Category: Personal

The Authenticity of Joy

Posted May.01, 2010 under Personal, Writing

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking our only glimpses of sincerity are flashes of pain, of wreckage, of blood-lubricated hands clutching ruined chests. We get caught up in believing authenticity is crafted of dark and hollow spaces. And while anguish may be more inclined to wrap itself in obscurity (and is therefore a social delicacy by way of scarcity), there’s still revelation to be found in the authenticity of bared joy.

I am raw, bleeding marrow and heart, when I speak of my husband, my dog, my writing– that which shapes my days. I whisper, as if the words might lacerate my mouth; I’m afraid to scare them away. Sometimes the richness of joy rends flesh from rib because we walk on gossamer, bound and blindfolded, when we love. That’s my truth. My sincerity.

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Happiness

Posted Jan.22, 2010 under Personal

Posts on character development and plotting are forthcoming, but in the meantime, I’m taking a cue from my friend Shel. She recently posted about five things that make her happy, complete with photos. What a great idea! A moment of gratitude is time well-spent; here are five things that illuminate my life.

1. My Husband

Okay, I know it’s cliché to wax poetic about how grateful we are for our spouses, but seriously. My husband is a good man. He’s been nothing but supportive and encouraging no matter how many hours I spend gallivanting around with fictional characters, and when I need someone to bounce ideas off of, he’s more than happy to oblige. When I’m having one of those inevitable, “What am I doing?” days with regard to my writing, he tells me  my words are magic and my heart pulses on the page. Even if no one else ever sees that, the fact that he does? That’s love. It’s also friendship, and that’s why we work so well.

2. Our Pets

The cute critters to the left are Esper, our Doberman, and J-Rod, our leopard gecko. I’m sure those of you with pets totally understand this. There’s a lot of laughter in our home, and quite often it’s because of one of these two goofballs. Especially Esper, who never fails to entertain with her toy obsession or her morning “zoomies” around the house.

3. Cosmology

Maybe this is a little corny, but I love keeping up with the latest studies in astronomy and theoretical physics. Mind you, I’m not exactly subscribing to academic journals. I read books on theoretical physics written for the armchair enthusiast, by authors like Michio Kaku and Paul Davies. The more we learn about the universe, the more questions there are.

4. Walks

Although you won’t see me kayaking and snowboarding, I love being outdoors. Something about moving the body and breathing fresh air helps spur creativity; I come up with some of my best ideas and plot resolutions while walking. As you can see by the photo to the left, Colorado is the place to do it.

5. Writing / Books

I know, I know. This is a given. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include writing and books in a happiness list. They’re my life. Since devoting myself to being a storyteller, I feel like I’ve found my place in the world. All day, every day, I swim in the lives, thoughts, beliefs, and conflicts of fictional characters. I’d have it no other way. It’s also why I’ll never give up.

What five things make you happy, and why?

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Cloud Dust

Posted Jan.03, 2010 under Personal
Photo of J by Laura Vasilion.

Photo of J by Laura Vasilion.

Today was our first snowfall of 2010. As I let the sky kiss my face with thick, white flakes and I acknowledged the crystals before they spent their short lives, I was grateful my friend and I had taken a day to meander aimlessly around Boulder.

The first days and weeks of the new year often seem pregnant with urgency. People chase ideals and inadequacies from room to room, polishing one and stuffing the other in empty filing cabinets. We wipe our brows and dust off our hands and nod, satisfied that we’ve put that year behind us, the year when such-and-such happened and you-know-what didn’t. We lock the cabinet drawers so the dearly departed year does nothing that ghosts are wont to do, like shattering our finest filigreed plates or stacking chairs in whimsical domestic sculptures.

We open the front door to the new year and the winter wind blows in with it. We’re stronger now, and so full of resolve, and there’s nothing we can’t withstand– certainly not a little chill and a few snowflakes in the foyer.

Because this is The Year, isn’t it? The year when life takes a turn for the better, when all our hard work pays off, when the chips fall favorably and champagne bottles shatter against pristine hulls.

2010 is that year. We should all believe it because there is no other year than this one. No moment beyond now. There’s so much assessment, appraisal, and intensity in January that it’s nice to take a few minutes to just be.

No resolutions, no intentions. Just existence, and the cloud dust in your hair.

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Workspace

Posted Nov.08, 2009 under Personal, Writing

I’ve always been the sort of person whose mental space is a reflection of my environment– organized space, organized mind– so when my husband and I had the opportunity to live in a home in which we could have an office, we jumped at it.

More often than not, I’m wrapped in a wordsmithing cocoon, immersed in the world of whatever work in progress I happen to be giving my attention to at the time. Dodging falling prose and sharpshooting errant words is a lot easier when you have a space committed to editorial gymnastics, let me tell you. So, here’s my little office nook.

Having dual monitors makes my life so much easier. Usually, I have the manuscript open on the laptop’s screen and Microsoft OneNote open in the extra monitor. You can just barely see my little plastic alien friend who hangs out on the screen. And that’s my husband’s desk in the background.

The space looks bare because I straightened up before taking this picture. Trust me, it’s usually littered in notebooks, note cards, note smoke signals– pretty much anything I can grab when a thought kicks me in the face and demands I jot it down. You know how it is.

You can sort of see my character notes on the white board.  I love that thing, but I think I need a bigger one.

So, what about you? Do you have a preferred writing space? Share pictures and descriptions in the comments; let’s see where your creativity blooms.

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