Category Archives: creative writing
Literary Magnetisism
I am beginning to panic at the thought of going back to work next week as I have totally adapted to life in the pages. Luckily the reading inspires writing so I am not falling too far behind in that area, but I worry about the panic I am likely to feel Sunday night as I realize I didn’t carry out the household tasks I listed at the beginning of the break. Life is short though, and time well-spent reading is my dessert.
Filed under creative writing, Life thoughts, reading, writing
Collaging The New Year
Simple New Year’s traditions are habitual for me. I relish creating goals, lists and most recently, collages-visual representations of my hopes for the new year ahead. I drag my family into this activity, but secretly I think they love the creative, artistic escape of sitting around the big kitchen table with piles of magazines torn apart in the search for the perfect picture or word. This mellow time of sharing, hunting together and putting our hopes and dreams for the future out on the table, stuck to small boards with white glue, is one of the few rare times we all sit engaged in a common activity that doesn’t require electricity. I often yearn for a technology-free day of time spent sharing an activity that requires personal interaction and the time we spend creating our New Year’s collages is a close as I get.
Before I can create my collage I have to consider what I want to visualize for the new year and that can be inspired by magazine images or ideas I’ve had floating around for a while. Setting goals is organized ambition and my inspiration after reading my daughter’s blog is to think of three goals and bring them to life with visual images that will inspire me during the year. I usually put my collage in a prominent place where I see it first thing in the morning and remind myself to be cognizant of my actions. So here goes, this year’s goals are:
1. To Write-I want to write blogs, journals, poems, stories, comments, and articles. I want to improve and grow as a writer. I will read, a lot, to be inspired, to learn, to be entertained, to relax and to escape. I think that reading and writing go hand in hand and surrounding myself in the literary world will help me create a place for myself in that world. It also is much nicer than watching mindless TV, although at times, mindless TV comes in handy too.
2. To Walk-I want to keep my commitment to walk an hour each day both as a great health goal, and as training for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk I will be participating in next September. Walking provides time to think, to listen to music or motivating walking CDs, or to watch a little of that mindless TV if I am on the treadmill at the gym. Walking connects me to the world, my neighborhood or places of nature and I feel better after walking thanks to increased endorphins.
3. To Move Forward-I am ready, more than ready, to move forward and away from 2008-2009 and towards a decade of increased awareness, a plan leading to goals, a life that is more in line with what is important to me: family, friends, health, and personal creativity. I am ready to accept help in getting started on my yellow brick road from any good fairy willing to help, and I do know that I have the power within me to make the changes, and start the walk down that road leading to my own version of Oz.
This was the quote from Creative Catalyst today:
“The masters at the art of living make little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation,their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which. They simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do – leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.”
~James Michener
With that in mind, here’s to a year of playing! Happy 2010!
Filed under Art, creative writing, Life thoughts, New Year's, Walking
My Green Couch
Simple pleasures are always encouraged and we are told to focus on the things that really matter in life, not “stuff,” but people and time well spent. There is, however, one “thing” I truly love and it represents some of the best time I spend. It is my green couch. I know it is not new and is tattered as a result of my dog sneaking up there to sleep in comfort when no one is home, and lately, even when we are home, the rascal!
The couch represents relaxation, time to myself and my favorite thing to do is to curl up under the plaid blanket with a good book and time. I can get up early, before the family awakes, and sneak on the green couch, get settled under the blanket and luxuriate in the escape of a story, someone else’s adventure, problems or revelations.
As I gaze up occasionally, looking out at the trees swaying softly, the prayer flags we made last New Year’s blowing our wishes into the breeze, I sigh and sink further into the soft couch pillows, pull the blanket up to my chin and return to reading. These are the times I treasure, when I can regenerate and rest my mind, the thinking turned in another direction and my life on temporary hold while I explore other possibilities.
Filed under creative writing, reading
Start With A Title
This is the advice I have been waiting for as a title has been floating around in my head for quite some time. Now is the time to begin my story, and the title is:
“How To Lose Everything Without Losing Yourself”
It began when I realized that life is not after all, a fairy tale, and there is no knight riding up on a white horse to rescue me, take care of me and provide for me for the rest of my life. I am not sitting on a throne, commanding subordinates to fetch the items I desire, or wandering among the roses in my lovely garden. In reality I am rising early to get to work on time and then returning to my simple abode to take care of the household chores and it is this realization that snaps me out of my dreamlike state that began with simple childhood stories and fairy tales.
Through life seemed full of disappointments when this bubble burst, it was really the beginning of a transformation and having recently emerged from the fog of 18 months of sliding down a long hill and from down here at the bottom, there is nowhere else to look but up.
To be continued…….
Filed under creative writing, Life thoughts
Learn From The Masters
Learning to write is a process consisting of finding your own voice, developing a style and exploring writing topics and as an avid reader of many genres, I have acquired a taste for many writing styles and many authors. There are times when I become hooked on a particular author and must devour as many books as possible and there are times when I am in the mood for a particular type of book; historical fiction is usually high on my list.
The suggestion of reading a strong piece of literature before writing a grant proposal for a non-profit was especially appealing to me as I am now involved with the Arts to Bridge program and we are seeking funding. There are also often projects at school that are in need of funding. The idea of descriptive writing that allows the funders to visualize their hero role in becoming involved in our projects is inspired.
One of the masters I crave learning from is my mother. She was an amazing creative writing teacher and her lesson plans lie waiting in boxes for me to uncover the secrets of her ability to inspire restless teenagers to find a voice for their feelings and the ability to describe the uncomfortable and desperate struggle for individuality in an age that requires conformity. I may not be able to replicate her lessons, especially since I teacher kindergarten, and there are obvious differences in age and potential subject matter, but reading the ideas will build on the web of my ideas and I know I will be able to pull some meaning from my mother’s creativity to use as a catalyst for my own.
The boxes await, the lessons patiently resting in their file folders, for me to open them, breathe in the wisdom and insight my mother used to become the driving force, the memory and the wonderful teacher that so many remember and credit for their own motivation and inspiration.
Filed under creative writing
BetweenTheWords 