Storyteller's Journey

Music as a Muse

While I've mentioned on Writ of Whimsy numerous times, nature is my main muse. However, music is a close second. Whether it's listening to classical music streaming on my Bose speaker or enjoying tunes on my headphones, music always gets me in the mood to write. I especially like listening to movie scores inspired by fantasy novels or historical fiction. As I continue penning the second novel in The Time Travel Tales of Livvi Biddle (set partially in France) I've been enjoying the music of Edith Piaf: La Vie en Rose.

Storyteller's Journey

A Literary Life

I recently returned from a lengthy trip to Arizona. It was great to catch some sunshine after what seemed like the longest winter of my life. It had been over a year since I'd seen my family.

Whenever I travel, I always bring my computer with the hope of writing at least a few pages on my current work in progress. Well, I only managed to write a few hundred words!

However, it was all good. The main goal for my visit was to catch up with my elderly mother. It was a trip I'll always cherish. It had been years since I spent such great one-on-one time with her.

It's always a balancing act in a literary life: time spent writing; time spent socializing, etc. When it comes to family, however, I usually choose the side of time spent with family - especially when many of my relatives live so far away. I'll never regret spending time with my loved ones, over meeting my writing goals. I had the best Mother's Day ever!

Storyteller's Journey

Public Domain Image 

Creative Growth

For many, if not most, following your creative passion comes from a deep desire to express your soul. If, and when, you choose to put that creativity out into the world, it becomes not only an expression of art, but a commodity.

What I've found is that soon after the launch of your work, there is the immediate need to market your work. That is where the problem arises for many creatives. We love creating; we hate marketing!

I've spoken to numerous writers and artists about this very subject. A few creatives do quite well, promoting their work, but most do not. 

How can a creative grow to a place where they can confidently promote their work? That is what I'm asking myself right now!

My husband (a plein air artist) is also struggling with this challenge. We're both introverts and we've recently had a few in-depth discussions about this very question. Our conclusion has been that it won't be comfortable. It will require some discomfort in our soul. We will need to put ourselves out there in a way that we've not yet done before. It's not that we're expecting to make a payday on our work, but on the other hand, we do want people to know we're creating our art.

Like the butterfly struggling to be released from the chrysalis, some effort is required to realize your full potential. Wish me luck!