PROLOGUE: I have been writing a blogpost for over a year now and here is what I have noticed about my process. I used to place on my calendar a weekly reminder to write a new post. The topic is usually some aspect of communication but sometimes I share my opinion on politics or culture. When I finish each post I sketch an accompanying image, drawing on black paper with chalk. The earlier drawings were often just white chalk and I began to use more color over time. I love doing the artwork.
In the past few months I no longer keep track of how much time has gone by between posts. I do not have a reminder on the calendar anymore, but have noticed the following pattern. Some idea rises in me, perhaps inspired by something I have read, and gets joined by a second idea, maybe from some interaction with people around me that week. The two ideas brew, then “pop”, I think of a way to string them together for creative writing. Somehow that brewing process naturally occurs about every seven days. Here is a leafy story I wrote about my process.
LEAFY TRAVELS:
An autumn leaf snaps off its tree, sways slowly to the ground, when a gust of wind scoops it up to rise on the breeze. Other dead leaves join in as they swirl through the air together, then land in a crispy, colorful mound at my front door and ring my doorbell.
When I turn the knob the pile of leaves looks up at me like perky Girl Scouts who are eager to sell me cookies. I skim the multicolored pile until my eyes land on one that I must touch to examine more closely. Twirling it by the stem, I watch the colors blend, then run my fingers across the surface to find parts both smooth and dry.
I search the pile for another leaf that might compliment the first leaf in some way that pleases my eye. Finding two or three leaves, I pull their stems together to create a bouquet that makes me smile.