tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20514542011-04-22T14:11:54.225+10:00Writing NotebookThis is the compost bin, the seed garden out the back of the Soul Food Cafe. This is the place where ideas germinated and seeds growHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1091533381172899912004-08-03T21:42:00.000+10:002004-08-03T21:43:01.173+10:00Be like an athlete training for the Olympic Games. Fill a journal jar with the Writer's Digest daily prompts. Print out the pages of prompts, cut them into strips and store them inside the jar. Sit the jar on your desk and randomly select a prompt when you want to do some warm ups. I use a jar like this when I begin a session with a class that are trained to make writing a daily practice.
The Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1091318007521458352004-08-01T09:51:00.000+10:002004-08-01T09:53:27.520+10:00I am fascinated by the dimensions of narrative and so happening upon these two Australian sites was like finding treasure in Aladdin's Cave.
Fellow Australian, Sharon Boggon runs a project called Shareware. Sharon says that "In the past explorers used beads as a means of exchange in order to open new trading routes just as the development of the silicon chip has opened up a means of exchange in Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1087891635798584342004-06-22T18:06:00.000+10:002004-06-22T18:13:21.316+10:00Cyber Pathways
Lace up your cyber boots and follow the footprints I have left. Check out Picture Book Art and use the artwork to kick start writing a story for a young child. For example, illustrator, Robin Brickman provides spectacular watercolor and cut-paper collages that will not only inspire text, but should cause gasps of wonder
Lisa's Nostalgic Cafe is one place to drink from the well ofHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1087803583066681042004-06-21T17:34:00.000+10:002004-06-21T17:44:25.233+10:00The companion website to a 3-hour PBS documentary entitled Memoirs of A Secret Empire is a beautifully crafted site. When you enter Edo you will discover an ancient kingdom where warriors, scientists, artists and tradesmen created an isolated civilization that would shape the modern world.
After becoming supreme ruler in the late 16th century, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved Japan's capitol to Edo, (now Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1085874702521460572004-05-30T09:48:00.000+10:002004-05-30T09:51:42.523+10:00While browsing through a charity store here in Melbourne I happened upon a stack of Dragon and Realms of Fantasy magazines that a fan had obviously decided to clear out to make way for something new.
Finding these magazines was like finding gold. They are filled with ideas about mythical creatures, dwarves, diminutive dragons, suits of armor, elves and even a subterranean city.
All the poor Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1071112254158345542003-12-11T14:10:00.000+11:002003-12-11T14:17:14.186+11:00
Welcome to the world of Forensic Art. The Forensic Art site was developed out of the love of forensic art as well as a means of providing a resource to agencies or individuals that may require the services of a forensic artist. The site covers the various facets of forensic art, giving a brief description of each.
Take time to view the various pages and consider how you can use this valuable Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1068427525050375522003-11-10T12:25:00.000+11:002003-11-10T12:25:22.690+11:00Luc Melanson is an illustrator whose Portfolio B, Childrens Book will fire the imagination of anyone considering writing a children's book.
With shades of the Owl and the Pussy Cat sailing off in a pea green boat, Lemurians recently packed up their hampers and set out for Lemurian shores. They have been writing up a storm
Why not pack up your pens, paper, pencils, paint, easels and visual Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1065959189846341622003-10-12T21:46:00.000+10:002003-10-12T21:49:19.786+10:00There really are so many places to begin when you want to create a piece of fiction. Why not try conjuring some characters by using images from this gallery of tomb stone portraits?
Take the challenge and write a story set in the period that these characters lived. Enjoy the intriguing work
of Bulgarian photographer, Svetlana Bahchevanova. Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1065958521356423362003-10-12T21:35:00.000+10:002003-10-12T21:44:06.073+10:00Cesar Santander is a "Photorealist" painter. He uses photographs as sources for his paintings and the paintings themselves look like photographs.
Santander's collection of toy paintings will be sure to restore memories of much loved toys.
On the wings of the black crow comes the spirits of old, treasured, discarded, lost, forgotten, dearly beloved toys who have made a significant contributionHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1062498910503240642003-09-02T20:35:00.000+10:002003-09-02T20:35:10.506+10:00
This image comes from the amazing Art Passions site. Try doing some self portraiture by sketching one of your archetypal characters in a mirror, or wander about with a film and photograph yourself in mirrors. Use the voice of the archetypal character in your journal. Beyond the Looking Glass, by Edwina Peterson Cross, is a sample of what can emerge.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1062498454279794332003-09-02T20:27:00.000+10:002003-09-02T20:32:10.433+10:00The Master of the Anthropomorphic, Boris Artzybasheff was known for human achines that commented wittily on the parallels between mechanical and human forms. Machines, like this amatueur photographer,
have heaps of attitude and could provide fuel for anthropomorphic poetry or prose.
Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-1061035569223557142003-08-16T22:06:00.000+10:002003-08-16T22:09:02.380+10:00Everyone has a monster living in their heart that longs to find expression in a terror tale! If you need some inspiration in order to identify your monster there is no need to reinvent the wheel! Simply slip into Monster Cards and you will find something that triggers your imagination.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-924238072003-04-11T22:49:00.000+10:002003-04-11T22:49:54.450+10:00When it comes to Street Photography it should be said that many people are unaware such a genre exists, so it may strike them as odd when they come across someone photographing graffiti, torn posters or derelict buildings. Usually Joe Public will put the individual down as a harmless crank and at best ignore them . . . . but there's always one who wants to know, "Why? What for?", so you mumble Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-897996072003-02-27T09:46:00.000+11:002003-02-27T09:49:40.000+11:00Remember NaNoWri Mo? Back in November 2002 patrons of Soul Food spent a month writing a novel.
Well now you can work with the NaNoWri Mo team to edit your novels. They provide some interesting tools and tips to assist you in this important process.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-890100602003-02-13T14:08:00.000+11:002003-02-13T14:08:38.000+11:00The NotSoSoft Mayfly Project is interesting. It challenges you to sum up the last year of your life to make you re-examine your priorities, or to refocus on what has affected you. The catch is that you have to do it in 25 words. Of course, once you have done it you have words which will lead to more words. Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-883592992003-02-01T14:00:00.000+11:002003-02-01T14:02:47.000+11:00Soul Food patrons who are familiar with my many blogs will know that I put this exercise in the Visual Journal Vault.
Nothing Trashy About This
We' ve all heard about or seen the works of artists who collect trash and sculpt it into interesting forms and meaningful shapes. Although "Trashlog" indeed also deals in found objects, it is very different. Nico Van Hoorn, from the Netherlands, has Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-845126052002-11-14T17:15:00.000+11:002002-11-14T17:19:45.000+11:00Think You Have A Book In You, Think Again has been widely quoted on the web and generated heated rants from many folks. Epstein wrote "why should so many people think they can write a book, especially at a time when so many people who actually do write books turn out not really to have a book in them -- or at least not one that many other people can be made to care about? Something on the order Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-842589012002-11-09T13:07:00.000+11:002002-11-09T13:11:36.000+11:00According to this little piece of nonsense I am earth. Perhaps you could have one of your characters in your NaNoWriMo piece of cotton candy fiction do this quiz. At best it will help you reach some portion of today's quota.
You're earth! You are very motherly and love mankind. You think of mankind as your children and you are very giving and protective. No one should mess with you though, Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-841389642002-11-07T09:48:00.000+11:002002-11-07T10:59:37.000+11:00Grinding Ink
Keri Smith's words seem particularly relevant as Soul Food Patrons face the daily grind and get those words on to the page.
Grinding Ink -a writer's process…
I do not claim to be a great writer. Believe me I'm not trying to critical here about my ability. The truth is it is not my goal to be a great writer, or even a great illustrator for that matter. What is most important forHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-840883102002-11-06T11:49:00.000+11:002002-11-06T11:52:08.000+11:00Nothing Trashy About This
We' ve all heard about or seen the works of artists who collect trash and sculpt it into interesting forms and meaningful shapes. Although "Trashlog" indeed also deals in found objects, it is very different. Nico Van Hoorn, from the Netherlands, has found a way to photograph bits of trash he finds along the roadside so that each and every piece looks like a simple, Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-839116332002-11-02T18:34:00.000+11:002002-11-06T11:46:40.000+11:00What is NaNoWriMo?
When the patrons at Soul Food found out about NaNoWriMo they set up tables in this quirky writing cafe and are spending the month writing. They are aiming to write 50,000 words this month. Feel challenged? Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-837898712002-10-31T08:44:00.000+11:002002-10-31T08:46:44.000+11:00Stories are a primary mode of human communication and thinking — and one that has been used since the dawn of time. Why? Stories have depth and multiple dimensions; they help us create human connections in a world that seems complex, sometimes (or often) threatening, and increasingly dehumanizing. Stories give us context. The alternative? Having bits and pieces of data that are disconnected from Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-826128302002-10-07T10:37:00.000+10:002002-10-07T10:38:05.000+10:00Despite the discouraging words of some folks -Think You Have a Book In You - Think Again - people do break into Freelance Writing and people do continue to write books that other people want to read. Check 2002 The Year I Broke into Freelance Writing by Alison Burke, a fellow columnist at One Woman's Writing Retreat. She is very positive about entering the world of freelance writing.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-810729612002-09-03T13:44:00.000+10:002002-09-03T13:45:20.000+10:00Writing Fix
If you are serious about writing you really do need to come to the page on a daily basis. If you have a miserable time coming up with daily topics try using this random topic generator . It is designed for those of you who--like the people at Writing Fix--would occasionally appreciate having daily topics suggested. Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-810229902002-09-02T17:47:00.000+10:002002-09-02T17:47:30.000+10:00Luciferous Logolepsy
Drag some obscure words into the light of day and enhance your vocabulary all at the same time. Move these fractious wonders around the page and see what emerges.
Go to Luciferous Logolepsy to find the words. Make sure you add your exotic pieces to the Pythian Games forum.
Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-808972612002-08-30T11:55:00.000+10:002002-08-30T11:55:25.243+10:00Meet Jessica Wilber, 15 years old author of Totally Private and Personal: Journaling Ideas for Girls and Young Women.As a young writer who has kept journals all of her life, Jessica reveals how journaling not only serves as a record of events but as a way to overcome tough times. She has also found that writing down your thoughts daily is great practice and provides a wealth of material for your Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-799207972002-08-07T13:46:00.000+10:002002-08-07T13:48:02.000+10:00English teachers are always trying to find ways to tap into new and exciting means from students to express themselves. Teachers who want to encourage self-publishing and self expression need go no further than Blogger. The new fad of 'blogs', or online journals provide a means for people to express their views in non traditional ways. Some blogs, like these at Soul Food, are used to pass on newsHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-793685352002-07-25T10:00:00.000+10:002002-07-25T10:32:01.000+10:00Daily warm up yoga exercises may not seem to have a lot to with the craft of writing. But in this instance this advice seems to say it all. Ellen Serber's Tai Chi Chu’an teacher, Sifu Kuo Lien Ying, had a limited English vocabulary. The few words that he did know, however, were well chosen. He often said, “every day,” meaning that we should practice every day without fail; “loose,” referring to Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-789554632002-07-15T12:37:00.000+10:002002-07-15T12:41:25.000+10:00Close friends have often said that they admire my ideas. I wish that I had come up with this idea box. Conceived as a surprise gift for a beau this box contains more than 140 activites to engage in when you need something to do.The ideas are for dinners, weekends, or anytime. They are centered around living in the Bay Area and are for a couple. What a fabulous idea! I am sure that as a writer youHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-783438172002-06-29T16:38:00.000+10:002002-06-29T16:38:55.536+10:00A writing exercise for word-weavers and spin writing enthusiasts
Today I was re-reading The Lady of Shalot - a poem I have always loved. I swear Tennyson is writing about a river that runs through
Lemuria - or maybe it is Coleridge's Kubla Khan which I have in mind. Anyway! There is this section from The Lady of Shalot
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web of colours gay
A curse is on Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-783437162002-06-29T16:35:00.000+10:002002-06-29T16:35:01.206+10:00Every profession has its pitfalls. Doctors, for example, are always being asked for free medical advice, lawyers are asked for legal information, morticians are told how interesting a profession that must be and then people change the subject fast. And writers are asked where we get our ideas from. Neil Gaiman, whose new look site has to be one of the best I have seen, provides some insight into Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-767547562002-05-20T22:39:00.000+10:002002-05-20T22:39:59.983+10:00Scientists are still debating the question of why writers seem particularly prone to depression. Writers and Depression is a hard hitting article which lays bare the hazards faced by writers. It also provides some very practical tips on how to deal with this. While visiting the Horror Writers Association it is worth reading a number of other good essays about the plight of writers. Mail Box BluesHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-752259432002-04-10T10:54:00.000+10:002002-04-10T10:54:02.563+10:00If you share a fascination for learning more about The Creative Mind of A Writer then this article will interest you.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-751024552002-04-06T19:47:00.000+10:002002-04-06T19:47:36.526+10:00Regular writers at Soul Food often find that they are at the mercy of an often silent muse. Every writer has to come to term with Writer's Block. Madhuri Narayan at SharpWriter adds her comments and provides some new insights into this perennial problem.
Jamie Walters from IvySea sent me a link that will be of use to those in the Cafe who want to excell and write for money.The mission of Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-108187822002-03-17T18:30:00.000+11:002002-03-17T18:36:39.000+11:00Marion Zimmer Bradley fires my imagination. She could write! The Mists of Avalon and Firebrand are just two of her mythic novels that have engrossed and captivated me. Advice to New Writers and Why Did My Story Get Rejected are two articles by Bradley that are worth reading. Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-106934372002-03-14T01:59:00.000+11:002002-03-14T01:59:49.940+11:00"If you wish to be a writer, write."
-- Epictetus
Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-106927272002-03-14T01:32:00.000+11:002002-03-14T01:56:26.000+11:00Affirmations are a useful method of "programming" your mind to act in a particular way.
These affirmations collected from a number of sources can be spoken aloud to your mirror reflection, printed on index cards and carried with you during the day, written in your journal or scrawled across the bathroom mirror with red lipstick. They can even be shouted from the rooftops if your are feeling Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-102960862002-03-02T21:07:00.000+11:002002-03-02T21:10:53.000+11:00I think one of the best things about weblogs and online diaries is that they are each unique. Here at Soul Food people from different walks of life share their writing, their view of the world. Some bloggers are written by professional writers, but the vast majority of them are written by people like you and me, people who find time to write in their spare time. Some of these people want to be "Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-101662492002-02-27T13:29:00.000+11:002002-02-27T13:36:51.000+11:00If you are a poet looking for fresh prompts go straight to the archive of Poets Online. Poets Online only accept responses to their prompts but there is plenty of stimulus here.
Note that the Daily Grind here at Soul Food has been redesigned and now provides direct links to exciting tools that will help massage your imagination. New links include Angel Cards, Goddess Tarot and Tealeaves. Frame Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-100489022002-02-24T09:40:00.000+11:002002-02-24T09:40:31.420+11:00William Zinnser said, " Don't hedge your prose with little timidities. Good writing is lean and confident... Every little qualifier whittles away some fraction of trust on the part of the reader. Readers want a writer who believes in himself and what he is saying. Don't diminish that belief. Don't be kind of bold. Be bold."
Modifiers often spell trouble for writers. We strew them across the Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-100484482002-02-24T09:22:00.000+11:002002-02-27T13:36:07.000+11:00Fresh Writing Exercises to Get Your Creativity Flowing
Five Steps to Get You Writing Right Now
A New Point of View: A Fifteen-Minute Exercise
Become Inspired: Writing Exercise
Better Dialogue: Writing Exercise
Borrow a Beginning: A Fifteen-Minute Exercise
Building Better Characters: Writing Exercise
Describing Emotion Effectively
Find Time for Creativity: Writing Exercise
Free Yourself from Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-94580712002-02-07T11:54:00.000+11:002002-02-07T11:58:00.000+11:00Never one to feel the need to reinvent the wheel or come up with material all on my own I am only too glad to direct you to useful exercises that actually stimulate writing. Try John Suler's Imagined House exercise and consider adding what you write to Soul Food's guided imagery forum. You will find access to this forum in the Cafe Post Box.Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-88118742002-01-18T23:38:00.000+11:002002-01-18T23:38:10.843+11:00As I was searching through my usual sources I came upon an interesting short rags-to-riches biography about William Durant, founder and head of General Motors. Durant was wiped out in the Great Depression and ended his days running a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan. Finding this reminded me of a project I have given students. It involves researching to find out the secrets of creativity. Once Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-84005522002-01-04T22:00:00.000+11:002002-01-04T22:06:44.000+11:00When I wander out into cyber space one of my favourite destinations is Ivy Sea. Their buffet in the Brain Cafeteria always manages to nourish me and inspire some more writing. Quell your appetite now.
While you are online have a look at Writing down to the nerve endings by Jon Carroll. I would have liked to have written this article but for the moment will have to be satisfied with Write ReasonsHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-81330322001-12-23T12:14:00.000+11:002001-12-23T12:19:13.000+11:00As a writer I have been keenly aware of the role of symbolism. There are excellent texts available in most bookshops. My personal favourite is 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols' by J.C. Cooper. However, you do not need to go to that expense because there is a good Dictionary of Symbolism on the web. The producers of this excellent site also offer some really good links to Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-80969052001-12-21T22:00:00.000+11:002001-12-21T22:09:32.000+11:00As writers we need to be constantly on the look out for new and fresh ways to promote the flow of words. Daruma is an exciting tool which will work. Why does this work? How does it promote the flow of words? It's simple! Goal-setting is the foundation of personal productivity. Goal-setting helps you keep your eyes on the prize. The daruma system doesn't clutter your life up with complicated Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-46909402001-07-24T07:34:00.000+10:002001-07-24T07:34:43.076+10:00Re-discovering the Muse
Women today are searching for meaning, passion and inspiration.
We devote ourselves to a spiritual path, become politically active, or immerse
ourselves in our chosen art or career. We enter psychotherapy, join women's
groups, and attempt to cultivate loving, enduring relationships. Sometimes,
for moments, for days or even weeks, we feel content, whole, complete.Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-44840682001-07-12T01:22:00.000+10:002001-07-12T01:22:37.060+10:00Song of Yourself
Lately, my dad has been telling my sister and me stories from when we were little: pranks that we pulled on unsuspecting new parents, the times we were difficult, the cute things we said, the terrible messes that we made. I think he’s feeling the passing of time. It won’t be long until I’ll be leaving home for good, and my sister soon to follow.
Help someone know the song ofAmandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-44102532001-07-07T03:11:00.000+10:002001-07-07T03:11:12.010+10:00Follow Your Bliss
I have been so busy being busy that I have let some things slip through my fingers these last few weeks. My cat told me she needed my attention by scratching me viciously for the first time in 8 years of love and affection. My family would do the same if they could!
I have made myself so busy that the individual moments of each day bleed together; their unique hues andLindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-40823512001-06-15T23:53:00.000+10:002001-06-15T23:53:34.886+10:00Filling the Well
The concept of "filling the well" comes from Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way", a book designed to help us enhance our creativity. Cameron points out that we need an inner reservoir to draw from if we are going to continue to create. She describes our reservoir or well as a creative ecosystem that we need to care for and she points out that, "If we don't give some Lindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-40058162001-06-11T03:56:00.000+10:002001-06-11T03:56:59.203+10:00Magic Carpet Exercise
This exercise is an example of "guided imagery" which can be very positive, uplifting and relaxing. This particular one was developed by the Behavioral Sciences Institute.
I recommend you print this exercise and either have a friend read it to you or you can speak into a tape recorder and play it for yourself.
Please make this a positive experience for yourself, onlyLindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-39387472001-06-06T06:12:00.000+10:002001-06-06T06:12:27.163+10:00In my travels today through space and time I came across some information that is quite basic and yet basically overlooked on a daily basis by a majority of people. We spend a good deal of time complaining about our life circumstances and an even greater amount of time "wishing" and "hoping" that things were different. We are creative people by nature and we should know how powerful the creativeLindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-38345472001-05-29T08:08:00.000+10:002001-05-29T08:08:48.373+10:00"The poet refuses to let things merge, lie low, succumb to visual habit . . . she hoists things out of their routine and lays them out on a papery beach, to be fumbled and explored . . ."
-- Diane Ackerman
Beautiful, strange and unique things happen around you every day. Don't take them for granted; get your pen and paper out, and try to capture the moment before it flees! Amandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-37232162001-05-21T14:35:00.000+10:002001-05-21T14:35:02.233+10:00I watched a progam on Friday 18th May on SBS TV and I thought I would share with you a part of it.
Temple Grandin is a Professor at the university of Colorado and a world expert in livestock handling systems. Temple was born Autistic.
A Letter to Temple from her Mother is as follows.(Written July 9th. 1966 )
Dear Temple,
I was thinking about our conversation about love. The hugging that makes Loisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-36694262001-05-17T17:24:00.000+10:002001-05-17T17:24:35.040+10:00"You need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. When you truly posses all you have been and done, which may take some time, you are fierce with reality."
-- Florida Scott-Maxwell
And what do you do with all this newfound reality? For that matter, how do you truly claim the events of your life to make yourself your own in the first place? Each of us would find our own Amandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-36344412001-05-15T15:19:00.000+10:002001-05-15T15:19:48.506+10:00Wise Words from Inga Glendinnen's award winning memoir " Tiger's Eye " As she hovered in a hallucinatory state between life and death she said. "I began to write because I needed to, I needed to hold on to my mind,to get some kind of grip on it.
What she found when she did get that grip amazed her. " I was suprised to find the self is not one but many. I was surprised to discover that my sense Loisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-34437942001-05-01T14:51:00.000+10:002001-05-08T22:26:02.783+10:00Would you like see the Emerald City of someone's mind? Since exploring the work of visionary architect Achilles Rizzoli, I've been entralled. Rizzoli's work is a representation of a mind landscape. And what an amazing landscape to travel through. Drop into Elizabeth's Tea-room for a construction of ideas based on Rizzoli's extraordinary legacy. There are many resonances between architecture and Elizabethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-34374922001-05-01T07:09:00.000+10:002001-05-01T08:49:12.156+10:00Hi Everyone! I'm Nicole Cody, one of Heather's Musers. The Writing Notebook is a compost heap of ideas, and I have found that my writing always works like that. Ideas, experiences, impressions, smells, textures, emotions - they all go into a certain part of my brain. One which seems dark and inactive and full of useless and unrelated bits. But this is also the place where magic happens. Nicolenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-33441172001-04-24T20:48:00.000+10:002001-04-24T20:49:58.156+10:00Hello, I'm Elizabeth Hayes: a Soul Food Cafe patron helping to keep the pages of Heather's Writing Notebook turning while she's away. Heather has always ensured that The Soul Food Cafe provides fresh creative fare on a regular basis for its readers. And she has done this with a dedication and a committment not seen often in other writing websites. By arranging the continuation of the Writing Elizabethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-33431872001-04-24T17:58:00.000+10:002001-04-24T17:59:23.123+10:00It would seem that the only thing that I can be certain of is change. Patrons at Soul Food will be aware that I am taking the trip of a lifetime and will be in the United Kingdom and Europe for six months. After battling cancer for the last nine months Darryl and I have decided to pull up stumps and experience life in the Northern Hemisphere.While I am out of Australia I will maintain contact Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-31526392001-04-11T14:33:00.000+10:002001-04-11T14:35:45.966+10:00Over the last eighteen months, since my debute in this exciting cyber world, my life has taken significant turns. In turn my writing and the fantasy world that I created to flee from the chaos is also subject to change. The word conjuncture, which speaks of that combination of events, seems to help me to explain the twists and turns that keep happening to me. The twists are a result of that Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-23824232001-02-15T21:11:00.000+11:002001-02-15T21:18:15.653+11:00Hopefully you call in regularly to see what is happening at the Soul Food Cafe. Come and experiment with some creative envisioning in my new 101 Ways to Enhance Writers' Self Concept. Use Descansos to enrich your characters and make a Plains Indian War Bonnet to cast some light on the story they have to tell. You will find extra notes about the way to use these techniques in my online journal. Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-22643392001-02-06T21:59:00.000+11:002001-02-06T22:02:25.103+11:00Recently, as I began to create a magazine with Soul, within the Soul Food Cafe, I found myself returning to Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With The Wolves for guidance and direction as I present new sections for Patrons such as Writes of Passage and Writers' Renewal. Her book remains a classic that reminds us how important it is to leave a trace in the sand and tell our story. Patrons Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-22387742001-02-04T21:44:00.000+11:002001-02-04T21:49:13.130+11:00Cathy Atherton over at One Woman's Writing Retreat has posted my review about the importance of Joseph Campbell in my writing life. Lately I have been returning to browse through some of my favourite books, the books that have guided me and helped to shape the directions and choices that I have made. Certainly within this book about Campbell I can see the traces in the sand that have influenced Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-22386972001-02-04T21:28:00.000+11:002001-02-04T21:34:52.406+11:00The Soul Food Cafe has a mind of its own and seems to have taken charge of its destiny. The cafe is a compound of connecting corridors and it is multi-leveled. There are sections that are undergoing extension and old parts that are being redecorated. There are windows looking out upon the secret garden and the old Hayloft studio. Suddenly the cafe is a hive of activity. It is full of the sound ofHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-21004922001-01-24T22:58:00.000+11:002001-01-24T22:58:39.980+11:00Descansos are the symbols that mark a death. Right there, right on that spot, someone's journey in life halted unexpectedly. Something happened there that altered that person's life and the lives of other persons forever. You can make Descansos by taking a look at your life in your visual journal and making a time-line of your life. Mark the places where your life changed, starting from infancy Heather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2051454.post-20517382001-01-21T08:20:00.000+11:002001-01-21T08:31:09.156+11:00Welcome to my new writing notebook. Beginning today is very much like facing the crisp fresh pages of a new notebook. As always I am filled with hope and optimism, infused with a sense of the possibilities and potentialities that can be realised within these pages. You will note that the onion theme has taken over my web site. I am delighted that the humble onion should be honoured here for it isHeather Blakeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569556563400820006noreply@blogger.com