Victoria Schwab Does It

I’ve talked about tracking progress before, and today I saw Victoria Schwab’s tweet on keeping a calendar. She awards herself with stars for the number of pages she writes and the number of pages she reads, as well as the amount of exercise she gets each day. The magenta stars are for days she’s travelling or attending events.

As you probably know, I keep a calendar of my writing and submitting schedule. I set goals for the week, then record my progress as I go. But I know I’m not getting enough exercise. Victoria’s calendar has inspired me to keep track of my own physical activity. I truly believe in the importance of balance. We need to be aware of how we spend our time. So much of my life goes to household chores and tasks that have to be done every day. Having a calendar to prove that will force me to take action and reclaim some time for myself!

How do you keep track of where your time goes? How do you make time for yourself?

Not enough blue stars. Going to have to do better next month… pic.twitter.com/vPetVq2iF9

— Victoria/V.E. Schwab (@veschwab) November 28, 2015

Note: Victoria Schwab’s “A Darker Shade of Magic” is a current goodreads Choice Awards Best Book of 2015 nominee. If you’ve read and loved it, vote for it here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2015.

A New Journey

Taking Jasmine Kay Uy’s piece of art to heart, my daughter, Natalie, and I began a new journey in art journaling. We watched some YouTube videos and looked through a bunch of ideas on Pinterest. Then, we decided to just jump in.

Luckily, we’ve accumulated a LOT of supplies! We visit Hobby Lobby when we get a chance–and some “extra” money. We have a nice selection of scrapbooking papers, stickers, and tags. My husband used to paint in college, so we have acrylics and brushes. Plus, I went through a period of time where I wanted to give watercolor painting a try, so I have some nice, thick papers and tubes of watercolor.

I worked on a simple project with a watercolor rainbow, a stamped message: “dream on,” and some polka-dotted tissue paper Mod-Podged onto the page. Natalie drew and water-colored a bird with a stamped quote: “Believe in what you can do, not what you can’t do.” We both wanted inspirational quotes in our pieces.

Through our experimentation, we came up with an idea for a children’s book. It seemed like once we opened the gates, the ideas just started pouring through. We drew up sketches for each page, setting off on a new adventure together. My mom and I used to talk about writing a book together. As Natalie and I worked, I said that we should bring grandma into the project, too. Then, maybe when that little girl wandering in the background of this picture is older, she can also join us!

It’s a fun way to try to recapture your creativity. And doing it with my daughter was the best part. What do you do to find your creative spirit? What inspires you?

Joy & Sorrow: The Early Days of a Writing Career

Last week’s Prairie Schooner e-newsletter featured an interview with Adam Zagajewski titled, “The Border Between Sadness & Joy,” where Zagajewski discusses success:

I think success is the enemy of the poet. Poetry arises out of inner life; out of some contemplation, sometimes out of lament, and success creates an artificial reality. It’s not you− if you happen to be acclaimed. I haven’t reached this degree of success, luckily, but I can imagine there is a degree of success that cuts you away from real life, from real people.

Last time, I mentioned contacting fellow writers. In her response, Lisa Fay Coutley said, “It’s exciting, those earlier days of meandering and working your ass off. If that’s where you are, in a lot of ways, I think that’s the best part. It’s like new love. Enjoy it!”

For me, this adventure is like being a new mother. No one can possibly articulate how difficult it will be. On the same hand, no one can possibly describe how rewarding it can be.

As K.M. Weiland describes, “The magic ingredient in fiction is that special something that socks readers right in the gut and leaves them breathless with joy or sorrow (or maybe wabi-sabi, the Japanese term for that impossibly beautiful combination of the two).” (Outlining Your Novel, 66)

This July I will deliver my fifth baby. Because they arrive without specific care instructions each child is a beautiful mystery. Like Adam Zagajewski, I haven’t reached the degree of success that removes a writer from reality. I only know the magic of discovery involved with each new creation of poetry or fiction, and the overwhelming feeling of wabi-sabi that inevitably comes each time. And I will take Lisa Fay Coutley’s advice and enjoy it while it lasts.

~ Jennifer