I never used to think of myself as a gardener. There’s a patience and a faithfulness that it calls for. And I didn’t possess a lot of patience for most of my life. Until my firstborn came along and then…I just had to learn it. Gardening requires a good deal of foresight and hopefulness. You weed and prune and look forward to that gorgeous season where…
I'm not one of those folks who believes that a painter on a desert island will go on painting canvases (or rather, banana leaves, as this may be the only available resource) if s/he is alone with no one else to see the art. I honestly don't think this sort of perpetual creative art would happen, and that's not just my personal ego and need for…
“Mom! Look at this!” I hold up my artwork. Horses. Princesses. Flowers. Mermaids. Castles. Repeat. I remember when I wanted to be a visual artist. Drawing after drawing of the above subjects, in just about every creative combination you could think of. I’d show these drawings to my mother, filled with delight and joy because I had made something that I deemed beautiful. Then I grew…
A friend of mine posted on Twitter that some people are so excited to pursue creativity that they forget to also make sure they have the skills and training to support it. Hmmm. While I think it foolish to chase a notion that you have no idea what you’ll do with once you catch it, I also think that the biggest challenge is often just valuing…
“Where do you get your ideas?” The questioner lowers his raised hand, glad that I called on him. His eager eyes are glowing. I say something about song lyrics and scraps of conversation that have sparked story ideas for me. But, just once, I’d like to answer: Well, there’s this special access pass to the Great Ideas Warehouse that they give you when you graduate with…
In this second post on my Creative Republic map, I have a few more creative territories of my mind to explore. Canyons-These are the dangerous and blessed places where I can chuck all of my discouragement and worries. I let them tumble into my canyons, then offer up a prayer, and walk away. I know I may never be fully rid of my doubts, but I’ll…
Since I've dubbed my world The Creative Republic, I thought I’d give you a peek at the map of my landmarks and favorite places. Mountains-In the distance rise the towering spires of the achievements I dream about. I yearn to climb them with quick and powerful strokes, but every day isn’t a mountain-climbing day, and sometimes I have to turn my back to them and stare…
I watched him rock back onto his heels, a bright smile on his face as he clung to his partner's hands and kept the beat, dancing was never so beautiful to watch. When a normally quiet engineer (or journalist or software designer) suddenly glows under the influence of music and friends, I believe dance is pulling us into its magic glow. The other day I attended…
As I watched him rock back onto his heels, a bright smile on his face as he clung to his partner's hands and kept the beat, dancing was never so beautiful to watch. When a normally quiet engineer (or journalist or software designer) suddenly glows under the influence of music and friends, I believe dance is pulling us into its magic glow. The other day I…
“I have so much information, I don’t know where to start.” This is a great problem to have, if you’ve riffled through your Junk Drawer (Part 1) and Pinned (Part 2) the interesting bits. If you’re just joining us, this is my series on turning an idea into a creative reality You need a plan. Ahem, before anyone of you anti-planners walk away, hear me out:…