Tag: Creativity

Are You Viewing the Canyon From the Rim?

Several years ago my husband asked me to join him for a two-day guided mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. At first, I hesitated to give him an answer. I have no riding skills and I’m fearful of heights.

Even so, I began to entertain his suggestion. I’ve always wanted the experience of of being inside the canyon, instead of standing at the rim, so I agreed to go. Once he made our flight arrangements, there was no turning back. In the meantime, I focused on trying to think positive thoughts about what might await us.

Have you ever allowed fear to stop you from experiencing more in life? A few weeks ago one of my friends commented she wants to write more, but is fearful her work will be rejected by others. She avoids writing by busying herself with other activities until she no longer has time available. Her fear has become a source of self-protection. I appreciate her honesty. The first step to overcoming fear is acknowledging it.

I will never forget something I heard author Tosca Lee say at a conference. “Write like no one will see this.” Her advice helped me chase away fear and give myself permission to create. I believe we need to banish the self-critic in order to let our thoughts flow onto paper. Until we engage in our art, we will not move forward.

Maybe what you write will only be read by you. Perhaps it will be shared with close friends or family. Not all of our creative works are worthy of publication. Rejection goes with the territory, whether it be from an editor, a friend, or a spouse. Sometimes my husband proofs my work and says, “I’m not getting this.” Then I know I haven’t made myself clear. Time for another revision. Rejection can make us better writers.

Accept the reality that there are people who can write better than you. Comparing ourselves to others chokes our creativity. Our culture demands instant success. But how do people achieve success? First they decide to start. Then they decide to continue. Most marathon runners begin by competing in a 5K. Slowly, they continue to build their stamina by participating in longer races.

We can receive encouragement from Scripture when facing fearful situations. One of my “go to” verses is Proverbs 29:25. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

Just like a snare traps a small animal, fear traps us from pursuing our dreams. Pray for courage to throw off fear and trust God to take you where He wants you to go.

When I first descended into the Grand Canyon, I was afraid to look to the right or left of the trail. I kept my focus straight ahead on Olga, my mule. I realized she had traveled the path many times before. As Olga continued to steadily plod along, I began to relax and enjoy the beautiful landscape around me.

Ask yourself what really matters in life. Are you content to stay in your comfort zone, or is it time to stop viewing the canyon from the rim?

Poetry 101

Take yourself to a comfortable place

One without pain, loneliness, or suffering.

A quiet place

Far from the stress of living.

Center yourself

Between the future and the past

In a time called today.

Experience the gentleness of the moment

Nothing is owed,

No obligations or responsibilities.

You are riding on the crest of a wave

Carried by God’s will and no other.

In this space you discover

How to visualize.

Words fall onto the page like raindrops

One at a time

Until the deluge

All of a sudden—

the page is drenched,

and a poem is born.

Exercise in OO

Sue jumped out of bed, she knew what to do.

She pulled on her jeans and shouted, “yahoo!”

“I’ve got the day off, so I’ll visit to the zoo.”

The gates had just opened, the visitors few.

“Hello,” Sue smiled to the grounds-keeping crew.

“You do a great job, this place looks brand new.”

Inside the birdhouse Sue’s interest grew.

High overhead her feathered friends flew.

A rainbow of colors, some red, and some blue.

Then a strange voice rose above every coo.

“Hello pretty lady, how do you do?”

Parting the foliage for a better view.

Perched on a limb sat a fat cock-a-too.

Dear Reader,

I had fun writing this poem. After finishing “Exercise in OO” I realized there are countless possibilities poets have at their disposal. Poetry can be serious or fun. I tapped into the idea from a resource: “5-Minute Daily Writing Prompts” by Tarn Wilson. Begin by listing all the words you can think of which contain the same vowel sound. (This is very easy if you have a rhyming dictionary.) Then you start putting the words into lines to create a poem.

By the way, April is National Poetry month. Look for another poem from me next week.

It’s All About Location

I’ve wanted to write a post for weeks but felt stuck. Is it because I have no ideas or too many ideas? The woes of a writer. There’s nothing worse than writer’s block. I feel lost when I don’t write… ideas come, but seem pointless.

Today I moved my laptop from the dining room table back to my studio, hoping to separate myself from distractions, and immersing myself in a place where I wrote so many posts before.

My writing space is decorated with nature scenes. Scenes that draw me to the beauty of creation. I’ve been stuck inside for along time. The daily walks which stimulated my creativity stopped. Wonder why?

In October of 2023 I experienced three stress fractures in the metatarsals of my left foot. The treatment plan involved wearing a surgical boot for eight weeks, and limiting my steps as much as possible. (400 steps a day) Elevation is important to the healing process. For those eight weeks I propped up my foot on pillows to keep the injury above my heart. (Twenty minutes every hour during the day.) I learned it takes a long time for tiny bones to heal, especially if you have osteoporosis.

By Ground Hog Day I began transitioning out of the boot and into my sneaker. A process of slowly increasing my steps which took another eight weeks. Now I can walk well enough to do a few chores around the house. I’ve learned to appreciate the ability to move from one room to another in my apartment!

So I’ve been stuck. Maybe writing this will get me unstuck. Maybe I just need to move on now. I’ve never been one to feel sorry for myself. I subscribe to the philosophy of everything happens for a reason. When it comes to illness we humans just need to get over ourselves and accept our limitations. Let’s face it, we are not in control. So, what did I do during he last five months?

Fortunately I’m retired, so hobbling around a place of business was not necessary. I prayed and read scripture to encourage myself. I read several books, and watched a movie almost every night. I made a lot of purchases on Amazon. I learned doing yoga in a chair is possible.

In January I prioritized my goals for the new year. (Isn’t it interesting, my first priority was health and my last priority was writing.) I listened to music and wrote bad poetry. Didn’t Emily Dickinson rarely come of her house?

Suffering is always bittersweet. My husband has been a saint through all of this. If he ever experiences a long term illness, I hope I can be as selfless and as patient. Trials can bring couples closer to one another.

Now that I have said all this, I feel better. Writing is so good for the soul. I’m ready to move out of my chair and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” —Anne Bradstreet

Have a blessed Easter!

To Everything There is a Season

Lately my mind takes road trips to the seasons of my youth. Sometimes I long for my “good old days ” filled with endless possibility. A time when many of life’s big decisions had not been made.

When I was seventeen, I hung out with other like-minded souls who thought it was up to us to change the world. I wanted to join the Peace Corps and make a difference.

Of course I listened to the popular songs of the time. I fell in love with the sounds of The Beatles, The Who, and Buffalo Springfield among others. Rock music energized me and fueled my day. Now, when I hear the music of my youth, I’m drawn into a world of nostalgia.

I remember late-night gatherings with friends which usually included music. We would sit around a “record player” and play the latest release of our favorite artists. The lyrics often appeared somewhere on the album cover. We passed the lyrics around and sang along to the tunes. Like many “boomers,” I reflect fondly upon those times.

But were the “good old days” really that good? In comparison, what makes me think the present is bad? There is a verse in Ecclesiastes which speaks to this:

“Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”

Eccl. 7:10

I’ve heard myself say, “Things are so different now, I miss the seventies.” What do I mean exactly? Do I miss the days when I was poorer? Days when I was immature? Days when I made some wrong choices? Every decade has its own set of social problems. And it was the problems of those years which inspired the music of my generation.

The author of Ecclesiastes, (Solomon) knew speaking this way is not wise and can lead to discontent with the present. Seniors risk the danger of viewing the current culture through a negative lens. As we age we can become gloomy and withdraw from the world around us.

With my head stuck in the past, I miss all the beauty of today. This morning a ding from my phone indicates a text from my son. I smile as I watch a video of my one-year-old granddaughter dancing with bubbles. Her enthusiasm about this new discovery fills me with joy. Then I realize life in the year 2024 isn’t so bad after all. In the seventies I didn’t have a son, a granddaughter, or an iphone!

Remember the song, “Turn Turn Turn?”

“To everything, turn turn turn. There is a season, turn turn turn.

And a time for every purpose under heaven.”

These words originated with Solomon in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3. They were put to music thousands of years later by Pete Seeger and eventually recorded by the Byrds. I wonder what Solomon would think if he knew his wisdom, and words, outlasted the test of time?

I’m glad I have good memories of the past, but NOW IS THE TIME to make even better memories with my children and grandchildren.

How about you? Leave a comment and let me know if you can relate to my post. Let’s talk.

Time to Write

In my day to day life I am frequently bombarded with distractions which stop me from writing. One day I scheduled all of my “important” errands in the morning so I could write in the afternoon. My errands took longer than expected. After spending a painful two hours at the dentist office, dropping off unwanted clothes at Goodwill, going to the bank, and shopping for groceries, I felt exhausted. When I finally arrived back home, I couldn’t string one sentence together if my life depended on it. My empty stomach growled, so I warmed a cup of soup and sat down to relax.

That cup of soup was the only good thing about my day. I felt irritated with myself for trying to get everything done at once. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. There’s nothing worse than a grumpy writer. Do you feel angry or depressed when you don’t write?

As I sipped my hot soup, I assessed my situation. What possessed me to try to do so much at once? I thought back to some of my childhood experiences and made some interesting discoveries. My parents taught me to work first, then play. This idea spilled over to my adulthood. Since writing is pleasurable to me, it should come second. And if I have a lot of work to do, I never get to play. One day slips into another and before I know it, I haven’t written anything for a month.

As a student, my teachers conducted class using the same philosophy. I had to finish my assignment before I could go to the reading corner. Those were the rules. As a teacher myself, I expected the same from my students. Every progress report included a box— “Student uses free time wisely.” Most students would receive a grade of satisfactory. But honestly, some students never had any free time. How sad.

Now I am seeing the importance of writing in the morning. I can focus better, and get into a creative flow. Ideas come easy to me when I am rested. If you are a writer, I’m sure you’ve discovered what time works for you. We must protect our time to write. This means scheduling appointments, errands, and chores outside of our best time to create.

As I write this blog, I recognize my strong work ethic. I place a high value on productivity. That’s fine as long as I can triage my efforts. When I plan my day I need to prioritize time to write. Writing needs to be first.

The word vocation comes from the Latin, meaning “calling.” A calling is initiated by God for his purpose. Since I feel called to write, my vocation is writing. If I look at writing as my vocation, the adult voice within me gives permission to write first and not feel guilty about it. I believe I am finding my way out of this maze.

How about you? Do you have a habit of checking off your to-do list before you sit down to write? How do you schedule time to pursue your artistic calling? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Do You Remember How to Play?

“Children think in the realm of possibility.”

One beautiful spring Saturday I took a bike ride on the Cady Way Trail. I chose the Cady Way because it’s usually less crowded with pedestrians compared to the trail around Lake Baldwin. Seeking solitude, I rode alone. However, I made sure my iPhone was tucked into the small case under my seat. I had no specific time to return and I could go as far as I wanted on the 7.2 trail which links Orlando and Winter Park.

As I pedaled I took in the sights and sounds around me. Birds chirped loudly from high atop live-oak trees. Dingy strings of Spanish moss swayed in the gentle wind. Busy squirrels scampered along in search of their breakfast. One friendly cyclist waved hello as he passed from the opposite direction. I felt myself relax as I pedaled further. I felt free, and I absorbed my new found freedom like a sponge.

Eventually I neared the bridge which crosses Route 436. I powered up by pedaling as fast as I could before reaching the base of the incline. Here the trail becomes very steep. I pushed forward with all my strength in order to reach the top without standing or getting off my bike. Whew! I made it and glanced down at the busy traffic below me. People going here, there, and everywhere. My view shifted to the path ahead, and I let myself coast to the bottom. Elated, I felt like a kid again!

Then I remembered all the times I rode my bike as a child. We had a hill on our street which everyone called “Big Hill.” My brothers and I were only allowed to ride to the top of the hill and back. But what a joyful ride it was. We felt like we ruled everything around us when we looked down. We hooped and hollered as we coasted to the bottom. Today I didn’t scream. I didn’t think that was a very adult thing to do. I also wear a helmet now, which we never did as kids.

Lately, I’ve been trying to reach my inner child. The little girl within me, who somehow got lost when I became an adult. The child who loved to play and imagine. The child who was not afraid to take risks. The child who created.

Ten years ago I met my inner child when I started writing poetry. I had just retired from teaching, and had plenty of free time. I remembered I liked poetry as a teenager. So my inner child inspired me to write verse. It was her voice that helped me put the best words in the best order. I wrote because I loved to write. I had no other reason. My friends told me I had talent. My family was impressed. When my first poem was published in Time of Singing Magazine I let out a hoop just like the little girl who rode her bike down Big Hill.

I continued to write, I continued to be published. I continued to celebrate. I created a blog, I wrote magazine articles, and I authored children’s books. Now I’m editing a quarterly creative writing magazine. But all of these achievements came with a price. With each success I became busier and busier and somehow the voice of my inner-child became drowned out by adult expectations and the pressure to keep achieving. So that’s why I’m out riding my bike in search of my inner child who played all day— who left after breakfast and didn’t come home until dinner.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, refers to our inner child as our artist-child. She believes getting in touch with the artist-child within us releases new levels of creativity. This makes me wonder why are children more creative than adults?

Children think in the realm of possibility. They can imagine they can visit places they have only seen one time. They can pretend they are at an amusement park, and ride all the rides again, or even draw their own imaginary amusement park. Nothing is impossible for them. Is that why Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children?

As adults our imagination has been hampered by what we feel unable to do. The world of the adult is based upon compliance with rules and regulations. Adults have experienced rejections and failures. Maybe our creativity was scorned by our boss. Perhaps our manuscript was rejected by an editor. Unless we are Peter Pan, all of these life experiences cause us to doubt ourselves and prevent us from playing.

How can an adult become more creative? Julia Cameron believes we can get in touch with our artist-child by doing some of the things we enjoyed in our childhood. Try it. You might be surprised to see the world through a child’s eyes again. What seems impossible might become possible.

A Decorating Dilemma

Whew! We’ve all been there. Moving from one place to another is pure chaos. Even though a moving company handled the packing and transporting, the process stressed me out.

I apologize for my long absence from cyberspace. In my last post I mentioned our upcoming plans to move to a retirement community. For the past month, I’ve been consumed with trying to create harmony between myself and my new living space.

Our new apartment is small. (1500 square feet) We no longer have a garage, which was quite useful for stashing items we didn’t use everyday. Now, every inch of storage space matters. Although we tried to downsize, our closets are full. The movers stacked our framed art against a wall in the guest room. Every time I walked in there I thought, “What are we going to do with all of these pictures?” We live in an open floor plan with less wall space, and more windows.

If you think God doesn’t care about the little things we deal with, think again. This is one dilemma I prayed about, and His answer increased my faith.

I felt a need to keep the art I still liked—colorful landscapes and nature scenes from trips we’ve taken. So, I carried each picture from room to room to envision how it might look on the wall. Still, I couldn’t see how this eclectic mix could possibly fit together. Most of all, I didn’t want to make unnecessary holes in any of the walls. Once the pictures were hung, that’s where I wanted them to stay.

Two years ago I repurposed these frames with photographs I took at Lue Gardens. The colors brightened up the dining room and complemented our chairs, so I decided to keep them.

Then I found a collection of small canvases Jenny, our daughter, had painted. For years they decorated a bedroom. When I carried them into the dining room, I realized they matched the chairs as well. Jenny and I found some rustic looking frames at Joann Fabrics, which my husband prepared for hanging. Originally I thought I would line them up horizontally on another wall.

Enter Shaun,O’Dwyer, a floral designer with an eye for hanging pictures. Shaun came up with a new idea. Create harmony by bringing these different elements together vertically. Then hang them high. The result is amazing. I always thought pictures had to be at eye level. Shaun opened my eyes to new possibilities.

If you are wondering what to do with something old, instead of throwing it out or giving it away, think about changing it. Enlist the help of someone who might see things differently and create a new look.

“Redecorating has the power to make us feel like we have created new energy, a new vibe, a new life” —Dr. Sherrie Campbell

I am so thankful God cares about the little details in our lives. When it comes to creativity, I want to remember to look to the master creator. Behold, He makes all things new! (Rev.21:5 KJV)

Thank you for reading my blog. Leave a comment. I’d love to hear how you solved a decorating dilemma.

Music Makes My World Go Round

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

How important is music to you? My passion for listening to music began with the purchase of my first record. In 1964 I scraped money together from my small weekly allowance to buy the Beatles 45, “Please, Please, Me.” I listened to it over and over and practically wore it out.

When I was old enough to babysit for the neighbors, I saved my fifty cents an hour salary to afford albums. One of my early purchases was “Disraeli Gears” by Cream. What an amazing album cover! Cream blended rock, blues, and jazz into a unique sound. The group consisted of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton. This powerful trio created a blueprint for every super group to follow including Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

The sixties brought forth a renaissance in music. Every month a new group surfaced. Each group seemed to build upon the creativity of others. In my opinion, this golden age of music has not been replicated since.

Like most teenagers I spent hours in my bedroom listening to music. It seemed like I was doing nothing but there was a lot of dreaming going on in there. For you see, music gives flight to the imagination.

In my post, True Confessions of a Memory Hoarder, I shared how difficult it is for me to give up my record collection. Guess what? My problem is solved. I’ve discovered Spotify! Granted, I might be late to the party, but I’m thrilled that the party waited for me.

Herb and I learned about Spotify from our adult children. Think about it. Every song ever recorded can be downloaded to your phone, and for a small monthly fee, you can listen anytime you want. Spotify enables you to create your own playlists of your favorite songs. You can make a high energy playlist for exercising, or a slower mix for times of relaxation.

When it comes to music, we all have our likes and dislikes. Spotify has organized the hits from each decade. Scrolling through the sixties list helped me remember songs I liked on the radio but never purchased. How could I ever forget “Spooky” by the Classics IV?

Herb and I enjoy playing our own version of “Name that Tune.” One of us will play the beginning of a song and the other person must identify the title and artist. (Fortunately, we both grew up listening to the same music.) Often we talk about what was happening in our lives at the time. “Radar Love” was popular the year we met at Lum’s Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.” However, we did not consider it “our song.” That honor was reserved for Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

I always wanted to be a song writer. I think my love for poetry really began by listening to music. Remember the lyrics to “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel?

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Remember me to one who lives there.

She once was a true love of mine.

In addition to inspiring and entertaining us, music offers a refuge from the hardships of life. Work songs like “Sixteen Tons” break the monotony of manual labor through a repetitive rhythm. Blues songs like “The Thrill is Gone” empathize with those in despair from a lost love. Hymns like “Amazing Grace” lift our spirits to worship God and deepen our faith. Music is a vehicle for the expression of every human emotion.

Leave a comment and tell me your favorite musical artists. How has music made your world go round?

In Defense of Daydreaming

My favorite part of camping is sitting by the fire. When the logs crackle and orange flames flicker, I visit my pondering place. I love to daydream. I think of my daydreams as a kind of reality waiting for me in the future. Dreaming plants the seeds which will eventually grow to maturity and bear fruit.

Is dreaming a waste of time?

As a child, my teacher reprimanded me for looking out of the window during class. The outdoors seemed much more interesting than what was happening on the chalkboard. She tried to keep me from daydreaming by calling me up to the front of the room to work math problems in front of the class. I felt embarrassed. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop daydreaming.

Scientists describe daydreaming as “short-term detachment from ones immediate surroundings.” Think of it as a pleasant mini-vacation from your immediate location. When you daydream you use your mind instead of brain. Far from being a waste of time, mind-wandering allows us to think differently. Recent research has shown that daydreaming can be useful.

Here are some benefits of mind-wandering:

People who daydream are happier because hope and anticipation are related to the practice of imagining the achievement of our goals.

Daydreaming lowers blood pressure due to less stress.

Letting our minds wander can promote our creativity and problem-solving abilities. (I don’t think my math teacher understood this one.)

Time spent in reflection can help us become more compassionate because we can contemplate what others are feeling.

Daydreaming improves our working memory.

What did King Solomon know?

King Solomon is considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. Proverbs 29:18 reminds us “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Although daydreaming isn’t one of God’s commandments, resting from our daily routine is. Resting provides an opportunity to let our brains function differently. When our brain is relaxing, we are free to allow our minds to create and problem solve in new ways.

There are many settings conducive to excellent daydreaming. What is your favorite place to dream?