Archive for the ‘Thoughts’ Tag
I finally found a daily prompt I wanted to do! That hasn’t really happened in a while…
What’s your most prized possession? GO!
I’m not really too possessive of my possessions.
It’s not that I don’t love my material goods. I definitely like having a fast computer to write on, a phone to text with, and a bed to sleep in.
But I don’t think about the specific brand, style, look, etc. of those things when I consider them.
Well, that’s not the complete truth. I do consider the pros and cons of an item when I am buying them. But I don’t attach to them on an emotional level at all. Even with a different processor, speed, and interface, my old HTC phone did all the same things that my new Samsung does. One phone is interchangeable with another to me., just like most other things.
I find I value memories more than any material thing. That is how I’ve always been. I’m the type of guy who tells my family and friends that they don’t need to buy me gifts around the holidays. I tell them that I am happy just to have their company. They say I’m full of crap, but I do sincerely feel that way.
I have a hard time even remembering the gifts that I receive, but I remember the times I spend with my loved ones fondly and clearly. I also remember the joy on their face when they open up the gifts I gave them, even though I can’t remember any of the actual gifts.
So, in the end, possessions fade, but the memories last for ever. That being said, I do have a prized possession.
She is an electric hollow-bodied guitar named Blondie. (Due both to her color and the fact that my dad loves the band.) He gave me Blondie for my 18th birthday, and I made a promise never to sell or give her away, except back to him. She is a beautiful sounding, beautiful feeling, beautiful looking guitar, and I love plugging her in and playing. (I can’t do it as often as I’d like due to noise.)
I have plenty of fond memories to go along with her too. Memories of learning Tears in Heaven and Time In a Bottle on her. Memories of writing new songs or just playing around on her. Memories of jamming with my friends and having fun with her. I have all of these wonderful memories tied to that guitar. That is why she’s my favorite possession.
Plus, I also have a thing for blondes. 🙂
-Shaman
I find I make my best work when I’m absolutely miserable.
It seems that the best way for me to break down the walls made of my writer’s blocks is with the good ol’ sledge hammer of sadness. While that can be a great boost for my creativity, it’s hard to be happy about it.
Since, by definition, I can’t be happy.
I posted earlier this week about how I’ve been suffering from writer’s block. As I look back, I realize I was suffering from it because I was happy with my life. Not completely content, not even close to it. But enough to be momentarily happy, which is a healthy step in the right direction when it comes to my mental health.
But, although very positive for my sanity, it killed my productivity and creativity. I would stare at my screen and nothing would come to mind. I’d start thinking about all the other things I could be doing, like playing games, watching Netflix, etc. It would go like that for days, and I was starting to get frustrated with it. But I was content with everything else in my life, so it wasn’t getting me too down.
But, after I posted the aforementioned lack-luster post, I started to feel bad. Sure, I hit the first half of my posting goal for the week, but in a very shoddy, half-assed way. Next, I started to feel bad about my life, my future, my work, etc. Then, bad about me in general, with all of the fun, positive, life affirming stuff one thinks about while depressed.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, my mind lights up with ideas. I felt the overwhelming urge to write down all my thoughts. I started off with writing about my sadness itself, but once the flow is started, it all just comes out. All the things I couldn’t write before, I was able to write down clearer and better than before. Because of this onslaught of inspiration, I ended up writing 3 poems and making a heavy dent on all of the posts I couldn’t finish.
Now, as I take a step back and look at what I accomplished, I feel happy about my writing. Which leaves me feeling contented. Which will make it harder to write next time, which will make me more miserable, and…
It is quite a vicious cycle, isn’t it?
I’ve only really started noticing it after I started writing this blog, but it’s been an undercurrent of my creative process my whole life. I can’t write a song about how I love my daughter while I’m enjoying my weekend with her. I have to be missing her voice after weeks of distance. I can’t write a poem about happiness or love, but I can write about no longer feeling happy or losing love. My best work comes from my misery.
So, is misery my only muse? No, but it’s probably the most effective one I have right now. Love, happiness, creativity, etc. are nice, and I love inspiration from the sources.But I don’t think anything will ever be quite as powerful, or get me going quite like my own suffering.
Plus, I can’t be the only artist who creates like this, right? Many great artists had a similar muse. I may never be as talented as Kurt Cobain, Vincent Van Gough, Sylvia Plath, or Edgar Allen Poe, but being tortured artists worked for them, and many would argue that is what made them great.
Plus, they all turned out happy and famous, right?
-Shaman
I wanted to write something more meaningful today. An actual post that I felt like writing. But i just find myself staring at the computer screen, or getting distracted doing something else.
It’s been very frustrating.
I want to keep my posting goal. I tend to give up or crap out on things to easily, even when they are good for me. Work outs, school, and all that just seem to fall before my exciting habit of not doing them.
But I don’t want blogging to be one of those things. As I wrote in an earlier post it has been extremely positive for me. I actually have confidence, and even if its small, it gives me a reason to try to be more.
Now, I have a few posts I’ve been working on, but with my harsh case of writers block it may be a bit before I get them done. I’ll keep looking at the daily prompts, weekly challenge, hits, tips, tricks, etc. Something, hopefully pull me out of it.
But, no matter what,I’m going to keep on posting. 🙂
Anyone have any tips on beating writer’s block? I could sure use them right now.
Shaman
The daily prompt have been a little lackluster lately. Fashion and junk food are fine and all, but they don’t really inspire me. So instead, I’m going to write about something I read recently.
The idea of today’s post came from one of my favorite joke/prank/puzzle/misc mischief book Scam School Book 1: Smoke by Brian Brushwood. In that book, he included an email that he got when he was a young struggling magician from Teller, of Penn & Teller, that gave him some life changing advice. After finding Teller’s email address, he wrote to him expressing his frustration at trying to develop a unique persona for his magical act. Much to his surprise, he actually got a response from Teller the next day.
The letter Teller wrote was full of really good advice, but on piece in particular is what I wanted to focus on. He said: (Paraphrasing slightly)
“Love something besides magic, in the arts. Get inspired by a particular poet, film-maker, sculptor, composer. You will never be the first ‘Brian Brushwood’ of magic if you want to be Penn & Teller. But if you want to be, say, the Salvador Dali of magic, we’ll THERE’s an opening.”
I thought is was a very good bit of advice. It’s not bad to have other writers you look up to for inspiration. But if you don’t diversify your tastes, you’ll end up sounding just like them. For example, I am a fan of Jim Butcher, and the snarky attitude he uses while writing his books influences my no fiction writing quite a bit. But when I do try to write fiction, I find I sound like him, but less interesting. Right now though, I’m mostly focusing on building my own voice.
However, when I write poetry, I draw heavily off of Justin Furstenfeld, some Neil deGrasse Tyson, with hints of Shel Silverstein.
I haven’t really found out how most of my influences affect my style, since im still new to blogging, but I imagine my interest in Einstein and other physicists, comedians like George Carlin, and magicians like Brian Brushwood. But I imagine it’s there.
Plus, you never know when I figure out the theory of general blog-itivity. 🙂 (Obviously they didn’t influence my humor.)
-Shaman
What sort of people influence you guys? Let me know in the comments below.
I thought that since I’ve been blogging for a couple of months now, and I am halfway through NaPoWriMo, I thought I’d write about how the experience has effected me.
On writing:
– I’m glad I have finally gotten into the swing of things when it comes to meeting my weekly goal. I definitely struggled with it when I first started.
– I find I write best when I’m not trying to write about something too specific. When I try and write on a subject like psychology or personality, I can’t seem to focus my thoughts and get it started. So, at least for the forseeable future, I’ll keep up my posting habit of daily prompts, weekly challenges, and random thoughts.
– Writing this blog has actually kept me going. I haven’t had the best time in my life right now, and even though I am not writing about that regularly, just the act of writing helps me channel all that negativity into something positive.
On NaPoWriMo:
– I’ve found writing poems to be a very cathartic experience. Although most of the time my poetry comes out completely angst-y, it helps keep those feelings from creeping into other facets of my life and causing havoc. Plus, it keeps be using my creativity.
– I’ve also found writing a poem a day is really hard work. I feel like I’m scrapping the bottom of my creative… thing you scrape the bottom of. I’m still going to finish of the challenge because I find it fun, but don’t be surprised if my last few poems are dirty limericks and haikus about writer’s block.
– This has renewed my love of poetry and I’ve decided that, in addition to my 2 posts a week I am currently doing, I will also be posting at least 1 poem a week. I will also go back through all the poems I wrote for this challenge and give them the revisions that they deserve.
Finally, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who follows me, who likes my posts, and who view my blog. I know it seems like a small thing to do. But that half a second you took to click a button on your screen gave me the motivation I needed to keep writing. Just knowing that someone out there enjoyed my writing for even a second, makes it all worth it. I hope you all continue to read my blog; I’ll try to keep it entertaining.
-Shaman 🙂
Shame on The Universe 