I've been wraslin' with some doubts and questions about writing and how to keep doing it. "How do I keep writing/arting/making magic", this thing that I feel was put on this Earth to do, when I'm not in a class, being published, or motivated? When I have doubts and fears and biases about my own writing - how do I ignore them and keep going?Today after breakfast I was looking through the books in my "library" in hopes of finding one to help with a Fantastic Spatula post. I noticed there were a lot of writerly/arting advice books like "The Bodacious Book of Succulence" by SARK, "On Writing" by Stephen King, "Eats, Shoot and Leaves" by Lynn Truss, "Writing Fiction" by Janet Burroway. Not to mention the art and photography text books and collage books that help inspire. I remembered when I read these books for the first time and was so excited and inspired and ready to write and make art that I couldn't stand it. I wanted to write well from then on. But things get put in the way. Etc. So on. And so forth. But I wanted to feel that excitement of reading something inspirational again, where I wanted to do nothing but write. And I also wanted to know why I couldn't be that excited without having to read or see someone else reading or writing or arting.
I want to know: What are some of your top inspirational/how to/ motivational writing and arting books? What do you go back too for that dose of "I wanna write/make art like woah"?
What are your top five books on writing or making art? This question is for my own benefit, yes, because I wanna read your top five favorite books on writing and arting. Also, I think it's time we all share a little bit so us FS writers can get to know the audience to whom we are writing. And the readers can get to know the readers!
I want to know: What keeps you going? What is it that you do, whether you want to or not, to write/art/make magic.
How do you keep doing this? This is also a selfish questions, cause I wanna try some new techniques... Also, consider this cathartic where we all share how it's hard to motivate and keep going but we all do it any way. Let's commiserate together... oh yeah!
Oh, OH! First comment! I get the prize! :D
ReplyDeleteHm, My Top 5 Books That Make a Lucy Happy-Arty:
One! Spilling Open by the Ever Magical Sabrina Ward Harrison!
Two! The True and the Questions, again by the Ever Awesome SBH!
Three! Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Four! Women Who Run with the Wolves by DR. Clarissa Pinkola Estes! Not really a writing/arting book, more of a book of magical living. It is thick and yummy like good pudding.
FIVE! Writing Down the Bones, just read this recently and WHOA, LIFE CHANGING! Full of good, and true, and yummy as well.
Oh! And some people/places/things that I usually draw inspiration from-
ReplyDeletegala darling, for realz; nubby twiglet, gala darling's uber designer virgo twin; tumblr for all things- it is a magical place; my duckling's paintings- she's magnificent; the guys I work with who are so cool AND THEY DRAW COMICS LIKE WHOA!; You & Clara <3; Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman; Sabrina Ward Harrison Always & Forever. <3
Oh I have wanted to read writing down the bones and women who run with wolves. Mostly because I've heard you talk about them so much. And i love Tumblr. And Flickr. And SWH for ever.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you ask this. One of my favorite bloggers just talked about a book that I've been dying to read called "The War of Art“ by Steven Pressfield which talks about resistance, the imbalance between the life we “live” and the “unlived life” of an artist and entrepreneur. the tug between the doing and the thinking about doing, it’s resistance.
ReplyDeleteOne thing she said that most intrigued me to read this book was, "We are always most scared of what we have to offer of most value because it is what makes us the most different. Our rarest qualities are what make us stick out, and the things that only we have to offer. So, we hide them and we fear them because that means being different from the pack. What is most rare is also most valuable. So follow the fear, that's where the juice is."
Oo, Christal I kinda need that book now, too!
ReplyDeleteA juicy book indeed. Thanks Christal this might be what I need :) Who is the blogger you've written about?
ReplyDeleteHer name is Ane Axford at sensitiveandthriving.com :)
ReplyDeleteI was told to look at/read the following for inspiration and thought I'd share:
ReplyDelete"White Angel" by Michael Cunningham
"Sadness" by Donald Barthelme
The Griffin and Sabine trilogy by Nick Bantock
"Evidence" the art of Candy Jernigan (she collected trash and stuff around her house and made collages from it)
"House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski (a complete and total mind*SHIRT*)
Lydia Davis and all her glorious short short fiction
complete and total? really? that's the same thing.
ReplyDelete