The Complexities of Writing a Story! Yikes!

 I have watched So Many YouTube tutorials about writing a story its ridiculous. And have learned a great deal, but have just scratched the surface so far. Some of the tutorials have a different take on how to start writing a book, but most suggest writing an outline, and it is sometimes determined by the question, "Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?" For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, a Plotter wants an outline and to have everything figured out before she sits down to write; where as, a Pantser just wants to write and just throw everything on the page. So what are you? What am I? 

Me? A Pantser, of course, as that is how I write this blog,too. To me this feels more real and it is how I communicate.  Even now, if I had to sit here and write an outline on this blog post, I would find writing an outline first would stifle spontaneity. But I do realize that Plotters have perhaps the same sort of beliefs about their writing. It is just whatever works for you is the right way. After watching 4 or 5 tutorials on how to start writing a story, I realized that most of them wanted me to do some kind of an outline. Sometimes when you are starting something for the first time, its good to get advice, but not always wise to follow it. Follow your gut and do you. 

Good news! My sketching ability has started to improve which is encouraging because I still have a long way to go. For example: here are two drawings that I did within a few minutes of each other. 

 The drawing (#1)on the left was a portal covered in vines, but I noticed it had no real structure. Then I started the drawing (#2) on the right and it felt like I was going in the right direction. The portal is going to be through a small stand of trees and into the side of the mountain. So, there will probably be several more drawings before I have an illustration for the book. 

I have had some college classes on writing, but they were several years ago and they were mostly on Poetry. I do know that I am a good student and will use all the tools that I am given to write a colorful and (hopefully) engaging story for my grandson. Fingers crossed!

Time to get back to work. Bye y'all 

Out of Control, Thank Goodness!

 All of this: writing a story, practicing drawing, and watching tutorials on YouTube did something I never expected. It awakened the mosaic artist in me and gave me a clarity I desperately needed. Every time I worked on this mosaic I could only get so far and then I would become frustrated and just walk away and think I'm done or maybe someday I'll finish it. But I could not see how I could do that. 

A week ago, I had this overwhelming desire to mosaic, but I could not get a real grasp on a new design. And then I realized that I wanted to finish this mosaic. I put it in front of me and decided where I would start and what I would do. Great! Got out my tools, started gathering glass, and sat down to go for it. But a strange thing happened instead of working on the top of the mosaic like I planned; I was working on the lower part and just cutting, gluing, laying glass down, and loving it. I had lost control and was listening to the mosaic tell me what it needed. 

I started thinking about how life can feel so out of control at times. I will have this belief that I want everything to be a certain way and will do all that I can to make it become or stay a certain way. Then life comes along and blows it up! And I think everything has run amok and is out of control. And I am so upset and try to figure out what I am going to do about it. Now I realize that my life was not out of control, but it was and is out of my control. Whether it is a good or a bad thing is irrelevant because it is a reality that us control freaks have to face, and learn to breathe into the unexpected chaos that is life. 

I want to make mosaics that make you feel engaged and deliver a little bit of wonder. Glass is such a mystical medium and I try to use that. If I let go of my expectations and let the part of me that just wants to play and love the glass, then I really enjoy the experience and the work I create.  Here is where I am at today with the mosaic.

 It is interesting how the camera catches the colors as opposed to how it looks when I look at it. That is the way with glass when light starts to reflect off of it and how I love the way it changes the look of the mosaic. Any way, now I can see that I can finish this mosaic, finally, and that excites me. New thoughts on color and design will just pop into my mind as I gaze at this mosaic. In case you didn't already know that this is an abstract entitled "Flying Apart".