Category Archives: Next Generation of Careers in the Arts

Books Bring a Change in Environment

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“Conservation is a state of harmony between man and land.” ~ Aldo Leopold

sunrise on the chesapeakeEarly yesterday morning, as I sat looking out over the Chesapeake Bay typing a blog about Walk Two Moons, something very beautiful occurred. A pod of dolphins swam by in front of me. Close to the shoreline, they surfaced and dove, surfaced and dove, very graceful in their movements. It was as if they were signaling a good morning greeting. The water was serene and still, compared to many other mornings when I’ve visited and storms are raging.

“What a different world, I am in right now” I thought, “still a natural environment but unlike the wild, wild West.” One surrounding is not more beautiful than the other, just unique in the kind of climate challenges the residents face.

I recently read a book called Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas, a Colorado author. I learned a lot about what life was like during the days of homesteading and mining in the 1930’s and what friendship means to the human spirit.

Although we humans live in many kinds of different environments, the challenges in life can be the same.  How we as individuals face stormy seas, is all about attitudes and our survival skills in handling it.

That is why I love to read. Books and films allow a way to escape to other places and “walk on other moons.” Through reading, we have the opportunity to see things that we might not ever be able to experience otherwise, and learn how others deal with adversity and being tested.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. Off I go now, to visit a silk factory in China, and forge relationships with women who work in it.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Writing Ambitions

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Walk_Two_Moons“I want to write a book like Walk Two Moons,” my twin sister declared the other day. “Did you ever read it?”

“No, I haven’t,” I said, “Go ahead, what’s stopping you?” Frankly, she took me by surprise. It was the first I’d ever heard of her having any ambitions to write. For many years decorative painting was her “thing.” I would have expected a return to that craft, after abandoning it when her life got too busy with raising children and a career in project accounting for a prominent architectural firm that designs healthcare facilities. http://www.wilmot.com/.

“It’s the best book,” she said. “We read and discussed it in our mother-daughter book club many years ago when the girls were little.”

“So, what’s stopping you from writing?” I asked again.

“I don’t know where to start.” My sister replied.

“No one ever does. Just begin, and see what happens, and where the story goes.”

“I never thought of that.” She said. “I thought I needed to have a beginning and an end, in the first place.”

“Nope, how can you determine it, if you haven’t met the characters yet?” I said.

“What is it that was so good about the story?” I asked, turning the conversation back to her comment about Walk Two Moons.

“It taught the best lessons!” She replied.

“Then keep that in mind, as you write.” I said.

“Well, I didn’t say I was going to write! You’re assuming that I will.”

“Why not? I asked again. “Just start and see how it turns out. You might find the experience of creating a story, in and of itself, fulfilling.” I said, thinking of the joy I have gotten over the past year or so in writing my soon-to-be published narrative.

“I might,” she said. “I just might.”

After our talk about writing, I came across this adage. Is it not true that values determine how all stories, our own and others, end up?

character in story

See you next time on  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Engagement through Books and Writing

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There are a great many human souls whom we should accept more kindly, and even appreciate more clearly, if we simply thought of them as people in a story.” ~G.K. Chesterton,What I Saw in America

book clubYesterday, I went to a book club on the East Coast, and had a fulfilling experience with a group full of strangers. It made me reflect on how, in recent years, building relationships with others, through books and writing, has become part of my life story.

Books.  They connect us to other people. Worldwide, it’s gotten easier for people to meet-up through web-based book clubs and writers groups to build relationships of common interests. I’ve have the opportunity to open doors and step inside the lives of all kinds of people that I ordinarily would never have had the chance to meet, if it hadn’t been for books.

The dialogue that an author creates in penning a book helps the reader to know the personalities of the people we meet between the covers. Whether a person is physically attractive or not, walks through life with an attitude or is kind to others is determined through the words a talented author uses to craft the story. How and where a person lives and what kinds of relationships they maintain, is revealed through a good narrative. Characters in a story can even help the reader  learn more about themselves.

When you come right down to it, the way our personal tales go is a reflection of the people who pass through our lives. Whether we allow them stay, can be a determining factor in whether a relationship is fulfilling or not. Like the characters in each book we read, even when we let go of certain people, we are never quite the same for having let them in.

Meeting new people in life and in books is all about coming away from the experience learning something we never knew before.

See you next time on  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for Info & Ordering

Stimulating Writing Ideas

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writer-caffeineIs this all it takes to write books? Smokin’ hot jamoke?

The hours I have spent pondering a good storyline, laboring over the computer, staying up late, getting up early, it’s all been for naught? Muggy thoughts have come because I prefer a cuppa tea over coffee?

Henry Fielding once said “love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.” I’ve taken his word as sacred and read heaps of romance novels, all in hopes of providing readers with a delightfully saccharine love story of my own. Creative non-fiction, in the form of a memoir, does that substitution work?

Had I known the key to prolific writing requires being a java jiving connoisseur, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache and hard work. A tall carafe of coffee and I could have been turning out “happily ever afters” faster than breeding rabbits? Really? No joke? Today,  I’ll take a large order of smokin’ hot jamoke.

See you next time on  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

mug of coffeejpg

Stepping into New Territory

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Travel quoteOver the next few weeks, I will be taking a business trip, going to new places and visiting old haunts, too. Ultimately, in my travels, my goal will be to find fulfilling things in my journeys. They  may be unexpected, and I’ll share the content digitally. Perhaps it will mean more photos than writing. We will see what develops!

Whenever you frequent this blog space, I encourage you to stay and explore all the other 1,100+ blog postings  on All Things Fulfilling. There’s a lot of information about independent films, music and books as well as educational information about the independent publishing process. Other subjects such as writings on the arts, career motivation, self-improvement, relationships and business, and they can be looked up by category,  on the right hand side of the page.

I’m not exactly where I am going to find myself in my business travels. Whatever I encounter, I’ll  assimilate the experience, enjoy it and share it like an open book.

Return tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Neighborly Inspiration

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inspiredWe have a whole group of individuals, right here in Routt County, Colorado, who are inspiring others through their independent publishing. I’ve gotten notice that we have several book contest finalists from our meet-up group, We Write Steamboat.

On May 18th in Lone Tree, Colorado the EVVY book awards will be presented by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Who will take home the prizes?

Each author has been a motivating force for others because they have pursued their passion for writing. Some share educational or career knowledge and experiences, others share very personal stories, others use their creative powers to craft a fictional piece of literature.

Today, I’d like to honor each one, award-winner or not, for having the perseverance to complete the writing process and publish it. Some have chosen to publish their books digitally (e-book), others, audio format, or a book in hardcover or paperback. Smart authors make their publications available in all formats, whenever possible.

I’d also like to thank our members of We Write Steamboat for supporting me and others in our group. Because independent publishers find community, rather than viewing each other as competitors, the industry is growing and so is our networking group. How fulfilling is that? It’s a beautiful day in our neighborhood of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and in living a life inspired by other independent publishers.

rainbows-of-hope-260883Look forward to your return to   All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

Message of Encouragement

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WORDS-OF-ENCOURAGEMENT-QUOTES-Mistake-Quotes Happy May Day, everyone! Did you read yesterday’s blog about Dallas Clayton? He’s been acclaimed as “the next Dr. Seuss,” and his success has come out of his decision to rely on his own creativity to make a living and by taking a leap of faith.

This image on my blog today, is for anyone who will be starting a new endeavor. Relate to the words above? If so,  they are meant for you. We all need words of encouragement as we travel the path of life and wonder if we are doing the right thing. My hope in posting this quote is that you will find all things fulfilling in your decisions. Usually tasks are placed in our hands because someone else believes in us. Move forward with confidence, you have what it takes to be successful. http://bit.ly/15SuKaV.

Understand for whom this message intended.  Wonderful YOU! And remember,  “Have patience to walk with short steps until you learn to fly.” ~ St. Francis de Sales

Return tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Youth Learns about Publishing

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“Go confidently in your dreams, live the life you have imagined.” ~ David Henry Thoreau

Have you heard the inspiring story of Dallas Clayton? The author who is being touted as the next Dr. Seuss?

From his interview on the Jeff Probst show the other day, he revealed that he was a person without direction in his life until he became a father and decided to write a book for his son. The rest is history. He wrote an outstanding narrative that children could well relate to, and he discovered he had art talent and could do his own illustrations, also.

dallas-clayton-pillowsHis first book, An Awesome Book of Love, which came out of wanting to communicate his love for his child, sold like wildfire. This print-on-demand title kept selling out. Eventually, he was contacted by large, mainstream publishing house, and they offered him 10%. His response to that was “Why should I sign a deal like that? I am already making 100%.” Long and short of the story – he was eventually offered a “sweet deal,”  which allowed him to start a foundation for literacy “The Awesome World Foundation.” http://www.veryawesomeworld.com/.

Clayton said, in his interview with Jeff Probst,one of the biggest benefits that came with writing the book for his son, who was five when the first book was published, is that “his son saw what it takes to author and publish a book.” He saw his Dad involved in the entire process of the business – writing, illustrating, making mock-up books and even shipping the books from their living room when he needed a fulfillment company. Clearly, an eye-opening experience for a child who probably thinks books magically appear on library  bookshelves.  And it all began with independent publishing and taking a leap of faith.

I love these kinds of success stories!

Return tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Putting Balance Back in Life

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“Art tends toward balance, order, judgment of relative values, the laws of growth, the economy of living – very good things for anyone to be interested in.” ~ Robert Henri

After a winter season that seems to have lasted into infinity, it as if I am looking through dirty windows. I am feeling shuttered up, listless. Creativity and inspiration? What’s that?  Funny, how the weather affects us.

Yesterday, gave me hope I was looking for – it was warm and sunny. Finally, snow only exists on upper elevations. I am so looking forward to spring and summer. This week I will set off to visit business clients in the other parts of the country. I have a lot to accomplish but, a change of scenery, alone, is bound to bring all kinds of fulfilling things to reinvigorate my spirit.

Strings Music Festival will again be at the centerpiece of my summer. I love that big name stars including Lyle Lovett this summer will come to entertain in this remote northwestern town. In the other seasons, the piled-up snow is replaced with artistic experiences, of all kinds, heaped up-high. http://bit.ly/151Hi0g .

I’m also excited about a July event – A Day for Writers, the 32nd annual, sponsored by the Steamboat Writers Group. John Calderazzo and Clay Haskell will help us explore writing from the perspective of an essayist and screenwriter. And of course, the ever-popular Five Minutes of Fame, hosted by Cesare Rosati, will give local authors an opportunity to read from their works in progress. This year, I may just have to add my voice. Although “regulars” have heard it, there are others who have not. http://on.fb.me/10LKPhM .

art towns in AmericaGet out and enjoy local arts in your community, this summer. And if your plans include travel, this book may come in handy, if you are looking to visit some arts destinations.  <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881506419/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0881506419&linkCode=as2&tag=allthinfulf-20&linkId=CW25SELCLFUU7OPF”>The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining, Fourth Edition</a><img src=”http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=allthinfulf-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0881506419&#8243; width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />
by John Villani, can be ordered through e-commerce.

Travel back tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Time Travel Movies

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Once confined to fantasy and science fiction, time travel is now simply an engineering problem. ~ Kaku Michio, Wired Magazine, Aug. 2003

time-machinePeople who have lived 100 years or more have seen vast changes in culture over the course of their life times. I have witnessed, in merely a half  century, so many developments in technology. Over the course of about 125 years, moviemaking has gone through huge transformations from the silent movie era to a time when many visual effects are less often created by man-made stunts.

And imagine it, audio sounds are even created digitally through the use of computer technology. This has allowed for unbelievable creativity; providing the ability to pull things off visually that would be too unsafe, too expensive or not logistically possible otherwise.

Sometimes I feel as if I am living in a world that is alien. Because my livelihood depends upon it, I attempt as best as I can to keep up with new advancements in digital technology. Time travel movies help me realize that although sometimes this world seems to change at too rapid a pace and it is strangely different from the times of my youth, we have yet to go through truly apocalyptic times. That ‘s reassuring.

Feel like taking a trip this weekend to a different time and place? www.totalfilm.com has featured 50 of the best time travel movies on their website. http://bit.ly/12G7DKw .

Take in one of these movies. I’m warning you. Nostalgic feelings may set in when you read the titles of some of the films and you will probably see difference in the way visual effects are produced in this day and age, also. Remember Planet of the Apes from 1968? http://bit.ly/ViZw6F. To rewatch this old movie Click here for info and ordering

For more information on Michio Kaku, mentioned in the Wired Magazine quote, Click for info on his publications

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.