Thinking about Writing

I’m thinking about writing today.

I’m thinking about writing today because a fellow blogger has written a new piece that’s far from her usual style. It’s dark and intense, and she’s expressed her hesitance to post it in light of that. It makes me wonder how we, as writers, approach subjects we’re called to write about in spite of the inner debate, reluctance, fear.

I want to tell her WRITE! WRITE IT ALL! because I know some of my most powerful writing comes from those dark places. Good writing is in the marrow of our day-to-day.

I’m thinking about writing today because a new story has called my attention, and I’ve been piecing together words all week. But they’re difficult words – as truths often are – and I find myself hesitating. Deleting. Editing. Censoring.

I keep pushing myself WRITE! WRITE IT ALL! because I know some of my most powerful writing comes from those dark places. Good writing is in the marrow of our day-to-day.

I’m thinking about writing today and was amused to stumble on this quote in my morning emails:

“It’s a good thing to read a lot. It’s a good thing to write a lot. The best thing to do is to live a lot. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Make a fool of yourself. Watch other people make fools of themselves. Believe something stupid and then realize you’ve been tricked. Feel embarrassed. Be brave and bold. Then be cowardly and pathetic. Give a damn about the world outside yourself. Have some very dark nights. It’s all good. You’ll use all of it.”

— Michael Grant

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Image: Cy Twombly, Untitled 1968, House paint and crayon on canvas

Bird Watching

He was walking his dog along the edge of the grass, carefully and quietly — like one does in this place. I saw him out of the corner of my eye as I talked softly to an old friend. Her birthday would have been Sunday. I brought her pink geraniums, which I set down next to the pot of pansies from her son.

“You have a perfect spot here,” I said, as I dusted away grass clippings.

Just then, I noticed an osprey gliding gracefully above the river, and watched until it disappeared behind the spring-green leaves that lined the edge of the hill.

The gravel of the path made a soft tick tick tick noise beneath my tires as I drove away, slowly passing the old man and his dog. He turned when he heard me, and smiled.

“If you look over there,” I said, as I stopped next to him, “you can see an osprey flying above the river.”

“I think they’re from the nesting platform over there,” he nodded, pointing to a place I could not see in the distance.

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Yes. Yes they are,” he said with a sad smile.

We watched the osprey together for a while.

“There are hawks, too,” he spoke into the silence.

“I know, I often see them on my walks,” I said, “Red tail, mostly.”

“Ah, you know birds, then? My wife and I used to sit on our patio and watch the migrating birds as they arrived in town. They’d flock to a tree we planted when we first moved here.”

“We are blessed to live in this place, aren’t we?” I could tell he knew.

“We lived here for 40 years. My attorney is buried over there now, and our neighbors on that hill there, next to my wife.”

“It is a perfect spot,” I whispered, as we both watched the osprey swoop across the river again.

“They say the pairs return to each other in the spring, in the same place,” he said. “They’re coming home.”

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©2012 Jen Payne

What is YOUR dream?

“Life is a difficult assignment. We are fragile creatures, expected to function at high rates of speed, and asked to accomplish great and small things each day. These daily activities take enormous amounts of energy. Most things are out of our control. We are surrounded by danger, frustration, grief, and insanity as well as LOVE, HOPE, ecstasy, and wonder. Being fully human is an exercise in humility, suffering, grace, and great humor. Things and people all around us die, get broken, or are lost. There is no safety or guarantees. The way to accomplish the assignment of truly living is to engage fully, richly, and deeply in the living of your dreams. We are made to DREAM and to live those dreams.”

― SARK

So, what is YOUR dream?

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Photo ©2012 Jen Payne

Quote from Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day

Meeting Geranium

I saw her leaves and knew

Geranium —

Geranium maculates

I am told.

Wild Geranium

who goes by the name of

Crane’s bill,

Dove’s-foot,

Old Maid’s Nightcap,

Shameface.

Shameface?

No. Sweet face, she.

If I set her in an amulet,

they say she will make me smile.

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©2012, Jen Payne

Reader Appreciation Award

Dear Readers,

Thank you all for coming along on the Great Cape Escape. It was fun to share the journey – and the photos with you!

In addition to an increased number of visits this past week, Random Act of Writing [+art] has been nominated for a Reader Appreciation Award by Vicky at The Northern Chicky. How fun is that? Thanks Vicky!

With the award, I’ve been asked to A) share with you something I’ve been up to lately and then B) nominate six other blogs for this award. So here we go.

A) What Have I Been Up to Lately?
One of my intentions for 2012 is to get published, so I’ve been working on that in a number of ways, including submitting a memoir piece to a journal of creative nonfiction, joining the National Story Circle Network for life writing/memoir writing, and investigating self-publishing. It’s all pretty exciting, and I hope to share more about this new journey here soon!

B) Six New Reader Appreciation Award Nominations

A View from the Woods
Judith posts regular Weekly Photo Challenge images, along with thought-provoking pieces of writing. Be sure to follow along with her readers’ comments, too, as they are always inspiring! (She also has a sister blog called Touch2Touch which interconnects photos and philosophy and poetry and spirituality with great finesse.)

C.B. Wentworth
One of my favorites since she came online just over a year ago, check out her creative and prolific world of words and travel and books and art projects and…and so much more! You will especially enjoy her posts about Wreck This Journal and her Project Art Journal. (I just love her!)

David Lebovitz
When I want to dream about Paris, all I need do is visit David’s blog. He’s an American now “living the sweet life in Paris” who posts great food essays, recipes, amazing photos and some fun videos. It’s also my go-to source for the best French Vinaigrette recipe I’ve ever found!

Some Little Crum Creek
I like to imagine that Scott and I are walking in the woods at the exact same time, and then comparing notes here on the blogosphere. The truth is, he’s wandering along Little Crum Creek in southeastern Pennsylvania and I’m in the woods of southern Connecticut. I still feel like we’re neighbors – but nature has a way of making connections like that! You have to see some of his amazing up-close-and-personal photos!

Seasons Flow
The seasons flow in Ohio a little earlier than they do here in Connecticut, so it’s always fun to see the coming attractions on Tracy’s blog. She calls herself an “amateur” photographer, but the life and spirit she captures with her lens are extraordinary!

Le Litter Box
This is one of my guilty pleasures. Le Litter Box is actually a “tumblelog,” sort of a stream-of-consciousness collage of photos and graphics—mostly about cats. But there are also some delicious photographs and funny videos…it’s my visual comfort food!

Readers, meet some of my favorite bloggers. Bloggers, meet some of my amazing readers!

Best wishes…Love, Jen

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Images above are culled from each blog listed and copyrighted accordingly.

The Great Cape Escape: Souvenirs and Such

“Everyone collects souvenirs, whether they call them that or not. They’re evidence that we’ve taken part in the great dance of life – been places, seen things. They’re connections between us and something grander and more eternal than we are.”

― Michael Hughes

The End.

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Photos ©2012, Jen Payne

The Great Cape Escape: Found Objects

One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few. One moon shell is more impressive than three. There is only one moon in the sky.…Gradually one discards and keeps just the perfect specimen; not necessarily a rare shell, but a perfect one of its kind. One sets it apart by itself, ringed around by space…. For it is only framed in space that beauty blooms. Only in space are events and objects and people unique and significant—and therefore beautiful.

- Anne Morrow Lingbergh, Gift from the Sea

Whelk shell

Mermaid’s Purse, or skate’s egg case.

Mermaid’s Necklace, or whelk’s egg case

Angel wings

Heart shaped rock

Ark clam shell

Whelk shell

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Photos ©2012, Jen Payne