Cartoon of a dad reading a bedtime story to his son. The son says, “You can stop reading now. This story lacks depth.”
Tag: writing
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Don’t forget the Old Media
Terry Whalin had a good article on the perils of ignoring print media
http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/2012/11/building-your-platform-dont-ignore-old.html.
When new technology comes along, we tend to assume it will obliterate everything that came before it. When radio became popular, pundits claimed doom for the newspapers. When TV came on the scene, radio and newspapers where going to be history. And then came the Internet…
But Terry’s article reminds me it is foolish to totally leave print media in favor of the Internet. Sure, newspapers aren’t as large as they used to be, but they are still here. New technology may change the old forms of communication, but the old forms still have their purpose. Ignore them at your peril.
Dan Blank has a post on building a writing platform.
The photograph he uses makes an effective point. What changed in seventy years since the first photo was taken? A lot, or did it?
This got me thinking about a business man I knew who passed away recently. He was a great guy and the picture of health. Yet he passed away at age 74 from surgery complications. It wasn’t even a life-threatening procedure. One minute he was here, the next, he was gone.
He will be remembered not for his business accomplishments, but for what a nice guy he was. He always had a smile. He was encouraging and a man of common sense. You could rely on his advice.
His Facebook profile is quiet now. Not many people will remember him for his Facebook account or for past business deals. What he will be remembered for was how he was a man of encouragement and integrity.
As I write and illustrate today, I’ll be thinking about Dan’s post and my friend. What will I do today that will build a legacy?
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School Yourself in the Writing Field
I just came across an interesting article on journaling and writing at the “Journal For You” blog.
School Yourself in the Writing Field.
This is good advice whether you want to write, illustrate or pursue any creative endeavor. Â When you treat your creative pursuit as a form or exercise, it will free you up to be creative.
Whenever I have faced writer’s block, the one thing that has kept me creating was to write and draw in my sketchbooks whether I felt like it or note. Pretty soon, those creative juices come back.
Don’t wait for the muse to strike you. Get creative in your journal or sketchbook today, whether you feel like it or not.
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Morning Pages Reboot
The last several mornings, I’ve taken up an old habit. It’s been good to get back into it, and a joy to have a habit come back that is a good one.
Several years ago, I read a book entitled, “[amazon-product text=”The Artists Way” tracking_id=”kevinspearcom-20″ type=”text”]1585421472[/amazon-product]” It is a book on creativity by Julia Cameron. One of the prescriptions in the book is to start every day with morning pages. It is three pages of longhand writing you do as soon as you wake up. I came back to it after several months and I’m really glad I did. There are several reasons why I find this habit helpful.
It Clears my Head
I can get a lot of nagging thoughts swirling around in my mind. Did I pay that bill? Do I need to get that flea medicine for the dog? Is four cups of coffee too much for this average Joe? I can clear some of those thoughts out of my cranium if I just write them down and let things settle.
It Helps me Focus
It seems every where I go, people are complaining they have Attention Deficit Disorder. I’m sure some people have a legitimate case of ADD, but I’m beginning to wonder if it’s our society that can’t stay focused for more than a few minutes. Writing things down in the morning helps me focus on some of the important things of the day. It also helps me see some patterns when I go back and read what’s been on my mind the last few weeks.
It Gets the Creative Juices Flowing
Most of what I’ve done has been in the visual arts. Yet this writing habit has made me realize I can paint pictures in words too. It feels good for me to get things out in writing and see if there are any pictures that need illustrated among the text. I am constantly mulling over whether the pictures inspire the words or the words inspire the pictures. Getting some words down gives me a starting point. It’s a lot like doodling on paper to see what shows up. For me, morning pages are a form of doodling.
I encourage you to start the habit. I would also encourage you to find
“The Artist’s Way.” It’s a good book to read when you’re looking for a creative spark, no matter what type of creative work you are in to.