Why We Write

I love Julia Cameron's book The Sound of Paper- Starting from Scratch. It is a book filled with personal essays and exercises to help us when we struggle with our creative endeavors. I wrote first about this book here.

I just gave my sister Julia Cameron's memoir Floor Sample for Christmas. I found this poem inside the book before I wrapped it up. I think the poem articulates reasons I have heard from fellow writers about why they write. Whether that writing is in a personal journal, on an online blog, or in published works I think this poem speaks to all of us. Her other books have been recommended to me and are on my list of books to read. I hope to read her memoir when my sister finished it .

Why We Write
There are many things which resist naming,
And that is why we write.
We write because language is slippery,
And the truth is.
We write because
The light we have to see by
Is always shifting
Never forget that writers are prophets.
We speak in tongues.
We testify.
We are for each other a believing mirror.
Our words make us visible.
Our listening makes us heard.

Never forget that writers are soldiers.
Our writing is the long march,
The walk into time.
Each word is a drum.
We sound it across great distances,
Reaching one another and ourselves.
Every poem is a day's march.
A celebration more necessary than water or wine.
Every poem is a drink of blood.

Never forget that writing is an act of courage -
Not on the days when it is simple and we discount it.
Not on the days when it is hard and we write like sand.
Our words are torches.
We pass them hand to hand
And mouth to mouth
Like a burning kiss.

Never forget to say thank you.
Every syllable is a grace.
-Julie Cameron, an excerpt from her memoir Floor Sample.

Belonging to Yourself with Icicles

"Winter...there is a privacy about it which no other season gives you. . . In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself. " Ruth Stout

January: Time to Slow Down and Look for Potential

Today was a day to take a deep breath and rest. I love January because life slows down. It is time to take stock of the last year, stay home and hibernate, and begin to look ahead to the next year and the potential it holds. It is time to read seed catalogues and plan spring planting. It is also time to get to those books sitting around during the holiday season unread. I love the beauty of winter and celebrate it by changing my Christmas tree to a Winter Tree. I love silver balls, white lights, and white snowflakes. I also love snowpeople and began collecting them years ago when students gave me unique snowmen as gifts at Christmas. They add cheerfulness sitting around the house.

"We spend January walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." ~Ellen Goodman

Photo Hunt: Messy

When Christmas is over the "wrapping center" on the bed in the guest room can be classified as messy. Maybe cleaning up will be a good New Year's project! You can visit PhotoHunt to see more photos using Messy.

Ten Mile Road Trip: The Center of the Universe

Go Figure: This is for you!

A few nights ago Silver Valley Girl and I took a trip to the other end of Shoshone County to Wallace, Idaho. She wanted to try out her new rig and we wanted to check out the Center of the Universe. Growing up Wallace seemed like a journey from Kellogg. We went there to the dentist, to visit the courthouse, or to do shopping. It is really only about eleven miles.The Wallace Miners were our rivals in sports and I attended many basketball games in their gym as the Miners and Wildcats kept the rivalry alive.

"On September 25, 2004 Wallace's Mayor Ron Garitone proclaimed Wallace to be the center of the Universe. Specifically, a sewer access cover was declared to be the precise location of the center of the Universe. A specially made manhole cover was made to mark the spot. It bears the words "Center of the Universe. Wallace, Idaho." This prompted British comedian and writer Danny Wallace to visit Wallace. He wrote about his visit in the book Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe, published in 2006." Wikipedia

When we traveled to Wallace it was snowing hard. This is a picture of a street downtown. The people of Wallace have worked hard at preserving their historic town. Every building in downtown is registered with the National Registry of Historical Places. Returning to Wallace I feel like I am frozen in time.
Tabors Store had a lovely Christmas window display.
The houses were decorated beautifully for the holidays. This was a favorite we caught on film. We then toured King St. and started to head up Placer Creek, but decided the snow was falling just a bit too fast to keep going.Taking the old highway home to Kellogg we caught this holiday light display in Osburn. It was worth one more picture. Making the journey to the other end of Shoshone County was enjoyable. I spent time laughing and enjoying music with my sister, we got to test her new rig in snow and on hills, and we got to stand at the Center of the Universe. It doesn't get better than that!

Sibling Assignment #49: Gentle Reminders for 2008

I gave our sibling assignment for this last week of 2007:

Often people make New Year's Resolutions, but find them hard to keep. If you had a list of gentle reminders posted on the corner of your laptop screen for 2008, what would those gentle reminders be? You will find RP's here and Silver Valley Girl's here soon.

Now I want to focus on eight gentle reminders for 2008. Then I used to always set hard New Year's Resolutions which were hard to stick with. You can read other Sunday Scribblings on Now and Then here.

On my laptop screen one gentle reminder listed is to be still. Each day I need to take time to just be. Nothing else.

I also want to continue to pray and count blessings each day. I have found that if I add the blessings to my prayer time it fills my heart with the good things of the day.

Also on that list is to be gentle with my body. I know what I need to do, but I want to take it slowly and gently so I don't get discouraged.

The fourth one will be the easiest: Notice the beauty around me and capture that beauty in digital pictures. I began noticing the beauty around me in 2007.

Fifth on the list: write every day.

My sixth gentle reminder is to read outside my comfort zone. I want to find books to stretch my thinking. Any suggestions?

Laugh every day is number seven. Laughter is truly the best medicine.

My last gentle reminder is to break down tasks. I am slowly learning if I break down tasks into smaller parts it helps me from getting overwhelmed. I take on too much too often and get overwhelmed too easily in the process. Sigh.

I am looking forward to 2008 and will have my gentle reminders close by.