BIRDS IN "EL PARAISO"

BIRDS IN “El Paraiso”

A vermilion flycatcher flutters 

around the shrubs, bright

red breast, black head, could

not be more beautiful jumping

from branch

to branch, hiding in the tall trees in

the distance, coming closer 

to my window.  A red slash 

against the blue sky, impossible 

not to admire.  Two grackles walk 

back and forth across the street,

their long black tails sweeping  

the cobblestones, determined 

and purposeful.  Sometimes,

one of them perches himself 

on the dome above the house and calls out

to who knows who - a mate? a friend? us?

UNVEILING THE MIND

ART SALON AT THE HOUSE OF THE TWO URNS
1239 North Greenview, Chicago
MAY 3rd at 3 p.m.

Join us for a potluck dinner, the unveiling of a sculptural fence by Miguel Lopez Lemus, and a talk about my art work, writing, and experiences in this country.

The House of the Two Urns is an urban B&B replete with sculptures and paintings and books. Let your eyes and ears feast on the delightful and thought-provoking art and conversation.
Bring your friends and family!

Here is a preview of a poem you might hear Sunday May 3rd:

Women Who Sleep On Stones                                            

                                                (after Lucia Perillo)

are brave and tender at the same time.

They spread their blankets primly and

place a fluffy pillow on one end.  Women

who sleep on stones ignite every night, their dreams

becoming a premonition: brick houses in cornfields,

weather-worn, solid, and dusty?  Their hips creak now.

They can’t rest on their backs. 

They can’t sleep on their bellies, their breasts

ache, squealing like bloated baby pigs. Women

who sleep on stones watch the stars move,

the sun rise, the spider’s web shine. Next morning

they are exhausted, yet glad for their pain:  stubborn

women who sleep on stones.

And here is a sample of a collage you might see:

Sitting and reading - 20 x 16 in.

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Reflective Journaling

     Another form of discovering a story or a poem inside you is 

reflective journaling.   

     

     With reflective journaling, you write about your own life, but  you’re not locked into daily chronicles that outline your activities or what you had for dinner. You might write about something that happened when you were a small child. You might even write about something that happened to someone else — something you witnessed or have thoughts about that you’d like to explore. 

Instead of recounting events, you might write exclusively about 

your inner experiences (thoughts and feelings). Often, reflective 

journal writing reveals tests we have endured and lessons we have 

learned.

     

     Reflective journal writing has other practical applications, too. 

Other forms of creative writing, such as poems and stories, can 

evolve from reflective journaling. And by striving to better 

understand ourselves, we may gain greater insight to others, which 

is highly valuable for fiction writers who need to create complex 

and realistic characters. The more deeply you understand people 

and the human condition, the more engaging your characters will 

be.

     Reflective journal writing cultivates personal awareness.

     A writer’s journal can hold many things: thoughts, ideas, stories,

poems, and notes. It can hold dreams and doodles, visions and 

meditations. Anything that pertains to your creative writing ideas 

and aspirations can find a home inside your journal.

     A reflective journal is similar to a diary in that we document our 

experiences. However, reflective journal writing goes deeper than 

diary writing; it strives to gain greater understanding of our 

experiences rather than simply document them.

     Reflective journaling is a form of creative writing that allow us to 

practice self-reflection, self-exploration, and self-improvement, 

and through reflective journal writing, we gain greater awareness 

through observation, contemplation, and writing. By chronicling 

various aspects of our lives, we become more self-aware.

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Journaling your way to writing

Journal writing is an art unto itself.  But how often do we actively use art in our journals?  We writers are passionate about our journals and notebooks, those sacred spaces where some of our best ideas manifest.  So it makes sense to rig our journals so that they inspire us as much as possible. And what’s more inspiring than art?  Let’s look at some ways we can fuse art with journal writing in order to cultivate inspiration and creativity. 

The Art Journal

Artists keep journals just like writers do. But instead of filling their journals with words, artists fill them with images — sketches and paintings. What happens when we fuse art and words together, when an image is accompanied by a few lines of text or when a paragraph is accented with an illustration?

Words and images complement each other. And since writing is an art, writing and art can live side by side in your journal, coming together to keep you inspired and motivated.

Here are some ideas for merging art with your journal writing:

1. When words won’t come, doodle in your journal instead. You don’t have to be a trained or skilled artist to draw symbols and stick figures.

2. Use your journal to sketch pictures of your fictional characters. Again, they can be stick figures. Use colored pencils to shade in their hair, eyes, etc.

3. Start collecting images that inspire you. Pick up postcards that capture your imagination and clip images from magazines, and then paste them into your journal. Use them as prompts and write about what you see.

4. Practice writing descriptions. Tape an image in your journal, then write a full-page description. Does the description you wrote render the image in the reader’s mind? Imagery is an important element in writing, and crafting descriptions will help you hone your imagery skills.

5. Mix journal writing and art within the pages of your notebook. Draw a little, write a little. Let the words run over the pictures and vice versa. Use light-colored markers to create big, bold shapes and then fill the shapes with words.

6. You can add more art to your journal, too. Jot down your favorite song lyrics. Describe a favorite piece of music. Include your favorite photography. Allow all of the arts to come together by merging journal writing with other creative forms of expression.

And don’t worry about artistry, except when it comes to words. Lots of writers enjoy other arts, but it’s impossible to master them all. Stay focused on writing if that’s your greatest strength, but allow yourself to explore the full potential of your creativity.  

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Journaling your way to writing

At the Newberry Library starting April 2 until May 7

Thursdays 5:45 to 7:45

Register now at www.newberry.org

Don't wait!

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Journaling for writers

     There are days when writing ideas, stories, essays, poems, are nowhere to be found. That does not mean we have to go a day without writing.  The more we write, the better our writing becomes. That’s a fact.  Practice breeds proficiency. 

     Commitment sets successful writers apart from unsuccessful writers.  When we are committed to the work, our chances for success increase exponentially. And one of the easiest and most creative ways to commit to our own writing and produce better writing over time is to keep a writing journal.

     In this way, journal writing becomes an answer to our problems.  Journaling is a place where we can jot down random thoughts or flesh out concepts, where we can free write or work on writing exercises, and where we can tackle writing prompts. It’s a place where we develop better writing skills and learn new techniques through trial and error.

How to Use Journal Prompts to Reach Your Goals

     In a previous post I listed a series of prompts to get your writing going.  By revisiting these journal prompts on a regular basis, you can consistently assess your goals to see how much you are accomplishing at different points in time. Some of these journal prompts are useful to revisit every year. Others are worth revisiting on a monthly or weekly basis.  Next time you’re not sure what to write about or whenever you’re feeling like it’s time to take a hard look at your goals and accomplishments, set aside twenty or thirty minutes and start tackling these journal prompts one by one.  

     You’ll learn a lot, and you’ll be able to keep writing, even if you’re not feeling especially inspired. 

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: workshop at The Newberry Library

Starting April 2nd for 6 weeks - Thursday evenings

Go to www.newberry.org to register

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Journaling for writers

Here are 5 journal ideas for creative writers:

1) People-watch. 

The people around you can become fictional characters or the subjects of poems. You can go beyond mere reporting and write what you imagine as well. What do you think that woman's name might be? Where do you think she lives? Is she having an affair with that man, or are they just business partners? What is she thinking right now? What is she hiding in that big purse? Any of this can be the beginning of a story or poem. 

2) Listen. 

Eavesdrop in restaurants, in stores. Listen to your own family and friends -- really listen. Not just to what they're saying, but to the words they use, the pauses, the unique rhythms of their speech. And write down pieces of speech when they are still fresh in your ears. 

3) Take a walk. 

Describe your neighborhood. Describe the weather, the colors and textures, the light and shadow. Go beyond what you see -- describe the sounds, the smells, the feeling of the air on your skin. Look for the surprising details, the ones that aren't quite as you'd imagine, the ones you could never have made up. 

4) Take a field trip. 

Are you writing a scene in a police station? A city dump? Visit one. Write down the details that will make the setting come alive on the page. On the other hand, if you're not in the middle of a writing project, taking a field trip can give you ideas for one. Go somewhere you would normally never go. 

5) Use real-life stories. 

The news, gossip, the experiences of your friends, and even stories from history books can be sources for creative writing. Make notes on the story, and imagine the parts you don't know. Imagine it as if you were there. What, exactly, did people see? What were they thinking? What did it all feel like? What led up to the event; what happened next? Let your imagination fill in the gaps. Or imagine that some part of it had been different. How does that change the story?

More ideas at the workshop at The Newberry Library coming in April.  Take a look at their website: www.newberry.org and register now.

THE ELUSIVE MUSE: Journaling your way to writing

     Journal prompts are a great way to kick off a writing session when you’re feeling uninspired.  We all have days when writing ideas are nowhere to be found, but that doesn’t mean you have to go a day without writing.  In fact, on those days when my muse is being elusive, I like to either work through some writing exercises to stretch and strengthen my writing muscles–or I evaluate my writing goals.  Often, this means I spend time making notes about my writing goals to see how far I've come as well as where I’m going and how much work I have to do before I get there.  

Answer the following questions every day in writing:

Do you know what kind of writer you want to be?

Have you set any writing goals yet? 

How close are you to reaching them? 

What projects are you working on?

Now, here are some prompts to get you started:

10 Journal Prompts for Aspiring Writers

1. As a writer, my dream come true would be…

2. The difference between my dreams and my true goals as a writer is…

3. The number one goal I want to achieve as a writer is…

4. To reach my main writing goal, I need to…

5. In order to reach my writing goals, I have done the following things in the past week…

6. During the past month, I have worked toward my writing goals by…

7. Things that have been interfering with my goals include…

8. I can eliminate these interferences by…

9. In one year, I will be closer to fulfilling my writing ambitions. I will have…

10. Write three journal prompts for next time building on what you've already written.