Q and A about the Creative Process – Taking a Turn

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Mark

Q and A about the creative process.

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?

The Box Gallery – Now Open!

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Mark

Pictures of the wall in my office (aka The Box) at my day job (the one that pays the bills) on which hangs my artwork.

They are a great conversation starter and it does my heart good to have reminders of my passions and creative side. I also believe that my right brain pursuits make me better at the left brain activities that seem to occupy most of my day.

Are you a left brain or right brain person?

Culture – Who adapts, the organization or individual?

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Mark

A crazy picture that I created many months using an app on Facebook in which I “Borged Myself” got me to thinking about organizational culture change. But first a little history. The Borg are an alien race that humanity first encountered during the television show ‘Star Trek, The Next Generation.’ They are cybernetic organisms that operate as one mind collecting technology. They attempt to assimilate everything and everyone they encounter throughout the galaxy into their collective or hive, with the catch phrase ‘Resistance is Futile.’I and my colleagues are leading the implementation of changes in the organization for which I work and encouraging creativity, a freedom to fail, empowerment and greater employee engagement. We want employees that will fearlessly think for themselves and come up with continuous improvements in the way we conduct our business. We encourage managers and supervisors to trust and empower employees in all aspects of the business to breed a culture of it’s okay to fail as long as you are failing forward. We may come up with an improvement and implement but we must continue to improve on the improvements, there is no standing still.

Organizations often want assimilation in the aspect of if something works and is successful then everyone should do the same thing and the cycle continues. I mean it has shown to be successful so let’s get every employee to do the same thing, right?.

On the surface this may be a good idea, but at what cost?
Does this stifle further creativity and continuous improvements?
Would this allow complacency to creep in?
Would employees become disengaged?
Where would the next challenge come from?

I consider myself a rebel and a misfit as does my staff as we will not be assimilated into a one collective mind. We will continue to be disruptive with positive intent in challenging the status quo. We always assume that others act with positive intent and we will be leaders who stand expressing own ideas encouraging others to do the same, for what is the collective but a collection of distinct and unique pieces that make the whole!

Is resistance futile?

Where will you stand?

As Creativity Dawns

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Mark

In the wonders of creation,

I see His creativity,

His magnificence, His might.

~T.J. Highland

I see so much creativity in and around my young daughter everyday as she goes through life experiencing the wonders of creation. I love the joy of being able to see the world through her innocent and enchanted eyes. The above photo was taken recently at the stables where she takes horse riding lessons. She is learning English Hunter, can you spot her posting on the diagonal? The photo was edited using the online photo editor PicMonkey.

Where do you see creativity revealed in your own life? Please post your thoughts in the comments, I would love to hear them and share your joy!

Art – A Productive Day in September

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Mark

Today in the Pacific Northwest it rained with thunder and lightning so it was a perfect day to stay indoors and create art. With some upcoming events this fall and winter I wanted to get some ideas and designs down on paper. I am happy with the results especially since I spilled a bottle of ink all over my art table first thing, even splashing some of the designs. But I got creative and managed to make something out of the chaos!

You may view the photo’s individually, and others, here on my FB page. Thanks for stopping by! ~M