writer at play
Posted in creativity on Feb 15th, 2010
I’m buried under index cards, hence this post.
1. Lists of all kinds. Book lists. Shopping lists. To-do lists. Lists of clothing and shoe sizes for everyone in your family. Lists of movies you want to watch. Lists of supplies for art projects.
2. Write a poem or flash fiction to fit on an index card (okay, [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Jan 28th, 2010
1. Read winter poetry (like this lovely illustrated version of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) and paint winter landscapes.
2. Catch snowflakes on your mittens. Read books about snowflakes. Cut, draw, or make some of your own.
3. Go outside and make snow angels, snowmen (or snow dinosaurs) and ice sculptures. Have fun! My older [...]
Posted in creativity, inspiration, kids at play on Jan 16th, 2010
The tagline of this blog is “writer at play”, but my attitude towards my literary endeavors is more akin to steely-eyed clenched-teeth fortitude these days. I was eyeball-deep in one set of revisions for a couple months; I have since waded into yet another novel revision. While revisions do have their moments of mountain-high elation, [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Dec 14th, 2009
It occurs to me that my last post may have come across as crotchety and Scrooge-like. Don’t get me wrong: Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love this time of year. I just came out of a fun but social weekend and my Inner Introvert is gibbering in one corner of my head.
So, I [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Aug 26th, 2009
Er, that sounds like the title of a B horror movie, doesn’t it? But, here, let me show you what I really mean:
See those people at the bottom? They have bodies! I’ve been watching Sir I. transition from “tadpole” people (the ones with legs and arms sticking out of their heads) to torso-endowed people all [...]
Posted in creativity, gardening, inspiration, writing process on Jul 26th, 2009
I admit it: I’m a homebody. A lazy couch potato. A sedentary slug-like life form. If it weren’t for my children, I’d happily spend my days tapping away on my laptop, reading in the rocking chair, or doodling at the dining table. Nature? I can enjoy it from the window, thanks. If I lean to [...]
Posted in creativity, pretty pictures on Jul 11th, 2009
I enjoy taking pictures of flora. Unlike small children, they are not a constant blur of motion (Sir I.), do not scowl and hide their faces behind their hair if you try to take a picture of them (Miss M.), and are not constantly trying to attack your camera (the Baron). I snapped these shots [...]
Posted in creativity on Jul 9th, 2009
Cooking is often a drudgery. It’s something to be endured and gotten over with quickly, just so that we have food on the table and as few as possible prep dishes to clean up. Yet, cooking and baking can be fun, playful, social, satisfying, and creative. Here are a few tips that have worked to [...]
Posted in creativity, drawing, inspiration, journaling on Jun 28th, 2009
I have a hard time working on a big creative project during the summer. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent more of my life in school than out of it, and summer whispers vacation to me. Or maybe because summer is such a short season where I live and we’re eager to cram in as much [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Jun 22nd, 2009
This is what my back hallway looked like for three days during an art camp I hosted for my kids and those of two other families. The participants were six kids ranging from almost-three to five-and-a-half, with two other moms assisting and three younger siblings running/scooting/lying underfoot. We did a variety of projects from blow-painting [...]