After spending nearly a year on less than 4 hours sleep at night, I now have a new lease of life! As I've said before, twin (or single) mattresses pushed together are so much better than a king sized mattress.
Anyway - what this has meant for me is that I am once more feeling creative. I've had a pretty long dry spell on the writing and photography front, but now am raring to go. I just read my last blog on mediocrity, and it really has slapped me upside the head. I forced myself to sit down and write the other night. As part of the Redbubble community, I am in the Twisted Tales writing group, which is for short stories that have to have some kind of twist in them. They have a fortnightly (every two weeks) "Star Twister" challenge with a prompt and a 350 word limit.
Challenging people to keep within these parameters really forces one to chop and winnow all the chaff in the story being written. To flesh out a character, motives, a storyline and a twist in only 350 words really requires some attention to detail. How do you set up your reader to read one way and not see the twist coming? There are always some clues in the best stories.
It feels good to be creative again. My writing mojo is awakening and I am really going to try this year to have some good stuff to show by the end of it. If you would like to see my newest short story (and those of you who are my Facebook friends have seen the link there), here it is. Hope you enjoy Aftermath
Cheers! and thanks for reading.
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Passion and Mediocrity
So once again, Monday rolls around. The beginning of a new week. When it's raining, all I want to do is curl up in bed with a good book, not drag myself out of my warm comfort just to sit in an office and sell insurance all day. It's really not my passion in life!
What is my passion in life?
Well, first of all, my husband Dan. Here he is cooking for me on a Sunday afternoon. He makes me laugh every day. He's cheeky, generous, gorgeous and puts up with me..that must make him special!
I also love to take photographs and write (as you can see from my profile). Am I passionate about that? Well, I think so, but what stands between me and being really good at it is me. I procrastinate.
For example: I'm supposed to be learning Aperture from a really good book that teaches you something new each chapter, but have I done it yet?
No.
I have, however just signed up for photography night-classes, so perhaps there is hope for me. The problem with me is that I want to be really good at something, but I don't want to have to work hard at it in case I fail. And that's a sucky attitude!
And that's where I struggle. I think nearly all my life, I have been quite good at art and creating, but because of (perhaps) a lack of belief in myself and the lack of discipline to really learn how to be better, I set myself up for failure before I even begin.
Can one be passionate about something that is mediocre? I think I might try to apply myself to the creative things I love to do and see what comes out of it. If I fail, then at least I had a go, rather than sit back and bemoan the fact that I'm crap and so many people are much better at things than I am.
I'm going to whup myself upside the head with a 2 by 4 and see how much I have progressed by the end of 2010. I wonder if I'll be any good?
Cheers and thanks for reading!
What is my passion in life?
Well, first of all, my husband Dan. Here he is cooking for me on a Sunday afternoon. He makes me laugh every day. He's cheeky, generous, gorgeous and puts up with me..that must make him special!
I also love to take photographs and write (as you can see from my profile). Am I passionate about that? Well, I think so, but what stands between me and being really good at it is me. I procrastinate.
For example: I'm supposed to be learning Aperture from a really good book that teaches you something new each chapter, but have I done it yet?
No.
I have, however just signed up for photography night-classes, so perhaps there is hope for me. The problem with me is that I want to be really good at something, but I don't want to have to work hard at it in case I fail. And that's a sucky attitude!
And that's where I struggle. I think nearly all my life, I have been quite good at art and creating, but because of (perhaps) a lack of belief in myself and the lack of discipline to really learn how to be better, I set myself up for failure before I even begin.
Can one be passionate about something that is mediocre? I think I might try to apply myself to the creative things I love to do and see what comes out of it. If I fail, then at least I had a go, rather than sit back and bemoan the fact that I'm crap and so many people are much better at things than I am.
I'm going to whup myself upside the head with a 2 by 4 and see how much I have progressed by the end of 2010. I wonder if I'll be any good?
Cheers and thanks for reading!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Opportunity
One of the differences I see between living in the UK and living in the USA is the opportunity that is often grabbed by anyone and everyone here.
I love to write and take photographs and have been encouraged to do so. I think that if I were still living in the UK, I would be shyer about putting myself forward and sharing what I love to do.
People here seem to believe that it's OK to reach for the stars. I'm not talking about fly-by-night "American Idol" syndrome, but that if you work for it, and go for it, then the sky's the limit. I feel that sometimes in the UK (and please forgive me for this, because I love my homeland) one is criticized for trying to be more than they are.
We all have gifts and talents. I believe that God is the Father of all Creation, and if we are made in His image, then we are all creative in so many different ways. What's so wrong with sharing that with each other, and trying to make something of it?
I didn't go into photography to make money, but have found that some people want to buy my photos. I love being creative, and thank Redbubble.com for being such an awesome website where I can do this within a supportive framework. I have found so much inspiration and encouragement here. Oh, and by the way...their printing is of the highest quality.
Please visit http://www.redbubble.com/ and take a look around. I think you will be there for a LONG while. If you want to take a look at what I have done, please visit www.redbubble.com/people/jsheehy
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
I love to write and take photographs and have been encouraged to do so. I think that if I were still living in the UK, I would be shyer about putting myself forward and sharing what I love to do.
People here seem to believe that it's OK to reach for the stars. I'm not talking about fly-by-night "American Idol" syndrome, but that if you work for it, and go for it, then the sky's the limit. I feel that sometimes in the UK (and please forgive me for this, because I love my homeland) one is criticized for trying to be more than they are.
We all have gifts and talents. I believe that God is the Father of all Creation, and if we are made in His image, then we are all creative in so many different ways. What's so wrong with sharing that with each other, and trying to make something of it?
I didn't go into photography to make money, but have found that some people want to buy my photos. I love being creative, and thank Redbubble.com for being such an awesome website where I can do this within a supportive framework. I have found so much inspiration and encouragement here. Oh, and by the way...their printing is of the highest quality.
Please visit http://www.redbubble.com/ and take a look around. I think you will be there for a LONG while. If you want to take a look at what I have done, please visit www.redbubble.com/people/jsheehy
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
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