Writing and Thinking -- Fri., Jan. 25

Artist: Alex Grey

"Creativity is intelligence having fun."  ~Albert Einstein

Writing and photography compose my creativity. My mom paints, does calligraphy and beadwork, makes necklaces and bracelets, and draws. Other people compose music, quilt, woodwork, make rugs, and myriad other right brain activities. (You can read more about Left Brain vs Right Brain here.)

In today's blog I will concentrate on writing. Writing begins with ideas. The ideas come at the craziest times. The idea for this blog came to me while I was scrubbing the floors. Thoughts of all kinds came pouring out of my brain while I was on my hands and knees doing housework. The muse strikes at inopportune times.

Other ideas nibble at my mind when I'm falling asleep. Sometimes I catch them, sometimes they get lost in the nether regions of my psyche.

In high school, poetry would come pouring out of me at any given time. One poem in particular came to me at the end of a class. I stayed there to write it down before I left my desk. It took me about three minutes to write a two-page poem. Another time in high school, I was waiting for mom to pick me up from school and I wrote a poem in five minutes. Thankfully pen and paper were handy.

I have written business articles for a weekly community newspaper, an article about dance for a Portland, Oregon dance club magazine, newspaper letters to the editor, TripTips (a weekly two-page travel tip sheet for AAA Oregon/Idaho Travel Counselors) and many creative writing projects over the years.

Now my writing consists mostly of blog posts. I love writing them; the reasons are many:

• Enjoyable
• Use fun vocabulary
• Keeps my brain sharp
• Think of new topics
• Write to an audience
• Outlet for thoughts
• A journal/diary to have for re-reading in later years
• To help me remember when and where we were and what I was thinking
• Relax and let my mind wander
• A place to use my photography
• Tell stories
• Share philosophy and quotes
• Work things out in my head and transfer it to paper where I can analyze and refine my thoughts
• Throw ideas out for discussion
• Make other people think
• Grammar, punctuation, spelling: use it or lose it
• Maybe someone will "discover" me 

Writing a travel blog is enjoyable, but I especially like spicing it up with hints of other vagaries going on inside my head. I like to mix it up, keep you on your toes, and keep you guessing as to what's next from this crazy chick.

Stay tuned.

Travel Bug out.

A few cat photos...

Baby Bowie Houdini

Sunnie

Where do the people sit?

This new box fits perfectly.

Susan with Bowie and Sunnie.

Lap warmers.