Sunday, April 18, 2021

Creating Through Experiencing

Lately, I haven’t been writing as much as I have in the past.  No, I don’t have writer’s block.  I don’t have anything in particular, aside from a book mystery series sequel that I’m working on, that I want to write.  I have several poetry books in the editing stages, so I certainly have plenty of material.  I always have several projects I work on at once anyway.

I have become interested in experiencing different kinds of art and sometimes nature to fulfill my creativity that way.  I imagine it will flow into some sort of writing project sooner or later.

For instance, I went to an art museum (in a small city so there was one other person there besides the friend I went with and the 3 emps) exhibit a few weeks ago.  Before that, I visited a historic grist mill which was super scenic especially on a beautiful day.  A couple of months ago, I went to a different art museum, much larger than the other one in the small city which is odd because this one is in a tiny town.  It had an exhibit of drawings by a fresco artist in North Carolina.  I also went to a local sculpture center.  I’ve gone to see a restored submarine (viewing only) and visited a lighthouse (didn’t climb it).  All those experiences really add up for me to fuel my ideas.

The other thing I like to do is to sit and enjoy nature.  By that, I’m watching the trees, listening to all the sounds, and soaking up a little sun (not trying to tan or anything).  Usually, I’m reading something when I do this, too.  

To be a good writer, you really should read something.  Same with most any of the arts, I suppose.

Experiences become memories.  Experience helps you to create.  Experiencing can give you the tools to write with realism.  

So get out there, experience and then create!




Tuesday, April 6, 2021

It’s all in the View You Find



Okay, here’s where I admit I have always been fascinated by View Finders.  I even enjoy the small ones, the kids toy which you can now customize with photos of your own.  Yes, really!  

There’s something magical about being able to drop in a quarter, sometimes two, and see the world out there up close.  It’s nice, too, that you can actually do something for a 25 or 50 cents as well.  

Whenever we come across one, we always stop and take time to look.  We’ve seen some really neat ones, too!  

Before the ones in the picture shown here, we last took a moment to take a view from one at the top of the Incline Railway in Chattanooga, TN.  Also a fun spot to visit - there’s an outdoor large sculpture park, a train museum and so much more.

View Finders, though, are probably like pay phones and becoming harder to find.  There’s a local train theme park that has one and we’ve looked out of it several times, especially in the Fall when the leaves turn so many different colors.  

You also see them along boardwalks, piers, at mountain attractions.  Of course, you can use your camera or smart phone probably to see the very same thing.  But as a child, you may not have all that so it’s fun to step up those metal steps, drop in your quarter, and twist the view finder around and see what you can see. And as an adult, it’s good to do something a little bit different, to take a look from a completely different view.

The view finder we looked out of yesterday was at a state park.  The overlook was river channels, marshes, and the park.  I kept saying, “Look, there are boats in the channel, and see those boat docks.”  I am very fascinated by anything to do with the water.  And, yes I was smiling and laughing the whole time.

View finders are for any age.  To me, view finders are magic.

So what’s your view?  What do you see when you stop and take a moment to look around?

(Photos taken by LB Sedlacek from the Tower in Palmetto Islands State Park)  


Artemis at Sunset

As this year begins to come to a close, I thought about one of my favorite things to do: watching sunsets.  While I am often up early enough...