REQUEST FOR SUBMISSIONS

So here's a new chapter. 

I'm requesting and accepting submissions to be published on this blog, because I like to know about people and what they do. If you've ever talked to someone about what they love, it's like the best kind of disease, because when they open up, they release a creative spark, and if yours happens to be dim at the moment, you can catch something. I believe that enthusiasm is contagious and indiscriminate, and in the same way that you follow, say, Tolstoy's daily habits and learn something, you can do that same with your peers.

*PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS TO writeandamuse@gmail.com*

So here goes:

Submissions should answer the following questions, but these can change according to topic:

Who or what inspires you? 

This is for picture purposes.

What are you passionate about doing? 

This can be writing, drawing, travel, or anything really, as long as it genuinely drives you. 

How do you express this passion or interest? 

Pretty simple really: if you like to paint, what do you paint?

How do you stay inspired? 

Short burst of passion are commonplace, but it's the long term commitment, the every day dedication that is hard. What do you do to keep that interest alive? What is the day to day process? 

I'm going to put this request in the header bar, and see what happens.

Send an email over to writeandamuse@gmail.com

HOUSEKEEPING

A few notes on the blog, since I've been thinking about this for awhile. I want to implement a few changes. Nothing majorly dramatic, but in the interest of refocusing the content. So, a few things of note:

I want this blog to be a positive space, a good and safe space, where people can share what inspires them, and what inspires their creative process. I'm curious about what other people do, where resources they use to stay inspired, and will make a formal post regarding submissions. Soon.  

I've relabeled the description to reflect this semi-new direction. 

Have you ever noticed that the same information gets recycled over and over again? There really is nothing new under the sun sometimes. Many people post quotes and habits from established authors and geniuses. This is not to say that's not inspiring stuff, but don't you want something that you haven't seen somewhere else? That's the reasoning behind wanting to track down new perspectives. This leads me to...

My next goal, which is just to find information that makes life better. I wish I had a more glamorous topic, the usual hair/makeup/outfits/kittens/recipe posts that I personally find addicting to a degree that is embarassing. But what I'm looking to do here is to focus on internal change, and to nurture that internal creative spark. I want to find ways to make life better. Unfortunately, this is not sexy stuff and it translate well into hot looking posts. The other stuff (fashion, etc.), while fun, sometimes distracts from important internal work. For example, I have five other tabs open while I'm writing this post. This needs to end. 

Another thing: there is a Follow by Email widget on the bottom right of this blog. I don't handle that at all, and do not have access to anyone's email account who has signed up. This may be a good or a bad thing, but if there are problems with it, I can find another way to let people know about posts.

So...I will probably not post as regularly, but I am also gradually going to make this more personal. This is not to say that I will ever suddenly make posts about myself in different outfits. That's not going to happen. I have a basic uniform, and that's not where I want to focus my creative energy. But I will try to use pieces from my life to flesh out ideas. I feel sometimes that I've been playing it too safe with this blog, and that there's been no attempt to make a genuine connection. So there will be changes in that direction, and hopefully I will not turn into a whiny narcissist, because we all have our demons. 

If you have suggestions or questions, just ask.