AUGUST 28, 2018

Creating a Family History in 2018

What sports does your family play? Gather photos of different activities and generations. Remember that school pictures often include teams and practices. Are there band members in your family?

Don’t forget that adults played sports and there may be photos of them to include. Military, church, and community centers sometimes distribute photos to team members.

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

Commitment to Your Art

One of the tasks I have set for myself is to update my profiles on social media sites. Many changes have occurred in my life over the last decade. Some of my experiences were life-changing. Some were developmental intellectually and emotionally. All have changed me. I consider that a good thing; there is something sad about a living creature that never grows, never learns, never becomes.

My priorities are dramatically different now. Family is foremost in importance. For a homeschool Mom, that may seem more of the same. The focus is different somehow. I cherish every moment, both good and bad. They are my past and my future. Most importantly, they are my present, the reasons I am happy to wake each day and the calm that lets me sleep at night.

I am blessed with many friends. A few disappeared during hard times; poverty and illness have a way of interfering with some relationships. For everyone I lost, more stepped up. Their patience and willingness to accept the person I am becoming has made difficult times seem surmountable. That has helped me to understand true gratitude and to recognize love in places I overlooked before.

Attempting to communicate all these concepts to family, friends, and colleagues is daunting. Who needs to know? And what should I say?

There are quite a few “unmentionable” topics: politics, religion, money, personal relationships, and illness. Strangely, there are some who want to discuss the taboo ideas and some who steadfastly want no mention of them.

I have decided to err on the side of honesty and trust. We took a hit in the Great Recession. So did many, many other people. I had major health issues. So did many other people. I have unresolved anger issues about where our nation is heading. Like many others I have no true solution to our problems; I choose not to share my opinions as much as before and listen to ideas that may enlighten my own.

My life is changing. I am still growing, developing, and becoming. What more could I ask?

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Creative Spark

“Life is a lot like jazz – it’s best when you improvise.”

(George Gershwin)

September Events

Labor Day

Autumn Begins

 

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JULY 24, 2018

Commitment to Your Art

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my inability to concentrate on my creative work. Mostly this occurs when life intervenes. Someone is sick, dinner needs to be cooked, or bills need to be paid. Any distraction and my thoughts turn to the mundane; gone are the birds of my imagination.

I’ve learned some coping mechanisms over the years. I write ideas into my calendar for future reference. This helps me to jog my memory when I do have time but lack inspiration. I also list some quick musings in my task app on my cell phone. That requires less time and keeps them available wherever I am. I also save images I find online that trigger a story plot or suggest a drawing.

Like many others, I sometimes withdraw from the world around me. I put the electronics aside, retrieve the tools of my trade, and just work. I don’t worry about whether it is “good” or not. I am just opening the cage door so my birds can fly free.

These activities work for me.

Creating a Family History in 2018 

Gather photos of past and present pets. Record a few memories of each one. How did they join your family? Ask your family members to draw pictures of them. These can be fun; not only do they record the pets’ impact on the family but also show your family members’ fondness for specific animals.

Consider doing similar stories about family gardens or the flowers raised by a family member.

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

 

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Creative Spark

“Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.”

(Claude Monet)

August Events

Hiroshima Peace Day

JUNE 26, 2018

Creating a Family History in 2018

Take pictures of your favorite haunts in your city. These can be hamburger joints, parks, sports arenas, fairgrounds, drive-ins, and other memorable venues. Include friends and family who accompanied you; if you met them for the first time there, mention it.

If you have the opportunity, visit other cities. Beach or mountain trips, camping, and other favorite vacations are good inclusions.

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

Commitment to Your Art

Read, attend exhibits, and performances. Know your field.

Keep up with professional journals. There are many available in every artistic area: art, writing, music, dance, and theater. These can provide new insights into the work of your colleagues and information on conferences and calls for submissions.

Few careers are as lonely as the creative ones. That doesn’t have to be the case, and shouldn’t. Knowing what other creative and innovative people are working on can keep your mind alive and engaged with the world beyond your doorstep.

 

 

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Creative Spark

“There is a solitude, which each and every one of us has always carried with him, more inaccessible than the ice-cold mountains, more profound than the midnight sea; the solitude of self. Our inner being, which we call ourself, no eye nor touch of man or angel has ever pierced.”

(Elizabeth Cady Stanton)

July Events

Independence Day

“Cheshire Cat Moon”

My flash fable, “Cheshire Cat Moon,” will appear in Soundings East, to be released in May 2018. This is one of my personal favorites. It is a midnight tale of life in the forest. 

Melanie Arrowood Wilcox is a North Carolina native and a Carolina graduate with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. A writer and artist, her themes often involve spiritual issues presented as fables or modern interpretations of old texts. More information about Melanie is available at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniewilcoxauthorandartist/

 

MAY 22, 2018

Creating a Family History in 2018

Gather photos of homes you lived in, schools you attended, and cars you owned. Write a paragraph or two about why you did or did not like them. Ask your children, parents, and grandparents what their memories of these are.

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

Commitment to Your Art

Promote your work. It sounds daunting but can be accomplished by making a plan and working on it regularly.The first thing you need to do is look through your work and figure out who your audience is. Do your artworks sell better to students or businesses? Do your manuscripts do better with independent journals or do you accomplish more by self-publishing?

When you have a clear picture of your potential markets, you can begin compiling contact lists. Remember that you will need a good program to keep track of telephones, cell phones, physical addresses for deliveries, mailing addresses, and emails.

If you don’t have a website, create one. There are many excellent free website hosting programs online. I like WordPress for its simple designs that cater to a variety of needs.

Now create a schedule for upcoming releases or exhibitions. Work back from the date of release of a book or article or the opening of an art exhibit in which you are participating. When is the deadline for submission? Do you have photographs of book covers or artworks? You must include production time, such as obtaining copyrights and arranging printing of any promotional materials. The last step should be mailing printed promotions and marketing materials and arranging interviews with your media contacts.

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Creative Spark

“God is different to us now, after all these years in Africa. More spirit than ever before, and more internal. Most people think he has to look like something or someone- a roofleaf or Christ- but we don’t. And not being tied to what God looks like, frees us.”

(Alice Walker, The Color Purple)

June Events

Summer Begins

 

 

 

APRIL 24, 2018

 

Creating a Family History in 2018

Create a family tree. There are many templates available online. Others can be purchased in print, too. This is a great project with children. Go back a few generations. Most people can put together the current generation, parents, and grandparents without too much research. Great grandparents may be able to share some information further back.

This may be a good time to start recording stories you hear. A recording is easiest; taking notes can work as well. If you plan to share this on digital media, a video recording is especially nice.

If you have time, consider writing a paragraph about important historical events and how they affected your family. Did they serve in the military during any conflicts? Write something about that conflict. Were any firefighters or law enforcement officers? What were their experiences? Look for good events as well as tragedies. Perspective is important.

 

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

Commitment to Your Art

Learn to copyright, patent, and trademark your work. Do this for all your work, even if you have to go into your past records and create multiple files to do so.

You own the copyright to your works from the date of creation. It isn’t necessary to register your copyrights but it is extremely wise to do so. Why? If your work is used without your permission, registration is the most effective way to prove that you created it and when. Costs vary but the Library of Congress offers economical ways to go on record.

If you haven’t looked at their website recently, consider spending an hour or so there to learn about all the services they provide.

https://www.loc.gov/services-and-programs/

You may want to register with R. R. Bowker. Professionals can register their names and works with Bowker’s varied services to help identify their names and works. For instance, John Joe Smith from Philadelphia won’t be confused with John Joe Smith from London. As scholarship becomes more globally accessible, this becomes more of an issue for authors, artists, scientists, and others who create ideas or products. It can also serve as a link between specific work and a specific creator.

They can provide publishers with ISBNs, apps for titles, and other marketing tools.

http://www.bowker.com/

 

 

 

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Creative Spark

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”

(Albert Einstein)

Daffodils 2015 Copyright Melanie Arrowood Wilcox

May Events

May Day

Memorial Day

MARCH 27, 2018

Creating a Family History in 2018

Collect information on dates of birth, dates of marriage, dates of death, grave sites for your family. If you have them, add service records, medical information, and schools and churches attended.

If you have information on your DNA profile, consider carefully whether you  want to share it. If so, you might include a summary of this information in your family history.
Were there any surprises? Does the testing method affect the results?

One of the most popular books for most non-professionals is a family history. Putting together a simple book that can be shared with your family members can be fun but it is also a lot of work.

Involving your kids, if you have any, can turn this into a family activity. Children and teens alike might like drawing family pets or houses where they’ve lived. Some will warm to the idea of self-portraits. Of course, the trusty cell phone can help them take pictures to include.

At some point, you can help them create a family tree. This can be helpful, but be aware that difficult issues can arise. Think of how each family member will react to the information included: divorces, deceased infants, suicides, adoptions, and other events may not be known by everyone who will see this information.

I will post this each month as a reminder to be cautious about information you share. Better safe than sorry!

Consider interviewing relatives, too; their stories are often treasures. Ask them for copies of old photographs of people and places. Don’t limit this to family. One of the things that makes these histories so interesting is pictures of friends, places of worship, schools, and favorite vacation spots.

I will be posting a suggestion each month for an activity that will help you focus your efforts. I think most of these can be done in less than four hours a month. You can spend more time if your interest is piqued.

Commitment to Your Art

Make a habit of looking for opportunities to perform, publish, and exhibit. This is an excellent task for those times when creative inspiration is in short supply.

Reading professional journals in your field is essential. Arts Councils often publish a list of opportunities in their area. So do some galleries and publishers. Try to read at least one newsletter or journal each week. Keep an eye on local art newspapers and the larger newspapers’ events sections, too.

Add possible venues to a some kind of list. Include enough information to find the listing again. I use Duotrope, an online service for writers, for my writing submissions. I add art possibilities to my calendar with a one-month-in-advance reminder to prepare the work for entry. If I submit a story or enter artwork, I put the notification-of-acceptance date in my calendar. This way, I know when I should expect a response.

 

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Creative Spark

“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.”

(Isaac Asimov, I. Asimov)

April Events

April Fools’ Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Earth Day