Monday, May 17, 2010

RIDING THE ENERGY OF COMMITMENT

Commitment. This word even sounds intimidating, vibrating with a forboding sense of scary responsibility. Definitely not a soft word, like smooth or peaceful. With commitment, both your mouth and jaw actually have to "work" to pronounce the word.

Of course, you've probably guessed where I'm going with this. Commitment to anything in life brings with it a strength of purpose, constantly pushing us forward to some end, whether definable or indefinable. By indefinable, I'm saying that sometimes we don't exactly understand what it is that brings us to "square one" of a new project. Sometimes its a "calling" from within. Who knows where that new and exciting energy comes from. Some people might call it spiritual, fate or destiny. But however you want to look at it, commitment is definitely an energy word, a word that is not content to rest on its laurels, but constantly moves outward like the universe, creating space within space.

Being truly committed involves high, medium and low energy levels. The low cycles unfortunately bring moments of despair, when we want to give up and scrap what progress we've already managed to accomplish. The trick is learning to push through these dark energy levels and into the light of high energy. Nothing is easy. If writing were easy, everyone would be a writer. Any endeavor in life takes a deep sense of commitment. Persevere in spite of difficulties. True commitment builds character, and character feeds the need to complete. And if you sound out both words (character and commitment), you'll find the jaw muscles work with the same determination, both words strong, both using a distinctive drop of the jaw for pronunciation. Today, in your writing, be aware that energy always ebbs and flows. Recognize the low points, move on, and never give up!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

DUST OFF YOUR FAMILIARITY

The world is amazing. When I opened my eyes this morning, I purposely looked at everything in the room with a new eye. Each item I had placed there, each item having a story behind it. The bedroom furniture we inherited, the lamp beside the bed came from an auction. The Navajo doll that sits on a handmade jewelry box, came from Sedona. Isn't it true, that after a number of years, the selected and beloved "things" often become overly familiar to us? The treasured items fall into a category of a chore, that is, keeping the dust off everything, the inspiration dulling after a series of years of looking at the same ol' things.

Approaching my writing today, I will attempt to see my characters in a new light, see them for all their beauty and flaws and with a sense of purpose for which I first brought them to paper -to tell a story that hopefully will not gather dust mid-way into the manuscript. Open your eyes!!! See the beauty in what has become familiar.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

LOVING LIFE IN A WOMAN'S SOUL

A short blog today. Waiting on "proofs" of Island Passage. The cover art is gorgeous! I'm excited. While I wrote this story more than ten years ago, I had fun re-editing and getting it ready to be printed into book form. And when I receive the first complete copy, I will hold the new book to my nose and breathe in the smell of the paper, run my hands over the cover, and feel myself grin. What satisfaction. I love writing stories of the human heart, stories that reach out and hold hands with the hearts of other women. I love the toughness and softness of our souls, stubborn and yet quiet and reflectful of every experience bringing us forward in our individual lives. As women, I believe we deeply understand the unification of past, present and future, each phase entwined into the tough fabric of living. We lose, we gain, we give birth to new hope.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

REJUVENATION, ETC. - OR I'LL TAKE MINE WITH CREAM

It's raining. We needed this "soaker." Looking forward to putting out the annuals and rejuvenating the flower beds. Rejuventation. That's my magic word today. Webster New World Dictionary defines the word rejuvenate: to make young or youthful again; bring back to youthful strength, appearance, etc. Well, considering I'm a little past youth, I think I land in the etc. part of this definition. Nonetheless, spring does bring a sense of youthfulness. I remember a time when I thought growing old would be a long time off, that all the older people would always stay old, and I would always stay young. Do you remember the old movie It's a Wonderful Life, where the old man sitting on a porch swing tells Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart that life is wasted on youth? Or, like Benjamin Button, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to live our lives in reverse, that way we might appreciate our youth, maybe even bring a halt to all the bickering in the world and make us more respectful of how beautiful it is to be young. But, one the other hand, it's nice being my age and spending a quiet Sunday morning rocking on the back porch, rejuventating my tired bones while listening to the rain, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the moment. You see, I'm fussy about my coffee. I like it medium strength in my favorite mug with a little cream. No sugar. You see, as a person gets older, rejuvenation takes place more on the inside than the outside. As I said before, I fall more into the etc. part of Webster's definition.