The theme this month at a local art group’s competition was “California.” I found a painting that was sort of between realism and abstraction and I said to myself, “Oh what the heck, I’ll bring a painting and see what happens.”
Just before I left for the meeting, my husband looked at the painting I picked and he said he liked it better upside down. I hadn’t thought of showing it that way, but by golly, it looked like a mountain or a bridge and a whole lot more intriguing than a lake house on the water as I had originally envisioned it.
“Lakehouse,” acrylic on canvas, by Mary GowSurprisingly, I tied for Third Place with painter, Deboarh Macias, in the competition that was voted on by all attendees.
I went home to tell my husband he wouldn’t believe what happened. We had a good laugh because I was such a skeptic about even bringing a piece to show since this particular group is so oriented to realism while I lean towards abstraction.
The new way of looking at my own painting showed me that it’s never too late to change the orientation of a painting and see it a different way.
“In Time, Blossom,” Composite Scanogram by Mary GowOver the last three years I’ve been writing almost every day. Some days the writing comes easily. Others, it’s a bit more challenging.
It’s gratifying to look at what I wrote a year ago and know that this year, my work reads better.
Last month = 37,217 words.
Two years ago I met up with a writer friend at a party and we agreed to touch base regularly to keep tabs on our progress.
That lasted a few months.
I had no problem being motivated to write each day. But I wasn’t ready to share it.
With anyone.
Over a dozen years ago I wrote a book for my master’s degree project.
I haven’t published it.
But I know I’ll publish several books.
In time.
It may not be the time line suggested in a course I’m taking on how to become a bestselling writer.
It may not be the timeline of notable inspirational writer/coach suggested in a consulation at a writer’s conference.
Even though I’ve had plenty of reasons to publish my essays, I haven’t . . . yet.
Sometimes I feel there must be something wrong because I write so many words each day. But I KNOW I will be publishing my books. I know.
My writing was first appeared in 1980 in the Dallas Morning News. I was working the Features Department and I got to write about upcoming events.
When I was 35 the Austin American-Statesman published a 2,000 word article I wrote for the cover of their Feature section.
Most recently, a few years ago I wrote features about local artists for the New Bernal Journal, then a local paper in San Francisco.
Today I found an essayist whose opinion resonated with me! And experience of being published “later” did too.
I didn’t pitch or publish my first piece online until I was 30 or 31.
I think it’s useful for everyone, no matter what stage of their career they’re at, to know it’s okay to write for yourself first—sometimes only for yourself. There are going to be things that you might need to work out on the page, alone, before you’re ready to share them more widely. I don’t think there’s always a rush. It’s okay to take the longer voyage.
Day One, watercolor by Mary GowIn the morning yesterday I read Seth Godin’s blog entry about accumulating 1,000 posts on your blog and how by around then things start to change and people start gaining momentum because they’ve put in the daily work of writing on their blogs.
For years, I’ve been explaining to people that daily blogging is an extraordinarily useful habit. Even if no one reads your blog, the act of writing it is clarifying, motivating and (eventually) fun.
A collection of daily bloggers I follow have passed 1,000 posts (it only takes three years or so . . .). Fortunately, there are thousands of generous folks who have been posting their non-commercial blogs regularly, and it’s a habit that produces magic. – Seth Godin
I’ve got a ways to go so join me as I continue on my journey. Only sporatically have I tried blogging every day. More realistic for me is sporatically. That most likely needs to change for me to gain the momentum Seth speaks of.
