Amazing Year Day 314: Accountability to the Rescue

Fame is a powerful spotlight and casts a shadow over the cast of characters who play integral roles in helping said celebrity rise to fame. Behind every writer, is a parade of struggles and doubts. It’s difficult to continue, but in the end all we must do is tend to our trade. When family and friends are supportive but able to fully grasp the spoil and toil of such a craft, it’s easy for a writer to feel alone. But there are many walking similar paths who can be of assistance and truly push us back on the road. I’m lucky to know a fellow writer willing to trust me enough to embark on an “accountability partnership.” While this may entail critiques and advice, it’s more like confession. We are sworn to report our weekly progress towards our hefty, yet achievable goals. I’m looking forward to challenging each other as we share the often unpublicized daily struggle to hone one’s routines and craft into legacy.

Amazing Year Day 313: Creator’s Zen

I don’t know how it happened, yet a simple dimming of the lights, an adornment in static-stinging satin pajamas, and I was there. A province of bliss. Peaceful joy careening in and around me. What would I write? While some ideas did flow from the pen, I just sat full of potential and happiness.

It didn’t hurt that my all-time favorite soundtrack was musing in the background…

Amazing Year Day 312: A Supportive Menagerie

Contemplating in the early morning, the pieces of my mind were struggling to fit together. Then I looked at one may think is a simple piece of decor, an homage to childhood… oh no my friends… this is not just any collection, it’s a menagerie of friends… and when they each smiled at me, my day was given the glorious start it needed. Toys are not just to play with, they are dazzling sprites of inspiration and support.

TransGenre Brilliance: Kid Lit Tunes

While the media puts a spotlight on crossing over genders, YouTuber Emily Arrow has shown that our focus should be on crossing over genres, as she brilliantly remixes picture book texts into delightful music videos. All she needed was her, a ukulele, talent, and drive! Thank you, Ms. Arrow and the authors who allowed her to have fun with their diction.

It’s now my wishlist that she remixes one of my stories. See below!

Amazing Year Day 311: An Artist Walks

For anyone wishing to journey into their full artist self, I recommend Julia Cameroon’s The Artist’s Way. It was a key piece in my path towards not only publishing but finding the confidence and perspective to realize my dreams. Walking in this World, the sequel to The Artist’s Way, was an obstacle for me as with two attempts I made it only to week 6 (of a 12-week course). Well, I’m back! Today was the start of week 2, and fully embracing the “artist’s walk” I wandered through Taipei instead of taking the convenient MRT to my next destination. And wow, just like that I was connected to a wide and wonderful world.

I noticed…

the simplistic fun of street art,

a potential cafe to take my wife too,

the Lord works in mysterious ways,

A holy red light district?

this city sure does love its underground gyms,

a delicious dinner can unexpectedly appear,

friends from Japan are never far away,

even hotels can have dumb, silly names (that’s how it should be),

some things never change (as they shouldn’t),

an obscure hill on the corner is actually the bottom of a ship from another dimension directly below us upside down (thank you, Stranger Things),

despite the city being a mass of concrete, there truly is a polite flowery jungle in there,

and lastly home now appears magical!

Amazing Year Day 310: Two Controllers

Simply put, I don’t play video games. Let’s just say my hand and eye coordination has been needing a visit to the repair shop since birth. While I did get sucked into the addiction-filled vacuum of simulation and real time strategy games such as Roller Coaster Tycoon and Starcraft, I have since not permitted my adult self to get trapped into the habit loop of video game’s meaningless (in my opinion) reward system. However, sometimes you just gotta light up, and it’s even more addicting when it’s with your wife.

So her and I rocked Super Mario World for over three hours. We clearly need to up our game, but it was a nice chance to just let the simple pleasures of video games create guilt-ridden adrenaline rushes. But listen Mr. Super Nintendo, I’m going to be thinking about you for awhile now, but it’s best if I resist. Game off.

Amazing Year Day 309: Paying to Laugh

Laugher is the cure to life’s frustrating confusions. It often comes for free. But when you want a Grade A Dose, you gotta pay up. That’s what seven of my peers and I did when we gathered together to sit our fine rumps down for two hours as internally renowned truth talk Jim Jefferies and his “special guest” Forrest Shaw earned their money as we FIGURATIVELY LAUGHED OUR BUTTS OFF! Notice how I didn’t incorrectly say ‘literally,’ because had we done that we wouldn’t have been able to keep sitting. (Yeah, that wasn’t funny. Apologies. At least you didn’t pay.)

 

Amazing Year Day 308: I’m Coming for You Habit

Dear Non-Fiction,

You can be so entertainingly delightful. Thank you for allowing The Power of Habit to have a seat on your shelves of wisdom. I’m honored to have this fine assortment of inked pages as my Wednesday reading!

Respectfully,

a fan

Amazing Year Day 307: Just That

Crave was here. That’s all there is to say about today.

Amazing Year Day 306: Back to the Grind

School is back in session and with that comes an impossible juggling act. Thankfully my new routines protect a smidgen of time for reflection, reading, and writing. But now it’s three hours past my bed time as I race to finish the myriad of tasks needed of a teaching principal. #fun