Wednesday, March 25, 2015

March Madness Check-In — Day # 25

With all the distractions and disappointments the day job has brought me in the last year, I have had to double up on creative outlet time whenever I had the chance. Photography has been my outlet and my jell-time. That is when I take off at sunrise and scout around the nature parks for creative inspiration and gratification, take pictures, and think about whatever WIP I'm working on. It seems as if I have two endeavors competing for my time:  photography and writing. My hope is that they will find harmony together.  At the very least, I am finding my voice in two places now.

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to win first place in the last art show I entered. The piece was not a technical tour de force. I could have deepened my depth of field a little, sharpened my focus a touch more. Nor was it some dramatically compelling subject like that of a pulitzer prize-winning journalistic picture. What it did have was attitude.

Yes, I lined up some tiny (I'm talking size-of-my-pinkie-nail tiny) chocolate Santas and played with the depth of field to focus on one imperfect specimen who was second in line. He had a little hole in him and he was far from perfectly sculpted. I titled the piece, The Line-Up. Ghost Hunk calls that my wry sense of humor.

How does this relate to my writing? Well, in both places, I am searching for my voice, and I'm never sure where I stand. This photograph is not perfect, but it has some spunk. It has a voice that says, "Look at me. Yes, it's okay to have a little chuckle. This is who I am."

Our last few check-ins have brought up the issues of comparison and jealousy and that urge to quit. Every time I enter an art show, I see how everyone else is doing and focus on why they are better than I am. Inevitably, I have no sense of the good work I am doing. The same goes for my writing. The only way to handle this is to get lost in whatever dream I'm dreaming when I write or when I take pictures and listen to that inner voice. I have to embrace my WIP without editing or comparing my work as I go or surely I will drown.

So, for my last post of madness, I encourage you to club that green monster in the head and stuff him in a box and tape it up tightly. Then demand a serious hug from your WIP, because once you feel those arms around you again, you will want more. Only you can tell your story. So tell it.

17 comments:

  1. I love your photo Mary Ann! And you also bring up another great point--having another outlet for creativity can be SO HELPFUL to spur on our writing. I'm so glad to hear you have photography. I am a Polynesian dancer besides the writing, and I enjoy being creative there, but I also really love dabbling in graphic design (even though I have no training and only a very little bit of skill). It somehow renews my juices when I don't feel like writing, and gets me going again. Thanks so much for hosting this month, Mary Ann! I, for one, got much more accomplished than I would have without our group effort :)

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    1. Thank you, Denise, for organizing everyone and leading us through another amazing month of WIP madness. I wish I could dance. When I watch others do it, my body feels the movement, but my brain hasn't figured out how to make my body comfortable enough.

      I am so thankful I have photography to take my creative powers out of the writing box for a while so they can breathe. This month has been all over the place for me, but even though I didn't really meet my writing goal, I did meet my creative thinking goal. Now I just need a huge vacation from the day job!

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  2. Congrats on the award- what a wonderful subject! Years ago when I was in film school and we presented our short bolex movies I remember watching mine ( images of trains in different settings- the one good part of the movie was a super fast train shooting past- only it was because I had accidently set the speed wrong- not because of my great talent!) and I recall watching some of the other student's films- one in particular that just startled me with her establishing shot of rainwater dripping down from a farm ceiling. I never forgot that image as I abandoned my film making career- knowing that I did not have that talent, and yes quite jealous of those who did. I never went back to film work, but I did pick up a camera again. I am not creative with the camera but I love taking black and white pictures with my old 35 mm and my digital. Even though it's just for me i relish getting out there and enjoying it. Jealousy of one's art has always been a bit of an issue for me, and I've often found it difficult to support other writer's successes as I sit languishing away not completing what I want. But slowly I'm starting to understand that not everything I write has to be for others. I've been a journal writer for 30 years now and I love it- but do I have to publish all of it? Nope. This march madness has been very interesting as for the first time my goals were not to get published or submit anything, it was just to write for myself. And it's been great! Thanks for hosting this and I will certainly participate again. And I will continue to work on my collaboration instead of competition views!

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you have joined us, Sere. And believe me, I have had to stay away from social media and the discussion boards at times because I couldn't bear to hear another success story while I'm wallowing in the vast sea of "still waiting for it". I, too, journal. I have a journal for each of my children, little letters to them as they grow. And I journal through all of my books. That reminds me that I am writing for me (but I'm a wicked perfectionist!).

      Stay in touch! We might continue the madness, one blog a month.

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  3. Congrats on the photo!

    When my nephew was younger, I was on the floor with him a LOT, taking pictures from his POV. I have a similar line up with Thomas and Friends. :)

    I think it's a good thing to have different outlets and we should consider each one a break from the other break, if that makes any sense. I've found that regardless of the creative outlet, I benefit from the activity because the gears are always turning and inspiration is everywhere. I like to dance, play with the kids, dabble in photography, sing. There are so many fun things to do to release tension and doubt of my current writing project.

    Those opportunities where I can just BE allow me to return to my WIP with a fresh perspective. Sometimes I have the fabled A-HA! moment and it's so gratifying. It usually sparks a writing frenzy where my family knows not to disturb me until I'm ready to emerge and rejoin civilization. LOL

    As far as fuel goes to keep us on the creative path, March Madness an #WIPMadness throughout the year has had a huge impact on my writing life and I'm always grateful for that.

    Happy Wednesday, everyone!

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    1. Thanks, Tonette! I have had to turn on comment moderation because of spammers. That's why you don't see your comment right away. If you post late, I might not see it until the morning..

      Hurray for those A-HA! moments! I find I have those so much more when I divert my attention to other creative (and not so creative) activities. I'm so glad #WIPmadness has inspired/supported you. Now let's see if we can keep it going!

      Happy writing!

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  4. Love your photo! Congrats on the win! :D

    "Only you can tell your story." -- yes!! Such a simple truth, but so important to remember, especially when we're doubting our voice or the importance of what we're working on. And let me just say Amen to chucking that green-eyed monster in a box. *seals box* *passes duct tape* Seal it up good, Mary Ann!

    Thanks so much for this post, and for your encouragement throughout the month. Onward to our goals!!

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    1. *catches duct tape...

      Thanks so much, Shari. We have such a wonderful group of writers, here. You have all inspired me!

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  5. Congratulations on your photo win. Putting any creative work out for contests is an accomplishment.

    I love to take photos, but have never been brave enough to enter contests. I am thinking about using my photos in my (dormant) blog. I dance as well (competitive Jazz and recreational Tap). Dance competitions used to freak me out, but now I just dance the best that I can in that moment. I love learning to move my body in different ways. We get stuck with sitting, standing, and walking.

    In everything we do (photography, dancing, writing), there will always be someone "better". I need to apply my dancing motto to writing. I'm doing the best that I can at this moment. What a great take away. (stuffs green-eyed monster into a tiny box, wraps it in duct tape, and gives it to the puppy to play with)

    Thanks for the motivation this March.

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    1. I love that, Bonnie! "I'm doing the best I can in this moment." As my husband would say, forward motion...of any kind.

      Thanks for joining us. Let's keep the madness going!

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  6. Ooh, I admire those who can capture imagines with a camera! Congrats on your win!

    It is so easy to just dwell on those who seem to have it better--ones who have agents, traditional book deals, big name coverage--against our own work and get very defeated. Recently I felt this way with one cause. That I wasn't good enough or had a 'name'. I need to kick that doubt to the curb and instead dwell on what I'm doing. I'm actually writing and not just doing the 'I-want-to-write-a-book'. I can't even tell you how many times I hear that one. It's also one step at a time. Each writer's journey is different.

    Thanks for this post!!!

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    1. You are so right, Kim. Each writer's journey is different. But we are on that journey, and I'm so glad to have such wonderful buddies with me!

      Let the madness continue!

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  7. Congrats on your win! It's a great photo. I'm using a version of art in my final post tomorrow, too. Creativity is definitely a very personal process.

    Thanks for all your encouragement this month. I'm reaching for that roll of duct tape, and doing my best to cram the monster (mine is usually 'Icky', my Internal Editor) into one of the leftover construction boxes around here. I'm hoping to make these last few days really productive ones.

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    1. Thanks so much, Carol! I think that's why it's so hard to keep that monster at bay. We take it personally. Everything! At least I do that. I'm passing you the duct tape. Stuff ol' Icky down in that box and run wild!

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  8. Congrats on the award! I love the photo...
    Years ago, I took photojournalism and absolutely loved the photography part, but I let it go, and I have no idea why. Hubs bought me a nice camera for Christmas, and I keep thinking I should pick it back up, but I never find the time to do more than snap and shoot.
    This week, I am at a writing retreat and the scenery is beautiful. I should have brought my camera :-( We are, however, learning to knit...which may seem counterproductive, but I think it will help me feed my creative muse when the writing isn't coming. I love crafts. And, if I can't deliver another book to my agent, maybe she's enjoy some...handmade scarves?

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    1. Thanks! Yes, I'm never without my camera when I go on writing retreats. And I love to knit. It gives me time to think and a sort of rhythm to think to. I'm sure your agent will have a beautiful book (and a scarf) in no time!

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  9. Love the picture. Congrats on winning. :-)

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