This week’s contest winners are John Olenick and Jayne Jageler–congratulations to both of you.
A new round will begin on Monday, so everybody gets another chance. 🙂
I fully intended to blog yesterday, but, for whatever reason, it just didn’t happen. I wrote–I’m LOVING this new book–and played around with my art supplies and artist trading cards for a while. I’m in a swap on Art42.org where the challenge is to make artist trading cards (ATCs) using only crayon, and it was a fascinating experiment. I had Jenni dig out the big box of Crayolas I keep on hand for visiting children of the rambunctious persuasion, sat down, and started doodling. I was surprised at how well the crayon blended, and the variety of colors has sure improved since I was in kindergarten and elementary school–there are even some sparkly ones! Yeegads, what fun! For about an hour, I was six years old again, and it felt good. It’s always good to try new things, methinks. Hmmm…now I’m wondering what would happen if I used a heat gun to melt the wax after coloring a simple design…
That’s how I get into these crafty messes. 🙂 I start wondering what would happen IF–the same as I do when I’m writing–and the next thing you know, I’m making DISCOVERIES–something I love, love, LOVE to do. The discoveries don’t necessarily have to be successful–often, it’s just as helpful to find out what DOESN’T work, in a book OR in an art project. Mistakes quite often lead to wonderful new ideas; it’s similar to the way potatoes sprout roots if you have them around long enough. 🙂 Oh, yes. Most of what I know, such as it is, was born of trying and failing, then trying again, and again.
In my case, at least, success (and it’s wonderful, I’m not denying that) was built on repeated failures, some spectacular, even glorious, but most simply ordinary, if not downright boring, prompting a deep sigh and a muttered, “Oh, well…”
It boils down to something my old daddy used to say: If you don’t quit, if you get up every time you’ve been knocked for a loop, if you’d rather die than back down, well, eventually, you’ll come out a winner. And that’s classic cowboy wisdom if I’ve ever heard it.
As good a way to end a week as any, I guess.
Have a wonderful, restorative weekend, my friends.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
