A letter about what’s been happening
About finding motivation when you get off schedual and become derailed.
I recently finished a wonderfully inspiring book all about the craft of writing.
It was short, precise and exactly what I needed to hear.
The book in question was Zen in the art of writing by Ray Bradbury.
Now despite my ignorance of the science fiction worlds created by Bradbury I found this slim volume of essays to be so satisfying and encouraging.
It was as if Ray (yes, I feel we are on a first name basis) was talking directly to me. And what a wonderful mentor the great, wise Zen master of writing Ray Bradbury is.
My little 130 page book is filled with highlights, notes, questions and conversations with this amazing writer.
Bradbury was born in 1920 and is considered to be one of the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers of all time. He published his first short story at the age of 20 and went on to publish some 500 short stories, novels, plays, scripts and poems until his death in 2012 at the age of 91.
His biography is impressive for his output alone, literally a lifetime dedicated to the craft of writing. His writing is delightful and his perspective on creativity is simple, fresh and extremely motivating.
Needless to say, I have gone out and bought the first volume of his short stories, which is a whopping 956 pages. And I’ve put Fahrenheit 451 on my to-read list.
Some of my favorite take away quotes from Zen in the art of writing are:
“Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together.
Now it’s your turn.
Jump!”
“By living well, by observing as you live, by reading well and observing as you read, you have fed your most original self. By training yourself in writing, by repetitive exercise, imitation, good example, you have made a clean, well lighted place to keep the muse. You have given her, him, it is whatever room to turn around in. And through training you have relaxed yourself enough not to stare discourteously when inspiration comes into the room.”
‘I was rich and I didn’t know it. We all are rich and ignore the buried fact of accumulated wisdom.’
‘Work. Relaxation. Don’t think.’
‘So stand aside, forget targets,let the characters, your fingers, body, blood and heart do. Contemplate not your navel then, but your subconscious with what Wordsworth called ‘a wise passiveness.’
Coleridge puts it thus: ‘The streaming nature of association, which thinking curbs and rudders.’
‘If you do, I think you might easily find a new definition for work. And the word is LOVE.’
Ray Bradbury’s career and dedication to writing is an outstanding example for any writer. This little volume dedicated to essays about writing should be a part of any new writer’s motivational kit.
I am planning to write a whole heap of his quotes down and refer to them every time my enthusiasum is lagging. I think one of the above quotes will be a perfect bumper sticker.
I will keep Zen in the Art of writing on my writing desk, to dip into when ever the motivation leaves me or if I need to be reminded of how to trust myself while being eaten alive by self critisism.
The main point Bradbury makes is how writing should be plesant work, as you read, observe and live life then the work or muse will come. Keep feeding your mind and soul and the knowledge and experiences you have made in life will bring the stories to you. And above all creativity is an act of faith based on love.
I hate to be long-winded, so I will stop here for now.
I’ll keep writing something worthwhile, well thought out and new here every once in a while, perhaps more often if I get into a karmic writing zone.
Thanks for reading along and be sure to send this to a friend or someone you think might enjoy it.
Speak again soon.
With love and light
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A walk through what’s been happening
Hello friend, This year, I haven’t been posting much on this writing blog as I’ve been focusing on other projects, but I thought I’d take a moment to fill you in on what’s been happening. So far this year, I’ve been focusing on my weekly newsletter from Sicily, titled A Load Off My Mind, which is part diary of everyday life in Sicily, part internal monologue and part reflections on creativity. Then, I’ve been trying to post a little on my travel blog, Sicily Inside and Out, mainly answering people’s travel questions and queries about Italian culture. So, between blogs and newsletters, this has left me little time to update this one! I may be addicted to blogging since I also have my third creative writing blog. A Babel of words is dedicated to poetry, music, books and opinion pieces. It, too, has been neglected over the past six months. I have compiled some of my best poetry into two volumes of poetry zines. A delicate work of no literary merit is dedicated to my early experimental poetry, with a few new works in progress. A Babel of Words is a collection of the best poems published on my blog over the last few years, together with some of my collage artworks. Both are available on Amazon if you are interested. I’ve been meaning to set up an Etsy store for signed, numbered copies and other related artwork and photography prints, but that’ll have to wait until next year when I can dedicate time to marketing and publicising everything. Phew, I’m tired just telling you about all of this!! This past week I’ve been taking a little mental health break, to rest and try to relieve the unbelievable amount of stress I manage to put upon myself. We need to talk more about mental health in general because these are complex and difficult times, and everyone has their struggles. We need to normalise taking the time to rest, practice self-care, cook good meals, listen to music that revives the soul, do the things we love, talk to some friends, stay active, and get out into the sunshine occasionally. I hope you are taking the time to look after yourself, too. After all, we are the most essential things in our lives; we can’t do too much unless we take good care of ourselves. If I feel low, one of the first things I do is get outside and walk around my little Sicilian paese. Apart from getting the benefits of some light exercise and vitamin D, I also take time off my computer and phone to reset, rest my eyes and try to observe the world around me. I’m not kidding you when I say every time I walk around my ‘paesello’, I notice something that I never noticed before, even though it’s been my home for two decades now. But these walks are more than exercise or observations; I am reminded of things I can only ever see or experience here, so it’s also an invitation to express gratitude. Many psychologists encourage the practice of gratitude to bring positivity into daily life. And it’s not a forced positivity, which can also be toxic. Still, instead, it’s about looking at your life and realising what things you already have in your life as they are, being aware of the small joys you have, the relationships around you, and your personal space. After all, you can’t put energy into spiralling into depression if you are feeling grateful for everything you have around you. I am always aware that living in Sicily is a privilege many people dream of, so I always take the time to photograph little images that remind me of things that are so typically Sicilian that they warm my heart and make me feel grateful. So this week I thought I’d publish a photographic essay from one of my Sicilian passeggiate, to give you a sense of this enigmatic and picturesque paese, which in turn reflects similar elements to other such small towns in Sicily. I’m always aware of the irregularity of Sicilian towns; homes are rubbing and leaning on one another, and you will have falling down abandoned houses next to new ones, small patches of greenery next to railings and stairways in a crazy collage of textures and colours. Each paese is like a randomly evolving artwork. Everything that grows from the ground or out of pot plants seems to thrive in Sicily. My neighbour has flowers cascading from her balconies throughout the year. There is this one lady with these potted orchids, a flower that is notoriously difficult to grow, yet every time I walk by, her orchids are always thriving. Unbelievably beautiful. Flowers seem more vibrant, fragrant, and evergreen here, and even in the winter, there is always some greenery to admire. I’ll never get over how adorable some small Sicilian front doors are; some are tiny, so cute. They seem like hobbit holes, always clean, well-kept and decorated with plants. So many padlocked gardens filled with so much character. These secret gardens are tempting to explore, but they are always locked. Even the abandoned palazzi have their charm. They seem sad, with faded facades, balconies, and overgrown moss. Yes, they are dangerous, fenced off and condemned but, I still like these grand old dames from a grander past. Sometimes, it’s frustrating to climb stairs in this Sicilian paese continuously, but it is good exercise. And there are so many rooftops to look down upon in the views. Mountains and those characteristic rooftops always mark Sicilian panoramas. I love the Italian tradition of hanging something on their front door to announce a new arrival. A new baby boy has been born in this home. The staircases can be just as irregular as the buildings; you constantly climb up. Yet there is beauty in them, too. I enjoy these tiny local run stores that display their wares. Can you guess what Francesco Mancuso Ferramenta
Posative procrastination
How procrastination can indicate you are going in the right direction. Keep working despite the fear to see the benifits beyond your limitations.