Ways to Live Creatively

On Friday August 12th I posted this on my blog... saying i found it through FlutterHappy
Then on Monday August 15th I posted the Rules 1-6 and how I did or didn't follow them (included below). And I meant to write more on the rules but life happened and I didn't get back to them until today

1. Make list... I guess I make grocery list, packing list, mental to do list, and reading list (not very creative).

2. Carry a notebook everywhere... Yes I carry 2 one where I write my story and the other one that I write thoughts for my story or this blog. I have carried notebooks with me for a long time because you never know where inspiration will hit.

3. Try Free Writing... sometimes. I don't know if I am very good at it though but when I find a quote I really like sometimes I write about how I feel about the quote or what the quote means to me.

4. Get away from the computer... I wish I could more often but my work requires me to be on the computer all day and this blog also makes me stay on the computer. But for my story time I am away from my computer.

5. Be otherworldly... Yes, sometimes I feel I live too much in the world of my imagination.

6. Quit beating yourself up... I am trying to do that. My dad calls me a "people pleaser"... and I know that's true so I take people's words (criticism more than anything very personally) so I have to give that up if I want to be a writer because not every one is going to like my work and I can't beat myself up over it.

NOW FOR RULE 7-16

7. Take Breaks- This is hard when I am writing creatively esp. when I get like a spark of an idea I just want to keep writing but I know I have to take breaks, go outside and take a walk around the block or hang out with friends.

8. Sing in the shower- I used to do this a lot, when I was living at home I have kind of quieted down when I had roommates.

9. Drink Coffee/Tea- Yeah another reason for my coffee addiction. But I am not sure how this makes me creative minus a jolt of coffee to make me write faster.

10. Know your roots- I am not sure how far I have to go back for this. I know on my mom's side I am 13th generation American with ancestors fighting in the Revolution and the Civil War. My mom has kept me well informed on her side of her family as she loves gen I am from Oklahoma, and sometimes I have stories floating in my head about a country girl. I wrote about when my Grandma was sick that..."As a future archivist and a want to be author. I love that she has kept all her journals and notebooks from when she was younger. She also has kept all her family and our family's photo albums neatly organized. I would love to one day be able to explore her world a little bit more." (for more click here)... I would still like to explore more into that world and know those roots better.

11. Listen to new music- This is a little hard for me to follow because I love the songs on my blackberry and I don't really listen to the radio minus some Saturday mornings when I listen to WERS here in Boston that plays the Best of Broadway from 10-2. (If you like Broadway Musicals but don't live in Boston they stream live through the Internet... click here.) But when I do discover a new song I keep it going on my play list. My music has changed through the year... it's not knew but in January I saw Jersey Boys and love Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and after seeing Footloose I love the 80's music. But I love when people give me new music to listen to. For example one of my best friends recommend I listen to Pomplamoose... and now I love them too.

12. Be Open- Working on this because I know what I love and I am stubborn sometimes to discover new things.

13. Surround Yourself with Creative People-All my friends.One of my best friends is learning how to play the ukulele, and wants to work with stain glass and the desserts she makes are so creative and tasty. A lot of my friends like to paint.

14. Get Feedback- I like hearing what people think of my story. If you want to read it... click here it is based off the plot of Sense and Sensibility but I have changed a few things.

15. Collaborate- This I have hard time doing because I get lost in my own world.

16. Don't Give Up- This I need to have posted on my mirror as a daily reminder.

Okay I promise to write more on these rules later.

This weekend I am going to a friend's baby shower and finish packing up my apartment. Can't wait for this move to behind me.

Hey guys,

I am pleased to announce that come September I will be sponsoring on two blogs I love.


They will be putting up links to my blog on their blogs and I can't wait for the "unveiling". I already have the links up on the left hand side bar I put them up a few days early because I the end of this month is crazy busy for me with a friend's baby shower, packing up my place, starting classes and oh yeah my move. But go check them out they are fun to read (and they update very frequently).


Thanks,


-Blaire

Footloose the Musical

Last night I went to go see Footloose the Musical at the North Shore Music Theater. The first thing I learned was a majority of the girls I went with (8 total) I was the only person (maybe my friend's mom had seen it) who had seen the original movie. Footloose is an 80's movie classic right up there with Dirty Dancing and going back further Grease. The second thing I learned was even though I love the classic, I should not try to compare the two against each other but to love them both separately.
But let me say there will there will never be another Kevin Bacon...though some have tried. If you don't know what I am talking about for awhile there was talk when the new Footloose (movie) came out Zac Efron would be playing Ren (Click Here). I will also say I love movies turned into musicals... I loved Legally Blonde the Musical. And I liked this musical as well...though it would be awesome to see it with all the production value of a Broadway Musical behind it. The North Shore is a round theater so it has unusual limits.... no drastic set changes, as well as smaller stage but I think how the stage company made the sets, rather it be the church, school, burger joint, or dance hall was great with some imagination. And we had great seats... in a round theater the seats aren't far away they are all close to the stage. But in a round theater you also get some moments where the actors are standing with there backs to you (its unavoidable) but for the most part my friend did a good job picking out the seats where we didn't have the actor's butts shaking in our face as they danced too much.

I found the first act thinking Ren is not that stupid in the movie... and I am not sure if it was the writing, actor, or director. In the film and musical Ren is just trying to adjust to living in a new town with the past of his father having just left him and his mother. But the whole town Beaumont is watching his every move and trying to trap him into trouble (while the girls sing "Some body's Eyes"). I just felt like the usual corniness of musical (that I love) was some taken too far to Ren being a little goofy... not the cool, street-wise man that Kevin Bacon played.
The second act was better for Ren, he got more to the heart and the pain that was Ren. But I would say I missed the whole trapeze dancing that Kevin Bacon (or his really good sump double did). I also missed the Tractor Chicken scene where Ren takes down the bad boy Chuck Cranston. But I loved being able to sing along to the 80's songs I know by heart. And I loved how some of the choreography from the film carried into the movie, like Ren teaching Willard to dance, or the girls with their hands in the hair whipping themselves around looking so flawlessly effortless (if I tried to do that I would like a girl having a seizure).

I think the characters of Rusty and Ariel were done nicely. Ariel was good at pretending to be the good girl for the first 5 minutes but then we get to see her bad girl side. We also learn quicker, than movie, that it was her brother that died and she is trying to get away from that memory and that pain. And Rusty love for Willard even though he is awkward and can't dance is so cute when she sings "Lets hear for the boy." Though I loved the awkward love story of Rusty and Willard it is hard to think of another playing Rusty besides Sarah Jessica Parker. Also Reverend Shaw Moore, was also embraced well with his sense of making sure everyone did what the Lord wanted, but still questioning was right and holding on to the pain of losing a son.

Over all I left the theater feeling happy... and that is the point of a musical to feel happy. But I will admit it was hard for me to take a movie I have seen a million times and not compare the musical against it. So maybe it was better for my group, who hadn't seen the movie to just see the musical, because they could love it for what it is and not compare it to the original. Though 3 of the girls had seen it in London and thought the big production value that musical had was worth it.
We shall see what happens when the new Footloose (not musical) get released come October... I wonder if any one from the original cast will make an appearance. The only person I recognize in the cast is Dennis Quaid playing Reverend Moore. If this is set in the 80's I will have to break out the leg warmers.

Summer is NOT over

Picture From Style 'n Decor Deals!

At my job our summer intern just told us it was her last day...she has been great this summer, then she said 'it's hard to believe summer is over." To which I said summer is not over till you stop wearing flip flops. For me that might be mid September or if my toes are strong first of October. But some girls said that might be till Thanksgiving... I hope they have strong toes.

I know I live in New England where every one oohs and aaahs over the fall foliage, which I admit is pretty but minus a few things I am not a fall fan only because it brings on winter and besides Christmas and New Years I hate winter... it last too long. So I am holding on to summer.

I was doing a google image search for flip flops. And I got some cute flip flop ideas to keep summer going during the winter.

Throw a beach party in the middle of winter and have everyone change from their snow boots to flip flops when they get there.... I would do this in March because by end of February beginning of March is when my feet hate going into boots that I have shoved them in for nearly 3 months. I would love to have a party where I get to wear flip flops.


For that party I would use these as my coasters... or maybe I would just keep them around my house to remind me summer will come back again.

Okay even writing about how I will get through the winter is sad. I need to write about happiness.

Happy summery roses... to end this post.

Enjoy these times of Summer and keep wearing flip flops

P.S. Can some one tell me what type of rose this is... I have been able to find them googling Summer Rose.

Enjoy a Cup of Jo

Today during some idle time I found this posting about finding your soul mate on a blog I follow, Cup of Jo (click here)...
Remember that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry says that only 5 percent of the population is date-able? Elaine asks, "Then how are the other 95 percent getting together?" Jerry's response? "Alcohol." When I was single, I felt the same way...

It felt like I was meeting lots of people--but no one I really wanted to date. And the guys I did like already had girlfriends (or just weren't interested, sad). My mom kept telling me that I would definitely end up with someone fabulous and that I shouldn't worry so much. She said she was 100% sure and that it was normal to worry but that I didn't need to. But it was easy for her to say--she was already blissfully married! And I was already 28 (which felt old to me at the time!). Plus, New York seemed like the roughest place to date: You're always surrounded by models (seriously, honest-to-goodness perfect-skinned, long-legged, teeny-waisted, 6-foot-tall Ukrainian models), and the guys you meet seem to either be married or a little crazy.

For more click here
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My thoughts:

To begin with I actually don't watch Seinfeld all that much but I know my sister loves it so she probably remember it a lot better than I do.

"My mom kept telling me that I would definitely end up with someone fabulous and that I shouldn't worry so much." I feel the author on this one... my mom told me stories of all the boyfriends she had in high school and while I had a few crushes I only had one boyfriend so I often I felt my mom and I were just on different paths. I aslo remember she told me when she got married at 23 "she felt old enough to be married" when I was 23 I felt no where near old enough to be married. I just graduated college and I am still figuring out who I am. I sometimes feel when my friends talk about what they do and what I should do to (like savings, moving, or just dealing with life) that they all got invited to a "how to be an adult meeting" and my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. (Of course I don't really want to duplicate my mom and dad's marriage since they got divorce). But I do wonder will I ever meet the one. All my married friends tell me thats normal but they can say that they are married.

She talks about how the city you live in might make an impact on the dating scene. I think my city does play a factor. First I grew up in Oklahoma where it is more normal to get married fresh out of college or soon afterwards, so I kind of have that pulling on my heart strings (making me think I should be getting married). But now I live in Boston where most people don't get married till they are in there 30s. Mostly because people here are so focused on their schooling and then their jobs. I feel a lot of people are focused on themselves and try to get everything put together before they think about marriage. If I have to have everything together for marriage... I don't think I will ever get married because I feel I will never have it all together.

She ends the post saying..."What's your relationship status? What are your dating worries? Do you ever worry that you're never going to find your soulmate?"

I am trying not to worry about my dating status. I am trying to remind myself...
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " (Jer. 29:11) and "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). I know and God knows the desires of my heart are to be married and be a mom... but I know it has to be in the Lord's time. Until then I get to enjoy single life where I can do what I want to do when I want.

Read it its a good post.