Quote of the Day

Those who wish to sing always find a song

~ Swedish Proverb

Quote of the Day

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/beautiful-nature/images/21888620/title/horses-photo

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm

~ Henry Ford

Quote of the Day

Pablo Picasso - Nature Morte (Le dessert), 1901

Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.

 
  ~ Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso: Metamorphoses of the Human Form : Graphic Works, 1895-1972

Guest Post by Josh Boyd - How to Think Creatively

Creativity is one of the main tools of a writer. It's is a writer's prerogative and mainstay. But creativity needs to be fed, like anything else. There are moments when we don't feel creative, whatever the reason, and that hurts us terribly. Because without creativity we, writers, are just not ourselves.

Today, Josh Boyd talks about ways to help us think creatively and I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

 

HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY

The world is often pushed by creative thinkers. Even scientists are creative in their own way as they think outside the box and find solutions that no other person could see. Nikola Tesla’s recounts of his visions of theories and inventions are nothing short of poetic. The question is though, can you make yourself think creatively? Is it an innate ability or can it be manifested? It is certainly true that there are those that find this task much easier than others, but there are ways to encourage creativity to emerge from those whose brains seem entirely absent of it.

When you’re writing, each sentence is of importance. This means giving care and thought to every word. Some do think that this is a bit over the top, but would you expect an artist to be careless with some of his brushstrokes? Always keep this in mind and look to see if there is a different way to write something. Evaluate your own words and don’t allow yourself to go into automatic mode to push your story along. Just as every part of your book is a chance to wow a reader, it is also a chance to bore them. A quote from Anton Chekhov sums it up perfectly:

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

Another way to help is to get inspired. This is simple to do in many ways. What was the first thing that gave you the idea to become a writer? Go back to it and get yourself going again. It is easy to become stale and formulaic without a boost of inspiration now and then. Re-gain your enthusiasm and creativity will come with it. Search out new things too to keep your mind fresh. That doesn’t mean ripping off other people’s ideas though. Look at the ways they have tackled problems to help you think differently. Also you’ll be surprised how a rubbish book will get your mind cranking as you think to yourself, “I can do something 100 times better than this! If they can get published, so can I!”

Go outside. Absolutely anywhere at all. If you can go somewhere you’ve never been then even better. If you’ve sat in the same place trying to come up with that perfect piece of dialogue or clever way to introduce a character and got nowhere after hours, it is time for a change of environment. Your brain needs stimulation and even just a fifteen minute walk and some fresh air can do wonders to unclog your head. You never know, you might encounter someone who inspires you to create your best character. You have to work hard to be a writer, but don’t see this as a break. Anything that helps you to do better work is all part of the task at hand.

 The simple thing is don’t be disheartened if you suddenly think you’ve lost it. Writing and creativity is not like sport wherein once you gain an ability you’ll only lose it if you stop practicing. The mind can work in mysterious and very annoying ways, but if you start to lose confidence in yourself it’ll only get worse. Stick to your project even if it takes years. Fight through the bad times and enjoy the good times because you’ll have plenty of both. Keep inspired, invigorated and confident and creativity will come to you.

Joshua Danton Boyd is a copywriter from the online accountancy firm Crunch based in Brighton. He is also a regular contributor to Freelance Advisor.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for my wonderful, always supportive family, my amazing hubby (the best a girl could have!), and all the friends that are in my life. I'm also very grateful for my creative side and the passion for writing, the writing community that always keeps me going, inspired and motivated and the literary super agents that took me on. And I can't forget to say how thankful I am for all the pets in my life. They are truly little angels.

What are you grateful for today?

My photos of Fall in Pennsylvania

I realized a few weeks ago that I have never looked forward to fall the way I do this year. I'm craving to see the fall colors and enjoy the slightly (!) cooler temps, and to be inspired creatively by the season. Over the weekend, I was in Pennsylvania and have enjoyed all of these perks of autumn. Below are a few pictures I took - hopefully they will be as inspiring to you as they were to me.

 

 

This is not a black and white photo - this is the way it was taken

I'm especially excited about this picture - notice the bee on top of the flower

Do you enjoy fall season? What do you love about it?

Writer Wednesday - Feed Our Creativity Monster - your help is wanted!

Today, my writing partner, the lovely Tina Moss, and I are running pretty identical posts (except the pictures, so you have to check out both! mwahaha). Check it out here! We have been throwing around ideas for our "secret project" for some time now. It's become obvious that we need a fresh perspective.

Creativity Monster?

And that's where you come in. Yes, you! We want to hear about your favorite book, movie, TV show or play. Tell us why it's your favorite. What do you love about it? What was the best part? The most iconic scene? The story that you can't live without? Tell us the dirt. Spill the beans. We want to know. In short, inspire us with your favorites. We're looking to bring out the big guns, cross genre lines, and write like there's no tomorrow. Nothing is off the list. If the secret project becomes WALKING DEAD meets LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD meets MOBY DICK, then heck we'll write the zombie white whale in a red hood. Okay, maybe not, but you get the picture.

So, help us out. What story last tugged at your heart strings? Which one opened your mind to another point of view? What tale inspired you?

Oh, and I just couldn't resist this one, sorry:  

:)