Creativity Kills

How many hours do you waste in a typical day, doing things that wouldn’t make your to do list, if you wrote a list of stuff you wanted to do?  I don’t watch TV, but I don’t want to talk about how many hours I lose on the internet and reading.  Not that reading is a waste of time, and not that I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t need to read during every spare minute of every day (and some that aren’t spare).  Especially when I have things I want to do.

I love this article by James Rhodes, and I think he makes several fantastic points.  I complain about not having enough time, but what if I do have enough time?  What if the problem is not using my time wisely?  Just this morning, I’ve done a bunch of things, but I’ve also spent some time mindlessly on the internet.  Why?  Shrug.  Because it’s there?

Mindfulness is a technique taught by several Eastern religions and integrated into several types of therapy.  It works… paying attention to your body and your reactions, but also to your time and how you use your time.  Maybe being purposeful in my leisure time would help me better manage my time.

I’m mostly just rambling.  If you want inspiration on creativity and dedication to your art, read the article.  James Rhodes has passion in spades.

 

Unfocused, Multitasking, and Re-prioritizing

I took sort of an unexpected break from blogging.  It wasn’t planned; it was just that I didn’t do it for a couple weeks, and I’m not quite sure why.  It’s funny; I didn’t even check my stats, and with my addiction to numbers… I love checking my stats!

I wasn’t reading all that much either in the last couple of weeks.  I started writing again, really writing.  I wrote a couple short stories, did a couple of submissions to anthologies, and started thinking about what’s next for me, writing-wise.

Focus is a huge issue for me in general.  I usually have so much going on that it’s hard for me to do one thing at a time.  I read an article awhile back that people take pride in multitasking because they like to show they can do a bunch of things at once, but in reality, they tend to be less productive overall because each “switch” of task costs time and energy.  I read the article, nodded sagely, and thought, “Well that’s true for everyone else but not for me.”

I know the trap and lie of being special, and I still bought it.  That came to mind recently when I realized how unproductive I’ve been.  I do a million and one things and some days feel like I get nothing done.  I start lots of things, but don’t finish much.  Right now, I have four novels started.  In my readerly opinion, they’re all good stories.  But currently, they’re lying dormant because I’m not focused enough to finish anyone of them.

I’m going to have to stop that, and one of the ways is going to be to draw up a schedule for myself.  It’s not because I’m rigid or anything, but I like having a structure.  Let’s face it… if they didn’t tell me what time to be at work, I might never get there.  I like my job, but there are other things I’d rather do.  It’s the same thing with writing.  There’s nothing I’d rather do, but it’s so easy to get distracted by all the things I think need to get done.

So… I’m going to make myself a schedule.  We’ll see how that works out.  :)

TV Families..22 minute resolutions?

by The TV Guy

The television family has been deified in popular culture as the pinnacle of healthy family dynamics. Even though we know it is fantasy, there is still a part of the human psyche that yearns for Brady family perfection. Alas, this is but a dream that we must awaken from and look at our own real families. They are who they are, and some we see once every 20 years or so and smile awkwardly, feeling a certain level of guilt for not keeping in touch. The reality is that our own families are more disconnected than ever, with little time or ability to get everyone together. We can try and should try but it is often difficult to make up for decades of lost or disconnected time. Everyone has his or her own lives and responsibilities that come with doing what they need to do for their own small circles of family. So this week, when looking at TV families and having that little bit of envy because they have figured something monumental out in 22 minutes, keep in mind that our families are real and do not have the capacity for such magical resolution. We should cut them a break, as they are not working from a well-prepared script or being directed when to do and say the right the thing. They are our families, and although we cannot make up for lost time, we might want to give it higher priority. Maybe try a little harder to make a moment with the people who made you who you are… good, bad or indifferent.

Book Samples

One of the best things about digital books is that you can get a “sample” of the book sent to your device.  That way, you can take a look at the book and decide you like it before you buy.  Most of us, when we go to the library or the bookstore, might read the first chapter or flip through the book to get a sense of whether or not it interests us.  I know that I can lose hours that way.

When digital books came out, that was one of my major complaints about it.  Almost any book sounds great from the blurb, but it’s impossible to get a true sense of whether or not it draws you in.

The idea for this post came to mind when I saw that James Patterson’s newest book is out, and they’re giving away the first 17 chapters.  17 chapters!  They’re pretty sure it’s a good book, because by then, you’ll either be sucked in… or you won’t.  Writers should have to stand on the merit of their work.

I’ll never switch over completely to digital books.  I love print books way too much.  There are some positives about digital books.  I know one person whose switched to digital because she ran out of bookshelf space.  You can’t hold a digital book in your hand, smell the pages or hear the crackle.  You can’t look at the stain on page 51 and remember you were eating nachos at the time and were so engrossed that you dripped some cheese on the page.  I love being able to hold a book in my hand, almost like a talisman.

So while I’ll read e-books sometimes… for me, print books will never die.

Z is for Zenith

Well, another month of blogging A to Z finished.  What have I learned?  Well, for one thing, I can make time to sit down and write every week.  Probably not daily.  My four days of work, I can be gone anywhere from 12-16 hours, so counting on that isn’t practical.  But on my other 3 days, I have enough time to sit down and write that I have no excuses.

I’ve also learned that I can blog every day.  I’m not sure I’m going to continue that as a goal because, let’s face it… I don’t actually have that much to say.  I’d rather shoot for quality than quantity.  But I can do it if I want to.

Another thing is that I’m just not a planner.  I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, though.  I knew I was going to participate in this challenge for a whole year, and I sat down and started writing on the first day of the challenge.  It’s not like I forgot that April was coming or anything… I just don’t get around to stuff early.  I keep myself too busy, and no matter how many times I make a resolution to change… yeah… not happening.

So, that’s it for Blogging A to Z for 2013.  It’s been fun!

Y is for Yackity Yack

This came to mind when I was at a show with my husband on Saturday night.  We were sitting high in the mezzanine, just relaxing, talking, and people watching, when I noticed that almost everyone had their phones out.

Most people weren’t actually talking on their phones, but were texting, playing games (I noticed Candy Crush Saga… it’s so pretty!), and one man was actually looking at porn.  These people were in couples and groups, but were paying more attention to their phones than whoever they were with.

I mentioned several blogs ago that I’m trying to be more cognizant about taking out my phone when I’m with someone, and I’m happy to report that my phone stays in my pocket unless we’re discussing a point that I want to look up on the internet.  I don’t take it out to return a text, check my email, or play Candy Crush… as tempting as it is sometimes.

Where did the art of conversation go?  Do you remember the last scintillating discussion you had?  That’s one of the things I like about my job; my work is inherently controversial and leads to some interesting conversations.

What’s your favorite thing to talk about?

X is for… um… X… As In X Marks The Spot

Photo credit: Doree Weller, Valley of Fire, NV

There aren’t that many words used in everyday language that start with the letter “X,” even though alone, it can be used from everything from signing your name to marking a place.  I went through xenomorphic and xenophobic.  XXX, X Chromosome, and X-ray.  I went with X marks the spot because quests feature prominently in lots of fiction.  We don’t always say “X marks the spot,” but it’s implied.

I love quest fiction.  I love the idea of someone searching for anything, whether it’s treasure, meaning, a lost person, or true love.  I think that most of us are searching for one or all of these things, but fiction makes the quest easily identifiable.

When people talk about quest fiction, I think they’re usually referring to fantasy novels like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, instead of questing in a broader sense.  However if most of us drew a map of our own lives, we’d probably be able to identify our own personal “X.”  What are you searching for?

W is for Weather

Did you ever notice how, in conversation, if you have nothing to talk about, you talk about the weather?  In the winter, if you want to start a conversation in Arizona, just mention how lovely the weather is here compared with in other states.  In the summer, mention how hot it is.  As if these were topics that need to be discussed.  It’s going to be gorgeous or so hot you can’t stand it no matter what.  So why do we discuss it?  Just to have something to say?  I do it myself, so this isn’t a criticism.  Is it because it’s a safe topic?  Seriously, does anyone actually LIKE discussing the weather?  Like, you get up in the morning and think, “Hey, today I’m going to stand in line at Starbucks and say to someone, ‘Isn’t this lovely weather we’re having?’”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen characters discussing the weather in a book (unless it’s really unusual or noteworthy).  As I’ve said before, we do things in real life that no one writes about in books.  That’s partly because books are an escape, and if we wanted to hear about bathroom habits, we’d just call someone over 80.  Or most men.  It cracks me up when people talk about “realistic” dialog.  Honestly, no one wants to read realistic dialog.  It would be horribly boring most of the time.  Don’t believe me?  Just listen in to strangers.  It’s probably nothing interesting.

So the moral of the story?  There is none.  Other than that if you have nothing to blog about, blog about the weather.

V is for Ventured

Photo credit: Doree Weller, Usery Mountain, AZ

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?  If you sit on the couch all day, every day, you’ll never have “failed,” but you’ll never have succeeded either.

I’m still a work in progress, and I haven’t ventured in every way I want to… yet.  I have the usual things on my list yet to come, including travel.  I was talking to someone the other day who was recalling a conversation with another person about how Person 1 thought Person 2 was spending too much money on vacations and travel.  ”Why aren’t you saving for retirement?” Person 1 asked.  ”Because I’m investing in memories,” Person 2 replied.  Isn’t that a great quote?

One of the biggest things on my bucket list is getting one of my novels published.  I’ve had friends who’ve tried to offer their version of support by telling me that it’s a waste of my time.  I spend too much time writing, and for what?  I’ve had a few short stories published and was paid varying amounts for them, but nothing that’s going to pay my mortgage.  Isn’t that a waste?

Um… no.

I’d write for free.  I write just for me.  I love to see my words in print, but mostly because I feel like I’m sharing something with other people, not because I want to be famous and make millions.  (Though if there’s someone out there who’d like to pay me millions for my words, don’t hesitate to contact me.)

There are times when doing a cost-benefit analysis makes good sense.  Like when you’re considering leaving a job you hate, or when you’re considering if that new energy efficient refrigerator will really save you money.  But when you’re considering whether or not to do something you love, something that you’d do for free vs. not doing it because it takes up so much of your time, it makes no sense.

So, back to the quote I put at the very beginning.  That’s not the whole quote.  It’s actually: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And venture belongs to the adventurous.” -Navjot Singh Sidhu

“Life’s an adventure.  And every day, I’m just getting started.”  -Doree Weller

U is for Upcycle

This is a very badly done, homemade, upcycled notebook. At least I tried, right?

This is actually one of my favorite words, and less well known than recycle, though they’re related.

When I was in high school art, we were told to take something that would normally be “trash” and make some art out of it.  I didn’t get it, and I made this horrible wind chime out of cut up steel cans.  It was sharp on the edges, and I had to avoid slicing myself open on it.

Basically, upcycling is making useful things out of things that would otherwise be trash.  Pinterest and Etsy are places where I find wonderful upcycled items.  I’ve taken T-shirts with holes, sewed another T-shirt piece behind, cut out a cool pattern like a peace sign or a star, and voila!  I have a perfectly usable T-shirt again.  Or, one of my favorites is upcycled journals out of old hardback books or board games with cut up paper bags and repurposed scrap paper.

While I can’t bring myself to actually destroy old books for craft purposes, I do love things made out of old book pages and covers.  Just a search of “upcycled” on Etsy or Pinterest brings up some of the coolest things.  I love being able to repurpose things.  I get a little thrill when I can make something that would otherwise be trash into something cool and useful.  Of course, that sometimes means that I keep broken things around longer than I should… but I never know when I’ll be able to use that!