Or Tea, 2014
"I will cast this shadow into the air, where it may never be seen, or where it may be seen at a great distance, and only by one person, someone I will never know. The point is to cast the shadow out into the air."
Excerpt from How I Get to Write by Roxana Robinson
I saw a notification that someone named Sarah pinned my Woolgathering by Patti Smith photograph from Instagram onto one of her Pinterest boards. I clicked on "Sarah" to open her Pinterest profile and see, Sarah who? Oh, Sarah from Edge of Evening blog. Yes, she's written many literary posts I've enjoyed. I notice her "cook" board. Tasty. I see something called Jacked-Up Banana Bread. I'm intrigued. I'm already following her "writers" board, but as happens when one gets into such a hopping mood, I begin scanning all of her past "writers" pins. I see Michael Ondaatje, Marilynne Robinson, Mavis Gallant, and all the way at the bottom I find this little treasure from The New Yorker. I read it (read, not scan), every word, and I wonder if I have read it before. I believe I have. No matter. If I have read it, fine, it was clearly time for me to read it again. And I think, all time online is not lost, there is much to glean, and I might start drinking instant coffee.
I love this article! so much wisdom to it, i feel like i definitely can create the easiest in the morning when I am kind of untouched by the world?
ReplyDeleteClaire
www.augustlikethemonth.blogspot.com
Knowing how to tap into your creativity is one thing, but using that knowledge the way she does is pretty amazing. Morning is definitely best for me too. Now to protect those mornings...
DeleteYes. There is much to glean. I would follow your new habit to have a cup of instant coffee when I feel to trip into memories I have had.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I can commit to the instant coffee. Maybe tea... ;)
DeleteSo funny, Denise! Your Woolgathering photo reminded me of dazed baths leaking milk into the water right after the birth of my youngest. Woolgathering was the only thing I could read -- each paragraph dense enough & surreal enough to carry worlds. And thanks for taking me back to the Roxana Robinson piece. I've just gone back to early morning writing for the first time in two years (since the birth of that same youngest...) -- perfect timing to read her words again, take them to heart. (And that banana bread -- so simple, so good! Also highly recommended the new yoga bowls, tried around here for the first time this week & a definite keeper!)
ReplyDeleteI did notice your yoga bowl pins. They looked delicious. I've just pulled Sarah Britton's Life-Changing Loaf of Bread from my oven. I cannot wait to eat a slice and feel my life transform ;) But seriously...I've made this "bread" many times before and it is a treat.
DeleteYour last sentence resonates with me this morning. There is so much to glean online when we choose to read those like you who take us to gems like the Robinson piece. Thanks for taking me to that morning treasure that reminds me how important it is to begin the day mindfully.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point, Diane. The internet is best when we take the time to curate.
DeleteI think I discovered Sarah through you or your blog and she is a delight. I'm off to read (or reread as the case may be) that article...
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed it, fresh or recycled ; )
DeleteI've been thinking about this lately...whether online time is good or not. Whether, as you mentioned in your reply the other day...blogging is a thing of the past. I don't have answers but I do know that I'm learning to pick and choose more selectively what I do online...to make sure the time is valuable rather than lost. I read only those that inspire me in a way that makes sense in my world (does that make sense?). Doing this, when I'm led to a gem like the Robinson article, I have to ask: how could anyone consider the message and the time spent reading/absorbing it to be anything but valuable? Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteIt totally makes sense to me, Rachel. We need to curate, yet still remain open enough for discovery. It's a balancing act and something I believe is worth taking the time to refine.
DeleteI really enjoyed that, and your journey to it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Jen. I hope your jet lag is fading. If not, sweet dreams ;)
DeleteThanks for leading me to that piece. It certainly highlights the number of distractions that make real creativity such a fragile thing!
ReplyDeleteI have not migrated to quite such an extreme ritual, but I have made it a habit to do some reading and writing each morning before touching anything social media related. It's a start.
DeleteHi Denise, this is such a good piece about ritual and retaining that ephemeral place of the creative. It also made me think about the (only) time I came to love instant coffee---when I was traveling in China 15 years ago, of course a culture of tea, no coffee to be found, except for in the form of little packets of Nescafe. No matter where you went, there was always a large thermos of boiled water nearby so that people could freshen their tea throughout the day---or coffee junkies like me could indulge in the dubious splendor of Nescafe instant coffee, powdered milk and sugar.
ReplyDeleteI love memories like that, Nancy. Thank you for sharing it here.
DeleteCued to read slow I found a lot in that piece. It resonates with a shift in my own routine. Thanks also for introducing me to Sarah's blog. I like the trail you followed and yes, there remains a lot that is good about this online world :)
ReplyDeleteOnline and offline... It's a balancing act I am always refining.
DeleteYes. And the "film inside an eggshell" bit- how true.
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