It’s Canadian Thanksgiving today! And although I had my big family dinner yesterday evening, and I’m on the train back to school right now, I don’t want to forget to give thanks, the way I oughta. What a great holiday, don’t you think? It’s a holiday specifically meant for gratitude and happiness. I love that! Even if you’re not a Canuck, I hope you’re blessed, happy and thankful today.
…
Since my last post about writing, I’ve been trying to incorporate writing into my day-to-day life. I think I’m making some progress, and that makes me feel so happy. As I said in the last article, writing is something I want to practice, improve and enjoy. I want to make it more of a priority! And I think I’m being successful so far, so I wanted to share some of the things that have been helping me with my goals.
I’ve been really drawing inspiration from the world of writing over the past week! I’ve written out about a dozen cards, filled with great quotes about writing. There are some great resources for quotes here and here. The cards are scattered around my workspace, and my eyes tend to fall on them while I’m spacing out from work. Great system so far!
I’ve read some great articles about the art of writing! My favourite is a piece from The Guardian about various writers’ top 10 rules for writing. There are some contradictions, definitely, but it’s so interesting.
I watched Finding Forrester a few days ago, and definitely got some inspiration! It was wonderful to take a look inside (albeit a fictional) writer’s life, see how they work and what they suggest. His line: “write your first draft with your heart, re-write with your head” is a great one that will stick with me for some time. I hope to watch some other films about writers, like those listed here.
…
I spend a lot of time moaning and complaining about how I just can’t think of anything to write about. When I relaunched my website last March, I made a vow to get serious about my content: to be more helpful & insightful. This was a double edged sword of a proposition: first of all, it’s less fun and a great deal harder to write something important than it is to make a fun list or post pictures. Which means I ended up posting less, and agonizing over my writing. The flip side is that my content became a good deal more useful and hence rewarding for me to write. While I’ve since come to realize that my blog is a space for both types of posts – the easy & the helpful – it’s still hard to write.
And this doesn’t just apply to my blog. I’ve been trying to gear myself up for NaNoWriMo for years now! And yet every time the 1st comes around I just don’t..write. I just put it off. I make a barrier in my mind, with a sign which reads: “I can’t think of anything to write about” and then that’s that.
The thing is, I feel so good when I write. When I finally sit down and say to myself: “write a blog post..now!” and the words start to come, it feels great. I love the feeling. When I publish something, I get giddy. I’ve had blogs since middle school and written short stories since I was very small, but I’ve never made any effort to consciously improve my writing or my writing habits. I’ve never taken a creative writing course, or any type of writing course besides high school English. Yet writing is becoming increasingly more important to me. Which is why I think it’s time to start battling my writer’s block and taking the process of writing more seriously!
…
This list is inspired by the magnificent Danielle Laporte’s Best Lists vol 1 and 2. She’s amazing, and her list is more focused & grown-up than mine, but these are the things that I love. Expect more installments in the future!
Apple Trailers. Glossy, high quality anticipation. Bite-sized movies. Entertainment at its finest?
Yummy Earth lollipops. Pomegranate, strawberry, green apple, grape, cherry, blueberry. 22 calories. Big flavour.
Voluspa candles. Preferably Maison Blanc collection, 12 oz, in Pink Citron or Saijo Persimmon.
The 4 Minute Workout. Gets your heart beating, metabolism working, muscles toned.
Mason jars. To be used as juice cups, wine glasses, candy/spice/sugar cube storage, vases, change jars..
Netflix. Cheap, legal, high quality. Syncs automatically from my computer to my phone. Good selection + growing.
Exercise balls = desk chairs. Balance, core exercise, bouncy bouncy fun!
Moleskine notebooks. I use them for everything from food logs to recipe books to journals to scrapbooks.
Cubano sandwiches. Sauteed mushrooms, mashed avocado, garlic mayonnaise, melted Monterey Jack.
St. Ives Clear Pore Cleanser + Tea Tree Oil. Blemishes be gone! I’ve never had clearer skin in my life.
Everyday Food magazine. Inspiration to cook at home!
…
