What is your secret passion? Mine is to write TV shows, books, and blogs. My other passions are to create toys and to help support my favorite causes.

Some people want to write a book, others have desires be a makeup artist, or website designer. What do you secretly want to do?

If you think you’re too busy to follow your dreams then please allow me the privilege of kicking you in the pants to help you think again. Feel better? Good. Now let’s get started.

Here’s how you can find time to pursue your passions with just a wee bit of effort.

GET UP EARLY OR GO TO BED LATER
Some experts say get up an hour early to find more time. I’ve never been able to do that successfully, so I stay up one hour later to find extra time. That way I can go to bed with a smile on my face knowing I did something in the direction of my dreams. And this is what sweet dreams are made of. (Thank you, Annie Lennox.)

TUNE OUT TELLY
If your best friend comes with a remote control, then you might need to take a little va-cay from your TV. Tivo your favorite shows so you can watch them when you want later. And use that time whether it is 30 minutes or 1 hour to pursue your passion. I promise it doesn’t hurt anymore than that kick in the pants you received earlier.

CHORE BORE
If you have chores to do, see if you can delegate to another family member or friend to find some more time. (But if they do a chore for you, remember that you MUST be there for them when it’s time to repay the favor.)

LOG YOU EXTRA TIME
Here is something to help you even more. Write down all the extra time you can find for yourself during the week. Keep doing that and in a month’s time, you will see where you can save tons of time for yourself.

SCHEDULE IT
The next secret is to write down in a calendar or notebook when you are going to schedule time to pursue your passion. Treat it like a hair appointment, doctor’s appointment or time with your best friend. Make it a “must do”.

Okay, so now you’re saying, “Thanks Kim for all this time, but what am I actually supposed to do with it to get closer with my dreams?”

I’m so glad you asked.

HUSH YOUR MOUTH AND DO IT!!!!
Like attracts like. So with that in mind, use your extra time to begin to study, research and experience the things you want to pursue. I could give you lots of examples but let me give you an example that I’m working on right now.

I’m pitching three exciting shows to one of my favorite networks soon. One of my shows is going to be an animated show and the other shows are going to be live action shows, meaning they have real people in them and not cartoons.

At the same time, I’m working on my other jobs in the film industry, writing books, cleaning my house etc. You get the picture.

One of my sketches

So, for the cartoon show, I find and schedule time to draw so that I can figure out what characters will star in my show. I need lots of time for this activity because I draw very slow since this isn’t something that I do everyday.

Mingo Flores 2008 (he’s my bro!)

I look for inspiration for my drawings from books, movies, and art. Again this takes time so, I schedule time to go to the bookstore, to “Google” things for research or go to an art gallery.

Since people are the biggest resource on the planet, I also make time to talk with other people who are doing things that I would like to be doing.

Mike (my crush, for those of you who don’t know) and I had lunch with a mutual friend of ours named Keith Alcorn. Keith is a very gifted artist who helped in the creation of the series Jimmy Neutron and was also friends with my good friend Joe Riley (Joe had helped me on my GAMMA GLAMMA mascot). During that lunch, Keith soon became our cartoon guardian angel and gave us insight about how the animated world works. It’s similar to the film world but in some cases it’s very different.

Little by little by taking time out of my “real” life, I will have used all my newfound time to create a show that I have written with fun characters that I have drawn myself all while learning new information and skills. And with that who knows, my cartoon series might be on your TV soon. And wouldn’t that be a dream come true?

This is my character’s called Cherish. Don’t you love her?

Oh, and sorry for kicking you in the pants but it was done out of love. Really.

What is your passion that you need to make time for?

What are you doing today to find more time to pursue your passion?

In your novel GAMMA GLAMMA, there are all types of experiments.
Do you recall any science experiments you conducted in school?

Yes, the one that sticks out in my mind was a last minute science experiment to find out if my cats were colorblind. I colored all of their food and water green, blue and red. We found out that cats can see blue and green but not really red. The cats really didn’t go for the blue or green food but ate the red just fine.

I didn’t win because it wasn’t “break-through” science. However, I got many kudos for drawing tons of cats on my poster that looked like Garfield which was hot at the time. And I got to draw Garfield (and Snoppy) on all my friends notebooks and lunch sacks after that like Susan/Jabba in GAMMA GLAMMA.

I also had an experiment to taste whether Meow Mix tasted like Chex Mix.

It doesn’t.

It wasn’t a scientific experiment - it was Truth or Dare.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What are your most memorable science experiments or Truth or Dares?

It’s Friday. Wherever you are, it’s a great day to try something new. Monkey around and goof off. Yeah, I said it.

Do nothing.

Sometimes you need to do nothing in order to re-boot your life.

By doing this and just taking a few moments to do nothing or an hour to just walk or do something that’s fun or pleasurable, you provide your brain, body and spirit with a much needed time out.

I would love to chat more but my inner monkey is yanking my tail.

What kind of monkey around do you like to do?

In your book GAMMA GLAMMA, Luz is proud to be both a science geek and a fashionista. Were any of Luz’s science experiments based on something you had tried - or just something you wish were available?

Most of the experiments I tried in high school were of the beauty/ science/tragic result kind.

Here’s a few experiments that you SHOULD NOT TRY AT HOME. This all comes from my personal database of HORRORS.

A.) NEVER use Nair on your eyebrows because you’re too lazy to look for tweezers.

B.) Don’t leave a chemical perm solution on your hair for a longer than it says on the box because it will not make your hair curlier - only crispier and crunchier (like Cheetos). And you will have to cut it. This is where Luz’s “hair harnesser” hair growth accelerator would come in handy. I had super straight hair (and still do) and wanted those cute spiral (think DNA molecules) curls. Instead, I got hair the texture of pork rinds and it started breaking and falling out.

C) If you want your cute white denim jeans to be extra white, then read and do EXACTLY what the bottle instructions say and DON’T leave your pants in a plastic bucket overnight because you think you can out smart a bottle of Clorox.

Trust me, the Clorox will win every time. Leaving denim or any clothes too long in bleach solution will rust out your zipper and cause the fabric to deteriorate thus causing your bootie to bust the seams after only a few hours of wear. Not to mention your skin will reek of Clorox. I walked in Algebra and this one guy said, “You smell like Comet.”
I told him he better step up his public education and nasal passages because I did NOT smell like Comet. I smelled like Clorox. Totally two different chemical solutions. Duh…Although now I know that Comet has bleach in it.

D) If you have to dissect a frog in science, and you don’t know what organs are what, then don’t just start cutting things out and labeling them with identification flags. Your teacher will know you are trying to bluff her. And besides that, no one wants to look at frog innards that have been chopped up like barbeque.

E) NEVER put formaldehyde specimens in living fish tanks. Not so good on the living fish. My boyfriend at the time was spinning a dead frog around and it landed in the aquarium. It was more than the dead frog that hit the fan that day when our teacher found out.

F) I tried many chemicals to get rid of that dreaded pimple in the middle of my forehead. Here are things that DON’T work. Toothpaste. Rubbing Alcohol. Baking soda or Dawn dishwashing liquid and Pixie Stix. (I know, what were you thinking?)

I read the ingredients and it said it had citric acid I thought it would help dry my zit out. Instead people wanted to know why I had grape Kool-Aid on my forehead.

And I told the kind ignorant people, “It’s not Kool-Aid, it’s Pixie Stix .” Totally two different chemical solutions. Duh… Okay maybe not duh. Pixie Stix and Kool-Aid are very similar in formulas but Pixie Stix had sugar and at the time you had to add your own sugar to the Kool-Aid packs.

What does work on pimples are: not picking it (It causes scarring) and using a topical cream that has peroxide or tea tree oil.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What are some of your beauty/science mishaps?

Your bedroom is much more than a mattress and a catch all for your clothes. It can be one of your most valuable BFFs if you help make this happen. But first, you must treat your bedroom with as much love as you do with your closest of friends.

Clear the Clutter
You wouldn’t trash your best friend would you? Then don’t do it to your bedroom. Clear anything that you aren’t using. This means trash, food wrappers, dishes, old magazines etc.

Clear out anything that is on your bed, chairs, desk or floor like clothes-especially dirty clothes. If you can imagine your best friend holding all your dirty laundry, magazines and trash all day long for you, you can also imagine that she would be worn down pretty quickly. And she probably wouldn’t be very happy with you.

Same thing goes for the energy in your room. Anything that is dirty, old or trashy in your bedroom takes energy from you when you enter. This happens because in the back of your mind, you know you need to clean it up. And your brain will keep nagging you and draining your energy until you do.

Purpose of Place
Next, you need to find out what things you are going to be doing with your new best friend (i.e. your bedroom)
Will you have sleepovers? Will you be doing projects or reading with her? Will you be playing movies or video games with her?

If the answer is yes, then you need to map out areas in your bedroom to accommodate these activities.

Room for Fashion
What’s your fashion sense for your room? Do you want your new BFF to be exciting? Then dress up your room with bold colors and things that excite you (like pictures of your friends, crushes, pets and goals in life)

Do you want your room to be the BFF that’s calming and relaxing? Then find colors that are soothing and lighter shades of color and images that make you feel warm, fuzzy and calm.

Smell Friendly
If your best friend smelled funny for wearing the same clothes everyday without washing them, would you tell her? Hopefully, you would care about her enough that you would. And she-you.

Same goes for your bedroom. Make sure to wash your linens and pillows regularly. Sweep and/or vacuum your floor. (Inhaling dust particles at night isn’t condusive for a great night’s sleep.)

Every now and then, make sure to let in some fresh air by opening up window. (Make sure to lock your windows when you are done.)

Potpourri, candles and air fresheners can really improve the air quality in your room and give you a real boost when you walk in.

After enjoying your new relationship with your bedroom (AKA your new best friend), You will be more relaxed and energized

Keep up the commitment to care for her. By taking care of her she will take care of you. And isn’t that what best friends are for?

What do you do to make your bedroom your favorite room on earth?

What inspired Gamma Glamma?

My background is a little unusual. I started making stories and films when I was ten. In high school, I did a lot of theater productions and wrote for things like the annual staff and newsletters for the clubs I was in.

After graduation, I attended college and I thought about pursuing a degree in theater and/journalism. But when I took my first film class, I was hooked.

I’ve worked in the film industry for quite a while and I’ve directed and written short films and even a feature film with my partner Mike Swenson.

Today, we still direct commercials together and he’s also a brilliant director of photography.

Our feature film VOCESSITAS/LITTLE VOICES we produced ourselves and helped open all kinds of doors for us. One of them was the opportunity to pitch television shows to television networks. GAMMA GLAMMA was one such show. I wanted a show where girls could be smart and fashionable that you didn’t have to pick or choose.

I thought it would be fun to see teens using their talents and passion to create their serums, gadgets and inventions to help them navigate through the journey of high school and life in general.

The network liked GAMMA GLAMMA but passed, and continued to look at another show I had presented.

At the same time, I met my brother’s friend who happened to be a literary agent in NYC. He asked me what I was doing in town and I told him about GAMMA GLAMMA. He then asked me if I could turn my show into a book. Since I had written films before, I was like, why not? After six months, I had a novel. I had lived with all these characters for a year so I knew them very well. Plus, I used all my TV episodes and combined them to form a longer story.

I was very fortunate to generate interest and I sold my book to Kensington Books.

(For entire interview go to …..http://slayground.livejournal.com/358123.html)

What inspires you?

Spring has sprung and it’s time to try something new. Reinvent yourself just like Luz and Bridget do in GAMMA GLAMMA. And remember, it’s doesn’t have to be scary, difficult or expensive.

Just use the fabulous applications of science to get your GLAMMA ON!

Step 1: BRAINSTORM
List 3 things you like about yourself. It can be anything - your smile, your intelligence, or your glamability.
Step 2: CREATE
List 3 things you can do RIGHT NOW to make yourself even more fabulous.
For example, you could try a new lip-gloss, read a book or paint your old boots a shiny new silver.
Step 3: EXPERIMENT
Just do it. Carry out your experiment, then write down what happened and if you liked your results. What would you do again or do differently?

Here’s what I’m going to be experimenting on soon. I’m going to change my hair color from light brown to dark brown because I want a new look and I’m getting tired of sitting in a chair for a million hours getting hi-lights.

Next, I wear a lot of black. I mean A LOT. And while it’s slimming, it’s also sometimes scalding in the Texas heat. So, I’m going to lighten up for spring. And with my newly darkened hair color, I can really sport fun colors, like aqua, orange, pink and purple .

Lastly, I’m going to start doing yoga at my house. I have tapes, cds and books on yoga. But now I’m actually going to start DOING yoga with my cute hair and skittle inspired wardrobe. Pictures coming soon! Namaste, y’all.

What are you going to do to get your GAMMA GLAMMA makeover on?

Here are three ways to help keep your relationship fresh. And this doesn’t just work for your crushes, this can work for your BFF’s as well.

Smile and make eye contact.
You would think that this would be a no-brainer, but because we are normally engaged in many other activities, we no longer take time to smile at the person who is in front of us because we are so busy trying to find the right smiley to punctuate our IMs. Drop all your electronic gadgets and when your dream luva approaches, look at him straight in the eyes and give a big smile. (Not too big of a smile, because you don’t want to look psychotic.) But make sure to give your entire attention to this person. This means not glancing down once at your buzzing, glowing or beeping purse. (I know this seems drastic, but you can do it. I believe in you.)

Get crafty. Make something by hand.
Happy relationships are all about communication and keeping things fresh. So, why not write an old skool note and send it snail mail or better yet make a card to say how much you appreciate this person and what they mean to you. You might think it’s corny, but when you give someone something that’s tangible, something that they can hold, it feels much more meaningful than being zapped by a text or an email.

One friend of mine wrote a short note with letters made entirely out of cookie dough. Needless to say, her boyfriend loved every letter of it. Now, that’s baked fierceness.

Don’t just make a date create an experience.
“What do you want to do?”
“I dunno. What do you want to do?”
“I don’t care. Whatever.”

If this scene seems too familiar to your daily life, then rewrite it. Change the scene, the dialogue, the props and have fun!

Next, time you are asked what you want to do, be ready! Tell your cutie that you want the both of you to dress in red and eat all red foods while watching a string of horror movies (This only works well if you know he likes scary movies.)

If you know your sweetie likes dogs then offer to have a dog day. Go to a dog park and eat hot dogs or go to the SPCA and volunteer to play with dogs.

If you can’t do anything elaborate, then offer to go on a walk outside, play soccer or football. It doesn’t matter if you’re good or not at sports. But you will open yourself and dream luva to something more fun and exciting than groaning, “whatever”.

Trust me. Do it. You’ll be glad you did.

What other tips do you have for keeping it fresh in relationships?

These days life seems to travel at the speed of light with cell phones, texting and the internet. It’s no wonder that we often feel stressed and anxious.

Here are 5 things that will not only help you slow down to get in touch with your inner self, but will also provide you with an instant breaky-break or va-cay that you may need. Like now.

Relax your sight.
What does this mean? Well, because we see thousands of images a day (both good and bad), our minds and bodies began to race to keep up with the pace.

Close your eyes. Begin breathing slowly for 11 seconds (it can be ten, but I love 11’s). You will slow the information stream you are sending to your brain and senses.

If closing your eyes makes you too sleepy, then find a small patch of color around you that is calming to focus on (light colors work best) . Post-It Notes work wonders but you can use a pen, a sticker or some lip-gloss you have in your purse or backpack.

Again do the same thing. Focus on the color as you take deep full body breaths for 11 seconds. You should be feeling pretty beautiful. If not, do it again and again until you do.

Relax your sounds.
When you are feeling stressed or feeling like you’re drowning in sounds, then do this. If you can’t get away to a quiet tropical island then go to the bathroom. Yes, bathroom, I said it.

At home or most places sometimes the bathroom is the quietest place. Another place is your car, but if you don’t drive then go back to your nearest bathroom. By sitting (or at least standing) in a quiet atmosphere and listening to your breath for only a few moments, you reboot your system and then can take on whatever life brings to you.

Relax your smell.
I know you are worried that I am going to take you back to the bathroom for this one. Well, I am, but only to get you to wash your hands! Most soaps are very refreshing and clean smelling and can help give you a moment of calm. Some even have refreshing scents.

Even better are lotions with scents like lavender or vanilla. If you don’t have any lotions around, sometimes a simple whiff of a flavored lip gloss works wonders. I have a lip-gloss that smells like mango and tastes deee-lish. Which takes us to…

Relax your taste buds.
This is easy. Brush your teeth. The mint is calming and clean. Plus the bonus factor is, with a clean mouth, you will be less likely to want to eat your own brand of trail mix made entirely out of Fritos, Doritos and Cheetos.

If you don’t carry a portable toothbrush like I do, then try a sugar free gum. Water also is fabulous and water that has infused cumbers, lemons or oranges tastes like a tropical paradise.

Relax your touch.
If you are sensitive to touch, this one works wonders. Slow down and pay attention the next time you hug someone. Notice how it makes you feel. If there is no one in your hugging zone then brush your hair slowly and focus on its texture or put lotion on your face or hands and notice how your skin feels. By pulling your attention away from your racing thoughts and taking a moment to be in the moment, you will feel much calmer on the inside. My favorite way to relax is by petting my three dogs. Especially when they look like they are ready for a tropical vacation like our newly rescued dog Waggles.

How do you relax your inner beauty?

Are you ready to be “Superbuddhalicious”?

A few years back, a friend of mine who was a life coach she said that everyone needed a symbol or name to represent what they or their lives were all about. I had heard names like “Goddess” and “Warrior” but nothing seemed to fit me.

I gave it some thought and pondered over things that I liked such as community service-helping people, animals and the planet too. Fun was important to me since I liked cartoons and superheroes. So, “super” definitely had to be in the name.

During this time, I had also been practicing how to meditate which was a challenge (when you spin around like a Texas tornado like I do). Buddhas who were experts in chillaxing were also cool. They have a big ole bellies and calming smiles and they encourage kindness and compassion. I could dig that.

The last thing that I was passionate about was dancing and eating. And while I was thinking of my name/mascot to represent my life and eating oh, probably something chocolate or salty, my husband said, “Hey, I’m directing a documentary on the making of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show with Destiny’s Child!

That’s when it hit me.

Superbuddalicious.

After I came up with this divine inspiration, I came up with my little character and I made a shirt with my new little guy.

I went with Mike to help out on the day of the game. Again through divine inspiration I set out to meet the girls and they were all amazing! I gave them all Super Buddhalicious shirts and I even gave one to Beyonce’s mom Tina. Mrs. Knowles is the mother of all fabulousness. She was definitely Superbuddhalicious material.

So, my blog’s official name is Super Buddhalicious (SBL for short!)

And my mission on planet earth is to show you ways to:

Discover your inner beauty. (spirit)

Keep that cutie. (relationships)

Keep your house fresh and fruity. (space +place)

Passionately pursue your duty. (using your gifts and talents for good)

And learn to love that bootie! (health+beauty+fashion)

Are you ready? Good. I though you were.

What ways do you need help so you can experience Superbuddhalicious Living? I’m so ready to serve…