Thoughts for a New Year
Happy New Year! Turn the page. Pull out a blank canvas. Move ahead. Here are my thoughts for a new year.
Some Days, Everything Feels Too Big
Unfinished essays are scattered across my desk. Others are still percolating in my brain—half-formed and waiting. And some essays are hidden inside me—ones I know I will never write. Some days, everything feels too big—emotions, life, situations, every single thing. How can words express the expansiveness of what it is to be alive?
A Vase of Flowers
I often watch a YouTube channel—introvert & dog. I think the word introvert caught my attention. I am an introvert. The catchphrase he uses at the beginning of each video is: “the magical beauty of the ordinary.” I was particularly inspired by something he routinely shows on his channel: a vase of flowers on the table.
In the Wrong Place
Innocent. In the wrong place at the wrong time. Oblivious to his situation, he made it worse by not running away. He remained motionless—hanging precariously from the roof.
A Reading Program by Ray Bradbury
Reading is a challenge for me. I like the idea of reading and enjoy it when I actually do read. However, I have trouble making time and settling down long enough to read. While watching a YouTube video about writing, I came across a reading program by Ray Bradbury: read one poem, one short story, and one essay every night. It sounded easy enough—I could just read short examples of these. I did not realize when I started that Bradbury said to do it for 1,000 days!
The Heart
A few weeks ago, I had an echocardiogram—which is an imaging test that uses ultrasound waves to create detailed images of the heart. I have had several in the past, but this time was different—I was facing the machine that displays the images of my heart.
Hodgepodge
Hodgepodge refers to a mixed, jumbled assortment of disparate things. I had a friend with whom I used to chat via email. Often I would put the subject title as hodgepodge. It was a warning that I had nothing particular to say, but rather had lots of varied thoughts and ideas to share. Inspired by a recent blog post of Wil Wheaton, I thought I would try that here.
Why I Do Anything
Being creative is not easy. We are often too critical of ourselves and our creative output. Our work never meets our own expectations. It is tempting to compare ourselves to others. Sometimes I wonder why I do anything . . . or why I think I can do anything worthwhile.
Mundane
Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of complacency or even discontent—living with blinders on my eyes or a pall over my emotions. When this happens, life feels ordinary and mundane. Nothing seems important.
Stuck This Week
What do you write about, when you can’t think of anything or you don’t feel inspired? That is a great question. I feel stuck this week. I don’t want to write something just to write—and it be uninteresting or worse yet, not even worth reading.
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