AndreaBlythe.com

Things Accomplished
In writing... one new poem written and a rough draft of another. Morning poetry continues, off and on. No progress on the short story.

I also submitted four poems to ZYZZYVA, which would be awesome to get in to.

In art… I got a few drawings done. I’m finding that it’s getting easier to get things to look the way I want them to on the page — which shouldn’t be a surprise. Practice is good. I really want to improve to the point where the more elaborate ideas and painting that I have in my head and translate them to canvas. One in particular would be a large portrait of my grandmother, but I don’t feel skilled enough yet with painting to be able to pull it off right, especially since it’s sucha personal subject.

In body... again, only the yoga class. I get like this sometimes, where I’m just not in the damn mood. I really need to get over this, since my body just feels so much better when I keep up a regular exercise routine.

In miscellany... I also managed to sneak a youtube video in there, which I just now realized that I forgot to post here. *sigh* At any rate, you can click the link to view it.

* * *

In other news, I’m only two weeks away from Germany. Which means I should probably ease up on my to-do lists, so that I can get all my pre-travel stuff done. But I’ll leave it be for this week and see what happens.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue editing/rewriting the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 poems
– write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– draw two pages for the 30 Day Challenge
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
– do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you are inclined, you can comment either here or there.]

Not so much was accomplished last week. I give no excuses.

I did do my morning journal pages and even put together a blackout poem, but not much creatively otherwise. And thank goodness for the yoga class I’m signed up for with my mom and sister otherwise I wouldn’t have done any exercising last week.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue editing/rewriting the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 poems
– write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– draw two pages for the 30 Day Challenge
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
– do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you can comment either here or there.]

Things Accomplished in the Past Week
In writing… I’ve finally pulled out my short story and started editing it. I’ve worked through two scenes, which is a good (re)start. These were the most polished scenes in the story, though, and I have a feeling that I will have to do drastic rewrites to make them work. *sigh*

On top of putting down the rough draft of a new poem, I’ve also discovered a kind of found poetry called blackout or erasure poetry, which is fabulous fun. There have been several books, published using the style, include Mary Rueffle’s A Little White Shadow, which I reviewed here, and I’ve learned about a book called Newspaper Blackout, which I’m itching to buy.  I’m obsessed with this form, and can’t seem to look at Newspapers the same way again. Every time I pick up the paper, I start scanning it to see what words might come together to form a poem. I love the visual element that is inherent, and as a lover of collage, I try to incorporate that into it.

Not only am I having fun creating blackout poetry, but It’s a relaxing way of getting into the poetic mind. I’m finding that working in this way is helping me to feel more inspired when I face the blank page, too. You can see a few of my blackout poems here.

In art… Several sketches and a new drawing were completed, all in good fun. You can see them here.

In body… I have not done much yoga or running this week. I blame the stress of going to press, and the fact that I’ve had to work overtime several days this week. Which is all well and good, but means that all I want to do when I get home is rest.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
– write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
– do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you may comment either here or there.]

Things Accomplished Last Week
In art, I’ve been doing fairly well. I’ve done some fun sketches in my morning journal, one of them in color, and I had a good time making a collage inspired by India. It’s not really surprising that I’m keeping up with my art, my tumblr is like a shiny new toy and I want to keep playing with it (sometimes to the neglect of my other toys, like writing or livejournal or even twitter).

In writing… well, thank god for my morning poetry journal, because if not for that I would have no new words to report. I’m trying to get back into the habit of things, but trying is not the same as doing. I also received a rejection this week for one poem. Well, on to the next!

In body, I did excellent. I finished Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan, which is an amazing feeling. I now need to keep up with my morning routines as suggested at the back of the book.

I also did week one of the Couch to 5k running plan. I’m feeling pretty good about it. Saturday was a real push for me, though. I think this was because I ran midday when it was rather warmer out than I’m used to. I tend to get lethargic in the heat, so it felt like a much harder run. This is good to know about myself, because I’m going to need to keep that in mind whenever I get around to actually participating in an

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
– write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
– do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you may comment here or there.]

I love lists. I love making them, lining up my to-dos or to-be-reads or hope-to-bes all in a row of possibilities. I love their logical assertions, or their assumptions of logic regardless of whether any single item has anything to do with any other single item. I love the feeling you get when you get to cross one off and feel as though a job’s been well done.

But I have a habit of making and then poking them idly from a distance with sticks. Or of simply abandoning them entirely as soon as they are composed.

This is a dangerous thing, this making and then abandoning. Because lists have a tendency to grow of their own accord, to become feral and monstrous and hungry. They will attack you in your dreams if you do not attend to them. They will scratch and paw and bite at your inner calm and security.

It’s best to tend them, to bring out the shears and prune them by striking out your accomplishments. Or better yet, by making your lists no greater than you can manage.

Which is to say that other than a few minor sketches in my morning poetry journal, I mostly ignored my list this past week (and many more lists in the weeks before), and I am beginning to grow concerned. So, I post this week with tentative fear and the hope that I can accomplish what I set forth in order to keep myself from being eaten alive.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
– write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
– do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you may comment either here or there.]