Fear, Doubt, & Insecurity - #106

 Zen Camera, created by David Ulrich, is a beautiful book that has languished on my book shelf far too long.  Opening it at random, I find a list of Experiential Stages of the Creative Process. 

Stage one: Discovery and Encounter. Wassily Kandinsky* says an important motivation for creative work is:  "Inner necessity."

Ulrich says something similar in different words: "In this stage you encounter the need to just do it, just begin in spite of fear, doubt, and insecurity."

It's difficult to explain, even to myself, the inner necessity I feel to create a memoir describing my experience in Freudian psychoanalysis. I have fear of feeling exposed, doubt I can write, and insecurity wondering how people will judge me when they read it.

But I have to do it. It is an inner necessity. Have you ever encountered a creative project you felt destined to complete? How did you cope with fear, doubt and insecurity? Let me know if you have any tips!

Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

CLUE: Make a big pot of soup. Eat some and freeze the rest.  When the snow arrives and you don't feel like cooking, thaw it out and send me an email of thanks.  

*Kandinsky is a Russian painter mentioned by Ulrich.

Image is of Guardian. I wish I knew how to capture the brilliant yellow leaves in all their glory.

Do You Care About Singular They? -#105

"In the building of artificial structures, the engineer has a prime concern: the character of the materials available for their use."

You will probably deduce upon hearing that this sentence is from Mabel Todd (The Thinking Body author we met in August's posts) we will be talking about the importance of knowing what is inside our body. But believe it or not, that is not our focus  today.

When you read her sentence, did it flow? I thought so. But if we carefully look at the sentence and see the singular word engineer is paired with the plural word their, isn't that is an error? Aren't nouns and verbs supposed to match?

The singular "they" or "their" or "them" is the result of language changes. In order to get away from "he" as meaning everyone, this change has happened. 

Can you tell that I'm reading books about writing?* I'd love if you see examples of this new phenomenon that you let me know! Mabel will preach posture; I will be grandma grammarian. 

Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

IMAGE: This is a singular glove. Remember to make sure you have both of your gloves as where I live, it is getting time for them. In fact, I've already worn my pair once.

*Ensouling Language:On the Art of Nonfiction and the Writer's Life by Stephen Harrod Buhner is an amazing book that I've read slowly over several years.

Absolutely ROAR-some! - #104

This precious personalized birthday card from Wendell set the tone for my birthday.  On the three additional panels that you can't see are  alligators and monkeys and bright colors and these words: "Hope it's a s-s-s-s-super wild time! Hang out! Eat Treats! Have fun! Make your big day ABSOLUTELY ROAR-some!" After reading this, I feel young and ready to celebrate.

It is pouring down rain and really dark. I muse that I can't remember it ever raining on my birthday before. Wonder if that's true? 

Meditation seems longer than usual when the tantalizing smells of sausage and eggs begin to tickle my olfactory receptors.   

Through out the day it is lovely to talk to or text with my three sons, a daughter-in-law, my sister, my granddaughter, my sister-in-law, and my aunt. Isn't it interesting all the ways we are connected to people?  As I arrange the snail-mail cards that had arrived earlier in the week on the mantle, I marvel at the kindness of others.

I feel so glad to be alive. I can't help but remember that my mother died at the age of 75. That seems terribly young now. I want to live  many more years. There are more mysteries to explore.

Ready to push the publish button on this post, my youngest sister's texts, sent late last night, pop in to remind me that our Mother died on my birthday twenty-two years ago. I'm amazed this year I didn't think about the strangeness of having mom die on the day she gave birth to me seventy-five years earlier. 

Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

CLUE: Pretend it is your birthday - do at least one kind thing for yourself this weekend.

If You Are Not Ready - #103

I neglected to mention that I would not be posting for two Fridays  but I'm sure you figured it out when I didn't show up last Saturday morning. I'm back from a wonderful time at the best wedding and dance I have ever attended.

A few bits of wisdom I'm trying to take in from The Aware Athlete by Scott Forrester:

"Be ready to respond to each situation appropriately and you will survive, thrive, and prosper."

Reading this initially, I thought to myself, but what happens if I'm not ready?  Scott anticipated my question: 

"Respond in a less organized manner, and you will not recognize all the possibilities available to you."

I like this answer because we know it is impossible to respond to each situation we encounter appropriately (unless you know that no response can be appropriate). It is helpful to remember that disaster won't happen if you are not ready, you just might miss something.

I'm thinking about how to publish my memoir and I'm reading that for 98% of authors, self publishing makes sense. I'm still investigating my options. If you have any ideas, please let me know because I want my memoir describing my experience in Freudian psychoanalysis to survive, thrive, and prosper!

What situations are you facing?  

Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

CLUE: Eat butternut squash! 

Image: A recent picture of the Gerbera Daisies I have enjoyed this year on my back deck.