tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70987235845517855612024-03-13T23:48:17.068-06:00Valerie Storey, Writing at Dava BooksValerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-14481219854366044052024-01-19T09:26:00.003-07:002024-01-19T09:41:36.821-07:002024: My Year to Keep Going!<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlx63raJlj1Ylu0U6c7FpyOloJpG9ZLjj5GeuW2WdqB8dzhZynSJzOKiLfsb_tUa8nz70Jnr1hYRuoG_Rk4_TRi0DZsg_2RgA8ZnJB9uISBovEBDl6RLfNp9LKfX7__m97DEcrMJKMan9udXDDsM_dq0gf4Zeg_rVaW9ERwkZAH90_fZrpKKHKPgplnSC/s2970/img20231010_18420085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="2128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlx63raJlj1Ylu0U6c7FpyOloJpG9ZLjj5GeuW2WdqB8dzhZynSJzOKiLfsb_tUa8nz70Jnr1hYRuoG_Rk4_TRi0DZsg_2RgA8ZnJB9uISBovEBDl6RLfNp9LKfX7__m97DEcrMJKMan9udXDDsM_dq0gf4Zeg_rVaW9ERwkZAH90_fZrpKKHKPgplnSC/w229-h320/img20231010_18420085.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Even if you only have 60 seconds for a gesture drawing, take them!</span> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Happy 2024, everyone. A whole new twelve months to explore, create, and discover an entirely new set of favorite whatevers. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I can't believe it's been a full year since I shared the most difficult post I have ever written: <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2023/01/my-year-of-letting-go.html">My Year of Letting Go </a>when I wrote about losing my husband. In that post I talked about how much he would have wanted me to build a good life, not only for 2023, but for every day of my future. One year later, I hope I have made him proud:<br /></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I sold our business.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I sold his car restoration projects--one of them all the way to Germany!<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Sold my daily driver. (Had to. The thing blew up on me.)<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Filed the last business taxes ever. (Can't say I have too many regrets about this one. Tax preparation was often the worst part of any year.) <br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Dealt with every scrap of sadmin, from closing bank accounts to setting up my own cable and internet accounts.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Found and joined an amazing grief group centering on support rather than therapy (which I didn't want).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Made a focused and joyful effort to participate in adventures with friends at least once a month.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Sold a painting for the first time! Thank you Twitter Art Exhibit (recently renamed <a href="https://www.postcardartexhibit.com/">Postcard Art Exhibit</a>). The 2023 show was for the benefit of Canadian Native Youth, a cause I really appreciated.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I completed Camp NaNoWriMo--50K words. <br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Took part in Inktober--31 inky sketches.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Nearly completed NaNoWriMo--43K words I can't wait to edit.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Learned to make breakfast at last. (Whoever knew toast could be so difficult??)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I blogged. Eight times! <br /></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It was a lot to do and there were many days I had no idea how I could do any of it, but not a minute was wasted, not a second lost. If I had to list what I've come away with, it would be:</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">1. <b><u><i>"Stay Creative Every Day"</i></u><i> </i></b>is still one of the most important goals I believe worth having. Daily painting, drawing, journaling, and writing will always give my days structure. meaning, and purpose.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2. <b><i><u>Don't worry about the how.</u></i></b> Rather than worry, just sit down, stay in place (tea and chocolate helps), and start doing something--anything! Before you know it, you've done something good.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">3. <b><i><u>Don't worry about sequence.</u></i></b> If Chapter One seems overwhelming, write Chapter Thirty-three. If you can't think of what you want to paint, throw some color on paper anyway. If you have to write a business email, just say what you want to say in the worst possible way in a draft and send it later when you're ready to fix your grammar. The point is, just begin at any point in the narrative; go where your steps or the mood takes you.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">4.<b><i><u> Go fast.</u></i></b> Write fast, draw fast--at least in the beginning when you're resistant to starting. Set a timer if it encourages you to speed up and get going. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">5. <b><i><u>When you're tired, rest.</u></i></b> As much as I want to build Rome in a day, I've had to acknowledge both physical and mental exhaustion more often than not. I tend to be impatient about lots of things anyway, including healing from grief, yet some of my most productive ideas have come from forced stoppage, allowing myself to rest, read, and yes, even sleep!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Something that came into my possession last year was a pen with the words <b><i>"Take More Risks!" </i></b>printed on the side. At first I thought it was silly, but as the year went on, I began to consider the message more seriously. I'm not exactly prone to do things like jump off tall buildings or even run with scissors, but there are definitely areas I could dive into on a deeper level, such as offering more artwork for sale, or submitting my writing to places I always thought too difficult or edgy to approach. I'm excited to at least try some new things in 2024 and I hope you will be too. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFQWHnx87pkR2EAW7FWxiisZ2pBQ18D1cS94DVdqCEUpbFGjgAPtQGE1y9dI3fSv5IuYHGT33T1uq3jKL-YZnSrzvcd1LutgQSL0dpz-3ZpNyZIg6P77AU9axWYdkJZLQralfA5E1xV5WcPhyLzOusD9I5VNGGvspdp503hvbjL1v2hn2vBHIK4WG5wxB/s2455/TAE%2023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="2455" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFQWHnx87pkR2EAW7FWxiisZ2pBQ18D1cS94DVdqCEUpbFGjgAPtQGE1y9dI3fSv5IuYHGT33T1uq3jKL-YZnSrzvcd1LutgQSL0dpz-3ZpNyZIg6P77AU9axWYdkJZLQralfA5E1xV5WcPhyLzOusD9I5VNGGvspdp503hvbjL1v2hn2vBHIK4WG5wxB/s320/TAE%2023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">So glad I risked sending this to TAE '23 . . . </span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> Tip of the Day:</b> As an exercise for the year, try creating your own set of inspirational challenges designed just for you. For instance, instead of following along with NaNoWriMo because "it's there," think outside the box and try "April is Collage Month" or "Found Poetry Month" in August because that's your cat's birthday. Write your ideas down in a calendar or a planner and start brainstorming how you can use the year to "take more risks" and see how far you can go.<br /></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-57519830975810128832023-11-02T09:18:00.004-06:002023-11-02T09:22:32.448-06:00NaNoWriMo '23 -- It's All About Me! (And You Too!)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsR6qTcALHwNRsD1VAeP3NU0tcHjHykknLH1blDgf9txOK2h0zC5TRtr2X6FpLKdeCoF9zDscJktsDbB9hMx-NorCTSdu2arUbTKcgmkpdsFobtpwLJfwbXYcXu5a385D8D4pRzlH9_nVSmHAwnpTgKoaGh6aWW6JAUcb1lXt3VHnZi3VTUygnBmlBAKG/s2465/005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1614" data-original-width="2465" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsR6qTcALHwNRsD1VAeP3NU0tcHjHykknLH1blDgf9txOK2h0zC5TRtr2X6FpLKdeCoF9zDscJktsDbB9hMx-NorCTSdu2arUbTKcgmkpdsFobtpwLJfwbXYcXu5a385D8D4pRzlH9_nVSmHAwnpTgKoaGh6aWW6JAUcb1lXt3VHnZi3VTUygnBmlBAKG/w400-h263/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">So here we are again: November and National Novel Writing Month and the eternal question: <i>Why am I doing this??</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Because I love it, I suppose!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Whatever the reason, this year has found me throwing myself into creative challenges with more than reckless abandon. I had barely recovered from July's Camp NaNoWriMo when I decided to go for Inktober '23 (31 days of daily ink drawing with mandatory social media posting) and then the next thing I knew I had to do "the real" NaNoWriMo . . . and off we go.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When I first thought about signing up for NaNoWriMo 2023, my intention was to simply continue the story I had started in July. Although I had reached my 50K goal, the manuscript was in no way complete, so it made sense to think November would be a good time to write another 50K to finish things off. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That all changed several weeks ago when I couldn't sleep one night and got up to write instead. Suddenly I was immersed in a new story, one I hadn't expected to write and one I didn't really <i>want</i> to write. Working on a "shiny bright idea" with so many other projects calling for attention felt like a very bad idea. But there it was and it wouldn't go away so I thought,<i> use it for NaNoWriMo! <br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While it was easy enough (maybe too easy) to switch gears into a new plot and theme, the abruptness of the change didn't give me any time to assemble my usual scrapbook-style journal of prompts and photo references. I had a great journal full of mood boards and creepy settings to use back in July, but there wasn't a single item I could use toward my new story. Very quickly I had to come up with an entirely fresh approach: rather than rely on my usual magazine cut-outs, I could dive into my own life and make the prompts all about me! (Sort of.)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I was inspired by the example set by one of my Twitter (X) friends, writer and poet, Janis La Couvée, who is currently exploring memoir writing. Her recent tweets on the subject reminded me of a workshop I had taught while I was living in Carrollton, Georgia<i>: "Write Your Memoirs, You're Never Too Young To Start."</i> It was a fun class and I know of several full-length manuscripts that were written for both family record-keeping as well as more general publication. However, other than a <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2010/04/write-your-memoirs-youre-never-too.html">blog post</a> with the same title, I haven't thought of memoir for a long time until it occurred to me that using prompts from my own daily life and memories could be what I needed for NaNoWriMo. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In other words, I'd be "memoir writing" but with a twist. I could assign my memories to fictional characters who could take them wherever they wanted to go. For instance, as a small child I wanted to be an archaeologist, something I obviously never did (unless you count Albuquerque yard work as a trial run), but a fictional character could actually work for a museum.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">With that direction in mind, I've made a quick 30-day list I'm happy to share for any kind of writing you might be doing this month yourself, whether it be NaNoWriMo, a genuine memoir, or even a month of poetry.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Taking the words: "base a scene on," or "your main character remembers (something from the list) which then triggers (action or emotion)," try:</span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A favorite song.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A disliked poem.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Most hated childhood food.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Most frightening moment.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Happiest day.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Three items inside your handbag or pockets.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Three items of clothing you love.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Three items of clothing you never wear.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Favorite pet.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Worst day of school.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your best childhood friend.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A letter you never wrote.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Favorite book: go to page 93 and use the first line you read.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A restaurant you would never go to and why.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your attitude to shopping.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A hobby or skill you would love to have.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A place you have always wanted to travel to.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Favorite color.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Most disliked color.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your last argument.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Something you're allergic to.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your car (or lack of one).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An item in your house you wish you could get rid of.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An item you wish you still had.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Greatest fear or phobia.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Housework.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Favorite movie.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What you are wearing this very minute.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What you really want to say to your neighbor(s).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your daily routine as it is now, or how you'd like it to change.<br /></span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And there you go: 30 prompts for 30 days! Feel free to use them in daily order or for a more spontaneous writing session, mix them up and use at random. Or add your own ideas; after all, you know your own life best!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> Although NaNoWriMo requires both planning and organization, you can still start a day or two late and be a winner. One way I'm focusing on writing, and writing only, is to clear my work space and limit my writing tools to the basics: my <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2014/05/an-for-alphasmart.html">Alphasmart</a>; a lined notebook for <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-i-love-writing-and-drawing-in-cafes.html">writing in cafes</a>, parks, or the middle of the night; and a new sketchbook with a small number of my favorite pens and pencils. The sketchbook is for visual brainstorming in between writing sessions and to keep the creativity flowing whenever I need a break. Now to go write my 50,000 divided by 30 equals 1666.666 words for the day. Happy November! Happy Writing!<br /></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-45051936342567909022023-08-16T08:57:00.005-06:002023-08-16T09:00:09.483-06:00Return from #CampNaNoWriMo 2023<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMTdX126yqfM8OfX-cBelnl9_ZQ-jNA7EXsw6hYQj8hGp2zUXLjmiQ3SPA7-le6sqSu0iY_siGbOtgSDbVHeifWfMN9RU_le1SClo0cAWObkmy-ugDk1S6w-qiTteLycIh4hElu-wJBFaBVlbnevGmV22xJPetWwDwlURUF-beP-iRRpairEvJdg7Tm3D/s2592/007.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1903" data-original-width="2592" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMTdX126yqfM8OfX-cBelnl9_ZQ-jNA7EXsw6hYQj8hGp2zUXLjmiQ3SPA7-le6sqSu0iY_siGbOtgSDbVHeifWfMN9RU_le1SClo0cAWObkmy-ugDk1S6w-qiTteLycIh4hElu-wJBFaBVlbnevGmV22xJPetWwDwlURUF-beP-iRRpairEvJdg7Tm3D/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lakeside, CampNaNoWriMo 2023</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Back home from CampNaNoWriMo at last! Well, okay, so I never went farther than the Albuquerque Museum Cafe and any relation to travel, camping, or singing 'round the campfire was all "let's pretend." But isn't that the definition of creativity? Using the imagination and taking it as far as it will go? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One thing I couldn't pretend away though, was how difficult CampNaNo turned out to be, and it wasn't just the very-real mosquitoes. Getting up every day to write close to 1700 words eventually became a Herculean effort and I did have to spend several days catching up with my word count, July 31st being the worst. I didn't finish writing that night until 11:44 PM. On the dot. It was a long evening indeed, but I made it across the finishing line just as the first street racers started roaring outside my windows down Route 66.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Now that two weeks have passed since the end of camp, I guess the big question is, <i>WHY?</i> Why did I want to do something so, well, challenging? Short answer: I wanted to see if I could. This year has been difficult for me on so many levels, and despite hours and hours of grief journaling, my creative writing often found itself buried under mounds of administrative paperwork. Signing up for CampNaNo was an opportunity to start over and see what direction I truly wanted to follow. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It was a good choice. As soon as I actually sat down to write I was back in one of the safest places I know: the blank page. I wrote in cafes. I wrote beside my condo's swimming pool. I wrote in the park. I wrote in bed. I got it done and I'm glad. There are so many benefits to joining in with a writing challenge, starting with:<br /></span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Discipline.</b> No excuses. You just have to write--so do it!<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Commitment.</b> Setting a challenge goal of 50K words or simply 50 pages is a promise to yourself, one you want to keep. It feels good to keep your promise.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Finding a schedule.</b> A challenge is a good way to figure out your best writing times of the day or night. For me it turned out to be mid-afternoon. With a latte.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Visible progress.</b> A writing challenge can bring a good dose of instant gratification. Watching your word counts and pages add up is immensely satisfying.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Freewrite like you mean it.</b> I love freewriting, letting the words pour onto the page without editing, censoring myself, or worrying about "what people will think." Participating in a challenge leaves little time to do anything other than write, write, write, and often you have to abandon linear thinking, switching scenes on the fly, inventing new characters, ignoring transitions. It's great.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You're part of a global effort.</b> It's fun to imagine all those other writers out there <strike>suffering</strike> enjoying themselves day after day, night after night. Writers tend to be loners, so what's better than a world-wide writer's group?<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>That idea you always wanted to play with?</b> Now's the chance to go for it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Beginner's mind. </b>When you're writing fast you don't have time to think about the rules or the "right" way to approach your story. Every sentence is a new beginning, a new way to express yourself. You don't need answers, you just need to listen to that voice asking "what if?" and follow what first comes to mind.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A chance to experiment with form and genre. </b>Bored? Turn your mystery into a series of short stories. Or add some recipes. Or poetry. Mix and match styles and write outside the box--you might find a brand new voice for yourself, the one you've always been looking for.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You can discover what it is you <i>don't</i> like to write.</b> 20,000 words into your manuscript you might discover that you <i>hate</i> writing novels, and that's just fine. Maybe you would much prefer to specialize in personal essays, or you might never want to pick up a pen again, deciding that abstract landscape painting is your true calling. Now's the perfect time to find out.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You'll have 50K words to edit.</b> I'm sure you've heard the truism that writing is re-writing. Except you can't rewrite a manuscript without a first draft. Join a challenge and you're guaranteed a first draft to rewrite for as many drafts as it takes. <br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You'll have a manuscript to publish.</b> Yay! What more incentive do you need?<br /></span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Regarding that last point about publication, as worthy as it is to eventually publish your work and while 50K is an excellent start, a full-fledged, polished manuscript really needs a minimum of 75,000 to 100,000 words to be a satisfying read. My plan is to go for that 100K goal after taking a several-month break. For the moment my pages are packed away in a folder, but as soon as November's National Novel Writing Month 2023 rolls around I plan to jump in with both feet and get that story finished. Until then, you can find me in the craft room painting more landscapes. <br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> Now's the time to consider signing up for what will be the 24th year of NaNoWriMo. Begin by collecting writing prompts, character and other reference photos, and doing any research you might need to have in place before November 1. Even if it's a simple outline or a plan dividing 30 days into plot points and chapter breaks, it can be helpful to have your compass ready and your backpack full of ideas ready to go. As they like to say at camp, "Be prepared!"<br /></span><div><div><p></p></div></div></div>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-37823685140173153322023-06-29T14:19:00.002-06:002023-06-29T14:19:53.574-06:0031 Writing Prompts for Camp NaNoWriMo '23<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1XHBwfaodbRSVhn82JTrTS2vSNjn1xSPQcJn2N_-F615LbZnjq2BG2Hz_VHGVfIMtxTCfp3dfUb8xtgiC9Pc8j5nOiy3_FfQODukldIFgvYH6X3C0Oggix0BubWv2cgIQYGKmHxAt5D98oxxPNRArO_XbJiX7gzfImSvQQkr6WUvO8qlPEfyQXFFMQ/s2592/002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1XHBwfaodbRSVhn82JTrTS2vSNjn1xSPQcJn2N_-F615LbZnjq2BG2Hz_VHGVfIMtxTCfp3dfUb8xtgiC9Pc8j5nOiy3_FfQODukldIFgvYH6X3C0Oggix0BubWv2cgIQYGKmHxAt5D98oxxPNRArO_XbJiX7gzfImSvQQkr6WUvO8qlPEfyQXFFMQ/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Two days to go and here I am, preparing for yet another July and another Camp NaNoWriMo! 50,000 words in 31 days; a totally off-the-cuff decision to participate, but one I'm actually pretty excited about. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">To get myself ready for the big event I've got a new notebook, my favorite pen and extra cartridges of my favorite violet ink (yes, I always write my first drafts by hand), a good supply of snacks, and a dozen or more excellent cafes to visit for those days when <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-i-love-writing-and-drawing-in-cafes.html">I have to write with a latte or else.</a></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But with all the supplies and comforts in the world, there inevitably comes that moment when I'm half-way through my coffee as well as my daily quota (1,613 words per day to be precise) and I'm hit with: <i>"Oh, no--I'm stuck! What comes next? What on earth should I write?"</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Which is why I've always found it more than useful to have a list of writing prompts ready to go. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Back in 2021 I shared a similar list that you can <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2021/06/camp-nanowrimo-2021-31-prompts-for-31.html">view here</a> if you feel you need for even more suggestions to help the words flow. All of my prompts, this year and those before, are simply to get things moving again, especially for those times I've lost a sense of who my characters are and why they're doing what they're doing. The prompts can be used for new scenes, back story, or just to shake things up and go off on an unexpected tangent. I know this can sound a little scary to dedicated plotters, but as a life-long pantster, I highly recommend the surprise of the road not only less-traveled, but also going for the one you never knew was there in the first place.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">So here we go: 31 prompts for 31 days. Use them, share them, change or tweak them to fit your own story needs. Whatever you choose to do, the main thing is to keep writing!</span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about an inheritance that isn't about money.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Add a character obsessed with the paranormal. How does this affect your plot?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A character accidentally stumbles onto a movie set. How, what, why?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Three secrets your main character will never tell.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Three secrets your villain wants to tell the world about your main character.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Characters: main, villain, secondary--one of them witnesses an illegal act. How will this pivot the plot into a new direction?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about the time one of your characters went to summer camp when they were ten years old and hated it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The same character had a completely different experience at the same camp whey they were fourteen. What happened?<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An unexpected job offer. What and why?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about your characters' feelings about relationships.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A costume party with sinister undertones.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your main character is going to an event but loses the invitation or the tickets. What happens now?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A visit to an animal shelter.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Several of your characters are having an argument about religion. Why? What are they saying? What is the aftermath?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about a new skill or hobby your main character is learning and why they want to learn it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Choose a favorite piece of music for each of your characters. Write about why it's their favorite and how they feel when they hear it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What is your main character's imaginary "safe place"? When do they most often go there?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about your villain's favorite book and how it has influenced them to be who they are today. How will it figure in your plot?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about a childhood rejection.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What is your main character's most meaningful piece of jewelry and why? What would happen if it was lost? Lose it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A sudden, forgotten memory. What triggered it?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An event your main character doesn't want to attend. Why?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about a time your main character said "no" and regretted it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about a time your main characters said "yes" and regretted it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A neighbor knocks on the door in the middle of the night. Why? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your main character finds a hidden letter in a used book.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Your villain steals something valuable. What and why and how will this change everything?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about your characters' feelings about children.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What was the worst thing a parent or teacher ever said to your main character and how did that affect the rest of their life?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Write about a dinner party that includes both your main character as well as your villain.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">No matter what point you've reached in your story--write the beginning to your sequel!</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> With any writing challenge there's always the temptation to write beyond your daily quota, particularly when you find yourself on a roll and think you could write nonstop for the next twenty-four hours. I can tell you from past experience it's not a good idea. Rather, it's the perfect set-up for burn-out. Writing 7,000 words a day might sound wonderfully productive and impressive and that you're beating the competition, but before you know it, you'll be too tired to keep up the pace for long and will do anything to avoid your next writing session. Worse still, you'll justify not writing because you have "extra words in the bank" you mistakenly think will tide you over. Believe me, I'm all for creative effort, but this is one time slow and steady really does win the race. Good luck, have fun, and don't forget your hat! It's hot out there.<br /></span><div><p></p></div>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-77613850764965312892023-06-05T08:00:00.003-06:002023-06-05T08:00:40.910-06:00Watercolor Lessons for Writers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSuKgLFuqJSeyQ7y6e_KrK1CD76uqx5CEu0QWy271vbH2u12AxPEGshrAahvtnmP796xPF3GEQOM_IjjNun-2gHo6D6I7va3Yd-DqLyfikx6aPqtDaExEvNco-gr6haFTSsPI_w9CbH-PQnm1XpPRj6BrTJ_166wOMh5mF88afqwa-TtKFZ9NJeA6vA/s2585/002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="2585" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSuKgLFuqJSeyQ7y6e_KrK1CD76uqx5CEu0QWy271vbH2u12AxPEGshrAahvtnmP796xPF3GEQOM_IjjNun-2gHo6D6I7va3Yd-DqLyfikx6aPqtDaExEvNco-gr6haFTSsPI_w9CbH-PQnm1XpPRj6BrTJ_166wOMh5mF88afqwa-TtKFZ9NJeA6vA/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I love to write; I love to paint, usually on the same day and often at the same time. Ink and watercolor, stories and images, my mind swirls with so many ideas it's a wonder I can settle down long enough to work on anything. If I could write and draw with both hands, that would be my ideal definition of time management.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Between the two, however, watercolors--no matter how many hands I use--will always be my most difficult challenge. Words come more easily to me than any skill with paint, probably because I consider writing to be talking on paper, and I'm not exactly an introvert when it comes to conversation. After I'd published my how-to book, <i>The Essential Guide for New Writers</i>, I was delighted when one of my writing students said, "The book just <i>sounds</i> like you!"<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't know to what degree my watercolors "look like me" and I hope it's very little. At the moment they tend to be rather gloomy, not exactly how I want to be pictured for the rest of my life, but let's consider it a phase. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0zovjRi-ywZ4l2a3IXpFphGNeSLn54raJQAnA32o4UGj8PVzT1pVnGWAKi6xNBEtfidYA1UcqsXKwPT4YQk7vjMwxUov5QSkWfJLMK1qlZ2D_LkMN47Sha_jWPnWrATFIMtD2eBypA-PCie-dJw_OCLwgyqIcE61oAbaiufQfBAixI3kKJnZWWA6IA/s2189/013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1464" data-original-width="2189" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0zovjRi-ywZ4l2a3IXpFphGNeSLn54raJQAnA32o4UGj8PVzT1pVnGWAKi6xNBEtfidYA1UcqsXKwPT4YQk7vjMwxUov5QSkWfJLMK1qlZ2D_LkMN47Sha_jWPnWrATFIMtD2eBypA-PCie-dJw_OCLwgyqIcE61oAbaiufQfBAixI3kKJnZWWA6IA/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNghEb7O5ipWosjz4MT1g16zotvDZaUrScssNDZxK116_8iq-EPYkvC0N0JEEqdULOXYcLYUQLpKLrxDjrUQD3XUhRi5Ew0ZdUZ4BcK6U8KTQnVbZyfEx-4e6nwQzqtX1BBCFyWE6MqDC_m3B3qkioqL7coOgJLwmEYW96L1YKL_dOO4U4Dpl3J90u4w/s2150/014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="2150" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNghEb7O5ipWosjz4MT1g16zotvDZaUrScssNDZxK116_8iq-EPYkvC0N0JEEqdULOXYcLYUQLpKLrxDjrUQD3XUhRi5Ew0ZdUZ4BcK6U8KTQnVbZyfEx-4e6nwQzqtX1BBCFyWE6MqDC_m3B3qkioqL7coOgJLwmEYW96L1YKL_dOO4U4Dpl3J90u4w/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Unlike a manuscript draft which can be rewritten <i>ad nauseum</i>, you only get one chance with watercolors; start gloomy, stay gloomy. There's no going back. Once you begin, there you are. Watercolors simply cannot be "fixed." Whether it's a bug flying into a freshly painted surface, or my hand suddenly dropping a loaded paintbrush onto a pristine area that was meant to remain white, things<i> happen. </i>Yet with every "mistake" I have also discovered I can turn happy accidents into something worth keeping. So what if the white paper is now orange? Call it a sunrise. Bug smears? A vital part of my style.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The other day while I was painting outside on my balcony (not for glamor, but because it's the best place to make a mess), I started thinking about how I would feel if I had to give up one or the other. There was so much I had learned from each discipline and not about technique alone. Patience, realistic expectations, perseverance, these things are integral to my approach to creativity and stem from rock-solid basics: <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>1. My Favorite Supplies.</b> Every new watercolor painting begins with paper, paint, and brushes, and preferably high quality paper, paint, and brushes. But something I've learned is that quality rarely has anything to do with price. In reality, quality is whatever is the most fun to use. A springy brush from the discount store or a smooth-gliding glitter gel pen can make me want to paint or write all day. Most of my painting disasters have stemmed from using the most expensive supplies because they weren't conducive with what I was trying to do. Student-grade paint, for instance, has turned out to be in many cases much richer in color than pricey "professional" brands. Brown paper bags are an amazing background for painting with opaque watercolors.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's the same with writing tools: take those gorgeous leather-bound journals you see lined up in bookstores or gift shops. Gilt-edged blank pages, jewel-toned covers; they terrify me! They're so difficult to use: the covers don't fold back enough for writing on the go and the paper can be too textured, making my pen skip, stop, and eventually destroy the pages with ink blots and holes in the paper. For me, the very best journals and notebooks are spiral-bound and have cardboard covers I can collage with my own designs. The paper inside accepts any kind of pen, even an ink-dipped twig. I can't write in anything too genteel, nor with a designer pen that looks great advertised in a magazine, but is so heavy it could double as a snow-shovel. Struggling with supplies because they're beautiful and what "the professionals use," is a surefire way to write or paint nothing at all.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>2. Work from light to dark. </b>A frustrating aspect of watercolors is how you have to work in layers. It's nearly impossible, for instance, to create a shadow area in a painting with just a single stroke of dark color. To make matters even more frustrating, watercolor has a tendency to always dry lighter than what you thought the color would be. You have to lay down an initial wash, wait for what seems like forever for the paint to dry, and then add another layer of color. And then another. Sometimes this can go on for an entire day! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When we're writing, it's tempting to want to get everything right with only one draft. But more often than not we have to write, and write, and write some more to really achieve the exact meaning of what we're trying to say. Don't give up when you re-read a first, second, or third draft and find it to be too "light" or lacking the depth you want. Keep going. Experiment with different approaches to your subject matter. The main thing to keep in mind is that </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">you <i>will</i> reach the right shade with perseverance. Keep going. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>3. Let the paint dry! </b>Depending upon where you live, waiting for a watercolor layer to dry can be fast or molasses-slow. In Albuquerque where I'm currently based, I don't have long to wait, but when I was living in Georgia, the humidity kept my paper wet for hours. Whether you're in the desert or at the beach, it's still boring to wait for paint to dry, but it's also essential. The quickest way to create "mud" on the page is to rush into adding fresh paint before the previous layers are dry. My solution has been to work on several pieces at once, which is also the way I write. At any given time I have about three manuscripts in progress: a short story, a journal of ideas and freewriting, and at least one novel. If my enthusiasm wanes for any of it, I can move to something new.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Multiple projects can be helpful with painting, too. If my paper is taking too long to dry, I like to doodle in my sketchbook, or put some color washes onto a new sheet of paper. While the clouds are drying on the first piece, I can start painting the hills on another. It's a handy trick that saves time and keeps me from wanting to rush in too quickly, and thereby destroy, whatever I'm working on.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>4. Don't over-mix</b> <b>your colors</b>. A common error many watercolor artists make is over-mixing their colors: putting, say, some blue and red on their palette and stirring it into purple soup. A much better technique is to wet your paper with clean water, then drop in some blue followed by a drop of red and let the two colors find their own chemistry. The ensuing violet shade will be much richer and more interesting than a standard recipe purple. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For writers, over-mixing colors is the equivalent of over-editing. Polishing and rewriting a piece too many times can edit the life right out of it. Sure, you want your words to be clear and understandable, but don't over-strive for perfect grammar or syntax if it's going to end up putting your reader to sleep.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> <br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>5. Use your largest brush.</b> Tiny, delicate paintbrushes are cute and look as if they're exactly what you need for painting hundreds of tree leaves or fur on a cat, but the truth is you can get into terrible trouble by being too finicky. It's a lot more liberating, and exciting, to paint bold and quick with your largest brush no matter how small your paper is. Using a flat, wide brush is the equivalent of freewriting, letting first thoughts, first words spill onto the page in broad strokes and unrestrained, uncensored expression. You can always go back later into a piece with a smaller brush, outlining and emphasizing your details. But start too small and you'll be fussing over your work for hours and days without any visible progress.</span></span><br /><br /></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>Find an old manuscript you've put away, one you've given up on either because you were tired of editing it, or tired of marketing it without adequate response. Taking the suggestions listed above as a guide, see if you can apply any of them to your story. Do you need to take a new approach to your theme with some freewriting? Are there scenes that would benefit from added layers of darkness? Have you been using too small of a "brushstroke" to paint your setting or your characters' emotions and reactions? See how far you can go in a new direction. (And don't forget: Extra credit for writers who try some watercolor paintings based on their plot!)</span></span><br /></div>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-53754130019039215992023-04-27T12:36:00.000-06:002023-04-27T12:36:56.506-06:00Los Caminos de la Vida<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKhUDtZRcfMaXpJJfwg9br_SCC7RqWk_L9uRmsSyCIjUAB4XiX7cWHIvhWzgNzUzOsUDRwrzlCI1KiCgfbKGSv8aR7qpmgI20K8GdwRwfKM0FNXzyC9Y_41c-UrB4uEEbwCrGkeAh0kYMJXAqVEjYu-9CrX55U5a8X7N51UZ3qDxmQeVYUqfSj5AONw/s595/lf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKhUDtZRcfMaXpJJfwg9br_SCC7RqWk_L9uRmsSyCIjUAB4XiX7cWHIvhWzgNzUzOsUDRwrzlCI1KiCgfbKGSv8aR7qpmgI20K8GdwRwfKM0FNXzyC9Y_41c-UrB4uEEbwCrGkeAh0kYMJXAqVEjYu-9CrX55U5a8X7N51UZ3qDxmQeVYUqfSj5AONw/s320/lf.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;"><div class="par"><div class="ll-5-1">The paths of life</div><div class="ll-5-2">
are not what I used to hope</div><div class="ll-5-3">
are not what I used to believe</div><div class="ll-5-4">
are not what I used to imagine</div></div><div class="emptyline"> </div><div class="par"><div class="ll-6-1">The paths of life</div><div class="ll-6-2">
are very hard to travel</div><div class="ll-6-3">
they are hard to walk</div><div class="ll-6-4">
and I can´t find a way out</div></div><a href="https://lyricstranslate.com/en/los-caminos-de-la-vida-paths-life.html">https://lyricstranslate.com</a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><u><b><i>Los Caminos de la Vida</i></b></u></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>The paths of life,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>They are not what I used to think,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>They are not what I used to imagine</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>They are not what I used to believe.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>The paths of life,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>They are very hard to walk,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>They are very hard to travel,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>And I can't find a way out. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I hope I am not as desolate as these song lyrics imply, but I have to admit to feeling somewhat lost without my husband. Nothing in my past prepared me for the road of grief and loss; no one ever told me it would be so hard. But that doesn't mean I'm entirely without direction or hope, or that I can't "find a way out."<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">One of the things helping me to find a way both in- and outward has been my return to reading. Not being able to read during the initial stages of grief is apparently quite common, so finding myself once again enjoying a book has been a huge relief. At the top of my "that was so good!" list is a book recently published by my friend and former writing group member, Suzanne Blazier. In September of 2019, only months before we were all hit by the pandemic, Sue did something I had often dreamed of doing but never had the nerve to try: she walked the Camino Francés, the historic pilgrimage route from St. John Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago de Campostela in Spain and then on to the Spanish coastal town of Finesterre. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It was a very long trip. And far more difficult than I realized until I read the full manuscript. From nearly-impassable trails of sharp, jagged rocks to battling constant rain and catching a debilitating cold, it's a miracle Sue came home in one piece at all. Yet, regardless of her challenges (maybe because of them?), Sue managed to find a wealth of beauty and meaning along the way, moments she made time to write about in her insightful journal that eventually became <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prancing-Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es-Sloshing-Through-Galicia/dp/B0BQ9MBHXB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1L0WRQJ0HFW1H&keywords=suzanne+blazier&qid=1682355127&s=books&sprefix=Suzanne+Bla%2Cstripbooks%2C219&sr=1-1"><b><i>Prancing in the Pyrénées, Sloshing Through Galicia; My Way Along the Camino Francés.</i></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I don't want to give away too much of the story, because I hope you will read <b><i>Prancing in the Pyrénées</i></b> for yourself, but I do want to say how much I love this book, and for reasons that have nothing to do with me ever walking the Camino. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The first time Sue's story inspired me was while her book was still in manuscript form. It was smack in the middle of the pandemic restrictions. All of my writing and art groups had closed down and the only activity open to me was endless walking, something I mentioned in my last post on <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2023/03/urban-writing.html">Urban Writing</a>. Back then I suppose we were each in a separate state of shock, unsure of what was really going on. My "therapy" was to walk every day. Each morning when I would embark upon my solitary and lonely walks, I would imagine I was on the Camino, making a pilgrimage of some sort to understand what on earth was happening. Some days I would walk thinking of how the world could heal itself; other days I would walk in an attempt to figure out what I meant by "healing." Thinking of Sue's trip gave me a reason to walk beyond mere exercise. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Now that the pandemic is over and the manuscript draft is an actual hold-in-your-hands book, Sue's story continues to inspire me. I keep turning over what Sue achieved, thinking of how she did it and how to use the same motivations that kept her going forward. Chapter headings such as "Solitude," "Where are you from?" and "Re-entry" have made me think of how I, as well as other readers, could use these titles as journaling or writing prompts in our own lives. Some ideas that came to mind were:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">1. Write a travel memoir of your own. This might seem a bit obvious, but if you focus on trips that were more than "just for fun," what significant journeys have you taken that were deeper than rest and relaxation? How were you changed by travel? <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2. What do you need to travel with? What can you leave behind? Besides being an entertaining read, <i><b>Prancing in the Pyrénées </b></i>definitely has its practical side. Advice on topics from language skills to what items to bring or leave at home are invaluable tips for anyone seriously planning a Camino pilgrimage. As a dedicated minimalist, I was impressed with Sue's pared-down list of travel items, from clothing to toiletries. There are so many areas in our lives in which we carry too much: shelves of unused art supplies; books on a TBR pile that will never be read; photographs of distant events that mean little or nothing to us. What do we really need to carry, not just for survival, but to be happy?</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">3. Many
years ago when I was still thinking about what it was I most wanted to write, I took take a class on
travel writing. At the beginning of the class the instructor explained the
origins of the word "travel," saying that it came from the Old
French word "travail" which in turn was a reference to weaving,
describing the action of a shuttle carrying thread back and forth
through other threads on a loom to create a piece of fabric. To my ears, "travail" was
more closely related to "trouble" than travel, but I also have enough horror stories of my own to know how troublesome travel can be! In her book, Sue does an excellent job of sharing her travel-travails and how she overcame them, persevering to complete her trip in the best way possible. Have there been times in your life when you wanted to give up on a project, goal, or dream? What did you do to keep going? How did you encourage yourself? What roads or projects were you forced to abandon? Do you think of re-starting any them, and if so, how could you make that happen? </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Mexican poet and Nobel laureate, Octavio Paz, once wrote that reading is a pilgrimage. He believed that readers are forever changed by what they read, and in turn they cannot help but express that inner change to the world around them. I couldn't agree more.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> From Sue's book I've learned how vital it is to clear the road for those who follow, write the guidebooks for those need them, and to be as honest and open about our lives as we can be. Whether you plan to walk to Spain or sit reading in the sun with a cup of tea<b><i>, Prancing in the Pyrénées</i></b> will be the perfect travel companion.<br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>As an additional resource, Sue has also created a blank <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Journal-Suzanne-Blazier/dp/B08BFVFQJ8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3CJHD7P5N8RE8&keywords=suzanne+blazier+camino&qid=1682531782&sprefix=suzanne+blaz%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-2">Camino Journal</a> for pilgrims to take notes and record their days. Although the book is designed for travelers, you might want to think about using it to journal from the prompts I've listed above. Use it to brainstorm your most memorable paths and journeys. What could you write about them? What did you bring home to share?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">While you're writing, here is <i>Los Caminos de la Vida</i> in its entirety. It's a sad song, but like so much of life, strangely filled with comfort despite the darkness. That said, may your path be always safe and sure.</span><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eKWurn32cKA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-33026171068757246772023-03-08T08:47:00.000-07:002023-03-08T08:47:36.307-07:00Urban Writing<p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yTL9DiWmOVo/YSprxEt2vEI/AAAAAAAADNc/zCeO2OuZqj8gP0bQOUcFKCFzxf5r1hefQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03241.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yTL9DiWmOVo/YSprxEt2vEI/AAAAAAAADNc/zCeO2OuZqj8gP0bQOUcFKCFzxf5r1hefQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03241.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ever since I moved a few years ago to downtown Albuquerque I've done my best to fit in as much walking as I possibly can. At first I tried walking once a week, choosing different routes and scenery for each separate outing. Then came the pandemic restrictions and I began walking much more frequently, solitary journeys spent exploring the exteriors of closed businesses, locked libraries, and empty churches. It was a somewhat melancholy pursuit, but it was also a healthy way to get fresh air and sunshine and, of course, exercise. It was also a good opportunity to think about my manuscripts and other creative projects without distraction or conversation. Yes, it was lonely, but it was also time well-spent, especially as I would often take photos to later use as reference shots for some at-home urban sketching sessions.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the last year things have changed considerably. Most places such as cafes and shops are fully open, more people are out walking or bicycling, and the general atmosphere is a lot more upbeat, exactly what you'd expect from a busy urban environment. I love the activity--even if it is more crowded and not as easy to take photos of individual businesses without appearing overly intrusive.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, the change from "empty deserted street" to "watch where you're going" got me thinking about how fun it would be to switch from "urban sketching" to "urban writing." How could I use what I saw on my daily walks as writing prompts rather than solely as potential scenes for drawing?<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3LvUbPr8gc/YSptDWzyKEI/AAAAAAAADNk/EJKq_Ap_6FowgJ1kCTkhKtPg7iquGMtfACNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03248.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3LvUbPr8gc/YSptDWzyKEI/AAAAAAAADNk/EJKq_Ap_6FowgJ1kCTkhKtPg7iquGMtfACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03248.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A big part of urban sketching is what artists refer to as "reportage." More than simply drawing or painting what you see in front of you, reportage asks that we give an impression of what we<i> feel</i> and<i> think</i> about a scene. In other words, what's the story? And what do we personally bring to the sights we are witnessing? What part of us makes the scene our own?<br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uG7nuMX-Tj0/YSpqxcC7HVI/AAAAAAAADNI/OD3Qo99_Ork5d1KwEjZ4zJw1TEeN5885QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uG7nuMX-Tj0/YSpqxcC7HVI/AAAAAAAADNI/OD3Qo99_Ork5d1KwEjZ4zJw1TEeN5885QCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03246.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To explore these topics more fully, I wrote up a list of ideas to get my pen moving:<b> <br /></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Urban Story Prompts</b></span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Choose a location and then write a scene that takes place there in the past.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Take the same location, but now cast it into the future. What has changed? What is better, or worse? What are the people like?<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Could the same or a different location be the setting for a fictional crime? What could I add to make it more sinister?<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or how about using that setting for a romantic tryst?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is there a particular area I see every day that could be the catalyst for neighborhood dissatisfaction? A place that a group of characters might want to tear down or drastically improve in some way? Why do they want to do this; what's their motivation? What's preventing them accomplishing their goals? Politics? Money?<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Choose and use a location as the basis of an important fictional memory for one or more of your characters. It could be an entirely new piece, or woven into something you're already working on.</span></span><br /></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Create tension by showing a character's fear of a setting, or their excitement at the prospect of going, or returning, there for some reason. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Invent two characters that have just left the place you are looking at. Why were they there? What transpired? What was their mood when they left?<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Use the setting, even if it is a beautiful, elegant environment as the backdrop to a dystopian, Orwellian nightmare. <br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or how about as the setting for a whimsical, heart-felt children's picture book?</span></span><br /></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Imagine the setting at midnight. Add some supernatural or paranormal elements.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What are the possibilities of using your setting for a nonfiction piece? You might enjoy researching the site or area and then writing about a little-known aspect or history of the place.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Could the setting be an essential part or reason to write a memoir of some sort? Is it a place you know well and therefore holds a wide series of associations for you?<br /></span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-_MM60VuEQ/YSprBoT04yI/AAAAAAAADNU/k_qXkXCYlLobvwxUhpGA19I7RPZAfnD6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-_MM60VuEQ/YSprBoT04yI/AAAAAAAADNU/k_qXkXCYlLobvwxUhpGA19I7RPZAfnD6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03253.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whether or not you are more than familiar with a certain place or are seeing it for the very first time, try to tune into your emotions as you write. As with all the best and most productive freewriting sessions, write about what makes you sad or happy or nostalgic about a certain view or group of buildings. Don't stop to erase, cross out, or censor what comes up for you. Always go with your initial thoughts and instincts.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Rj0wROFKkY/YSpk9h4jNOI/AAAAAAAADMc/P8Z6SETA4lcFvBFRYdUR_wewk6OZLLcCACNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Rj0wROFKkY/YSpk9h4jNOI/AAAAAAAADMc/P8Z6SETA4lcFvBFRYdUR_wewk6OZLLcCACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03245.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, be sure to include as many details of your setting as you can: doors, windows, gardens, the cat under the tree, the way light falls on the pavement. You might not want to use absolutely everything you write when it comes time to edit, but it's handy to have a full account to pick and choose from.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the day: </b>Keep in mind that you don't always have to </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">go for the photogenic or "postcard perfect" scene. Dilapidated, neglected, and forgotten "out of the way" places can often be the most fun to write about. Enjoy your walk and don't forget your notebook! </span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg04i8LqZsE/YSpqKAoVGZI/AAAAAAAADM8/mePg_m58A8M_LsGBpihz6wh41iC4bMNlACNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03243.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jg04i8LqZsE/YSpqKAoVGZI/AAAAAAAADM8/mePg_m58A8M_LsGBpihz6wh41iC4bMNlACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03243.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><p><br /></p><p></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-69808946652168625082023-02-07T12:41:00.006-07:002023-02-08T19:51:19.662-07:00The Grief Scarf<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNRgNZ1UKnkwDMa0CofKpPgYysBwCT34M-MAuSuRZymzRtn6_W2aSi7a02MsBDR4e-9fg5CJc5kEcKA_2xd66TxDC1Mj7Lqjnp9LU75J4u2YEHsI6Uq8MtZ_r2XRn6UnpiZ7YNZTFte5T3Dl3g1DwJUSCZw2a4Uh2QWJRTBip8stT6FI7EIw9OW7zEA/s2592/002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNRgNZ1UKnkwDMa0CofKpPgYysBwCT34M-MAuSuRZymzRtn6_W2aSi7a02MsBDR4e-9fg5CJc5kEcKA_2xd66TxDC1Mj7Lqjnp9LU75J4u2YEHsI6Uq8MtZ_r2XRn6UnpiZ7YNZTFte5T3Dl3g1DwJUSCZw2a4Uh2QWJRTBip8stT6FI7EIw9OW7zEA/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One night during the early weeks following my husband's death, I listened to a radio interview with Michelle Obama promoting her most recent book. Part of the conversation delved into how she had used knitting as a way to fend off depression and anxiety during Covid. Up to that point in the discussion, I had only been half-listening, not really paying attention, but at the word "knitting" I perked up, curious to learn how something as basic as yarn could turn your mood around. I was also intrigued that a First Lady could share such common feelings as anxiety and depression.<br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Until I discovered--and became more interested in--beading and art, I loved to knit. Over the years I made both my husband and myself countless pullovers, cardigans, vests, and of course, scarves. My main times to pick up yarn and needles were Sunday mornings when we watched motor racing on TV: Formula One, Indy cars, Moto GP, super bikes. Honestly, my husband would have watched lawn mower racing if it had been televised and the mowers went fast enough. Sitting beside him cheering on his favorite drivers I grew to love the sport too, but found I needed something like knitting to feel a little more productive during those endless lap-after-lap battles. After a while, though, we eventually had enough knitted clothing to last several lifetimes and I began to simply enjoy the races without the need for extra activity.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But after the interview with Mrs. Obama, I thought, well, maybe knitting would be fun. I had the needles, and a trip to the craft store was easy enough. The next morning I got in the car and drove to the nearest strip mall, quickly finding a soft, lilac/lavender chenille I thought would be perfect for a winter scarf.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I got home is where things became more challenging. Of the dozens of needles I had packed away, the only size I didn't have was the one the yarn called for, Number 9. Too bad, I thought, 8.5 will have to do.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I didn't have a pattern. No problem, just cast on some stitches, right? I knew that if I knitted a standard stocking stitch it would result in a curled scarf that could double as a pool noodle, and garter stitch seemed too easy. Moss stitch would be the one for me. Which would also require that I concentrate, be aware of what I was doing at all times, and be willing to unpick any wrong stitches; none of which I was very good at right then and there.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Never mind, I told myself after the first several mismatched rows. Just carry on no matter what happens, exactly how I was living my life at that point. I was becoming familiar with making mistakes and taking countless missteps. Much of the time all I could do was laugh through my tears as I imagined my husband's mock-horror at my inexpert attempts to get by.<i><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But "get by," I did. Last week I finished the final row of the scarf, and people, it is the worst thing I have ever made in my entire life. And you know what? I don't care. Every dropped stitch, gaping hole, wrong pattern twist is a witness to how I'm surviving, and I'm proud of myself. I'm trying. I'm doing my best. I've knitted a scarf that when it's scrunched around my neck not a soul will know what's "wrong with it."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvfYTDISVhYEcbv1w3bb16QvXOjlPEIf7pYzQo0yA18W3LZyj5co5kC65A8xsFKH48fFwrabu_KvdHBla-CNoCgOWdGb0PC2VC09u4Rps7aT86pE-hBsD9mArEOnKgVCkaPqwTLLqVZiZ97EuGX52scqiXJD-75x_hTPBI_rQvnwB--s5e8jyIQOGYw/s2101/006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="2101" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvfYTDISVhYEcbv1w3bb16QvXOjlPEIf7pYzQo0yA18W3LZyj5co5kC65A8xsFKH48fFwrabu_KvdHBla-CNoCgOWdGb0PC2VC09u4Rps7aT86pE-hBsD9mArEOnKgVCkaPqwTLLqVZiZ97EuGX52scqiXJD-75x_hTPBI_rQvnwB--s5e8jyIQOGYw/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are so many lessons woven into this strange little piece of handiwork, first and foremost being that even in the depths of despair, when I was certain I couldn't walk across the room or turn on a light to see what I was doing, taking some kind of action, any action, took me to the next step. After that, I took another, and another. I kept going.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I learned that creativity doesn't have to be grand. I might not have the energy or focus to work on my new novel, paint a series of watercolor forests, or submit my last manuscript to sixty different agents, but I can still do <i>something</i>. Knitting is soothing, meditative, a rhythm of knit one, purl one I find calming regardless of the order I follow. Working with my hands helps me to watch movies and news programs more easily. (For some reason I previously couldn't sit through more than ten minutes of any program without feeling restless and scared. I'm glad to say that's well behind me now.) </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">More than anything else, the Grief Scarf, as I call it, taught me that mistakes are unavoidable. They happen. I have the choice to fix my stitches if I think they are important enough (I don't), or I can start over and use my new-found strength and knowledge to try a fresh outcome. Which is precisely the path I've chosen, starting all over again with a new project I've named the Happy Scarf:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeLmKtzyT9RRxXY3ocixFfoZjXdlWA_PfZ0qHoeQPmS2gmM4S_V-3T1MayV9MkqDF-QncnahqTpOKdvE_bdXM_a78-Wg9fwUKTSRYPYIQhz9gWacNVlvsH_ebUAZeJ9i-rdO5gT630-g92rJhKUpXGS4jh9Z5Ct-TejKU8QbkT8TJuLKXZIlm3FWxFw/s2333/003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="2333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeLmKtzyT9RRxXY3ocixFfoZjXdlWA_PfZ0qHoeQPmS2gmM4S_V-3T1MayV9MkqDF-QncnahqTpOKdvE_bdXM_a78-Wg9fwUKTSRYPYIQhz9gWacNVlvsH_ebUAZeJ9i-rdO5gT630-g92rJhKUpXGS4jh9Z5Ct-TejKU8QbkT8TJuLKXZIlm3FWxFw/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />This time I've got the right size needles and I'm going with easy and fail-proof garter stitch. I chose a bright yellow inspired by the Japanese practice of <i>kintsugi </i>or <i>kintsukuroi</i>: mending broken items, mainly pottery, with gold. In Japan, when an object such as a valued tea cup breaks, molten gold is poured between the cracks, making that object more beautiful because it has a history, including flaws and accidents. It represents, as I read in one online article, "a life well-lived." A worthy goal if I've ever heard one.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you as always for visiting. Keep stitching!<br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-30057242305501289752023-01-16T13:25:00.000-07:002023-01-16T13:25:39.659-07:00My Year of Letting Go<p></p> <p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2Wcz68nbND9jdeyTwSFzpqHm-AuQ4LRwkP2QhBjoi-1w6C2wfwIV3qzJfn7AJ_GW_tis8Ud5cpSJArniefbU9HHmtvY2aFmGiqDrPysoYH9j7nRDLeSz58YTLD9dbPd40V6VOldBEQw8aaj7BHp7lmGyYbNqZZ5KK4D3SGYfnmnn4u39W0DEWg2wng/s2592/039.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2Wcz68nbND9jdeyTwSFzpqHm-AuQ4LRwkP2QhBjoi-1w6C2wfwIV3qzJfn7AJ_GW_tis8Ud5cpSJArniefbU9HHmtvY2aFmGiqDrPysoYH9j7nRDLeSz58YTLD9dbPd40V6VOldBEQw8aaj7BHp7lmGyYbNqZZ5KK4D3SGYfnmnn4u39W0DEWg2wng/w400-h300/039.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>My husband died on September 9, 2022. My world has completely fallen apart, and I must learn to build it back again. Piece by piece, just like my husband would have wanted me to.<br /></i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband was the handy one, a self-taught engineering genius with sixteen patents to his name. There wasn't a thing he couldn't fix whether it was a twelve-foot high molding machine or a broken buckle on my shoe. But for all his mechanical skill, a broken heart might have been too great a challenge, even for him. Then again, when I think really hard about it, I <i>know </i>he would have come up with an answer, probably something along the lines of, "Don't just stand there crying, get to work! Come on, dry your eyes and grab that hammer." Yep, he was a man of action.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">With the onset of his illness however--stage 4 liver cancer that suddenly appeared the day we came back from a trip to Texas--I found it next to impossible to continue my usual creativity-based schedule. On the good days when my husband was sleeping or watching TV, I managed to do a little drawing or some editing on my WIP, but blogging, and on any kind of regular basis, was an activity that left me cold. How could I blog when all I wanted was to bury myself alive? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the early years when I started my blog, my initial intention was to help beginning writers. As time passed, it grew to include art-making, beading, travel, a variety of topics to encourage creativity in anyone who stopped by to read, no matter their level of skill. To round out the theme, I always wrote two kinds of annual "bookend" posts: one listing my personal highlights of the old year followed by a related post listing the things I hoped to achieve for the New Year ahead. Included with my list was also a chosen word for the year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">For the start of 2022, I wrote out a few simple goals (most left unaccomplished) but more importantly, I wrote that I was going to be open to whatever life brought to me. To accompany my new attitude, I chose with no sense of irony whatsoever one of the happiest words I know: optimism. Seriously. Optimism. I'm still reeling from the disconnect, wondering, "what on earth was I thinking??"<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">And yet. There might have been something profound life was trying to tell me, a message that perhaps wasn't applicable to 2022, but certainly can be considered for 2023. Optimism might be the word telling me that if I can put aside my fear for five minutes, it might be the very thing that will keep me from utter despair. It might be the only word I will ever need to help me stay focused on all that is good and worthwhile.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">During the worst of my husband's illness, I would try to help him sit up in bed and drink some water or juice by holding onto the glass for him. My reluctance to hand the glass over without hovering to catch it would drive him nuts. Repeatedly he would say, "Let go!" and I would say, "No, YOU let go." This would go back and forth until one of us gave up and the water spilled everywhere and we were both drenched, when we would start all over again. Eventually it became a sort of game, something--as crazy as this sounds--we would laugh about.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">One afternoon though, after changing the blankets for the umpteenth time, I found myself thinking about what "let go" really meant. In my heart I knew, as much as I hated it, that my husband had to let go of life. It was inevitable, a kind of "if not today, then tomorrow" type of knowledge. I knew the longer he remained alive, the longer the suffering would continue, for both of us. I had to let go of wishing this wasn't happening; let go of my expectations of what our life was "supposed to be"; let go of the business we had spent twenty-seven years growing together. I had to let go of, well, everything. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nearly five months later, I'm beginning to understand that letting go isn't the horror I thought it would be, and that optimism can help in ways I never thought possible. Optimism is helping me let go of the big things along with the small: accepting that we no longer share a creative work space that allowed for car restoration along with novel-writing; that we're not going to order cocktails at the top of Sandia Peak ever again, or share a plate of potato chips while we watch <i>Jeopardy!</i>, or that we won't be moving to Portugal, an idea we toyed with while drinking our cocktails.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In other words, I've started to<i> </i>let go, not of my happy memories or even my grief for that matter, but letting go of hyper-vigilance, fear of the future, constant worry about what will become of the material things I've had to release, the business being number one. As I let go of what were essentially terrible burdens, I am discovering that there is now room to keep the things my husband would never want me to be without: Gratitude for the wonderful life we had together--forty-eight years!; belief and reliance upon the power of creativity to pull me through to wherever it is I'm going; and my strong belief that each one of us has an undying purpose and reason for existing in the first place.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the last entries in the journal I kept while I was still actively resisting the idea of letting go turned into a poem of sorts: <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wild Horses</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wish wild horses could take me away,</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">that I could fade into ink</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">and never return, just spread out </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">fainter and fainter until I was only a</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">landscape, emerging from a stranger's pen.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Re-reading these lines, I realize the horses have always been by my side, waiting patiently for me to give them free rein. It's time I let them take me into a new chapter, the one I promised my husband I would eventually enter and that I would make the best of. For that promise alone, I will let go and begin to write not with sorrow, but with hope.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for visiting and thank you to everyone who has continued checking in on my posts even when I wasn't here to write them. I appreciate you all so much. Have a happy and creative New Year. I'll be back.<br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-25321392103290041542022-05-04T11:21:00.026-06:002022-05-04T11:32:13.396-06:00Creating With the Seasons, Part II: Writing<div><p></p><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACV36s0TXWnjRTmWVkUSVU8d7tza28FL8VP5EZW2LTtRBU_-zfzZ-dL0HNXlQciWKJMOK4KUwRFYOmsToQwLz5cdoqR6p26JGEqEanXrbCClDjBPe3buoPL5O0aXY_OrrChMs8spPmr8q1MGFyKerKqhef_SxUgVaNhHXN8FZwYMoXakoqAJJFWQ3Ww/s2201/img171.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="1534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACV36s0TXWnjRTmWVkUSVU8d7tza28FL8VP5EZW2LTtRBU_-zfzZ-dL0HNXlQciWKJMOK4KUwRFYOmsToQwLz5cdoqR6p26JGEqEanXrbCClDjBPe3buoPL5O0aXY_OrrChMs8spPmr8q1MGFyKerKqhef_SxUgVaNhHXN8FZwYMoXakoqAJJFWQ3Ww/s320/img171.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Spring, everyone! Taxes, allergies, never knowing if the weather is hot or cold or simply freezing . . . Yes, it's a wonderful time of the year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my last post I wrote about finding ways to use the various seasons as a creative direction for my artwork, especially for the days when I was stuck wondering what to paint. For today's post I want to discuss how to use those same ideas as writing prompts, starting with:<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Poetry.</b> Although it's now a few days behind us, April was National Poetry Month and one of the ways I celebrated was experimenting with some <i>haiku</i>. You might recall learning to write one in school, something teachers love to promote as for some lucky reason children seem to excel at the form. In case you missed out on those lessons (say it isn't so!) haiku is a traditional three-line poem from Japan consisting of a five-syllable first line, a seven-syllable second line, and a third and final five-syllable line. One of the most important elements of haiku is that ideally there should be some mention, or at least a reference to the seasons. A good book on the subject that encourages daily haiku writing is Clark Strand's <i>Seeds from a Beech Tree</i>. Even the title to me implies a seasonal sensibility as I imagine all those birch seeds flying around in a spring breeze. Beautiful!<br /></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scenes in your novel. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Winter storms; mosquito-infested summer camping trips; constant autumn drizzle . . . all of these things can enhance both the mood and the action of a well-written scene. Not only can seasonal details add plenty of drama or humor, but they can also be what spurs the action: a summer cloudburst destroying a high-society wedding, or the fatal consequences of SADD (Seasonal Attention Deficit Disorder) in a Yorkshire-based murder mystery.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Writing an entire short story or novel set in one specific season. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Limiting your timeline to one specific season can both tighten your pacing (e.g., a goal that must be achieved during an explosive summer abroad) as well as amplify your story's theme, e.g., end-of-year gift giving can be the catalyst for a wealth of character reactions, from over-the-top shopping sprees to deep and dark financial woes, all to be dealt with during a single season of joy.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Use the seasons to bookend a story or novel. </b>Begin your story in spring; end in spring twenty years later. Choosing a significant, stand-out season to begin and end a narrative can provide a satisfying sense of closure for both your characters and your readers.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Give your characters passionate reasons to love or hate an individual season. </b>We all have favorite times of the year and so should your characters. Consider how the seasons might affect your characters' health, happiness, and/or plans for the future. What if they need to travel at a certain time of year, but their choices are blocked when they encounter overbooked hotels and flights which then spark entirely new challenges and obstacles to overcome. Or perhaps they suffer from "anniversary syndrome," every year reliving some terrible event from a distant summer that leaves them devastated and struggling to meet any challenges at all.<br /></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Seasonal or holiday foods. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In some of my previous posts I've written about how much I enjoy books that include descriptions of food or cooking. I like authors who feed their characters as opposed to those who insist their heroine save the world with only a cup of coffee to sustain her, and she drank it three mornings ago. Showing your characters eat or prepare seasonal foods for any given holiday or time of the year is a great way to add metaphoric as well as literal descriptions of culture and character attitude (positive <i>and</i> negative) as seamlessly as possible. <br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bundle up, or dress down for comfort. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Be sure to</span></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">keep your characters warm or cool with appropriately seasonal clothing. Then again, if you really want to torture 'em, ensure that they've got it all wrong: a padded raincoat in August; a summer dress for a winter party. I know from experience how difficult it can be to not have the right outfit at the worst possible time. Years ago I traveled to New Zealand in the middle of their winter (American summer) and due to an airline snafu I ended up staying in hot, humid Tahiti for two weeks with a suitcase full of sweaters and socks. Fortunately it was easy enough to buy myself a <i>pareu </i>and a new bathing suit to beat the heat and not stand out like a misinformed tourist, but think about how much trouble you could create for a fictional character in a similar situation. Heat rash, anyone?<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Seasonal Journals. </b>There's nothing quite as special as a journal dedicated to capturing the beauty and essence of the seasons. Whether it's an art journal, a travel journal, or a nature or gardening journal, writing down your impressions and activities amidst the changing of the seasons is a journal to keep forever.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">In case you're considering writing a holiday novel, children's picture book, screenplay, or a series of craft articles for magazines, </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">keep in mind to write and submit your material well in advance of a seasonal publication date. Six months to several years in advance of your chosen holiday is never too early. Some tricks to help with writing about fruit cake while you're sunbathing can include decorating a section of your writing space with a miniature Christmas tree in July, or doing the same with beach towels, sea shells, and resort posters in the depths of winter. Never let what the thermometer reads hinder your imagination.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-76227388470949896792022-03-21T10:59:00.000-06:002022-03-21T10:59:58.747-06:00Creating With the Seasons, Part I: Artwork<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb2NNv2gbCajirvUbcuXlDJSCwgsOaW-bPgXHAQ8yS-4x-rhcnUxzGb70HkHQSoX4pNWhhe4Kmy6WZ3kWBOYf80yErEDeD1Kls0a3aAkAu80iO9RCxIqVyLQyCdQhW3MyQ5xrb2dTiijaIQwvDrbOnG3vYazvvFAGMmQ1osrPfgKb257uREPSCPJnAaw=s2187" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2187" data-original-width="1488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb2NNv2gbCajirvUbcuXlDJSCwgsOaW-bPgXHAQ8yS-4x-rhcnUxzGb70HkHQSoX4pNWhhe4Kmy6WZ3kWBOYf80yErEDeD1Kls0a3aAkAu80iO9RCxIqVyLQyCdQhW3MyQ5xrb2dTiijaIQwvDrbOnG3vYazvvFAGMmQ1osrPfgKb257uREPSCPJnAaw=w218-h320" title="Dreaming of Spring" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Spring!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>For everything there is a season . . . </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>A time to write, and a time to paint. A time to be totally inspired and a time to completely lose it-- </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Hello, everyone! Time, where does it go? It seems like forever since I've had "time to blog" or do much of anything else for that matter. <br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>My time shortage started early this year when I found myself fostering a stray kitten at work. I was well aware that 2022 was the Year of the Tiger, but the last thing I ever expected to find outside my back door was a tiny, hungry baby cat. She was adorable and I would have done anything to keep her (impossible at this current point in my life). Despite my lack of space and ability to be with her as much as I wanted, I did everything I could over a six week span to get her healthy, playful, and ready for adoption. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done and I still miss her to pieces, but now that I know she's in good hands and safely onto the next stage of her journey, it's time to get back to work: writing, painting, and yes, blogging. <br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Prior to kitten-sitting I had been planning to write a post about my intention to draw and paint within a series of some kind for the year. I'd often heard of artists painting a series of pictures as a way to go deeper into a single subject or theme and also bring some unity to their work. The idea appealed to me as I thought it could bring more f</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>ocus and discipline to my daily sketching practice, focus that would help me produce more finished, polished pieces. The trouble was I didn't know what kind of series I wanted to try. <br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>I tossed around a lot of ideas, e.g., choose a building I liked in town and paint it multiple times from different angles; create a series of pictures based on the displays at the dinosaur museum; sketch people and dogs at the dog park. Unfortunately, none of these ideas felt like something I wanted to work on more than once. Yes, they were interesting enough on their own, but to paint over and over? I was worried I would become so bored after my third attempt to sketch the downtown Wells Fargo building I'd never want to open my sketchbook again. It wasn't until my husband suggested I try basing some work on the seasons of the year that everything fell into place.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Suddenly I
had specific goals to pursue. My first step was to sit down and make numbered lists
under the broad headings of each season, </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>brainstorming subjects that fit each particular time of
the year. After that I created lists of sub-categories, for instance, under the heading of "autumn" the first images that came to mind were acorns and squirrels, sweaters and scarves, bonfires, steaming
mugs of tea, rainy skies, and beautiful trees. Once I had those things listed I continued mapping entirely new ideas for a seasonal series based on
each subject, e.g., squirrels in summer, squirrels in spring, squirrels bounding through the snow . . . it eventually became quite endless.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Another advantage to this plan that I liked besides never having to decide "what to paint" again is that, at least for me, the seasons signify different emotional and spiritual states to explore. Themes such as renewal, growth,
and letting go, topics I would usually write about are now themes I can express through color and composition, showing joy or even a little sadness through a seasonal lens. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Right now my first attempts to go with the seasons revolve around my sketchbooks and a small painting-a-day practice. I'm currently concentrating on trees including the quick sketch I've put at the top of this post, but soon those trees will be full of birds, flowers, squirrels and even kittens. I only hope I have enough time each day to keep going!<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>Tip of the Day: </b>Spring is in the air, a great time for both writers and artists to consider starting a nature journal. Always keep in mind that you don't have to draw or paint to create a beautiful journal. Instead of drawing, try some collage using items like seed packets, handmade papers, or fabric. Experiment with dipping leaves, sticks, or pods in ink or paint and printing your impressions onto your journal pages, or paste in the actual plant materials. Take photographs and add them to your words. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>And speaking of words, that's exactly what I'll be taking a look at in my next post: <i>Creating with the Seasons, Part II: Writing</i>. See you soon! </span></span></span><br /></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-62446330932881945842022-01-12T11:18:00.008-07:002022-01-12T11:21:17.407-07:00Finding a Path for 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYnQ37cWvo/YaaRptoucKI/AAAAAAAADQw/7-5JB966ExQ9lY4pLjBJn40shVD8uO4JQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_109917407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="2048" height="235" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYnQ37cWvo/YaaRptoucKI/AAAAAAAADQw/7-5JB966ExQ9lY4pLjBJn40shVD8uO4JQCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h235/dreamstime_xxl_109917407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© creativecommonszero / dreamstime.com<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It seems impossible that it was exactly two years ago that I last met with my various writer's groups, weekly drawing classes, and my illustration groups. Two years! Since then I've done everything in my power to believe the situation was only temporary and that one day we would all go "back to normal." <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today I realized I won't be doing that any more. And that's not such a bad thing. In fact, it's fantastic!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Moving away from my hopes and dreams for "normal" means that I can be open to change and new beginnings. Best of all, I can do it my way without fear of getting it wrong. In other words, I can experiment. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hanging on to "normal" means being stuck. This year I want to run with scissors. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the same time, I do want to put my scissors to good use, cutting out a new path of possibility and creative endeavor. Some of the projects I'd like to work on this year with a renewed sense of joy are:<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. Update my website to include my beaded jewelry for sale.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Publish <i>The Abyssal Plain</i>.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. Submit<i> </i>my novel, <i>Ghazal</i>, and my novella, <i>The Seaweed Collector, </i>for publication.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">4. Finish the first draft of one new manuscript (not entirely sure yet which one this will be).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">5. Continue painting and drawing, but with more focus on working within a specific series. (More about this in my next post.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. And of course, continuing with this blog.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2022 is going to be my year of
optimism with no looking back. I'm letting
go of both the good and the bad experiences from the last twenty-four months and I'm looking forward to the future, whatever it brings. <br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tip of the Day: </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vision boards have always been my go-to way of establishing my goals and plans for any given year. For 2022, however, I want to change things around a bit. Instead of putting together a vision board, I'm going for a vision <i>quest</i>. Rather than searching out a dozen or so magazine cut-outs to represent or symbolize things I already want, I'm going to let the images search for me. I want to discover things I had no idea I wanted or that even existed.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Starting with a blank journal, every time I come across a magazine photograph, headline, or article that speaks to me for even the most trivial or surprising of reasons, I'll cut it out and paste it on a page. I'll let the journal develop like a mysterious road map inviting me into unexplored, but much-needed territory. I can't wait to see what happens--I can't wait to see where I go. Happy New Year, everyone!</span></span><br /></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-30963159834951342472021-12-21T12:03:00.002-07:002021-12-21T12:39:39.122-07:00Highlights of 2021<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dixPcfvYzmI/YaaPvJbUECI/AAAAAAAADQY/yNCagDL4G9QDSCSpkCDLRm26gqHzwOssgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstimefree_1613024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dixPcfvYzmI/YaaPvJbUECI/AAAAAAAADQY/yNCagDL4G9QDSCSpkCDLRm26gqHzwOssgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/dreamstimefree_1613024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© creativecommons / dreamstime.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Holidays, everyone! Another year closing down, with plenty of time for reflection, celebration, and even a little joy. We can do it!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Around this time of year I always like to make a list of my most exciting or interesting highlights, the things that made the year special and/or memorable in some significant way. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2021 may still have been a difficult year to navigate, but there were </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">definitely lighter moments, more feelings of optimism, and more opportunities to socialize than we had in 2020. Throughout it all, the one thing I truly learned was that we can always look for the silver lining, no matter what, and the following list comprises my own, personal top twelve:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. I finished my work-in-progress novel, <i>Ghazal</i>. This was a big deal, I can tell you! What started out several years ago as a NaNoWriMo exercise took over my imagination and wouldn't let me go. I had to know more about my characters and their stories, and here we are today: a whole, finished manuscript.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. In October I opened my first Etsy shop selling my handmade beaded necklaces, earrings, and bracelets<i>. </i>You can see them all <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValerieStoreyDesigns?ref=profile_header">by clicking here</a>. Come on over and let me know what you think!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. I got the chance to see some good friends again. After months and months of isolation, it was a major event to meet up in a cafe and share our various creative projects and plans while eating some great food. Just like we did in the "old days."<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">4. Albuquerque Urban Sketchers took the plunge and resumed their monthly meetings. I wasn't able to attend all of the outings, but the ones I got to participate in were both educational and inspiring.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">5. Spring brought the opportunity to attend a Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Albuquerque Museum. It was great to rejoin the world through history and culture. And of course the artwork was spectacular.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. I started work on two new book ideas. One is a mystery, the other is a historical Southern Gothic. Currently they are both messy first drafts that only make sense to me (sort of) but they will be interesting projects to carry with me into the new year.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">7. My local library became so overloaded with donations they had a massive sale that continued for most of the summer. 50% off books that were originally priced at no more than one to two dollars each meant I got an entirely new shelf of excellent art books.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">8. I signed up for and took several more Domestika online art classes. One of my absolute favorites was about starting and maintaining a sketchbook practice taught by artist Sorie Kim. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9. And thanks to Sorie I filled several sketchbooks this year, exploring many new ideas, mediums, and subjects. Who knew I liked to draw frogs and lizards so much?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">10. Which then led me to buy professional watercolors for the first time ever. I tried two different brands and with completely different results. It was an interesting experiment as I had no idea high quality paints could vary so wildly from brand to brand. In the end I had to discard one as being absolutely horrible: the colors faded into the page, no juicy life or sparkle, just very disappointing to use. On the other hand, my second brand, Winsor and Newton, gave me everything I was looking for: strong and vivid color from the first layer and a "brightness" that encouraged me to keep painting. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">11. This might sound a bit desperate, but in July when we were able to go mask-free for a few weeks I got a professional haircut at a genuinely fancy-pantsy salon. At the time I went it was my first cut in over 18 months and it was a true joy. Due to renewed restrictions I haven't been back since, but it makes a nice memory. I'm sure to go back one day!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">12. Caved and subscribed to Netflix. I'm still undecided on how good a move this was, but with my local movie theater having closed down permanently and not much else happening in town, TV is a welcome relief after a day of work, writing, and sketch-booking. There have certainly been some good series and films (amongst a sea of questionable others) and it was fun to not be the only kid on the block who didn't know what <i>Squid Game </i>was. Television, for all its faults and propaganda, can certainly be a comforting way to unite with distant friends, family, as well as total strangers and I was glad to take part. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In between all of these highlights there were of course plenty of simple but wonderful days painting on my balcony, enjoying a cup of tea, and walking through my amazing neighborhood. It may have taken a bit of digging, but there was always something meaningful and unforgettable to be found, each and every day. It was a year well spent.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>The next time you find yourself seated by the fire or just beside a frosty window, be sure to have your pen and journal with you. Take some time to record and consider what made 2021 a year to remember; the highs, the lows, the things that made the year unique. I hope you'll discover there were many more moments of joy than you may have realized at first and that you'll be motivated to keep creating more. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>Wishing you all a brilliant 2022! </b></i><br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-51164035797660868952021-10-27T11:36:00.006-06:002021-10-27T11:39:37.842-06:00Introducing my Etsy Shop: Valerie Storey Designs<p> </p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXJRMd-gm5Q/YV3ZcHfWSCI/AAAAAAAADOM/TGra2aJ6wSAe_-hBcvuN3lZv5HzvlzHKACNcBGAsYHQ/s2517/DSC03468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="2517" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXJRMd-gm5Q/YV3ZcHfWSCI/AAAAAAAADOM/TGra2aJ6wSAe_-hBcvuN3lZv5HzvlzHKACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03468.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At last! I'm so happy to announce the opening </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">of my Etsy Shop: </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValerieStoreyDesigns"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>Valerie Storey Designs</i></b></span></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>"Inspired by the past, created for today." </i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Earrings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants -- I have a brand! Everything is handmade by me, one-of-a-kind, never to be repeated and all with free USA shipping. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's a small selection from the sixteen items I'm currently listing:<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07lQYn40_ac/YV3dm3-vJTI/AAAAAAAADOU/ecJhhZRX3pAyqwfPfnJxYgwdnlUsjXulQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2100/DSC03484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1607" data-original-width="2100" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07lQYn40_ac/YV3dm3-vJTI/AAAAAAAADOU/ecJhhZRX3pAyqwfPfnJxYgwdnlUsjXulQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03484.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIsXMm0TccM/YV3e86gwmTI/AAAAAAAADPU/JlmTs8bX5u8poPTujrxz43W4KgJFGKONwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03630.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIsXMm0TccM/YV3e86gwmTI/AAAAAAAADPU/JlmTs8bX5u8poPTujrxz43W4KgJFGKONwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03630.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tWZ8NBRvxs/YV3fymqDP0I/AAAAAAAADPs/LozfQ00g7S4ndpMywYq4NfjMMEAy9cZ0gCNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03698.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tWZ8NBRvxs/YV3fymqDP0I/AAAAAAAADPs/LozfQ00g7S4ndpMywYq4NfjMMEAy9cZ0gCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03698.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-9voHGe8Uw/YV3gDeZMOAI/AAAAAAAADP0/n0o8EKFaVKoGCJnUaG_zsOSV_0zuSxbjACNcBGAsYHQ/s2592/DSC03569.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-9voHGe8Uw/YV3gDeZMOAI/AAAAAAAADP0/n0o8EKFaVKoGCJnUaG_zsOSV_0zuSxbjACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03569.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although quite a few of the individual beads I've used were purchased right here in Albuquerque, many of them are from all over the world, collected during my travels to places such as Taiwan, Portugal, and Spain. I'm always looking for distinctive, unusual beads whenever possible, and often these are only available in very small quantities, guaranteeing that whatever I make from them will be one-time-only pieces. <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Similar to the way I write and paint, my approach to beading depends a lot on the magic of <i>randomness</i>. I start with a handful of color (oh, how I love color!) and let the beads find their own way into a design often inspired by my many years spent visiting museums and galleries. Art history has always had a big influence in everything I do, inspiring my novels such as <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Overtaken-Valerie-Storey/dp/0964328933/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Valerie+Storey+Overtaken&qid=1635355705&sr=8-2">Overtaken</a> </i></b>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Scarab-Scam-Valerie-Storey/dp/0964328917/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Valerie+Storey+The+Great+Scarab+Scam&qid=1635355770&sr=8-1"><i><b>The Great Scarab Scam</b></i></a>, but it's still a huge surprise to me to see how a piece will turn out: Egyptian, Etruscan Revival, mid-century modern: every bead tells a story!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the most surprising things to have come out of all this is my new appreciation for photography. Etsy requires a wide variety of product shots, and I have to admit the process was difficult for me to learn--I almost gave up at one point I found it so hard. But after several days of trial and error, I think I'm on the right track to figuring it all out: <i>light boxes, satin drapery, as much daylight as possible . . . </i>confusing at first, but like all creative endeavors, definitely worth pursuing.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anyway, I hope you like my efforts and that you can visit my shop in time for the holidays! Over the coming weeks I'll be listing new items, so please stay tuned. <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>While I will always consider myself first and foremost a writer, art, beading, and working with hand-built pottery has enriched my life beyond measure. I can't imagine a day going by without at least a few minutes sketching or working on a new design for a bracelet or pair of earrings. The strongest advantage of having these varied interests is that they really do feed each other, especially when I'm stuck or hit some kind of road-block. Going back and forth between, say, a difficult scene in a particular chapter, to figuring out if blue beads look better with gold or silver findings, keeps my imagination active and open to receive the answers I need. Better than working solely on one project until you reach potential burn-out, always try to have another creative outlet ready and waiting. You'll be glad you did! <br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-42318220773174888072021-09-21T11:18:00.000-06:002021-09-21T11:18:36.518-06:00Make the Summer Last<div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vRb-9-ypCrs/YT-diuL3roI/AAAAAAAADNs/7osuocCG5hc-m0ThYJM2DWDF_KCYYyiuACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_102634338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vRb-9-ypCrs/YT-diuL3roI/AAAAAAAADNs/7osuocCG5hc-m0ThYJM2DWDF_KCYYyiuACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/dreamstime_xxl_102634338.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© PublicDomainPhotos / Dreamstime.com<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today is the last day of summer and I'm not very happy about it. Don't get me wrong, I love the fall and its "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness," but this year I just can't seem to make the leap into duvets and cocoa. I want to make the summer last forever; phrases like "endless summer" sound perfect to my ears.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wasn't always so eager to stay in summer mode or to keep wearing my standard summer wardrobe of shorts, T-shirts, and sandals for months on end. I used to genuinely look forward to watching the stores fill with fuzzy sweaters, coats, scarves and gloves while I wished the weather would hurry up and change so I could wear all those cozy items. One thing that I especially used to enjoy was the whole "back to school" vibe, but with online learning and nobody really in the classroom, I can't get excited about buying notebooks, pens, or art supplies. Even if the prices are crazy low (notebooks for 25 cents!) I find myself walking past the well-stocked shelves and thinking, <i>nah, I don't need anything new. </i></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My reluctance to leave summer probably has a lot to do with the fact that my every single waking summer moment seemed to be completely dedicated to work, both at my day job as well as with my<i> </i>creative life. Being consumed with work and productivity without the opportunity for much diversion meant I missed out on summer fun: no real vacation time, no trips out of town or overseas, no break in routine. Yes, I got a lot done, but, hey, I want to go to Paris! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">These last few days have found me trying to make up for lost time with as much R&R as possible. Oddly enough, I subsequently discovered that I could be just as productive, maybe even more so, if I did give myself a break, such as:<br /></span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sitting on my balcony, staring at nothing, doodling in my watercolor sketchbooks: squirrels, goldfish, trees and leaves. The feeling that I didn't <i>have </i>to do this only made me want to do more of the same. Consequently I filled up an entire sketchbook in a couple of weekends. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Reading. Reading inspired me to jot down several new story ideas I wouldn't have discovered if I hadn't taken the time to, once again, sit on my balcony and dive into a stack of new books feeling wonderfully "lazy." <br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Going through old magazines at a leisurely and quiet pace has given me a huge, fresh supply of magazine cut-outs, suitable for both art and writing references.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Experimenting with a variety of gel, fountain, and brush pens encouraged me to freewrite several unexpected poems, snippets of dialogue, and scene descriptions I had no idea were out there waiting for me.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Walking for at least an hour in between writing, reading, and painting and with no destination in mind has given me time to think, ponder, plan, and regroup. Rather than wearing myself out, I became totally re-energized.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Restaurants. Because we hadn't taken any kind of holiday, my husband and I decided at the start of the month to go out to eat a little more than we usually do. Which then gave me extra time to read, paint, walk, and write without worrying about grocery shopping or clean-up. Delicious!<br /></span></span></li></ul></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Time has become more precious to me than ever before. There is a lot I still want and need to do, but there's a lot I don't want to miss out on, such as feeling the sun on my face as I drink a second cup of jasmine tea with no particular agenda in mind. All good things that can be transformed into stories and illustrations once the temperature drops and I'm forced back inside my office-studio listening to the rain pummel the roof. It will be here soon enough.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>Art journaling is a fun and easy way to make the summer last. Base your journal exclusively on what the summer of 2021 meant to you, or choose a favorite year from your childhood. Brainstorm or create mind-maps listing every special detail. Use your summer photos for sketch references. List and review any books you read. Write, draw, collage your memories and be sure to pour a cup of cocoa while you're at it! <br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-47110023792596637022021-07-26T10:15:00.001-06:002021-07-26T10:15:31.747-06:00I Finished My WIP! Now What?<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vgFWesbLLmY/YPXI96bPGlI/AAAAAAAADMA/G6R4NOC4pvox1LTwMAocfhHtFJrWy384ACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_117536877.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vgFWesbLLmY/YPXI96bPGlI/AAAAAAAADMA/G6R4NOC4pvox1LTwMAocfhHtFJrWy384ACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/dreamstime_xxl_117536877.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© creativecommonsstockphotos / dreamstime.com<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It only took about a year longer than planned, but I am happy to announce my work-in-progress novel, <b><i>Ghazal</i></b>, is finally, really and truly finished. The End. I made it!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of
course, now the big question is: what's next? Until it's published, is a
work-in-progress ever finished? What steps do I, or anyone else who's completed a WIP, have to take
in order to get the manuscript into print?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's my road map: <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. The first thing I always do upon finishing a manuscript at any draft stage is to print it out and <i><b>put it away</b></i>. I make sure I don't even peek at a single page for at
least four to six weeks.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Once my manuscript is safely locked away, I take a break. Lunch with
friends. Shopping, Drawing, beading--even a writing challenge such as Camp NaNoWriMo with a new story in mind can be a refreshing break.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> 3. The next step after all those weeks of fun is to take the manuscript out of storage and read the whole thing through, but with this sole promise: that I will not, under any circumstance, write any kind of notes <i>on</i> the
manuscript. Instead, I like to have a legal pad and pen ready to list my page and line numbers that contain typos, grammatical blunders, glaring plot holes or character inconsistencies such as wrong birth dates or a jumbled timeline. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">4.
When I'm finished with that task, I then transcribe my list item by item onto index cards. I then go through the
manuscript and clip my cards to the appropriate pages. I still don't rush to "fix"
anything yet. Instead, I continue to let the manuscript rest while I write out the best ways to make my corrections. This is because sometimes rather than fixing a typo I might replace it with a better word choice, or I may eliminate the word altogether. The same goes for plot holes; filling them in too quickly can sometimes lead to an entirely new set of difficulties. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">5. When I'm certain that I've found my problem areas, I use the notes on my index cards to make my corrections and then print out a fresh manuscript copy. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. My next job is to create a
chapter-by-chapter outline. For this I again use index cards and note down the one-to-two most important scenes per chapter. I then type the list into chapter order. At the same time I also like to consider what the purpose of each chapter is. I do this for both my own notes and as a possible addition to the outline if I feel it will shed more light on the individual chapers.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">7. Now that I have my outline, I write a one-sentence log line describing my book: a character, what he/or she wants, why they can't have it . . . . Very concise, very simple.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">8. From this small start I then write a one-paragraph book description.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9. Followed by a one-page synopsis.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">10. Followed by a two-page synopsis.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">11. I then write at least three different types of bio-notes: a few sentences; one paragraph; half a page.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">12. I research agents, editors, and contests.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">13. I then write a query letter based on my synopsis.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">14. My final step is to create 12 separate submission packages each one tweaked to individual agent requirements (e.g. one agent wants a letter, a one-page synopsis, the first chapter. Another might want a letter, an outline, a one-paragraph bio and the first 50 pages. Whatever, I like to have each piece prepared for when and how it's needed.) Once my packages are ready, I send them out, usually by email or through an online submission form.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">15. And while my book is doing the rounds, I get to work on my next manuscript. Yep, it never ends!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>The whole secret to this final stage of manuscript preparation and submission is to remember Rome wasn't built in a day. It's tempting to want to get the whole thing over and done with and as quickly as possible, but baby steps are key. Set aside 30-minutes to an hour a day solely to work on each of the above steps. Take your time and enjoy the process. And keep writing!<br /></span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-34765959520082802532021-06-28T10:09:00.002-06:002023-06-29T11:06:05.626-06:00Camp NaNoWrimo 2021: 31 Prompts for 31 Days<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiheyWOYQak/YMpYcfMN5kI/AAAAAAAADJw/RYkYVZWRtI8k-QTFngLOaHrka7MvjvmoACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_101608884.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiheyWOYQak/YMpYcfMN5kI/AAAAAAAADJw/RYkYVZWRtI8k-QTFngLOaHrka7MvjvmoACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/dreamstime_xxl_101608884.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© creativecommonsimages / </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dreamstime.com</span></span></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Who's
up for <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-camp-nanowrimo?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HQ%2021%20June%20Newsletter&utm_content=HQ%2021%20June%20Newsletter+CID_b90b6f2e04a8562743b0620c11a54dd8&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Camp%20NaNoWriMo%20banner%20Subway-style%20writingiconography%20that%20says%20Your%20Story%20Starts%20Here%20Camp%20NaNoWriMo%202021%20in%20front%20of%20an%20illustrated%20background%20of%20a%20woman%20looking%20at%20paintings%20in%20a%20museum">Camp NaNoWriMo</a>? Me, for one! I can't believe I'm saying this, but come July I'm going for it. I
am so ready for a new writing project, especially because my WIP novel, <i>Ghazal</i>, will be officially, completely, finally FINISHED and fully edited on July 4th. Yep. Fireworks, watermelon, silly hats--I want it all because the journey (at least until I begin submission and publication) is over. So where better to celebrate than camp? <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The nice thing about Camp NaNoWriMo is you can set your own goals: 50K words for the month, 100K, 30 pages, whatever feels right. This year I am foregoing word and/or page quotas and simply choosing to write, by hand, for 30-60 minutes a day. Nice and simple and very relaxing. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To make the experience extra easy and fun, I've created my own list of prompts that I'm happy to share with you. Feel free to use any or all of them, in any order, or even shake them up with your own
ideas and additions. Here we go:<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Camp NaNoWriMo 2021 Writing Prompts</b> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. My favorite prompt of all time is from Natalie Goldberg, so it's the perfect place to start: Freewrite from the words <i>"I remember"</i> using your main character's point of view.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Develop a back story for your primary antagonist or villain that has made him/her who they are today.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. Write a scene that includes the arrival of a puzzling gift from an unknown source.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">4. Write about your characters' relationships to food.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">5. Create fictional homes and neighborhoods for your characters. Include maps for extra credit.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. Write about something your main character avoids doing and why.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">7. Write about your characters' worst fears. Make note of how these could appear in a big way at the end of your story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">8. Write about a serious misunderstanding your main character has with a family member.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">9.
Your main character has to travel somewhere they don't want to go to.
Choose a destination and write a scene where they are a fish out of
water.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">10. Write about your main character's favorite childhood memory and why it's important to your story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">11. Write about your main character's worst holiday experience. Now do the same for your antagonist.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">12.
Put your character in a natural setting, a park, a nature reserve, a
lonely forest. Why are they there? What are they doing? How could this
develop your plot?<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">13. Research an unusual profession and then find a way to include it in your story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">14. Go somewhere and observe a stranger. Create a role for this person in your story.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">15. Write a scene where your characters who have been friendly with each other are now beyond furious. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">16.
Find a painting you love and write about why your main character loves
it too. Turn it into a metaphor that can be used in your story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">17. Write about a terrible encounter your main character has with an animal.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">18. Write about your main character or antagonist suddenly encountering a family member they didn't know they had.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">19.
What is the emotion your main character is terrified of expressing?
Write a scene where they have to express it or lose something or someone
important to them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">20.
Make a word pool. Cut out 30 interesting words and headlines from
magazines. See if you can use any as prompts for today as well as any future writing sessions.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">21. Write a scene where your main character suddenly falls ill. What's wrong with them? How could this affect your story?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">22. Write a letter from your main character to someone they miss being with.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">23. Write about a memory your main character has never shared. Why is it so painful or private? <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">24. Write a scene with your main character set in a moving car or truck. Where are they going and why? Now do the same for your antagonist.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">25.
Create an imaginary still life from objects in your main character's
house. Write about each object and the memory associated with it.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">26. Write about your antagonist visiting a cemetery. Who have they gone to see and why?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">27. Write a scene that involves your antagonist spying on your main character. What do they see, hear, do?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">28. Write about a special event your main character doesn't want to attend. Why don't they want to be there? Send them anyway.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">29. Write about your antagonist's happiest day. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">30. Write the full ending to your story, even if you have 300 pages left to go.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">31.
Cut out five magazine images (people, places, things) and see where
they could fit into scenes you have already written to give added depth,
description, and value.<br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>Most of these prompts are springboards to dig into characters' backgrounds, motivations, strengths and weaknesses. My plan for when I'm finished is to take what I discover and then create an outline for a full-fledged plot. That way, come November 2021, I'll be thoroughly prepared for, you guessed it: NaNoWriMo 50K! See you in the craft room.</span></span><br />Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-83838252004525354672021-05-26T14:45:00.000-06:002021-05-26T14:45:13.941-06:007 Ways to Stay Creative Every Day<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XD2zjOkpeFM/YKvcAWXxMVI/AAAAAAAADJM/1ys94cpy7AIHzKfWeDMJ6c3caQFxa_JTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/img157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="2048" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XD2zjOkpeFM/YKvcAWXxMVI/AAAAAAAADJM/1ys94cpy7AIHzKfWeDMJ6c3caQFxa_JTwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h297/img157.jpg" title="Quick pastel study on watercolor paper. 15 minutes." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quick pastel pencil and watercolor study on Arches paper. 20 minutes.</span></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Stay creative every day. </span></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's a great idea, but how do you really put it into practice? Especially on the days when time goes by like quicksilver and you barely have time to breathe, let alone work on your novel or latest series of pen and ink marine sketches.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Life has been a lot like that for me this last month. I'm lucky if I get to revise a single WIP page a day. Don't even mention editing a full chapter. But none of that means I've given up on my creativity or any of my on-going projects. What it does mean is that I've had to maintain <i>momentum</i>, keeping the ball rolling on the days when my time and energy are so limited it seems I will never complete a single project this year.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">After a lot of trial and error, though, I've discovered seven things I can do to keep my creativity afloat on both the good and bad days, starting with: </span></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1.<b> Eat breakfast.</b> Lunch and dinner too. Not only is a balanced, healthy diet good for boosting your spirits and stamina throughout the day, it can also be an overlooked source of daily creativity. Preparing meals that you enjoy on both a culinary and visual level can easily go beyond just finding something to eat. How about sketching, photographing, or writing about your favorite meals before or after eating? Who knows, you might end up with a cookbook, or a memoir. If nothing else you can add the same meals to feed your fictional characters on the written page. I love books that make me hungry for a serving of<i> pad thai</i> or a plate of brie and fresh garden pears. For some helpful ideas on how to use food in your writing as well as what to cook for yourself, visit my posts on <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2017/06/food-glorious-food.html">how to use food in your writing</a>, along with <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2010/04/food-for-thought-and-other-creative.html">vegetarian meal suggestions</a> and how to make <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2014/04/s-is-for-sunset-vegetarian-cookbook.html">The Colonel's Muesli</a> for the best breakfast ever.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. <b>Find time to sit still and do nothing.</b> Call it a nap, meditation, or sheer idleness, but it's good to sit still, close your eyes, and release the need to "stay busy" for at least 15 minutes a day. Be comfortable with letting the world spin for a bit without feeling that you have to help push it along. Once you've learned to relax into "non-action" you'll also be amazed at how many ideas and solutions to creative dilemmas will come to mind.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. <b>Spend 20 minutes making friends with your tools and materials.</b> Experiment. Play. Scribble some pastels on toned paper. Arrange some magazine cut-outs into a quick collage or a found poem. Freewrite with purple gel pens. The key is to go <i>fast</i>. In under half an hour you'll have accomplished at least two objectives: 1) You've exercised your creative muscles, and 2) You will have a piece of art or writing that can either be considered a finished piece or a starting point for further exploration. And all on the day you thought you'd never get anything done. A genuine win-win.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">4. <b>Read.</b> I can't imagine a day without reading--fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays--and I hope you can't either. Literature feeds the soul. To me it's as important (maybe more so!) as food. The only downside to falling in love with a wonderful book or story is wanting to stay with it, <i>"just one more chapter!"</i> Which is usually when you realize you've been reading so long you haven't done a thing to foster your own creative pursuits. My answer to this is to set a timer for when I want to read during the day (30 minutes is perfect), or I use reading as a reward, what I get to do after I've written my own word quotas or filled in a few sketchbook pages. Another tactic is to read only at night, choosing a book over a movie or TV program.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">5. <b>Declutter</b>. Toss or recycle at least one item a day: an old piece of mail; a worn-out T-shirt; a spool with 10 inches of thread left on it. We all have things that are unnecessary, taking up needed space without adding anything in return, or belongings that we can't stand having in our lives any longer. The other night I overhead someone say, "If you don't like it, throw it away." At first I was a little shocked, but then it made total sense. How can you maintain a creative life with things that disturb you, or that keep you stuck in some debilitating way? Surround yourself with only what inspires you, or as Marie Kondo teaches, "brings you joy."<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. <b>Develop a "limited" journal style</b>. While journaling is always an excellent creative pursuit in itself, it can easily be neglected while we're immersed in a larger project. Either we're too busy to journal, or worse, feel we don't have anything to write about. <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2010/02/take-twelve.html">My answer here is to think in terms of 12</a>. Open your journal and number from 1-12, leaving as much space between lines as you think you'll need to express a full thought. When you're finished, jot down twelve amazing things that happened during the day. Or twelve things you liked about the book you're reading, or twelve things you don't like. Twelve things to be grateful for. Twelve possibilities for your next WIP scene. Twelve things you'd like to paint or draw. Use any of the twelve points as subjects to journal about in more depth when you have more time. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">7. <b>Set out what you need to accomplish your next day's work.</b> Before you go to bed each night, choose what it is you want to do with your creativity the following day or weekend. Perhaps you want to work on a particular chapter of your WIP, or you want to prepare a collection of magazine headlines to have ready for a found poem. Decide what you need to have available to fulfill your task and then assemble the pieces, laying everything on your desk or work space in advance. Set out your notes, your chapter drafts, your fountain pens, reference photos, paper and paints in one convenient place. When you're ready to work, every pen, dictionary, and chocolate bar is there for you, no excuses and no wasted time hunting down your tools.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> Staying creative every day is really about <i>living</i> creatively every day. Paying extra attention to things we might not regard as inherently "creative" can turn the ho-hum into the spectacular. Choosing to wear our "good clothes" for an ordinary outing; adding extra sparkle and personality to an email; making a gift for a friend; planting a summer garden--it all adds up to a wonderful, and creative, life. Enjoy!</span></span> <br /></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-43963812064398569552021-04-28T16:21:00.001-06:002021-04-28T16:21:25.409-06:00Nearly Forgot: National Poetry Month<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9rr07PNrTak/YImgH0qhbzI/AAAAAAAADIc/smYB1BLdnSUultYdbSaff4kVUE8aO3rRgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/img111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1583" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9rr07PNrTak/YImgH0qhbzI/AAAAAAAADIc/smYB1BLdnSUultYdbSaff4kVUE8aO3rRgCNcBGAsYHQ/w247-h320/img111.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Small Fish in a Big World.</i> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Ink and gold watercolor, 9" x 12". </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Until this morning, I had forgotten that April was National Poetry Month. However, thanks to a tweet I spotted when I turned on my computer first thing, I was suddenly reminded of how much I used to enjoy participating in 30-day April poetry challenges. They were great, creative, fun . . . I always signed up to take part. Then came 2020 and I got a little, uh, distracted. I didn't even <i>think</i> of poetry, not once.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, today when I read a tweet from author, poet, and memoirist Diana Raab (@dianaraab,<a href="https://dianaraab.com"> dianaraab.com</a>) suggesting the idea of starting a poem with the words<i> </i>"<i>I don't know" </i>it all came back to me. I wanted to write a poem. I HAD TO WRITE A POEM! 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</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I do not know why
things</i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i>are falling apart
</i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i>faster than a
cheap pair of shoes,</i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i>or why I no
longer want to write, </i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i>or why I wake up
feeling sick in</i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i>the middle of the
night.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>I guess it turns out I'm tired</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>(so little sleep!)<br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>and falling apart myself.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>Somehow, I think, I must sew the pieces back,</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>to stitch and try to resurrect, like Isis,</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>the scattered parts of a body</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>that has to carry me forward still.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>Just breathe, I tell myself, </i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>just breathe and carry on.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>One day we will fall together again,</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>pieces of a puzzle, <br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>meteors from the sky,</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>ash that falls like snow. </i></p></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"> * * *<br /></p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">And that's my poem for today. I think I've re-inspired myself enough to not only work on my WIP (don't worry, I still want to write) but also to get back into the poetry habit on a more regular basis. I didn't realize until today how much I've missed it. Although the month is nearly over, there's the entire rest of the year to fill a journal or two. With gel pens!<br /></p></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> Create your own poetry challenge for any time of the year. Find a theme that fits a particular month or season (summer, weddings, family reunions, autumn leaves) and make a list of 30-31 prompts to help you start each daily session. Collecting magazine cut-outs can be an excellent resource for interesting and unusual ideas. Explore, experiment, and keep in mind there's no such thing as "the right way" to write a poem. Enjoy the journey. Let me know how it goes.<br /></p></span></span>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-50018491117111706272021-03-25T13:14:00.000-06:002021-03-25T13:14:50.128-06:00Spring into Spring! Try Something New<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nibn-v_2c8w/YFEN6Mi6UAI/AAAAAAAADHw/zJkyCjB1pZw4n5zuwN_INxHXtrQstr0ogCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_93682625.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nibn-v_2c8w/YFEN6Mi6UAI/AAAAAAAADHw/zJkyCjB1pZw4n5zuwN_INxHXtrQstr0ogCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/dreamstime_xxl_93682625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Creative Commons Zero / Dreamstime.com</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Spring, Everyone! What are you going to do with this happy and colorful season? How about giving yourself the gift of a brand new creative start? For instance:</span></span><br /></p><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Try writing in a new genre. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although I primarily consider myself a literary author with a background in writing for young readers, I've always wanted to try writing a traditional mystery for grown-ups. With that goal in mind, I've purchased a copy of Hallie Ephron's <i>How to Write and Sell Your Mystery Novel</i>. The book is brimming with dozens of useful exercises designed to cover all aspects of the genre, exactly what I needed to get going. Conversely, if you've written several mysteries already, you might want to try writing a historical romance, or a children's picture book. Spread your wings!<br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Draw or paint in a new medium. </b>(Even one you usually resist.) The key here is to not worry about results and to focus on exploration. If you've only painted with watercolor, try oil paint, charcoal, or melted crayon. Often you can surprise yourself by using untried materials in your own way, rather than "following the directions." <br /></span></span></li></ul><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Take a Five-day Challenge. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="ttps://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-value-of-five-day-challenge.html">Five-day challenges</a> are a great way to start or finish a particular project, especially one that's caused you to stall or procrastinate. Five days may not seem like a lot, but it's astonishing how much you can accomplish if you make the effort to show up every day. So what have you been putting off? </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Starting your novel? Hemming a quilt? Painting a series of animal portraits? Set aside a dedicated time to work for five days straight and plan to be amazed at your progress.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Buy a new journal or sketchbook and use it for a single theme. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">While it's easy and tempting to use your journal or sketchbook as a catch-all for every fresh idea or observation that pops into your head, it can be far more rewarding to assign one subject per book. Using one sketchbook for drawing faces and hands, and another for ink studies of trees can help eliminate the problem many artists have of wondering "what to draw or paint" every day. It's the same with writing. Having a journal solely for, say, character studies, and another for poetry means you'll be ready to write the minute you sit down at your desk.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Choose a subject to research. </b>A good friend of mine has just returned to her home in Mexico from a trip to Guatemala. I'd love to do something similar, but travel's not an option for me right now. However, that doesn't mean I can't go for a little armchair travel with the help of my laptop and local library. One of the subjects I've decided to explore based on my friend's journey is Mayan<i> </i>clothing. I've become captivated with the hand woven and embroidered <i>huipiles </i>that<i> </i>Frida Kahlo so famously wore. After only a few pages of research I'm already inspired to dive into some new sewing, drawing, and painting projects utilizing these wonderful designs. <b> </b><br /><b></b></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Write some flash fiction. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The beauty of flash fiction is its brevity. Set a timer, set a word length, choose a word prompt, and get ready to write. Although you may want to edit, revise, and polish your work at a later date, the secret to good flash fiction is to immerse yourself in the moment: write as fast as you can in as short a space as you can. Let the words take over. Approach the exercise as a game or challenge rather than a race to perfection.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Try virtual school: watch a series of how-to videos and don't forget to do your homework. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">While my favorites are always the art classes, </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">there is simply no limit to what you can learn online. What's important here, though, is to go beyond being a passive viewer and to put what you've learned into practice before moving on to the next video.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Find a discarded manuscript or some old sketchbook pages and rework them. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you're anything like me, you have a cupboard or storage box filled with practice work: sketches and story snippets that may not be your best but certainly helped you reach the skill level you have today. Open the box and see if there's anything you can salvage and re-use. Is there a story you can completely revamp with new characters and settings? Can you draw or paint fresh pictures based on your old sketches? (Bonus tip: Is there anything you can part with and declutter while you're at it?)<br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Write, draw, or paint with an unusual implement. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Try writing or drawing with a coffee stirrer, a bamboo stick, a broken twig, a feather, your fingertips.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Pencil tip erasers. Your non-dominant hand.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Gold ink, tea bags, squashed flower petals. Play with a variety of supports: cardboard, newspaper, an old sheet or a piece of unwanted clothing. Let your creativity flow.<br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Create some found poetry. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2010/07/lost-and-found-finding-poetry-part-i.html">Found poetry</a> is much more than cutting out groups of eye-catching words and phrases from old books and magazines, or reassembling the entrees listed in a menu to read like a sonnet: it's what you bring to the table as a writer and artist that turns the mundane into a work of art. Rather than transcribing a handful of found words from junk mail and shopping lists onto a blank page, try gluing your finds onto an interesting background, one you've painted, or in the same way as your text, rescued from the trash. <br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Explore nature. </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There's nothing like being outside to clear the mind and get the ideas rolling. Creative activities can span the range from planting a garden to starting a nature journal. Try sketching or writing outdoors more than you usually do; visit a botanic reserve or park; sew an apron for yard-work. Buy some cheap terra cotta planters and decorate them with paint or collage you varnish onto the surface. Glue on some seashells or glass tiles. <br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Leap out of your comfort zone. </b>Yes, leap! And don't overlook stretching, bending, walking, dancing and moving in any direction you can. One of the greatest dangers of modern creative life is the tendency to sit still for hours and hours at a time while your brain is moving at lightning speed. If you've ever stood up from a lengthy computer session and groaned from the kink in your back, you'll know exactly what I mean. Not only will moving at regular intervals help to improve and maintain your physical health, it's important for your emotional well-being, too. Writers and artists can be hard on themselves and a quick walk around the block has the power to change everything. <br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tip of the Day: </span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Creative exploration should be fun--and easy. If you're a writer who's never picked up so much as a pink pastel, don't pass up an attractive paint-by-number kit or an adult coloring book. It's the same for artists; your local bookstore or library has shelves and shelves of inspiring how-to books for beginners wishing to take their first steps into poetry or memoir. Go for the basics and see what you like. It might be the start of something big!</span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></b><br /></p></div>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-36472878296781479912021-02-25T10:51:00.000-07:002021-02-25T10:51:12.145-07:00Achievement and All That Jazz<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGHMh6WCNL8/YCq14bS3-PI/AAAAAAAADG0/7U9z6_dSWPgJ9WQDccymhjbKNamgYckDACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Dancing%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbeach.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGHMh6WCNL8/YCq14bS3-PI/AAAAAAAADG0/7U9z6_dSWPgJ9WQDccymhjbKNamgYckDACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Dancing%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbeach.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© dreamstime.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Dancing on the beach</i> . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've loved this photograph from the minute I found it. It was just what I was looking for to use in my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJai6gQonI">book trailer</a> for <b><i>Better Than Perfect</i></b>, my YA novel set in 1970s New Zealand. The scene made me think of "poised for success," which was exactly how I wanted to portray one of the book's central characters, Ravenna St. James. Ravenna is a teenage girl on the brink of adulthood pushed by her mother and family to achieve more than she is emotionally capable of. Her younger cousin and the first-person narrator of the story, Elizabeth Haddon, is forced to live with Ravenna and her family when her own mother dies. Living in Ravenna's shadow as she sails from one glory to the next, Elizabeth begins to doubt her own self-worth and fears she will never do anything in life to equal or surpass her cousin's many achievements. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Elizabeth has always been one of my favorite characters. Her concerns and struggles to get somewhere in life are feelings I believe we all deal with on one level or another from the day we're born: our first smile, our first words and steps, our first "A" for spelling. Woe betide the child who's running a little behind or to a different drumbeat!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">What got me thinking about achievement and its accompanying baggage was reading a tweet (what would I do without Twitter . . . ) about how difficult it was to write an author biography, you know, those paragraphs you're supposed to include with your manuscript submission package along with your synopsis and marketing plan. Personally I hate writing them. All I can ever think of is, I lived here, I lived there, I am boring. When I do take the leap and try to include any accomplishments that might make me sound like a more interesting person, I immediately pull back, thinking: <i>Whoa, stop right there. That's way too braggy, tone it down. And cut out all that arty stuff. Nobody wants to read about your bead making or silver clay experiments. </i>Which then leaves me with: I lived here and there and have a BA. Whoopee!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">This isn't the first time I've wondered about what is a real achievement. Last year in particular when we were first getting used to lock downs and the lack of genuine social interaction the subject truly troubled me because 2020 was meant to be <b><i>The Year of Achievement!</i></b> I had made so many plans in the weeks prior to the pandemic to put myself forward, to enter art shows, to sell my jewelry at craft fairs, and of course to market and sell my manuscripts. Then practically overnight all the doors slammed shut. Even my agent couldn't get a single response from the publishers she tried to contact. How could I achieve anything locked in my room? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">The answer was to keep going regardless of circumstance and to create my own definition of achievement. In my journal I wrote: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Achievement doesn't have to be grand, showy, or seen by the neighbors. Achievement is reaching your own self-created milestones, taking on something you love but that also has degrees of difficulty that require dedication. Achievement is sticking to your plan and seeing it through to the very end.</b></i> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Following that, I then wrote my steps to get there:<br /></span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Focus, focus, focus. Be still and pinpoint exactly what it is I can do with limited opportunity.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Choose one project to work on at a time. Just one, and fall in love with it.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Give that project my full attention and effort.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Commit to finishing, no matter what. <br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Use and appreciate adversity--find the silver lining. For instance, without my usual daily distractions, classes, and groups I can find loads of extra writing, drawing, and creative time. Seize the day!<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Use positive affirmations, e.g., <i>"I wake up happy to focus and continue writing my novel."</i></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">My list worked. Looking back over 2020 and now into the wide open space of 2021, I feel I achieved quite a lot. And you can too, one small or large action at a time. The main thing to keep in mind is never underestimate your achievements, and never compare them to others. Each achievement is unique and valuable in its own right. Don't fall into the trap of thinking achievement means
publishing a best-seller or getting a six-figure publishing deal. These things are only for the moment anyway, wonderful high points good until it's time to repeat them. More often than not the true achievement is having the courage to write,
edit, and polish a 300-page manuscript that may never see the light of
day but one you're willing to submit 564 times before you call it quits. (But please don't quit.) </span></span><br /><b></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Whether you're writing an author biography, an artist statement, or just a daily journal entry, a good first step to evaluating your true achievements is to make a list of <i>every</i> past thing you regard as important to you, great and small. Don't censor yourself. Have fun, be braggy, be silly. Now pick the top three that relate best to whatever it is you're drafting and expand on those.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I promise you'll be surprised at just how accomplished and fascinating you really are! </span></span></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-14711416236478629982021-02-04T12:11:00.000-07:002021-02-04T12:11:40.944-07:00On the Subject of Erasers<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8cZipC4ly8/YBm-rCVJzhI/AAAAAAAADGk/5dmY2jBPAGUAGnhyWflavR1vwpTqtilIQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_89508372.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8cZipC4ly8/YBm-rCVJzhI/AAAAAAAADGk/5dmY2jBPAGUAGnhyWflavR1vwpTqtilIQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/dreamstime_xxl_89508372.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© commonstockphotos / dreamstime.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>As
much as it would be great to erase 2020, it's a good thing I
can't. The year taught me more than I could ever have imagined, and I'm
grateful for what I was able to learn and even enjoy during one of the strangest times of my life. And it's not over yet!<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>2020 makes me think of when I
was first learning to draw: it was hard, but I was determined to not
give up, even when my art teacher said: <i><b>"Never use an eraser."</b></i> Never? <i>Never ever?</i> You're kidding! It sounded horrific, but I was also intrigued and my curiosity impelled me to give it a go.<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Coincidentally, it was around this same time that I was reading Natalie Goldberg's <i>Writing Down the Bones</i> and her advice on freewriting: <i>just write, don't think, don't cross out or erase what you've written. </i>Wow; don't erase applied to writing too? </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>It does, and I've never looked back. First thoughts and first marks are often our freshest and most honest, especially when we're working on the first draft of anything: a short
story idea, the final chapter of a work-in-progress, a sketch of the garden, a journal entry--<i>just write, just draw, and most of all, don't worry.</i> Here's why: <br /></span></span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>When we are learning to write or draw or even plant petunias, yes, we want our work to be "right."
And of course it's important to eventually learn correct and pleasing proportions, grammar, and sentence structure, but erasing won't
make that happen. Only doing the work will teach you what "right" means and what's right for you. If you think a
line in your drawing is crooked or wonky and you really hate it--just
draw a new
one next to it.
Same with your writing. Think you've written a "dumb sentence?" Write
another one, one you like better. Keep going. (If you're afraid of
wasting paper, try writing or drawing on junk mail, old envelopes, used paper bags, or the backs of
manuscript pages. Whatever helps you to practice freely and fearlessly, do it.)</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Not using an eraser teaches you to make confident lines. That's why drawing in ink or writing by hand is such a good
discipline--it's not so easy to get rid of what you think you don't like. And who knows? You might love what you've drawn or written the next time you review it. How terrible it would be lose what might be the best of the entire piece.<br /></span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> Abandoning erasers can lead to developing your own style more quickly, especially with drawing. Keep in mind that a "perfect" drawing is often a boring drawing, one that could be made by any old "Anonymous." (Ditto for many a book.) </span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>At this point you might be asking, what about erasing the guidelines on a drawing that are the basis or outlines for a painting? Well, if you've got that far, congratulations! Leaving, or erasing, your pencil outlines is
entirely up to you, but personally I love seeing pencil lines in a
painting. Not only do they add, in my opinion, a lot of extra energy and
charm to the finished work, but they help me to see what the artist was
thinking and what his or her process was to develop the piece. </span></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span>Finally, not using an eraser can turn your drawing or writing practice sessions into memorable creative outings. Standard challenges such as "write for twenty minutes without stopping," or "draw an object or a skyline without lifting your pencil or
pen," are far more authentic when you don't erase. Gesture drawing in particular is a wonderful exercise that encourages you to draw from the heart without concern for results. (<a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2020/12/gesture-drawing-gesture-writing.html">You can read more about gesture drawing in my recent post on the topic here.)</a><br /></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>
</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span>If
it sounds as if I'm totally against erasers, believe me, I'm not. Revision work is an entire art in itself, and that's when
it's the appropriate time to examine what material to leave in and what
to leave out. For artists, erasers in all their many forms are amazing </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>tools for purposefully removing areas of graphite or charcoal to create highlights and white lines such as whiskers on a cat, or veins on a leaf. As for writers, pushing the "delete" button is invaluable when you've given your main character at least three different names and changed your setting midway from Ohio to France without realizing it. The secret is knowing when and why to use your eraser, and always with a light touch. Moderation in all things!</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b>Tip of the Day: </b>Here's
a nifty trick for those unused erasers: try making rubber stamps.
Whether you use the kind on the end of a pencil or those larger pink
rectangles you remember from school, you can easily cut and carve your
own design(s) with the aid of an craft knife. Tap the finished stamp into ink or paint to create plenty of new lockdown fun. (Note: Please be very, very careful--those blades are sharp! The Voice of Experience.) See you next time.<br /></span></span></span>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-22218594969267691232021-01-11T10:41:00.000-07:002021-01-11T10:41:50.936-07:00Start a Creativity Journal for 2021<div><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pSwPhu8aJMg/X8UxAHxUCFI/AAAAAAAADEc/QtoHvGq-TAoazRmBk3UywxASt_e5PmpsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_88696706.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pSwPhu8aJMg/X8UxAHxUCFI/AAAAAAAADEc/QtoHvGq-TAoazRmBk3UywxASt_e5PmpsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/dreamstime_xxl_88696706.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© creativecommonstockphotos / dreamstime.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy 2021! What are you going to write or make this year? Whatever it is, a good way to get started and stay on track is to use what I call a "creativity journal." Unlike a journal that records general daily thoughts and events, a creativity journal is a dedicated space solely for dreaming, planning, and keeping all of your "how to" notes and supply lists in one convenient place.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The notebook I'm using this year is the "Celeste" edition from Paperblanks and is meant to represent "<i>a Venetian morning alight with marvels." </i>(Sounds good to me!)<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReiEXdbpvqs/X_SoTC0uNOI/AAAAAAAADGE/Br2EotlNcjEildhO8dgE0GdGMWtu-0SmQCNcBGAsYHQ/s500/s-l640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReiEXdbpvqs/X_SoTC0uNOI/AAAAAAAADGE/Br2EotlNcjEildhO8dgE0GdGMWtu-0SmQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/s-l640.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The journal is a handy 7" x 5", just right for quick thoughts as well as more serious contemplation. I especially like the elastic band (not shown) attached to the back cover that keeps the journal closed when I'm not using it. I also like the creamy, high-quality paper and the nifty pocket glued to the inside back cover, great for business cards, receipts, and oh, you know, <i>stuff</i>.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the first things I like to do with my creativity journal is divide the pages into various sections and headings that I can complete, and refer to, throughout the year. Once these sections are in place I can go back to them at any time. For instance, I have sections for each month of the year with further areas to list how I plan to fill in the weeks. Other sections are specifically to log my ongoing progress with tasks such as manuscript drafts, painting series, or maintaining my blog. My final journal pages are left blank for all those deep, meaningful questions always at the top of my mind, e.g., <i>What do you long to make if time, money, and skill wasn't a problem? </i>Very important issues!<br /><i></i></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">More journal sections I've included in the past that you might like to try using are:<i> </i> </span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A place to record accomplishments, finished projects, sales and reviews.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A section for how-to notes taken from books or magazine articles.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Areas to paste in small motivational magazine photos and quotes.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pages for baby steps: things to do on a daily basis that will take me to the finishing line.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A place to list favorite supplies or ones I'd like to try in the future.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sales opportunity pages: lists of agents, editors, craft fairs, online sales outlets </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pages devoted to ideas for branding, asking myself, <i>What's my message; what's my theme?</i></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A place to list possible workshops, classes, books to read, or any areas I need to research in order to accomplish my goals.<i> <br /></i></span></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm sure you have plenty of other ideas for things to include in your own journal, but the one section I most enjoy is my vision board. This is something I usually spread over two facing pages, or better yet, the journal cover itself (unless, of course, I'm using a Paperblanks "Celeste" journal and wouldn't dream of pasting on a single sticker!). <br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To make a vision board in your journal, simply start by asking: <b><i>Where do I want to be by the end of the year? What kind of creative life do I want that will express my highest potential?</i></b> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rather than writing out your answers, go with your intuition and fill your board with collage and artwork. Use magazine cut-outs, glitter pen doodles, fortune cookie sayings, vintage ephemera, bits of junk mail, anything that visually portrays your goals for a colorful, exciting, and satisfying year ahead. <br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> Go slow. Take your time with your journal and remember creativity is a <i>process</i>. You've got a whole year ahead to fill in your journal pages with lists, plans, and ways to make your dreams come true; there's no need to rush. Some years I've had to wait all the way until December to know exactly what it was I wanted or needed to do. The main thing is to look upon your journal as yet another part of your creativity, so make it a joy to use. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wishing you the happiest of journal discoveries for a bright new year! </span></span><br /></p><p></p></div>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-49131211764175035712020-12-23T11:28:00.004-07:002020-12-23T13:26:36.277-07:00Happy Holidays! The Best of 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J5NQCUtb2iQ/X-JqCXzzWsI/AAAAAAAADF0/k4R9IMqzXpspMFGxPYqfmbKaI93-WfGXACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstimefree_438556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J5NQCUtb2iQ/X-JqCXzzWsI/AAAAAAAADF0/k4R9IMqzXpspMFGxPYqfmbKaI93-WfGXACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/dreamstimefree_438556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">© Joseph Cortes / Dreamstime.com</span><br /></span></div><div><div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The end of 2020. We made it! And I, for one, am totally worn out by the whole experience.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">All the same, and despite never-ending isolation and the constant struggle to stay motivated and connected (heck, I don't even have a telephone!), I was still able to come up with my traditional "best of" list for the year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2020's list may not include my usual favorites such as travel destinations, theater-released movies, writing conferences, or in-person workshops, but it does contain a full measure of joy and happy memories. That, and a lot of self-discovery; for instance, I learned that I love working with silver clay and that I can walk for a full two hours without needing to find an open cafe or a restroom. Who'd have thunk it?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But TMI aside, and without further ado, here's my "Best of 2020" list. I hope within it you'll find some useful ideas and inspiration to carry into 2021:<br /></span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best TV Series:</b> Boy, we sure watched a lot of TV this year. Many of my favorite programs were old British crime series that I found on YouTube, but the one that really stands out for me is <i>Trial and Retribution</i>. Great acting, great story lines, and each season is only 2 parts so there's always something new to look forward to. I'm currently watching Season 8, and will definitely be sad when I reach the end. <br /></span></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Book (Fiction):</b> Set in Shanghai and London, <i>When We Were Orphans</i> by Kazuo Ishiguru was not only the best book I read in 2020, but maybe ever (though I do tend to say that about most every book I read . . . oh, well, what can I say. There are a LOT of good books in the world). What struck me in particular about this one, though, was the ending--completely threw me. And that's all I'll say--no spoilers from me! But I <i>really</i> like this book.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><br /></li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Book (Nonfiction): </b><i>Life Meditations</i> by Edward J. Lavin, SJ. Right around the middle of the year I realized I needed a serious spiritual boost. Things that had worried and bothered me at the start of the pandemic were beginning to weigh me down in ways that were unbearable: I couldn't sleep, I felt angry and confused, I avoided my WIP manuscript, and the only things I wanted to draw or paint were dark, abandoned cities or bleak, barren landscapes, usually in black. Even my happy little bird paintings began to resemble nightmare figures. Then quite by chance I came across a copy of <i>Life Meditations</i> on a free, giveaway pile of used books. What a gift, and what a turnaround. Needless to say, I'm feeling a lot, lot better these days.<br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Art Supply Purchase:</b> Art Graf sticks, simple and effective drawing tools e</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">xactly like huge pencil leads without the wood casing. I bought my first sticks to add drama to my depressing city-scapes but then quickly learned they were great for cheery sketching too. Made in Portugal, the sticks can be used on their ends or sides, leaving wide swathes of graphite you then wet with a brush for instant shadows, clouds, and value contrasts. Amazing! <br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Online Activity:</b> Signing up for Domestika, an online art community based in Spain and offering so many types of art and creativity classes it makes my head spin. Check out <a href="https://valeriestorey.blogspot.com/2020/09/domestika.html">my recent post on the topic here</a>.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Restaurant:</b> The state of New Mexico seriously cracked down on indoor--and outdoor--dining this year, but many of us who could did our best to save our restaurants: curbside, patio, 25% indoor during the rare times it was possible--I was there! Albuquerque has some excellent places to eat, but to my mind one of the best is our local French bistro: Le Troquet, a tiny treasure straight out of a Parisian novel. The food is delicious and the staff is sincere in their wish to serve.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Yum!<br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best New Project:</b> As mentioned above, working with silver clay has given me an entirely new, and exciting, range of items to add to my jewelry-making efforts.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The only downside is the price; silver <i>is</i> expensive, but as my hope is to start selling my jewelry, maybe next year, the cost of materials will be well worth the initial price.<br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Walking Route:</b> It might not be Barcelona, but I certainly have found some wonderful places to walk in Albuquerque over these last long and lonely months.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> So far my absolute best is to walk along the ponds at Tingley Beach and from there carry on to the (closed) Albuquerque Aquarium where I can at least sit on the very attractive patio to catch my breath before heading home.<br /></span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Discovery:</b> Tiny libraries! I never even knew this was a thing, but I've found these delightful little structures scattered all over my neighborhood offering books for the taking and shelves to fill with whatever I have to give back. It's now become part of my walking routine to leave a book as I set out and take a new one at the end.<br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Best Accomplishment:</b> I got quiet. Real quiet, and in the process I learned to slow down and take my day step by step. I got things done, I made progress, and was grateful for every finished page.<br /></span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So there we are. I hope 2020 hasn't been too sad, scary, or uneventful for you, and if it has, take heart, we're almost at the finishing line. The madness will end. Until then, wishing you a stronger, happier, and wonderfully creative 2021!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day: </b>No matter what happens, we can always dance</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">:</span></span></p><p></p></div></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TH4V-yHbJXk" width="560"></iframe>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7098723584551785561.post-84008371345595943102020-12-02T11:21:00.003-07:002020-12-02T16:54:39.325-07:00Gesture Drawing, Gesture Writing<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEUQJ_LI368/X8P7OAulDmI/AAAAAAAADEA/Oq9gvA2ZU1AQce07hN-MD9JSHdZjVbMwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s2557/DSC03367.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="2557" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEUQJ_LI368/X8P7OAulDmI/AAAAAAAADEA/Oq9gvA2ZU1AQce07hN-MD9JSHdZjVbMwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03367.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gesture drawings on newsprint using my favorite Koh-i-Noor Magic Pencil<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Way back in January 2020 when the world was a bit more normal I did two things that while temporarily gone now, managed to keep me from throwing in the creativity towel. The first was when I joined a local drawing group that met on Thursdays after lunch, and the second was attending life drawing sessions with the New Mexico Art League. The one element these two groups had in common was an emphasis on figure drawing, and in particular, <i>gesture drawing</i>.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the time of joining these groups, I wasn't a stranger to gesture drawing, I just hadn't done very much of it. I'd certainly<i> read</i> about it in various art books, and even got to try it out several times during some basic art classes. But other than those rare instances, I'd never really taken the idea seriously, or made it a part of my daily drawing practice.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">All that changed in January, especially in the Thursday group where gesture drawing practically took center stage. Every week it was the first thing we did as soon as we were seated around the art table with big pads of newsprint, soft pencils and pastels, sometimes paint, and of course our model--which was always each and every one of us. We took turns holding poses for up to a minute or so at a time with usually about five to six different contortions: some hilariously funny, some more difficult to maintain than others, and all of them, I now realize, incredibly valuable. Being comfortable with a loose and imperfect drawing style that centered on shapes rather than details grew my confidence as an artist, especially when I found myself side-by-side with a roomful of professionals at the NM Art League! <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although I only got to attend a limited amount of sessions with these two very different art groups before Covid closed everything down, I miss them terribly. In retrospect I learned so much from those timed drawings: <i>go for the energy; don't think, just draw; find the most important and dynamic lines.</i> One of the main things that struck me was how similar gesture drawing was to freewriting: <i>write, don't think; don't stop to edit; don't censor yourself; first thoughts are often the best thoughts.</i><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When Albuquerque went into lockdown I was truly saddened by the harshness of our restrictions and how I was left without access to friends or creative groups of any kind. I wasn't sure how I would stay on track as far as self-discipline went for either writing or drawing. That's when I realized I had to continue with my gesture drawings, even if it was only me and my laptop. With a small amount of research I was able to find dozens of timed drawing sessions on YouTube complete with excellent models and relaxing soundtracks. Now I can't imagine a day going by without doing some sort of gesture drawing practice. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">More than anything, whether we're in lockdown or not, gesture drawing feels good. I love the immediacy of throwing myself into a fast drawing accompanied by the sensation of using my whole body to draw--the exact same way I jump into my freewriting. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some tips that can help your drawing or freewriting sessions to feel equally alive are to:</span></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Time your sessions, starting with small increments of 1, 2, or ten minutes and building up to a half- or full hour.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Keep turning the pages; don't be afraid of starting and stopping a line without perfecting or adding detail. Keep going for the new, the fresh, the strongest points of interest.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Seek out the story wherever you are or from whatever your eye catches. Gesture drawing isn't only about people; cats, dogs, trees, tropical fish, table lamps and laundry can provide you with insightful "poses" that you can use to draw or write about with genuine meaning.<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Use a magazine for reference if you really don't have anything to inspire you on the spot. Open the cover and go through the pages from first to last, moving from one eye-catching photograph or headline to the next. Keep your pen moving.<br /></span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Both gesture drawing and freewriting are often thought of as preliminary warm-up exercises before we get to the "real thing." But I think that's a little dismissive and contrary to the heart of creativity: sometimes the quickest sketches--written as well as drawn--can be the most compelling and beautiful. The value of our art shouldn't be measured by the time spent making it.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, when you're finished drawing or writing for the day, don't be too hasty to toss or tear up your work because you thought it was solely for exercise. Put your pages aside and wait a week or two before evaluating which pieces you like best and which you want to keep, or not. You can either use them as the foundations for a more finished body of work, or simply to save and enjoy for being themselves.<br /><b></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Tip of the Day:</b> One of the best parts of gesture drawing is the chance to experiment with different mediums, something you can use to liven up your freewriting, too. For instance, try writing in an oversized sketchbook with colored gel pens (including gold and silver of course!), soft artists' pencils, or dip pens and bottled ink. It's amazing how breaking away from the familiar (e.g., a computer keyboard) can open entire worlds of possibility and unexplored creativity.</span></span> <br /></p>Valerie Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07268024891298960915noreply@blogger.com0