Writing groups are one of the greatest things I could be part of as a writer. As a psych major I’m always interested in seeing the bloom and grow and seeing how diverse writers influence each others craft. It feels good to be in a safe place among other’s who share the same medium. Writing groups give writers several things, a safe space to share thoughts and ideas, a safe place to receive feedback, the ability to learn and grow, and connection. Writing is solitary. You see the world from your own eyes, you pull the memories from your own brain, and you write the words in your own unique way. So being part of writing groups helps you see perspectives outside your own. Maybe in some ways other writers may validate you. Maybe in others they’ll pull you out of the plot hole you’ve buried yourself into.
If you haven’t join a writing group as a writer, what are you waiting for? Find the nearest writing group and dig in!
How about you? What was your experience with writing groups? Good? Bad? Great? I wanna know.
I put a lot of stuff off and now that I’ve freed up some space, I’m just feeling flooded with all the things I’m eager to do. I don’t want to burn myself out and I always like to remind myself that finding ways to play while I work is the absolute best way for me to avoid burnout. So these next couple weeks I’m going to remind myself to feel things out. Writing times, gym plans, business development, all if it. There’s a lot I want to do but when it comes to the things I truly want to succeed at, I want to take my time and do them right the first time. (Well, try my best to do them right. ) So this is a reminder to myself:
“One thing at a time. You are a hard worker. You’re reliable and and trustworthy. The things you’re interested add flavor to your accomplishments. You already know what you want, that’s half the work.”
In all my years of life, I’ve never been so committed to something outside of people like I am to writing. It’s not really writing per se but it is the develop that comes with it. I think writing is one of the most valuable tools we have as a species. I helps us in many ways but most importantly it helps us to better connect.
My darkest moments were writers hold me up and getting me going just one more day. I’ve come a long way since then. I’ve learned a lot about myself and those around me. I had my fair share of existential crises and days when the sky seemed bluer than normal. But at the end of the day, I’m not really sure where I’d be without my writing. Maybe I’d be in the same place I am now? Maybe I’d be less confident and less apt to share my vulnerabilities either way writing has changed me and I can only hope that my writing does the same for others.
There’s been a lot of change flowing through my life and I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I was able to welcome all of it with open arms. What did I have to do to get here? Change my mindset. Nothing else. Not eating better or worse, not working out, not cutting people out of my life. None of that is what it took. Those things all contributed to changing my mindset. All of those things helped me to learn myself better but at the end of the day, I could do none of those things, solely focus on my mindset, and slowly work on changing my habitual thoughts. Even the positive thoughts had to be recalibrated because they were laid on top of shifty foundations. Positive thinking is great! But it takes a lot more than saying a few words to find the peace that you’re worthy of.
What is an old mindset you had?
What is the new mindset you replaced it with?
Random Happy thought: I had just enough eggs and toast for breakfast this morning.
I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.
Leonardo da Vinci
We all do this at some point or in some way. For me reflecting on a daily basis and writing about it is quite the challenge. I’m up for it though! If doing it leads to wisdom and better understanding of myself, why not? Today was a restful day for me. No picnics or picnic foods just me and my little one enjoying the peace. She snuggled up next to me and let me sing to her. These are moments I hope to hang on tight to. I love my girls so much.
[McClelland Barclay] An established artist who had created recruiting posters for the navy, developed camouflage patterns, and designed the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, he immediately sought a position as an official artist, arguing that he could memorialize the human element of war—’the sweat and blood and courage our boys expend every time they face the enemy.’
In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to share a little history about an artist who lost his life while serving the United States Navy. McClelland Barclay was born 1891 in St Louis. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle after his mother passed. While living with his aund and uncle, he invested years of schooling into his art career and eventually brought it with him into his military career. As the quote above states, he created; recruiting posters, camouflage patterns, and even designed medals. As I kept reading about McClelland, I found that he didn’t stop there. He continued to experiment with his art well into his military career and his works were used by several popular brands. According to Wikipedia, these brands include Redbook, Country Life, Cosmopolitan, Paramount Pictures, Whitman’s Chocolates and many more!
What an inspiration to artists across all fields of work. He served his country in so many ways by staying the course when it came to his talents. I’m so glad I decided to share a bit of his story because I’m learning from all of this too. Alas, we must get to our tragic loss. According to Naval History and Heritage Command,
On 18 July 1943, Barclay was aboard LST-342 (Group 14, Flotilla 5) when it was torpedoed by Japanese submarine Ro-106 at 1:30 a.m. He had been on board since the first of the month, sketching and taking photographs, during which time LST-342 had been carrying ammunition and supplies to Rendova, New Georgia in the Solomon Islands from Guadalcanal. The torpedo struck the aft portion of the ship where officers and others, including Barclay, were berthed. The stern sank immediately. Barclay, along with most of the crew, perished. The bow of the LST remained afloat and was towed to a beach on the island of Ghavutu so that any useable equipment could be salvaged. Remains of the ship are still rusting there today. Barclay was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal; the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Thank you, McClelland Barclay for staying true to your inner artist and showing the world that art is ours to have in any environment. Art is ours even after the critics have given us a firm no. For some of us, art is not just a hobby. It is used as a beacon of light, a suggestion to answer the call. And you my friend, did it until the end. I can only hope that I can stay as true to my own art as you have.
Rest in Peace
SUB SPOTTED – LET ‘EM HAVE IT! , ca. 1942 Medium: poster Size: 106 x 72.5 cm. (41.7 x 28.5 in.)
Darling, darling!’ cherry was thinking as she moved forward oil on canvas
Faust Medium: Paintings, Oil on Canvas Size: 40 x 30 in. (101.6 x 76.2 cm.)
Here’s where you can learn more about McClelland Barclay
This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.
Maya Angelou
I have never heard this line before but I’d like to start my mornings with this one! I do love Maya Angelou so seeing that this quote is from here doubles my appreciation for it. I think a healthy amount of discipline and routine are pillars to success but when you begin to lose that spark or that joy for waking up, it might be time to switch things up however you can. I think a great place to start would be morning mindfulness. I think I’ll write on something next to my bed.
Writing is my love, 2 hours a day has never been enough. It easily consumes my life more than riches (not more than my family though). The hours I write daily, may dwindle over the years but for now, writing is my world. My world is writing. I guess I’m catching up for all the years I should have been writing. Funny thing is that I was waiting until I was in a better place but I didn’t find that better place until I started writing.
First do what you feel called to do, then let the better place come to you.
O William Blake, if you only knew how much I’d love for my life to be as smooth as this quote sounds. Ok ok wait let’s think about this. Something I learned as a writer was that we all have different times when our brains work best. Some brains work best first thing in the morning, some late at night. So this nice tidy order looks great in theory but truth is these aren’t one size fits all. Learning when your brain works best can help you decide your daily schedule. My best writing hour was 11am, so I’d plan my day to allow me to have my butt in the chair by then. Writing before bed is just part of my life but it doesn’t feel the same as writing at night.
This quote also seems to advocate for routine. I like routine. I think it’s important to create routine but I also think it’s important to allow flexibility into my life. There’s something creative about switching things up intuitively.
When’s your best time to write? Can you relate to this quote from a different perspective?
I don’t know that I could find a quote that better explains my marriage. We are a pair humans who absolutely love our solitude. We really don’t require much as lovers of solitude but we do have our own desires. I don’t think I ever realized how much better my life is when I have solitude. And I don’t think I could understand my husband’s need for solitude until I understood my own need. We will reach our 10 year marriage in Sept and all I can say is that the first ten years has mostly been us learning to trust ourselves and learning to create and support healthy environments throughout our entire lives, not just at home. That’s just a brief reaction to this quote. I think a lot more could be said here so maybe I’ll return to it in the future.
Jayne.press 