Another Monday Blog — Riding in the CCE

This morning I found that I have written 15 Monday morning blogs through the years (not counting Sunday Evening Art Gallery on Mondays). That’s not a bad count, considering I’ve written 3,533 blogs.

Most of them are about recovering from the weekend (whatever that may haven been), starting a new creative path, or buckling down on the one you’re already on.

Why does that seem such a big deal to me?

Sometimes I feel like a life coach.

Why does it matter what someone does with their free time? Not everyone wants to pull out fabric or clay or a calligraphy pen when they’ve got a free hour. Some just want to close their eyes and breathe. Or read a book. 

As Michael Crichton from Jurassic Park says, “Life will find a way.”

Rather, Creativity will find a way.

I never had a lot of time between projects to do things that were out of my daily box. Raising kids and working and keeping up on housework took all of my time. Every day. Every month. I’m not sorry I spent that time doing what I needed to do, either.

But I also found time to escape with Creativity. I was a online role player for a while (when that was a big thing), playing mostly a half fae living in a world of castles and pirates and who-knows-what-other kinds of beings. No one knew my personal life. No one knew my personal name. I was just one of dozens of people in a chat room playing out one drama or another.

There was a painting stint back then too. I remember creating some Avatar-looking land masses floating in the air and a stencil in a diamond shape that said “Space the Final Frontier.”

I also found time to do some writing.

I was also a big journaller. Lots of schmaltzy stuff after I turned 40. When that got boring (or once I ran out of self pity) I started writing stories. Poems. Novels. I found a style and a genre I felt comfortable with and ran with it. Later in life I made/forced/encouraged my way into writing for my company blog. Found I enjoyed doing that, too. 

Perhaps that’s what brought me to blogging.

I’ve always wanted to tap into that Creative side of my life, my thoughts, my dreams. I didn’t care if I got famous or got published or showed my creations to the neighbors. I just wanted to push myself a little further into the CCE — the Creative Cosmic Ether.

I just wanted to have fun.

Which leads back to a bunch of Monday Morning Encouragement Blogs.

Don’t be bored. Be bold. Practice on something old. Try something new. Glide between crafts. Don’t listen to the negatives — Just Do It.

Now I sound like a life coach that works for Nike …

 

 

Contained in a Frame — My Inspired Life

Be brilliant. Be a flower.

 

Captured and contained in this frame, are delicate petals, crowning thorny stems, set against a shadowy tree-laced sky. At first glance, I saw the natural beauty for what it is: magnificence. Eyes full of wonder, I startled a bird with my audible sigh. Despite my praising of nature’s perfection, shortsighted was my thinking, for the […]

Contained in a Frame — My Inspired Life

6 Ways To Bring Readers To Your Blog/Site/Life Part II

Back on Oct 10, 2019 I posted a blog about 6 Ways To Bring Readers To Your Blog/Site/Life.  

It included:

Animals  

 

Bright Colors   

 

 

Laughing Babies/Little Kids   

 

 

Scenery 

 

Memories 

 

and Food 

 

 

How did those work for you? Smashing, I hope.
Well, I have found six other topics that may amuse you and bring you more fame and (possible) fortune.

 

Lists of Anything.

These are the sucker’s ways of seeing where their favorites fit into your favorites. Topics include Top Places to Vacation, Best Restaurants in Your Neighborhood, or Must-Haves to Start Your Paint Supply Cabinet. Be sure to throw a few numbers in front of your titles — just not too many as to discourage new learners.

 

Free Stuff

Who doesn’t love free? Especially when it doesn’t cost anything? Unless you have a big marketing budget, you won’t be able to handle the costs of mailing freebees to your followers. But hey! This is the Internet! Surely you can send them links to remarkable places and works of art and virtual tours of neat places and YouTube videos that emphasize the point you’re trying to make.

 

Humor

Who doesn’t like an opening line that makes you smile? Not everyone is always in a good mood in life, and what better way to get readers addicted than to show a funny face, tell a funny joke, or show a picture that goes along with your humorous antidotes. After all, isn’t there always something funny going on?

 

Nostalgia

 

Who now days doesn’t look fondly back on rotary phones, penny candy, pet rocks, and bell bottom jeans? A majority of your readers are past 30. Past 40. Shall I go on? Bring/write/show items and ideas from the past into the modern arena. We all love to feel that little tickle/tingle of nostalgia from our childhood. Especially penny candy and the Beatles.

 

How-Tos

Everybody could learn to do something better — cooking, writing, sky diving. But most of us want the easy way to the other side. You can provide that. Talk about what you’re good at. Or what someone else is good at.  Surely there is plenty of knowledge inside of you (or someone you know) that you can share with the world. Do you know how to can tomatoes or make a fairy garden or write a poem? Share that knowledge. Show us know how to do it!

 

Feel Good Stories

Needless to say, most of the time we have fairly simple things to share. That a-ha moment. The finished task. The cosmic question. Stories and questions that, in the end, make you feel good. Even if there is no answer, you want your reader to feel  that all will be okay in the end. A successful blog starts with writing from the heart. Be enthusiastic, be honest, believe in what you’re writing. You are you, and that’s what your readers want. Not a pretend version.

 

Well, friends, I hope you find inspiration from my so-called ideas on how to bring readers to your blog. Even if you don’t get one extra reader from all this falderal, know I enjoyed writing it almost as much as you snickered reading it.

Onward, Upward, Forward, and in my case, Loopidy Loopward!

 

Coming Soon!!

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Art is Fun. Art is Intriguing. Art is a Happy Dance.

I have so enjoyed finding Art in different places, in different guises. I can’t believe the diversity of creativity that has been out there all this time… and I and am just now discovering it. I have gathered more images for my Sunday evening blog than I could thoughtfully put into my posts.

so…..

I am opening a new Sunday Evening Art Gallery page so you can explore more of the magic that lies right outside our door.  These creators are marvelous. And I can’t wait for you to explore their worlds with me.

I am hoping to have the Grand Opening this Sunday, the day after Valentine’s Day.  After I love the world, my friends, my family, and my readers.

Hope to see you there!