JUNE 2021 – One of my favorite things about the summer is relaxed weekend afternoons spent reading. Total escapism, without a care in the world, its a glorious thing. The flowers blooming in the gardens this year have been especially stunning, which is wonderful to see. The color pallet of nature never fails to delight and make me want to break out the colored pencils or paints. Seeing the water lilies has me wishing I had my oil pastels with me to pay my respects to the tradition of glorious garden paintings that Monet put forth in his time. There is a pond near where I live that has been showcasing the subtle delight of the refined spectacle that happens when these colors collide, just incredible.
Really need to head over there with my writing notebook in hand and get to work journaling. Been a lax month on the writing front, mainly been kicking back, getting outdoor with friends and spending time in vacation mode. This period has been good though as I can feel my creative reserves being restored and I’m eager to get back into my daily ritual of writing. I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts and focusing on getting extra sleep, so I’m sure that has helped too with being amped up again to create. But there is no substitute for the daily practice that is required to be a writer.
Appreciate the additional feedback that I have received for my most recent book, ‘Defending the Kingdom’, the insights have been very helpful. Trial by fire seems a necessary component of becoming better at endeavors that have an audience. And you never know exactly how your words will land in the mind of readers, so it is interesting to hear the responses. I genuinely want my work to always be more sophisticated in its level of quality and meaning than it was in the past and to evolve. And I think this process is essential towards getting there. So thank you to those who have read it and weighed in on the story and themes present.
What did I read this month? Snagged a random pickup this time around and selected ‘Dragon Teeth’ by Michael Crichton. One of his works of fiction, a top-tier action/adventure story about two rival paleontologists who in 1876 were exploring the American West for dinosaur bones. Based off real events involving historical figures, it has my kind of mix of fact and fiction, where it is incredibly enjoyable to read, but you also gleam some valuable information in the process. Don’t think it had ever occurred to me how rather recent the discovery of dinosaurs (by man) really was. Have a feeling it won’t be the last Michael Crichton book I read this summer, as he is one of my favorite summer blockbuster writers, haha.
Here’s to a laid back close to the weekend and a reminder to enjoy life and the fleeting bursts of artistry that mother nature has on display.
~ CS
PS: Don’t miss twitter at all.
