Christine's Weekly Note #14
Creativity for fun
One of the questions I ask my Creator Chat guests is what creative activity they would like to learn to do outside of writing.
For me, I’ve always come back to crafting again and again over my life. From handmade Christmas cards as a kid to quilts and crochet as an adult. But the making something by hand has been constant. And making things with paper has always been a favorite of mine (I used to sell cards and artwork on Etsy once upon a time). So I’ve decided to return to one of my favorite mediums: collage. I’m working on an A-Z of animal occupations. Random, I know but I wanted a project with a focus and some constraints. My first collage is an Artist Axolotl!
Reading this week
I’ve come across lots of articles I want to share this week so instead of “obsessed with” like usual here’s what I’ve been reading.
🗞️ NYT (gift link): How Lauren Groff Does Her Work. She writes her entire first draft out longhand and then puts it away in a cupboard and never looks at it again!
📚
Industry interview with bookseller Nicole Brinkley.👧 From the New Yorker: What Kate DiCamillo Understands About Children
“For me, it’s doing my work, writing stories that let children feel seen and to know they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through.” Kate DiCamillo
🇺🇸 Harper’s Bazaar Here is Every Book Banned in America. A sobering read. I encourage you to check in with your local school district on their book banning and book challenge policies. I can send you what I sent my district if you’d like, just leave me a message.
✍️ Love this from author/illustrator Lori Richmond
“But, it’s not up to us. We only control what we put into it. The rest is all part of the beautiful and unpredictable life cycle of our creative work. So, let go. Let those art babies fly! They might show up again where you least expect it.” Lori Richmond
Writing Tip of the Week
Take a look at your opening line. [Twitter thread via Kidlit411]
Writing Prompt
Write something inspired by this photo.
News
I made a list of books about loss and grief* in case it’s helpful for anyone right now or in the future.
Until next week, happy writing and reading. Let me know what you’re thinking about this week.
Christine
P.S. links marked with a * are affiliate and may earn me a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for the shout-out! <3
Thanks for the inspiration! Also, I LOVE your Artist Axolotl! (If you get all the way to Z, this would be a spectacular picture book! board book? poster? If I were a kindergarten teacher, I would want the poster immediately!)