INSPIRATION

Lake Kakagi, Nestor Falls, Ontario, Canada

"Let us be silent that we may hear the whispers of the gods." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever wondered where inspiration comes from? I'm sure it's different for each of us...as for me, my sources are water and solitude.

As a writer, I sometimes struggle to tap into my creative process. For example, my readers have long requested a sequel to my debut novel, WATERS OF THE DANCING SKY. While some of them even offered excellent suggestions to integrate into this sequel, I was still stumped. It simply was not coming together in my head. Pieces were missing.

Until last week. I was on a Canadian fishing trip with my good friend, Len. As we trolled the waters of this scenic wilderness lake, I couldn't resist snapping photo after photo of the islands, the sunlight dancing across the waves, the clouds lazily drifting overhead.

Lulled by the lapping of the waves and the warmth of the sun, I became still. Totally still. I was one with the lake. It wasn't long before I began to tap into that universal creative process that is out there somewhere. Bits and pieces of my long-awaited story began to float into my mind. The plot and its many twists were finally coming together - sometimes in surprising ways that I had not anticipated.

Who would have thought that the notorious Chicago gangster, Bugs Moran, would insert himself into the middle of this novel? Yes, he was once there at Kettle Falls where this series is set. I can't tell you what his role will be...that will evolve as I write, but he will be there.

Sometimes we need to calm our busy minds and escape into the heart of nature, I think, to find inspiration in life. It doesn't matter if you're a writer, artist, truck driver, waitress, or CEO.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

Stay tuned and please stay in touch.

Janet Kay
Author of WATERS OF THE DANCING SKY and AMELIA 1868
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com

Living the Dream...

Are you living the dream, your own personal dream? Or has life gotten so busy that you've forgotten how to dream? Do you even remember those special dreams you once had for your life?

I recently read an article in the Galveston, Texas daily newspaper by Dr. Victor S. Sierpina, Professor of Integrative Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The title - "Living the dream - the secret to true health, vitality."

According to Dr. Sierpina, "Finding and living our unique dream is what brings true health, energy, vitality and creativity to our lives no matter our age." He goes on to note that he is astounded by the many creative artists he's met over the years who live to ripe old ages. They are productive, creative, expressing their soul nature.

"To thrive, not just survive," Sierpina writes, "requires having purpose and meaning in life as Viktor Frankl taught in his classic book, Man's Search for Meaning."

His words were both a wake-up call and confirmation that perhaps I was finally doing something right! I was following my lifelong dream, one that I'd put on hold for far too long. My dream is and always has been, to become an author. Now I am one! My debut novel, "Waters of the Dancing Sky," is doing well, and I'm hard at work on "Amelia 1868" with several other novels coming to life in the recesses of my creative mind.

We don't live forever. Maybe it's time for us all to rediscover or create new dreams. Dreams allow us to express our creativity in unique ways. And creativity, I think, seems to hold the key to happiness and perhaps - longevity.

With your dreams firmly implanted in your mind, it's time to start living those dreams. You may need to take one baby step at a time, due to other commitments. But you can do it! And your life will be richer in many ways.

As for me, I'm "living the dream" and plan to do so for many years to come!

Please stay tuned and stay in touch.

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com

"Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder"

Was it Plato or Shakespeare who left us these words of wisdom? Some even say this quote is a variation of a Proverb. Regardless, it's one of my favorite quotes, and I think it applies to many situations in life.

In my case, I got up this morning on beautiful Galveston Island hoping for a sunny day on the beach. Instead the wind howled, the sun refused to appear, and the radio informed me that the current temperature was 36 degrees! So much for my beautiful day, I thought. Maybe I'd just bury myself under the covers and catch up on my sleep.

After a few minutes I quit feeling sorry for myself. After all, folks at home in Wisconsin were shoveling snow. Other parts of the country and the world were struggling with extreme weather. Who was I to complain?

So I decided to quit being a wimp and head out on my daily 3.5 mile hike along the beach. It was difficult at first to head into the wind. Head down, I forced myself to move along. It would be easier heading back home.

As I hiked along, something strange happened. The ugliness of the day began to slip away. The pounding surf thundered and splashed, white froth dancing on the crest of the waves. Dark cloud formations interacted with soft billowy clouds, creating an assortment of animals and objects in the sky. The sun even tried to peak out now and then, casting striking reflections on the world below. Crazy pelicans plopped into the surf as seagulls clustered on the shore. Great photo opportunities!

More importantly, there seems to be something about days like this that bring out one's creativity. You draw inward as you tense up against the wind and cold, going deeper inside to places you've perhaps never been. In my case, I found myself thinking about the novel I'm currently writing - Amelia 1868. Some of the parts I'd been struggling with started to come together.

I began to see the beauty in the ugly parts of life, in the trials and tribulations that we all experience at times.

I'd like to share another example of beauty lying in the eye of the beholder. With Valentine's Day coming up, I'm thinking of a couple I recently saw walking along the seawall. They had to be well into their 70's, perhaps 80. He used a cane. They were wrinkled and gray-haired as older people tend to be and somewhat overweight. Not exactly "beautiful" in the sense that the world unfortunately defines beauty.

But they held hands as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. So much in love after all these years. Yes, they'd been married 50 years. He obviously found his wife to be the most beautiful woman in the world. To me, this is true beauty. And I do plan to use this couple in a future novel!

Stay tuned and please stay in touch.

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com