Category Archives: Czech Republic

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Creativity: Pursuing Your Passions

Blogging, Cooking, Creativity, Czech Republic, New opportunities, Reading, Recipes, Refresh and reset, Writing, Writing Craft, , , , ,

Sometimes I wonder where my creativity is hiding. Particularly with regard to my writing. I haven’t been putting much pen to paper lately (as you may’ve noticed). Or fingers to keyboard, since I use both methods depending on where I am. And these thoughts kept returning to me recently. I decided a new post was in order. One that focuses on where we pursue our creative passions.

Partly, I’ve missed making words work and play together. Partly—oddly perhaps—I’ve missed actual typing. Isn’t that a hoot? I still remember my high school typing class, using a good ol’ IBM Selectric, and thinking, “What the heck is this good for?” That class is one of the few in which the skills I learned I constantly use and appreciate to this day. Plus, I love the little clackity-tap sounds of my keyboard! Yes, I’m that weirdo. 😛

Many of you know how strongly I believe in the creative aspects of what we do on any given day. Creativity and imagination figure firmly into living a full, happy, and engaged life. One where you decipher the answers to your problems, create new things from next to nothing, and share the experiences with others.

The coolest thing is creativity lurks around every corner. All you have to do sometimes is turn that corner.

I caught up with an old college friend a couple of weeks ago. So. Much. Fun. Scotty has always been a vocal supporter of my books (thank you, my friend!). So naturally, conversation soon swung around to the state of my current, albatross-like manuscript, still lovingly referred to as Book 3. I’d mentioned to him how I feared the end currently planned wasn’t good enough, as I’d intended for Book 3 to be the conclusion of this series.

And he asked me a question that stopped me: “What if that isn’t the end?”

With those few words, he shifted my view just a bit sideways. Thank goodness! Sometimes the thing you need to turn your brain on its head comes at you in an unexpected way. The reminder to look at things from a different, new perspective can be just what we need to step outside of our current situation. And to step into something that speaks clearly to us. My book writing’s been on the slow side, though things are percolating at last. In the meantime, I decided to look around to see where my creative energy has been going. I’m happy to say, it’s flowing full-force in many other aspects of my life. (I wonder if you’d find the same thing in yours, on examination.)

Today, I’d like to share how I’ve been creating in other ways, which I find pretty cool. 😛

On the food front, I’m still going strong with my Sourdough Bread making. I’ve had a lot of fun with a couple of experiments, and I’ve grown very comfortable over the past year with making and baking the basic loaf we eat weekly. In fact, I’ll make another tonight, since we’re done with my latest Rye Everything Bagel Garlic Powder Onion Powder loaf. Big-time yums!

Since I love a challenge, I’ve also tried my hand at baking a few Czech specialties for my hub and friends. These latest include the wacky-wonderful pastry, Vetrnik (OMG, YUM!) and a Prague Kolache. Part of my creative instincts are put to use trying to decipher Czech recipes translated into English, and how to figure out what American counterparts are similar enough to mimic them, to fill in the questionable spots. Man, it’s been interesting/entertaining/delicious! I’m still tweaking my Rohliky recipe, but my latest turned out pretty well…

Czech Vetrnik
Czech Prague Kolache
Czech Rohliky

And while food is fabulous 😊, you guys also know by now how much I love designing and reselling fixer houses with my dearest hub, Lou. With that in mind, and with a lifelong love of space planning and design, I’ve completed a one-year diploma course in Interior Design. It was pretty fab! I learned a great deal, including architecture and design history and new design software, and I’ve been studying and creating floorplans for projects Lou and I are planning. Way cool. Check out these roughs:

As I’ve been on a design kick lately, I’ve been creating graphics for my hub’s logo and designing marketing materials for his construction company, like t-shirts, hats, and business cards. Those are still a WIP, but he’s grooving on the results, so I’m happy and will continue to finesse them as needed.

The other illustration project I’m finishing up is for myself and my readers! That’s you, dear friends. 😉 I’m finalizing a free short story to share with my readers to say thank you for sticking with me on my writing journey. In addition to writing the piece, I’ve designed the cover art for it, which was another first for me, and one I really enjoyed. I may have to stick my finger in that pot again soon.

For me, a creative life isn’t about always writing or blogging. It’s about how you pursue your creative passions.

Novel writing definitely requires a particular focus, and sometimes, the time constraints and challenges of my other commitments keep me from maintaining that focus. But since I love to experiment with learning new things and pushing my creative boundaries, I’ve tried to be more flexible and forgive myself when writing doesn’t top my list.

When I look over the different experiences and activities I’ve tackled, I’m pleased to see the creative thread that weaves through them all and brings me joy. How about you? What creative pursuits light your fire? In what other unique ways do you give life to your creative side?  Do you struggle with being creative and finding inspiration? What do you do to plow through? I’d love to hear how you channel your creative brain and get through your slumps in writing and in life. Please comment below or email me at: carolyn@carolyngreeley.com.

One other thing that helps me sometimes, is my photography. Sometimes a simple photo, like a simple question, can shift my perspective and reset my thinking. Please don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @carolyngreeley. I find it much easier to post my photography there, so I’d love for you to join me as I search out and post images that inspire and delight me. I really hope you find something moving and enjoyable there as well.

Thank you, dear friends and readers, for walking with me down this creative and wild lane. Happy Reading and Writing to you!

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5 Tips to Quell Christmas Madness

Blogging, Christmas, Czech Republic, Gratitude, St. Augustine, Time Management, Writing, , , , , , , , ,

Around the holidays, my writing muse seems to crowd too often into the far corner of my living room, the one where auctioned-off nails and tubs of dusty sporting equipment rub handles with dented cardboard boxes of old papers and—you guessed it—Christmas decorations. The muse hovers behind the tottering stacks, scrunched between the windows I haven’t washed the insides of in three years (they’re inaccessible, that’s my excuse) and the not-rickety pinewood shelving my hub built those same years ago. I think she enjoys that corner because she knows I’m unable to easily reach way in the back, and that pulling her out would require more time and effort to dismantle the obstacles than I have on any given of-the-season day.

So, as I hoarded minutes here and there between work, housecleaning, meetings, and the usual day-to-day dribbles of life, I let my brain free-float for ideas on how to quell some of the madness that coexists with this time of year. The madness that drives my muse into that corner. Handily enough, letting my brain wander often teases the muse out of her hiding spot. Lucky for me, this time she helped me come up with five goodies, suggestions I was happy to jot down and share with you to help restore your seasonal sanity somewhat, I hope.

1—Always a favorite of mine: create a master holiday to-do list. My readers and friends know I’m a huge fan of lists. I have been as long as I can remember, and now that I juggle different jobs, a husband, and a household, among other things, I find lists indispensable. During this season, a list helps me focus on the things most important, as well as helps me anticipate the fun as our big holiday celebration, Christmas, draws near.

2—Window shop before your gift-giving holiday gets too close. Since Hanukkah is already nearing completion, this tip might not work for this year,but keep it in mind for next. I don’t like feeling rushed to buy presents—actually, we don’t even buy that many anymore—but I do enjoy browsing and getting ideas before purchasing anything. This is a big change from my old habit of doing all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve! But I find browsing—even for a few minutes here and there—helps bring the holiday and Christmas spirit a bit nearer. I don’t have to buy something to feel the joy of giving grow.

3—Have a think on your favorite and not-so-favorite holiday traditions and try to cut back on those which no longer excite you or bring joy to your family and friends and whoever you share your time with. I long ago gave up writing buckets of Christmas cards (sorry, everyone!) because time would run far away from me. Now, though, I try to focus on sending fewer, longer holiday catch-up emails with friends and family I no longer see frequently. This helps me feel connected, despite usually not being able to celebrate with our family and friends stretched around the globe. Skype also works great, especially with our families in New York and The Czech Republic.

4—Remind yourself to keep things simple. Do you find yourself attending a number of celebrations during this season? Or hosting one? We often do, and to keep things simple, we bring or make one or two usual dishes we know are crowd pleasers, like my hub’s famous spread/appetizer, chlebicky (pronounced kla-beech-key), and my giant pot o’chili. Rather than drive ourselves bonkers with time-consuming or costly preparations, this helps keep us and our friends stuffed and happy. A decent bottle of red wine helps, too. 😉

5—And finally, don’t forget to sneak off for a few minutes to enjoy your favorite pre-holiday ritual. Maybe you like to drive the neighborhood with your other half to take in the lighting spectaculars. Or zone out in the bath with a pine-scented candle, a glass of that red wine, and some Christmas music tinkling over the pop of bubbles. Or, my fave, curl into your reading nook with a Baileys and your latest mystery, wrapped head to toe in a fluffy, toasty blanket. Yes, I live in Florida, but it still hits the 30s here. Hee hee hee.

So, readers, fans, friends, and family, I love this time of year, but with all the secular busyness, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and that—for me, at least—is a reminder to focus on giving, loving, and trying to be a better human.

There you have it. A few perhaps-not-so-secret tips for bringing a bit of calm to you this season. I hope they work for you. And bring you peace and happiness in some form. As for me, I’m going to grab my current book shortly, The Rope, by Nevada Barr, and have a quiet read. 🙂 “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night….”

Holiday Lights1
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Travel Through My Lens

Czech Republic, Reading, Travel writing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing locations, Writing the senses, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Many authors get a charge out of doing the research that goes hand-in-hand with writing. I know I do. Except, perhaps, when the research takes me too long away from fingers-to-the-keyboard. That happens sometimes. 😉

But, research for story ideas and accuracy is often really fun, especially when the fact-finding involves travel. One of my favorite things about writing is using first-hand travel experiences and details to create an as-true-as-possible sense of being somewhere with me. I want my readers to feel present in my stories.

I’m also a HUGE fan of photography, particularly nature, landscape, and architecture. When you check out my Instagram images, you’ll see scads of things that catch my eye and inspire me and my stories. Funny, as much as I love words, I’m such a visual person. And, I hope readers see my stories the way I do … or, perhaps better yet, the way they want to, but through my lens, if that makes any sense. 🙂

Anyhoo, as I was saying…. I love photography, and since I take zillions of photos—predominantly with my cell, as it’s so portable and the camera’s resolution is so good—I have fabulous images to choose from when I need either ideas or a reference to clarify my description of a setting. BTW, I’m sure you realize that sometimes the images come first, sometimes the ideas do. Both work.

For this month’s post, I’m sharing images from my summer trip to the Czech Republic with my husband. I had a fabulous time visiting family and, among other excursions, exploring the Punkva Caves and the Macocha Abyss of the Moravian Karst. They were simply extraordinary to see. I’ve never before experienced such a unique semi-subterranean environment.

Two high points: the boat ride through the cavern, and the insane view of the abyss from the bottom of the gorge. Imagine you creep through cool, dank darkness, hearing ethereal music swell around you as you walk, and then you emerge from the winding depths of a cavern into sunlight that glows the treetops lime-green against a cobalt sky over 450 feet above your head. Stunning.

One reason I was excited to visit the caves is that part of my second novel, Treasure Bound, is set in a cave. I’m not sure how or when I began to like those underground spaces, but for most of my life, I’ve loved reading and learning about them, and exploring them when the opportunity arose. Now I’m having fun writing about caves, too. Cycle complete, maybe? 🙂

Ha—segue! I just remembered a science project I’d done in grammar-school on cavern formations. I devised a trick for remembering the difference between how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. The word “stalactite” has a “c,” just like the word ceiling, so I learned that stalactites are the formations that grow downward from the “c”eiling of a cave. Conversely, stalagmites are built up from the floor.

Uh-oh, I let my geeky cave secret out of the bag! Hee hee hee.

Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed the fun factor of caves for a looong time. And having the chance to explore some in another country totally blew me away.

I can’t pretend I’m any sort of expert on the caves we saw in CZ, so I’m including a link here to one website that has some cool information, if you’re interested.

What I will do, though, is share my favorite cave and abyss photos. Then, whenever the hell I publish TB, you’ll read for yourselves how I used this insider info to make my cave scenes more authentic (I hope), since I haven’t yet visited the actual caves I wrote about in the story. I don’t want to spill too many beans about TB, but yes, there are caves in the Caribbean!!!

For now, though, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Thanks for chilling with me. I hope you get a kick out of the photos. Let me know in the comment section which are your faves. Looking forward to hearing from you! I <3 my readers. Sharing = caringFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail