Tag: #MondayMotivation

These are turbulent times. Writing, and even reading, can feel like a frivolous luxury. I would argue just the opposite. I’ve lost both my parents so I have to rely on memories when I need their comfort. The only experience I can liken to the current global landscape is 9/11. It was the first time in my life when our country faced its own vulnerability. My parents had lived through previous periods of tumult so I asked them what to do, how to handle the sometimes overwhelming fear and anxiety. My mother, the pragmatist, told me to take care of myself, check in with friends and family often, and remember to give myself permission to live my life. Go on bike rides, go to the movies, laugh. My dad, the artist, said, “What are you working on these days? A painting? A sculpture? A story?” The question took me off guard. How could he think about art when the world was so scary? I said as much to him. A man of few words, he said, “Try it.” Even though he didn’t tell me why he suggested it, I took my dad’s advice. I picked up a novel I’d set […]

Food is an interesting subject to write about. We all need to eat, but how and when is circumstantial. A character I’m writing right now demonstrates his love for his wife (one of 2 main characters) by cooking her favorite dish, pasta primavera. Sounds simple, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Then I looked up a recipe.