Couple of questions on being creative…

I received this “blogger questionnaire” and thought I’d play along! To be honest, I don’t normally answer these types of chain mail bloggy things…but…it had a few questions that people don’t normally ask so I thought I’d go for it. Plus, there are so many wonderful bloggers out there and I LOVE when I get to introduce them to you. At the end of my post, I’ll nominate three other bloggers. They may or may not choose to answer the questions…but check out their blogs anyway!

Here goes…

1. What am I working on?

As far as Curtains are Open goes, I never really have a plan. I write when the mood strikes me…always trying to get a few posts out per week mixed in with sponsored posts from time to time. I don’t plan like other bloggers do which is probably my downfall. I write strictly from my heart…keeping the very most personal things exactly where I need them to stay.

With my book, Full Speed Ahead, I’ve discovered I’m not all that great at self-promotion. I’m hoping to find a distributor and have recently sent it to a few publishers for them to review…so far I’ve heard nothing!

With Drawbridge Creative, I’m working on a website for Beauty By Mary Lou, and a logo and package design for a new dog biscuit company. My design business is almost a year old and it’s starting to pick up a little..it terrifies me to think it might fail…so I kind of work non-stop with marketing, finding new contracts and getting my name out there!

I live in a creative world…constantly trying to market both the blog and the design company so that organizations see their value. Creative work can be a hard sell…and there are definitely frustrating moments…but for the most part, I’m thrilled that I’m doing work that I absolutely love. In time, I hope it serves me well.

2. How Does My Work Differ from Others of the Genre?

I have a tough time calling myself a “mom blogger” as my kids are a little bit older. At 22, 15 and 14…I come from a place of a little more experience. Added to that, there are things I simply can’t/won’t put in print!

Then, throw in a divorce and being single…and I’ve a different view of the world out there. Maybe a little jaded and bitter at times…but also full of hope and wonder. I work hard to keep a positive voice and often, find humour when I’m just about to lose it!

As far as my design work goes…I’m starting out at a bit of an older age than most and with that, comes a great amount of business knowledge and a varied amount of work experience. I think that works well for me. With an IT background and my writing…I have a little more to offer as a Graphic and Web Designer.

3. How do I Write / Create What I Do? 

Writing was a dream of mine from the time I was a little girl…I just didn’t think it would ever come true. Now, I sometimes have to pinch myself when someone tells me they “like my work” or they think I’m a great writer. It baffles and thrills me at the same time and I’m often fighting against those two feelings. I’m not sure if it’s my personality as an individual…or something all “creatives” struggle with…but it’s a constant battle to keep believing in myself and pushing my boundaries.

I write when the mood strikes me. I spend a lot of time on social media and my laptop is never far from my side. I write and design in my head on a continual basis…never truly getting away from it. My mind is forever moving and seeking out new ideas.

Lately, I’ve started meditating to try to find a little inner peace. It’s incredibly difficult to calm the chaos…but it’s helping to organize my thoughts and settle myself so I can see a clearer path to where I’m going.

4. How Does Your Writing / Creative Process Work?

I write because I HAVE to.

I remember many years ago reading a Harry Potter book and discovering Albus Dumbledore’s Pensieve. Using his wand, Dumbledore would remove his memories from his head and place them in this beautiful basin…so he could free his mind when it was far too full. Others could peer inside the basin and see them if they wanted. I imagined it was a relief for the wizard to offload his memories and keep them in a safe place. For me…that’s what this blog is. There’s so much in there…so many stories…and I need them out. I’m not restful, until the story is told.

The last step of the blog process for me is to find a photo that works…and not being a photographer, this is a tough one! Like today for example…I don’t have a photo that makes any sense whatsoever for this post…so, here’s a pic of me and Spider-Man…in the car…where I spend a great amount of my time.

As far as my design work…the process is a lengthy one as described in April’s Newsletter which you can see here. In fact, if you’d like to sign up to my monthly design newsletter, where I tell you all about my design work, here’s how you subscribe.

Always thinking…always pushing my limits…always seeking a place to be creative.

Thanks to Laura, at My Life in the Sun, for asking me these questions. Laura and I met at a luncheon last year and we’ve been following each other since. I’m always thrilled to read about her adventures as she often writes about travel. Not only that…she inspired me this year when she took up running for the very first time. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll follow suit!

And…for my three nominations…

Nic is one of the most amazing, awesome, beautiful, talented and inspiring women I know. Nic sort of keeps to herself in the blogging world and many people find her by accident…but what an amazing accident it is! Nic writes a blog, Pepper + Paint, about her love of cooking…mixed in with the most sentimental feelings about her family. Added to that, her photography is simply beautiful!

Laura, at Mommy Miracles, is an absolutely beautiful person inside and out. Married with two boys, Laura writes about the joys and pitfalls of parenting. For me, there’s always a joyous spiritual side to Laura’s posts that I find incredibly refreshing. I admire her a great deal.

Carmen, at Little Blue Anchor, is an absolute delight! I find that everything she does is done with such creativity and zest that I look forward to her posts. While she’s chasing her little one around, I admire the life she’s building for herself and her family.

To be totally honest, there are a great many blogs I read and follow on FB and Twitter. When I look at young mom-bloggers out there, I greatly wish I could have a do-over so I could capture all of those moments of parenting that I missed writing about! If you’d like to follow a few of the bloggers I admire, click here to find a few of them. If there’s someone you think should be added to the list, let me know!