"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." - James Bryant Conan
Gurpreet and I are in the same Toastmasters club. In the two short months that I've been back, I have been astounded by the tremendous growth he has made. This young man has not only improved in his speaking ability, but his confidence has also soared. Even though I'm no longer teaching, the teacher in me is gratified to see how he is developing his style not only as a speaker, but as a leader, as well.
I can't remember whether I met Annette on Twitter or from her visit to my other blog, A Rheumful of Tips. She regularly posts to Here's Your Gold Watch - Rheutired. I love to see her writing evolve - she is taking more creative risks, weaving humour and popular culture into the very serious topic of living life with a chronic disease.
Dorlee and I have regularly visited each other's blogs over the course of a few years. Her collection of awards and badges is a testament to her hard and conscientious work on Social Work Career Development. However, it's only been recently that she begun to experiment, penning some of her posts in poetry, rather than prose. If this is not a form that you are used to working in, it takes a considerable amount of courage to hit "Publish". Dorlee has skillfully managed to maintain the integrity of her blog by choosing to convey her message in this style.
Yes, it's true. Sometimes there can be jealousy between siblings, but this time, I have nothing but admiration for my sister, Barbara-Anne. As a young girl, she would play in technicolour, using whatever we had on hand - crayons, a watercolour palette that came with a colouring book or pastels. She definitely has an eye for colour and a heart for composition, so I'm thrilled to see her exploring one of her joys. In acrylics, this time. She has already had some commissions; I wonder where this rainbow will lead her.
Creativity, regardless of form, allows you to access your joy. When you access your joy, you have a powerful tool to help you undress your stress. I am pleased to see these four individuals embracing creativity in their own way - stretching, reaching and growing.
"Creativity takes courage." - Henri Matisse
Thank you very much for another positive remark Marianna. Encouragement is so important when we start on a new venture and is the most effective kind of feedback there is.
You are very generous with your praise. I will try to keep improving. I’m always afraid I will run out of topics
You’ll do fine, Annette. Continue to “undress your stress” and you’ll be seeing, thinking, encountering blog posts by the dozens! 🙂
Oh, Marianna – Thanks so much for your very kind mention! I most appreciate your support of my creative experimentation with poetry… My foray into poetry was not a planned one but rather was propelled by a need to express emotion(s) that I did not feel could be adequately expressed any other way and then to my delight, I have found that I enjoy this new form (although I must ask for your indulgence on my not having any training in this arena).
Talking about growing and stretching, you switching and creating a new blog with wordpress vs google blogger was tackling quite a challenge and you did a beautiful job! Onward and upward! 🙂
You’re very welcome, Dorlee. Phew! I suspected as much re. your “foray into poetry”; it sits well with you. It’s so true what you say about poetry being another “vehicle” that sometimes gets you where you want/need to go in a more expeditious manner.
Thanks re. my new look – I have the best, well-rounded, assistance. I have to respect this person’s wishes for anonymity, otherwise I’d be singing kudos from the rooftops. (Maybe, that’s not a bad thing, if you heard me singing.:) )