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Posts Tagged ‘creativity’

This morning: hot oatmeal and a cool breeze from the patio door. We leave the door open for the fresh air, which brings the scent of wildlife to entertain the cat, as well as some of the unexpected moments of aggravation and joy that help make a life.

Aggravation: noise from a construction site down the block.

Joy: halfway through breakfast, I hear a beat, a pattern drummed out as from a wooden handle on a large metal surface. It is from the construction site, but it is not the sound of machinery or backup beeps or men shouting. Is it a wheelbarrow, a water drum, a backhoe scoop? Whatever the source, there is both intention and musicality. A bored worker, perhaps, or an aspiring musician. Or just someone inspired to create a moment of beauty in an otherwise average day. 

And then send that art out into the world, carried on the wind.

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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“Are you writing a book and worried that it’s awful and you suck and everyone who said they liked it is lying to you? Welcome to being a writer!
I’d say most of us struggle with those feelings, even people who are highly successful. Keep going, you’ve got this.”

Jessie Mihalik

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Photo by eberhard 🖐 grossgasteiger on Unsplash

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“To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

― Thomas Edison

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Photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash

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As regular readers of the site know, Tuesday is my busiest and least fun day. Usually, anyway. Today I am pleased to support a Kickstarter by a fellow Writers of the Future cohort member.*

Death and the Taxman – A Novel by David Hankins (illustrations by Sarah Morrison)

The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he faces Judgement for his original sin.

Did I love the short story? I did. Am I looking forward to the full novel? Yes, indeed. And are Sarah Morrison’s illustrations a captivating riot of color, character and motion? They are!

If humor and good writing and fun fantasy are your thing, check out this Kickstarter!

* Yes, another one. What can I say, they’re awesome.

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The week-long Writers of the Future workshop included a number of interviews touching on topics ranging from our work, how we made it to the contest, to what it was like to win. One of these interviews was for the contest’s own podcast, and we were asked to do an episode. 

Constant blogging aside, I’m actually a bit shy, and I was not looking forward to talking for an hour All About Me. As I headed up to the interview room, I realized that there were already three other winners inside. It was my lucky day: all four of us did the interview together and it was terrific. If you follow this site you’ve seen Elaine’s work before, but here she talks about her history and her writing. Sarah and April are both brilliant illustrators, and it was fascinating to hear more about that side of the contest, as well as their experiences on the way to becoming winners.

Chatting with such interesting and talented women was a great experience. Hope you enjoy the interview too.

Stream episode 237. 4 Award-winning authors and artists discuss their journeys to winning

— Elaine Midcoh, author of “A Trickle in History” (elainemidcoh.wordpress.com

— J.R. Johnson, author of “Piracy for Beginners” (jrjohnson.me)

— Sarah Morrison, illustrator of “Death and the Taxman” (sarahmorrisonillustration.com)

— April Solomon, illustrator of “Moonlight and Funk” (AprilSolomonArt.com)

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“Stuff your eyes with wonder,” he said, “live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” 

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

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Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

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“The more shots you get at the target, the more likely you’ll eventually score a bull’s-eye, but the more misses you’ll accrue as well. The bull’s-eyes end up in museums and on library shelves, not the misses. Which, when you think about it, is a shame. It feeds the myth that geniuses get it right the first time, that they don’t make mistakes, when, in fact, they make more mistakes than the rest of us.”

― Eric Weiner, The Geography of Genius

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Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

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All good advice, and the world needs more inventors because the world needs more solutions. But if you’re not into soldering or whatever and still want to create, remember kids, writing fiction is always an option!

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Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

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I am the sort of person who loves to learn interesting things. Stuffing my head with random facts until it all merges together into a well of creative ideas also serves me as a writer.

While I hope I’ll ever need this information, one of my characters might.

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Photo by Deva Darshan on Unsplash

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Dear Readers,

Attached please find important information for your enjoyment and edification. It may be particularly appropriate for a quiet Sunday afternoon.

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Photo by Matt Ridley on Unsplash

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