This is a great bit by Ira Glass on Art, and how you have to keep working at it if you’re going to be any good… even when you know that what you’re doing isn’t as good as you wish.
Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’
A Thought for Monday Morning: Keep Going
Posted in Writing, tagged arts, awesome, books, creativity, finishing, inspiration, Motivation, rejection, Thoughts, video, work, Writers, writing on March 18, 2013| 1 Comment »
Love The One You’re With
Posted in Science!, tagged aliens, awesome, dna, evolution, history, inspiration, science on March 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Since I’m on an NPR science kick… this article provides a fascinating glimpse of our dual genetic past… and perhaps future?
What Happened When Humans Met An Alien Intelligence? Sex Happened : Krulwich Wonders… : NPR
… most humans on Earth, especially if they descend from Europe and most of Asia, carry about 1 to 4 percent Neanderthal DNA in their cells. Proportions will vary. British comedian Eddie Izzard, discovered he’s 2.8 percent Neanderthal. You don’t carry Neanderthal DNA unless someone up your family tree coupled with one.
So that’s our proof: that our first encounter with an intelligent alien led to … umm, well … more.
Meet Your New Overlords
Posted in Funny, Science!, tagged facepalm, inspiration, NPR, science, Thoughts on March 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »
To Make Mice Smarter, Add A Few Human Brain Cells
… because there’s absolutely no way that can go wrong;)
Free Download: Stupefying Stories’ “The 2013 Campbellian Pre-Reading Anthology”
Posted in Writing, tagged awesome, books, campbell award, free, genre fiction, inspiration, literature, sff, short stories, Writers, writing on February 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Oooh, shiny!
If you are at all interested in good writing or genre fiction, check out Stupefying Stories’ “The 2013 Campbellian Pre-Reading Anthology.” The name is a bit of a mouthful but get past that and you are in for a treat. This collection contains 80 short stories by authors eligible for this year’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer award, and all free free free.
Limited time offer, get yours today!
Writing…
Posted in Writing, tagged creativity, inspiration, short stories, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 7, 2013| 2 Comments »
photo by Benimoto on Flickr
I’m writing. How’s it going? Not bad, considering. Ann Patchett has a terrific essay called The Getaway Car. One particularly telling passage details her view of writing. While the work is in her head it is perfect, she says, a beautiful, multi-dimensional butterfly in the most magical and vibrant colors. The problem with bringing the story into being is that she has to take that gorgeous creature and smash it onto a black and white page, a two-dimensional and wholly inadequate representation of the original.
It made me laugh and want to cry because I know exactly what she means.
Happy Sunday!
Posted in Likes, Other, tagged awesome, creativity, fun, inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, Videos, yay on February 3, 2013| 2 Comments »
I know, in internet years Kid President is past retirement age by now. I don’t care. I tried to ignore this video for a whole week but finally broke down, and I’m glad I did. This kid is great, and his message is even better. Watch it. And be awesome.
A Brand New Year
Posted in Other, tagged inspiration, January, New Year, resolutions, Thoughts on January 24, 2013| 1 Comment »
photo by Jayt74 on Flickr
2012 started well but ended with a bit of a fizzle. And by fizzle I mean a wave of illness, death, and generally unpleasant travel schedules. So apologies for not being around here since the holidays. The good news is that there are still people to care about, there is still useful work to be done, still delicious food to make. Here’s to 2013, eh?
And on that note…
I pride myself on not making resolutions, not at New Year’s, anyway. But here’s the thing: I’m starting to think that maybe I should.
Why? It’s simple, really. Raised by a couple of nontraditional types (they eschewed the “hippie” label but certainly shared some defining characteristics) I generally scoff at traditions. Well, not Christmas and Easter and watching Star Wars with giant bowls of popcorn, obviously, but the other stuff. The traditions that seem designed to weigh you down rather than buoy you up, that help you feel like crap when you realize you’ve fallen short.
Honestly, that’s what New Year’s resolutions always seemed like to me: an opportunity to fail and then have to spend the rest of the year wandering around in a haze of guilt, regret, and inadequacy. Like a minor but well-established branch of several major religions I can think of, actually. No thanks, right? True enough, as far as that goes. But if you look at it as a convenient time to check in, to catch up, to re-evaluate or just to ask yourself the questions that generally get lost in all the frantic day-to-day, well. That seems to be something else entirely.
So. I’m still not going to vow to lose ten pounds a week or exercise constantly or only think thoughts worthy of a nun, because that’s never going to happen. I reject the tyranny of “should” and “must.” But I will spend at least a few belated moments checking in, to see if what I wanted last year is the same thing I want now. And if not, then what? Then I have a whole new year to figure out what comes next.
Here’s to mid-course corrections, and to staying on track!
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