When Writing Takes a Back Seat to Love

The last quilt I made.

For the past week, my writing word count has been exactly - 0 -.

That's right, a big old goose egg, and I'm not ashamed.

Instead I've been helping my daughter with a really big project. See, her best friend's turning sixteen next week, and having an absolutely big old blowout Sweet Sixteen Ball to celebrate. Best Friend is one of those lovely young ladies who's pretty, intelligent, thoughtful and creative--the sort of person you always want to know. I'm glad she's in my daughter's life.

Because her upcoming birthday is a Big Deal, I suggested to my daughter we give her something that said Love. I suggested we make her a quilt. Nothing says love more than spending hours hand-making something for someone, especially if much thought is put into the project.

If anyone ever gives you something handmade, like a crocheted afghan, a knitted scarf, a quilt, or anything that took them hours and days to make, recognise the time and love they put into the project, all the time thinking of you.

In one of my other lives, I quilt. Many creative people have more than one creative outlet. We're Creators. We can't help it. In the past my daughter has helped me make quilts. Now, I'm helping her.

She asked her Best Friend what kind of colours she liked, and then we went fabric shopping  until we found a fine Japanese Lawn that had the right feel to it. We considered different kinds of blocks, but settled on a Hexagon Kaleidoscope because they're easy and pretty. While I would  normally be writing, I've been helping her fussy-cut isosceles triangles, doing the initial layout and stitching together so many, many little triangular blocks. We don't have time to properly quilt the finished product, so we're going to tie it once we get it on the frames.

We have to be finished by Saturday. I've been documenting her process, so as soon as we are finished, I'll post pics and results.

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Her Grace encourages anyone who feels a little sad to go make something. The act of creation lifts the human spirit.

2014: a Year of Creativity

This year I have chosen to really indulge in my professional writing career and Get Stuff Done. Turns out, I've chosen a really good year to do this:

• It's a Year of 7: because of this, it is most open to analysis and research, the seeking of knowledge, scientific and inventive, a year of study and meditation. 
• It's the Year of the Horse: a year for improvement. (Hey, who can't use with getting better?)  So, high energy, brightness, intelligence and ingenious communication.  
• It's a Year of Fire:  the sign of creativity and inspiration, also of increase.  As a fire grows greater the more you feed it, so can creative pursuits grow.

Looks like I'll be getting stuff done.

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Her Grace, when not figuring out what to do, is busy doing it.  She's hoping to have a more productive publishing year than last year.