I’M BACK!

Forgive me Readers, for I have sinned. It has been three years since my last confession (er – blog). I am ready to do penance, or at least, to write another blog.

Looking back on some of my old entries I was surprised. They held up pretty well, and I haven’t really changed my opinions much. I still think that most Hollywood gossip falls under the category of “None Of My Business”. I still have a problem with following recipes too closely, and winding up with inedible dishes. I still can’t manage the electronic cashiers at the Big Box Stores.

Writing is my passion. It doesn’t really matter what I write, either. I am an equal opportunity writer. I love writing songs, of course, but I don’t like to limit myself that way. I find that my creative energy is stimulated by exploring different avenues. So when I feel stuck, when I am sure I have nothing left to say, when I get in a funk and think, “Oh, what’s the point?!” Then I know it’s time to write something different – a blog, a short story, a poem, a rant, a long letter, or an especially creative grocery list, in a pinch.

The magic resource I like to call on is my old Julia Cameron book, “The Artist’s Way”. For those who are not familiar, let me just say, check it out. I think this book has saved my creative life. Basically, it’s a 12-step recovery program, although I didn’t pick up on that until I had “worked the program” twice! (I’m a little slow on the uptake! ). For me, the most powerful of the techniques is the morning pages. When I do my morning pages religiously, everything in my life seems to work better, including my writing. I am not absolutely sure what it is I am recovering from, apart from a bad case of low self-esteem, but it’s enough to know that I *am* recovering.

And let me just say, you don’t have to be an “Artist” with a capital A to benefit from this book. We are all artists of one sort or another. My brother-in-law is a traffic engineer. Think of the creativity it must take to come up with those kinds of solutions! He is an artist. My sister is a physical/yoga therapist and teaches. She dreams up new ways of helping people every day. She is an artist. As a matter of fact, just getting through our lives demands all kinds of imagination, creativity, and improvisation. Any mother will tell you – She’s an artist. In fact, all relationships require a certain amount of innovation. We are all artists. We have all had our creativity thwarted or challenged by the vicissitudes of life, so we are all recovering.

So I am thanking you in advance for reading my little blurbs. I am grateful and hope you will find something of interest in them. When I first started doing my blog in September, 2004, I didn’t always realize when I was getting comments from my readers! So a lot of people are probably ticked off at me for not responding. I apologize. Art has chastised me. I’ll do better now, I promise.

So, it’s been a while since we chatted, you and I, Dear Reader. Or perhaps this is our first conversation. But I’m doing my morning pages, working my program, and ready to share my grocery lists and my rants.