Reveling in this Moment …

… which will stretch out for two whole weeks.  Two weeks of semester break during which I can: teach my friend Tess how to knit Lizard Ridge blanket squares; make Green Lemonade in another friend’s Vita Mix (still on my Wish List); help another emerging entrepreneur launch a web site; finish reading Ann Hood’s gripping memoir Comfort; bask in an afternoon of self-care-indulgence and get my toes done; and most restorative of all, spend a day hanging out with my son and grand-pup in Boston. So exciting! And happy making. Yippee!

Alex and Penny Lane walk the rocks at Wallis Sands Beach, NH

A Strange Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Last Chapter

In case there are any new readers here, I just want to preface this little story with a bit of background. This week marks the end of the third semester of a two-year MFA in Writing program. My manuscript project is a memoir focused on my teen years, ages 13 through 18. Mine was not an ordinary childhood. Beyond typical dysfunction. Enhanced by the place and times: Nantucket Island (summer playground for the rich and famous) during the 1960s and ’70s.

My writing until the past year has danced around the deep stuff. I thought I could get away with that. But you really can’t, not if you want your work to have enough substance for a reader to sink their heart and soul into. Who wants to get uncomfortable? Not me. But part of the beauty of this writing program is that it stretches students’ writing, leads them to fresh frontiers, equipped with new self-editing skills. The other thing it does, because the program’s intent is “literary” writing, or narrative that is character-driven rather than plot-driven, is teaches us about writing “emotional truth.” Wow. If I had realized that before applying, I might have skittered away and declined applying, opting for familiar mediocrity. Reading someone else’s emotional truth is a completely different ball game than writing your own. I am a reader – always have been. Now I am learning to be a writer.

So fast-forward to this past week. It is time to bring the manuscript to a magnificent finish. (Next semester is dedicated to editing, shaping, rewriting and grooming.) It took me four days to write three pages about a 2-sentence letter I had received. Four days. (Please tell me that even the tortoise finishes the race!) But here’s the strange part. See this photo of me when I was 14? Note the little bump next to my nose, below my left eye.

This cyst drove my father crazy – he always wanted me to get rid of it. It never bothered me and eventually it just went away. Well, this past Saturday a strange thing happened. The biggest red crater appeared in the very same spot on my face. Most unusual, as my skin is quite reliable and clear. And need I tell you that the letter I was trying to write about was one that had to do with my father? Writing this passage has kept me awake for two nights and plummeted me right back to a dark place I thought I had left behind long ago.

Last night was the worst: I read a light mystery but couldn’t follow the story line or make sense of the characters; drank warm milk; talked to my cat, Corabelle; and finally fell asleep some time after 2:00. But when I woke up this morning, I knew how to take the story forward. It is now done. And the nasty red blemish has receded to a dark pink, with the promise of vanishing very soon.

The power of writing never ceases to amaze me. … Any of you had a similar experience? Do tell!

Do Lessons from Kindergarten Still Apply?

Barbara Winter’s recent blog post about “tools” touched on one of my favorite topics. To paraphrase briefly, there are wonderful self-discoveries to be had by paying attention to the tools that we enjoy using. So what does this have to do with kindergarten, you may be wondering? Pictures, paper, pens & pencils, glue and scissors still make my world go round, my heart sing. And let’s add ‘words’ to the equation, too.

Using the concept of “bliss,” I took a blank notebook (a mock-up from the printer for Eating Clean) and went to town with images from magazines, a Victorian-themed calendar, stickers, and scrapbook papers. Talk about fun! Welcome to the covers of my 2010 art journal.

How Nature’s Seasons Lead My Creative Activities

If being over 50 is about anything, it’s about being comfortable with who you are with grace and ease. Therefore, as much as I would like to say that the sight of heavy snowfall has me bounding to the coat closet for my boots, hat and mittens, with an eagerness befitting an avid snowbunny, alas it would not be truthful. Rather, cold and snowy weather makes me want to burrow indoors, staying in my pj’s all day, and knitting. The pattern directions for projects abandoned during warmer weather require restudying; it takes a bit of time to get reacquainted. But as the inches of white stuff accumulate on my car and the sidewalk outdoors, I feel that I have all the time in the world! Winter is for knitting.

I hadn’t really noticed that there are no winter scenes in my Joy Cards until someone mentioned that they are all spring and summer photos. Not that I haven’t taken photos in the snow. But it’s during spring, summer and fall that I am more inclined to keep my camera with me.

For several years I took piano lessons, wondering if I would ever play a piece of music that sounded remotely as its composer intended. Hoping. But when I finally came to terms with the fact that I simply was not putting in the practice time to achieve the kind of music-making that made me happy, I gave notice to my patient and wise teacher. She said, “Not to worry – there are seasons for everything in life,” which seemed to leave the door open for my return, when the time might be better suited to regular study.

For now, it is the season of knitting and writing. … Who knows what spring may bring!

Thank You for 2009

I used to think I could manufacture time out of thin air. Why shouldn’t I be able to indulge every single one of my creative interests and curiosities — all at the same time? If the Memoir Project has taught me one thing, it’s that when bringing a new endeavor on board, it is best for both my sanity and the quality of my work, that I put at least one other interest on hold (at least!). So this year, with the MFA’s monthly deadlines, it was blogging time that slid down a few notches on my priority list. I want to say a warm thank you for sticking with me — in spite of the irregularity of my posts– and sending encouraging emails and posting comments. Each one has been a heart-warmer.

Wishing you a Happy New Year in 2010!

Me, at 14. Portrait by my father, self-taught black-and-white photographer and Ansel Adams aficionado.

Last-Minute Holiday Knitting

It was a last-minute inspiration, but five days before Christmas I decided to make “His” & “Her” Dog-walking hats for my son and his girlfriend. After a conversation with someone in the locker room at the gym, I decided that a polar fleece lining would make the hats really cozy, for those 5:00 a.m. treks into the back yard with Penny Lane, their basset hound. This is Rachel’s hat, ready for a quick photo shoot before wrapping, well before midnight on Christmas Eve. Alex’s is of the same handspun, hand-dyed, fair trade Uraguayan yarn, but in a brown-to-black colorway. He whisked his out of here before I had a chance to document it. I modified the pattern a bit, but recommend this project for ease and speed.

5 Tips: Living Creatively is Not About Being an Artist

1. Change out a routine — just try it — once. It will open up the pathways for more variety. Take a different route home from work or the gym or your mother’s house. Shop at a different grocery store. Read a different newspaper. Anything that feels a tad uncomfortable and out of your regular life routine.

2. Read out of your usual genre — Shake up your world by reading something completely different than what you usually gravitate towards. My library has displays of different book and author themes all over the place.  I had never even considered reading a graphic novel. Could that really qualify as reading?! But when I saw The Impostor’s Daughter on display, something about the cover and title grabbed me. And that’s how I discovered the hilarious and thought-nudging Laurie Sandell. Now I read her blog every day.

3. Shock your body — That’s right. If you’re a cerebral person, always in your head, give the limbs and core a good shake-up. Maybe there’s a dance-type class offered at your gym but you never gave it a thought because you think you don’t have rhythm and are blessed with two left feet. Maybe it’s yoga that’s held a bit of intrigue. Roller-blading? Ice skating? A friend of mine celebrated her 45th birthday by learning how to surf. In a bikini. Now that’s courage!

4. Invest in the arts — My writing group celebrated with an annual/holiday lunch out this week. Because we enjoy each other’s company so much, we’re always looking for excuses that will legitimize more time together, so we added an “artist date” field trip to our lunch date. We were on our way to a local museum when we spotted a sign in a mill building window that said “Open Studios“. The next hour and a half was spent oohing and ahhing and comparing thoughts over watercolors, pastels, monoprints, handwovens, beaded jewelry and the unique workspace of each creater. I think it’s important to ‘pay it forward’ for other artists and made a modest purchase that included greeting cards offered by three of the artists. Not big bucks but a show of support.

5. Deflect toxic criticism — This is a tough one. The people closest to us are invested in things staying the same. I recently met a woman who had survived brain surgery. The impact on her life went beyond restoring her health — she wants to help others. She’s just not sure how. The people in her immediate “circle of influence” are not particularly supportive of this career shift and are trying to get her to settle down and opt for the most conventional route: nursing. Her heart is telling her that this is not the right fit for her, but until we’d talked, she hadn’t given herself permission to armorize herself against these well-meaning friends and relatives. I encouraged her to start surrounding herself with people who are knowledgeable in these new areas of interest of hers. She can learn from them and eventually make a more educated decision about her next career move.

So what’s the meaning of a photograph of my bed to illustrate this post? When I’m feeling overwhelmed with too many deadlines and my house has gone to ruin, the first thing I do to reclaim my sanity is make the bed. … You?

Thoughts on the benefits of finding community

I can remember the moment and see it in my mind — we were gathered in front of the entrance to Robert Frost Hall (on the SNHU campus). Surrounded by other first-year MFA’ers and some of that year’s graduating students, I had the sense that I had found ‘my people’. I am not a joiner by nature; the recent rediscovery of an essay I wrote in high school on why people join groups confirms it. So this was a new feeling, this belonging. From the outside, we couldn’t have looked more varied and different. But what bound us was “something that all begins with the 26 letters of the alphabet”, to quote Nancy Werlin. Writing. What brought me there? I simply wanted to grow my skills, to challenge myself. But still, I qualified as a member.

Monthly gatherings around a dining room table with my writing group were at one time my only connection to other writers (and readers). But in the spirit of someone’s now-famous quote about baby steps, I have slowly added to that. I’ve become a contributing Friend of my local library and had the pleasure of meeting bestselling author Chris Bohjalian. As this year’s graduate assistant in the writing program, I have had the privilege of chatting personally with our visiting writers, Francine Prose and Ann Hood. And on the invitation of a classmate, yesterday I attended the WNBA-Boston chapter’s annual tea (that is, Women’s National Book Association) where award-winning writers Nancy Werlin (Young Adult author), Ona Buchanan (poet and concert pianist), and Katie Smith Milway (Young Adult/Children’s author) spoke. Not only were the surroundings of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel elegant and the pastries exquisite, the room was filled with book-loving, word-hungry peeps!

Early in the afternoon, I had an opportunity for a one-on-one conversation with Nancy Werlin — can you tell that personal chats are my favorite? Hearing some of the backstory details of her novel, impossible, up-close-and-personal, I was inspired to purchase a copy of my own from Village Books, the event’s independent bookseller of choice. … And on a personal note, Village Books took home some copies of Eating Clean to put on their shelves and has asked if I would do an event at their store in 2010. Which is what inspired me to write this post in the first place … finding my community, getting out of my comfort zone of familiar routine and dress-down jeans and showing my support of others, helps keep my artist self buoyed and eligible for opportunities, too. It’s never comfortable at first, but I seem to return home inspired, invigorated, and freshly enthused to get down to work. Here’s wishing you a creative week! I’d love to hear how you’ve built your own community for inspiration and sense of belonging.

A New Home for My Photography and Writing

Your warm and encouraging comments about my photography have sparked a new idea: JOY CARDS — pocket-sized editions of my home & garden, craft, pet, food, and dance photography. Each image is enhanced with a custom motivational phrase on the back side. Now available in my new etsy shop. Come take a look!

I’m working on an online slide show of the 30 images in this inaugural Joy Card set. Stay tuned for the link.

December marks my 3rd blogaversary. Thank you for stepping into My Artful Life!

How to Wear a Party on Your Wrist: Make a Spiny Knotted Bracelet

It was a long time coming, but I finally learned how to make Stephanie Sersich’s Spiny Knotted Bracelet. I’ve been admiring photos of her work and aching to learn how to make one of these ‘wearable parties’ forever. Her book, Designing Jewelry with Glass Beads, provides easy to follow instructions, complete with how-to illustrations. My time had finally come!

All of the beads came from the stash that has been growing over the past twenty years. Other than the book, my only purchases were the beading board (manufactured by her father), and the linen and perle cotton necessary for the macrame. … I totally love my new bracelet.