Make It, Now, Today

When you are busy
Chasing life with all you have
Remember someone
Is missing your smiling eyes
The precious sound of your voice
Your footsteps echoing down
Hallways you once frequented.

Maybe you think, later then,
Tomorrow there will be time
Aplenty to share yourself,
But sometimes unexpected
Things occur, especially
In times like these, where nothing
Is certain but that life is
A breath, a heartbeat, fragile,
Too easily lost, then gone.

No one is promised moments
Beyond a present which may
End without sign or warning;
Every opportunity
You have to share your love, do,
Hug tight, hold hands, snuggle close,
Read, laugh, sing, talk, share secrets,
Whisper sweet words together,
Build memories to endure
The test of time because you
Can never know if you will
Meet again, this side of Heaven.

Life is busy, yes,
Money is very nice, too,
But all that matters,
Is lasting and real for us,
Is the love we share one with
Another, because we are home;
We belong to each other.

It is our decision

You must choose creativity if you wish to gain or expand creative ability. The choice will help you accept that you are, or become more of, a creative person.

If you write, I suggest lots of reading. Be selective though; books and magazines about the writer’s craft, creativity, inspirational books, devotionals, and pictorial books. Magazines, newspapers, candy reading (whatever you most enjoy), biographies (these give you insight into real people whose characteristics you can weave into realistic characters). Psychology, design, histories, poetry, and I am sure you are getting some ideas of your own.

For photographers, there is no substitute for getting out and shooting, even pictures from home can hone skills. National Geographic, Wired, Vogue, Architectural Digest, and other photo-laden magazines can have you imagining things to try. Photography magazines can instruct and inform. A photography club can provide critique and instruction.

Classes may be beneficial if you find an excellent instructor and can afford to invest those funds. Writers and photographers are well-advised to combine the talents. Should your skills be weaker in one, endeavor to improve. Text and pictures together draw more sustained attention than the presentation of either alone. Practice will enhance the work quickly if you focus on creative intensity, but be willing to invest years in becoming a master.

Art! Art is where my focus has broken down, but instruction books, classes, visiting places that contain art (even just the local craft store where there are prints), practice and more practice will help you grow your innate creative talent. Be courageous, you do not have to be Frida, Pablo, Leonardo, or Georgia, at this time, be yourself. Experiment, use color, use media, be bold, develop your eyes, and your hands. Find your element.

You are you, and your creative genius is exactly what your audience is searching for, your reach will increase in proportion to the effort you dedicate. If you misplace a line assume it should be there and build it into your creation. The chances are no one will ever discover what you consider imperfection. The audience forgives what to it is unknown. Would that I heeded my advice, but some are more beholden to perfectionism than are others.

Music, I seldom articulate my background, but I was in chorus and choir from an early age. I lettered in chorus the three full years I attended high school. I also studied guitar a few years and spent many hours happily playing electric organ. The choral lessons taught diction and enunciation. I left music when I lost my Kimball organ, I had it from the seventies until 2000. The wound is deep.

I will tell you if you have the gift of voice, or if you do not, it is a choice. The vocal instrument can be improved with time. You must want the facility, or it will elude you. Should you perform, do not stumble over a mistake, sing out, smile and keep going. The audience will not realize you fumbled unless your stress draws attention to it.

I have gone long. Sometimes, I find a groove.

I realized I have 1,330 followers on the blog, Chronicles. I thought those would follow me to the new venue, but it seems not. So, I am debating what I should do. There should be a way via WordPress to incorporate the two. Combining things and setting new priorities is sometimes a weakness of mine. Creative solutions are my mark so I will come up with something.

I am grateful:

I have a best friend.
I can play my stereo loud.
I have food to eat.
There is hot water.
I am comfortable writing.
I have books to read.
Pen and ink.

You have by now seen enough of my Gratitude Lists that you should be practicing them yourself. If not, ask yourself why you refuse. It is a beneficial habit.

Creativity
The match lighting the fire of
Our talent’s intent.

Fill your mind with all
The inspiration it will
Hold, then make it new.

Travel the spaces
Between the living moments
Cradle your ideas.

As a prompt, consider your creative talents and make a plan to foster your skills and increase them. You may need to dedicate more time or clear space. Prepare yourself for success, and you will indubitably find it.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. I hope you found something instructional, inspiring, or encouraging. If you like, please click the follow button, or come back when you are able. God Bless and Keep You, Everyday, Everyway, Always and Forever.

Statuses, Photos, Montage

If the road is not
Leading you where you would like
Get off, blaze a trail,
Maybe others will follow;
You may pioneer alone.

Creatives often ignore the rules, because they are exploring uncharted territory where accepted norms do not apply.

When you read the quotes of history’s greats, you learn the human condition has always presented tremendous challenges, requiring creativity, intellectual curiosity, tenacity, courage, and stamina to achieve success.

The wind spurs
the sails to unfold
with a clap,
the waves roll
a thunderous roar,
the ship bounces
and wallows bestride,
life, we take the ride.

Do that one thing, then do another, then keep going until it is done. That is how you conquer today and succeed tomorrow.

Sip long at the Well,
Draw in all the strength you need,
Plenty left, indeed.

There is abundance
Never fear to share your things,
The return is great.

Among the bright stars
That smile outshines the novas,
It captured my heart.

If you were with me
The gray skies would not matter,
You would light the way.

If I could, I would
Create a story to take
You where you should go,
But it is up to you, you know?

These boxes I save
I wonder, do I think they
Will fill magically?
No, I think, I could pack them
With goodies to send away
And maybe someone would smile,
I would make a difference.

Made from the scrap planks
Gathered where buildings came down,
Creativity
Was his, and years later stands,
Monument to those weathered hands.

Home, be it simple,
The heart there hearkens, resides,
The soul flies by night.

The chair is empty,
Away from its native room;
Class dismissed too soon.

I speak out, you do what you want.

I do a lot of stream of consciousness stuff like this on Facebook, in my “Brain Dump Notebook,” and in my head. Things never stop coming. It can be a bit disconcerting. I thought I would share these few from yesterday with you.

I am grateful:

I am given words, and I can make pictures to go along.
Time is pliable, we can fill it as we will.
Paper is relatively cheap.
Creativity is a constant companion.
Hope is still here. She is the gray and white Shih Tzu pictured above. You can see her growth if you recognize it.
Chocolate, do I have to explain?
Hot showers are available.

As a prompt try making up some witticisms of your own. These really are not hard, you only have to reach into your core and pull out pieces of your heart. If you are unused to doing this, you should practice. If you want to enthrall your audience, you must bleed. Until they see the lifeblood pouring out, they are unapt to believe.

Be sure you mean it when you take on a giant because if it suspects you lack commitment, it will destroy and eat you alive.

If you are fearful, take heart. Small successively more rigorous steps with allow you to overcome your terrors.

Invite mistakes, make failure part of the process on your path to ultimate success.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. I appreciate the time you have invested. I hope you will follow by clicking the button or invite you to simply come back often. You are fantastic, you can overcome obstacles and conquer problems that beset you. Let no one degrade you. As you go about, share your smile, be generous with praise, expect whoever you meet to become your friend, no strangers here. Welcome the world, and you will find it full of hope and peace. Take care, and God Bless and Keep You, Everyday, Everyway, Always and Forever.

Epic Perspective

I have debated posting this poem. My heart is there, my mind is willing, but I know there are those who will have a very adverse reaction to what it says. Generally, when it comes to creativity, I am faithful to what is given me. If I stop, if I choke back the words and do not deliver them to the world, the flow may be staunched forever. So, love or hate it, I wrote it, I believe it, and I release it to its home.

Epic Perspective

When God was welcome
The guns stayed in the pickups
On racks, doors unlocked
In high school parking lots, safe,
Our parents would not have stood
For our taking them inside
One peep from a teacher, man,
The heavy leather belt would
Have left impressions on hide.
We said the pledge each morning
We knew ours was one nation
Under God, and He was there
Because He had not been banished
By people so full of hate
They fought a child’s right to pray.
There was Sunday School and Church,
Prayer Meeting, Choir, Saying grace,
Hallelujahs, Amens, bedside prayers,
Healing prayer for family, friends.
We knew Moms and Dads asked for
Guidance and we learned to do it, too,
Neighbors shared garden produce
And were a close-knit community.
There might be bullies, but you
Never dreamed they would kill you
And they would not, they loved you
They just had a mixed up way to show.
Today’s kids, many know nothing
Of Jesus, prayer, love, because
The devil has designs on
Our country’s heart, mind, and soul
And he is an evil destroyer
Who hates every single human
He attempts to steal our lives,
He is a dirty criminal
Who turns one against another
Fanning misunderstanding
Into a raging wildfire of hate.
You might say there is no God,
Have you forgotten back then?
He was with us in our schools,
Near us when we sat to eat,
His presence dear and welcome,
Life was not easy, but still,
We made it through, I believe,
Because Jesus was with us
Protecting us, keeping us safe.
Sure bad things did happen, but
There was a community of Christ
To help, support, pray us through.
God Is Not Dead, but He waits,
For open invitation
Into our public places,
To be asked into our days.
I have committed to be
Who He wants me to be and
I will sometimes fall far short
But He does not ask us to
Be perfect, but to allow
Him to create perfection in us.
Will you give Jesus a chance?
Creation and eternity await,
Give grace, faith, and hope a chance.

Short, short

I spent time with a friend of mine on Saturday, during the afternoon and evening. It was a joyous occasion. I wrote a poem through the night hours of Saturday morning, but I am uncertain of its reception, so I shall hang on to it and ponder whether I should post.

These are “Brain Dump Notebook” jottings. You might be surprised I can write short.

Creatives often ignore the rules, because they are exploring uncharted territory where accepted norms do not apply.

Sometimes sadness, depression, fear, overtake me, but I love you guys. My world glows a little brighter because of each of you.

If the road is not
Leading you where you would like
Get off, blaze a trail,
Maybe others will follow;
You may pioneer alone.

I am grateful:

My son is no longer in school and has acquired training from the U.S. Marine Corps allowing him to adequately defend himself and those around him.
Books, reading, and writing. This is repetitious, but my life would be incomplete without those.
I have been single again so long that I am at peace with it.
Face to face interaction with a friend is a tonic to the soul.
I am learning, my ideas of how others think and feel about me can be distorted, and I should make an effort to find out the truth from the source.
People do nice things.
My sweet puppy dog, Hope, is still here.

As a prompt, you are creative, you have wisdom within, make up some quotes of your own to share. If you are artistic, illuminate them.

Thank you for reading. I hope you will follow or come back when you are available. Remember creativity and love partner; express your dynamic vision in the world with such enthusiasm and tenderness, others are encouraged to change, succeed, or continue because of your example. We are lights, we are not snuffed by the shadows, we brighten the darkness, allowing others to find their pathway. It will not be ours, but theirs as individuals enabled through our inspiration. Be careful out there. Hold on to your hope, love, and joy; the world needs you. God Bless and Keep You, Everyday, Everyway, Forever and Always.