One of the biggest myths in creativity is writer’s block. There, I said it. I have never believed in some mysterious external force preventing someone from creating art of any kind. I don’t believe in any mysterious external force, especially one that causes or stops actions. But I do believe in the forces of nature. …
writing
Writing the Heart
I write a lot. My habit is to write something, anything, every day. Sometimes it’s good, I have day when I even like what I have written. Mostly I look back at my writing and think of things I should have or could have done differently. Sometimes writing is a duty, and I’m just finishing …
Getting Organized
When most people think about organization, they think of the kind that requires tossing old gnarly-looking underwear or scraping dust bunnies and cat hair out from under the couch. And that kind of organization is important (even if you think those tighty whities still have plenty of wear in them). Getting organized actually creates more …
The Comfort Zone
“The walls of your comfort zone are lovingly decorated with your lifelong collection of favorite excuses.” -Jen Sincero, from You Are A Badass At Making Money Ahh, my comfort zone. It’s comfortable to lounge on the couch or bed with my cat at my side and my beverage of choice at hand and read. …
Embracing Discomfort
Sometimes a creative life means existing in a state of discomfort. Discomfort comes from those times of learning something new, or persisting when a project has become difficult/boring/otherwise annoying, and, in my case, taking the painful but necessary step of no longer drinking coffee. Pressure to be productive also causes discomfort. I’ve made certain photos …
Almost Here: NaNoWriMo 2016
November 2016 is my fourth year participating in National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as NaNoWriMo. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. I completed 2013 and 2014 NaNoWriMos successfully, but last year’s attempt was abruptly ended on November 7. Before my …
Blogging My Way
Naming my website Salmon Apple Pie should tell everyone that this entire project is supposed to be fun. I don’t know a blogger who wouldn’t want to make some money from blogging, but I don’t see the point of doing a whole bunch of stuff that I detest just for the sake of monetizing my …
Working At Art
Making art can be a challenge. Tonight it would have been easy to stay comfortably seated at my kitchen table and eating my dinner. Making art meant having to get up, grab my cameras, put on shoes and a jacket and drive around town to the best place to see the sunset. Dinner will wait. …
When Other People Kill Your Creativity
Recently, I was working on what I’m sure would have been a great blog post when I received a snotty text message from a friend on an unrelated topic. Stupidly, I stopped typing to pick up the phone and read the message. It took me ten minutes to stop being pissed off and start typing …
What Do I Mean When I Say “Create”?
I’m always urging someone to create something. Most people think I mean they should write, and in a few cases, that’s true. I know people who give great advice, and, in my opinion, should definitely be blogging and helping others. I also know people who love to take photos but don’t take very many because …