Begins with J, ends with S...

A warning to beginning writers and artists of all types.

I finally read "The Artist's Way," by Julia Cameron, a mini-course in increasing creativity. My reluctance was due to my creativity being in the zone of "how can I shut it off?" The usual waking up at 4 a.m. full of ideas that flood out, the ten-year backlog of projects, the relentless drive to work every single day. 

But a friend highly recommended the book so I gave it a spin. One of Cameron's points really hit home. She talks about the impact of negative criticism on fledgling artists. This isn't creative criticism that instructs an artist how to improve; no, it is a wholesale slam.  She encouraged me to remember those callous and cruel words and counteract them with the opposite. The aim is to neutralize doubts that block you.

Somehow they came to mind, one by one. The "best friend" who responded to my first short story at 20, with "I wish I'd had my red pencil." (to edit) The boss who pigeonholed me by saying another employee "was the writer." The ex who refused to read my work, convinced that he would need to criticize it and I wouldn't be able to handle that. And, the quiet but damning disdain and refusal to read by certain folks regarding 2 Penney's work. (the same work called "witty and well-written" and "a good story" by industry professionals)

Dan, a musician since pre-teen years, is hardened to such things. He was told many times that he would never make it, he wasn't good,  etc. He and his brother wrote and recorded songs that made radio airplay in NY and LA. They performed hundreds of venues, including sharing the stage with Aerosmith and the Cars.  They played at the Rat in Boston and CBGB's in NY. A little more output than the critics.  The ones who tried to discourage me have never had anything published. 

It's really strange. Being a musician, artist, writer, even as a hobby, arouses a lot of envy and jealousy. "I always wanted to ---" alternates with the negative slams. Think about it. Your friend takes up tennis, for example. Do you say, "Oh, you'll never be John McInroe so why bother?" Hell no. Or, "have you gone pro yet?" (the equivalent of have you been published or do you have a recording contract) In their minds, any output less than a best-seller or song on the charts says that your work is meaningless and not a threat to their own egos.  The need to judge and label it actually says volumes about that, however!

Quite a difference from "That's cool. Hope you make it." Or, "Can I read it/listen to it/see it?"

I love to see other people's work. Besides often being enjoyable on its own merits, it is an insight into that person. And I find people interesting. 

Artists in general want to be recognized and appreciated. Read, viewed or listened to. Of course. But it's not just about that. We don't do it for acclaim and dollars, though they would be nice. Creating for purely commercial reasons is no more fun than working a job. It's the welling up of the creative impulse, the journey from idea to reality, that is the driver and the reward. 

So, my advice? Turn a deaf ear to advice or comments that try to discourage or discount you. Seek out the best work in your field and learn from it. If you're lucky to find fellow artists you trust, enjoy their company. Keep going as long as the creative spring is flowing. Rest when it isn't. And, remember what begins with J and ends with S. 

Chicken and the Egg

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Actually, here in Gainesville, GA, it's Bob, our elderly neighbor and owner of one million laying hens.  Yes, I said, ONE MILLION. 

Bob is just one of many bird barons who populate Georgia. Poultry and eggs are the number one agricultural product, with a annual value of over $4 billion. The industry as a whole, including processing and supporting industries, has an economic impact of $18 billion. 

Gainesville owes so much to poultry power they erected a statue of a rooster in the middle of downtown. The founding father as it were, since roosters are neither eaten nor lay eggs. 

And in Georgia, chicken's not just for lunch or dinner anymore. Chick-fil-A, a fast food chain based in Atlanta, serves chicken on a biscuit for breakfast.  I guess at Chick-fil-A, it's chicken instead of an egg. But people love it.  Ex-residents speak of it fondly. Colleagues of mine made a stop before a morning meeting, talking about it as though it were a special treat. "You've never been?" they asked me in amazement. 

We took a trip over one lunchtime to see what all the "clucking" was about. We weren't quite ready to try breakfast. Sadly, we were both under-whelmed by our grilled chicken on a bun with limp lettuce and failed to see what inspired such devotion. 

But the eggs Bob gave us? Those were egg-stra-special. 

Climate Change

Talking about the weather is a small-talk staple, handy in almost any situation. But although mocked as a trite topic, weather is so much more than that. Rain, snow, sun, ice: weather forms an ever changing backdrop to our daily lives. The drama of a crippling blizzard or ice storm. The sensuous pleasure of  long, sunny days. The downright dreariness of a wet week. Our moods, outlook and health are affected by the weather. 

In New Hampshire's North Country, weather's impact goes even deeper. The tourism and wood industry based economies depend on the right weather to operate, whether concerning snowfall, leaf color or frozen ground to hold heavy equipment. We have such great dependence and so little control. 

Ah, a North Country winter. They start with spitting snow in October and end in April with frigid winds and a last snowfall or two. Spring is hard-earned, a sweet reward after an endurance test of below zero temps and towering snowbanks. Slippery roads and high heating bills. Inky, icy dark at four p.m. 

I spent twenty-four years in New Hampshire. I used to laugh at "snow-birds" and consider them wimps. I cross-country skied, snow-shoed, hiked and even camped (once!) in winter. The sight of pink alpine glow across the snow-topped mountains was one of my favorite sights. 

So what happened? I got tired. Tired of being cold for eight months each year. Tired of seeing fall come earlier and earlier. (like August 15th) Remember the dog days of summer--so hot the road tar was soft under your sneakers as you plodded to the lake? Despite reports of global warming, it seems like we're still getting long, cold winters but summers just aren't what they used to be. 

The weather was a big factor in our decision to move to Georgia. I'm a self-diagnosed sufferer of seasonal affective disorder. Endless gray days make me feel blah. Until you're out of it, you don't realize how stressful winter is, mentally and physically. And lately, economically. $4 a gallon heating oil drove me out. 

As I write this, on February 9, it is 72 degrees and sunny. There is a soft southerly breeze. I feel energized and optimistic. To me, a hot sunny day is like a Christmas present. And Christmas lasts nine months in the South.  

Drops of Encouragement

There are many big questions in life and one of them is, how do you know you are on the right path? 

Sometimes it's easy. Doors fly open, you get the job on the first interview, you hit a home run on the first swing. Right place, right time. So sweet. You hear a lot about flow, what it means when the Universe and your desires line up. No striving, no straining, no uncertainty or doubt. Riding the current right into an ocean of fulfillment. With a white sand beach and drinks under the umbrella. 

But even a river has rocks and side pools that trap branches and leaves. A writing career is like that.  The first and biggest boulder is doubt about whether you are any good at all.  It's not as objective as getting the math formulas right. 

My writing life blossomed late. Writing was always a desire, and I did well on school papers, but I never really sat down to do it as a young adult. Too busy figuring out life and then I got busy with raising a family and building a career. I wrote in a journal now and then but instead of a perfect and descriptive stream of consciousness, my output was more working out thoughts and feelings. Not anything you want published. (did I burn those, by the way?)

My first major writing project was writing case study tutorials for a small business program. A little fiction to illustrate a key learning point, like how to prepare a cash flow or marketing plan. When it first came up, I thought as always, I can't do that! But I did. About 10 of them. Was paid, too--$500 each. Not bad for 1992. 

That started my business writing output. For three years, I was chief writer and editor for a quarterly small business newspaper. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of words: business advice, resources, interviews, industry news, study results, etc. I published newspaper articles, too, wrote business and strategic plans, proposals, reports, web text--you name it.

For me, business writing was a textbook example of flow. It came easily and I was paid. Plenty of good feedback and opportunities. Now I do freelance business journalism, mainly for the NH Business Review. Yes, even from Georgia. Great gig.

Then I decided to write fiction. For several years I toiled on mystery novels and a young adult book. My forte was historical novels. I had good feedback from readers but an unsupportive spouse (not Dan!). Boy, when you send stuff out to agents and publishers, do you come up hard against that first big rock: is my work any good? You tend to vacillate between, hey not bad and boy do I suck. Then I'd read another poorly written, badly edited novel and realize, I'm better than this and it got published. 

The next big rock: fitting your now self-deemed OK work with the right agent or publisher at the right time. Ha. I started doing this just as publishers dumped most of their mid-list, i.e. they decided to focus on blockbusters instead of a nice range of something for everyone. Kind of like how Hollywood is now putting out cartoon action figure movies, sequels or remakes. Check it out. At least 80% falls into those categories. 

Trying to get published is like throwing a ball blindfolded through a basket that keeps changing size and moving. And sometimes you don't know if you miss for months. Then that envelope comes. Da da DA! The rejection letter. You rip it open and carefully parse the generic and poorly photocopied text for any tidbit of valid feedback.  I've had some good ones, personal correspondence that says, basically, "well-written but not quite right for us at this time." Well-written! Yay! "Your writing is engaging." Engaging! Wow, even better. I like a good engaging novel. 

A drop of encouragement. And like blue food coloring in a bowl of water, that encouragement spreads, tinging everything with hope. 

I guess I will keep writing.

A Georgia New Year's Day Feast

Goodbye to 2008, which was a very tough year for almost everyone.  Dan says, "Good riddance!"

With great optimism, we say hello to 2009!

A Southern tradition for prosperity and good luck is a feast of black eyed-peas, collards and corn bread. Naturally I decided to try it. We can use all the prosperity and good luck available.

My new friend, Rosann, a Georgia native, gave me some great tips. "Flavor those black-eyed peas. They're pretty bland." So, after soaking them all day, I put them in the crock pot with onion, garlic, a chili pepper, ham hocks and lots of salt and pepper. Boy, did they smell good this morning when we got up!

The collards came in great green leafy bunches from the grocery store, freshly harvested locally. Georgia's growing season extends into winter for cold weather crops. So different from the frozen snow covered fields of New England at this time of year! Rosann said to trim the tough white stem off the greens and cut them up. Using a Martha Stewart recipe, I simmered them in broth and red pepper flakes for an hour. 

Rosann, a self-proclaimed Corn Bread Queen, told me to bake the corn bread in an iron skillet in the oven. "It's the only way," she said, to get a delicious crispy crust. She told me you can add anything to corn bread: onion, cheese, chilis, even pork cracklings. I decided to stick with classic Jiffy mix today. It always comes out good.

Once the corn bread had browned in a 400 degree oven, we served up big bowls. The dish was really good, far better than it sounds. The slightly sweet corn bread complements the rich and tasty peas and greens. Crumbled in the juice is my favorite way to eat it.

Whatever you decide to do, eat and drink today, we wish you the best of fortune and good luck in 2009!

Winter comfort foods, Southern style

One of Dan's signature dishes is chili, a standby he prepares often for dinner parties or potlucks.

In the spirit of our Mexican food experimentation, he recently made a batch with a few new twists. Chorizo sausage instead of hamburger. Fresh chilies. And chili-spiced tomato sauce from the Hispanic section of the grocery store. 

The chorizo sausage we purchased for a mere $2 per pound at the Latino grocery is excellent. Absolutely no fat and a deep spicy flavor. It crumbles into nice textured chunks when fried. 

Here is his recipe--a small batch that can be doubled for a bigger crock pot. 

Danny's 5-Alarm Chili

1 lb hamburger or sausage, sauteed until brown

2 garlic cloves, 1 onion and 1 green pepper, sauteed with the meat

Chili powder, black pepper to taste

In crock pot, 

1 22 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed

1 22 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce.

Stir in meat and sauteed vegetables

Dice and de-seed 1-2 good sized fresh green chilies, add.

1 small can tomato paste

1/3 jar picked jalapenos, without juice

1-2 tablespoon sugar to counteract bitterness

Dried red pepper seeds, sprinkle in to taste

Tabasco to suit

Stir again

Cook on high until boil, then low for 3-4 hours. If necessary, add water while cooking.

Serve with additional hot sauces, cornbread or the Southern favorite, corn casserole or pudding.

I first had this fattening, addictive carb-fest at a potluck supper. It's about all I ate, no slight to the rest of the food. And I wouldn't say corn is one of my favorite foods, either. 

I don't have an original recipe, so here is a link to a good one. It has all the comfort ingredients mixed with creamed corn and kernel corn: eggs, cheese, sour cream, diced canned chilis, melted butter...I don't even want to know the calories. It's good for dinner as a side dish or for breakfast with ham and fried eggs. 

Variations are popular in the southwest, the mid-west and the mid-atlantic states, too. 

Get ready for an old-age, I mean new age revolution...

We spoke to a family member today who could be the poster child for this economy's woes. He owns a house in a area of the country that experienced greatly inflated real estate values over the past several years. It is also seeing incredible drops now, as well as an almost totally dead market. 

He's a working class guy, raised a couple of kids in a nice three bedroom ranch with pool. Nothing too fancy. He went through a divorce a couple of years ago and refinanced quite easily. Working overtime paid the bills and helped put one son through college. 

Then the terms of the mortgage adjusted just as his hours were cut back at work. With both sons almost grown, he thought he could sell. Nope. He's lost almost $100,000 in value. His house is worth less than he owes. Right now he's hoping a short sale will go through. Of course, he'll have to pay taxes on the forgiven part of the loan. And his credit is likely shot. 

Good thing he has friends to stay with. 

Another family member is hitting the big 5-0, and her pension plan just lost 40% of its value. Again, she did nothing wrong. No, she did what "they" tell you to do, put your money in a 401K. Don't worry about ups and downs in the market, it will all work out wonderfully when you are ready to retire. She'd have been better off to stuff the money under her mattress or put it in a money market account. 

These are only two examples of average, middle-class, hard-working people whose security has just been ripped away. If you play by the rules, you are supposed to end up with a mortgage-free home and a nice pension plan when you retire. 

They can do all the bail-outs they want, but that money went somewhere. I believe it's all part of the systematic sucking dry of the American middle-class that has been going for at least twenty years. One small example: a manufacturing firm sends production jobs to Mexico or China. The goods still cost almost as much but the profit has increased incredibly. The now unemployed or underemployed American public buys the item, thereby enriching the company. Yeah, it's a free market economy--businesses are supposed to make a profit and cutting costs is a smart move. But somehow we've ended up with an unbalanced economy. No longer are we buying goods that our neighbors make.  We all probably buy too much stuff, too. But if we don't, then the economy suffers and we lose more jobs--it's a bad cycle. 

Booms and busts in tech stocks and real estate exacerbate the problem as large chunks of capital move from pocket to pocket via speculation. Ordinary people doing ordinary transactions get caught in the cycle. Some do OK--like the ones who sold their houses 18 months ago. I blame the banks, too. They made a lot of loans that weren't prudent. My understanding is when the rates adjusted, people's payments went up too much. Why wasn't the effect of those new rates calculated on their present income?

So now what? I predict that we are going to see the emergence of an underground economy, increased communal living and a general disenchantment with the "system" and its supposed benefits.  Many of us "baby-boomers" did the gig. Now our kids are grown and who cares about "stuff" anyway? As long as I have my laptop, internet access and plenty of coffee, I'm good...