Some Happy New Year Fragments!

A Post about Process

If your inbox is anything like mine, it is full of messages and advertisements from everyone in your contacts. I have unsubscribed from so many emails these last few days. I am paying closer attention to what I open and what I automatically delete.

---

I am hosting a free write-in on January 3 at 1 pm Central/2 pm ET.

I invite you to join here.

Come see my teaching style and have some fun writing with some other creative people! I will provide prompts and time to generate some words together.

---

I was in California last week to visit the Redwoods. Chris and I had never seen them before and the idea of spending some time with massive trees sounded like a splendid way to spend the in-between week. (It was!)

One of the things I love about airplane travel is the time to read and write. On the plane ride returning to the Midwest I read Rene Redzepi Journal by René Redzepi which was inspiring and produced a lot of responses to his recipes and discussion about the creative process related to food in my notebook. It also helps that he is from the Scandinavian area.

I also reread Wintering by Katherine May and read Cozy by Isabel Gillies on the planes out to California.

***

I have several self -imposed rules for 2024. Maybe they are guidelines…but I am staying away from the word GOALS.

I am quite inspired by a student and friend, Quenntis, who left this comment about the #last100day challenge:

Yes, I have been with you from the beginning, Tammy, from Day 100. What really helped me keep on track is a little Creativity Tracker bookmark I designed on Canva. I printed it out and then put it in a jar with a set of 3 yellow markers, 2 yellow highlighters, and 2 shades of yellow watercolor paints. Each day I’d color, highlight, or paint in the next square. The simple goal of filling every square with a little bit of sunshine was enough to motivate me to show up and create something every day. I put a picture of a bee and an ant on the front and a bicycle on the back with the slogan, “Create Then Consume!” as inspiration to keep writing and creating every day. Two rabbit ears peek out from behind the word, “Creativity” to remind me to pay attention to the creative inspiration present in my surroundings.

The idea of creating my own work before consuming anyone else’s is something I need to focus on this first quarter (And hopefully the full year). I often will use writer-adjacent activities to feel more productive. What this is most times is “Tammy Distracting Herself”.

Today I wrote before I did anything else. I revised my Red manuscript and did some other writing that combined new writing with pieces from Google Drives and Keep notes.

I am focusing on small writing groups this year which is how I get pieces done and ready to submit.

I have some drafts from classes I took in the last quarter of 2023 that will be revised and submitted over the next few months.

I will continue to fill the bucket of Tammy’s Writing first, before the other two.

Some Other Recommendations:

• Today I am making Ham and Corn Chowder with the leftover ham from Christmas.

• I am participating in the StoryStorm challenge. I started a new little notebook just for the challenge this year.

• I have been reading one page from The Pivot Year for 161 days.

• I am participating in #100daysofnotebooking with Michelle Haseltine who I know from educational blogs and challenges over the last 10 years!

I would love to hear from you!

I invite you to drop a comment or just a HI!

What are you most excited about for 2024?

Happy New Year!