parsleys ponderings: A-Z challenge 2012

Showing posts with label A-Z challenge 2012. Show all posts

Monday, May 7, 2012

Reflections on A to Z Challenge 2012

Quote of the Day: Alphabalance by Shel Silverstein
Balancing my ABCs
Takes from noon to half past three.
I don't have time to grab a T
Or even stop to take a P.

Loved it! I'll do it again next year. My favorite part of it was taking pictures of letters. I had most of the letter pictures before the challenge. I stuck with the same Quote of the Day which helped explain my theme. I had lists of words for the day and posted a few ahead of time. Knowing that events happen throughout the month that I would want to write about, especially reviews, I didn't work too far ahead. Overall, the writing and planning went well. Reading all those great blogs, though. Impossible. I discovered so many wonderful new blogs. I'll be spending the next month rediscovering them as I catch up.

Thank you for reading my posts. Some people, like my sisters and a few close friends, read every day and said they liked knowing I had a new post every day. That's what keeps the momentum alive. Thanks to new followers and all the fabulous comments. What a wild and wonderful ride I had in April. I'd like to use my A to Z photos and make a calendar from the 2012 challenge.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: What could you do with an A to Z prompt, in life and in art?

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Z is for Zone

The Quote of the Day that inspired my A to Z Blogging Challenge theme -
A Word for the Day that takes on many meanings.

Quote of the Day: A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. John Steinbeck

Word of the Day: Zone

I'm really quite pleased with my Z photo. I found it outside the Children's Theatre. When I'm watching plays, I'm definitely in the zone. I am in the moment. I don't worry about anything outside of that story. I do let my mind wander and make connections, but I think that's part of the zone. This also happens when I'm reading a good book. I can tune out all that boy noise, even their gadgets and fussing. I'm in a different time zone inside of that story.

I've been in the zone when I'm making music. Sometimes, I lose myself in the song, my fingers finding the notes without conscious effort, and there are times when a story idea sorts itself out, or a real life situation gains clarity. If I'm in angst about anything, I sit down to the piano.

When I was writing Coffee Shop Confessions, I would sit in the coffee shop or at home, and I'd hear all the noises around me, until I started getting into the story. The voices in my head took over, then I heard nothing but what they needed me to write. One evening, around bedtime, my oldest son walked through the kitchen and gave me a funny look. I was wiping tears off my cheeks. I had just written a powerful scene, the one that makes the actress cry, the one where I noticed several people reaching for something to wipe their eyes.

There are many kinds of zones in the world. Being in the zone with my art is sheer bliss.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Describe a time when you were in the zone.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Y is for Yellow

I saw this tiny branch lying on the ground and looked for a good background for it.

It makes me think of a divining rod.

Look! It found water.

Of course, yellow is a color, and as colors go, there are many shades of yellow. The flourescent yellow text color wouldn't show up well on this screen, so I went with mustard. If someone calls you "yellow," he's probably looking for a fight. I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art yesterday for their Art in Bloom display, flower arrangements placed throughout the institute that compliment the artwork. It was amazing! I set out to find shades of yellow. Here's my pictoral journey.

The yellow train led the way.

I was seeing double all day.

Krista's twin daughters, four & half years old, came along to see the flowers and Pippi!

The girls like this face.

It's all flowers and greenery.

Note how the arrangements look like the artwork.

You can't resist the urge to touch.

Right, Mom?

Or, is it mum in this case?

The colors are so vibrant.

I thought this was brilliant.

Art immitating life, which is art.

Shades of yellow, and the red?

Is it heart?

Is it a brooch?

A countryside oasis of flowers.

I imagine tiny pixies living here.

This was my favorite pairing.

See the tiny clothesline in the flowers?

Here's a closer one of the flower arrangement.

I give this one first place.

Flowers or cake?

Looks good enough to eat.

What cultural display influenced this one?

The body is birch bark.

How'd they do that?

One more stunning yellow arrangement, placed in front of the window looking into the lobby of the Children's Theatre. I had to wait to photograph it because a group of women were standing around, talking about it. I surmised it was the artist and her friends. She said that when it wilts just a bit, it will look like the "yellow sponge" (as the little girls called it) hanging behind it.

The amazing Ninja blogger, Alex J. Cavanaugh, honored me today on his Y is for Youthfulness post. He thinks I'm youthful, and I'll gladly accept that title. Just yesterday, I pulled on my own longstockings and attended a performance of Pippi Longstocking at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis. I'll have the review up soon.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, embrace your inner child. He or she really wants to go out to play!!!

Journaling Prompt: Have you ever seen the Art in Bloom display, or something like it? What art pairings have you admired? I've also enjoyed a pairing of Beetles music with art. I could have spent days there.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

W is for West

West is a word that shows direction, a place or region, The Wild West, the wicked witch of the west. We have the West Coast. It's hard to remember when it should be capitalized and when it's lower. But, most importantly today, it is a name. I'd like to introduce you to playwright Cheryl L. West who wrote the stage adaptation of Lizzie Bright and The Buckminster Boy, a play that I thoroughly enjoyed at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis in March. You can read my review here. I asked Annie Rees, public relations at the Children's Theatre, if I could ask the playwright a few questions. She set up an email interview. I am honored to have this award-winning playwright here on my blog. (My appologies. The spacing gets a little weird when you cut and paste onto blogger.)

Traci Allen as Lizzie

Photo by Dan Norman, CTC

First, thank you for the fabulous production of Lizzie Bright and the

Buckminster Boy. I was captivated by the story and thrilled with how
well all of you brought it to life on stage. I had listened to the
audiobook before I attended the performance. You did a marvelous job ofbringing out the main elements of the story and translating them to the

stage. The scene with the whale was amazing.

Thank you. It was an amazing experience to collaborate with CTC.

1. I was wondering how much you consulted with Gary D. Schmidt for the

play adaptation? The only major change I noticed was that Turner's

mother was dead in the play version, but not in the book, sort of a

reversal of what happens to his parents. I think it worked. In fact, it

made the relationship between Turner and his father even more tense and

important.

I didn’t consult with Gary Schmidt at all. He was generous enough to allow

and trust my vision for his work. Always, my goal when adapting is to do it

with integrity and with the original author’s vision still a part of each

decision I make.

2. Do you have a strategy for adapting other work, like novels, into

plays?

First and foremost, adapt something you love. When I first read Gary’s

book, I knew immediately it was a good fit for my sensibilities. The book

was charming, interesting and so compelling. I knew it was going to be a

play that featured the importance and the drama of the sea. Second, it’s

important to know what to include and what doesn’t yield itself to live

dramatization. Some things are better read and some things live

beautifully on stage. A playwright has to know the difference. On my

second or third read of the source material, I like to mark it up with post-its

and highlighters for situations I want to use or specific dialogue.

3. Have you written other plays for a younger audience? Do you usually

write for adults?

I adapted for American Girl and Seattle Children’s Theatre – ADDY, THE

AMERICAN GIRL STORY. It premiered at Seattle Children’s and then did a

21-city tour, which included, I think, a stop at the Ordway. Yes, I’d say

most of my work has been for adults but I wrote and directed plays for my

kids elementary school every year as a way of giving back. They are now in

high school.

4. I thought the pacing was excellent for a children's play. Do you have

tips for playwrights who write for a younger audience?

Be stingy with exposition. Kids like discovery, not lectures. Show don’t

tell. Sprinkle humor throughout. We all love to laugh – parents and

children.

5. Did you have a breakthrough moment, or work, as a playwright?

What/when was that?

I wrote a play called Before It Hits Home back in the early 90’s. It won a few

awards including the Helen Hayes, and the international Susan Smith

Blackburn playwriting award.

6. I have a writer's blog and I try to keep it inspirational. What are

some ways that you keep your enthusiasm up for new work, and how would

you encourage other writers and artists to keep trying despite

rejections and set-backs?

Continue to work on your craft. Read, write and read more. Find a

community of folks who will support you through the ups and downs of

this business. I have always had a few key people who always urged me to

keep going and would be “duly outraged” that others didn’t recognize my

talent in a timely fashion. I love them for that and it was and remains so

helpful during the occasional midnight hours of doubt.

Thank you for your time and talents for this play and in answering my

questions. I am inspired by your success.

You’re very welcome. CL. West

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Have you ever made it a point to seek out an artist and ask them about their craft? What would you ask your favorite artist/writer if you could spend a few minutes with them?

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

V is for Victory

n. pl. vic·to·ries

1. Defeat of an enemy or opponent.

2. Success in a struggle against difficulties or an obstacle.
3. The state of having triumphed.
Definitions according to freedictionary.com. One of the phrases they associate with victory is carry the day.

The success of my first original play Coffee Shop Confessions is a triumphant victory. Yes, I overcame obstacles to even write it, then to gather the cast, set the dates, rehearse, and all the while fight down self-doubt and artist angst. After seven sold-out shows, we truly did carry the day. I'm still carrying it with me. Maybe I'm in denial, but it doesn't feel over. Krista said, "It's not over. It's just the beginning." I'm going with that. Who knows what will happen next?

A friend asked me if this experience changed me life. Oh, yes. There is something wild and wonderful about being in a play. New relationships form. I've been the conductor on this creative train, inviting others to jump on board, and together we ride on to victory.

Look at this crew! The two cut-ups were like that at every rehearsal. It was like Evening at the Improv at the Senior Center, our rehearsal space. In this photo, we're waiting to go on for our final performance (for this run) at The Shante. What a joy this has been.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Write about a victory. When did you carry the day?

Monday, April 23, 2012

U is for Understudy

An understudy in performing arts is someone who studies, or learns, a role so they can replace someone who might not be able to perform. This happens more in professional theatres, not so much in community theatres. I did not plan for an understudy, but life has a way of making our plans for us. Kate, who played Micki, had a conflict with a performance. Her choir director had a last minute add-on mandatory workshop the same night as one of our performances. Before I had a chance to panic, she had asked her younger sister Ashley to fill in.

Mary (in her Aubrey outfit), Ashley, and Kate

Ashley watched two of our performances and came to our walk-through at The Shante. Kate grilled her on her part. Ashley read the entire script, and according to Kate, probably had it memorized. "She has a mind like a steel trap," she said of her younger sister. Ashley slid right into the part and was a shining star. I am so proud of her. In fact, hearing her do the part, minus the singing that Kate added, gave the character of Micki another dimension. I thought of her as a writer, a poet, and an artist. I was giving her a future, combining her poetry with her art and some day having a room of her own at the Minnesota Institute of Art.

I asked Ashley if she wore her own clothes or if she used Kate's. She used Kate's and said that was all cool, now, but there was a time when they would have killed each other for wearing each other's clothes.

Ashley, you are a beautiful, talented young woman. Thank you for lending your talents to Coffee Shop Confessions.

Her mom and sister said that she's been interested in trying drama, but we have almost no opportunities for young people in our community for theatre. I know! I'm embarrassed to even confess it. I do have a calling to start some theatre programs for young people. It's time to get something started. Anyone want to help?

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Have you ever been an understudy, or fill in, for someone at the last minute? Do you feel a calling to start something in the arts in your community?

Sunday, April 22, 2012

T is for Tumbled Dry

I would like to introduce you to another client of Blue Cottage Agency, Charmaine Donovan. She is a poet. I first saw her poetry in Her Voice magazine. Then heard her read it live at the Senior Center last month. There is something so magical about hearing a poet read her work out loud. I felt like I could slip off my shoes, wrap up in a blanket, and drift off in her words. Here she is.

Krista, Publicist Extraordinaire, and Charmaine Donovan, Poet

T IS FOR TUMBLED DRY

When my nephew read the title of my first collection of poetry, he thought that it would be easier to say “tumble” rather than “tumbled.” But I explained that TUMBLED DRY stems from my experience of tumbling which occurred early in my life, therefore the word needed to be in the past tense. But, tumbled is an active word, a word in which one can picture an object (or person) flip-flopping around while covering a lot of territory in a short amount of time before it lands. That was me. I was lucky to finally land on my feet and in one piece!

In my world, tumbled means to have the rough edges smoothed off—like agates in a tumbler. To throw all reason to the wind, to recklessly toss oneself into the thick of things and not have a clue how circumstances will end. Perhaps you were a “wild-child” once, or have considered embarking down that slippery slope. TUMBLED DRY will give you hope because it describes the change in a person’s life over time. The joy in daily living is evident in the final section, “Cast On/Cast Off” and no, the poem is not about knitting. You’ll have to buy a copy of the book to enjoy the humor in this poem.

TUMBLED DRY is a finalist for a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award. I hope that it tumbles into the winners’ circle. Awards will be announced in Duluth on May 17.

TUMBLED DRY

While watching The Lawrence Welk Show

our parents called us wet behind the ears

as though we had a condition to be cured,

smoked to smithereens, or hung out to dry.

But, we teenagers were old enough

to know better and too young to care.

Whether the backs of our ears were dry

or not, we dared to tumble carelessly,

rough edges chipped off like agates

within a barrel, or dare devils who slid

down Niagara Falls on a whim. Scratched

and bruised, we usually survived the plunge.

Dryness may have implied a certain oldness,

bones creaking with old-school authority,

a Hee Haw humor we couldn’t swallow,

spit out before its redneck reckoning set in.

Billy Graham's drive to save our souls

couldn’t save us from the persuasive draw

of the draft, free-love, and mind-blowing drugs.

Tune in, turn on, drop out was our motto—

champagne music and tiny TV bubbles were unreal

compared to acid rock, electrified wine, or keg beer.

We got lucky and had a second chance

to tumble dry, grab hold like drowning

victims seize lifelines, pay a quarter or more,

for what once cost a dime at the Laundromat.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Write about a time when you felt tumbled dry in life. What refreshed you and brought new life?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

S is for Spur

1. A short spike or spiked wheel that attaches to the heel of a rider's boot and is used to urge a horse forward.

2. Something that serves as a goad or incentive.

3. A spurlike attachment or projection, as:

a. A spinelike process on the leg of some birds.

b. A climbing iron; a crampon.

c. A gaff attached to the leg of a gamecock.

d. A short or stunted branch of a tree.

e. A bony outgrowth or protuberance.

4. A lateral ridge projecting from a mountain or mountain range.

5. An oblique reinforcing prop or stay of timber or masonry.

6. Botany A tubular or saclike extension of the corolla or calyx of a flower, as in a columbine or larkspur.

7. An ergot growing on rye.

8. A spur track.

v. spurred, spur·ring, spurs

v.tr.

1. To urge (a horse) on by the use of spurs.

2. To incite or stimulate: "A business tax cut is needed to spur industrial investment" (New York Times).

v.intr.

1. To ride quickly by spurring a horse.

2. To proceed in haste.

Candace Simar is a local author of the Abercrombie Trail series. She has the honor of being Krista's first client at Blue Cottage Agency. I love her books. You can check out my reviews and reactions under the Book Review tab. Candace won the Spur Award for Western Fiction in the young adult category. Here are a few words from her to spur you on to your own success.

S IS FOR SPUR AWARD

Simply spoken, I’m shocked and stupefied. It may sound silly, but spin me a little slack. Of course, I’m ecstatic. BIRDIE, my third novel in the ABERCROMBIE TRAIL SERIES, just won the 2012 Spur Award for best western juvenile fiction.

I didn’t see it coming though my sister, Claudia, tells me that BIRDIE is her favorite of my novels. It should be her favorite since Claudia first suggested that I write about the two little girls from ABERCROMBIE TRAIL. These small sisters, stolen by the Sioux during the uprising, play a prominent role in POMME DE TERRE. BIRDIE continues the sad saga of Ragna Larson growing up as an orphan. Ragna is the only survivor in her family. She doesn’t know what happened to her little sister and is obsessed with finding her.

Several have expressed surprise that BIRDIE was given an award for juvenile fiction. I must confess that I didn’t write the book with a particular age in mind. I just wrote the story. It’s stupendous that Birdie is enjoyed by readers of all ages. I’m ecstatic that it receives the prestigious Spur Award.

So I’ve bought my plane ticket and will travel to Albuquerque in June to receive my award at the Western Writers of AmericaConvention. The Spur Award is an actual western spur mounted on a plaque with the author’s name and book title inscribed. How satisfying for my work to be recognized with a national award.

Lest I become sidetracked, I will segue into my next thought. Writing is a mostly solitary endeavor. The hours spent alone at my computer seem worth it when I see that my writing connects with readers.

Does this Spur Award spur me on to more writing? Oh yes. It certainly does.

Thank you, Candace Simar, for sharing your success and spurring us on to...

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Have you ever won an award?

Friday, April 20, 2012

R is for Redemption

Definition of Redemption according to freedictionary.com:

1. The act of redeeming or the condition of having been redeemed.

2. Recovery of something pawned or mortgaged.

3. The payment of an obligation, as a government's payment of the value of its bonds.

4. Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue.

5. Christianity Salvation from sin through Jesus's sacrifice.

I had cofee this week with my dear friend Erika. She is a Lutheran Pastor, and I love talking religion with her. I told her I had considered the word Religion for R day. Religion is a tough word. Some people cringe when they hear it. It brings with it feelings of guilt and sin and messages of not being good enough. Erika says she'd rather think of Redemption. When I looked it up, my eyes zeroed in on rescue. Have you ever felt like you're going through the dessert in life's journey? Your heart and soul are dry...dry bones, dem dry bones...is running through my head. You're craving a cool drink of water, something that quenches your thirst and gives you hope. Music, art, and writing do this for me, and in the company of loving people, my well is filled.

We are priveleged here in the Brainerd lakes area to have two renowned Gospel musicians coming to our town. The rest of this post is a bit of an advertisement with a redemptive message.

Robert Robinson

A soul stirring gospel and folk performance in an old sweet church. Gospel singer Robert Robinson and singer songwriter Brother Timothy (Frantzich) will perform a concert, “Heaven on a Saturday Night” May 5 at 7:00 p.m. in Brainerd at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 415 Juniper Street.

An internationally adored singer, Robert Robinson has performed with the likes of Prince, Aretha Franklin, playing some of the country’s most prestigious music halls. Robinson may best be recognized in this area from his vocal performances with pianist Lori Line and subsequent appearances across the United States on PBS. Robinson was voted “Best Male Vocalist” by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, and “Minnesota’s Master Male Vocalist” by the Star Tribune. Currently, Robert serves as Executive Artistic Director of the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir. www.robertrobinsonmusic.com

“I think music is a way of watering the dryness of an individual drought.” Robinson says. “If I’m able to do that with my music-if I’m able to do that in a church or a bar, if I can do it in a theater, if I can do it in a prison-wherever there’s an open door of people that need it and want it, then I’m willing to go there. Because I feel that people everywhere, no matter our status or color or anything, we’re all dry and dying from something.” Judging from the multiple ovations he has received over his singing career, the thirst has been quenched.

Brother Timothy Frantzich

Robinson will be joined by Brother Timothy Frantzich, a singer, songwriter and native Minnesotan. Brother Timothy has traveled extensively throughout the United States and United Kingdom and has been a guest on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion and thousands of Pubs and Churches. Frantzich released his latest cd, “My Lost and Wild Daughter” in March which features Robinson on vocals. “I first worked with Robert Robinson on a recording 10 years ago. I was in the control room of a swanky studio in Minneapolis. Every time he sang it made my knees weak,” says Frantzich, “He is a force of nature, simply amazing. Doing this concert in Brainerd is pure joy. Heaven... On a Saturday night.” www.brothertimothy.net.

I'm listening to this cd while writing, and I have both a peaceful feeling and new energy. I am so looking forward to their concert and immersing myself in their river of song.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: What quenches your dry and thirsting soul?

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Q is for Quiet

I couldn't write this post ahead of time. I had to experience it first. While this epic blogfest A to Z Challenge is going on, I'm doing five shows of my play Coffee Shop Confessions, reviewing plays in the cities, teaching 18 piano students, raising four boys, meeting new people, having coffee with friends, go, go, go, and today, Eric gets his braces on. I was craving a quiet day. I skipped my workout and spent some time cleaning out my inbox, read a few blogs (wish I could have gotten to more), and took it easy. It was a semi-quiet day. I also taught three piano students, and got my boys to a few places they needed to go, but by evening, I turned everything off and rested.

Quiet. Sometimes we need it and crave it. Sometimes, it's too quiet and we feel lonely. When you have toddlers and it's been quiet too long, you'd better go check on them! By the time you find them, the dirt is out of the planters, the toilet water is all over the bathroom, or they've pulled your jewelry box apart and squirted your perfume until it's empty. (My room smelled lovely for many months after that.)

When I haven't heard from a friend in a while, she'll write "I've been quiet this week because..." and go on to let me know the latest crisis. She was quiet online, but noisy in real life.

Quiet. I prefer the kind of quiet you feel out on the lake in the still of the morning with just a bit of mist rising. The loons call. The squirrels chatter. The air is crisp, and all I have to do is breath.

Go. Create. Inspire!
Find some quiet spaces in your day.

Journaling Prompt: How do you create a quiet, peaceful space?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

P is for Publicist

Mary and Krista the Publicist Extraordinaire

Opening night of Coffee Shop Confessions

I'd like to introduce you to my dear friend and publicist, Krista Rolfzen Soukup. She started Blue Cottage Agency about three years ago with her first client Candace Simar, a local author of the Abercrombie Trail series, whom you will meet on S day. She has some advice for all you writers out there.

Know me, like me, follow me, promote me, then buy me. A great group of words to simplify the process of building your ‘brand’ using social media. What do I mean by ‘brand’? I mean YOU. If you are a writer, you are a brand. The minute you put your pen to paper you are a business. I recently attended some workshops at the Bloomington Festival and Book Fair and learned that if you are a serious writer you must treat it like a business, and honestly, they all recommended hiring a publicist. As a publicist, I am constantly thinking of the business behind the writing. Finding the best audience for your writing and building an author platform is imperative in today’s crazy world of publishing. Of course there are numerous ways to go about finding people to share your talent for writing, and in today’s world, social media is at the top of the list. Social media allows you to get you and your writing out to the masses in a way that was not previously available.

The other thing I would like to share with all of you talented writers out there is having an‘elevator pitch’ ready and in your brain at all times. If you had a chance to ride up the elevator with a very important person in your writing world, what would you say? Who are you, where are you from, and what do you do? Think through it, prepare it, memorize it and use it often. Two to three sentences; short, sweet and effective.

The dream team cast of Coffee Shop Confessions

Photo by Krista Rolfzen Soukup

Krista took this shot, posted it on her Blue Cottage Agency facebook page, tagged all of the cast members as well as the coffee shop so all their friends and family could see it and share it. She sent it with a press release to local newspapers and shared it on the facebook pages and websites of the places where we performed. She made posters and tickets and programs for the shows. She talked it up everywhere she went (even the doctor's office). She got me a half hour spot on a local radio station, and promoted my work in many, many more ways. Neither I nor Coffee Shop Confessions would be as successful without her. Thank you, Krista!

Here's the testimony I wrote for her website:

Writers need a good publicist the way singers need a promotional agent and products need marketing. How will people know we exist without it? Writers are artists and often introverts at heart. We find it incredibly difficult to promote our own work, especially those of us raised in the Mid-west where we’re taught to be humble and self-depricating. If you want your work read and seen, you need to be bold and brag about it. A publicist, like Krista, knows how to do that with enthusiasm. She shouts out my accomplishments, makes connections, and most importantly she knows how to make it happen. She handles the details of promotion and publicity, leaving me free to create. She thinks about details that never entered my mind, and when she talks me up, she builds me up, and I’m emboldened to create more and stretch further to – Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Do you have a publicist or someone to help you with the business end of your work? What is one thing you could do to make that connection and further your career?

O is for Opportunity

The Quote of the Day that inspired my A to Z Blogging Challenge theme -
A Word for the Day that takes on many meanings.

Quote of the Day: A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. John Steinbeck

Word of the Day: Opportunity

You know the definition of luck; it's where Hard Work meets Opportunity. Freedictionary.com has some great examples.

a. A favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances.

b. A favorable or suitable occasion or time.

2. A chance for progress or advancement.

Synonyms: opportunity, occasion, opening, chance, break
These nouns refer to a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances. Opportunity is an auspicious state of affairs or a suitable time: "If you prepare yourself . . . you will be able to grasp opportunity for broader experience when it appears" (Eleanor Roosevelt).Occasion suggests the proper time for action: an auspicious occasion; an occasion for celebration.
An opening is an opportunity affording a good possibility of success: waited patiently for her opening, then exposed the report's inconsistency.
Chance often implies an opportunity that arises through luck or accident: a chance for us to chat; no chance of losing.
A break is an often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: got his first big break in Hollywood.

Love that Eleanor Roosevelt quote. A big part of success is saying Yes! to new challenges and working towards a goal even when you aren't sure you're making any progress. You might say that I'm lucky to be invited to theaters like the Guthrie and the Children's Theater in Minneapolis to write reviews. I certainly feel lucky. Every time I walk through their doors and pick up my tickets, my heart pumps a little faster and my senses come alive. And, to think, it all started with my blog. My best writermamapal, Roxane at Peace Garden Mama, had been blogging for a year or so and encouraged me to start a blog. After I'd been blogging for a year or so, I saw, via facebook, that the Guthrie was looking for bloggers to come to their shows and write reviews. Without a moments hesitation, I signed up. Anne, the PR person at the Children's Theatre, found me online and invited me to shows there. Now, I'm doing something I love and getting a good education as a playwright as well. The theaters benefit from having reviews online. I'm making more and more connections, and the circle is widening.

Each time I go to the theater is a new adventure. I get to bring a guest, and this time my cousin Angie accompanied me.

The view from the 9th floor where they have shows in the studio is one of my favorite places. I'm usually here at night and the view of the city and all its twinkly lights is so romantic. Angie and I were here for a matinee, and it was the first I realized that the window is tinted yellow. It's bright and beautiful up here, warm and magical. Angie liked looking at the patterns below.

The Level Five Cafe has delicious food and it is so convenient to eat there. Since it's part of the theater experience, the seating host asks what show you're seeing. He hadn't seen Time Stands Still, yet, so I gave him my card and told him to watch for the review. Our waiter, Michael, was great. He said, "I'll start with the quiche of the day." He didn't need to go any further. He had us at bacon, ham, cheese, and squash.

I dove right in. I was hungry. It was delicious. The crust was light and flakey. Then, I pulled out my camera to share with all of you because I knew you'd like some too. Michael popped on over to ask how we liked it and jumped in a picture.

Isn't that great! He's cute and funny. We said no to dessert, and he said, "So, the dessert card didn't do its work." I said, "It didn't have pictures." (I can't resist a good lookin' dessert.) This was a perfect segue for him to talk photography. He was admiring my camera, asking about its features and if I'd go with the lower priced one or spend the money on the upgrade. I said for me it's a part of my creativity and I use my own photos on my blog. I'd love to get the better lens, then I'll have more options for my photos. He said, "You've sold me." (I'll have Nikon send me my commission check.)

It's fun that we had a camera theme to our day since the play was about a photo journalist and one of the people on the panel after the play was a local photographer.

Keep doing what you love. Keep building your brand and honing your skills. You never know what opportunity is waiting to meet you.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: When has hard work met opportunity in your life? What do you hope will happen with what you're working on, now?