diet, but close to it.

Question 4-  How do you stay on such a restrictive diet? Haven't you lost tons of weight and aren't you starving?

Well, it isn't easy to stay on it at all, especially when living with others who are NOT on it and being surrounded by foods I shouldn't have all the time. I stay motivated because I see a difference in my pain levels and quality of life. Secondly, I meal plan and batch cook a lot! If I am caught off guard without food, I tend to cheat and then pay for it in pain, so I make sure I have food prepared ahead of time all the time. Also, when I am out I pack my food to take with me. I show up at parties with my own meals. I take my own food when we stop at fast food restaurants while out doing chores. Being prepared and seeing a difference in pain levels are what make me successful in being so restrictive with my diet.

No, I am not starving at all. Because I make sure to get plenty of high quality protein, I am rarely hungry. Also, I have a very regimented eating and medicine schedule, so my body is used to eating at specific times. Once I went through withdraw from sugars, I haven't had issues with being hungry.

No, I have not lost a ton of weight. Back in 2014 when I first started treatment I lost 48 pounds. Since then I have maintained my weight but recently have lost 5 more pounds. I am thin but not dangerously so. My doctor says my BMI is perfect for my height so my weight is at a healthy level right now. My goal is not losing weight, it is controlling pain. I do, however, get unsolicited opinions about my weight from random strangers who tell me I am too thin, lol.


Question 5- I heard you decided to stop homeschooling and send your kids back to public schools.  Why?

Yes, my husband and I took this decision very seriously. We decided it was the right time to send them back (which was our goal anyway). After a long discussion with the twins themselves, my doctor, and each other, Brian and I think it is in the best interest of everyone for this transition to occur now. I am not going into the nitty gritty details because frankly, it is not anyone's business, but we are all happy and excited for the change. While we loved every minute of homeschooling, the twins and I are happy and grateful for the new experience ahead.

Question 6- What is your favorite color?

Right now, robin's egg blue and grey.

Question 7- I think I read a blog post that said you are writing for an online magazine now. Which one and where can I see the articles you write?

Yes, I am writing for The Mighty.  I have two articles published at this time and more are in the editor's hands. You can see my The Mighty author's page here which has a link to all the published articles I've written for them. Any future articles I write will show up on that page when they are published.

Question 8- What is your favorite Bible verse?

Right now it is Matthew 14:27.  xo


Thank you so much to everyone who sent in questions! You all are the best.  Feel free to send questions to me at any time and I will write future Reader's Questions posts with the answers!

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Getting Comfortable with Chaos- Answering Reader Questions

Good morning!  Today is the day to answer the second batch of reader questions.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to send one in!

1.  What does your medication schedule look like for your Lyme treatment?  

Well, I take a regimen of anti-microbial herbals, prescription drugs, and vitamins/supplements as directed by my LLMD.  A few days ago I posted a picture (on Nine Acres Designs on Facebook) of the spreadsheet I use to keep track of my schedule because it is a lot and can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when my treatment is changed after I finally get used to the schedule.  I will not now or ever tell you specifically what I am taking for two reasons.  First, I want to protect myself and my doctor and preserve my privacy concerning my specific treatment.  Secondly, I don't ever want someone to read my treatment schedule and try to self-treat and cause themselves harm.  All of the things I take need to be closely monitored by a doctor!  To give you an idea, I take medicine (I am talking about herbals, prescriptions, and vitamins/supplements) 7 times a day.  Currently there are 13 different medicines, most of which I take several times a day.  So, in all, I take 4 different liquid drops mixed with water and up to 20 pills per day.  It's a lot.

2.  Where do you get the vintage pictures you use as the beginning ideas for the digital collage paintings you create?  

I get many of the vintage images from Flickr Commons.  There is a wealth of copyright free vintage images there.  Please read for yourself the copyright information provided by the site and also for each individual picture.  I never use the vintage image as is.  I use it as sort of a template in which to paint over and manipulate for my collage needs.  Many of the other elements I use are my own photos I have from over 15 years of taking pictures.  I do use a few other copyright free photography sites when I don't have a "stock" image of my own to use.

3.  You've mentioned your family and kids, but don't post a lot about them.  Why?  

Yes, I am married with 4 children, a horse, a dog, and a cat.  I don't talk about my family on a frequent basis because 2 of my children are teens and they like their privacy as does my husband.  I choose to blog and put myself out there, not my family... they do not choose that and I respect them wanting privacy. My other two children are adopted and I don't want a lot out of the internet about them for privacy reasons.  They don't know too much about privacy yet because they are 7 years old, but I don't want them to grow up and find embarrassing things about themselves on the internet at a later date.  It is just a personal choice I make for my family.  

4.  Do you like to watch television?  If so, what are your favorite shows?

I do like to watch television, but I don't have a lot of time to do it!  I DVR a lot of shows and on days when I am really struggling with Lyme, I sometimes rest and catch up on my shows.  Otherwise, I am going, going, going with work and 4 children!  My favorite shows are British!  I love Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Doc Martin, and Masterpiece Classic.  I also love "reality" shows such as The Amazing Race, Survivor, Teen Mom (don't judge!), The Little Couple, Alaska: The Last Frontier, and The Long Island Medium.

5.  How do you keep up with the very strict diet and medicine restrictions in your life?  I can't imagine having to eat that way!

Well, as for the diet, I continue to be gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and processed sugar free.  I have, over the past 9 months cheated about 5 times on small items (a bite of cake, for example).  I can stay focused for two reasons...I am so lucky to be surrounded by supportive family and friends.  They understand and accept my restrictions and they look out for me constantly.  Secondly, when I don't stick to my diet and medicine schedule I get very sick, so it is a motivation NOT to cheat!  If you know you will be down for a few days with severe pain and nausea if you cheat, it is motivation to eat clean!

Your questions were fantastic!  I have so much fun answering them and look forward to doing this again in the near future!  If you have a question for me, feel free to send it in at any time.  You can use the email in the sidebar here or post it or PM it over on Facebook!  

In the meantime...I will be working on a new collage...using this vintage image.  Hopefully I can make it work because as the saying says above, art is a messy business...I start and ditch many more pieces than I finish!  Hopefully this will be one I can take to the end!  xo

Answering Reader Questions

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays."
~Confucius

 

Today I am answering reader questions, so let's get right to it!

1.  Do you have plans to show us how you make digital collage paintings?  By that, I assume you mean show you the steps in how I arrive at a finished piece of art work.  While I have not made a step by step tutorial, I have, on Nine Acres Designs Facebook page, shown you the beginning vintage photo that inspired a portion of a collage.  Also, I have at times, listed the general steps I have taken in order to reach a final product.  But because when I work I work very visually and by trial and error with different techniques, I have not made a tutorial as each piece does not follow the same workflow.  Maybe one day I can screen shot each of my steps as I go through my process, but to be honest, it distracts me from what I am doing and slows down that creative thought.  We'll see!  Maybe in the future!

2.  You speak of "God" and "Creator" a lot.  Are you religious?  That is a complicated question.  Yes, I do speak of God and my Creator a lot, but no, I am not religious.  The world religion leaves a sour taste in my mouth because my individual private beliefs don't fit nicely into any religious denominational box. While I was raised Southern Baptist, I have much experience with many other religions through friends and I have, over the years, taken pieces of each of these belief systems and created my own beliefs. Instead of religious, I prefer to call myself spiritual.  To me spirituality is my personal relationship with God.  I know this isn't a clear answer, but there isn't a way I can describe this close personal matter any clearer without sitting and chatting over a cup of tea, which I would be happy to do with anyone who is further curious about my view on this topic.

3.  Where did the name TraceFace72 come from?  Haha!  I never would have guessed someone would ask me that.  Well, it comes from my brother during our childhood.  He, being my older brother, wanted to torture me, his little annoying sister,  in any way possible when we were growing up.  So, one of the things he discovered was that calling me Trace Face made me mad and sometimes even made me cry.  So, of course, he did it more and more.  When I began my new blog (I've been blogging now for about 10 years on various blogs), the name Trace Face popped into my head as a nickname.  I added my birth year to the end and I had TraceFace72.  

4.  You used to do a lot of photography.  Why don't you anymore?  I still do photography.  I knew a few years ago that photography was becoming very saturated since everyone was buying digital DSLR cameras.  I knew I wanted to differentiate myself more from what everyone was doing so that is when I began exploring digital art...textures, collages, painting, etc.  So, I do still do photography (I am a real estate photographer by day) but I just don't show a lot of it on my blog anymore...I prefer to creatively express myself through digital art instead. 

5.  I heard you teach photography workshops.  Are there any planned for the future?  What about digital collage painting workshops?  Yes, I did teach beginning photography workshops, however, since becoming so very sick with Lyme, Bartonella, and Erlichea, I have not taught any more workshops.  While I love doing it, it takes a lot of time and energy, both of which I do not have right now.  I will never say never...so it might happen in the future, but there are no immediate plans for either a photography or a digital art workshop at this time.

6.  How is your overall health right now?  I noticed there is not a March update on your Lyme tab.  You are right, I haven't updated my Lyme tab with March yet, as I have been so crazy busy.  I will say that each day is a struggle.  I have really good days when I feel as if I am normal again, but there are bad days that remind me that this is a long-haul sort of situation.  So, I will just say that while I have made significant progress, there is still a long way to go in healing.  I am not sure I believe I will ever be completely 100% "normal" again, but I always hold out hope.  Right now I am concentrating on correcting a severe bone infection in my jaw that will require surgery and a bone graft.  That surgery is scheduled for mid-May, so I am trying to maintain good health to help the outcome of that surgery be the best it can be.  I have a checkup with my LLMD on Monday, so I will be discussing where I go from here as far as treatment for the tick born illnesses.  Hopefully, I will get a chance to post the March Lyme update soon.  

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  I didn't answer every single one, but I would love to do this again in the future!  It is fun to see what you all are curious about and I am happy to answer questions.  So, if you have a question for me, just email me using the sidebar.  Look for another Reader Question update in a few weeks!  Happy Tuesday!