A is for Art

Since I wrote yesterday's post, I've been giving a lot of thought to the theme I'd like to explore during this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. This morning I finally chose one: A Few of My Favorite Things. I decided on this theme because one of my interests is family history, and in the family history memoir I'm currently working on, I've been striving to include not only the big elements that make up a person's life but the small details as well. I want to know what kind of people my ancestors were, not just what job they did or who they married. Did they love peanut butter and eat it three times a day? I want to know that. Did they always buy red cars? Tell me why. These are the kinds of details I seek, these everyday anecdotes that give a true impression of a person's life.

Similarly, during this year's blogging challenge--my first ever!--I want to preserve some of the details of my own life for my children. They know me as Mommy, but I'm a lot more than that. Do they know my favorite number and the story behind it? Do they know I'm claustrophobic? There's a story there, too. Each day of this challenge, I'll share a little about myself so that my two-year-old and five-year-old children can someday read these entries and learn a little bit more about who Mommy really is.

Most of my entries will be written in 100 words, which is the style I've adopted for The Daily Dose. My hope as I begin this challenge is that readers will find something in these words that they can relate to and enjoy.

So without further ado:

A is for Art:

I'm intrigued by the way Monet and other impressionist artists like Renoir and Bazille used angles and light to show common, everyday objects in new ways. Their creativity inspires me, though I am a writer and not a painter (although I often wish I were). In fact, I think there is much to learn from all creative people, and I find it fascinating how artists of any medium can take an emotion--fear, for example, or anger--and express it in so many different ways: through paintings, poetry, sculpture, photography... Art--no matter the type--is born in the soul.