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Dialogue with my muse |
| I have been carrying on a dialogue for almost a year. During this time we have discussed the progress of my writing, editing, and publishing efforts. Join in to listen to our conversation about my daily writing life and add your comments if you think of anything Calliope and I miss. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I trust you had a good week at GO ART! JOE: I did. I was quite busy working on revisions to their website. I had to dust off my Dreamweaver skills. CALLIOPE: Are you making progress? JOE: I am but it's nice to have a break today. CALLIOPE: You haven't said anything about your writing lately. JOE: I finished my review of Marital Property and have my three readers at work. CALLIOPE: Then what? JOE: They are proofing as well as commenting on the manuscript. After I get their input I will decide how to proceed. CALLIOPE: Are you considering a run at traditional publishing this time? JOE: I am considering it. We shall see. CALLIOPE: What are you doing while you wait for their input? JOE: Today I will continuing work on another project. Talk with you Monday. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I trust you had a good week at GO ART! JOE: I did. I was quite busy working on revisions to their website. I had to dust off my Dreamweaver skills. CALLIOPE: Are you making progress? JOE: I am but it's nice to have a break today. CALLIOPE: You haven't said anything about your writing lately. JOE: I finished my review of Marital Property and have my three readers at work. CALLIOPE: Then what? JOE: They are proofing as well as commenting on the manuscript. After I get their input I will decide how to proceed. CALLIOPE: Are you considering a run at traditional publishing this time? JOE: I am considering it. We shall see. CALLIOPE: What are you doing while you wait for their input? JOE: Today I will continuing work on another project. Talk with you Monday. |
Inside every misfortune lies the seed of an at least equal benefit~ Napoleon Hill JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you up to today? JOE: Just thinking of my column and newsletter due this weekend. CALLIOPE: What's the topic? JOE: I have been pondering Haiti and what good can come of it. I don't understand why such an impoverished country should bear this burden. CALLIOPE: Did you come up with any answers? JOE: Of course not. The only answers I have heard is that it is their own fault or God's. Neither makes any sense to me. CALLIOPE: Do you think there is an explanation? JOE: No. I don't think it's a matter for logic. CALLIOPE: So why think about it at all? JOE: I wonder what good can come of it. CALLIOPE: Any ideas about this. JOE: Yes. I think it is an opportunity for the rest of the world to come together as a community to help fellow people in need. CALLIOPE: A good way to look at it. JOE: At least I can live with that. Talk with you on Friday. |
It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.~Tom Brokaw JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Gook morning Joe. You've been making yourself scarce lately. JOE: I can't deny it. My life is suddenly awhirl. CALLIOPE: What did you do yesterday? JOE: I started by taking my car for an oil change so it doesn't grind to a halt. I watched a movie. Then I went with Carol to cash in on a Christmas gift, Restorative Message for Two. Finally I represented GO ART! at the Volunteer Fair put on by AmeriCorps. CALLIOPE: I thought I might hear from you later yesterday. JOE: I thought you might too, but alas I ran out of energy. CALLIOPE: At least you are keeping busy. How was the Fair? JOE: Great. I got to know a few of my fellow AmeriCorps volunteers better as well as meeting some old friends and representatives from community services and agencies. CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting. JOE: It is exciting. I'm glad to taking more of an active part in the community. CALLIOPE: Back to GO ART today? JOE: Yes. I'm ready for more adventures. |
It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.~ Mark Twain JOE: Good afternoon Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Out of bed a bit late aren't we? JOE: I've been up but not functioning on all cylinders. CALLIOPE: Are you ailing? JOE: I don't think so. Perhaps it is the change in my routine. I got back to the gym on a regular basis this week and worked three days in a row. CALLIOPE: So you are still adjusting to being back in the real world? JOE: I suppose I am. I didn't think it would be that much of a change. CALLIOPE: You're not getting any younger. JOE: The old gray mare and all that. CALLIOPE: Well said. JOE: I also have my column, blogs and a new writing project to fit in. Maybe it's time to consolidate. CALLIOPE: Perhaps so. JOE: Talk with you tomorrow. |
I like making work in my studio day in and day out, but I'm not so interested in the business side ~ Jenny Saville JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you yesterday. JOE: Couldn't be helped. I wanted to finish my column for this week on Nature and Waste and just made it to work on time. CALLIOPE: How about when you got home? JOE: My eyes were bleary from working on the computer all day. CALLIOPE: Are you refreshed this morning? JOE: I am and ready for more. CALLIOPE: So you are part of the art infrastructure now. JOE: Indeed I am. I never realized before what happens behind the scenes. Readings, performances and exhibitions are all that is obvious but much more takes place in the background. CALLIOPE: Glad you have come to appreciate it. What part are you playing right now? JOE: Working on announcements and invitations to art and music events and archiving information about past events. CALLIOPE: I'm glad you are being productive. JOE: So am I. It makes me appreciate how many people contribute to the arts besides individual artists. CALLIOPE: Are you ready to get back to it for today? JOE: I am. Talk with you later. |
| It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.~ Mary O'Connor JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you up to today? JOE: I just finished my journal and wrote about how much I have to do this week. It's a new feeling for me after so many years. CALLIOPE: Better than being idle. What's on your plate? JOE: At noon, I have a meeting to discuss a book project for a non-profit organization. I also want to contact a book printer for quotes on this project, Marital Property and two books I have had listed for POD sales. CALLIOPE: Sounds like a lot for one day. JOE: Then there is my column due Saturday but which I would like to at least start today. CALLIOPE: You said something about writing on the topic of waste. JOE: I did. I just haven't decided just how to approach it. CALLIOPE: Any ideas for it? JOE: When I least expected it, I think in the middle of the night, it occurred to me to use nature as a guide for how to dispose of waste. CALLIOPE: I've never heard that idea before. JOE: Neither have I. That's what excited me about it. CALLIOPE: Sounds like a challenge. JOE: I'm ready for it and everything else in my mind. Talk with you tomorrow. |
You cannot find your soul with your mind, you must use your heart.~Gary Zukav JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you thinking about today? JOE: I'm thinking about thinking and its limitations. I ran across the above quote by Gary Zukav and realized the limitation of thinking in the creative process. CALLIOPE: Please elaborate. JOE: I'd be glad to. Sometimes when I am ready to write I rack my mind for ideas and thoughts. Sometimes nothing emerges. CALLIOPE: Then what do you do? JOE: Turn off my mind and seek experiences, one of which will often inspire me to write something. CALLIOPE: How well does that work? JOE: I'm happy with it. I often find better topics through unexpected experiences than I do by trying to force my mind to think about something. CALLIOPE: Sounds like serendipity. JOE: It certainly does. Even the word serendipity conveys a sense of peaceful play. CALLIOPE: So you enjoy wandering? JOE: I do. I like the feeling of meandering with no particular goal and no pressure. CALLIOPE: More people should try it. JOE: I agree. Talk with you on Monday. |
| Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.~ E. L. Doctorow JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I trust you survived your first days at GO ART. JOE: I did and enjoyed working with other people after all my time writing alone. CALLIOPE: What about today? JOE: Today I'm back to my writing. CALLIOPE: What's on your agenda? JOE: First our conversation which is progressing nicely. CALLIOPE: And then? JOE: I have my novel, Marital Property, to finish and a newsletter to write by next Saturday. CALLIOPE: Where will you start? JOE: Since I have only a vague idea what to write about next week, I will let the newsletter idea percolate for a while and work on the novel. CALLIOPE: What is your idea for the newsletter? JOE: My girlfriend Carol suggested that I write about waste in our society, a particular annoyance of hers. CALLIOPE: I see. How about the novel? JOE: I'm wading through the final edit and have one reader reader ready to go. I will need to find a couple others too. Talk with you tomorrow. |
I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile.~ Walter Chrysler JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your first day back to work? JOE: Okay once I got there. I lost a filling and had to detour to my dentist's office to be repaired. CALLIOPE: And then? JOE: I realized that between my psychology practice and writing, I have not had a regular schedule in the past twenty years. CALLIOPE: That will take a little adjustment. JOE: Fortunately I am working in a very flexible environment. CALLIOPE: What did you do all day. JOE: After becoming acclimated, I spent most of the day updating a website with current information. Fortunately I was well equipped for the task. CALLIOPE: What's next? JOE: I have some work to do on archiving articles about GOART from local publications. CALLIOPE: And then what? JOE: New adventures. I'm going to work prepared for anything. I enjoy not being responsible for everything for a change. CALLIOPE: Good luck. JOE: Thanks. I'm already feeling at home. Talk with you tomorrow. |
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Hope they like snow! 
I just tell them to go get a life...
It's a sunshiny 24 here at the moment; 19 in Buffalo.