The one where I reappear

Image courtesy of Carlos Paes, rgbstock.com

Happy Thursday, friends.

Wow! It's been a few days since my last post. Whereas last week I "disappeared" because of a fall (mine), a case of mono (my son's), and surgery preparation (my husband's), this week I've been off doing something fun.

One of my goals this year is to do more art journaling, something I'm discovering I really, really enjoy. I signed up for a year-long workshop, and I've been having so much fun creating this week that I haven't been here as much as I wanted to be. Art has become kind of an obsession. I've been reading all the art journaling books I can find and watching wonderful artists who've created helpful videos on techniques. I'm having a blast!

Today I'm still in an artistic mood, and when I feel this way, I love listening to one of my favorite spoken-word poets, Tanya Davis. I've highlighted her work on my blog several times. I especially love her collaborations with artist Andrea Dorfman—perhaps because they're doing what I want to do and combining two of my loves: art and words. The video I posted below, "Eulogy for you and Me," is one of their collaborations that I've been obsessed with recently. Even though the video is on the sad side, it's beautifully written and animated—and it puts me in the mood to create, which is always a good thing. ☺ I hope you enjoy it, too.


Lyrics here.

What's your latest obsession?

Wishing you all a fantastic Thursday. ☺

Ah, nostalgia!

Happy Tuesday. ☺

It's crazy how fast the leaves turn color in the fall! Last week, our maple tree had a ton of green leaves; this week, they're all gorgeous shades of burnished red and gleaming gold. Autumn is such a beautiful time of year. There's just something about it makes me feel so nostalgic.

And speaking of nostalgia, this animation created by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman really takes me back to those halcyon days of first love. It features a sweet song that Dorfman's boyfriend, Dave Hayden, wrote and recorded for her one year as a birthday present. To me, this video exemplifies what this season of reminiscence and wistfulness is all about. I hope you enjoy it.



Wishing you all a beautiful and memorable Tuesday. ☺

Another something I love

Happy Monday!

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about something I love—this music video for one of Tanya Davis' songs, animated by Andrea Dorfman. Today I'd like to share another example of Dorfman's phenomenal work.

Dorfman is a filmmaker, an artist, and an animator. The short video below is the trailer from Flawed, her Emmy Award-Nominated time-lapse animation about our need to find ourselves and learn to accept other people's faults—and our own as well. You can see the entire film here at the PBS Web site. It's excellent, and I think you'll really enjoy it.



Wishing you all a fantastic Monday. ☺

Something I love

Happy Wednesday, friends!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm a huge fan of poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis and filmmaker/artist/animator Andrea Dorfman. I've done several posts featuring their work. (You can find them here, here, and here.)

As individuals, Davis and Dorfman are very talented, but when they work together to create a piece, they're phenomenal! Today I want to share one of their collaborations—a video animation that Dorfman created for Davis' song "The Drums." The song has a catchy beat and a wonderful message, and Dorfman's animations complement them both very well. Enjoy!


Lyrics here.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday. ☺

Q is for Quiet

Happy Friday!

Today we've arrived at what I think is one of the hardest letters, Q. Last year, when my topic was My Favorite Things, I wrote about quiet and how much I enjoy—and need—quiet time to myself. As I searched for a Q-word to go with this year's theme, Things That Inspire Me, I realized that "quiet" fits once again.

Quiet inspires me. I like to write when I'm alone, when no one is around me, somewhere there's no background noise to interfere with my thoughts. Oh, occasionally I'll jot down a note or two—a line of poetry, perhaps—when I'm out with others, but otherwise, quiet is a key component of my writing life. It inspires me to write.

Today's video inspiration isn't about being quiet as much as it's about being alone. I posted it once before—almost exactly a year ago—and because I love it so much, I've been waiting for the opportunity to post it again. It's a poem called "How To Be Alone," written and performed by poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis and directed and animated by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman. It's an inspiring piece that shows why being alone—even in public—is a great thing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



My daily haiku is now up at the Pulitzer Remix site. You can find it here. I'm grateful for those of you who have been reading and commenting on my work this month. Thank you for your support!


Wishing you all a wonderful and relaxing Friday. ☺

A is for Art

Happy Monday, and for those of you who are also participating, Happy Blogging from A to Z!

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that every Sunday I post what I call Sunday inspiration—short posts and videos about the creative people and things that inspire me. I always have a great time discovering amazing artists and creative people of all genres, so I decided that I would do the same for the A to Z. My theme: Things That Inspire Me. ☺

Today's inspiration really sets the stage for my A to Z posts. It's a music video created by Andrea Dorfman and written and performed by poet/musician Tanya Davis. In it, Davis "ponders the point of art in this life," finally deciding (in my opinion) that following her creative ambitions is certainly worth it. I have to say that I agree. I think this is a great video for all of us who have a dream—whatever it is! Enjoy. ☺



Lyrics here.

An Announcement: Some of you know that this month I'm also participating in the Pulitzer Remix, where I will join eighty-four other poets in writing thirty found poems in thirty days. I've chosen to write thirty haiku. You can find out more information at the Pulitzer Remix site or read my post about the project here. Every day I'll be posting the link to my poem, and I'd appreciate it if you would click it and visit me at the site. Thanks so much!

My haiku for today can be found here.
Also, if you're interested, you can find my interview about poetry and the project here.


Wishing you all a beautiful and inspirational Monday. ☺

Sunday inspiration

Happy Sunday!

Some of you may already know that one of my first loves is poetry. Today's bit of inspiration is a poem called "How to be Alone," written and performed by poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis and directed and animated by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman. I found this video several months ago and was so inspired after viewing it. Enjoy!




How do you feel about being alone? Do you embrace it? Dread it? Fear it?