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amazon, createspace, goals for the new year, kate dicamillo, marker paper, mpr, new year's resolutions, resolutions, sestina, sharpies, weaving loom, zine
I guess today is another day and as good a time as any to share my creative goals for the next year with you. I do this every year ’round about this time. Midway through the year I’ll revisit the list, check off the things I’ve accomplished, review what I haven’t, and tweak what I need to. I try to be fluid about my goals in light of the fact that life tends to throw unexpected stuff at me.
Here goes …. My creative goals for 2011 ….
Construct a book and/or make a zine. (Construct a book as in physically make one, not write one, although I could do that too, if it’s not too big.)
Get Greenville on Amazon via CreateSpace.
Rearrange my office space.
Knit a cable pattern.
Move my loom.
Weave something. (If I don’t weave something this year, I may decide to get rid of the loom. That’s not a hard and fast decision, but I’m seriously considering it.)
Keep drawing with Sharpies. Get marker paper for it.
Hang out with creative people.
Write a sestina.
Write for the hell of it.
Continue work on three writing projects that won’t leave me alone. (I’m not going to reveal the particulars on these projects because, as Kate DiCamillo said on MPR this week, it’s really bad juju for creative ideas. Kate didn’t use those words exactly, in case you were wondering.)
What are your goals, creative or otherwise, for 2011?
My goal is to learn what a sestina is… you could help me there. Excuse my ignorance…everyone else does… I just got schooled on what a Wii game is…on my blog…so embarrassing. But this seems like a legitimate gap in my knowledge.
Wow when you said creative you meant it. Those are the most original and creative goals I head heard. May you attain all of them
Hi, mjcache – Thanks for thinking these goals were original and creative. I was thinking they were a little bit mundane. How crazy is that?
As for helping you achieve your goal regarding sestinas, I can do that. A sestina is a 39-line poem, with 6 six-line stanzas. The final words on each of line of the first six lines are repeated in a specific order throughout the rest of the six-line stanzas and then repeated again in what is called the envoi – the final three lines of the poem.
If you want to see examples of sestinas, head to my Writing page (tab at the top of the blog) and you’ll find several.
wikiHow has a good explanation of a sestina that shows the structure of the repeating final words of the lines.
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Sestina
When writing a sestina, I try to pick six words that contain several shades of meaning so as to maintain interest and stretch the storytelling possibilities of the poem. Trying to get to each of those words in proper order is a bit like putting together a puzzle. The results aren’t always pretty, but I like the challenge.
My brain hurts a little from the explanation let alone the undertaking.
Thank you for taking the time to explain: Goal number one for me is ticked off.
I too was wondering about sestinas.
I’m working on a post on my theme for the year. Haven’t got goals really figured out yet.
Writing sestinas can make your brain hurt, too, MJ!
Dee – Are you thinking back to an overall theme that developed during 2010, or looking forward to a theme for 2011? I was considering a blog post about the big things that happened in 2010 now that I’ve got the goals done for 2011.
As for the general curiosity about sestinas (there was another comment left on Facebook about that), when I was writing an artist statement for a series of business of art classes I took this year, the teacher zeroed in on the term when I used it in my statement. She said it’s just the kind of thing that piques the interest and makes people ask question – which is the point of an artist statement. You all are proving my teacher right.
Moving the loom sounds like a good goal. Moving work areas around always seems to add a fresh new perspective on the work undertaken, I should know with all the times I keep having to move my writing desk around.
Happy Holidays!
I love shifting stuff around, LK. Not all the time, but periodically it feels refreshing. It takes a fair bit of creativity to figure out where to put certain pieces of furniture. The loom is that kind of piece because there needs to be space around it in order for it to work.
Happy holidays, to you too!
Using a theme instead of New Year’s Resolution for blogging and life. 2010 was Make a Difference. My theme for 20111 will be revealed on my blog shortly. It is an idea I borrowed from a friend.
That’s a great idea, Dee. Kind of like having a personal mission statement, only you can change it every year.
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