A community is a group of individuals with one linking factor. Sometimes it's where they live, the language they speak, or the beliefs they live by. Often it's a love for something that they share - such as a love for the written word and a desire to tell stories.
Communities fascinate and inspire me. I am amazed to see how one linking factor can bring together such diverse groups of people. The various communities that I find myself drawn into all mean so much to me. We as humans love to feel included, to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to have others we can go to who will understand us.
I could go on and on about communities. And perhaps I will, at another point in time. But for now, I bring them up because of one specific community that is in the exciting stage of coming into being.
The creative writers of Bob Jones University are assembling.
Did I have a small hand in the beginning of this assembly? Possibly. If I did, it was simply because mine was the hand that gave a little nudge out of the door (in the words of a famous wizard). Sometimes, for a community to be born, all you need is a little push. Here, from my point of view, is what happened...
To begin with a little background information, I attended Western Wyoming Community College for two years, getting my Associate of Arts with emphasis in English as well as a Creative Writing certificate. I loved the creative writing classes I took there, and I especially loved the feeling of community that existed among the writers. We had a very diverse group from our classes together and a writer's group that was open to the public, but we all had a strong sense of being able to share our work, give feedback, and generally have a support system. I valued that immensely, both for the friendships I made and for all the ways that it encouraged me and gave me solid growth as a writer.
When I transferred to Bob Jones University last semester to pursue my Bachelor's in creative writing, I was wondering what I would find among the other creative writing majors. Would there be a family I was jumping into? A spirit of camaraderie and sharing? Well...sort of. I did get to know a few other creative writing majors during my first semester, which was a start. In general, though, I felt like that collective spirit was lacking, which admittedly discouraged me.
Thank goodness for the creative writer's forums that we have here at BJU. Not only are they brilliant and helpful, but I feel like they are a big part of what helped get the ball rolling. After our forum last semester, I spent time chatting with two other creative writing majors, and we decided to do a dinner together. At that point it was just the three of us. When we came this semester, we revisited the idea, even adding one more person (although it ended up being only three of us again at the actual dinner). This was a start - I knew there were at least a few people who wanted to see things come together like I did. But I wanted something bigger. This is where I gave a little nudge.
Our next creative writer's forum was coming up, and I knew it was the best chance I had. So I hunted down the emails of all the creative writing majors (29, to be exact, over half of whom I didn't know), and I sent out a message. It was very simple - I just suggested that since we would all be headed to dinner after the forum anyway, those who wanted to might as well go together. You have to realize, sending that email scared me. I didn't know how people would respond or what they would think. "Who does this crazy transfer student think she is, barging in and trying to pull things together like she's something cool?" Probably people would never think that, but I had no idea. Still, I wanted to see if anything would happen. So I went for it.
I never expected the response. I got a few emails back from people who said they thought it was a good idea and wanted to come. That was more encouraging to me than they know. And then after the forum (which was excellent, by the way), several people started gathering around, asking if we were still on for dinner. We ended up with around a dozen people marching down from the Alumni Building to the Dining Common. I believe we ended up having seventeen people that night - and there were others who had expressed a desire to come but couldn't because of previous plans.
At one end of the strange L-shaped group of tables we had wrestled together to fit all of us, I just sat there, grinning, watching everyone, listening to the din of conversation and laughter, picking out bits of discussions over books and movies and goodness knows what. It was so fun and encouraging.
Then, towards the end of the dinner, with those who had stayed longer, things began to roll even more. One guy brought up the idea he had been having of setting up an online way to share our work and give feedback. We mentioned the possibility of getting together a petition for a novel writing class (which hasn't been offered here for the past few years). Another brought up the possibility of a literary journal for our school - a lofty but awesome future goal. I tentatively mentioned the idea of just having times to hangout in more of a writer's group format to further share work and offer feedback. We tossed around ideas, and I realized, I was definitely not the only one who wanted to see a community come together.
In the last week, we've had a chain of emails going to further discuss and solidify these plans. Our next creative writer's dinner is this Tuesday night. A community is starting to form.
Am I boasting, saying that I made this happen? Not in the slightest, because I really don't think I did. We're all making it happen, because we all had the same ideas. It just took someone to say "Hey, let's do something." And if I in some small way was that someone, I am honored.
The thing is, this isn't about me. It's about us. And I can't wait to see where this community goes.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Free Write - In Every Sense of the Word
I made a resolution to post weekly, and I intend to keep it.
"I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise."
Something like that.
But sometimes the desire to blog and the time to blog don't want to correspond nicely like they're supposed to. So this is my basically free-write blog post, where I shall just spin something out and see what happens. It's quick, and will probably come out weird, but hey, that's free writing for you. Actually free writing is a wonderful exercise that I've started liking more lately. It's really weird once you first start it. It's like "I'm supposed to be typing out my thoughts? Umm...I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about. I'm think about what to write about. And so I'm writing about thinking about what to write about...Aaah!" Yeah, pretty much.
But once you let yourself go, and just be willing to type, to keep throwing stuff out there, to not stop or restrain yourself, it can be a great exercise. It's great to do if you have a lot of emotions that you want to pour out, even if you don't know how to articulate them. It can be used as a venting mechanism. It can be used as a type of brainstorming. It can help generate ideas, whether that's for writing or a project or just for how to deal with a situation in your life. There are lots of uses. Sometimes it just helps to pour it out there. And see, now I'm free writing about free writing. And I'm trying to not slow down or censor myself (within reason, you understand. Don't go crazy with what I mean by that). And not censoring is hard - especially since I know I'm going to be posting this. This is probably a little more controlled than most free writes I do, or than most free writes should be. I would suggest not even going back to fix typos when you free write, which is of course not what I'm doing in this case, because who wants to read a blog post full of illegible typos? Ew. No thank you. Anyway, I hope this isn't boring. It probably is. But it's a blog post. And that's the point.
Ok, a little free writing on some quick thoughts of what's been going on in my life. Hopefully that will be interesting to some degree. In no particular order, here we go. We had two snow days last week, which was beautiful. I loved having the time to relax. Also, I've never really had snow days before, since nothing is ever canceled because of snow where I'm from. Super fun. However, I have even more busy-ness this week than normal because of it. So now I'm looking at several tests, a mock interview, a mountain of reading... And instead of reading Wordsworth or reviewing the French Revolution or practicing my best interviewing skills, like I should be doing, I've been taking "Which Disney Villain Are You?" quizzes, finally signing up for Pottermore (and wishing I could spend all night on it), going to Jack in the Box to get milkshakes and tacos, talking with friends in their dorm rooms, and free writing/blogging about what I'm doing instead of what I should be doing. That's right now.
In general, life's been pretty great lately. I've learned that granola bars are life savers. I've learned that I'll never feel like I've gotten enough sleep. I've learned that the sun will rise. Ok, that came from the line in the song I'm currently listening to. (It's The Lion King Broadway soundtrack, in case you're interested.) I've learned that I've been on a major Broadway music kick recently. I've learned that all my high ideals often don't match up with reality. I've learned that I never quite know what to think of myself. I've learned that there are some areas where I really struggle with knowing what I believe and I feel torn between two extremes. And this just got a bit deeper than I thought it would.
Also this is beginning to get long. Long enough to be a legitimate blog post, right? Anyway, back to the original topic of free writing - this is a bit of what a free write looks like, although I wasn't as strict with myself for this one as I usually am. I usually don't allow any editing or any pauses. But that's the general idea. Hope this was interesting. And if not.... Sorry. It was hurried. Obviously. But other peoples' free writes are probably not as interesting as your own free writes. So go write. Take a chunk of time - even time yourself for it - and just write, everything that comes to your mind. It sounds crazy, but try it. You never know where it's going to go. And you don't have to be a writer to do it. Just have fun. Alright, enough of this. I know this isn't a normal blog post. And most of my posts won't look like this. But I wanted to post, yet didn't want to put the effort into pulling together a polished post. So it's half determination and half laziness. Take it or leave it. But if you read it, or if you try free writing, let me know what you think!
"I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise."
Something like that.
But sometimes the desire to blog and the time to blog don't want to correspond nicely like they're supposed to. So this is my basically free-write blog post, where I shall just spin something out and see what happens. It's quick, and will probably come out weird, but hey, that's free writing for you. Actually free writing is a wonderful exercise that I've started liking more lately. It's really weird once you first start it. It's like "I'm supposed to be typing out my thoughts? Umm...I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about. I'm think about what to write about. And so I'm writing about thinking about what to write about...Aaah!" Yeah, pretty much.
But once you let yourself go, and just be willing to type, to keep throwing stuff out there, to not stop or restrain yourself, it can be a great exercise. It's great to do if you have a lot of emotions that you want to pour out, even if you don't know how to articulate them. It can be used as a venting mechanism. It can be used as a type of brainstorming. It can help generate ideas, whether that's for writing or a project or just for how to deal with a situation in your life. There are lots of uses. Sometimes it just helps to pour it out there. And see, now I'm free writing about free writing. And I'm trying to not slow down or censor myself (within reason, you understand. Don't go crazy with what I mean by that). And not censoring is hard - especially since I know I'm going to be posting this. This is probably a little more controlled than most free writes I do, or than most free writes should be. I would suggest not even going back to fix typos when you free write, which is of course not what I'm doing in this case, because who wants to read a blog post full of illegible typos? Ew. No thank you. Anyway, I hope this isn't boring. It probably is. But it's a blog post. And that's the point.
Ok, a little free writing on some quick thoughts of what's been going on in my life. Hopefully that will be interesting to some degree. In no particular order, here we go. We had two snow days last week, which was beautiful. I loved having the time to relax. Also, I've never really had snow days before, since nothing is ever canceled because of snow where I'm from. Super fun. However, I have even more busy-ness this week than normal because of it. So now I'm looking at several tests, a mock interview, a mountain of reading... And instead of reading Wordsworth or reviewing the French Revolution or practicing my best interviewing skills, like I should be doing, I've been taking "Which Disney Villain Are You?" quizzes, finally signing up for Pottermore (and wishing I could spend all night on it), going to Jack in the Box to get milkshakes and tacos, talking with friends in their dorm rooms, and free writing/blogging about what I'm doing instead of what I should be doing. That's right now.
In general, life's been pretty great lately. I've learned that granola bars are life savers. I've learned that I'll never feel like I've gotten enough sleep. I've learned that the sun will rise. Ok, that came from the line in the song I'm currently listening to. (It's The Lion King Broadway soundtrack, in case you're interested.) I've learned that I've been on a major Broadway music kick recently. I've learned that all my high ideals often don't match up with reality. I've learned that I never quite know what to think of myself. I've learned that there are some areas where I really struggle with knowing what I believe and I feel torn between two extremes. And this just got a bit deeper than I thought it would.
Also this is beginning to get long. Long enough to be a legitimate blog post, right? Anyway, back to the original topic of free writing - this is a bit of what a free write looks like, although I wasn't as strict with myself for this one as I usually am. I usually don't allow any editing or any pauses. But that's the general idea. Hope this was interesting. And if not.... Sorry. It was hurried. Obviously. But other peoples' free writes are probably not as interesting as your own free writes. So go write. Take a chunk of time - even time yourself for it - and just write, everything that comes to your mind. It sounds crazy, but try it. You never know where it's going to go. And you don't have to be a writer to do it. Just have fun. Alright, enough of this. I know this isn't a normal blog post. And most of my posts won't look like this. But I wanted to post, yet didn't want to put the effort into pulling together a polished post. So it's half determination and half laziness. Take it or leave it. But if you read it, or if you try free writing, let me know what you think!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Antigone in 60 Seconds
[Disclaimer: May or may not take longer than 60 seconds]
I present Antigone by Sophocles, one of the classic Greek dramas, as interpreted by me in a snarky mood!
(In case you're not familiar with the story: Antigone and Ismene are sisters, Polynices is their dead brother, Creon is their uncle, Haemon is his son and Antigone's fiance, Eurydice is Creon's wife, Tiresias is a prophet, and the Chorus is a group of citizens who like watching everything and philosophizing.)
Messenger: It gets worse. The queen just killed herself. And she cursed you before she did.
So there you have it - a little look into what I've been working on! I love this opportunity to learn more about theatre, to try my hand at it, to admire stories that have been classics for thousands of years, and to look at why some stories can stay with us for so long.
I present Antigone by Sophocles, one of the classic Greek dramas, as interpreted by me in a snarky mood!
(In case you're not familiar with the story: Antigone and Ismene are sisters, Polynices is their dead brother, Creon is their uncle, Haemon is his son and Antigone's fiance, Eurydice is Creon's wife, Tiresias is a prophet, and the Chorus is a group of citizens who like watching everything and philosophizing.)
Antigone: Help me bury our brother
because our uncle said we can’t!
Ismene: No way!
Antigone: You’re lame!
Ismene: No way!
Antigone: You’re lame!
Chorus: Thank goodness that war is
over!
Creon: I’m king! Everyone be loyal to the state! Don’t you dare buy Polynices.
Creon: I’m king! Everyone be loyal to the state! Don’t you dare buy Polynices.
Sentry: Promise it wasn’t me, but
someone kind of sort of buried him.
Creon: *explodes*
Creon: *explodes*
Sentry (brings back Antigone): She
did it!
Antigone: Yep, I did. Let's debate our differing views on duty.
Antigone: Yep, I did. Let's debate our differing views on duty.
Ismene: I only have you, so I’ll
die too.
Antigone: I’m mad at you, but fine.
Creon: Oh kill them already.
Antigone: I’m mad at you, but fine.
Creon: Oh kill them already.
Haemon: Hi Dad.
Creon: Justice! The state! Discipline!
Haemon: Couldn’t agree more. Maybe you could let her go?
Creon: Idiot, why won’t you listen?
Haemon: Ditto. See ya.
Creon: Justice! The state! Discipline!
Haemon: Couldn’t agree more. Maybe you could let her go?
Creon: Idiot, why won’t you listen?
Haemon: Ditto. See ya.
Chorus: Love, you’re lame.
Antigone: Well this stinks. Let me
sing my funeral song to mourn myself.
Creon: Oh go shut her in a tomb already.
Antigone: See what I get for being a good sister?
Creon: Oh go shut her in a tomb already.
Antigone: See what I get for being a good sister?
Chorus: Wow, kind of like in
mythology.
Tiresias: Not so smart, dude.
Creon: Shut up.
Tiresias: Fine, but you’re going to lose someone. See ya.
Creon: Ok, so maybe it wasn't so smart.
Chorus: So let her go.
Creon: I don’t want to…Oh fine.
Creon: Shut up.
Tiresias: Fine, but you’re going to lose someone. See ya.
Creon: Ok, so maybe it wasn't so smart.
Chorus: So let her go.
Creon: I don’t want to…Oh fine.
Chorus: Hey Dionysus, we could use
some help.
Messenger: Well, things just got
worse.
Eurydice: Just tell me the worst.
Messenger: We buried the body, then went to get Antigone, but we found that she hanged herself. Haemon was there and tried to kill Creon, then killed himself in desperation.
Eurydice: Just tell me the worst.
Messenger: We buried the body, then went to get Antigone, but we found that she hanged herself. Haemon was there and tried to kill Creon, then killed himself in desperation.
Creon: Guys, I messed up.
Messenger: It gets worse. The queen just killed herself. And she cursed you before she did.
Creon: “I am no one. Nothing.”
Chorus: “The mighty words of the
proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows
will teach us wisdom.”
***
(I must say, it got much harder to be snarky once everyone started killing themselves...)
This semester I am in a Play Writing class, which is definitely the best class I have! Combining writing and theatre - what's not to love? We just went through Antigone, and it was my first time reading it. Despite my goofy summary of it, and despite its darkness, I really did enjoy it. I loved the emotional conflicts and the contrasts between Antigone and Creon. Also for class, I made this chart plotting out Antigone's and Creon's emotional journeys next to each other. I stayed up way too late, but I had fun making it!
So there you have it - a little look into what I've been working on! I love this opportunity to learn more about theatre, to try my hand at it, to admire stories that have been classics for thousands of years, and to look at why some stories can stay with us for so long.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
When Disney Gets It Right
[Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers. If you haven't seen Frozen yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it now. Right now. Then you can read this.]
Imagine some of the creator's of Disney's Frozen having a chat together about the film, coming up with taglines to describe it...
"Ok, how could we sum things up? What's the heart of the movie?"
"Well, it's all focused on Anna and Elsa, on the sisters. Definitely about their relationship."
"It really contrasts love and fear between the two of them."
"Right! Because Elsa is dominated by her fear, which makes her unable to control her powers, until Anna sacrifices herself, love 'melts the frozen heart,' and Elsa realizes that love is the power she needs to conquer her fear and gain control over her abilities."
"So....'love defeats fear'?"
"'True love casts out fear'?"
"'Perfect love drives out all fear.'"
"That's great! That is definitely a major concept. What else have we got?"
"Well, this story kind of redefines the classic concept of 'true love.' It changes the way the romantic relationships work, but, again coming back to Anna and Elsa, it shows that true love isn't just romantic."
"Well, Olaf defines love by saying that it's putting the needs of someone else above your own."
"And then Anna sacrifices her life to save Elsa - the ultimate act of true love."
"Oh, that's good! 'The ultimate act of true love is sacrifice.'"
"'There is no love greater than sacrifice.'"
"'There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.'"
"Perfect!"
Ok, my made-up dialogue may stretch things a bit...but maybe not a bunch. The fact is, Disney's newest movie that has taken our nation by storm (no pun intended) has a lot of substance to it. I believe that this is largely because some of the strongest themes at the core of the movie echo some of the strongest themes at the core of Truth - and at the core of the Bible.
The two lines above are from 1 John 4:18 and John 15:13. They deal with the selfless nature of love - a theme that we see throughout Frozen.
Love isn't falling for a perfectly charming prince the first time you see him. (Actually, that may not work out so well for you.)
Love isn't always neat or pretty - sometimes it means loving even when other people drive you crazy. And that kind of longsuffering love is powerful. ("We're not saying you can change him, 'cause people don't really change. We're only saying is love's a force that's powerful and strange. People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed, but throw a little love their way, you'll bring out their best.")
Love is giving yourself for others, putting their needs before your own (walking out of town with your reindeer - then charging back in).
Love is the fact that:
Love is an action. And an act of true love doesn't have to be a kiss.
These are, honestly, only a few of the extremely solid messages from Frozen. And trust me, there are plenty of other blog posts out there about them (which you should definitely read). But the ones I noticed the most were the ones that very directly echoed themes - even direct statements - from the Bible.
I've completely fallen in love with Frozen for a lot of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the fact that, in telling its own beautiful story, it often collides full force with some powerful truth.
Imagine some of the creator's of Disney's Frozen having a chat together about the film, coming up with taglines to describe it...
"Ok, how could we sum things up? What's the heart of the movie?"
"Well, it's all focused on Anna and Elsa, on the sisters. Definitely about their relationship."
"It really contrasts love and fear between the two of them."
"Right! Because Elsa is dominated by her fear, which makes her unable to control her powers, until Anna sacrifices herself, love 'melts the frozen heart,' and Elsa realizes that love is the power she needs to conquer her fear and gain control over her abilities."
"So....'love defeats fear'?"
"'True love casts out fear'?"
"'Perfect love drives out all fear.'"
"That's great! That is definitely a major concept. What else have we got?"
"Well, this story kind of redefines the classic concept of 'true love.' It changes the way the romantic relationships work, but, again coming back to Anna and Elsa, it shows that true love isn't just romantic."
"Well, Olaf defines love by saying that it's putting the needs of someone else above your own."
"And then Anna sacrifices her life to save Elsa - the ultimate act of true love."
"Oh, that's good! 'The ultimate act of true love is sacrifice.'"
"'There is no love greater than sacrifice.'"
"'There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.'"
"Perfect!"
Ok, my made-up dialogue may stretch things a bit...but maybe not a bunch. The fact is, Disney's newest movie that has taken our nation by storm (no pun intended) has a lot of substance to it. I believe that this is largely because some of the strongest themes at the core of the movie echo some of the strongest themes at the core of Truth - and at the core of the Bible.
The two lines above are from 1 John 4:18 and John 15:13. They deal with the selfless nature of love - a theme that we see throughout Frozen.
Love isn't falling for a perfectly charming prince the first time you see him. (Actually, that may not work out so well for you.)
Love isn't always neat or pretty - sometimes it means loving even when other people drive you crazy. And that kind of longsuffering love is powerful. ("We're not saying you can change him, 'cause people don't really change. We're only saying is love's a force that's powerful and strange. People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed, but throw a little love their way, you'll bring out their best.")
Love is giving yourself for others, putting their needs before your own (walking out of town with your reindeer - then charging back in).
Love is the fact that:
Love is an action. And an act of true love doesn't have to be a kiss.
These are, honestly, only a few of the extremely solid messages from Frozen. And trust me, there are plenty of other blog posts out there about them (which you should definitely read). But the ones I noticed the most were the ones that very directly echoed themes - even direct statements - from the Bible.
I've completely fallen in love with Frozen for a lot of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the fact that, in telling its own beautiful story, it often collides full force with some powerful truth.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Break the Glass
It's so easy to make promises,
words, words that come out so easily,
ideas that form in your mind
and grab your heart
and fill you with excitement
that reaches down to your fingertips.
But it's one thing to see the sunlight.
Walking on the sun is something else.
You can gaze deeply in the mirror
and see all the potential,
all the ability and enthusiasm,
and you can shout it out to the world.
But if it stays in the mirror
it is nothing,
only a reflection,
a dream that could have been,
a promise forgotten as soon as spoken.
You have to break the glass.
The glass is thick.
When it shatters
the edges are sharp.
You might bleed.
But then the words can step out,
become alive,
the promise can take form
and walk and breathe and dance.
The life that comes out through the shards
may not look exactly like the reflection
that you thought would greet you.
But it can be beautiful,
it can have life.
Just break the glass.
***
This poem, written very spontaneously and quickly, is my apology for already failing at my resolution to post once a week, and my determination to be faithful, even if my attempts don't always meet my own expectations. It's very easy to talk, very hard to do. But that should never keep us sitting down.
James 1:22 - 25
words, words that come out so easily,
ideas that form in your mind
and grab your heart
and fill you with excitement
that reaches down to your fingertips.
But it's one thing to see the sunlight.
Walking on the sun is something else.
You can gaze deeply in the mirror
and see all the potential,
all the ability and enthusiasm,
and you can shout it out to the world.
But if it stays in the mirror
it is nothing,
only a reflection,
a dream that could have been,
a promise forgotten as soon as spoken.
You have to break the glass.
The glass is thick.
When it shatters
the edges are sharp.
You might bleed.
But then the words can step out,
become alive,
the promise can take form
and walk and breathe and dance.
The life that comes out through the shards
may not look exactly like the reflection
that you thought would greet you.
But it can be beautiful,
it can have life.
Just break the glass.
***
This poem, written very spontaneously and quickly, is my apology for already failing at my resolution to post once a week, and my determination to be faithful, even if my attempts don't always meet my own expectations. It's very easy to talk, very hard to do. But that should never keep us sitting down.
James 1:22 - 25
Friday, January 3, 2014
New Year's Revolution
Resolution - "the act or process of resolving," "the act of determining," "a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group"
Revolution - "the usually violent attempt by many people to end the rule of one government and start a new one," "a sudden, extreme, or complete change in the way people live, work, etc."
(Definitions from merriamwebster.com)
At the start of a new year, we make resolutions - we determine to make changes. We have the will and intent to do things differently. Maybe it's being healthier, finding a job, spending more time with family, reading a certain number of books...it can be pretty much anything. But basically, there are things we want in our lives, and we want to pursue them. Usually, we want to pursue them more diligently than we did last year.
But let's admit it, lots of us (not all, but lots) start off with gusto and then burn out - some sooner than others. We often have the preconceived notion that resolutions get broken, so much so that it's almost become a joke.
But a resolution is supposed to be a change, and if we're serious, we at least want it to be a serious change. We want a revolution.
So let's start by revolting against the idea that we can't keep our resolutions anyway. And then let's revolt against those things that we don't want in our lives - the things we've failed in and need to do better.
Are we going to make a miraculous and sudden change and be everything we wanted? Definitely not. Are we going to burn out in enthusiasm? Probably.
But a resolution is about a determination - not a happy feeling or instant success. It takes work, little steps at a time - like a revolution.
Honestly, I've never been one to make "New Year's resolutions." I've always kind of scoffed at the notion. But this year, I knew that there were a few things that I definitely wanted and needed to do differently. And a new year, just for its sake as a milestone, is a great place to determine to change.
So what are my resolutions?
Every Day:
- Read God's Word and find at least one specific application point
Every Week:
- At least one blog post
- At least three entries in either my poetry or fiction notebook
This Year:
- Read through the Bible
- Read at least thirty books
- Finish writing Point of Madness
Every Moment:
- Love others
- Love God more, be who He wants me to be
I resolve to revolt.
Revolution - "the usually violent attempt by many people to end the rule of one government and start a new one," "a sudden, extreme, or complete change in the way people live, work, etc."
(Definitions from merriamwebster.com)
At the start of a new year, we make resolutions - we determine to make changes. We have the will and intent to do things differently. Maybe it's being healthier, finding a job, spending more time with family, reading a certain number of books...it can be pretty much anything. But basically, there are things we want in our lives, and we want to pursue them. Usually, we want to pursue them more diligently than we did last year.
But let's admit it, lots of us (not all, but lots) start off with gusto and then burn out - some sooner than others. We often have the preconceived notion that resolutions get broken, so much so that it's almost become a joke.
But a resolution is supposed to be a change, and if we're serious, we at least want it to be a serious change. We want a revolution.
So let's start by revolting against the idea that we can't keep our resolutions anyway. And then let's revolt against those things that we don't want in our lives - the things we've failed in and need to do better.
Are we going to make a miraculous and sudden change and be everything we wanted? Definitely not. Are we going to burn out in enthusiasm? Probably.
But a resolution is about a determination - not a happy feeling or instant success. It takes work, little steps at a time - like a revolution.
Honestly, I've never been one to make "New Year's resolutions." I've always kind of scoffed at the notion. But this year, I knew that there were a few things that I definitely wanted and needed to do differently. And a new year, just for its sake as a milestone, is a great place to determine to change.
So what are my resolutions?
Every Day:
- Read God's Word and find at least one specific application point
Every Week:
- At least one blog post
- At least three entries in either my poetry or fiction notebook
This Year:
- Read through the Bible
- Read at least thirty books
- Finish writing Point of Madness
Every Moment:
- Love others
- Love God more, be who He wants me to be
I resolve to revolt.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Dusting Off the Inkwell
Hello, 2014.
Strange, that it's been almost a year since I "jumped in" with this blog...a blog that lasted, barely, for about two months. I think my jumping in turned into tripping (or just plain crashing and burning). I went through a period of guilt and remorse, berating myself for never posting. Then I got too busy with school and life to really worry about it anymore. And without any more guilt, I lost motivation. So nothing happened.
So here, on Christmas break, when I finally found I had time on my hands, the guilt came back. I remembered that I had a blog, and I remembered that pile of things I wanted to write that are still bottled up inside me, impatiently straining to come out.
The problem is, that doesn't just go for my blog. I'm a writer who hasn't been writing. And it hurts.
2013 was a crazy year. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful - I made some of the greatest memories of my life. But it was still crazy. Most of that craziness came from graduating from my beloved community college, working full time during the summer, living in two different houses, and then moving across the country to start at a brand new university. At school, especially as an English/Creative Writing major, I was constantly reading and writing, so whenever I got a rare stretch of free time, I felt a little burnt out on those activities. During the summer I did a good bit of reading and some writing, but was, in a general sense, very tired and lacking motivation.
So, in short, a pathetically small amount of writing was done this year. My poetry journal had a nasty gap from May to November with absolutely nothing written. My biggest fanfiction I've ever written, still in progress, hasn't had a new chapter posted in six months. (Ew. Still cringing about that one.) The story ideas in my head have received next to no development. And the blog sat collecting cobwebs. (Or crashing on a friend's couch eating soup, which became a sad joke.)
Conclusion? Enough is enough.
The muse is finicky. She values consistency. She can get pretty annoyed. And she doesn't stay around if you don't put forth an effort to meet with her.
So, I know life isn't going to slow down, and I'm not going to magically find more time. But I do want to be more diligent in how I use my time, and I want to be diligent in writing - in multiple formats - even when the warm and fuzzy motivation is completely lacking.
I'm inviting my muse back, and determining to be a more faithful host.
Strange, that it's been almost a year since I "jumped in" with this blog...a blog that lasted, barely, for about two months. I think my jumping in turned into tripping (or just plain crashing and burning). I went through a period of guilt and remorse, berating myself for never posting. Then I got too busy with school and life to really worry about it anymore. And without any more guilt, I lost motivation. So nothing happened.
So here, on Christmas break, when I finally found I had time on my hands, the guilt came back. I remembered that I had a blog, and I remembered that pile of things I wanted to write that are still bottled up inside me, impatiently straining to come out.
The problem is, that doesn't just go for my blog. I'm a writer who hasn't been writing. And it hurts.
2013 was a crazy year. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful - I made some of the greatest memories of my life. But it was still crazy. Most of that craziness came from graduating from my beloved community college, working full time during the summer, living in two different houses, and then moving across the country to start at a brand new university. At school, especially as an English/Creative Writing major, I was constantly reading and writing, so whenever I got a rare stretch of free time, I felt a little burnt out on those activities. During the summer I did a good bit of reading and some writing, but was, in a general sense, very tired and lacking motivation.
So, in short, a pathetically small amount of writing was done this year. My poetry journal had a nasty gap from May to November with absolutely nothing written. My biggest fanfiction I've ever written, still in progress, hasn't had a new chapter posted in six months. (Ew. Still cringing about that one.) The story ideas in my head have received next to no development. And the blog sat collecting cobwebs. (Or crashing on a friend's couch eating soup, which became a sad joke.)
Conclusion? Enough is enough.
The muse is finicky. She values consistency. She can get pretty annoyed. And she doesn't stay around if you don't put forth an effort to meet with her.
So, I know life isn't going to slow down, and I'm not going to magically find more time. But I do want to be more diligent in how I use my time, and I want to be diligent in writing - in multiple formats - even when the warm and fuzzy motivation is completely lacking.
I'm inviting my muse back, and determining to be a more faithful host.
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