Use It or Lose It

It's hard to believe,

but I've been in Belize for two and a half months.

Somehow the time has gone by both fast and slow.

I'm not quite sure how that works...

Shouldn't it be one or the other?

No matter what, though, I've always had a place to live and everything I need to sustain life.

In other words, Not Dead. That's always a perk.

("Empty Hearse", anyone?)

Up till now, 

I've been living off my savings and the generosity of my awesome friends.

That money is going to run out, unfortunately, 

so I've been attempting to make a living working on the internet.

As you may have gathered, I love the English language -

both in it's written and spoken form.

Yesterday, I set up my teaching profile on BuddySchool.com.

I'm going to be a practice partner for anyone who is already learning English -

fun conversations on their favorite subjects, 

helping them to connect what they're learning to their life.

Hopefully this will allow me to do a few things:

Share my love of English,

and be able to stay here in Belize.

So, that's the plan!

If you would like to help me out,

or if you know of someone who is learning English,

tell them about me :)

The link to my profile is here:

https://buddyschool.com/profile/show-profile/68928/practice-english-with-a-canadian

The first lesson/conversation is free (30 minutes),

so we can have a chance to figure out what each of us has in mind.

It's done via SKYPE.

My username is: amiemorgan

What Makes A Writer?

I've known I'm a writer for a long time.

I felt it growing up,
when the thoughts in my head demanded to be written down.
It wasn't a choice.

Our family had a tradition.
Once a month, we made a trip to the city for work supplies and groceries.
The day would always end the same way – a special treat:
perusing overpriced books and home decor at Chapters, whilst drinking overpriced coffee.
Afterwards, we would escape reality for a few hours.

Some people say that going to the theatre is dying off.

I, however, am not one of those people.

Movies are special.
Going to the theatre is like being immersed in their world.

The lights in the theatre dim,
and I can barely see the person sitting next to me.
The sounds surround and echo through me.
I close my eyes.
I'm there,
in that world.
The characters are real,
alive.
For a little while,
there's nothing else.

Afterwards, sitting in the back of our blue Caravan on the two hour drive home,
stars studding the night sky,
I would contemplate the deep and hidden meaning of the movie we had just watched.
Even if there wasn't one,
that didn't stop me from trying to find it.
If there was a character I related to,
or one I aspired to be like,
it would consume my thoughts.

I felt a surge of life and new energy.
Despite just watching something that wasn't real,
I now had a renewed desire to live life to the full.

It was a reminder to me that:
just like a writer can create a character,
I can create myself.
I can be whoever I choose to be.


Amidst all these thoughts darting through my mind like shooting stars,
I would attempt to write them down in a logical way- if only to me.
Not because I wanted to,
but because I had to.

As a thought started taking shape in my head,
I would scramble for paper and a pen,
hoping to get it down before I lost it forever.

That is a terrible tragedy -
losing something you never really had,
knowing it could have been special.
It could have been great.
Like a life that was never lived,
but should have been.

What would they have done?
Who would they have been?
I'll never know,
and that makes me sad.

Lost forever.

I'm not a great writer,
but my thoughts are pieces of me.
When I lose them,
I feel it.

That's how I know.
I'm a writer.

Are you?

Writing Prompt: See Beyond

An idea can sustain you, if you really believe in it. 

Despite present circumstances, you can see beyond to the circumstances you want.

What is your ideal situation?

If you could choose your circumstance, every detail of it, how would you describe it?

Recently I watched a movie in which one of the characters was house ridden. He asked his young friend to describe what the sky looked like that day. At first, she used the common words we all use - overcast, cloudy, etc. He stopped her, and said:

 "If your eyes could speak, what would they say?"

I thought that was such an inspiration for any writer.

Apologies!

I haven't blogged in a few days,

(my apologies!)

but there has been lots happening:

CONTEST WINNER

I ran a contest, 

where people could vote for whose silhouette they would like to see on one of my Candleholders.

If they won, they would receive 25% OFF a Candleholder with the silhouette of their choice!

The winner voted for a silhouette of the character John Watson, from the BBC show SHERLOCK.

The silhouette is done, and next to do is a quote on the opposite side.

I'll have this available for purchase in my shop very soon!
www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfWriting

The white spots are just an annoying reflection. Argh...

WRITE EVERYDAY

I missed a day in my write everyday series, but all-in-all, it's been going quite well!

I'm trying to practice different writing styles.

If there is a particular style you would like me to try, or a certain quote, let me know in the comments!

February 2nd, 2014

February 3rd, 2014

BELIZE FASHION

Finding clothes that are light and comfortable,
that don't require layering, is a challenge.

So, when I found this top at a Le Chateau Outlet, I snapped it up!
Light, airy, and opaque!

Plus, it was marked down from $30 to $10 - score!

So, that's what I've been up to! 

How about you?

Any projects on the go?

Any subjects you'd like me to write about?

Who Do You Want To Be?

The Here and Now

 

Change is inevitable,

including changing our minds.

Instead of thinking that we have to stick to the persona that we've built in the past,

don't be afraid to be who you are now - in the present.