Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Guest Blog by Hank Kellner





Beyond the Window



I cannot see beyond the curtain

That cloaks my window.

But if I could, what would I see?



A field of wheat? A city street?

A cloudless sky? Cars rushing by?



I cannot see beyond the curtain

That cloaks my window

Unless I push aside the flimsy cloth

And look beyond the glass.


-by Elizabeth Guybo



Do you remember a book titled Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle? First published in 1966, it featured a collection of black and white photos accompanied by poems. Almost immediately, Reflections became popular with teachers of English who found that they could use the photos in the book as a source of inspiration for their high school and junior high school students. Incidentally, the book went through many printings and is still available on the Internet.

Today, many teachers still use photos to encourage not only teenagers, but also adults to create both poetry and prose. Shown here is a poem written by a senior citizen at a workshop I conducted at the Center for Creative Retirement, University of North Carolina, Asheville. Does the photo inspire you? What do you see in the combination of light and shadows? What is the mood of the photo? What might you discover if you could “…see beyond the curtain”?

If you find inspiration in this photo, and if it helps you write either a poem or a paragraph, I’d love to hear from you at hankpix@yahoo.com.

By the way, you’ll find more of my photos posted at Photobucket. Feel free to browse. And do visit my blog at English Education for even more photos and inspiration. Finally, go to the National Writing Project at National Writing Project to read more about using photographs to inspire writing.



Hank Kellner is a Korean War veteran and the author of Write What You See: 99 Photos to Inspire Writing 120p. w/CD. photos. reprods. Web sites. Cottonwood Press, 2009. pap. $24.95. ISBN 978-1-877673-83-2. LC 2008938630. His series of articles on using photos to inspire writing appears at Creativity Portal.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Call for Submissions!

If you're a writer, artist or photographer, and you'd like to see your work published here on my new page, Guest Starring... please send me an email.  You can connect with me at stealingplums@yahoo.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Coming Attractions...
Guest blogs by writer and photographer Cynthia Staples, and photographer and educator Hank Kellner.  Please see Guest Starring... for a sampling of their work.



Thursday, June 24, 2010

Make a Wish...

I'm excited about my upcoming interview with Cynthia Staples, writer and photographer extraordinaire!  It will be posted soon on Creativity Portal.  To whet your appetite, I'm posting another one of her fantastic photos for your visual enjoyment...



May All Your Wishes Come True!
Photograph by Cynthia Staples


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

News From The Studio...

The First Annual Four Corners Pride Festival is coming up this weekend, at Durango's own Rotary Park.  My post about this fun and fabulous event is now online at Edible San Juan Mountains

The print edition of Edible San Juan Mountains is hitting the streets- check out my guides to local CSAs and Farmers' Markets.  It's a great resource for Southwest Colorado foodies that want to find the best local meat, dairy, produce, eggs, honey, and more! 

Life as a freelancer is making me smile, every day.  Is there any bigger thrill than seeing your byline on the masthead?  Or using words like, "masthead" in everyday conversation?  For this writer, life is indeed sweet!



Arco Iris
Photograph by Molly Anderson-Childers

Coming Attractions...

Stay tuned to The Creativity Portal for my hot new interview with writer and photographer Cynthia Staples.  I enjoyed getting to know her, and loved the chance to view her fabulous photographs.  She has generously agreed to share some of her images with us here.  If you'd like to see more of Cynthia's work, please visit her blog at Words and Images by Cynthia.  You can also find more of her amazing photographs online at Photography by Cynthia.  Here's a little taste of her work...more to come!

Boy and Bird
Photograph by Cynthia Staples



Egg
Photograph by Cynthia Staples


Friday, June 18, 2010

New article posted on The Pagan Arts

The Pagan Arts is back from a summer hiatus and going strong!  New posts by Alane Brown and astrology by Jon Deer were posted earlier this week.  Today, my new article went live, so I wanted to write and share the link with my readers: Honoring the Green Man, Honoring the Earth can now be found online at
The Pagan Arts: Music and Craft for a Magickal Life

Hope you'll enjoy my latest creative endeavor- I'll share ways to make your studio a more eco-friendly place, and ideas for creating a sacred arts ritual to honor The Green Man. 

Belly up to the table, and drink deep.  A feast for the soul awaits.



Labyrinth Walk...
Where Will Your Dreams Lead You?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

New "Who's Your Daddy?" Post Online at Edible San Juan Mountains!

Hot news for readers!  I cooked up another great guest blog for Edible San Juan Mountains this week.  The Sixth Annual "Who's Your Daddy?" Street Festival is a big event in Durango- and this year promises to be better than ever!  What's on the menu?  Live music, local brews, great food, fun and games for the whole family, arts and crafts, and more!

This event is sponsored by Carver Brewing Company, and is a major fundraiser for the Durango Discovery Museum.  Proceeds from this event will be used to fund their children's programs- what a great way to show your support for our community's kids!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Creative Blossoming...



Summertime is always a season of inspiration and lush passionate energy, and creative projects growing wild under the sun.  The weather here has been gorgeous, sunny days and bluebird skies, with flowers coming up everywhere!  We have poppies and columbines in our yard, and a rose bush that's just starting to leaf out.  

It's hard to motivate myself to do anything serious or deadline-related, so I'm spending a lot of my down time chatting with my girlfriends, making sun-tea, walking the dog, taking pictures of spring blooms in our neighborhood, reading trashy novels, and sipping rum drinks!

I've been working on a few new short stories and novels, and have even ventured into the in-between zone of the novella.  Some of them are keepers; others might have to be weeded out but I'll write them anyway and see if they end better than they began, or if I can salvage something good from the wreckage of stiff characters and bad plotlines.  If not, into the compost heap it goes, to make rich soil for other projects in the future. 

How do I know if my latest effort will be a good story or a bad story, when I begin?  I don't.  No one can know- the only way to find out is to write it!  Write them all down, good and bad.  Stories are stories; they must be told.  We are merely the conduit from the heart to a listening ear.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Art Exhibition at Carver Brewing Company!

I'm exhibiting my watercolor and collage locally through June 13th, 2010.  What a treat!  They are being displayed at Carver Brewing Company at 1022 Main Avenue in Durango, Colorado.  To visit their website, please follow this link: Carver Brewing Company.  Stop by, see the show, and support a local artist!


Brand New Interview Posted Online at Creativity Portal

This month, you're in for a treat.  I am pleased to announce my Interview with Penny MacPherson is now online at Creativity Portal.  I enjoyed getting to know this amazing woman, and I'm sure you will too.  Just follow the link to find her story, and some inspiring words about the healing power of creative work.


What Color is Your Inspiration Today?