One More Thing

I’ve been having trouble keeping up with the blog lately –  coming up with ideas, writing new posts, and making the rounds commenting at so many of the blogs I like to visit. Blogging is important to me, and I enjoy it, but it’s one more thing, ya know? We all have tons to do: parenting, working, cooking, cleaning, writing, care giving, the list goes on and on. In the larger scheme of things when looking to scale back, blogging seems like the one area I could possibly do that. And I've thought about it.

Then at church this morning, the message was on building bridges. I’ll admit, I am a bridge burner. I often don't value the relationships in my life enough until I've let them go. If you burn enough bridges, our pastor reminded us today,  you end up on an island - alone. Which takes me back to my very first blog post. I’ve done a lot of island living over the years. When life gets big and overwhelming, it’s easy to revert to our old ways. For me, that includes isolating myself.

So today’s blog post is me fighting against my old nature. And instead of letting the blog stagnate, I'm continuing to build bridges, make connections, make friends. That has been the very best part of blogging, for me, after all. 

And one more thing. . .

Novels in Verse Reading Challenge

It's that time of year again; the time for setting goals. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but I do like to set one major goal for myself and my writing. Last year I decided to strive towards a finished first draft of my current WIP by Valentine's Day. I tend to revise as I go. So while I have some pretty polished segments already, I sill don't have a start-to-finish draft. Knowing I had a deadline has really helped, and as of today, I am Oh So Close. I do believe I will meet that deadline! The other goal I set for myself was a reading goal. I joined Amanda's Novels In Verse Reading challenge, signing on to read 9-12 novels in verse. I reviewed them all here on my blog, but below is a recap. 

The verse novels I read last year were:

I've joined Amanda's Novels in Verse Reading Challenge for 2013 and I look forward to another year of discovering new voices. All of the books on my wish list are by authors I've never read before.
Titles on my wish list are:

Would you like to participate in the challenge? You can join by committing to read just ONE book. Find the details here.

What's the one book you can't wait to get your hands on this year?

The Muse's Doorway

My good friend, Jennifer, got me this for Christmas from our local Art Market (made by artist Monica Bleiler.) She said it looks like the muse's doorway leading to story land. I love that! And I'm scouting out the perfect space next to my desk to hang it so that the muse can visit me often.

Here are some of my favorite quotes about creativity. I hope they bring the muse through your doorway.

You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?” – George Bernard Shaw

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. –Scott Adams

Photo courtesy of Free Artistic Photos

Creativity makes a leap, then looks to see where it is. – Mason Cooley

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. – Erich Fromm

Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it. – Dee Hock

“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced” – Vincent Van Gogh

Photo courtesy of Free Artistic Photos

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try” – Dr. Seuss

“Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that’s easy. What’s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity” – Charles Mingus

Anxiety is part of creativity, the need to get something out, the need to be rid of something or to get in touch with something within. – David Duchovny

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein