Uphill idealist

I can't remember when I learned about Nablopomo , but it can tell you that it has been a major means of encouragement in my regular writing habit. While it's hard to believe that I've been blogging for over fourteen years , I've been writing since I was in elementary school and was given a black and white speckled notebook in English class. On the day I received my first composition book, I was thrilled. The pages were empty, the lines were straight and my pencil was sharp. What a beginning that was.  Every day when I open my page (on paper or on my computer screen) to write, I don't always feel excited. Sometimes my pencil is not very sharp and my mind wanders for a while to have something read-worthy to write. There are days that life gets away from me and the regular writing time has to be used in other endeavors, but when I loose writing time I miss it. Writing has a way of re-centering my heart and mind - and  hopefully gives others a chance to catch...

Mrs. H was an old fashioned teacher who wore her hair in a tight bun and a blouse that buttoned up high that was always finished off by a sparkly, but not too sparkly, brooch. When I met her the first day of fourth grade I was afraid of her sternness and her long homework assignments. We were given an assignment to write a poem about our favorite color and to my great relief the writing came to me quickly. The next morning, I was so excited to share my poem with her. When I handed it in, her reply was curt. "You did NOT write this." I was aghast. No matter what I said, she would not believe that my poem about the color red was mine! I don't know where my moment of bravery came from, but before I knew it I said, "Give me another word to write about and I'll write a poem about it right now." She agreed. So, I wrote. Thankfully, the words came. The poem was written and she knew that writing was something I had a natural knack for. I somehow, was ...

It was one of those mornings. The alarm did NOT go off. The number of hours of sleep did not come close to approaching the recommended need. The left front burner on the electric stove cooks way hotter than it should... so the tomato splattered all over my shirt, the turkey sausage burnt and the smoke alarm went off. But... I've been setting some time every morning to read Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy  and after the fiasco it already had been getting ready for work, I thought I should ditch reading and head to the office. But this time of pause and prayer is important. So I stopped. I read. The words washed over me and helped to slow down my pace. Now, it really was time to go. I got to work - only 9 minutes later than I'd hoped. It was one of those days where I did not know what to do first, so I talked with my secretary for a bit to get oriented to the needs of the day - and made my list of things to do. While it might not be a life lesso...

It's been a good long time since I've participated with the blogging community NaBloPoMo. But there is something to be said for regularly practice of creative processes - so here goes an effort to blog daily for the month of September. In years past, this practice allowed me the space to develop the discipline of writing daily. One year I had over 310 blog posts as a result of taking part in this practice. Consistency in creative efforts is something I always struggle to maintain, so here once again I begin with my "writing lessons". They might not all be grand - but then again this is all about practice and the "Lessons" I can learn in the month of September by participating in NaBloPoMo once again. If you are interesting in writing around the topic of "Lessons" this month, go to BlogHer for more information and sign up!

For a long time I've considered developing a collection of writings from the last 12 years (really? YES!) of into a cohesive book (also in a Kindle format for easy download). So, with some trepidation and excitement I'm beginning on the sorting and organizing stage of this project. There is much to consider,but I'll be filling you all in bit by bit as things develop. I may even use Kickstarter as a means to expedite finding resources to help with printing costs. Upon first steps, I'm already amazed at the sheer quantity of writing that has taken place over this period of time. (2004 had 200 pages alone!) At this point, it looks like there will be at least three volumes in this project - but I hope to have the first one available by summer of 2014. Thanks to all the 18,679 readers that visited Uphill Idealist in 2014 and to all the readers before. This would never have been possible to even consider without you. If you are interested in ordering a copy or have favo...

Earlier today I stumbled across a quote concerning the coming new year that filled me with hope instead of a desire to reach for a mountain of impossible resolutions - "Tomorrow is the first blank page in a 365 page book. Write a good one." Brad Paisley. We all have an ideal that we strive for - even this uphill idealist. But what if we looked at each day as writing ONE page instead trying to write ALL PAGES in one day? One day = one page.  Each day we have one page to celebrate, struggle, hope, strive, aspire, dream and wrestle with our ideals - and then in joy write them down. Write your own story, you are the only one with that unique perspective. Each day, each page - write a good one. Even in what seems impossible and unchangeable. In hope and joy this is the kind of story that I resolve to write and live in 2014. Happy New Year to all! What story do you want to write in the new year? One day = one page - with hope and joy. Shalom - Tara 

The Arts Council of Chautauqua County is calling all writers and artists to get involved with a unique creative arts project mash-up. The Arts Council For Chautauqua County is accepting submissions for “3rd Street Canvas – An Urban Literary Trail”, an initiative that will display the writing of community members on buildings and other structures on and around Third Street in downtown Jamestown. The goal of the project is to give the community an opportunity to participate directly in a public art installation created from their own writing. The 3rd Street Canvas project will be the first art installation of this kind in Jamestown. Submission details: All entries must be received by February 9th to: 3rdstreetcanvas@gmail.com. • Submissions should not exceed 125 words and can be of any genre: poetry, prose, micro-fiction, autobiography etc. • Each piece must have a title • A brief 4-6 sentence narrative describing the author and the inspiration behind the submission is also necessary. (...

Poetry is a language that I feel is my mother tongue. It's not that I can always make words rhyme, but my voice seems most centered and focused when writing prose/poetry. This channel does not seem to inhabit the interference that other places and methods of my life posses. In writing poetry, there are no dirty dishes, laundry piled waiting to be washed on the kitchen floor, or errands to run - although I may write a poem about all those things at one time or another. I believe my strongest writing voice is that of a poet - that simply is who I am. What do you think?

Statistics can be a useful tool in assessing pretty much anything. You can take a quiz for pretty much any questions you have. You can find out what personality type you are via various personality assessment platforms, you can see how energy efficient your home is by having a wind test done, you can even track how many people read your blog. I enjoy simple trivia quizzes just much as the next person, but there are some things that statistics can’t show. Early in the first weeks of 2010, I was comparing my blog readership from 2009 to 2010 by tracking the readership with Google Analytics . As I looked at the pie charts and grids and finally looked to the visit count for each month, I could feel a wave of disappointment rise from my stomach. 2009 had started out well, but about half-way through the year the readership looked to have dropped by half. This development was disappointing to me. Reading the decline in the statistical results of my blog, I began to doubt my writing ability. I...

Image from the blog Polka Dot Cottage . Writing in life-giving to me. I would not say that doing laundry is the same, but it is a necessity how I feel writing is. I find that if I go a few days without journaling, blogging or writing in some way; that words and ideas begin to gather and multiply like piles of clothes waiting to be washed. I begin to trip over words and ideas like yesterdays socks if I don't keep up with the wash of words that spin around in my mind. I begin to talk too much and tell too-long stories to perfect strangers. There is so much overflow, that when I try to start writing again it's difficult to know where to start. I suppose I could begin again with this bursting, pounding heart and buzzing mind, just like I start with the laundry when there seems to be no beginning and no end - just piles as far as the bathroom floor can reach. So I will begin with today and the pile of words that is closest to me. One sentence, one word and one idea at a time; just ...

Image from the blog Almost Clouds . “A book comes and says, "Write me." My job is to try to serve it to the best of my ability, which is never good enough, but all I can do is listen to it, do what it tells me and collaborate.” Madeleine L'Engle quotes Madeline L'Engle is one of my all time favorite authors. According to the preface in her just released last-first novel, "Joys of Love" that was written by her granddaughter. "Her (Madeline's) spirit suffered badly with those rejections (to her work), but she never stopped writing, never stopped trying. Hers remained a legacy of discipline and dogged persistence. She has always said that being published doesn't make you a writer - writing does." (Page ix of the introduction to , "The Joys of Love". For many years now I've written poetry, articles, essays and even some songs. I've not yet attempted to assemble any of these writings into a complete volume. Yet that is. For ...

Image from TLC Cooking . What's so magic about quick spaghetti? Here are the ingredients for quick spaghetti: Tomato sauce, ground meat, various herbs and spices, pasta and a group of hungry people. The magic happens when you gather good friends around the table. That's what make the most common of dinners become so uncommon. Our company was family and people we work with everyday, but we learned something new about each person. We shared stories about family, adventures from when we were young, and concerns for today and tomorrow. We all needed some extra warmth and laughter on that chilly winter night and that spur of the moment meal we shared together delivered. Many times I have ignored opportunities for quick spaghetti nights because of the clutter of daily living and my fear of missing the mark as a hostess. You know what? I don't care about the clutter or mark anymore. Martha Stewart doesn't live with me, but if she wants to come over for quick spaghetti, she...

It's been an event filled week for me both personally and professionally, as I mentioned in the previous post. I've been attempting to balance on a tightrope that seems to keep bouncing and shifting with the winds of life. Staying on top of things in this constant state of movement can be tough at times, but I'm ever grateful to the people around me that help keep me upright and balanced. My blogging friend Lucy , must have known I needed a little boost of encouragement and has awarded me the "Honest Scrap" award. It's lovely when the thoughts, words and images that I post here really connect with people. Thanks to Lucy for letting me know she like what she sees here! Please say hello by visiting and commenting at her blog: "Looking for something deeper." Other things that have kept me going this week were: Finally seeing progress and things coming together on the large mural project I'm a part of creating. As you look at the following images, i...

Last week I mentioned that something I'd written was going to be printed in a local publication. Yesterday while waiting for my son to take his guitar lesson I looked and saw that the Chautauqua Region Word was already printed for the week and was titled, "Local Fiction Spotlight". There it was, on page 5, right in the middle of two other pieces by local writers. Mr. Squirrel and me. It may not be War and Peace, (it's a short essay, non-fiction to be exact.) but I was proud to have some of my writing in the local arts paper. Below is the segment that I submitted, and if you go to the link I provided by clicking on Chautauqua Region Word , you can find it and the others segments as well. Happy reading and writing! Also, thanks to the editors and supporters of the Word for including my work in this weeks issue. Peace. Photo found at Photo.net Mr. Squirrel lives in the maple tree at the back of my yard. He really lives in multiple trees as the branches are so far reach...

Image found at Future Media Taking a step into uncharted creative territory is always a double-edged sword. There is the risk of criticism and the question of ability or talent on one side, and the reward of connecting an idea, thought, and life experience on the other. In fifth grade I had a teacher who took the double-edged rick of teaching her students to excel. In the midst of her great effort, she taught me that I had a distinct voice in what I wrote. It's because of her early teaching about poetry and literature that I still write today. To tell the truth, writing is something that has saved my life, many times over. Thank you for teaching me that I have a unique voice Mrs. Hodak. On days in my childhood and adolescence when I was incredibly sad: like when my sister passed away at the tender age of fifteen, when my family was numb with grief, when I thought that life would have been better for my family had I been the one that had died; writing gave me place to safely express...