A place to show my work
The tan fat cat
Running away from a bat
but his fat is making him fall flat
But never did he give up
for he will prosper
The tan fat cat
Day in and day out
You can see the tan cat
Running away from a bat
Yet still he trots along
undaunted by the chase—
The tan fat cat
Through alleys and moonlit streets
he learns to rise again
each time he falls flat
For courage is his compass
and hope his steady beat—
The tan fat cat
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” Zig Ziglar
Staples’ iconic red easy button was conceived in a fitting way: During a brainstorming session in 2004, advertiser Leslie Sims said she wished she could simply push a button to create the perfect ad so the team could break for lunch.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
“My greatest love is my own becoming — the slow, steady work of healing, unlearning, and choosing myself without apology.”
A shopping spree would take me straight to an art supply store — the kind with aisles of sketchbooks, inks, paints, and tools I don’t even know how to use yet but desperately want to try. I’d fill a cart with colors, textures, and possibilities. After that, I’d wander into a cozy bookstore and lose myself in journals, poetry collections, and anything that sparks ideas. My spree would be less about buying things and more about stocking up on inspiration
Every week, a creative prompt will be offered for you to unleash your imagination and artistic skills.
You can share your response in the form of art or any creative expression inspired by the prompt.
There are no restrictions and no deadlines, so feel free to take your time and enjoy the creative process.
Remember to label your response with #missysmadchallenge.
Your challenge for this week
In the corner of my mind,
a quiet room waits for me.
Some days it’s filled with sunlight,
other days, a trembling sea.
Memories stack like folded letters,
some gentle, some unkind.
Yet still, a softer voice keeps rising
from the deeper part inside.
It reminds me I am learning,
that healing takes its time,
and even shadows lose their power
when I choose to let them unwind.
So I sit with what is heavy,
and I honor what I find.
Because every step toward knowing myself
begins in the corner of my mind.
My middle name is Ann. It has no special meaning other than that my mom liked the name Ann. Additionally, it contributes to my initials, MAD, which I find cool.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi
The Library of Congress houses more than 164 million items across more than 800 miles of shelf space. Its treasures include the world’s largest flute collection, one of only three perfect vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible, and a 1507 map with the first known written mention of the name America.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I’d come back as a wiser version of myself—still me, but with softer edges and a clearer sense of what truly matters.
The dreamscape has changed.
breathtaking shift,
new colors unfold.
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” —E.E. Cummings
Free condoms were originally given to Olympic athletes at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to prevent the spread of HIV. It’s now part of the Olympic tradition, with the condom count sometimes reaching upwards of 300,000.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d change the instinct to shrink or adjust myself to make others comfortable. It’s an old habit, and I’m slowly unlearning it, but it still shows up more than I’d like.
There are days the world feels distant,
like you’re walking underwater.
Thoughts echo in strange directions,
and everything takes effort.
But even then, your health holds on
in the smallest acts of staying.
You’re still here, still trying,
and that is its own kind of grace.
I went to hunt for wisdom
in a forest made of rhyme,
but all I found were hollow trees
complaining about time.
A squirrel gave a humble bow
and said, “You’re searching far too wide.
The answers that you’re hunting for
are hiding right inside.”
So now I chase my questions
with a grin instead of fear,
because every humble, hollow place
has something bright to hear.
Couldn’t find my favorite mug,
Rushing through the morning haze,
All the little things annoy me,
Now I’m stuck in a cranky phase.
Kids are yelling, pets are barking,
Yet deep down, I know it’s just a phase.
It is time to gear up for action
Not sitting back and doing nothing
Make your dreams a reality, my friend
Experience life to the fullest
for you will never know when it will be your last
So, step boldly into the path ahead,
Trust the fire that lives within you,
And let today be the start of everything.
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”― Marilyn Monroe
The residents of Oymyakon in Russia have the distinction of living in the coldest permanently inhabited place on earth, where the average winter temperature plummets to negative fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. That’s shy of its official winter temperature record of negative ninety degrees, observed on February 6, 1933, at the towns weather station.
On what occasion do you lie
If I lie, it’s usually a soft lie — the kind meant to shield someone from discomfort. I’m learning to trust that honesty, spoken with care, is kinder in the long run.
There once was a giant who’d sass,
While sipping from one massive glass.
But a sneeze from his gland,
Shook the whole forest land,
And startled the birds as they passed.
“What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.” – Don Zimmer
Alice blue, a shade of pale Azure that sparked a fashion sensation in the early 20th century, and was named after Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth. Her eyes were set to match the shade. The color even made it to Broadway in the 1919 musical Irene, featuring a song called “Alice Blue Gown.”
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I overuse the soft, peacekeeping phrases — “it’s fine,” “no worries,” “I don’t mind,” “sorry.” They slip out before I even think about them, tiny verbal bandages meant to keep everything smooth and easy. I also lean on fillers like “I mean” and “honestly” when I’m thinking out loud. Together, they paint a picture of someone trying to be gentle with the world, even when the world isn’t always gentle back.
M.A.D. Works 