With Labor Day come and gone, my mind wanders to the promise of what lies beyond the long, hot summer we are finally leaving behind. It's nearly here. Can you feel it? There is a hint of it in the air, and I for one am welcoming it with open arms. I love autumn in the midwest!
Not only do I welcome the shift to cooler temps, and change from deep green to shades of orange, red, yellow and brown, I anxiously look forward to the tastes, smells, sounds, and activities that make this time of year so great.
I am excited at seeing harvest and Halloween merchandise appearing on stores shelves (Though it is not showing up nearly fast enough for me.), and am contemplating what books and movies to fill my free time that will help me to celebrate the beauty and the spookiness I crave in the fall. I am a kid again. Maybe even more so than at Christmas.
I continue to work on my novel about a small town ventriloquist. I still think it shows promise, but I am sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of work it will take to get it publishable. I guess that is the plight of the author. One day, and one writing session at a time.
I took myself on a writing date last weekend which proved to be very invigorating and productive. An hour in a small, quiet coffee house with a baby bathtub sized latte, are just the ticket when I need a shot of inspiration. I will remember to do more of these, maybe even alternating with writing time outside absorbing some of my favorite season.
On the subject of my book, I finally wrote the scene I was most dreading. Even if I don't use it, I felt the need to write a bit of the main characters act with the puppet that is most prominent in the story. I know that I can be funny, but that is quite a bit different than being a comedian. It wasn't as difficult as I imagined it to be, but then again, no one has read what I have written. Maybe I completely missed the mark. I plan to offer it up to my writer's group in a couple of weeks to see how it flies. It is at times like this that I really wish that I had a writing buddy. To be able to swap stuff with a fellow writer for feedback, encouragement and suggestion would be so helpful. I believe that I will happen upon that person eventually, but as with many things, I am impatient. Till then, I will have to wait for the reaction of my monthly group. I will let you know how it goes.
As for my artwork, I have a few things in the works, and lots of ideas of things to come. I am finding more inspiration in the ideas and images of carnivals, traveling shows, old toys, and of course autumn and Halloween. I will post pics of where that all leads me as I have them available.
I have decided not to participate in the annual Fall Bazaar at work this year, at least not as a vendor. I like a more leisurely pace when it comes to making artwork, and the idea, of cranking out stuff to sell, just is not appealing to me right now. I want to be able to play and explore, to create new and different things - not more of the same. I have promised to help with promotion, and set-up and tear-down, so in that way I will still be involved. I thought I might regret this decision, but find it a relief and a ticket to creative freedom. Maybe by next year, I will be able to set-up shop once again, but on a newer, broader and more exciting level.
Guess that gets you caught up for now. With the torrent of inspiration coming at me in the following couple of months, I expect to have more frequent posts, so until then - take care all. Enjoy the fall, and all that it brings. I know I will!!!
