A Creative Mess

If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.

Virginian American academic and politician, 4th President of the United States, James Madison, was born on this day in 1751. (d. 1836)

Fighting a foreign enemy? Or maybe a foreign virus?

Your mileage may vary. But it seems to me that every time I read them, I discover more wisdom from the founding fathers.

And no, I’ve not yet made it all the way through my copies of The Federalist Papers. But they are on my desk.

Styles and trends change. Principles and truths do not.

There I said it.

It’s Wednesday and currently 5:22 as I’m typing this out. I normally have these posts finished the night

Mugshots

before. But last night I went to bed knowing that I had nothing ready for today. The reasons aren’t important. I set my alarm for an hour early.

All for your benefit. Well, mostly for my being stubborn enough to make sure there’s at least something here every day.

Before I drifted off to sleep I was listening to one of my favorite gospel stations on Pandora. I love being able to set the timer so that when I wake up during the middle of the night (which I still do multiple times), I realize that I probably got through one or two songs before drifting off to sleep.

One of the songs last night made me think about traditions. Traditions from my childhood church and experiences. I actuallys sat up and typed a few notes into the phone thinking that was today’s blog post.

It was not.

It may, however, be a good basis for this Friday’s short story. Stay tuned.

As I was reading through my morning email before getting to this post, ?I read Austin Kleon’s message for today. Today is the tenth anniversary of his book Steal Like An Artist.

I’d post an affiliate link to the book, but Amazon has apparently changed the rules and I’m not figuring them out at 5:30 a.m.

I found Kleon’s book last year. Now I’m following his newsletter and last week just finished Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad.

It’s good stuff. An easy read that I need to get back there.

I don’t know about you, but I need constant inspiration.

Maybe what I need is a constant kick in the fanny to keep going Keep working. Keep doing the creative stuff.

The 100 Day Project is helping with that from the artistic perspective. Doing the daily drawings gives me time to think.

Never mind that a lot of the time I’m thinking “why am I doing this again?”

It’s simple really, the plan is to always be creating.

Maya Angelou said “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

It’s true. By reading Kleon and doing The 100 Day Project, I’ve come up with the idea for another book.

Another. Book.

Maybe my creative process involves having stacks of unfinished books sitting around.

In my defense, I’m finally organized enough to at least know where they all are in this mess of an office.

Being creative can be messy.

Sometimes it involves putting notes in your phone in the middle of the night.

Sometimes it involves setting the alarm an hour early.

I’m thinking today it’s going to involve a nap.

Maybe I’ll dream about some new creations.

American singer-songwriter and guitarist, Jerry Jeff Walker, was born on this day in 1942. (d. 2020)


THINGS YOU SHOULD READ

Lazy Mainstream Media Lied to Virginia
Kerry Dougherty
There was a time when any partially sober editor would have thrown those “All-133-School-Superintendents” stories back at reporters and ordered them to make a phone call to confirm that every single superintendent in Virginia was on board with the letter. Read More.

Tesla Raises Prices Across Lineup; Cheapest Model Is Now $46,990
Bloomberg
Tesla Inc. raised prices on all its vehicles after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said costs were increasing at the companies he runs. Read More.

With The Session Over and Budget Delayed, Virginia Dems Sense Blood In The Water
Shaun Kenny in The Republican Standard
The reaction thus far has been purely that — a reaction against the left. Saying no and winning feels good for a moment, but the institutions grind ever forward, which is perhaps what the lake Whittaker Chambers realized when he said he had left the winning side for the losing side. Read More.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, others sound off as Democrats block parole board nominees: ‘This is shocking’
Fox News
“This political stunt effectively ended parole in Virginia, hurting potential parolees, victims, their families, and our criminal justice system. I am confident Governor Youngkin’s nominees would hold the Parole Board to a higher standard, execute their jobs with professionalism, and serve Virginians well. The political games over the parole board must stop.” Read More.

Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
CNET
The Sunshine Protection Act still has to face a vote in the House, but if it’s eventually passed that would mean an end to changing the clocks twice a year — and a potential end to depressing early afternoon darkness during winter. Read More.

Hunter Biden, Joe Biden Included In Russia’s Sanction Package
Daily Caller
The sanctions prohibit several U.S. top officials from entering Russia, including former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and were taken as a “response measure” to U.S. sanctions on Russia. Read More.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1906 – Henny Youngman, English-American violinist and comedian (d. 1998)
1912 – Pat Nixon, First Lady of the United States (d. 1993)
1926 – Jerry Lewis, American actor and comedian (d. 2017)
1941 – Chuck Woolery, American game show host and television personality
1949 – Erik Estrada, American actor
1949 – Victor Garber, Canadian actor and singer
1954 – Nancy Wilson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actress

WHAT I’M READING


 

BENEDICTION

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

 

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