I’m determined to start this week off on a good note. I’m over being sick (save for the Lingering Cough), and I had a busy but great day yesterday. I have an hour to myself, with children being occupied by their various Quiet Time activities, a cup of peppermint tea, soothing music, and a chance to reflect on what’s inspiring me recently.
Snow! We’ve had a LOT of snow come our way recently. Even better than the sight of freshly-fallen snow is my kids’ reactions to all this white stuff. The plows have pushed so much snow to the sides of the road that much of it has fallen down our stone wall and into our yard, which is sunken down a level below the road. The olders love climbing up and down this “mountain”. Yesterday, all five of us went sledding in the park. We were the only people there on a lovely not-too-cold late afternoon, and we all had a BLAST wiping out in the snow. David took embarrassing videos. Of course.
Sir I. wrote a poem about snow. The first verse goes:
Snow frosting
Snow white
Snow beauty
Shining in the bright
Speaking of white spaces, here’s an article that Jo forwarded me about making room for creativity in your life–room that the writer refers to as “white spaces”. I found myself nodding emphatically at every point, sometimes rather sheepishly. Simmering ideas? Decluttering living areas? Having unscheduled time to do nothing? Unplugging from the wider world? Fostering a few close connections? Yes, yes, yes, yes, and YES. I know all this, and yet I need to hear it again and again, because white spaces quickly get taken over by lots of busy neon letters saying DO THIS and a bunch of blinking exclamation marks thrown in for good measure.
I love this world map labeled with the translations of the countries’ names. Via Juliette Wade.
And this quote by Michelangelo: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
This is particularly inspiring right now because Kai’s book is so full of tangents, dead ends, pointless exposition, and wild leaps of logic that I’m already despairing the revision stage. (Not to mention whining over how come I can’t write perfect first drafts yet.) Then I see this quote, and I know that writing the first draft is only cutting a block of marble from my mental quarry. Once I have the raw material, I can shape and carve until I set my story free.
What’s inspiring you today?
I’m inspired by people like you, working hard at writing, sharing your work, snippets of information you’ve found, links, happenings in your world. They’re like fresh breezes from across the Atlantic 🙂
Another who inspires me is Josephine Myles. I’m a frequent visitor to her blog.
To return to the women writers of a few posts ago: my sister sent this
http://www.library.unt.edu/rarebooks/exhibits/women/17th.htm
Wishing you an inspired week!
Prue
Aw, thanks, Prue!
Ooh, that looks like a really good resource! Thanks!
Juliette Wade. Dean Wesley Smith. Kristin Kathryn Rusch. Kayla Olson. You.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. My medical terminology course (talk about helping me make a “magic” system that’s all science). Old dictionaries [Webster’s 1828 and American College 1969(?)]. Taber’s Cyclopedia.
Happily-sized tax refunds. Bills going to be paid. Stories to be written: Portraits of Grace, “No Heaven So Bright,” and “Notes on Grace.” Novellas to study and dissect. Smiles to give. Family. Friends.
Which brings me back to you!
🙂
*hugs!* Sounds like you’re finding inspiration everywhere! Happy times!