Posted in Funny, Writing, tagged finishing, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, inspiration, Michael Palin, middle of the week, national parks, persistence, planning, quotes, Thoughts, work on June 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »
It’s the middle of the week and I don’t know about you but Friday, and finishing everything on my list, feels pretty far away. Must be time for an inspirational quote and fabulous photo. Like… so!
You can’t get a suit of armour and a rubber chicken just like that. You have to plan ahead.
— Michael Palin
Posted in Science!, tagged aeon magazine, Andy Weir, autonomy, boredom, creativity, Hawai'i, HI-SEAS, Kate Greene, Mars, Mars training, NASA, nonfiction, persistence, science, science fiction, space, space exploration, The Martian, training missions, trip to Mars on June 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Planet boredom
On Mars I learned that boredom has two sides – it can either rot the mind or rocket it to new places…
This essay provides a fascinating look at the HI-SEAS (Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) Mars training mission from the inside. Written by Kate Greene, a science and technology journalist (i.e. not an astronaut), the piece gives a great inside look at what a trip to Mars might be like. For speculative fiction writers, this sort of research provides terrific insight into what life in space would actually feel like to those living it.
Short answer? Boring. Longer answer? Sometimes boring can be a good thing…
Find the full essay at aeon Magazine. For more on the pitfalls of life on Mars, you could also check out Andy Weir’s recent novel The Martian.
Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged creativity, double rainbow, Fiction, finishing, genre fiction, goals, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Motivation, persistence, Thoughts, work, writing, yay on May 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This may be the best advice I’ve given myself all week:
Don’t worry about being good – worry about getting better.
P.S. More good advice – don’t run barefoot over these sand dunes in the middle of summer. Ask me how I know!
Posted in Other, tagged cherry blossoms, DC, home, persistence, snow, Spring, weather, winter, yay on April 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »
My holiday wreath remains on the door because there’s still a little pile of snow out in the front yard. Impressively, the snow survived yesterday’s 70F weather. The house shades that section of the yard from sun most of the day, and layers of traction control sand provide the snow with a bit of a buffer, a turtle-like defense against Spring. I’m almost rooting for the little guy, persistent as it is.
Almost:) Happy Spring!
^ Not my front yard, but oh so pretty all the same.
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged creativity, facepalm, Motivation, persistence, Thoughts, work, writing on April 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Some days are just off, for whatever reason. Days when you hit all the wrong buttons on your computer, make foolish mistakes because your brain isn’t firing on all cylinders, fumble everything you touch and your nose won’t stop bleeding. Yeah, it’s that kind of day for me.
What to do in the face of such pitfalls?
Keep going.
Apologize to self and others for calls not made, for eating too much cake (or not enough), for not finishing the to-do list or not writing the perfect story. Do better next time.
Even if it happens to be April Fool’s Day.
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged artists, arts, awesome, bill watterson, calvin and hobbes, creativity, inspiration, Motivation, persistence, tombstone, work, yay on August 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Oh, I love this, and it’s just the sort of inspiration I need today. The text is an excerpt from a commencement speech in 1990 by Bill Watterson (of Calvin and Hobbes fame). The art is by Zen Pencils and is a beautifully done tribute to his inspiration, Watterson.
If you have a moment Read the Zen Pencils essay. I always enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes but didn’t know much about Watterson’s challenges as he made the strip or his history. I particularly like the part about persistence.
… Broke, he was forced to move back in with his parents and worked an advertising layout job he hated while he drew comics in his spare time…. Luckily Watterson didn’t quit…
Of all the things that could go on my tombstone, “Luckily, she didn’t quit” is right up there.
J.R. Johnson 
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