Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Book of Life

I wouldn’t say I’ve been suffering from writer’s block for the last few months, but it’s something akin to it I’m sure. Even though I always have lots of ideas, wrestling them into shape verbally is often a problem. It’s so much easier to express and understand things visually.
For example, you know those before-and-after pictures in a magazine like People? The ones where you have to spot the ten little things that are different between them? Well, I’d rather do that than a crossword puzzle because I can usually pick up the things that have been Photoshop-ed in right away. Unfortunately the only time I’m successful with a crossword puzzle is when I Google most of the clues.
When I think of a word, a picture almost always comes up—even if that word is an abstract one. For example, I know I’d like to “write” another “book” and the first thing that that popped into my mind was one filled with random pictures that didn’t seem to be connected to each other in any obvious way. Apparently it would be up to the reader to unite things visually and come up with a story.
I did get a title though: The Book of Life.
Naturally I went straight to Google, and it turns out that The Book of Life is mentioned in Christian and Jewish spiritual teachings, and is also the title of by a 1921 novel by Upton Sinclair. You can’t copyright a title of course, but I think I’d shy away from using something someone else has already come up with.
I’ve heard writers like Wayne Dyer, Dean Koontz and Neale Donald Walsch all say they can’t start writing until they have a title. In Wayne Dyer’s case, he even visualizes the cover and has a mock-up done by his publisher to inspire him during the writing process. As for me, there’s no cover yet, but there’s already something inside.

Friday, October 01, 2010

Recent Publications

When Emma and I went to Indigo just before the wedding, I headed straight for the magazines on everything digital. I usually pick up Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative because they include a CD with free clip art and brushes. In my opinion, anyone doing digital work can never have too many brushes to choose from.
I also buy Somerset Digital Studio because it’s always jam-packed with a wide and inspiring selection of art. This issue—Fall 2010—has one of my collages on page 121. (See above). When I got home, I compared my original print with the one in the magazine and the color was spot-on. This actually surprised me. If you’ve ever had any of your art published in a magazine, it can be upsetting when you see how it’s reproduced. Sometimes you don’t even recognize it.
Daniza emailed me on Thursday to say that the current issue of Somerset Memories has a review of my book Creating From the Inside Out. I haven’t read the review yet, so I don’t know what was said. But the fall issue of RubberStampMadness has one too. The reviewer, Barbara Blanks, says: “I think her most important advice is: create in spite of your moods”—advice I should be taking to heart right now!