All posts tagged: writing

Trust and Synchronicity

As I face the upcoming anniversary of the sudden passing of my husband, Derrick, I realize that I have not been writing as much as I used to, and writing is a healing process for me. Therefore, instead of simply adding this anecdote into my daily notebook, I decided to instead share it here on my blog. I haven’t written here in a very long time and I would like to get back into that practice. My story for today, Sunday, 17th of March 2024, began last Wednesday when I chose to watch a film that randomly popped up in my YouTube feed. The black and white film from 1950 was called “Trio”, a set of three short stories by William Somerset Maugham. In the background of the opening credits was an extremely intriguing symbol. I paused the film and sketched the bold lines into my daily notebook. Then I didn’t watch the film right away because the symbol was so magnetic to me that I had to find out what it meant. I had …

Current, Flow, Swing, and Reflection

“Big Red Swing” 1971 Theodore Ceraldi Some months speed by, like a rushing river flowing through a narrow gorge. But others crawl along, moment by moment, hour by hour, week by week, with the water of life pooling in unexpected crevices, becoming still reflection ponds. The past few weeks have been like that for me, slow and full of reflection. I have not been able to find a personal FLOW, the term I learned from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi for an ideal creative state. Flow always seemed to come naturally to me as a child, yet now it seems to be something I have to schedule for myself. “Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity… The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task although flow is also described… as a deep focus on nothing but the activity – not even oneself or one’s emotions.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi One of my …

Lyrical Triggers & Process

Sometimes it is as simple as a title I have no control over; an inspiration that opens a floodgate of lyrics. A poignant melody combined with the title “Charlie” inspired these words: I once was young I was new we shared a kiss that’s what you do I didn’t know you’d go Charlie A tender branch on a tree will bend not break that once was me but now I am old I’m not so free My brittle heart will surely break it only takes one small mistake, I know, so….. I’m careful And if I try, I’ll be strong and I won’t cry I know, this feeling will go I’ll hold this thought in my mind of innocence, and love that’s kind of youth and truth Charlie CHARLIE ©2011 Laurie Early [Based on melody by Johannes Faber, as played on: Artram-Mantra by Fausto Ferraiuolo] The original musical piece is a tribute to the saxophonist, Charlie Mariano, but Charlie was also the name of my boyfriend when I was 13-years old. So, my lyrics reflect the contrast between taking …