Resources for Writing

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I keep a pretty insanely full writing binder of resources, inspirational items, and advice from different sources, in the hope that they will all lead me down a path to somewhere!

A few days ago I decided that this binder wasn't quite bursting at the seams enough, so I researched some writing prompt ideas.  I came across a pretty helpful site that I'd like to pass along to any other aspiring writers out there: www.pw.org, the Poets and Writers Magazine--incidentally, as I look back at the site now to include their links here, I see that their New York office is closed due to Hurricane Sandy.  How crazy that something so huge can be happening just across the country and our California weather is still so mild.

The Poets and Writers Magazine has several resources other than the writing prompts I came across the other day.  There is a blog about upcoming writing contests, a classified section with calls for manuscripts, an E-newsletter, and a whole host of other things to explore.  I'm having trouble pulling away from it to continue writing here!

I thought I'd share my favorite writing prompts, plus my response to one of them:

Erasure poem: find a text that branches out from your regular reading material, underline words or phrases you like, and then white or cross out the rest.  Use the remains for inspiration.

You and Me: write a poem to your past or future self to warn or reassure, and ask questions without answers.

A Universal Message: everything you encounter today could be a sign from a greater power.  Write a poem connecting these seemingly incidental occurences.

Start a Collection: take a week to collect photos, small objects, favorite passages, and overheard conversations.  Keep your collection in a shoebox.  At the end of the week, take everything out and use the ingredients to write a story.

Art of Arbitrary: open any books from your shelves and choose words at random.  Write down 10.  Use this list to write a poem of 5 couplets without using the first person.

My choice was pretty clear.  Since I tend to be rather painfully organized and a creature of habit more often than not, I was attracted to forcing a little randomness (plus I have a lot of books to choose from!).

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"Distance"
Nina Boyd

Upon a gath'ring ceremonial
they formed 'round a god made corporeal
But now rejecting the light,
lonesome orbs spin from sight.
The vast skies unwind
Free from temporal bind.
Planets tumbling into blackness
Dodge chaotic, cosmic madness
An ordered universe is gone
We look up and see only space.

"What Do You Do?"

Alice in Wonderland Art Jam

I've been thinking a lot about how I answer the question, "What do you do?"  Even though overall I like my "nine to five," as they say, I don't consider it self-defining by any means.  What, then, compels me to answer that question by filling in the blank with this job?  What keeps me from proclaiming myself a writer or an artist, and instead makes me define myself by what I do to pay the bills?

Alice in Wonderland Art Jam

I've come to the conclusion that I can't fairly call myself a writer or an artist until I start becoming those things more--that is, until I actively spend more time producing art than I spend at my nine to five.

Our Fellow Artists: Matt Beard

"Bird's Eye View" by Matt Beard

I have always loved color, and Matt Beard does it well.  An artist living in Humboldt County, he seems very influenced by nature, especially the ocean--and what better inspiration for color than those California waves?  I thoroughly enjoyed browsing all of his galleries, noticing in each one that his landscapes all seemed to reflect the rhythm and texture of waves--even landscapes that had minimal water in them. 

"Redwood Roots" by Matt Beard

"Shoebox Series #4" by Matt Beard

Ironically, in my search for pieces that demonstrated remarkable use of color, it was Beard's ink work that caught my eye.  Once I saw his line work and excellent balance of black and white, I had to see if he also worked in color.  I'm glad I kept browsing his site, because I found some truly breathtaking compositions, handled with bold, graphic simplicity.  

"Afternoon Mourning" by Matt Beard

Each piece is unique, but has that unmistakable signature style we as artists try so hard to develop.  Plus, not only are the pieces rendered well, they also invite the viewer to explore the world.  They are a great tribute to places, and the feeling that permeates those places.  Matt Beard really captures the essence of each landscape, whether it's redwood forests or rolling waves.

Cooler Weather + Cozy Blankets = Disaster!

There is nothing cozier than climbing into bed with some paper and a pen.  Add the long-awaited dip from 100° to the mid 60s we've had here and you've got yourself a recipe for a novel.

"Storytime" by Nina Boyd

Speaking of novels, it's almost embarrassing to admit how many I'm currently in the middle of writing.  See, the problem with that cozy bed I mentioned earlier is it lends itself to writing, writing, and more writing--and not necessarily finishing long-term projects, or hammering out details of near-completed ones.

Maybe the 100° weather should come back.

Art's Still Got It

I subscribe to illustrationsource.com so I can receive an "image of the day" from their collection of illustrations.  There is no newsletter or any written communication accompanying these images--the picture, alone, speaks for itself.

On the 18th of October, the image was from Alice Brickner, entitled "How Much is Enough?" and was quite a blunt depiction of how we can get caught up in the pursuit of more: in this case, more money.

Her illustration almost makes money look like it can be mined from underground, like mineral deposits in layers of rock.  The painting shows a seemingly happy family walking along a path down a hill, and in front of them, nestled under the hill, is a bar graph, showing stacks of money increasing in size.  The graph is blocking their path.

I recently read a book, Comfort, by Brett C. Hoover, that examined different people's ideas of what it means to be comfortable.  Many of those interviewed mentioned financial security, and most measured that differently. 

As an artist and writer who keeps her current job more for the free time it allows than for the stellar wages, I have really started to examine the role money plays in my life.  (Incidentally, reproducing Brickner's illustration in this blog even as a thumbnail would've cost at least $99, so my apologies for the mere link!)  Does it block my path to happiness, as in Brickner's illustration?  Does it dictate my level of comfort, as with the interviewees in Hoover's book?  Should it be as important as I've made it?
 

A Salute to the Greats

"The Snowman" 
by Peter Szumowski

Where would we be without those greater artists to inspire us?  I spent some time browsing yesterday and found some new favorites to add to my long list.

Both my greeting cards site and my prints site offer sort of "master galleries" that sell prints of famous artists' work.  

Now, even after being obsessed with art since the age of seven, I definitely don't know about every master, so I'm trying to browse these galleries more frequently.  

Here are some pieces I've just discovered.

"Winter Breakfast"
Unknown

I tend to lean toward scenes that are realistic but hint at the magical--I suppose because, to me, that's the most hopeful depiction of life.  

In my own art and writing, I'm always trying to create that semi-hidden layer of mystery, and when I go out in the world I'm always looking for it.  

After all, how is the day meaningful without a little enchantment?

Step by Step, Line by Line

A couple nights ago I began two more Halloween cards, with the vague idea that I should do a harvest scene to take advantage of the bright fall fruit colors. I've been having a lot of fun lately working in ink, which is the perfect medium for bold hues. It sounds very professional when I say "working in ink," but if I was more specific, all pretense goes out the window when I call it what it is: working in Sharpie! You'd be surprised how well these pens meant for labeling boxes stand up to their more expensive competition.  I thought it would be interesting for any beginning artists out there to see the stages even a simple 5 x 6" illustration goes through to reach completion, so this entry is lined with shots of just that.