Creator's Garden

Even though I've been fighting water in my basement, it's been a beautiful spring.  The abundance of rain has turned my garden into a lush wonderland.  I spend this morning pulling weeds enjoying the misty morning air as dark rolling clouds painted the sky.  Weeding was easy because the roots have never had the need to search for moisture.  As I knelt amongst the bud-laden peonies and baptista, I took notice of how my garden has matured.  It started as a meager perennial bed mainly composed of discount and shared plants from neighbors and friends.  I designed the layout carefully placing each species to create interest using leaf texture, flower color, and height.  But as I viewed my garden this morning, I noticed how several plants have moved.  Yes, moved.  Basically, they've stopped growing where I'd placed them in the soil and spread filling in new areas of the garden.  I realized that not only did my garden have a mind of its own, but it had created a better layout than my original plan.

My writing is similar to my gardening.  I design a plot, create characters, and draw interest by laying themes but the story takes on a life of its own.  Characters do things I never would have planned, themes pop-up through symbolism and plots go astray.  Yet, somehow, my words evolve into a beautifully constructed story.  In my garden, I plant plants.  Some die, some move but some flourish as planned.  In my writing, I use words.  Some are cut during the editing, some become more poetic during the rewrite and some were perfect the first time around.

I feel this is true of all art forms and I wonder, do we create art or does art create us?

Savasana

Wow, spring is in full bloom and I find myself being pulled in ALL directions.  Gardening, writing, editing, query letters, conferences, local events, painting, bake sales, plant sales, and the usual plotting and planning!  I'm exhausted--I'm starting to loose focus.  And then I found the answer.  I began practicing the art of Yoga.  I've only attended two classes but I learned about a pose called Savasana.  Each yoga class has ended by dimming the lights and laying in a corpse-like pose which calms the brain and helps relieve stress.  Savasana relaxes the body, lowers blood pressure reduces headaches, fatigue and insomnia.  So while adding yoga to my already crazy schedule at first seemed like insanity, I'm learning how to relax as well as find balance and strength, and I've decided that these qualities are too important to leave out of my life.  I'm horrible at yoga but with practice I hope my body and my mind will benefit.

Perhaps try writing a scene depicting a character's mental tenacity as it remands stoic among a setting of chaos.  What physical ques would the character reflect?  What sources would the character draw upon?  Past experience, faith, serenity of mind, beauty of nature?  What do you draw upon?