Reflections on Beauty by Susan Barclay

  

She walks in beauty. [Pic from Pixabay]

Reflections on Beauty

Helen Keller

Blind, deaf, mute

Intelligent and inspiring

Reminds us that

The best and most beautiful things in the world

cannot be seen or even touched—

they must be felt with the heart.

Vincent Van Gogh

Depressed, intense, tormented

Masterful and expressive

Reminds us that

Great things are done

by a series of small things

brought together—

each one quiet, but necessary.

Lord Byron

Clubfooted, moody, and pale

Sensual and enduring

Reminds us that

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is rapture on the lonely shore…

and meaning in wandering without certainty.

There is beauty in words, images, ideas

shaped by our minds

into something whole—

a body of work

made from fragments of thought.

There is beauty in living, laughter, and love,

in creativity, nature, and God,

beauty in sacrifice

and in healing,

even when neither is easy.

And so beauty is not distant,

not rare or reserved—

it is present

in everything we become

when we choose to notice it.

c. Susan Barclay, June 2026

_______________________

 

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

Longing for Beauty by Lorrie Orr

 

June 2026: Writing as beauty. In his book Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, John O'Donahue writes "to participate in beauty is to come into the presence of the Holy." What does creating beauty mean to you and your writing? How have you sensed God's Holy Spirit filling you as he did Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 35:30-35?

Beauty is God's invitation to delight in him.

Wonder and awe whisper to us that there is

something beyond, something more.

Steve DeWitt, (Eyes Wide Open)

It's Sunday evening, May 31. Sunlight streams through the window onto the vase of peonies on the dining room table. How beautiful it is. I fill my eyes with the extravagantly ruffled pink and white blossoms while my mind ponders the question of beauty, and the fast-approaching deadline for this post. I had thought this would be an easy post to write, but instead, I've found the topic so vast that it's hard to pull something coherent together.

I have always been appreciative of beautiful things in the world, but it is only in the past few years that I've come to realize that embracing beauty is a personal core value - something that is important to me and that acts as a guiding principle in my life.

When I attended a concert in La Sainte Chapelle in Paris years ago, I marveled at the exquisite beauty of the chapel expressed through architecture, glass, stone, and paint. The music that soared upwards to the curving arches and filled every nook and cranny of the space was equally beautiful. Creative expression is a reminder to me of one way that humans are created in the image of God.

 

The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located

will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came

through them, and what came through them was longing...

For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower

we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard,

news from a country we have not yet visited.

C. S. Lewis (The Weight of Glory)

This ache of beauty, this longing I feel, reminds me that I am a spiritual being with a desire for something beyond myself, for that which is greater, for God himself. The Psalmist longs to "gaze upon the beauty of the Lord" throughout his life. The beauty of this world is a reflection of ultimate beauty, of God himself. More than an aesthetic quality, beauty has the most impact on me when I recognize God's presence in the things I experience.

In L. M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle, Barney says "There are so many kinds of loveliness." Beauty comes in myriad forms and I am glad that the Apostle Paul encourages us to think about lovely things. Beauty is multi-sensory, not just the things we see or hear. Human interactions such as watching a mother with her young baby, or cars pulling to the side of the road to let an ambulance by, or a conversation with a grandchild - all of these things, and so much more, are experiences of beauty.

Beauty does not erase the brokenness of this world, but something in me was created to absorb beauty and to recognize its divine source. As a writer, I long for my words to point to the beautiful grace and goodness of God. The goal of beautiful writing is to make the reader feel some emotion. Even when my writing is not explicitly spiritual, when someone reads my words and discovers a longing they cannot perhaps explain, that is beauty.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island.

Her first book, Life is Short but Wide, a memoir of 21 years

in Ecuador, was recently published.

More of her writing can be found at 

Substack

her slice of life blog

Fill 'er Up by Bob Jones

This month’s writing prompt asked how I fill my creative container.

That’s an interesting query.

In a recent online discussion with a group of religious leaders, the facilitator asked us to list the reasons why we do what we do. And then to share why what we do may encounter resistance.

My writing at REVwords is inspired by people and the challenges they face. They overflow my container.

These are some of the reasons and resistance that make up my writing world.

Reasons
•  Be an advocate for others.
•  Defend others who need a friend to stand with them.
•  Be a voice of those who don’t have a platform but have a story.
•  Broaden the perspectives of those willing to stretch.
•  Raise up issues to higher importance than is often attributed to them.

Resistance
•  My content offends some readers, so they break connection.
•  Deficiency of clarity in my writing leads to misunderstanding.
•  Defensive reactions to dissenting views and critique.

During that discussion, we were challenged to think about how we could get a broader hearing on divisive issues. How could I communicate what is meaningful in a way that would draw a more diverse audience and inspire less resistance and more conversation?

Exploring that kind of thinking is going to fill my creative container. I posted my first attempt at that in the post, C-9, 18, and 5:14 (Galatians). Let me know how I did.

The prompt also asked what strengthens my craft, the writing resources I use, and my go to publications, quotes, podcasts, and other resources.

Lately, I’ve been influenced by the people I follow on Substack and podcasts. Each one of them writes with creativity and passion. They’re not tentative in taking on big issues and speaking truth to power.

Bishop Mariann Budde – Reflections on Courage, Faith and the Work of Love

Brian Zhand

Bob Rae

Beth Allison Barr – Marginalia

Anne Applebaum – Open Letters

NiJay K. Gupta – Engaging Scripture

Anne Lamott – Hallelujah Anyway

Patti Miller – Isn’t That The Craziest Thing

Kristin Du Mez – Du Mez Connections

Anne Lamott shared a story a few weeks ago in her Substack. She told it for people doing important work. People like Inscribe writers.

“The writer Mark Yaconelli told me years ago of holding a retreat one weekend where a hundred people from all over the world came to hear his teachings on how to work with disenfranchised and severely depressed young people. He spoke to the gathering for a few hours about tools that he used to create community and connection with young people suffering loss and isolation. At some point, he handed out a Mexican beach blanket to each person, and asked them to lie down and rest.

A physician who worked with young AIDS patients had flown in from South Africa the week before, and she came up to him, furious. She said that she had flown 10,000 miles at enormous expense to learn his techniques and did not want to be told to take a nap like a kindergartner. Mark nodded sympathetically and asked her to do the best she could.

When the hour was over, the woman came back to him, weeping. She had fallen asleep. She said that she had not understood how exhausted she was.”

Happy Easter. He is risen so you can lay down.

Thank you for reading and commenting. I always look forward to your engagement. It’s the best part of writing.

D is for Drafts by Bob Jones

      Photo by Nick Fewings Unsplash

When you write a first draft, you write it for yourself. When you rewrite it, you write it for everyone else. Stephen King

 

“It's easier to look at something bad then intuit how to make it better, than to make something good out of thin air. The human brain isn't wired for spontaneous ingenuity.” Julian Shapiro

 

 

The thrill of writing is that something that didn’t exist will be produced because of you. The beauty created starts with an ugly, first, rough draft.

 

Are you a visual processor? I am. I need to have the words and phrases in front of me to imagine how they fit together. Seeing them helps me determine which ones are keepers and which ones are throwaways. And which ones look like perfect matches.

 

The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step and a first draft is a responsible step towards completing a writing journey.

 

1. The drafting process shouldn’t take long.

The idea is to put down and organize your ideas from start to finish. Good ideas. Garbage ideas. Write freely.

 

2. Write in order to think.

A first draft is a sacred space for generating ideas. Because it's while writing that you discover your best insights. You write in order to give yourself permission to think.

 

When you write a draft you splash your ideas on a blank canvass. Squeeze every last thought from your brain. My drafts don’t always turn out exactly as I imagined them in my head. But once the words are put to paper, I get a vague idea of what I’m looking for in my final piece.

3. Draft with a deadline.

The drafting process needs time. A first draft implies a second. And probably a third or fourth. Give yourself more than a day to complete the process. Just like yeast causes dough to rise, letting your words sit will allow their potential to rise.

 

To finish well you can’t wait till the last minute to start. Set a draft deadline at least 24 hours before you need the finished product.

 

If you need inspiration for this practise, Wendy MacDonald shared good insights about deadlines and Gloria Guest wrote about crunch time.

 

4. Embrace the badness.

Mozart had 600 musical compositions. Edison had 1093 patents. Only a few are remembered today. That's the point.

 

Edit AFTER you draft. When you’re writing a draft, perfectionism is not your friend.

 

Letting go of perfectionism is one of the most important things a writer can do at the start of any project. Keep in mind, a draft is nothing more than your initial ideas and emotions. Perfect spelling and sentence structure aren’t necessary in a draft. Don’t worry about being repetitive or boring.

 

Nobody but you will ever see your draft or judge it. Don’t even think of showing it to anyone.

 

If you try to perfect your work at this stage, you shut the creative side of your brain down and dam the flow of ideas. Ready. Fire. Aim.

 

5. Good enough.

Good enough is good enough for a draft. Everything can be fine-tuned later. So, as you write, remind yourself, “This is good enough.” Keep going. Get your thoughts down. That’s success.

 

6. Choose challenge over competence.

Do you feel like you know nothing when you begin a challenging writing project? You take a risk and tackle a subject you’re not familiar with. Looking at the first draft is humbling. But that’s OK. As Eleanor Roosevelt said,

 

You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.

 

This post is typical of everything I write. My first draft looks very little like what you just read. The ideas splashed in the Word document were about the pain that arises when you sit too long in a drafty room. The writing process can be a pain in the neck if you sit too long editing as you write.

 

How about you? Is D for Drafts in your world?

 

Bob Jones writes to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose. You can follow his writing at REVwords.com
 

 

 

 

Let's Talk Books (Rooms of Their Own) by Brenda Leyland

 

 

TITLE: Rooms of Their Own, Where Great Writers Write
AUTHOR: Alex Johnson
ILLUSTRATOR: James Oses
PUBLISHER: Frances Lincoln, London (UK), 2022
HARDCOVER: 192 pages, $29.99CAN Amazon.ca
KINDLE: $17.32CAN Amazon.ca
SUBJECT: author biography, creativity, work spaces

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

"Any spot is good for daydreaming so long as

it is in an obscure corner and the horizon is vast."

Victor Hugo

I was immediately drawn to that enchanting illustration on the front cover of Rooms of Their Own, Where Great Writers Write. I wanted to be there—sitting at that desk with its familiar old typewriter in front of that lovely window.* With the click of a button, the book was added to my shopping cart.

In his collection of fifty well-known authors, Alex Johnson focuses on the writing spaces where these famous people worked. He researched details that pique our curiosity of the writers behind the books, transporting us 'to the heart of their writing rooms'. Bios at the backs of novels are usually so brief, there is no way to get a feel of the person who wrote them. Alex Johnson, with well chosen particulars, fills in the blanks for us.

I love these kinds of books. They give me a sense of connection to the individuals who wrote the works that inspire me. I love to envision what they place around themselves, what items spur them on, what they do to keep creativity flowing. Sometimes I'm inspired to try something in my own writing space. Maybe like doing what Michel de Montaigne did: writing his motivational quotes directly on the walls, well, he actually had his quotes on the ceiling above his head.

Margaret Atwood writes her novels wherever she happens to be - in a plane, at a café, lying on her bed. Maya Angelou often booked into a quiet hotel to write. D.H. Lawrence considered the outdoors amongst the trees his writing room. And E.B. White spun out his tales from his writing shed on Allen Cove, Maine, sharing his sea-facing spartan room with a mouse and a squirrel. So many others I wish I had time to tell you about, include authors like: Isabel Allende, W.H. Auden, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Hilary Mantel, Dylan Thomas, William Wordsworth, to name a few.

The engaging essays in this book are paired with some wonderful sketches done by illustrator James Oses. With his pencils and paints he gives us charming glimpses of the rooms and spaces where the authors worked. Below is one picture that caught my eye; I actually got to visit this writing room several years ago.  

 

 Vita Sackville-West's writing room 

My husband and I, during our trip to England, visited Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens where well known gardener and author Vita Sackville-West once lived. Her gardens were breathtaking, but the place that most intrigued me was her writing room in the tower overlooking the gardens. She'd climb the narrow stairwell to this room where she created a wonderful place in which to write her novels and garden books. Something about standing in that space made me feel alive, a little in awe, certainly inspired—as I saw her books on the shelf, her chosen pictures on the wall, and how her things were arranged for her comfort and use.

If I had a bucket list, it would include visits to other famous or not so famous work studios of creators I admire, people like Charlotte Brontë, Emily Dickinson, Beatrix Potter, and Mark Twain. And, yes, their writing rooms are included in this collection. In the meantime, I am savouring this book. And I happily recommend Rooms of Their Own to you. 

Alex Johnson, author of several other books, is also a journalist and blogger. He is married with three children and lives in Herfordshire, UK. You can read more about him HERE.

James Oses is a London based illustrator 'specialising in drawing and painting from life'. You can learn more about him HERE.

*Note: The illustration on the front cover (top) is Sylvia Plath's writing room at Court Green in North Tawton, Devon.

Inspired by the beauty of God's world around her, Brenda Leyland writes from her home in northerly Alberta, Canada. She loves writing on her blog It's A Beautiful Life and occasionally posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Stalled by Steph Beth Nickel

 

This month's theme is Stalled in the Middle.

As writers, we can all relate in one way or another.

So, what should we do when we've stalled in the middle of a creative project?

First, we should examine our situation (and ourselves) and see what led to our lack of forward momentum.

Did we start the project with an abundance of energy and ideas but soon find ourselves sputtering and coughing and coming to a grinding halt?

Did our life change dramatically, leaving our physical and emotional resources significantly depleted?

Did we simply become bored and move onto something else?

Did we let procrastination win the day so long we're having a hard time getting back to the project?

Do we feel God has led us to set the project aside--at least for the time being?

Let's address these issues one at a time.

Did God call you to set the project aside? Maybe, but be certain this conclusion isn't simply "wishful thinking" or "fatalistic resignation." Here are three things we can do to determine if we should persevere or set aside the project in question: pray, consider why we began the project in the first place, and seek wise counsel.

I often say I put the PRO in procrastination. While there are, of course, times we need to take a break, we may want to ask ourselves a question to see if we're actually procrastinating or recharging. Do I come away from my downtime energized or further drained and unmotivated?

Boredom, it causes all kinds of problems, especially if there isn't external pressure to complete the project at hand. And when that project is a creative one, it's especially hard to push past boredom and persevere. If you need to mix things up a little, why not try writing in a new location or making a list of all the things that excited you about the project when you first got the idea?

All creatives experience dramatic changes in their circumstances from time to time--and this has been especially true over the last couple of years. We may be too physically or emotionally exhausted to even think about sitting down to write--especially a project that seems lifeless and immovable. Again, prayer, an examination of why we began the project, and wise counsel can help. (Note: sometimes, we need professional help, and there is not shame in that.)

And finally, we may simply have run out of steam. There are those who refer to three different types of energy: starting energy, finishing energy, and what may be the most difficult to come by, the energy to persevere when we feel stalled in the middle.

Ask yourself what motivates you to write and what "jumper cables" get your creativity running on all cylinders.

Do you like to...

Take a walk.

Listen to music.

Spend time with fellow creatives. (Even if you can't do so in person, you can connect online or over the phone.)

Listen to skills-related podcasts.

Read a good book.

Fill up your creative well, get back behind the wheel, and see where the road takes you.

PROCRASTIWORKING by Joylene M Bailey

 

~~~~~

I learned a new word on the weekend. 

Procrastiworking.

I'm sure you've guessed what it means: avoiding the work you need to complete by doing other work instead.

I'm guilty of it. Sitting at my computer, blank page glaring, or feeling stuck in the muck of a problematic passage, I suddenly have the urge to get a drink of water. On the way to the kitchen I remember that I meant to cull through my closet last month. Now's as good a time as any. When half my closet has been dumped on the bed I come across an ancient flip phone. Could I still get cash for this thing, I wonder? Before you can say DON'T DO IT, I'm searching the internet for flip-phone forums. Which, of course, leads to spiralling into the void of YouTube videos on our late Queen's surviving Corgis.

Is any of this helpful for my work in progress?

~~~~~

~~~~~

The one-day writing summit I attended on the weekend highlighted procrastiworking. Only, they described it differently. They suggested that instead of pulling your hair out as you force the right words from your brain through your fingers onto the page, do something else.

Do anything else rather than striving on a [work in progress]. You free your mind to make connections not otherwise made. 

-- Terry & Eric Fan --

writers and illustrators

Hmmm ... I'm still trying to get my head around doing anything else as being helpful. Maybe?

I was definitely on board later in the day, when someone suggested that doing something else creative helped to open up new creative pathways in the brain so that when you go back to the page, creativity for the original project is refreshed, and you can come to the problem in a new way. 

For me, that creative outlet is sewing, specifically quilting. My mood shifts to calm and joy as soon as I lay my eyes on the fabric I'm about to use. And, at whatever stage I'm at in the quilting process, whether choosing the fabric colours & patterns to match or contrast, cutting out or assembling the pieces, machine-stitching or hand-sewing, my mind is busy working out puzzles. Puzzles in the quilt itself, puzzles in my life and in my work. So that when I go back to the work on the page, often the tweaks I need to refine and perfect the problematic passage are right there at the front of my mind.    

It might seem like procrastinating but in actuality it's still working on the WIP.

~~~~~

I like this positive spin on the term procrastiworking. Not only does it take away the burdensome guilt of doing something other than writing, it excites and fulfills me to know that while my hands might be doing something else, my brain can still be working on my writing project. I'm not wasting time. Maybe not even when I'm searching out the names of the late Queen's two living Corgis.

Incidentally, Muick and Sandy are well and happy, and living in the home of Prince Andrew, Sarah Duchess of York, and five Norfolk Terriers.  

~~~~~

All photos above courtesy of Pixabay.com

Joy doesn't have any Corgis, but she does have a Swiss Mountain Puppy, and a Cowboy who loves them both. She writes and procrastiworks from north of Pigeon Lake, Alberta. Find more of her Joy-infused view on the world at Scraps of Joy.

   

Creative Ritual by Carol Harrison

My first thought on reading this month's prompt was, "Daily creative ritual, you mean I should have one?"

I've read and heard about carving out a dedicated time to write many times. Mark it on your schedule. Treat your writing like a business. Make appointments for writing, editing, other creativity and treat them as important. Yet I never seem to actually try doing something like that. 

However, there are things that work better for me than others do. 

Writing in the morning feels like the most productive time of day for me to write. However, I realize I need to be ready to jot down ideas whenever they show up so I don't lose them. 

Other creative endeavors, such as scrapbooking, card making, or making junk journals I leave until later afternoon or more often in the early evening. Weekends provide more time to play with paper. These creative endeavors allow a space to journal family stories as well as allow the imagination to take flight. 

Reading for pleasure occupies moments of time or provides a longer escape when I'm tired or lack focus to continue on writing projects, editing, or even continuing with other creative play. 

Do these loosely held time frames constitute daily creative rituals? Not really but they seem to be the way that works best for me. There are a few things I continue to do but they don't fit into what I consider the creative ritual heading. Yet I find them necessary in my writing process. 

The wall in front of my desk space and my desk itself may seem cluttered to some, but to me it provides inspiration. The pictures are done by family and friends and are a reminder of the creativity of others I know. The bits and pieces adorning my work space include things that I like, are gifts, or reminders to believe and pray. 

I like notebooks and journals and the store aisles containing them are dangerous to wander along if I don't want to add to my stash. Yet I like jotting ideas into notebooks. It is a step up from when I would simply grab any piece of paper and write them down, often losing the paper in the clutter on the desk. Yet my notebooks, although they corral the ideas, don't have a system for easy retrieval. Sometimes what I write becomes a reference for a book or story. Other times I simply journal events, thoughts, and feelings as a way to process everyday life. But even journaling is not a daily event. 

Taking the time for other creative endeavors such as playing with paper and especially

making junk journals helps break mental writing blocks and overcome frustration. Of course reading also helps give me a break from obligations, deadlines, or those frustrating parts of life. I've never needed much of a reason to curl up with a good book and get lost in the story someone else has worked hard to bring to life. 

Continuing to learn is another key element of my writing process. I have so much still to learn and others who are further along in their journey share important facts and ideas through posts or books they've written on the craft of writing. Attending workshops, conference, being part of a writing group, and sharing ideas with others helps spur the creativity and improve my writing. 

I can't say I have a daily creative ritual but I have found ways that make the creativity and writing journey work better for me - at least most of the time. It may change over time as I learn and grow but I doubt it will be time I schedule on my calendar. I just know that I need to be obedient in stewarding well the gifts and abilities God has given me no matter how that looks on any given day. 

 

Carol Harrison lives and writes from her home in Saskatoon, SK. Writing and playing with paper go hand in hand as she allows creativity to bloom in her life.

Seasons of Rest by Lorilee Guenter

 

Parched, like a drought stricken land, the ideas sit half formed. They wait for a gentle rain to grow and burst into bloom. This summer my yard has been parched. I've tried to keep some of it watered using an often empty rain barrel and a garden hose. It is not the same as a gentle rain for creating summer abundance. So too the landscape of my mind has felt dry. I've tried to keep pieces of creativity alive, watering them with walks in God's creation, praise music and more. It is not the same as a season of creative abundance.

I recently realised there is a pattern, a rhythm, to my creative year, just as there is a rhythm to the seasons. In nature, winter is a season of dormancy, a season of rest. The perennials rest under sheets of leaves and blankets of snow. They are not dead. They await their next season of growth. Summer is my season of creative dormancy. The abundant colour, sights and sounds of the garden pull me outside. Trails entice us to take a hike. They refresh. Like a houseplant flowering in January, there are glimpses of the season to come. 

Many times I have tried to force the season of abundant creativity to continue, just as I tried this year to overcome the drought. It does not work. Rest and renewal are necessary pieces of life. Without them we struggle and wither. But God does not leave us there. He walks with us, caring for us, as He tends to our needs as the Master Gardener, the Loving Father.

As summer gives way to fall, I notice the ideas start to sprout. The time of rest starts to give way to the time of growth. Maybe next time I won't resist the rest quite so much. Instead I will attempt to savour the January blossom as a reminder of what is to come.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Lorilee Guenter is a writer and artist who enjoys gardening and hiking. Sometimes she can be stubborn and miss the gift that is in front of her by trying to do things her own way.

Invest In Rest by Bob Jones

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

 

I hope those words mean as much to you today as they do to me. When I feel like quitting it’s often because I’m tired. Tired of looking at a blank screen. Tired of writing. Tired of struggling to be creative. Tired of the incessant demand of writing deadlines. Mentally tired. Just, plain tired. 

 

Over the years I learned that it takes discipline and trust to rest. Trust that the writing groove will be found again. Discipline to force myself away from an unfinished project, close my laptop, or journal, and give myself permission to stop writing.

 

Resting is my solution to quitting.

 

Don't Quit

 

Poet Edgar A. Guest wrote the inspirational “Don’t Quit” one hundred years ago. In all, he published over 11,000 poems. Guest concludes his poem with the words,

You can never tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

 

I wonder if he wrote “Don’t Quit:” out of his personal experience?  The poem is a gentle reminder to us all that even the most trying of times will end, and there are sunnier skies ahead.

 

Inscribers have felt the urge to quit.

 

In November 2020, Lynn Dove wrote, “I have never felt more like quitting than today! I look at the blank screen on my computer and experience an overwhelming urge to… declare my writing career done.” 

 

If it feels uncomfortable taking a rest its because there is so much around compelling us not to rest. Rest is a luxury; rest is a priority. How do you deal with this tension?

 

As Jesus followers we’re familiar with the “Sabbath rest.” Writer, Carol Tice, credits her creativity to the Sabbath rest. “What happens when you rest — truly rest — is nothing short of amazing and miraculous.

I know this because every week, I take a full day completely off of work.

I don't check email. I turn of all electronic devices. And I don't write a single thing.

It's wonderful.

I don't even think about working. (This part is important). Just total downtime.

And it's how I'm able to maintain a busy schedule of writing without losing my mind.”

 

Note to self:  Try this at least once before you retire.

 

Routine Commandments

Author Henry Miller created a work schedule that listed “commandments” for him to follow as part of his daily routine. Miller doesn't use the word “rest” but the value is woven through his list.

 

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.

2. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

3. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!

4. Keep human! See people, go places.

5. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.

6. Discard the Program when you feel like it—but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.

7. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.

8. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

 

Invest in rest. You won't regret it. 

 

I write to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose.

Please follow my writing at REVwords.com

I would love to hear from you.

Required Flexibility by Lorilee Guenter

 

Our first major trip as a couple involved flying to Florida for a work gathering. We looked forward to meeting co-workers and exploring a new location. Plans started changing as soon as we arrived at the airport. Our flight was delayed long enough we would miss our connecting flight. The airline gave us two options. We took the option that would get us part way to our destination. It included an overnight layover before the last leg of our journey. The difficulties continued including getting lost finding our hotel and a full day delay coming home because of mechanical problems with the aircraft. Flexibility and adaptability became necessary. I won't paper over the frustration we felt, however even in the middle of being lost we found things to smile about. We found some hidden gems that our guide book did not list.  Since that trip we have become lost in many other locations, even with maps and GPS to guide us. This happens so many times we now expect to get lost at least once per trip to anywhere we have not yet been. The frustration has mostly subsided when this happens. Each time we look for the what we would otherwise have missed. Flexibility is required.

Many times in my art and writing the plans start changing as soon as I pick up a pencil (or paintbrush). I have the choice to give in to the frustration that bubbles up or embrace the change and see where it leads. I still struggle to embrace the change when I have a clear picture of where I think I want to go. With time, I am learning writing detour like travel hold treasure I would miss if I stubbornly clung to my plans. Flexibility and adaptability become necessary.

Some benefits found in writing detours are curiosities discovered while researching. I am in the middle of editing my first novel. I needed to verify some terminology but also stumbled on some unusual clauses people have included in their wills. For the curious this side trip is one of those gems. It has become part of my ideas file that I can pull from as needed. Even the act of writing the novel involved adaptation as I moved from the mindset of not being a writer to writing essays to trying something new and different. Flexibility was required.

Each piece of writing takes me on a journey through my interests and experiences. Writing helps me make connections. The need to slow down and observe the new and unexpected territory allows me to find treasure I would otherwise overlook. Now I look forward to the journey and even take some "wrong" turns on purpose so I can see where they lead me. One day I will be able to leave the frustration behind as I start looking for those gems right away.

I know the Master Map Maker and True Navigator. His word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). When I remember this fact there is no lost. There is only here and now and the lessons of this moment. Therefore I look forward to what the journey brings including the unexpected.  Flexibility is required.

May your journey be filled with the expected and unexpected treasure that comes from following God's leading.

Write Plan B First

Teddy Bear Discoveries by Lynn J Simpson

Meet Teddy One.

Teddy was a gift to my teenage daughter. That daughter is now thirty-years-old, and today Teddy is dressed, videoed, and dragged to every sleep-over by her young daughter. 

Now meet Teddy Two.

Teddy Two is a perfect teddy. Perfect brown eyes, round white belly, and soft to the touch. 

Teddy One is bug-eyed, prickly, and skinny. Often his narrow neck is ringed with plastic bracelets and a skirt hides his short legs. Sometimes he is wrapped in baby face-cloths and a pink blanket. 

When you look at the two Teddy’s which Teddy peaks your curiosity, maybe to the point that you are hovering over the magnifying tool on your keyboard ? Is it perfect Teddy Two or wildly different Teddy One? 

I don’t want to make an assumption but….I’d bet on Teddy One ‘cause he’s just so…interesting! Interesting in his imperfections.

Maybe it is just that perfect Teddy Two is not dressed up that makes one be more curious about Teddy One? 

Nah. Even dressed up, Teddy Two is cute yet his perfection still shines through like a shined up coffee table. Nice, pleasing to the eye, but your eyes would not linger long. 

Non-traditional teddy bear, Teddy One, with his crooked smile and bald spots captured my granddaughter's attention breaking the assumptions of what I saw as loveable teddy bear traits. Digging deeper, I realized assumptions can hinder creativity, blocking new ideas and new ways to see our everyday lives. Our experiences can become a collection of stereotypes instead of new discoveries driven from curiosity and open observation. Conforming to standardization, we may even become biased in the way creativity should be expressed instead of trusting in our God nudges that take us into unique territories of creative expressions.  

Trust those nudges. Stay open. Embark on the journey to unexpected results. Break the mundane with child-like curiosity. 

Recently my grandson brightened up my day wearing rubber sandals with a green sock on one foot and a yellow sock on the other.  

My back toward him, he started giggling, “Grandma, owl on your back!” I had been wondering why my t-shirt’s neckline seemed high on my throat. That owl image is the front of the t-shirt. We had a good laugh. A family story that may never be lost created from our imperfections. 

Let’s also not let perfection become like a stop sign on our creativity roadway. Instead, let’s allow our imperfection to lead us to somewhere unexpected. Let’s be open to get outside our comfort zone, discover new things about ourselves, walk in shorts and sandals with a mismatched pair of socks, or our t-shirt on backwards. Let’s foster our creativity by not fearing the messiness of imperfection. 

Let’s refresh our creativity with a childlike sense of wonder. 

How will you refresh your creativity today? 

And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

You can read more of Lynn's curious adventures at Keeping It Real