Particularities of the Ordinary
- At July 17, 2023
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
8
Particularities and Meaning
When I was thirteen, dad gave me a small garden plot to tend for a year. It was six feet by six feet, tilled to make plantings easier. This fertile plot of earth received my attention for a year and before long, a window of wonder appeared. I started to notice details in the garden – a small city of vermin burrowing and crawling on their knees and fliers with tiny helicopter blades buzzing the grass.
At a young age I loved poetry and thought what’s important was looking for the extraordinary and exceptional. But “noticing” particularities of the ordinary made life feel bigger, more significant. Noticing the everyday brought up memories and meaningful connections sometimes from experiences years ago or, maybe a few minutes that wouldn’t have been accessed without paying attention.
Read More»And I listened
- At May 08, 2023
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 6
I had to be four or five when I first heard the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” These words uttered by my mother when my sister and I accidentally tied my brother to a tree (mainly my sister). My mother’s use of the rule, I believe, was to appropriately socialize the two of us. Yet, even at that tender age, I knew we couldn’t just stand by when he, my brother, scared, teased, and, generally, irritated us most of the time. WE were the victims as my older sister tried to explain. But, later, Grandmother McKenney disagreed. And I listened.
Magic of Awe Inspires Creativity
- At February 20, 2023
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 8
“My mother loved butterflies. After her celebration of life, a Monarch was fluttering around the exit door. She followed me to my car. Later, I wrote a poem about my mother migrating south with Monarchs. Glorious” – Becky Breed
If someone asks “What makes a good life?” Would 
you say friends and family you can count on? A spiritual connection? Personal resources that make you happy? Dacher Keltner, author of “The Thrilling New Science of Awe,” replied, “Find awe.” In his many years of research, he found that an awe-inspired life gives us meaning, and helps uncover something larger than ourselves–intense joy and a sense of mystery that transcend common life. For artists and writers, there’s more. The magic of awe inspires creativity, creating a sense of wonder and deep curiosity–profound satisfaction and meaning.
Gifts of Creativity: More Good Follows
- At December 19, 2022
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 4
“The spirit of an artist’s gifts can wake your own.” – Lewis Hyde
Give Freely
“Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you,” remarks Annie Dillard in her book “Give It All, Give It Now.” She shares her view about the writing and creative life by describing the grand generosity and great courage giving asks of us: to give, to share, to offer what we can to the world. Dillard said when gifts of creativity are offered, “…something more will arise for later, something better.”…and more good follows.
Creating what rings true requires us to pay enormous attention to the world. For many, it is our love and destiny to create–our romance with possibility and the unwritten promise to imagine more. Barb, an artist, saw beauty in her garden and captured it in dazzling watercolor. She painted me a set of beautiful notecards of pink petunias with bright lime green stems. Afterwards, a friend was experiencing a loss and I sent her a flowered notecard with a few lines of poetry. Giving changes us.
Want the world better
Sharing our creativity shows we care about the world and want it better. When Anne Frank picked up her pen to write, although just a little girl, she was possessed of great insight and courage. She had the power to enter the minds and hearts of others bringing about deeper understanding, wider love. It’s true, an act of creation can have a rippling effect. Consider son-in-law Chris who created a magnificent red and white mosaic birdhouse featuring Charlie Parker, a brilliant black saxophonist whose life was cut short. His gift to the world brought new significance to the musician and by donating his creation raised money supporting a burned mountain top in Colorado.
More Good Follows
Ask yourself, the next time you sit down to create, what do you find yourself being pulled toward? Perhaps you want to write poetry about unrequited love, the search for inner peace or the struggle to find meaning and purpose in your existence. Photograph the beauty and finality in nature–or paint an unforgettable purple sunrise. Whatever your gifts are, cultivate imaginative compassion and notice how more good follows. You can begin today. As Anne Franke reminds, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Your life and others will be richer for it. – Becky
Writing/Creativity Exercise:
- Re-read the glorified words of Francis of Assisi, “For it is in the giving that we receive.” To begin, reflect on the many ways you can offer gifts of creativity to others. Recognize and celebrate your talents.
- Now select the ways you want to share and light up someone’s life. Your time, talent and creativity can make a difference. Consider:
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- Interviewing an older relative or neighbor and writing one of his stories.
- Painting a small canvas of a colleague’s dog or the big fish she caught.
- Photographing a beautiful sunset and giving to someone you love.
- Listening and encouraging a friend who is struggling.
- Other ways to give: offering your talent of organization, playing the piano or singing to a shut in, baking and decorating someone’s favorite holiday cookies. The opportunities to give are endless.
For more inspiration, check out our website www.thewritingandcreativelife.com.
Or follow this link to purchase our latest book, The Fire Inside.
Postscript;
“May you be surrounded by friends and family, and if this is not your lot, may the blessings find you in your solitude.” – Leonard Cohen
During this special season, sharing our love and friendship might be the best gifts.
Here’s to the good that you find and the great that awaits.
Warmest Wishes,
Becky
Goodreads Giveaway for The Fire Inside
- At September 19, 2022
- By Write in Community
- In Events
- 1
Are you feeling the need for a little inspiration? THE FIRE INSIDE: A COMPANION FOR THE CREATIVE LIFE by Lucy Adkins and Becky Breed may be just what you’re looking for. And right now, it is being featured on a Goodreads Giveaway.
Enter on Goodreads for your chance to win a free copy!
Father on Father’s Day: Caretaker of the Earth
- At June 13, 2022
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 10
We come and go, but the land is always here, and the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it – for a little while.—Willa Cather
Father’s role was caretaker of the earth.
Although my father was a private person, his beliefs were evident in his role as caretaker of the earth—as if it were holy; and the many ways he applied the wisdom of nature to his life. He didn’t just think about how he valued the planet, he lived out that basic precept in his activities of each day. Coming from the old school of farming, he knew that all things mattered, that the world consisted of intricate, interwoven elements and he was a caretaker of that design.
Read More»Coming of Age: Becoming Creative
- At February 21, 2022
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 16
“Walls turned sideways are bridges.”–Angela Davis
Openness, curiosity and, yes, change spark creativity. Sometimes, change arrives because of something we’ve set out to do. Often, though, it approaches us sideways like a sudden flash of light, and, suddenly, we’re thrown into cold water. Transitions like coming of age experiences drop us like a stone into the swirling eddy of our lives. They are wild places where we are challenged, left naked and afraid. At least a rise in blood pressure. We can either sink or use our arms and legs to reach a farther shore. Becoming creative helps us navigate. Here’s my story.
Announcing…our Book Trailer!
- At April 26, 2021
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 18
Hello Friends,
As you may know, our new book, The Fire Inside: A Companion for the Creative Life will be released June 1. It is the second of our “Essential Writing and Creative Series,” and we are excited! To announce our book, we’ve ventured into new territory, and began working with an excellent designer to create our book trailer. Check it out!
Hello dear Home!
- At December 14, 2020
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 20
Tucked In by Gina Barlean
Even now after so many years when I close my eyes, the enchantment of the first home I knew and loved comes into view. Follow the yellow brick road and you’ll see a small, brick farm house with homemade lace curtains that seem to blink hello. Hello dear home! I spent countless hours in a storybook red and white striped barn with a magical playground hayloft. In the summer, deep blue and purple petunias framed the stone front porch where, in early mornings, I would sit and watch the sunrise. Oh, how the translucent rays, so radiant in their soft pink color, were transfixing! And, there I would begin to drift away dreaming of such things as wild horses and dancing cottonwoods. Cock-a-doodle-do! Cock-a-doodle-do! A friendly greeting from our leghorn rooster would stir me and I would slip back to my bedroom into my special place, and write.
Read More»Staying Creative During the Pandemic
- At November 23, 2020
- By Write in Community
- In Blog
- 10
When the pandemic really “hit home” to me and the lockdowns were announced, I was concerned. Okay, I was a little scared. And how could I make it not seeing my friends and family? Not being able to go to movies and coffeehouses and concerts? But wait, I thought, I’m a writer. I can use this time to double-down on writing my novel; I can immerse myself in poetry and be productive. Take advantage of this time and write like mad.
Advantages of Creativity in Hard Times
Creativity can help us get through difficult times, we know this. First of all, when we absorb ourselves in music or writing or painting, we can let go of worry. We may find ourselves connecting with a greater power. Finding more meaning in every day. There is something about art and the creation of art that “lifts us,” calms us. Perhaps it’s the time spent with what is beautiful and pleasing. We breathe a little easier; we feel better.
But What If You Can’t Do Your Art?
Still, in spite of the advantages of losing ourselves in creativity, in difficult times, it may be that we just can’t. For those trying to balance work and child care along with a creative life, the pandemic can create even more obstacles to getting to your writing desk. Many parents and grandparents have taken on additional roles in child care and teaching, and while that in itself can be fabulously rewarding, it will take away from creative time.
Even if time is not a problem, there are other issues that might get in the way. When we are under stress, the thought of another thing you have to do, and you want to do well, may add an additional layer of tension. I’m not making the dramatic progress on my novel I thought I would, or writing as many poems. Perhaps it’s the same for you. You might be frustrated, perhaps even angry at yourself.
Give Yourself a Break
If the thought of getting to your creativity is causing more stress than it would potentially alleviate, perhaps it’s time to take a break. Instead read, watch a good movie, indulge in a leisurely walk outside, then have a cup of tea and listen to some music. Julia Cameron encourages artists to allow time to “fill the well.” More than ever these days, we need that advice. And, “In filling the well,” she writes, “think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do not think duty.”
The Bottom Line
So, strive to allow a little creativity into every day. It is satisfying, affirming. Being creative is one of deepest yearnings of the soul. But if it just isn’t happening, don’t sweat it. Relax and surround yourself with beauty, surround yourself with what you love. Take care, everyone, and stay safe. Wishing your good health and peace. Wishing you calm.
A Creative Exercise For Tough Times
In this exercise, we’re going for what is out of the ordinary, whatever brings you a smile and is not a “big deal.” We’re going for just plain fun. If you’re a painter who works in oils, buy some glossy paper and finger paints, and see what happens. If you’re a poet who writes in free verse, write in rhyme. Get a little rhythm going and see what happens. Try something like this:
I woke up today and I was feeling good,
I thought I should write, yes, I knew I should,
But the sun it was bright and the birds on wing
And I thought I could do just about anything….
Give this a try. What is your “I woke up today and I was feeling good poem?” Or your “I woke up today and I was feeling “fine” poem? Or “feeling silly” poem?
Try something that is out of the ordinary for you. Know that creativity is inside you. Create and know that better times are coming.
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