Make Something: Map
As a writer, I prefer to travel toward the southwest of this land. As a teacher, I try to guide my students there as well.
Make Something: Dance Step
The Writer’s Dance We begin with confidence – jumping boldly to the dance floor, with a big idea and both feet. We shuffle around, rearranging that idea in small steps. […]
Make Something: Camouflage
Noah Scalin’s instruction for day 12 was to create or alter something so that it disappears into its background. As a mom, my mind was on my finest creations on […]
Make Something: Small & “On Hand”
Yesterday marked the end of National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), which means my 30-day poetry jag is over. That’s not to say I’m done writing poems; no way. But now […]
My dad drove an orange tractor
my dad drove an orange tractor in a sea of green he bobbed along not one shiny surface to catch the sun except his eyes sparkling and satisfied to see […]
Children
Day 209 post: Children Was one Watched some Wanted none Changed my mind Had one Lost three Had two more Changed my life Met someone Married him Gained three more Changed […]
Sibling Discovery Begins
On January 15, 2012, I wrote to my sister and brother, inviting them into something I’m calling the Sibling Discovery Project. To my delight, they were game. I think it’s extraordinary […]
James Matthew Barrie: Bring Sunshine
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” James Matthew Barrie novelist & playwright creator of Peter Pan (1860-1937)
Mark Twain: Pause
The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. Mark Twain, writer & humorist (1835-1910)
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination. Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (1889-1951)
Ben Okri
Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. Ben Okri, poet and novelist born March 15, 1959
Vertigo?
The room is horizontal. A spinning tunnel. Over. Around. Under. It stops and starts without warning. No handhold. I teeter. Maybe this is just the Earth’s rotation. But somehow I […]
Go-Go Boots
I wanted white go-go boots so bad. I wanted to look glamorous and tough. I wanted to sing and dance and strut. I wanted go-go boots. Knee-high. Long zippers, from […]
Hillary Clinton is not a thing.
I was scanning Facebook this morning and saw a photo of Hillary Clinton. The photo linked to some online content, and the summary pointed to a speech Clinton made this […]
Halftime thoughts for #CreativeSprint
When midnight strikes tonight, I will be halfway through #CreativeSprint. This one-month challenge, compliments of Noah Scalin and Another Limited Rebellion, has drawn me back to the daily practice of making […]
#CreativeSprint: back to blogging
It’s been awhile. BethNyland.com has been quiet for months. Mind you, Beth Nyland has not been quiet. Life and business have both been busy, and I’ve even been writing on […]
A.Word.A.Day brought wisdom my way
Every day “A.Word.A.Day” lands in my email inbox. Anu Garg and team produce this and other resources as part of Wordsmith.org: Wordsmith is a worldwide online community of people who share […]
Filling the well, priming the pump
Jim and I are away for a week of vacation, disengaged from our routine and engaged with each other. Our wedding anniversary was good cause for both celebration and relaxation. […]
What keeps you up at night?
I need rest. Sleep restores and prepare my mind, body, and spirit so I can be the active, creative, positive mom-wife-friend-writer-consultant I want to be. This means making the most of […]
Embroidering a character to life, right in my lap
A couple weeks a go, I corralled all my hand-stitching supplies into a basket. This didn’t take a long time or a big container. Although my Mom began teaching me needlepoint, […]
Finding positives in an ice bucket
It was bound to happen eventually. With the message so viral and my family so social—both online and in real life—one of us was sure to receive the ALS ice […]
Making something every day DID change my life
Three-and-a-half months ago, I finished a year of making things. Guided by Noah Scalin’s wonderful book, 365: A Daily Creativity Journal, I succeeded in making something new. Every single day. For an […]
Beth Nyland 