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Creativity

July Ruminations

July 29, 2016August 31, 2016 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 12 comments
July Ruminations

Thoughts on July: writing updates & a few creative inspiration links. // dreams-etc.com

I had planned to have a productive writing month. I actually set a huge word count goal, but found that I was had trouble writing it. Instead, I was doing a lot of planning. I’ve always been more of a pantser (“fly by the seat of your pants’ type of writer), but over the years I’ve noticed that some type of planning would be helpful.

The thing for me is that I have to find the right balance of planning just enough, but not planning too much. There have been times that I’ve planned too much for a story and discovered that I need some level of excitement and mystery when I write a draft. If I have too much planned out, I lose interest in writing the story. I have a few story ideas that I’ve thrown out my notes on and am waiting until I lose track of some of the details.

In the past I’ve found Susan Dennard’s thoughts on writing and planning to be helpful (second topic on the page) and I had adapted her system into one of my own and that’s what I’ve gone back to this month. So I haven’t put a lot of words on the page, but I’ve been working through some of the details that I think would have presented issues if I didn’t work through them. And that’s still progress.

Here are a few chats about creativity that I found recently and appreciated:

>> Claire Marshall on creativity. The entire interview is good, but I really appreciated what she had to say around the 5 – 6 minute mark. It’s something I’ve been more intentional about this year. (And I also just added a bunch of older movies to my Netflix queue. Time to start watching them! :))

>> This post on the Carve Out Time for Art Insta. I especially loved the last sentence of the first paragraph in the caption.

Also, if you’re interested in reading more about what to do in the Twin Cities, I wrote a post all about it over on The Siberian American. Olya just had surgery and was looking for posts that she could put up during her recovery, so head on over to say hi and send some well wishes to Olya!

What’s been on your mind this month?

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About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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12 comments

  1. Taylor Mobley says:
    July 29, 2016 at 11:01 am

    I’ve just been finishing up this semester at school šŸ™‚

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      July 29, 2016 at 8:46 pm

      That must feel good! I hope it ended well. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Christine says:
    July 29, 2016 at 12:00 pm

    These are really timely for me! I needed these videos. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      July 29, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      You’re welcome! I’m glad they came at a time when you needed them. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth Johnson says:
    July 29, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    Thanks for the links, those are great!

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      July 29, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      You’re welcome! I loved them. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Charlotte says:
    July 29, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    I love your “pantser” description; fits me to a t, too. I have a hard time finding that balance myself, so am always open to advice. Thanks so much for sharing these links, and hope you have a lovely weekend ahead of you!

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      August 10, 2016 at 12:00 am

      It’s always nice to hear that someone else feels the same way about planning and “pantsing.” šŸ™‚ I hope you found the links helpful and that you had a wonderful weekend too!

      Reply
  5. Ace says:
    July 30, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    Thank you for sharing! I thought this was going to be a big writing month too, but I was wrong.

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      August 9, 2016 at 11:59 pm

      You’re welcome! Thank you for reading. šŸ™‚ Sometimes creative plans just don’t pan out the way we hope.

      Reply
  6. MaryClaire Schulz says:
    July 30, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    Just stumbled upon your blog, and I love your writing! Thanks for sharing the links as well — always looking for a good and relevant read on creativity/inspiration.

    MaryClaire || Mainly MCĀ 

    Reply
    1. Crystal // Dreams, etc. says:
      August 9, 2016 at 11:58 pm

      Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope the links are helpful!

      Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

If only we always remembered to be in touch with o If only we always remembered to be in touch with our loved ones regularly; to tell them that we love them.

This thought has been on my mind the last few weeks as I’ve been in touch with one of my best friends almost daily. They’ve been navigating a scary situation.

But that’s what everyone says, isn’t it? Reach out to those you love. Tell them you love them. Don’t let a lot of time pass.

We all know that. We think about it sometimes. We hear about it when others are in crisis. We’re thankful that we aren’t the ones in crisis and we can remember this lesson through someone else.

But eventually we get caught up in life. Our daily ā€œI love you’sā€ are reserved for those we live with and sometimes we forget to text someone back… or it takes a few days to do so.

This week as I wondered why we don’t remember this more often I realized it’s probably a good thing. It’s a good thing that we can live life without worrying that tragedy is right around the corner. That would be an exhausting way to live.

It’s also good that we can get little reminders, sometimes not from our own life. So from someone who spent one week numb, another week weepy, and this week sad, remember to send your friends a text. Tell them you love them.
I took these in early January when the snow still I took these in early January when the snow still felt a bit magical, but right now I’m just ready to walk barefoot in grass.

When I was younger I used to imagine what it would be like if we got so much snow that it would be piled high above our doors. I wondered if we’d be able to create tunnels in the snow to move around in.

And this year might just be the year we find out. I’m kidding, of course, but at this point I feel like we’ve been buried in snow. We’re even on track to beat some snow records I think (the amount of snow and the number of consecutive days with snow on the ground.

So. What’s the weather like where you are?
February was here and gone in the blink of an eye February was here and gone in the blink of an eye but contained moments I’ll carry with me forever.
When it’s almost halfway through February and yo When it’s almost halfway through February and you still haven’t posted January’s recap. January was filled with lots of family time. šŸ’™
Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
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It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
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