“When we feel powerful, it leads us to act. When we feel powerless, we don’t act.”
— Amy Cuddy
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Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’
On Action
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, life, quotes, social psychology, Thoughts, writing on August 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »
It’s Not Over Yet
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #IPCC, climate change, inspiration, Thoughts on August 10, 2021| 2 Comments »
I’ve been trying to work up a positive post for today, but the recent IPCC climate report keeps popping into my head, and that’s anything but positive. So let’s take a moment to review.
If you want a summary (or two), to read the report, or to test out the interactive atlas outlining what we can expect by region (here’s the info for North and Central America), you can.
tl;dr: “Worst choose your own adventure book ever.”
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Or check out this cartoon:
Because bad news goes down easier from cute penguins.
That said, it isn’t all bad. We’re at the bottom of the final inning, yes, but the game isn’t over yet.
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Also. Humans are a lot of things, but we aren’t quitters.
We must not delude ourselves about the immense challenges the world faces, but we can’t let anxiety overwhelm and paralyse us. The world isn’t doomed quite yet – there is still a window of opportunity to change things.
— Yes, the climate crisis is terrifying. But I refuse to abandon hope
And if I learned anything from the Terminator franchise (aside from the many uses of a shotgun), it’s that there is no fate but what we make.
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Adultitude
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts on August 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
My nephew is one of the thousands of young adults starting college this fall. I’ve seen a lot of “things I wish I’d known” and “advice for the college-bound” articles, some of which are on point for this thoughtful, capable, and confident kid, some not as much.
There’s the obvious, of course: be kind, don’t drink too much, call if you need bail money, that sort of thing.
All good advice.
But if I had to boil the foundations of a constructive mindset down to just one thing? I saw this quote the other day and thought it was pretty on point:
No matter who or what or where they are,
“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”
― Bill Nye
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Mostly Love
Posted in Favorites, Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, commencement, inspiration, kindness, Thoughts, Writers on August 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Do all the other things, the ambitious things — travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop) – but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness.
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Me & My Muse
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing, yay on July 30, 2021| 1 Comment »
Me: You know, I feel like we haven’t talked much lately. Was it something I said?
Muse: No, no, nothing like that. It’s just…
Me: It’s ok, I’m listening.
Muse: Thanks, this is hard for me. I just haven’t been feeling like myself. I know you want to write and I’m trying to come up with fun ideas, but I keep getting distracted.
Me: Interesting. What’s catching your eye?
Muse: Pretty things. Colorful things. Bright, shiny, fun, sometimes practical but maybe not always Things.
Me: So you mean…
Muse: Yes! Concrete, physical items like turned wooden bottle stoppers are fun, or if it’s digital, something colorful. And self-contained. Writing a few pages in a big story feels so small, you know?
Me: I do know. Is that why we’ve been playing with photo processing?
Muse: Yep. I love it when you bring my ideas to life. Not in months or (god forbid) years, but right f-ing now. Pardon my Fffrench.
Me: No worries, it’s my second language.
Muse: Heh. But do you see?
Me: I think so. You’re saying we should either write faster or stop focusing on writing alone. Shake it up a little. Stretch. Experiment. Do more and don’t worry about genre boundaries or shoulds or “Seriously? That is a crazy idea!” and see what happens.
Muse: Yes!
Me: Ok, then. Let’s do that:)
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Just Knuckle Up to the Keyboard
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, free fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, sff, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 29, 2021| 1 Comment »
Here’s a heaping helping of free fiction, with a side of motivation. John Scalzi’s first novel is posted free to read on his site. It’s the web version, with each chapter its own link and charmingly antiquated page design, but the novel is fun.
After a long day of work sometimes you just want to dust yourself off, meet an alien at the corner bar, and laugh a little. At least I do:)
Scalzi refers to this as his practice novel, but it’s well written and entertaining. (If you’d rather get the full version, the book was eventually published via traditional means, so visit your favorite retailer.) It’s also a great example of what can be done if you just knuckle up to the keyboard and see what comes out.
Which I will absolutely do. Tomorrow.
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Today Was Weird Too
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, LeVar Burton, podcast, sff, writing on July 28, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Busy day today, and none of the three ideas I had for this post came together. Instead, have some fiction, this time read to you by Levar Burton. (You know, the Jeopardy host, and oh yes, Roots and Star Trek and Reading Rainbow and a few other things as well;)
His podcast is Levar Burton Reads, and he picks some of the best speculative short* fiction out there. So when you have a few minutes, sit back, listen, and relax.
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* Shortish, anyway. Reading aloud always takes a bit of time, so a typical episode is about an hour.
Today, Some Reading About Reading
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, nonfiction, sff, Thoughts, writing on July 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »
How does fiction help us reimagine the future of worlds, including our own? This essay explores the history of that relationship:
A Century of Science Fiction That Changed How We Think About the Environment
If we think about science fiction (sf) in terms of the genre’s connections to pressing issues in 21st-century culture, no topic is more urgent than climate change and the ways it promises to transform all aspects of human life, from where we live to how we cultivate our food to what energy sources will fuel our industries.
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Preparedness discourse responds to change, understood as disaster, through strategies of containment. But science fiction offers something much more. It offers us a way of thinking and perceiving, a toolbox of methods for conceptualizing, intervening in, and living through rapid and widespread change — and the possibility to direct it toward an open future that we (re)make.
Here’s to thinking new thoughts, building new worlds, and making them.
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Sorry, Monday, I’m Staying Positive
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, yay on July 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“Life, a good life, a great life is about “Why not?” May we never forget it.”
― Danielle Steel
Oh look, I’ve used this quote before. Guess it must be true:) Bonus quote!
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein
Welcome to Atlanta
Posted in Likes, Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Affinity Photo, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Ilona Andrews, inspiration, magic, sff, writing on July 24, 2021| 1 Comment »
One of my favorite reads is the terrific* Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.
Here’s the first book:
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Ilona Andrews
This husband and wife team also have a number of other great books, all starring kick-ass women willing to go to any lengths to save what needs saving.
The writing is excellent, the plots fresh and unpredictable in the best ways, and the characters, even the bad ones, are complex and well-drawn. (The authors are particularly adept at helping readers understand, and at times forgive, even the darkest characters.)
What’s not to love?
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So when I decided it was time to learn how to make a vintage-style travel postcard, I thought of Atlanta. Not the vibrant city it is now, but as Kate sees it after magic returns to the world, complete with mysterious denizens, vampire Casinos, witch jungles, shapeshifter Keeps, ruins and one lone high rise.
Welcome to Atlanta.
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* Feel free to disagree with me, I don’t mind. Just know that I am right;)
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