Creating more than Writing

Yesterday my partner and I were talking. About life. About writing. About art.

I've been a bit in what we call the "lowly worm" state, especially when it comes to my writing. I'm going through a period where my writing feels a bit dry, boring, like I have nothing to say. No time. No inspiration. Well, not enough time or inspiration or ability to put a word after a word  after a word and have it come out like anything but drivel.

That's only a slight exaggeration. I go through this from time to time. Wonder if I should give it up, stop trying. Which is why I made a commitment to myself to give writing a try again no matter what for two years, which became five years and now I'm into a ten-year commitment. The commitment is to me, to my spirit, to the depth of who I am who is a creative person who is primarily a writer.

Wait!

That's it!

My partner suggested I try doing something else. Not instead of writing, but in addition to it. Or instead of it at times when I felt stagnant. Make some art. Or just play. Collage. Draw like I used to. Sometimes I used to make cartoons of what was happening or of the story rather than with words.

See, sometimes, words have been used to manipulate or control or unreasonably influence me. As they have been with many people. And sometimes words don't come easily to me to express what I'm feeling or I get too negative about them. There were times in my life where using words, telling the truth, expressing a feeling was dangerous; so, sometimes, that feeling comes back. And I have to get through that to get to the words.

So my partner suggested it. And last week our quick write in Ariel's online class was doing a few other things than just writing. There was another important person in my life who also told me (again) to try other avenues to get to the stories, like doing collage or making something tactile.

Yesterday I did.

One of the things my partner and I did together yesterday was to go to the new, expanded Muse Art & Design store. It's very roomy and they will be getting new and more materials. I bought a spiral sketch book, a few colored pens, and I started with a couple of drawings. Nothing major or important.

But it was creativity in action. With a few words, but not many.

Sometimes I have to access my creativity in different ways, not words. And now I have a place to do that, which won't get junked up with work notes and schedule plans and to-do lists. It's only for drawing and words and creating.

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Something to Ponder

Not too long ago I discovered explodingdog. I don't remember the first cartoon I saw or where or why it attracted my attention. But it did. I think it was a tweet by a writer. Something about the picture resonated. So I went to Sam Brown's website and found more.

A couple of days ago, the cartoon below showed up on a search for something else. It has stayed with me. It resonates, too.

See if this one speaks to you. And if not, go browse Sam's drawings. There will probably be something you like. Or maybe not. There are more drawings over at Daily Dot (not me, another Dot, I guess) and Sam's work can be found on other scattered websites.

Thank you, Sam Brown!

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quote

(Very odd - the quote disappeared in the posting process. Take two with fingers crossed!)

"Learn how to meditate on paper. Drawing and writing are forms of meditation. Learn how to contemplate works of art. Learn how to pray in the streets or in the country. Know how to meditate not only when you have a book in your hand but when you are waiting for a bus or riding in a train." ~ Thomas Merton

Thank you, Jessica Page Morrell for the quote at The Writing Life Too.
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Lynda Barry @ Cusp Conference 2009

Today I received an invitation to the Univeristy of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Hollyhock catalog of offerings. I've also been thinking recently about writing conferences and workshops and retreats. What do I want? What do I need? No - back to what I want. Do I attend others' events or do I work with people I know and respect and we put together something of our own?

I'm still thinking about the options and more appear several times a week now. It's an exciting time and sometimes it borders on being overwhelming because - the rest of my life doesn't stop. I'm finding, again, that putting time and energy into writing creates more writing, more opportunities, more inspiration. And it's exciting. And I don't (can't?) have an overall picture yet because at this point in time I have to rely on something else for income so that I can have a home and sustenance and transportation; the rest of my life doesn't stop. Which is good. And as long as I pay attention, I create and creating creates more creations!

So - I don't have an answer. But in looking at these options that arrive, the brochures, the flyers, the teasers in forms of postcard, I go online and look for more information.

And so it was I stumbled across these two videos of Lynda Barry talking at the conference in the title of this post. Great stuff. It needs to be passed on.

And I'll go think some more and keep you posted.

I know I will return with the kayaking/writing workshops - I'm going to talk with my collaborator and I'd like to change the title to Poetry and Prose Paddle (it was just Poetry Paddle). And I have ideas for more workshops - which gets me back to the concept of time and energy and, yes energy in in the form of money. Yes.

Enjoy!






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Razor's Edge for 7/23/10

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Serena Barton just announced another opportunity to take her Altered Books workshop next weekend. In these workshops, participants start with printed books (I was going to say "old" books - but they don't have to be old, they just have to be actual hardcover printed books!). They add things, layer things, cut things out, attach things, paste/glue/stain/rip, and more, with the end result being these fabulous artistic creations that started with a story someone else wrote and are now the creative expression of the artist.

Today's Razor's Edge is the opposite of Serena's altered books workshop. Below are a series of pictures and you are to write a story using these pictures. My original idea is that you would use the pictures in the same order as the original book - but I know some of you will be thinking that you want them rearranged. So - if your story wants the pictures in a different order, go ahead; it will be your story.

After you've written your story with these pictures, here is the original story by Hayes Roberts from MagicKeys; don't even look at the title (which is why I'm leaving it off!) - make your altered book with your own title and words! And have fun.

Once again, here is a link to the original story by Hayes Roberts that goes with these pictures. But I encourage you to create your own narrative out of these scenes.
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