Thank you to Christy at Poetic Parfait for inviting me on the Creative Process Blog Tour. It seems a fun place for a bit of blogging Q & A. It was nice of Christy to nominate me.
Let’s start with the Rules:
Pass the tour on up to four other bloggers. Give them the rules and a specific Monday to post. Answer four questions about your creative process that lets other bloggers and visitors know what inspires you to do what you do. Compose a one-time post on a specific Monday (date given by your nominator).
And on to the Q & A about the creative process. Well, here goes …
Q #1: What am I working on at the moment?
A #1: I am posting somewhat regularly when life doesn’t interfere with sitting down and writing (poems, stories and sometimes just ramblings) as well as my art (drawings and paintings). I am editing my second novel written last November during NaNoWriMo, still working on the first one written back in 2012, yikes! I am also participating in Camp NaNoWriMo during April with the goal of assembling an anthology of my poetry by topic and theme hopefully for publishing in the future. I have also recently been asked to share my poetry at Healing the Heart workshops with Aurora Ministries around the Puget Sound region. This has taken me totally out of my comfort zone and now have no idea where it may lead. Yet, it is another avenue for me to share my passion and to hopefully help people.
Q #2: How does my work differ from others in my genre?
A #2: My blog is somewhat eclectic with both my visual art; drawings, paintings and photographs and a lot of writing. I have enjoyed putting words on paper whether it be via poems, stories and sometimes combining them with a visual. I am as transparent about life as I can at any given moment, so what you see is real. It all comes from deep within.
Q #3: Why do I write and create what I do?
A #3: Part of the reason is it is cathartic for me, a way to release the pain and feelings I have and to give hope to others. So, the tagline, “For Your Eyes, Heart and Soul – Shining a Light into the Dark”. I hope that I can spread a little love, joy and hope to a world that is so often in need of just that. I love the beauty that is all around us, even in the pain and tragedy there is often a beauty that may arise. I also hope that by sharing from my heart, some of my own struggles and stories it may help others in some small way, because we are all in this together. I believe there is hope and that grace will win in the end!
Q #4: How do my writing and creative process work?
A #4: I have no set schedule what with a family (we home school our daughter) and a day job so I write and create when I can. I often go through great frenzies of production where it seems I can’t get ideas down on paper fast enough, whether it be sketching or writing. I always have a notepad with me and my phone, love the Smemo app! I will create late into the night on occasion (I wrote most of this post around 11:30pm) and do whatever it takes, because creating is my passion.
And now I get to nominate 4 fellow bloggers for the Creative Process Tour (to follow the rules above). I nominate:
Lizzy at Considerings
Dorothy at Eyes to Heart
Vashti at Vashti-Quiroz-Vega’s Blog
Linda at Linda Jean’s Creative Works
The Monday for submissions is April 6th, but you are welcome to post any day you want if that works better for you! Have fun and what are you creating today?
I liked hearing about how you juggle your creativity around homeschooling and your job. Sounds like rather a tall order, but it seems you manage it well 🙂 And thanks for the tag! I’ll see what I come up with.
Thank you! It is interesting the different paths we all take to creating and blogging. I look forward to what you may share.
Yes, so do I! I did this last April as part of my A-Z challenge, and I’ll be interested to see whether my answers are any different this time 🙂
Hi Mark! I enjoyed reading your answers. It’s great to learn a bit more about you and your writing process. Thank you for choosing me as one of the writers to keep this going. These are fun! 😀 xx
You are very welcome. i am always inspired by your posts so thought it would be fun to maybe take a peak behind the curtain of your creative process so to speak. Thanks again!
Great to learn more about your creative process, Mark! I like that sometimes I come here for poetry and other times for your drawings or paintings. Thanks for taking part in the challenge and for linking back to me too. I think you kicked it out of the park with this post; in other words, it’s a homerun! 🙂
Thank you Christy! I am still somewhat astounded that you tagged me as if I really have anything to offer. 🙂 That is just my insecurity welling up. I so admire your strength and beauty that is portrayed in your writings and you inspire me with each post.