Not long ago, I asked a friend if she was interested in writing a book. I was gearing up for NaNoWriMo and hoping she might join in the fun. She loves to read, she's articulate and smart, and I was pretty sure she would be interested in writing. I asked her if she had ever done... Continue Reading →
Intuitive Beading: Bead Stitch Sampler Finished
My recent class with Lisa Yoder inspired me to finally finish the bead stitch sampler book I started in 2014. I had stopped because I'd reached a fussy stage where I need to fuse fabrics together to make the cover and I couldn't be bothered. Now that the itch to bead was back, it was easy to... Continue Reading →
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Why We Should Practice While Waiting for Inspiration
If I waited for inspiration, I wouldn't write anything at all. And yet this is exactly how I approach other art forms, like spinning or drawing. I expect to be able to just make things, wonderful things, as a result of a compelling vision or urgent promptings from my muse. Sometimes it works that way.... Continue Reading →
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“Talent is a Question of Quantity.”
This quote reminds me of my favorite children's books, Arm in Arm by Remy Charlip. In it, there's a story of a man who paid a painter to make him a painting of a fish. After waiting a year and receiving nothing, the man goes to the painter and asks for his painting. The painter... Continue Reading →
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Creative Exercises: Waste Of Time Or Valuable Experiment?
The last time I took a writing class, I was the world's crankiest student. My teacher would assign homework in the form of exercises, and I would sneer or balk. When she asked us to practice writing opening sentences for a short story, for example, I wrote smart-alecky stuff like this: "Do you think he... Continue Reading →
