"Are you a traveler or are you a tourist?" I recently finished two travel books back to back: Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term Travel by Rolf Potts and Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson. Vagabonding is more of a basic guide to paring down your lifestyle, your "things" so that you can lead a simple life of adventure on the road around the world. Davidson's book is set in Australia of the 70's and written in the 80's with an afterward written in 2012. Potts states, "...the tourist/traveler distinction has largely … [Read more...]
Do you actually feel free?
The question: Do you actually feel free? Do you actually feel independent? I believe that freedom comes from knowing that you are at home in your body, knowing the difference between the should, could and would voices in your head, and having compassion for yourself as a human "animal." What I mean by the above statements is that even though we are living in an economic upturn, with amazing opportunities, and the constant onslaught of scientific advice about how to be healthy and live our best lives, we still are struggling. It is an incredibly complicated question without an answer. It … [Read more...]
The Stunt Writing on the Canvas Network: The Challenge!
A stunt is a feat of daring, an act with a beginning and end, focused on showing off a specific skill. The Stunt Writing For Personal Experience class includes prompts, lectures, readings, and discussions for writers of any age, at any level. Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you,” Stunt Writing For Personal Experience is a process that uses writing as a tool for you to learn about yourself, and gain skills in communicating your own unique story. Why take the Challenge? I think that it is easier to get beyond your boundaries but with a … [Read more...]
Pictures as Writing Prompts: eBay Ephemera
I was just on eBay looking under the interesting title of "EPHEMERA" for a craft project, and I ran across this amazing lot of items, listed as: "NEAT LOT OF OLD VTG ANTIQUE PAPER ITEMS, CORRESPONDENCE, WAR BONDS, REJECTION." My mind began racing - what could this possibly mean? There is clearly a story here? Would I pay more for a lot of ephemera with an awesome title than an actual book? And that final statement hanging there, "REJECTION." What kind of rejection? Why does this listing just hit me as a gigantic mystery? So I decided it was a writing prompt. Here are some sentences … [Read more...]
7 Books That Shaped Me
I've been thinking about this list by Elizabeth Gilbert about the 7 books that shaped her. It is so hard to winnow it down, especially since often how you react to a book depends upon the intersection of when and why you read it. So many books just knock you sideways and you never know when it will happen or why until you take a moment of contemplation. Here are mine: The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White and published in 1970, I was born in 1971. Louis the swan is caught between two worlds and not capable of performing perfectly in either so he has to forge his own way. There is … [Read more...]
Memoirs in Other Forms: Tattoos, Quilts & Art
Sometimes words can work magic, but it is an image that cuts through our conscious chatter and lands directly in our heart. In the genius book by Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses, she goes through each of the senses--the membranes between our exterior and interior worlds. Visual storytelling can be as simple as peek-a-boo (i'm here, now i'm not) or as complicated as the most recent splashy, animated blockbuster film. As the world grows more complex and we can enter new, unreal spaces (did anyone see Avatar in 3D and not see a dose of the future?) yet somehow the stories remain … [Read more...]
New Writing Prompt: Defining and Defending
This writing prompt is adapted from How to Train a Wild Elephant by Jan Chozen Bays. Before I go to bed I often like to read a mindfulness exercise, as something to focus on for the next day. It helps set the stage for a more thoughtful and focused day, and is part of trying to approach life with a sense of practice and presence. In this particular chapter, Jan Chozen Bays writes, "Become aware of how you define yourself and defend yourself and your personal territory. For example do you see yourself as a Liberal or a Conservative? An East Coast person or West Coast person? How do you … [Read more...]
Writing Prompt: What Number Doesn’t Define You?
I get caught up in numbers. There are millions of them, and we are defined by them. We decide how we feel about ourselves based on numbers. We organize our lives and our feelings around the categories created by numbers. Enough money (an unconscious number) in the checking account and we feel safe. A high number (based on whim or medicine) on the scale and we suddenly are in the category of fat. We sit at our 39th birthday party about to turn 40 and we become "over the hill." There is an unconscious tyranny in numbers and the categories they so neatly produce. For this writing prompt, I want … [Read more...]
Bad Data, Click Bait & Productivity Tools
“There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” -Benjamin Disraeli You know these stories. They are the ones that add up a little too easily. They reinforce “facts” that society holds up as being sacrosanct when in reality, often the sample sizes are so small that the data is really just opinion. For instance when Newsweek falsely reported that, “A woman over age 40 has a better chance of being killed by a terrorist than of getting married,” which echoed through the popular news, movies, self-help books for the next 20 years. How did that make women, especially educated single women feel? … [Read more...]
2015 Thoughts on Writing Craft: Word Palette
The Wittgenstein quote has been knocking around in my brain as I read. What words are out there that could be reshaping my work and providing new colors for my word palette? I recently signed up for Word of the Day online to remind myself of the immense vocabulary available. I have started looking up words that I always "think I know" but don't have a clear understanding of, such as aphorism. I've also started underlining when I read, looking for inspiration from a fantastic turn of phrase. As a word lover, I am sad to say that I think a lot of online journalism lacks the beautiful prose of a … [Read more...]