The Rabbit Hill

NZ Book Month, Ursula Le Guin, and Dragons.

2012-03-17T14:31:00.002+13:00

"The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story." - Ursula K. Le Guin

Here in New Zealand it is NZ Book Month, and I am dedicating my month (or at least, whatever free time I can scape off the bottom of the barrel of my diary) to Ursula K. Le Guin. For those of you who don't recognize the name, or do recognize it but can't quite seem to recall exactly where you know it from, she is a multi-award winning fantasy author of the famous book series Earthsea. The first of the series, A Wizard of Earthsea, has won prizes, been made into movies and television series, and has been read and loved by generations of fantasy enthusiasts.

Despite the fact that the book was first published in 1968, I only finally got my hand on a copy of the book late last year -- and finally got around to reading it earlier this year. Despite being very interested in reading the Earthsea books, after hearing so much about them, I never seemed able to find a copy -- new or secondhand. Finally, when a local Borders chapter closed down and put all its books on 50% off, I found A Wizard of Earthsea in a bargain bin -- along with a collection of short stories about Earthsea, titled Tales from Earthsea. After reading the first book, I was hooked. I couldn't believe it. The story was so mythical, so symbolic, so lyrical and...well...magical!

Why had no one ever tied me down, threatened me, bribed me, done something just to make me read this book? What kind of friends do I have?! Needless to say, I immediately went online and found the rest of the books. I purchased A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu all in one brilliant combined edition. It took me about a week (including one memorable Sunday spent on a coach in the sun, dug into Tehanu like a tick) to finish all the books, and then begin the collection of short stories.

It's impossible to say which were my favorite, because each book was so uniquely different from the last. The energy and atmosphere, and the confrontations placed before the protagonists, were all so individual -- each individual book has its own spirit, its own mana.

While The Farthest Shore is a wonderful epic quest to save the world, The Tombs of Atuan is quieter, more psychological tale -- a story about saving just one soul, trapped in a dark and terrifying place in life.

Shortly after (in a fever of Earthsea madness) I rented the animated Studio Ghibli move Tales From Earthsea from the local video store. I had watched the movie a few years earlier when it was a new release, and enjoyed it, though it didn't leave as much of an impression as other Studio Ghibli films, such as My Neighbor Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle. But at that time, I hadn't read the books yet.

While I believe Ursula Le Guin was disappointed by the eventual product made by the studio, I found myself appreciating what it attempted to achieve. The plot is a melting pot of several Earthsea books, all mixed together in one movie. The Farthest Shore stands out more than the other books as an important influence, but elements from A Wizard of Earthsea and Tehanu are strong also.

Despite this obvious let down, there are elements which save it.

For one, the movie provides beautiful, artistic, and even painterly, representations of the world of Earthsea. There is also an amazing soundtrack (with some impressive Scottish-sounding airs) to accompany the film, providing Earthsea with an atmosphere of magic that suits the fantasy world quite well. Despite the somewhat butchered storyline, Tales of Earthsea provides visual and auditory sensory experiences that both satisfy and inspire.

As life goes in circles and cycles, Ursula Le Guin has begun to penetrate not only my spare time, but also my studies. For my paper Cultures of the Supernatural, I am studying fantasy, horror and fairy-tales for their literary merit -- and with quite a sizable essay on the horizon, I have begun searching my University library high and low for essays, critiques and theories on the subject of the fantastic. In doing so, I stumbled upon the collection of essays The Language of the Night by Ursula Le Guin (edited by Susan Wood).

The essays are wonderful, lyrical, and just as awe-inspiring as her works of fiction. She considers and argues on subjects concerning fantasy fiction, science fiction, writing, creativity, and publishing. Here is one quote to give you a taste:

"For fantasy is true of course. It isn't factual, but it is true. Children know that. Adults know it too, and that is precisely why many of them are afraid of fantasy. They know that its truth challenges, even threatens, all that is false, all that is phony, unnecessary, and trivial in the life they have let themselves be forced into living. They are afraid of dragons, because they are afraid of freedom." - from her essay, Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?

Why, indeed?
So, do you need any more cajoling and bossing? More peer pressure and pushing? Go, go forth! Go to your library, your favorite bookstore -- anywhere! -- and find something, anything, by Ursula Le Guin and read it! Go to her website and check out her excerpts, and some essays. Shoo! SHOO! *waves arms frantically*

Studio Ghibli: The Secret World of Arrietty and The Borrowers

2012-02-16T10:15:00.004+13:00

I'm waiting in unbelievable anticipation of Studio Ghibli's latest feature film, "The Secret World of Arrietty." The film is based upon a book (which I will be studying as part of my children's literature classes at university this year) called The Borrowers by Mary Norton-- a well-known fantasy book originally released in 1952, about little people who live in the walls and beneath the floorboards of regular human houses. (Click here for an LA Times review on Arrietty.)

This book only just recently found it's way onto my bookshelf -- mostly because of the fact that I will have to be studying it later in the year. I remember many years ago watching the 1997 film starring starring John Goodman, but it never made much of an impression. When Charles De Lint released his own rendition of the original tale, titled Little (Grrl) Lost, I took a bit more interest. It was a bit more modern and edgy compared to the older stories, and I loved the mythology about how borrowers/little people were all originally birds who forget how to fly.

Studio Ghibli is well known for its animated fairy tale and fantasy films, such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo. With Studio Ghibli, and in particular the films directed by Hayao Miyazaki, I found everything that I missed in Disney fairy tale movies: drama, beauty, and heart. While Disney tried to make a commercial product, Ghibli made art. Looking back, it was probably Studio Ghibli that provided some of my earliest influences in fantasy -- namely, the 1985 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It was released in the same year I was born, but I didn't see the film until perhaps 10 years later. It set the gold standard, in my mind, for animated films, fantasy stories and storytelling. Fantastically, ever since Studio Ghibli has never failed to inspire.

Valentine's Day: Selkie Folklore and Relationships

2012-02-14T10:38:00.001+13:00

“How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants,

rather than to create it herself.” Anais Nin

This week a friend of mine is getting married. She has been a good friend of mine for several years now, and when we first met I was at a very difficult juncture of my life. My first career choice didn't appear to be working out, and I was feeling listless, restless, confused and unhappy. Eventually I ended up going back to university, and learning painting, creative writing, sociology and gender studies. During this time of transformation and adaptation, my friend was a pillar of insight and inspiration -- a dedicated artist, actress and scholar in her own right. She taught me that even when no one wants to pay you to do the thing that you want to do, you still have to go on, keep at it and do it -- because otherwise, you won't be being yourself. And I clung onto that.

Now that she is getting married she has taken off her academic hat, and even her artist hat, for an indefinite period of time, which has brought up some mixed feelings within myself. Life changes and takes you on strange detours and routes, and you just have to go with that. But still I am reminded of the Scottish folktale of the selkie -- a seal that can transform into a human being. In the stories, often the selkie is a female who sheds her sealskin and finds a human man to marry.

Sometimes she is captured from the beach and her sealskin is taken by the man. Other times she is quite independent and familiar with the human world -- and even has a job, or is a member of the community. In other stories, the selkie can also be a man looking for a human wife, or he is seeking revenge for a member of his seal family that was murdered by a fisherman.

But by far the most well-known type of selkie story is that of the lady selkie who falls in love with the human man, and so that they can always be together, her husband takes and hides her sealskin from her. One day in the future, her children discover the sealskin -- sometimes it's buried, at other times it is hidden in the attic or in a wardrobe -- and they unwittingly tell their mother. Unable to resist the pull of the sea, her original home, she takes the sealskin, and is never seen again.

There is an important message in here about relationships, love, and marriage. Many people get into relationships, and give up so much of themselves. Sometimes it is taken, but more often it is given freely, without realizing the implications. As a culture we believe that love is about giving -- giving up, and often giving in. We give to our partners, we give them our time, our attention, our bodies, our home, our family. We even give up the things that are most important to us -- the cello in the corner, the notebooks filled with songs and stories, the running shoes stained with spring mud. And then one day, we don't recognize ourselves anymore. Or worse, we don't like who we have become. We have lost our sense of self, and have no idea where to look.

What happens when we do rediscover that sense of self? Will we dive off the rocks into the grey ocean, like the selkie donning her mantle of sealskin? Will we leave our responsibilities, our mate and our home, for truth and purpose and wholeness? It's a painful and pain-causing way to find your freedom.

Neal Donald Walsch, spiritual teacher and author of "Conversations with God," suggests that romance, marriage and love be not about giving things to each other. Instead, relationships could possibly be about sharing. Give up the idea that you have to give to your partner for them to stay, for them to be happy, for them to love you. Imagine that you could both be happy, full and complete -- and simply see your relationship as an opportunity to share that happiness and completeness with each other.

It's a novel idea, but perhaps a more sustainable one? Perhaps an idea that doesn't require us to sacrifice our lives like a lamb on an alter to the one we love.

Today is Valentine's Day, and I fully intend to spend it demonstrating to the person I care about just how important, how special, and how unique they are in my eyes. It's a wonderful chance to give each other special memories, and remind ourselves of how much we are affected by the people we share our lives, our conversations and our beds with.

At the same time, maybe I will also take a few moments when I can to brush off my fiction notebooks (my sealskin, as it were) and revel in how much I love myself, too.

Fairy Tale News

2012-02-10T09:30:00.001+13:00

"Fairy stories are everywhere and every-day. We are all princes and princesses in disguise, or ogres or wicked dwarfs. All these histories are the histories of human nature, which does not seem to change very much in a thousand years or so, and we don't get tired of the fairies because they are so true to it." - Anne Thackeray Ritchie

Some really awesome fairy tale stuff is happening this week.

Goblin Fruit has just released their Winter 2012 issue of mythic poetry.

Author Helen Lowe has written a blog about traditional Maori mythology that features in New Zealand literature.

The first episode of "Once Upon A Time" aired last night on TV Two here in New Zealand. I was a bit disappointed at some of the cheesier elements of the episode -- but overall I am glad to see a fairy tale television show airing. Together with some fairy tale films such as Jack the Giant Killer, Snow White and the Hunstman, The Hobbit, and Troll Hunter, this is going to be a very fairy-tale-licious year.

Fairy Tales, Mother Holle and the Creative Journey

2012-02-09T09:09:00.000+13:00

Fairy tales and folklore has always featured a huge role in what keeps me going as an artist and a writer. Creative Every Day has recently posted a guest blog, written by yours truly, on the role fairy tales and inspiration play in the creative journey -- and how one particular fairy tale has recently helped to keep me afloat. Please check out my article on Mother Holle and the Creative Journey.

Paralyzed With Fear?

2011-12-17T14:20:00.000+13:00

‎"Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates the strength of Resistance. Therefore, the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul.” - Steven Pressfield

The Perfect Christmas Gift? Buy Books and Art at Magick4Terri Fundraiser

2011-12-15T10:13:00.000+13:00

If you are looking for a perfect Christmas gift and know someone who likes fantasy, try here: an online fundraiser where you can buy special, signed, rare or custom books and art directly from authors and artists like Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, Charles De Lint, Charles Vess, Holly Black and more.

The fundraiser has been raised to support editor, artist and award-winning author Terri Windling and contains an absolutely staggering amount of amazing merchandise, books and art which you can bid on. But be quick -- only a day or so left before it closes!!

Magick4Terri -- Cick Here!

Does Creativity Lead to Better Health?

2011-12-14T08:59:00.000+13:00

"It doesn’t matter if you are painting, writing poetry, journaling, sketching, or making pottery — the simple and timeless act of creating something out of nothing, and operating from that quiet and primordial place within you, initiates changes within your body." - Joel Le Blanc

The TLC International Art School in Wellington, New Zealand has recently published a feature article of mine detailing the links between creativity and health, and the scientific research that proves the link. I studied at TLC several years ago during a very difficult time in both my personal life and in my health, so it somehow feels that I have come full circle to have published this article for them in particular.

This is a very exciting time for me in my professional life and I just hope that this article, and future articles to come in this area, may help some people in their journey.

Interesting Links and Articles

2011-12-09T13:14:00.001+13:00

A beautiful photo someone recently shared with me.

I share a lot of news articles and interesting links to my friends and family on FB, and recently it occurred to me that people who visit this blog might find these articles interesting, too. So here they are!

Interesting links for the day....

YouTube Trailer: Snow White and the Huntsman

Buzzfeed: 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011

TIME: Why Creative Types May Be More Likely to Cheat

Current Issues In Creativity Research: Facilitating Creative Thinking in the Art Room

Stuff.co.nz: Old people's stories more boring - study

Advocate: Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality We’ve Seen

The Ecologist: Monsanto, Bayer and Dow face trial for 'systematic human rights abuses'

Gizmodo: Condoms With Teeth Fight Rape in South Africa

Today I'm hard at work reading, editing and writing articles for work. But, that doesn't mean I haven't had time to go out and smell the roses. A long walk in the park beneath the shade of chestnuts and oaks always helps to clear my head and re-invigorate me for another day at work. That, and the take-a-way coffee I grab on the way out. ;-)

The Human Voice

2011-12-08T16:29:00.000+13:00

"Our voices are saturated with who we are, embodied in the rhythms, tonal variations, associations, images and other somato-sensory metaphors in addition to the content meaning of the words. Our voices are embodiments of ourselves, whether written or spoken. It is in times of extremity that we long to find words or hear another human voice letting us know we are not alone." - Robert Carrol

Spring has Sprung

2011-12-05T12:34:00.000+13:00

This season spring has definitely sprung in our organic urban garden. We don't have much land, but my partner and I surely put what we do have to good use. Even the weeds eventually find their way into our salads.

Whenever work is too stressful, or life too complicated, I make my way into the back of our section and sit in the garden. Sometimes I pull out weeds. Other times I just sit there, and stare at the growth, the color, the life. I smell some crushed lemon balm leaves, and touch the feathery wings of a fennel plant. Before not long, I am grounded, and feeling connected again.

Food is becoming more and more expensive, which is why it is so important to grow food and learn how to live more sustainably and cheaply. After all, home-grown food is the cheapest, and the freshest, you can get.

The first blackboy peaches of the season. My, my -- how delicious you will be.

Heartsease adding color and life to the herb patch. These flowers can be used for skin creams, but I am leaving them where they are. They are too beautiful to harvest, and I have more than enough other herbs for my creams.

A cute vegetable patch resembles a miniature urban farm, complete with flowers, vegetables, herbs, chickens, and orchard trees.

Stinging Nettle is a frisky and delicious native to our garden. Wild and wandering, it creeps up everywhere, even in the sidewalk cracks. Most people spray it or pull it up -- but when I first moved into this house and saw the nettle, I was just too happy. When studying herbal medicine a few years back, I learned about Nettles. The leaves are rich in minerals like iron and magnesium, and contain ellagic acid -- a natural anti-cancer compound that is gaining increasing attention from the scientific community. Herbalists use nettle extracts to treat rheumatic complaints, allergies, skin conditions, and fatigue.

Lavender is such a gift... smelling just a few sprigs, and already I feel calmer and clearer. These lavender flowers might find their way into a homemade sleep pillow.

Elder has a long history of magical and medicinal usage. These flowers are often brewed into liquid extracts for the treatment of seasonal allergies -- but that's not what I have in store for these pretties. A few more weeks, and dark black elderberries will emerge. Perfect for antiviral syrups for the winter.

Coriander is my favorite herbal ingredient for soups. Just one tiny fresh leaf packs so much flavor and energy.

Convolvulus is a bit of a pest in our vegetable patch. It comes up as tiny shoots through the ground, and weaves its way around the herbs, flowers and vegetables. Here it is strangling an innocent lemon balm. Convolvulus flowers are beautiful, but it is a bit of a headache.

Here is Sylvia... one of the resident hens, who so kindly provides us with eggs for breakfast every day.

Thanks For the Likes

2011-12-01T20:38:00.000+13:00

I've just discovered that an older eHow Health article I published AGES ago has silently been accruing popularity, and now has over 260+ facebook likes, as well as some tweets and google + shares. Thanks to all those who 'liked' this article (teehee). I hope that this means someone somewhere was helped by this information.

If you want to see this fantabulously popular article of mine, please just click on the link below:

How to Regenerate the Myelin Sheath

Submissions Open

2011-11-22T11:07:00.000+13:00

Submissions are open again for Wildberries Journal of Mythic Fantasy!

If you are a writer, poet and/or artist, and have work in the mythic fiction/fantasy genre that you would like to have published, please visit the website and read the guidelines for submission.

New Poetry and New Publication

2011-11-18T09:30:00.002+13:00

This week has been full of all sorts of surprises, new beginnings, and new projects.

I've finally gotten my hand on a copy of the poetry anthology "Voiceprints 3" which features a poem of my very own (which you can read for yourself in the poetry section of this blog...). The anthology was due to be released much earlier in the year, but was put off due to the Christchurch earthquakes here in New Zealand.

I have also begun another blog project: The Wormwood Files. It's a blog with information on complementary and alternative medicine specifically for people working in the creative industries. I'll be looking at general health concerns, as well as those that affect creative people the most, such as stress, fatigue, RSI, fluctuating blood sugar levels, neck and back problems, eye health, and so on.

If anyone has any ideas for articles, topics and tips that they would love to see featured on The Wormwood Files, I would love to hear from you!

Today is a day filled with finishing book reviews, editing articles, and sending off a few new article pitches. Oh, and perhaps some gardening, muffin baking, and unicorn riding, if I can fit it in. Take care everyone, and have a wonderful weekend.

Get Ready, Get Set, Go! The 2011 NaNoWriMo Begins

2011-11-01T17:58:00.002+13:00

It's that magical time of year again.

Yes, that time.

The time when writers, their faces full of palour and want, can go forth and let their imaginations frolic in the warm sun.

When would-be novelists, can become real novelists!

When daises sing and unicorns...

Oh never-mind.

It's NaNoWriMo! National Novel Writing Month -- when writers from all around the world converge in the ethers of cyberspace to join in the frivolity and festivity that is known as novel writing. For 30 days and 30 nights we write, and write, and write, with the hopes of gallantly reaching that finishing line carrying a hefty 50k-word novel in our pockets.

Will we succeed? Maybe. Will our respective spouses and pets leave us forever out of festering bitterness over being ignored for an entire month? Probably. Will we have fun? You bet.

It's Day One of the challenge and the excitement is palpable... and if you have only just heard about it, well, it's not too late! If you have a novel you have been dreaming to write one day, or have one stored away, awaiting a dust-off, the time is now.

Because if now is not the time, when will be?

On Creativity and Burn-out

2011-10-20T09:10:00.000+13:00

Here is a (rather long) comment I recently made on Terri Windling's blog, in reply to her wonderful and insightful and beautiful post on creativity, rest, burn-out and despair. Read the original post.

When I was studying to become a medical herbalist, I took some extra papers to gain a small certificate in sports nutrition, and in doing so I learned an interesting concept which comes to mind when I think about or experience burn out: when training to make your body stronger, faster, leaner, or to reach a certain goal, the body requires specified times of rest.

At night as we are asleep, our bodies calls forth the minerals and nutrients from the deep to strengthen, heal and facilitate growth of all those tissues that sustain us and makes us powerful -- our muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. Just as we need the night and the sleep for this nocturnal regeneration and rejuvenation to occur, we need days off as well.

If two or three days of hard physical work is not broken up by a day or so of not doing anything physical at all, the body doesn't get better. The muscles do not grow larger. The bones do not get thicker. You don't make your goals. When you do not give your body the time it needs to repair your tissues -- time to make them larger, more durable and stronger then ever -- plateaus and burn-out are much more likely to occur.

I try and remember this to temper the inspiration, motivation and drive that I feel for my creative and work projects. If I feel my energy and my spirit wane, I have to let go of whatever important thing I am doing, so that I can go down and go deep into some rest, and have faith that whatever needs to get done, will still get done.

Demand Studios Cuts Thousands of Articles

2011-10-14T18:05:00.001+13:00

"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water." - Rabindranath Tagore

Freelancers and business owners all know the risk of relying too long and too heavily on one big clients, and writers around the world -- myself included -- are now feeling the heat for this poor business strategy.

Demand Studios, for whom I do a great deal of writing work, has recently began restructuring their business so that they have fewer articles published to their clients (content sites like eHow and Livestrong) and the assignments that remain are better quality. While low-quality articles that clog up the net are definitely a problem, this restructuring has come on suddenly, unexpectedly (at least to me and hundreds of others), and has left many, many writers almost completely out of work. There are not enough assignments to go around for the first time in years, and the list of available articles to write has dropped by +20,000.

As writers, we are told not to fear. We are told,this is a temporary restructuring. That the articles available to us will be higher quality, easier to write, and increasingly frequent. We are told this is all normal and will improve working at Demand Studios overall. And then, we as writers sit and stare at our screens, and wait, and wait, and wait.

Now, if we had taken ourselves, our businesses, and our livelihoods more seriously, we would not have put all our eggs in one baskets, as this timely article that arrived in my inbox the other day describes: Make More Baskets by Rob Garrett.

For the moment, I am more or less surviving. In fact, I am taking this as an opportunity to broaden my horizons, find new clients, challenge myself in new areas and take my writing business more seriously. But thinking of all the people that relied on this giant company for their income till now, I feel deeply concerned -- and wonder why hardly any forewarning was given to the freelancers who make their company possible?

Time will tell how this pans out for all of us involved. Talking to people, reading inspiring quotes, and in general staying positive is an important regimen for me during this transition, and I remind myself that not all changes are bad ones.

Grand Wormwood & Crohn's Disease

2011-10-12T17:11:00.000+13:00

Right now I am growing some Wormwood (as well as some Southernwood) in my garden, so thought I would post one of my previously published articles on Wormwood here. Wormwood is a herbal medicine used to stimulate digestive function, to kill parasites in the digestive tract, and recent studies have shown it helps to improve mood and a sense of well-being. Unfortunately, not much can be done about the bitter taste -- but it is the essential flavoring for the liquor absinthe. My article is called Grand Wormwood & Crohn's Disease, and I got to read some pretty amazing research while boning up on this assignment.

Help With Blogging

2011-10-11T08:56:00.001+13:00

"If you’re not enjoying the journey, you probably won’t enjoy the destination." --Joe Tye, Life Coach

Some interesting articles have been surfacing through the blogosphere just recently, circling around the topic of "What Do I Do When I Would Rather Cut Off My Ears and Deep-Fry Them In Oil For Dinner Then Write Another Blog Post?" Well, if this sounds like you, even a little bit, here are some recent articles which handled this topic well in the last week.

"Discouraged With Blogging" by Blogging Without A Blog
"What to Do When Blogging Isn’t Fun" by BloggingPro
"101 Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle" by Philip at I Help You Blog
"10 Creative Tumblr Blogging Ideas For When You Have Writers Block" by MakeUseOf

I know I found these quite helpful, so please enjoy! Happy blogging :)

Mushroom Poisoning and Potassium

2011-10-10T20:48:00.003+13:00

Mushroom Poisoning & Potassium is my most recently published article for LIVESTRONG.com and I decided to share the link to the uploaded final article here on my blog. Its mushroom hunting season in much of the Northern Hemisphere at the moment, and according to newspapers, cases of mushroom poisonings are already rolling in. This was a super fun article to research, and hope everyone enjoys it! And don't let it scare you off -- wild mushrooms are wonderful, when selected safely.

Nursery Rhymes and Learning

2011-09-10T08:12:00.002+12:00

I remember quite clearly the long, happy nights as a child laying next to my parents while one of them read to me. Mother Goose Tales, Nursery Rhymes, Aesop's Fables -- I treasured those thick, brightly water-colored volumes of tales that my parents bring to life each night before bed.

I don't know if I still would have become a poet and a writer if I had not had those experiences at an early age. In truth, most likely I would have. However, when I did take the first tentative steps on that journey, first as a teenager, later as an adult, I had those years of curling up to my folks and listening to rhymes as a base on which to stand.

To this day some rhyme schemes I heard often back then, like the limericks and nonsense poems, come easily to my mind and sneak their way into some of the works I produce.

So I was disappointed to hear that, according to an article published by Scholastic Education in 2009, fewer parents are reading their children traditional stories and nursery rhymes because they consider them not as educational or "too old-fashioned". This really surprised me, as preschoolers are very likely not going to have much experience to draw on to know what is "too old fashioned", versus what is "fashionable". It's more likely the interests, beliefs and prejudices of the parents (especially younger parents, as the Scholastic Education article states) getting in the way.

What a loss. Despite the fact that fewer and fewer parents read traditional nursery rhymes to their children, there is a large body of scientific research that suggests when children learn nursery rhymes they experience improved learning of literacy and writing skills.

In a review of research published in the "Center for Early Literacy Learning Reviews" in 2011, researchers pooled together the results of many studies looking at the effects of learning nursery rhymes in over 5000 preschoolers. Nursery rhymes had a significant effect on the learning outcomes of children, improving literacy and language in both disabled and non-disabled children.

When children have positive and enjoyable experiences with rhymes, stories and songs, they have a much more long-term interest in reading and writing -- something that will benefit them personally, professionally and academically later on in life. There is also evidence that rhymes and poetry, whether adults are writing, reading or listening to them, improve anxiety, stress, quality of life and reduce emotional suppression.

So if there are any parents out there, I beg of you: don't take away Mother Goose and all of the golden eggs that might follow when children read, learn and love nursery rhymes and traditional stories. Watching Wall-E or getting short-sighted in front of a PlayStation3 might be entertaining and keep the kids quiet, but they are not the same. They don't provide the skills, or open the doors, that those old stories can and do. A bond is formed between a child and a parent when a favorite story is shared again, and again, and again.

I know for certain that while my teenage years spent playing video games were a strange blur to my adult mind, those times of being read Mother Goose are crystal clear, and always will be.

52 Weeks of Writing: Week One

2011-09-09T10:29:00.000+12:00

Loving the new logo! With an antique version of Adobe Photoshop which I have owned forever, I will update the logo and track my progress each week as I go through my 52 Weeks of Writing. This way I can share my shame and fame equally with everyone as I continue on the journey.

It's been a mixed first week. A few rejections of course from the short story I sent out to some magazines last week, but that's expected. I was surprised how well I took the rejections, actually. In addition, I had to write a short story for my creative writing class. Having left it, like most things, to the last minute, I pumped out a 5000 word story in three days. How did I feel after it was done? Elated. Exhausted. Spent. Satisfied. For the first time, I started to wonder about the many ways creativity and sex are so similar. In traditional Indian and Yogic philosophy, creative and sexual energies both come from the same place in the body -- the Sacral Chakra, also known as Swadhisthana or the Navel Chakra.

Asides from all this, there are a few new creative projects on the go, which I hope to unveil soon. Just finished reading "The Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss, and trying desperately to finish some books for my English paper (namely "Wind in the Willows", "Coraline" and "Alice in Wonderland"). So hard to read what people tell you to read, when there are so many exciting books out there just waiting for me. For example, I just recently purchased "Zombies vs Unicorns" - a short story anthology edited by Holly Black and Justin Larbalestier. Goodness gracious! I don't know whether to read the thing or devour it.

Time to go and finish writing some articles for work, clean the house and head to university for a lecture.One week down... just a few to go.

Dreams and Nightmares

2011-08-25T08:53:00.004+12:00

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.

- John Barrymore

According to some research I stumbled upon recently, when we sleep up to 70 percent of our dreams are negative ones. This really surprised me, but I suppose it must be true -- I know that I am one of those people who are prone to bad dreams and nightmares, especially when I am stressed out. Generally I sleep very well, but when I get nightmares, they are really something. Recent money and career worries have spiked an increase in my zombie dreams. Not fun.

I always interpret my dreams, especially those that stand in my mind as particularly meaningful, vivid or interesting. So when I got the chance to do some paid work on an article about dreams, I really jumped at the chance! It didn't have much to do with dream interpretation - instead the focus was on the effects of herbal supplements on bad dreams. Naturally I assumed the assignment would lead me down the trail of woo-woo web sites trying to sell dream pillows and dream essential oils and dream incense -- but what I found instead was surprising. And in the course of it I found some useful communities of people who share their dreams online, I found research on creative and lucid dreaming, and learned a heck of a lot about why people experience the nightmares they do.

Some interesting links to check out..

National Radio Broadcast's interview with Natalie Angier and Kelly Bulkeley on the science of nightmares.
A Suite101 article by Maija Haavisto on the effects of drugs and herbs on dreams.
The American Family Physician talks about the research on sleep disorders and nightmares.
The Lucidity Institute - a great resource of instructions, research and literature on lucid dreaming.

Perhaps I will learn to become a lucid dreamer -- then I will really kick some zombie butt!

Snow, Books and Busifullness.

2011-08-19T10:01:00.001+12:00

An apology to my honored readers, visitors, guests and friends, for my long absence from this blog. I do not wish to join the ranks of Bloggers-Who-Do-Not-Actually-Blog, but life has taken a turn for the bizarre, the chilling, and frankly busy. Just when you want to dive into a bowl of yellow ochre oil paint, everything gets a bit frantic and the canvas, the notebook, the sketchbook, and even the garden begin to gather dust.

Not to mention, where I live in New Zealand we have had TWO rather unusual and severe snow storms. Polar winds have moved on up through the North and South Islands of the country, blanketing more than half the country in white frosty frostness. In total, I can count one whole week I've spent trapped indoors by snow. For those of you who no nothing of New Zealand meteorology (for whatever reason...) this does not happen often. Snow occurs at sea level about every four years in Christchurch in the South Island, and even then, this is the worst snow we've seen in near 20 years.

This is a picture of our boy, Biggles. As you can clearly see, he loves the snow. Just loves it.

While all this has been going on, I've been working away on my computer, publishing articles to pay the bills and get myself through University. For the first in a long time, I am actually making a half-decent wage - with writing, no less! And it's a great gig - it allows me the flexibility to go to University where I can study (this term) Children's Literature, Creative Writing and Film Studies.

This picture is of me outside, at midnight, during the first snowfall. It was like powder. Cold, sparkly powder.

I am supposed to be reading Wind in the Willows at the moment.... but a certain Patrick Rothfuss has found his way onto my bedside table. For those of you who know who Patrick Rothfuss, you understand that his books are NOT a short read. I am about 500 pages or so into "The Wise Man's Fear"... so about half-way. Am I a bad student? Yes, yes I am.

HOWEVER...
I am not not doing my studies because of drinking, eating, watching Family Guy, going snow boarding or because I've been doing Things That Shall Not Be Named and Got Locked In A Closet Down Lichfield St...I've not been doing my studies because I've been reading.

Reading is important.
Reading is, in some ways, life.
And what kind of English Literature student would I be if I didn't neglect my friends, boyfriend, dogs, personal hygiene and studies to read a really good novel?

Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

Metamorphosis into Authenticity

2011-06-24T17:29:00.000+12:00

All my life I have struggled to find a form of work that paid the bills and, at the same time, interested me. I've done all sorts of things - worked in a grocery store, in a fruit-packing shed, in an apple orchard, in a take-a-way, in a health food shop, in a health clinic and once nearly ended up working in an office (dodged that bullet!)

And for the past year or so now I've been a writer. What enabled me to make this mythic and strange jump was my background in health science and natural medicine, which put me in a particularly good position to write natural health articles for content web sites.

But I've been thinking: I got into writing not because I wanted to be a health writer.

I did it because I loved to dream, to fantasize, to lose myself in other worlds.

Health and science articles pay for a lot of bills - I can't ignore that. But this month I've learned something else too. I've learned the more I put it out there to the universe that I want to write articles on literature, myth and folklore, the more of those sorts of titles that seem to float my way. Just this week I've been writing about Inuit culture, Taoism and Native American folklore about owls and wolves. It's been great - and I can honestly say I've loved every minute of it.

So I am going to keep on doing just that, and see where I end up.

Next week taking a break from Earthquake Town and visiting my friends and family in the North Island. Looking forward to the vacation from shakes and quakes, and hopefully getting some extra sun (it gets real cold and dark here in the South Island in June!) Love and peace everyone!

7 Writing Goals for Winter

2011-06-21T10:46:00.001+12:00

After discovering the blog All Things Writing, I decided to continue the thread of writing some, erm, writing goals for winter. By posting them here on The Rabbit Hill I can refer back to them later and they will be much harder to avoid. Not to mention, showing your goals to other people creates accountability and ensures more effort will go into furthering those goals.

1. Spend more time writing fiction and less on Facebook

2. Start a new short story every week.

3. Build a support network of writers

4. Blog weekly on The Rabbit Hill

5. Find two new regular gigs for folklore/myth articles

6. Get my budgeting and business plan sorted

7. Start putting together an "ideas folder" either in hard copy, digital copy or both.

So what about you? What are your goals for the season?

The Religions of Indians of the Mojave Desert

2011-06-12T10:45:00.000+12:00

A recent writing assignment had me perusing through some fantastic historical and folklore journals on the Internet to find information on the various Native American tribes who inhabited the Mojave desert in the US. It's the smallest desert in the country, however I was surprised to find it to be such a rich source of history, mythology, ritual practices and herbal medicine. If you want to check out the article (newly published on eHow), click on this article link.

These are the sorts of articles which I am most excited to get to work on - and the experience has led me to consider dropping future health writing assignments in favor of those subjects that really impassion me: history, folklore, mythology, world religion, etc. Perhaps I need to give the natural health writing a break for a bit and explore new seas. I'm a curious person - it's a terrible habit! I end up going down rabbit holes of links and information, neglecting the articles I am 'supposed' to be working on.

Maybe it's time to be listening to the wind inside me, and follow it.

Russian Researchers Domesticate Foxes

2011-06-11T09:17:00.004+12:00

I tend to be a bit behind recent events, despite my concerted efforts to watch the news and occasionally read the newspaper. Realizing I myself do not have much money to spend on magazines, my dear mother has sent me copies of some of her National Geographic, and this morning I finally took the time to look through one of them. As I lay in bed surrounded by furry blankets, drinking aromatic coffee and staring occasionally at the frosty world outside, I opened up the March 2011 issue of National Geo 'freshly' arrived in my mailbox and found myself reading an article on one of my favorite topics - foxes.

Something about foxes has always intrigued me. We don't get them here in New Zealand, but I have read about them my whole life, and more recently became interested in the legends and folklore surrounding them in Asian countries like Japan and Korea. There is a long history in these places of foxes being regarding as powerful and dangerous witch animals, capable of magic and transformation, sometimes disguising themselves as humans. Whether malignant or benign, the fox is a revered being in nature, and one branch of Buddhism even links foxes (white foxes in particular) with the rice god Inari. Kij Johnson wrote a wonderful novel on this very topic - one of my favorite books actually - called "The Fox Wife", about a Japanese fox who falls in love with a mortal, and creates an illusory world in which they can be together.

All this wild magic and ancient folklore considered, finding myself reading the article in National Geographic I can only describe my reaction with one word - disturbed. Russian researchers have been working for years on a genetics project, attempting to produce domesticated foxes, that through selective breeding are chosen for their friendly attitudes towards humans. The foxes are not bred for their intelligence - they are bred for "niceness".Over the last fifty or so years the project has managed to produce foxes and kits that behave considerably like dogs: they have floppy ears, they run up to you when you approach or call them, they chase a ball, etc.

They are even able to be sold as pets, to "wealthy homes".

Now, I love foxes. I think they are enchanting, almost mystical creatures with great skill and cunning - but would I still feel that way if one was sitting at my feet, begging for food? Don't get me wrong, I have dogs of my own and I love them to death - but somehow the wild and untamable aspect of a fox is where much of the appeal lies. Much like the appeal of the wolf, the owl, or the wild cat. The animal that is connected with nature and lives by its own means, by its ability to make it alone.

Many, if not most, of our domesticated animals have lost the talent to survive on their own, if they had to.While I love my animals, I regret this aspect of their heritage which appears to be gone forever. They don't mind - they don't know what they're missing. But would it be more natural for them to be out there, hunting, chasing, running through trees?

Interestingly, the domestication of the foxes brings up the question with researchers - are we ourselves simply domesticated animals, that through breeding have become friendly and house-bound? According to this article - yes. The difference between the domesticated fox and the wild fox is the same difference between a human and a chimpanzee. And in saying that, it's a good difference. The fox is aligned with a more evolved and advanced way of being. Humans don't want to go back to living like apes, do we? No, of course not. So surely we would not wish these beautiful foxes to be wild and unfriendly - oh no!

Whether we know it or not, we are still colonizing the world around us. Imperialism may be all but dead in the western world, but is this research project a sign of something more 21st century and just as sinister - a form of scientific imperialism? Do animals have no place in our future if they do not fit into the boxes of pets or food? Perhaps in 100 years the fox will be an expensive form of dog breed - like a husky. Reminiscent of its ancient wild roots, but tame and subservient all the same.

Next on the research block, I assume, will be the wolf - because what "wealthy home" wouldn't love to show off its brass by owning a domesticated, face-licking and ball-chasing wolf?

Metamorphosis II: Reading

2011-06-07T08:58:00.000+12:00

The book is changed

by being read

as much as the reader

by their reading.

Metamorphosis Poem I - University

2011-06-06T17:50:00.000+12:00

I enter the jaws
of the great bug:
a concrete spider
with a thousand
hungry eyes
weighing me up
as I slip
onto its tongue
and mix myself
with rainbow saliva
dripping from
a thousand
predigested minds

translucent and slimy
with the passage
of time.

The stars behind me
whisper out
as I fold my knees
down into the goo
and like western witches
melt away.
It wants neither my skin
not cock, nor muscle
nor eyes - just my brain.

My fat, full brain
to fuel the machine.

Magazine Slams Content Writers

2011-06-04T11:37:00.000+12:00

I have only just read the May 2011 issue of the magazine Writers Forum, and was disappointed in reading the article titled "Why providing articles for content sites isn't real writing!"

In this article, various web sites (and their writers) are attacked for reducing the quality of writing and damaging the industry. While the majority of the criticism was aimed towards web sites such as Hub Pages, Infobarrel and Squidoo for their revenue sharing programmes, Demand Media was mentioned at length as one of the "big giants of content sites".

The author of the article states: "...be realistic. Don't expect to boost your CV or credibility with editors - or gain much in the way of real writing experience."

To say that I found these words disheartening is, at best, a gross understatement.

I agree wholeheartedly that if you are hoping, NEEDING, your writing to pay your bills then revenue sharing sites are a joke and do not recompensate writers for their time and effort. However, to say that the people involved in any or all of these programmes are not "real writers" is unfounded, elitist and judgemental. Any number of print-published writers, editors and journalists can be found on these web sites and contribute considerable time, skill and work into making their writing stand out.

In addition to writing effective articles under strict word limitations - and time frames, in order to make the job viable - writers are required to research credible sources, craft articles to specific formats and contribute something new to the pool of information already existing on the web. Personally, I take great pride in not only the quality of my writing but the depth and distinction of research which I support it with. The majority of my articles cite medical or research journals and non-fiction hardcopy books as their references. The information I provide is up to date, evidence-based and researched.

It is easy to make grand generalizations about large communities of writers like ours here, at Demand Studios, but they do not take into account the many individuals who take part in this opportunity, or their reasons for doing so.

So, I'm sorry, Writers Forum magazine, but I do write content articles, and I AM a real writer - despite it, because of it and proud of it.

Bursting Into Flames - the Horrific Short Life of a Phoenix

2011-06-03T08:56:00.008+12:00

Interesting conversation yesterday.
I am walking past an earthquake-torn historic building and someone goes, "We in Christchurch will rise again - like the Phoenix!"
"What - bursting into flames?" I replied
"Well yes, but, wait, not like that - ok, maybe a bad example."
We laugh and walk away from each other.
Yeah, I get what they are saying. Phoenix dies and is reborn from the ash of it's former self.

Big deal.

There's got to be an easier way, me thinks.

When I learned that the Creative Every Day 2011 theme for the month of June was "metamorphosis", I groaned. I really, really did. Sometimes life feels like one painful unfolding of dry onion layer after dry onion layer. I've taken so many healing, Landmark, NLP, hypnosis, counselling, The Journey, yoga and flower essence classes that if I met Oprah on the street tomorrow - she probably would tell me I was doing too much "self-help" and needed to sit my ass down.

Everything has changed for me this year - everything. Where I live, my friends, my job, my university courses, my future. Not all bad changes, but they are big - and definitely take some getting used to. Living in a town that has been half-destroyed by earthquakes, it feels as though metamorphosis fills my every waking moment and every dream. Just down the street from me neo-gothic and historic buildings have crumbled to bits, and new buildings are already being erected to replace them.There are days, like today, when I just want the ground under my feet to (literally and figuratively) STOP moving.

So, ok, you get the picture. Lots of changes.
Does that mean that I will jump up and down and not do the challenge?
Of course not.

The challenge of using the metamorphosis theme for creativity has actually prompted me to think about some positive, life affirming changes that I might like to make with my life and my art. Many changes I've experienced are those I have had no choice in - call them acts of god, they happen, and you just have to deal with them when they do. But what types and forms of metamorphosis might I like to explore that is actually of my choosing?

Good question.

And does all metamorphosis and change have to involve bone-breaking, flesh burning, soul tearing, cathartic stages of transformation?

God I hope not.

To explore this question I stayed up last night writing a series of poems based around the theme of metamorphosis, and I will be editing and posting them on here as the month progresses. Subjects included the way that books and reading stimulates changes within people, how old age changes people and their sense of self, how simple words and acts can render changes unto a relationship with a loved one forever.

The exercise was helpful, enabling me to write fast, loose, not worrying what came out, just moving from one poem to the next very quickly. It's a great way of shutting up the left-brain from analyzing too deeply, scrutinizing too hard, and just getting into the flow. By the end of the poetry jam session I slipped off into a contented, creatively-satisfied slumber.

Metamorphosis happens all around us, every day. The seasons, the tide, the dresses of the moon - constant cycles of transformation and difference, always connected with a deeper, more natural balance.

That's the sort of personal metamorphosis I would like to invoke into my own life.

The Phoenix can keep it's dramatic catharsis and fiery death cries.
Some things, like writing, like life, can just be simple.

New Release from Semaphore Magazine

2011-05-26T08:01:00.000+12:00

Today is a very exciting day. In addition to it being the two year anniversary for my partner and I, we are heading up north for a few days to visit my family visiting from Canada. If that wasn't awesome enough, the latest issue of Semaphore Magazine has been released, featuring a poem I wrote last year titled "Black Magic Woman". Oh my gosh, I'm so excited! I came so close to not sending it to the editor at all.

I am sad to hear that it will be Marie's last publication of Sempahore for the time being, but I hope that she will continue to release this brilliant magazine when she returns from her trip overseas. It was wonderful to know that there were other publishers in NZ attempting to release speculative fiction works, and Marie has done a fantastic job of editing the magazine for five years now. Last year Sempahore Magazine won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for a publication specializing in speculative fiction.

To check out Sempahore Magazine, click here.

Writers and Social Media

2011-05-23T08:34:00.000+12:00

It is becoming more and more important for writers and artists to take an active role in the marketing aspect of their own careers. While many people might find this leap into the future challenging, I have always had one finger in the internet and its developments, so it seems like a natural path of progression. The internet is able to access so many people in such a small space of time. And it's free (most of the time).

Not to mention, I love the fact that I can receive messages and updates from my favorite authors, artists, editors, etc. They are not just disconnected entities existing somewhere, out there, who release a book every once in a while to tell the world that they are still alive. They are people - real people. While I am not so interested in what they ate for breakfast, it is great to feel connected to these people whose work touches, influences and inspires our lives.

Today on Writer Unboxed, guest blogger Crystal King is posting a delicious article about the benefits of joining LinkedIn (the professional network community) for writers. Its great, I love LinkedIn- and this article has helped inspire me to log back on, follow her advice and make it work for ME. Synchronizing it with things like FB and Blogger will help save time as well. Check out Crystal's blog post here.

Poetry and Rabbits

2011-05-22T10:00:00.000+12:00

To Celebrate the grand unveiling of The Rabbit Hill's new design, I have written a poem. It's kind of longish, so if you don't feel like reading the whole thing, just run your fingers over the computer screen and absorb the good vibes vibing off it. ;)

The Rabbit Hill

You are standing on a hill

and you think it's just dirt

You don't realize

beneath your toes and soles

great black holes are stretching

down into the ground.

Tunnels of stories and faerie lights

are weaving backwards and forwards

through the walls of time

down where no person sees.

The tunnels were dug

so very long ago

by the host of rabbits,

every color of the earth;

They saw prophecies

of a great and twisted world

where others saw only dirt

and dirty roots.

They saw books of pebbles

hidden beneath the trees,

and they dug and dug

and dug till they found

the words they wanted.

You don't know it,

but there is dancing

down below.

You don't know it,

but you are standing

on a rabbit hill.

New Blog Design

2011-05-21T12:38:00.001+12:00

There are exciting changes afoot. As you can see, I am working on a new design for The Rabbit Hill, in addition to extra pages and content. I have filled out an entire biography page for your surprise and delight, and will be working towards compiling a useful list of cool links for writers.

When I am supposed to be studying for exams, this is what I find myself doing. Perhaps it's that to get the studious juices flowing, I need to first extract the creative juices. Either way, I am loving what is turning out on this blog, and spending hours of my Saturday morning tweaking and perfecting the feel is so much fun.

One nice surprise this week was discovering that a web site called The Daily Puppy has re-published several of my short articles on dog health and nutrition, such as this one and this one. Another article I wrote last year on natural oils with SPF factors appears to now have its own facebook page too.

In another piece of personal news, a well known and very popular website has accepted a pitch for some article ideas I sent them, and currently I am waiting on the editor to get back to me on the first draft I have sent in. If it gets published, it will mean being able to access a much wider audience through my writing, which is fantastic! More on that as the story develops.

Stay tuned for more updates and creative splurges.

Creative Writing

2011-05-18T21:55:00.000+12:00

Five months, a million cups of tea and two writer blocks later and I've finally completed the last short story for my portfolio - 4750 words of rough draft wonderfullness. Together with a few other stories, I can submit the portfolio with my application for University of Canterbury's 2011 short writing course. They only have 24 spaces so I am really really hoping I get in!

In addition, the finalists for Wildberries Journal of Mythic Fantasy issue 2 have been chosen and now just waiting on a few individuals to get back to me about some of the admin details. All goes well, hoping to upload and publish online sometime in the next week or two. The earthquake has upset so many things, it's great to get the ball rolling again.

Short stories and white fluffy dogs

2011-05-16T09:04:00.001+12:00

Currently eating a delicious selection of fruits (bananas and seasonal feijoas) with my morning toast, covered in slatherings of organic blackberry jam. All this amazingness, served alongside a fresh cup of coffee with honey, almost makes up for the night I suffered last. It was rough. It was difficult. I came very close to violent hysterics. Twice. But I got through, then I slept, then I got up, and now - I eat.

I am currently dog-sitting two white fluffy dogs for my partner's mother while she is recovering from a cardiovascular procedure from last week. Yes, yes. They are cute. Whatever. It doesn't make up for the fact that they have a psychic ability to sense whenever I pick up my pen and attempt to work on any of my badly neglected fiction.

I have a portfolio due for submission at university by the end of the month. That might seem a lot of time to submit two 5000 word stories, but it isn't. Not when you included it alongside the other myriad of exams and essays I've got to write as well. So last night I pick up my notepad and start jotting down a flurry of ideas for one of the stories in question I've decided to submit. It's got everything I love in a short story: dark magic, transforming animals, men who juggle balls, etc.

But what happens?
Yep, that's right.
Bark. Bark. Bark.

Joel gets up, wanders to check on dogs, then goes back to bed.

Bark. Bark. Bark.

Joel sighs and gets up, wanders to check on dogs, glares at them and goes back to bed.

Bark! Bark! Bark!

Joel growls and gets up, wanders to check on dogs, yells at them, then goes back to bed again.

Bark Bark Bark Bark!!!

Joel gives up on story and brings the dogs to sleep with him.

Today, with the magical power of a second cup of coffee and a visualization in my mind's eye that I am a non-violent person, somewhat like Buddha, I continue on my dog-sitting adventures and desperately try to write 'the next great new zealand story'. Wish me luck.

Tricksters and Folklore

2011-05-14T09:36:00.000+12:00

Just a shout out that today eHow has published my first two articles on folklore - "Types of Tricksters in Folktales" and "A List of Fables and Fairy Tales". Following the recent bout of natural disasters in New Zealand I was taking a wee hiatus from writing for pay, however with bills looming on the horizon I know I must get back to it. And to tell the truth, I am enjoying it. Being active, being creative, being productive - it helps. And to have an article of mine on the subject of myth published is very exciting.

Can Creative Writing Be Taught?

2011-05-12T10:07:00.000+12:00

Recently the blog DIY MFA posted a question "Can Creative Writing be Taught?" in response to an article written in The Guardian tackling the same question. It's interesting how many people get wrapped into all sorts of knots over this issue.

To Degree or not to Degree.
To Dare to Dream, or Not.

As if answering this age old question in the world of creative writing and publishing would put a lot of people out of their misery, and usher up the chosen few to the front of the line.

You know.
Those guys.
The ones with 'talent'.

I suppose my official (and short) response to "Can Creative Writing Be Taught?" would be: Yes.Yes it can.

The considerably longer response: I myself have learned creative writing. And I still am learning. Not just through tertiary learning institutions though, but from all sorts of places and people. I read essays, writer's magazines, blogs, online articles, newsletters and take workshops. And, most importantly, I read books. I read lots, and lots, of books. Especially those in the genres in which I am interested in writing. Show me an urban fantasy book and the transformation will amaze you. If urban fantasy was a cookie, I'd be cookie monster - but without the blue fur. Just normal man fur.

I also read a lot of non-fiction books on the art and craft of writing. The local library is full of books published by known and unknown authors on how to write, how to unlock creativity, how to structure the next big Dan Brown-esque novel, etc. Some of the best and most useful books I've found include "Booklife" by Jeff Vandermeer and "Artist in the Office" by Summer Pierre.

Learning creative writing is not about reaching a destination. Joyce Carol-Oates is not going to magically appear in a puff of literary smoke and hand you a laminated card with the words "REAL CREATIVE WRITER" written on it in big, bold, black letters. To learn writing - to learn any art - is an ongoing process on which you embark. It does not happen right away. You've got to be passionate, you've got to have determination, you've got to have the spirit and guts and balls to say "Yes, I can learn."

And the moment you think to yourself "I have arrived!" - you have failed. Just because you have a degree, it doesn't mean you can write, or get published. And just because you're published, doesn't mean that people like you. And if people do like you, and you've got a New York Times Bestselling Novel, you might still kind of suck.

Keep walking, keep journeying, keeping writing, and your craft and skills will grow with you. Every time I get a new issue of Writer's Digest, every time I sit down and write a poem on my napkin, every time I read a book, I learn something new about writing. It never stops. It's crazy.

Ever played Pokemon? That game where you run around catching monsters, and raise them slowly so they gain magical powers?
If you have not, I recommend you try. The analogy helps.

Interview with Mary Oliver on Oprah.com

2011-04-05T15:05:00.001+12:00

Just recently Oprah.com has posted a rare interview with the poet Mary Oliver by Mary Shriver.

Mary has been publishing poetry for over 20 years and is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

It was last year when I was first introduced to the writings of Mary Oliver. I was living out in the country at the time with my partner, and attempting to re-establish myself with my roots and connection to nature. After living in a city for a few years, the country boy inside just wants to get out and get muddy again! Mary Oliver and her work entered my life at this important junction, and I found the themes of her poetry reflected and mirrored themes within my story and my heart.

Discovering Mary Oliver's poetry was also a wonderful reminder that the world is still full of beautiful and human writing, just hiding beneath the surface and waiting to be discovered.

The link to the interview is here. You can also visit Mary Oliver's official web site here.

Review: The Wood Wife by Terri Windling

2011-03-15T12:59:00.000+13:00

If you enjoy reading mythic fiction and urban fantasy, "The Wood Wife" will keep you reading past the wicked hours of midnight till you get to the final, last tantalizing page. Written by award winning editor and author Terri Windling, "The Wood Wife" mixes shamanism, poetry, magic and murder mystery in the heart of the desert.

The main protagonist, Maggie Black, leaves her home and her ex-husband in Los Angelos and moves to the Tucson desert where she has inherited a house from a famous but reclusive poet named Davis Cooper. Maggie soon begins to plan a biography on the poet and starts to unwravel the secrets and mysticism surrounding his life, and death.

"The Wood Wife" was a thoroughly enchanting read. I can't remember the last time the fragile magic of a book left traces of inspiration clinging to my mind for so many days. Terri Windling touches on the very heart of magic and the spell of isolated, wild places in this stunning novel. After reaching the end of the book I felt so sad I had finished it. The book was over - and yet - I wanted to read more.

So I read it twice.

In my world, that's about the biggest thumbs up a book can get. If you would like to learn more, visit Terri Windlings web site and blog here.

Barberry and the Tummy Bugs

2011-03-14T17:03:00.000+13:00

On the weekend just past I was scheduled to leave the earthquake-torn town of Christchurch. New Zealand, and spend some time in the countryside with my gorgeous partner.
No such luck. Just before departing, I came down with a wicked case of gastroenteritis.
If you have the (rather sick) curiosity to find out just what gastroenteritis is, you can either A) visit Christchurch, New Zealand and take a nice long drink of local tap water, or B) google it. I recommend, the latter.

It is monday, and thanks to a herbal helper, I am able to enjoy my extra day off a bit. To show my gratitude towards mother earth and her herbs which aided my healing, I thought I would share one of the star players with you all.

Inbetween trips to visit the procelain throne to relieve my earthquake-induced digestive problems, I was lucky enough to remember I had a liquid tincture of Barberry root (Berberis vulgaris radix) in my kitchen. I doubt any witches brew could be as bitter as Barberry tincture. But, if my tongue hates it so much, just imagine what it must do to the bad bacteria in my gut! I took my medicine, and with the addition of a few other supplements, such as probiotics, Cranberry juice and Echinacea tablets, I recovered quickly.

With some research, I later discovered my intuitive inclination was spot on! Barberry root and bark may help to remedy traveler's diarrhoea and gastroenteritis related to drinking unclean water and food due to its natural antibacterial and astringent properties. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre web site, Barberry was found more effective than antibiotics in one study, and can be used safely alongside medications.

Barberry is a herb is readily available through most herbalists, naturopaths, health shops and even some pharmacies. Ask for high strength Barberry extract with at least 1g per capsule or tablet.

Mosaic Tile Dreams

2011-03-12T17:51:00.000+13:00

I am re-ordering my dreams
into mosaic tiles.

They form shapes
like trees and roadside fences
that keep things in.

There is a yellow disc
that I make into a moon,
and tiny pink hearts
that give the picture more color.

I put a wolf in the distance
where he seems less scary
and shadows will make it harder
for him to catch me (I hope).

Tiny white spots
I want people to recognise
as stars. They are so pretty.

And there I am,
by the roadside
sitting on the fence,
beneath the moon and stars
and far from all wolf-like creatures
that stand behind shadows,
where they can't see the sky
like I do.

A Declaration of War

2011-02-28T13:36:00.000+13:00

The Naysayer

Recently I had the experience of an unfortunate friend saying to me, "You can't really teach creative writing, it's just something you're born with."

Now, this was not the first time I have been faced with this sort of pessimism from friends, family or strangers. Most writers and artists will, at some stage, have comments like this thrown at them.

The comment was made even more ridiculous by the fact that, I have learned creative writing. At school I was never particularly good at english, nor did I enjoy it. The rules around language skills were boring, if not disabling and mystifying . It wasn't till many years later when I attended creative writing courses at university that I (re)learnt rules around spelling, grammar and sentence structure that had mutated in my mind over time.

Now many (if not most) of my bills are paid through freelance writing. I have made several professional sales of poetry. I've published articles on health, alternative medicine, relationships, pets, creative writing and book reviews.

Now, I am not the most famous writer in the world. I am learning new things all the time. There is so much to learn. Libraries are filled with books on writing techniques and craft. The internet is bursting with web sites and communities ripe with knowledge. Bookshops are made possible by writers who did not give up, did not listen, and decided to learn to write.

I have learned, am learning, and this alone is proof that the societal myth around creative writing simply is that - mythology.

The Myth

So why is it that so many people assume that writing is an innate, sacred gift, bestowed to the chosen few?

Well, for starters, there are stories of writers who became rich, famous and powerful after publishing their first ever novel. Stephanie Meyer is a good recent example of someone who had never written anything before publishing "Twilight", and hit the big time.

Try this on for size: 30 famous authors whose works were rejected (repeatedly, and sometimes rudely) by publishers.

This whole experience of talking to my friend has gotten me so fired up, so incensed, so burning-hot-mad, I have decided to officially declare War.

War on the naysayers.

War on the puny pessimists.

War on the creatively-crippled.

Writing can be learned. Writing can be developed. Writing can be honed and crafted.

The Plan

I am planning to post a series of articles and blogs on the process of writing, sharing exercises, tips and wisdom that I come across in the journey.I am going to share my own journey of learning to write (for the journey never, ever ends!) and in doing so, leave a trail of bread crumbs for others to follow. I am not proclaiming to be a guru, or an expert. Just a guy too stubborn to give up, or give in.

Rather scribbling down an exact and formulated plan of action, this blog is going to be an organic and natural creative process. What needs to be written here come through inspiration, through conversation, through books, through projects I work on, through characters I invent or channel.

If there is a need for the knowledge to be communicated, I trust that it will find a way to come through.

This blog is only one of many, many sources of information and help for those wanting to learn to write, or improve in their writing.

Its a long, hard road.
But nothing worth doing is easy.

Review: Booklife by Jeff VanderMeer

2011-02-28T10:42:00.000+13:00

If you are a published author, or a new writer working towards publication, this is one book that will aid you in your journey.

As I recently slithered my way through the shelves of books at my local library, looking for literary treasure, the attractive and artistic cover caught my eye on a display shelf. "Booklife" by Jeff VanderMeer is a recently published book designed specifically for writers who are serious about making a living and a lifestyle from their work.

The first half of the book is dedicated specifically to the business of writing, with a special focus on social and network marketing to generate business. With so much emphasis now placed on Twitter, Facebook and Blogs to market freelance work, I found this section very helpful with great information. I'm quite comfortable with using social media to market myself, however I know these web sites are still a new concept for a lot of people out there. It's not for everyone. Jeff VanderMeer goes into detail explaining the pro's and con's of each and allows writers to make their own choices. "

The second half of the book delves into the inner world of the writer, taking a close look at creativity and inspiration, the craft of writing, goal setting and balancing your "book life" with your everyday life and family.

In my experience most books, and creative writing classes, focus their emphasis on just one of these elements. For example, my university creative writing classes spent a lot of time working on craft, while an online course I once took spent a lot of time talking about the business of writing and learning how to approach editors and market your work. All of it is necessary, but the delicate balance of the two is what makes Jeff's book so delightful and supportive.

I can't recommend "Booklife" enough. New and well-seasoned writers will all get something out of it. The world of writing and publishing is rapidly changing with each passing day. Writers who maintain a firm connection with the shifting ground of this world will survive and see their work flourish.

To read an interview with Jeff VanderMeer published on Prima Storia, go here.

"Even if you fail, you'll have succeeded more than if you had tried for a lesser goal." Jeff VanderMeer, "Booklife".

The New Zealand Earthquake

2011-02-27T09:45:00.000+13:00

My apologies for the delays in updating and posting on this blog of recent, as my home in New Zealand has recently been hit with a series of devastating earthquakes.

Today is my first day back in my home and office, as well as my first day with running water and sewage. There is little damage to my home, but many are not so lucky. Some people have lost plates and dishes, others have lost everything. Aftershocks can still be heard, like bombs dropping in the distance.

There is cleaning and rebuilding to do, and all the while life must go on, and I must continue to send out work in order to pay for the bills and the mortage.

I have just posted the following on the e-zine, Wildberries, which I am editor for:

--
Hello and my apologies for the delays in releasing the second issue of Wildberries.
With the continuing earthquakes we have been experiencing here in New Zealand, in addition to family illness, this issue is very late indeed. With the most recent 6.3 earthquake on Friday, 22nd of February, there will unfortunately be even more delays.
This national tragedy has claimed jobs, homes and lives of people close to me. My own job is now lost, as the health shop where I worked was brought down to rubble along with countless other buildings and businesses. It will take time and energy to rebuild, and even more time and energy to heal.
Let me finish my saying that while these are dark times for New Zealand, my home, it is also a time when creativity, inspiration and hope are needed most. While Wildberries and other projects will take longer then originally planned, they will still go ahead, and like life, they will move on.
My love to everyone out there, and my thanks for your support and understanding. I will be posting more regular updates on progress at my blog The Rabbit Hill.
Joel Le Blanc
Editor
P.S. If anyone can spare funds for a donation to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, please go to: http://www.redcross.org.nz/cms_display.php. Thousands of families are still without clean water, electricity, sewage and shelter. Every little bit helps.

Once I have been able to catch up on more of the workload that is piling up around me, I will hopefully be able to catch up on personal projects, especially those concerning Wildberries and this blog as well.

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement through this difficult period.

All the best,

Joel Le Blanc

Everythings and Nothings, with lots of Somethings

2011-02-06T08:23:00.000+13:00

Life is a fantastic mesh of messiness, laughter and food sometimes. It's strange when it's all so wonderful, so unexpected, yet you still feel stressed and nauseous from exhaustion, because it's all so fast, so whirlwindish. I wouldn't change anything about my life these days - except to take it off the fast-forward button.

In two weeks all my classes begin once more and I will be sent reeling into a world of editing, writing and painting. This is good. Right? Yes. Absolutely. Other bohemians will look positively banker-ish compared to how bohemian I've become. I just desperately hope that I have enough spare time for my boyfriend, my dogs and my poor, poor vegetable patch.

The other day I recieved a little bit of news. Apparently another one of my poems has been selected to be published in a book. I know very little about this book, except that it is an anthology of local poets and that the book launch is suprisingly soon. The poem that was selected is called "Hansel & Gretel" and was written halfway through last year following a university english paper I did on fairytales, mythology and folklore.

Right now my beloved boyfriend is making up some breakfast for me. I can hear the complaining spittle of oil in the pan, and wafting tendrils of smokey aromas are finding me here at my computer. I had best go and investigate just what he is up to.

Later this week I hope to upload some new content, including a few book reviews (I have been absolutely book crazy these last two weeks!) and a post on "Finding the Writer's Voice".

Dachshunds and Doubts

2011-02-01T16:36:00.000+13:00

People who don't use capital letters in their blogs should be dragged out of their homes and beaten with a bamboo stick.

In other news, I am currently writing an article on dachshunds and dachshund nutrition. I admit that my only previous experience with this very cute breed of dog was the "Harry Mclary" books I read as a child. Schnitzel von crum, wasn't it? Well, yes, anywho. Anyone can learn - and writers can learn new things especially fast and in depth. It's the little things like "deadlines" and "mortgages" that adds that extra pinch of fairy dust to make them learn better.

To be honest, it's been really good to cover a topic on something new and different. It's easy to get stuck on an endless line of articles on human nutrition, weight loss and detoxification. Not that those are not important titles. But they are like door handles - everyone has had a turn. For my own spiritual growth, learning and personal development, dachshund nutrition has provided some new fodder for the canon.

Well, at least for today.

Stay tuned. When the article gets published I will provide the link!

Joel vs. The World

2011-01-31T14:29:00.000+13:00

Well it's 2:30pm in the afternoon, and I have not gotten any work done yet. None whatsoever.

Excellent.

This means my nefarious plan to rule The World is right on schedule.

You see, I will lull The World into a fall sense of security, waiting for the right moment when it least expects me to strike. And when I am in the gutter, covered in urine and shame, I will make my move and WHAM! World goes down - and I rule!

Very good. Very, very good.

Working Hard on Blog

2011-01-30T21:23:00.000+13:00

I've decided that if one has a blog, one must learn to use one's blog more effectively.

Or at least, more effectively than one has been doing - if "one" means "me".

Having said that, I know that I am a highly visual person, and having a blog that is pleasing to the eye, energetic, possibly even inspiration, will help to motivate me incredibly to log in and start typing away in here.

When you are a freelancer, you are acutely aware of phrases such as "time is money". However, I have decided that is not how I am going to run my home business. I am going to take my time, have fun, explore, play and enjoy the full and delicious ride of it as long as I can.

I did not become a writer because I wanted to earn money (the two simply just don't go together). I became a writer because I wanted to share with others that which that I love, the knowledge that has helped me, and the energies and ideas that have moved me.

These are the sentiments and abstract ideas which I decided had to be expressed and connected through my blog.

I have spent the last few days working hard on the design and layout. It's been a joyous experience to tap back into old skills I gained as a teenager when I used to teach myself web design and HTML. More then anything, accessing the visual aspects of the brain and giving the "audio-digital" language of the analytical mind a rest I've enjoyed.

The blog is mostly finished, with new pages up and running allowing readers to see my published writings, the art I am working on and the e-zine journal that I am editing.

Next step: finish up connecting the links on the left-hand panel, have some tea, charge up my camera and learn to use it more often, play with some paint, dance around in my living room, then get back to work.

Smoking and Herbs: How to Quit Naturally

2011-01-28T15:10:00.000+13:00

Earlier this week I took up an assignment to write an article for Demand Studios on "How to Quit Smoking Using Herbs". It really seemed like the perfect fit at the time. I know a lot about herbal medicine. A lot.

And I hate tobacco and smoking. A lot.

It was a (work) match made in heaven!

In all seriousness, I was given the opportunity to learn a lot from researching this assignment. Herbs like Rhodiola and St John's Wort are fast becoming some of the biggest research topics in herbal medicine today. The fact that they and other herbs help with withdrawel symptoms and smoking cessation is just one more notch in an already impressive belt.

Regurgitating old information is one of the most boring parts of being a writer. With that in mind, you've got to strive to find new and interesting information when writing freelance material. Especially when writing on old and decrepit topics that have begun to acquire that zombie smell (because a thousand writers have covered it a thousand times already).

The link to the published article is here: http://www.ehow.com/how_7850085_quit-smoking-naturally-using-herbs.html

Growing up, both of my parents smoked, and it had implications for both their health in the long run. I hope that writing articles such as this one goes out there, and (somehow) helps someone, in some way.

Cocorosie

2010-11-29T17:14:00.000+13:00

Just wanted to share this with everyone. Cocorosie is a band I have just recently discovered when my neice-in-law introduced me to them. I was sent a link to the song, "Werewolf", and was instantly plunged headfirst into icey fresh and strange lyrics, beautiful music and haunting story-telling like none I have come across in the world of music before.

Finding Cocorosie is very exciting and hopefully in the next couple of days I will be sharing some of the new art and lyrics that have been inspired from their songs.

Top 100 Books - How many have you read?

2010-11-28T21:40:00.000+13:00

"The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here."

I have just found this list over on the "This Miss Loves to Read" blog and I wanted to take a look to see how well read I am. Turns out 18 books isn't too bad, but not that great either. Gives me a good idea though for what titles to look out for though next time I am at a 2nd hand book store!

Instructions:

•Copy this list.
•Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety.
•Italicise the ones you started but didn’t finish or read only an excerpt.
•Tag other book nerds.
•Highlight the ones that you have but haven't read.
Now, let's see:

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The King James Bible
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) – George Orwell
His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch – George Eliot
Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell (own, haven't read)
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame (own, haven't read)
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
Emma -Jane Austen
Persuasion – Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini (own, haven't read)
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne
Animal Farm – George Orwell (own, haven't read)
The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Atonement – Ian McEwan
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Dune – Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
On The Road – Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
Dracula – Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
Ulysses – James Joyce
The Inferno – Dante
Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
Germinal – Emile Zola
Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession – AS Byatt
Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
The Color Purple – Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
Watership Down – Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet – William Shakespeare
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Beach dreams and memories and clouds over hearts.

2010-11-26T09:09:00.000+13:00

Yesterday there were cobwebs in my mind. Trying frantically to work and finish off some of my freelance projects, I was starting to feel desperate. All I really wanted to do was work on my art.

Sometimes it's as though my heart is trying to bulge out of my chest. If it did, would it bleed colors, and what would those colors be?

I went for a long walk on the beach, asking the universe for a sign. How to reconcile my creative side with the need to pay the bills? The days melt away when I try to pin it down and make time to make art or poetry.

I noticed flocks of birds out on the water. Hundres of birds black like magic, casting clouds over the bay. Moments later dozens of peacock-colored sardines wash up onto the seashore all around me, flipping fish dances in the white foam waves.

Before I know it, the sun comes out and gives water wings to fly upwards. I don't have any concrete answers, but some of the clouds in my heart gives way to the sunshine too. Whatever happens, the creative journey is never done. I'll be fine.

Mumford & Sons

2010-11-25T11:19:00.000+13:00

Not much time for a post today, but I quickly wanted to share this absolutely fantastic song that I have been listening to over, and over, and over. It is by a fabulous UK group called "Mumford and Sons" and like many of their music, is filled with resonant folk music, deep lyrics and a river of emotion.

Rabbit at Sunrise

2010-11-10T15:15:00.000+13:00

Recently I have decided to expand my horizons, to exorcise my demons of low-self-confidence and poor-self-esteem, and learn to paint. I love drawing and painting. And I've always wanted to do it properly. The other day with a shaky brush and a timid heart I approached my very first canvas, and I thought that I could share the end results with you.

I am pleased with it. I don't think it's the best painting in the world - it's very rough and not detailed at all. However I am surprised how well the rabbit did turn out - that was the scariest part of the painting. I had images of a rabbit-looking-mutant ending up on the canvas. But no, my fears were in vain. It is just a rabbit. A beautiful, dark rabbit watching the stars. I wonder what he is dreaming?

This experiment has spurred me on to continue painting. I love colors and spent much of my teenage years playing with the very early versions of software programs like Adobe Photoshop and Paintshop Pro. My sister was a web designer and would share these delightful programs with me. I taught myself a lot at that stage about designing, color theory and computer graphics.

However, I was always too scared to make my own images. I only ever manipulated other people's.

Perhaps now that will change?

To leave off, here is a new poem that I wrote earlier today, inspired by some of the new photos on Terri Windling's blog of her dear dog, Tilly.

"Library Dog"

On pillows of pages
and beneath vines
of songs and paint,
a library dog lulls off
to a forgetful sleep,
disappearing into beaches
and stories and storms
of distant blue,
and grains of sand
that write lullabies into the ocean.

Nanowrimo

2010-11-07T12:57:00.000+13:00

Who's taking part in NANOWRIMO this year?
ME! That's who!

So what if I am a week late in starting?
So what if I only came up with a novel idea today?
So what if my idea has already been milked by a hundred other authors till its nothing left but a barren pile of dust too dead to fertilize a garden?

The point is, I am nearly 2000 words into my novel and I am determined to finish this challenge. The point of NANOWRIMO is not to write the-next-great-novel. It's not even to write a 'good' novel. The point is to write a novel. Any novel. As long as it is over 50,000 words by the end of November, I will have won the challenge and proven to myself that I can do this sort of thing. I can be self motivated. I can be inventive. I can stick to dead lines and work on big projects with nothing to help me but a word processor, an mp3 player and more caffeine than you can throw a cow at.

Are you interested in taking part of the NANOWRIMO challenge too?
Well, if it's not too late for me, it's not too late for you.
Check it out at: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Fox stories and musings.

2010-08-12T13:36:00.000+12:00

I have just finished reading "The Fox Woman" by Kij Johnson and found it to be a deeply poetic, imaginative and emotionally-compelling novel. The story is building on ancient Japanese fairy-tales about Kitsune - foxes that are said to have magical powers and can transform into humans. In Kij Johnson's tale, that is precisely what happens, when a young female fox spots and falls in love with a human man, Yoshifuji. It is a bitter sweet story, and like many tales of magical transformation and the bridging of worlds, ends somewhat sadly. The important aspects that were present for me while reading it, was the difficulty experienced by the characters when straddling two worlds, two lives, or even two selves. A man must choose between duty and passion, a wife chooses between traditional and her own longing, and a fox must choose between the wild wood and the world of humans. It echoes something inside of myself.

Most of my life, I have also experienced the feeling of sitting on the line between two worlds. I was a Canadian living in New Zealand, and while other children played rugby, I was off in fairy-land, dreaming up strange worlds that no one else seemed to understand. And now, as an adult, I am faced with new choices; to follow the artists path, or the straight and narrow; go with stability and security, or take the risk and chance the loss of everything. Do I be who I have always been, or continue with my adventure into the person that I am starting to become?

I heard once that you cannot find new lands until you lose sight of the seashore. I feel I am very far from the shore these days, and still no other land yet in sight. All the while, I try my best to enjoy the salty air of new experiences and go with the strange tides that have decided to carry me.

May all who travel have shoes, courage and a strong heart to light the way.

Productive Day

2010-08-11T12:24:00.000+12:00

Today, so far, is a good day. I have made time this morning to read a marvelous and inspiring book "Artist in the Office" by Summer Pierre, as well as write some new poetry and finish editing one of my latest short stories. I have sent the story, as well as a poem, to one of my tutors for critiquing. I can only hope she will be gentle!

Days like this make me feel as though the direction I am taking is worthwhile - as though I am not wasting my time completely. I need to earn some more money, true. I could really use a decent hair cut, sure. But I am producing, I am sending things off to the publishers, and people are enjoying my work! Real people. Not imaginary ones. Not family members who are forced to smile and nod approvingly as if my love depended on it. Real people!

Last night I opened up my email account to discover a poem is going to be published by an ezine "Very Bad Poetry". Funny name, eh? I suppose it's where a lot of my poetry belongs. And sure enough, the poem that they selected for publishing, in my opinion, was not one of my greatest. But it doesn't matter. People (out there!) will be reading it and it's one more thing for the CREATIVE RESUME. I mean, it's like painting, right? Whats the point of writing this stuff if it just sits on my hard drive. It might as well be out there (!) somewhere, where it might give people some measure of satisfaction or pleasure. I know it is a thrill and great feedback when people like your work enough to publish it.

The day is not over yet, however. Time to go prepare some lunch of some form, and then perhaps get to some of my other assignments. Who knows, maybe even those freelance articles that might pay my bills?

The White Space

2010-08-09T13:46:00.001+12:00

Here I am, walking through the place where I least expected to find myself. Having felt so lost, it is a relief, but I start to wonder: for something to be lost, that means, once upon a time, we had it.

I sit here at my computer, trying to write stories, to think up clever poems, romantic rhymes and new combinations of sounds that will evoke emotions to pale the most resonant spell. I can write. I know I can. People have told me this. I have published articles and straight A's to prove it. However, none of that ever helps. Not when it comes to that dreaded moment when you are alone - just you, and the white. It doesn't matter what it is - white pages, white canvas, white Word screen. White is absolutely terrifying. At least most notebooks have lines going through them. Staring at the computer screen, I want to write something, to type something, to usher sound and give birth to new worlds, but I am afraid. So many voices inside my head, waiting to be born. And I am stopped, because I am afraid.

Of what exactly?

Perhaps not being good enough. Perhaps the battle with myself to find the right way to express how I feel, what I see or imagine. More accurately, I think of that white space as a void where I become lost, and dissolve into. When I come out the other end, it is all triumph and paragraphs filled with syllables to justify the struggle. But when you are standing at the edge, fingers gently breezing the edges of the white void, the empty void, every time is just as hard as the first.

Together, hand in hand with fear and desire, I step into that void, and pray.