I haven’t a clue what to write about today, but it’s a stream of consciousness kind of day, so I might as well get on with it. I wonder what Anne Lamott would say to my hesitation to get started?
If Anne were sitting here in the room with me she would say, “Girl, just go ahead and write a shitty draft!”
My all-time favorite book on writing is by Anne Lamott. Her colorful style of writing makes me smile. I can’t remember how many times I’ve read her book Bird By Bird? The spine of the book is showing some wear and tear, so suffice it to say, it’s more than twice.
Whether you want to be a writer or a photographer, or both like me, – you need to practice, practice, practice the craft at hand. With a steady hand. I also recommend that you should be awake before you try too awfully hard to capture a photo of the moon.
Then go ahead and admit it when you’re not in the right mood. Moon shots require a steady hand. To ensure the lesson has been learned, compare the worst example next to the best, and free yourself to move on to the next project.
Hope begins in the dark. The stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come…you don’t give up.
Anne Lamott
I could go on and on about the things I’ve seen in my neighborhood this week – like the strange critter poop on the stoop, the flag hanging upside down, the pigeons who have taken roost on our roof, or the dang ground squirrel who has moved into the flagpole garden. Or about the colorful words I said when Dessy left me both puke and poop to clean up. But that takes effort to make sense of so we’ll go with morning flowers instead. They smell better too.
I’m a morning person, so mornings are my time of day. Mostly. When I’m stubborn, I stay at it too long to try to get photos when it’s too bright out. Or I set the ISO wrong. There’s that too. (TOO many TOOS!)
There is a sweet spot to capturing shots in the morning light. Eventually, when the sun is too high in the sky, it becomes harsh.
Morning glories are bright and vibrant. They only open up for so long each morning before they close back up until the next day. That’s like me in a way, I only open up my blogging efforts (aka, my creative arts hobby) for a few hours each week. I used to write daily. Writing came easier to me when I did that. But the rest of the blogging tasks became overwhelming last year. Among other things. You know what I’m talking about. We won’t go there though.
When I wrote every day, the words flew onto the screen. I couldn’t stop my fingers from typing. Now I’m lucky to find words. I haven’t given up hope that I won’t lose the desire altogether.
This business of becoming conscious, of being a writer, is ultimately about asking yourself, How alive am I willing to be?
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
An attempt to write somedays turns into a rambling mess. I feel awkward those days, kind of like today. But, in the garden of life, perhaps it’s okay to be a marigold hiding in the midst of the zinnias?
Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.
Anne Lamott
Seeing my Zinnias blooming in the yard draws me to go outside to check on them. Are they blooming where I planted them? It appears so.
The black-eyed Susans are thriving. They came back all on their own. I love how they dance in the wind more than the zinnias do. If it’s too windy, a clear photo of them is impossible to get.
Taking photos through the supposedly self-washing window is obviously not as clear as being upfront and personal with the blossoms. I much rather grab the camera, run outside, and squat down close to the flowers. I practice the Asian Squat while I’m at it. Don’t knock it until you try it…!
On a recent overcast afternoon, I did just that to seek out different perspectives. Of the flowers, not the squat. I took my camera with my big lens with me so I could zoom in on different flowers and blur out the rest. Yay for Bokeh!
Heck, even the stems can be interesting if you’re into looking at the base of things? I wonder what is wrong with some of them? Is it the soil? Was it bad seeds – I harvested them from last year’s flowers? Maybe it’s a fungus? I don’t know.
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.
Anne Lamott
Each Zinnia pops open with such brilliant color. They get it. They just pop into the world and see what happens. I wonder if each bird or butterfly picks out the prettiest one first to land on before dashing off to another one?
As a blogger, I get it more each passing day. There are a lot of blogs out there to choose from to read. I may not get noticed by many, but I show up and take a chance to see what happens with every shitty draft I let hit the page to be published.
“Girl, you gotta start and end somewhere!”
I’m glad you stopped by here today – Thank you! I treasure your blogging friendship. You’re like angels with halos watching over me!
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “color/colour.” Use it as a noun, a verb, or pick a color and write about it–use it any way you like. Have fun!
PS – What author do you look to for inspiration? Do you think it’s okay to let a sh*tty draft get published? What is your favorite flower?
I don’t think that a photoblog needs a proper draft, does it? Your flowers are lovely, Shelley!
Not necessary – especially with awesome photos like you share! Thanks, John, it’s a fun time of summer when the flowers bloom!
Thanks so much, Shelley! Enjoy your summer, they never last long enough up there.
You’re welcome, John! Enjoy your summer too – yours is longer, that’s for sure.
Happy Sunday! Hope your weekend is going good. your Zinnias are looking really pretty! My MIL used to plant lots of them, but called them Old Maids for some reason. haha
I have the Anne Lamott book – fun to read and great advice. 🙂
Same to you, Barbara – Happy Sunday! Yes, I’ve heard that too – interesting name for them. They make for beautiful bouquets.
Bird by Bird is a fun book – I think I’ll read it again this week. 😁😉
I hope you have a wonderful week too!
The flowers are lovely. Great colors, and pretty good words, too!
Thank you, Dan! Enjoy your week!
Bird By Bird is one of those books that has stayed with me, too. You gotta start somewhere and then see where you end up. Seems so obvious yet we all hesitate to start writing. Love the purple flowers, always a favorite with me.
I had a hunch you’d be a fan and owner of Bird by Bird too. And a fan of purple flowers, purple is a happy color. My high school colors were purple and white. Happy writing to you – I hope the air quality improves by you so you can get out and see more purple flowers.
Those look like two books that I’d be interested in, and probably best to get a paperback version (as opposed to an ebook) since it may be ones that I’d read over and over too. Thanks for the tip!
I’m all for a less than daily – or even not too many days a week – blog posting. That way, as a reader I delight when I see that there is a new posting rather than feel overwhelmed when I get too many emails (yes, I know there isn’t a law that I have to read every post, but still). I think your non-schedule works well.
Interesting about Asian squats. I, of course, had to try and found it difficult to keep my feet flat. My husband, on the other hand, had no problem. My saving grace is that I can easily touch my toes and he can’t… so there.
Yes, I highly recommend a paperback version of both books. Definitely Bird by Bird.
I’ve fallen in love with less than daily posting. It was a fun experiment back in the early blogging days, but not so much any more. I love your non-schedule too, I was inspired by it.
LOL – I’m laughing at your Asian squat trials. From flat feet to toes, I’m giggling. 😂🤣😁
Lovely flower photos and love your garden when the flowers appear from last years seeds. I would love to see a ground squirrel photo. Don’t know what they are. Things I think you may need –
1 Pooper scooper
2 a tripod for moon photos
3 someone to remove the pigeon before you’ll really need number 1 above
4 horticulture advice on the brown leaves in case they spread throughout the garden
Upside down flags mean distress so I wonder what has happened? According to Title 36 Section 176 of the U.S. flag code, the flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
Keep smiling Shelley 😀❤
Thank you for your feedback and hot tips, Brian! I do agree on all points.
1. I used a broken garden shovel to slid the poop off the stoop – the next morning it was there again. 🤔
2. I have two tri-pods, I know in advance when the full moon will be, yet, I still don’t get it all together for a perfect shot. 🤣
3. The two pigeons have moved in to the neighbors barn and I guess we’re the guest house. They are annoying.
4. I’m thinking that the garden soil we got from the county wasn’t as clean as we hoped it was. The zinnias seem stunted this year, but it has been extra dry.
5. Yes, Mr. told me that too about the flag. The folks that live near there own a small restaurant that has struggled to stay open, and many of the families living there have lost their jobs too. I suspect distress does describe how they feel.
Thanks – you too – keep smiling. 😊😄
Bird by bird sounds like a motivating read! The author’s I look for inspiration depends on what I’m working on. Mary Oliver inspires me poetry wise. Currently I’m looking for inspiration from Luis Alberto Urrea. I read one of his books years ago and wanted to revisit his work because I like his writing style. I think it’s okay to let a sh*tty draft get published. I think it goes back to what you mention early in the post, the importance of writing the draft versus not writing it at all. This reminds me of the opposite, over editing and revising. Personally, I think the idea of perfection when improving drafts can stop me from posting something. Besides zinnias, there’s a flower I’ve seen used in home decor, but I don’t know its name. I wish I knew it’s name!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!! Yes, Bird by Bird is motivating. I need to read more poetry in between other types of reading. I’ve not heard of Luis Alberto Urrea (I’ll have to look for more info, thanks for the feedback on him). I love this quote by Mary Oliver – “You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.” Fitting for the current times, eh?
I agree with you on the over editing and revising. It has stopped me in my tracks more times than I’d like to admit to.
Large colored daisies are quite popular for decorating. Flowers just brighten a room. I’ve been growing green plants that don’t require much sunlight, along with the gnats the new soil blessed me with, I’m feeling a bit of a green thumb happening. Why did I go there with my thoughts?! I dunno – 🤔🤣🌻🌼🤷♀️
My pleasure! I wish I could make recommendations of his books but I’ve only read one (The House of Broken Angels). I so needed to hear that quote today. Thank you for sharing! I so agree, they do. I found the flower’s name, pink or hot pink hydrangeas. They’re so gorgeous! I think it’s beautiful the process of growing plants. The magic of seeing them grow and bloom. Enjoy! 🌻🌼
You’re welcome!! Yes – hydrangeas. I love them too – I don’t have any, I doubt they’d grow well in my super sunny yard. I’ve heard that they are mostly white and you can water them with colored water to make those bright colors. That could be a made-up rumor, but I was told it by a friend who has blue ones…!
I didn’t know that! The process reminds me of science experiments to get the right colors. 🌷🌷🌷
Yes, indeed!!
Thank you for sharing photos of your flowers. Zinnias remind me of my childhood – every summer planting seeds and the thrill of watching them sprout and grow and bloom.
I must admit I did (and still do) miss getting a new blog post email from you on a daily basis. I enjoyed the casual conversation and photos you shared. But I certainly understand that writing can be a chore (which is why my blog remains a dream) and life can get in the way of our hobbies. Thank you for sharing your photos and stories. Now when I get your emails it’s a happy little surprise in my inbox.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback, Lisa. I’m glad the zinnias brought back happy childhood memories. I planted them and marigolds when I was young. It’s kind of fun to dry the buds and harvest the seeds. I carefully plant them and then just wait to see what happens.
Aw, I’m glad my daily posts weren’t a burden to you. I kind of miss the me I was when I could whip out a blog post on a daily basis. I think for now, at least, once a week seems to fit my motivational and energy levels 🤣😂😁🤔🤷♀️ Thank you for reading my blog posts – I always enjoy hearing your thoughts!
Your garden is beautiful, from the outside or from the inside (like you Shelley) … doesn’t matter you shot the photos through the self-washing window. Well, I looked on Anne Lamott’s list of books and have not read a single one, so guess she will go on the TBR list for retirement … I have a lot of books on that list, believe me. If I were not capturing photos on my walks, I would most likely be a loss for topics to sustain my blog.
Thank you, Linda, you’re a beautiful and encouraging person. I think you’d enjoy her book. Photos and walks go hand in hand! And make for great blog posts like yours.
Thank you Shelley – you always make my head swell. I know when I am retired, I want to resume reading like I once did. I was a voracious reader and it has fallen by the wayside (like so many other things).
💕 You’re welcome. I hope to read a lot more when I retire too. I need to do more of it now too though. I hear ya on the fallen by the wayside stuff. 🙁
I indulge myself a lot and it doesn’t take much to dissuade me from doing “chores” of any type in favor of something enjoyable. I am looking forward to added leisure time after retirement.
💖💖💖
Sometimes it is just a matter of sitting down and putting those fingers on the keyboard. A glance, a sound, a smell, or someone popping in for a quick hello are all sources for inspiration. Just have to be watching for them.
Excellent advice, Rollin, thanks for sharing! Looks like you’ve been able to capture lots of creativity in your books!! Congratulations!!
Amazing blog 😀