Tales from the Rushmore Kid

The Poetry Goes On - Barbara Jean Hicks

It isn't Friday, when I normally post, but it is the last day of April, 2014--National Poetry Month. I don't want to miss out on one last chance to celebrate poetry before getting back on track with my series on book promotion in May.

Last Thursday marked National Poem In Your Pocket Day. I celebrated by hosting a poem sharing event at my local Barnes & Noble. It was a small gathering, a half dozen of us--fewer than I'd hoped for. But I realized as I left the store after the event that the few people who came were part of my "tribe."

Picture Book Prompt #30 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Hunting on the Lagoon," Vittore Carpaccio,  ca. 1490-95

Picture Book Prompt #29 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Exhibition of a Rhinoceros at Venice," Pietro Longhi, ca. 1751

Picture Book Prompt #28 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the image as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. On this Thanksgiving Day, with this particular image, think Potlatch! How would you title this mask? Have fun!

"Face Mask," unknown Kitimat artist, ca. 1900

Picture Book Prompt #27 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Caricature of Charles-Henri Plantade," Horace Vernet (1789-1863)

Picture Book Prompt #26 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Boys Inflating a Bladder," Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1778

Picture Book Prompt #25 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Bogatyr," Mikhail Vrubel, 1898-99

Picture Book Prompt #24 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Carnelian Country," Marsden Hartley, 1932

Picture Book Prompt #23 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"A Hare in the Forest," Hans Hoffmann, ca. 1585

Picture Book Prompt #22 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Le Petit Dejeuner," Paul Signac, 1886-87

Picture Book Prompt #21 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Sri Rama Vanquishing the Sea," Raja Ravi Varma, 1848-1906

Picture Book Prompt #20 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"The Siesta," Paul Gauguin, 1892-94

Picture Book Prompt #19 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"The Menagerie," Melchoir de Hondecoeter, ca. 1690

Picture Book Prompt #18 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"The Puppet (El Pelele)," Francisco de Goya, 1791-92

Picture Book Prompt #17 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Seascape Study with Raincloud," John Constable, 1827

Picture Book Prompt #16 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Rokoko," August Macke, 1912

Picture Book Prompt #15 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Samson's Fight with the Lion," Lucas Cranach the Elder, ca. 1520-25

Picture Book Prompt #14 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"The Ghost of Kohada Koheiji," Katsuhika Hokusai, ca. 1830

Picture Book Prompt #13 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Summer Day on Skagen's Southern Shore," P.S. Kroyer, 1884

Picture Book Prompt #12 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"The Boaters," Edouard Manet, 1874

Picture Book Prompt #11 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Red Squirrel," Hans Hoffman, 1578

Picture Book Prompt #10 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Maple Trees at Mama, Takona Shrine, and Tsugihashi Bridge," Hiroshige, 1857

Picture Book Prompt #9 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Landscape with Bridge," Henri Rosseau, 1877

Picture Book Prompt #8 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Child Posing with Cat," the Beardsley Limner, ca. 1790

Picture Book Prompt #7 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Florida River Scene: Early Evening, After Sunset," Martin Johnson Heade, ca. 1887-1900

Picture Book Prompt #6 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"M. Loulou," Paul Gauguin, 1890

Picture Book Prompt #5 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Medusa," Caravaggio, ca. 1598

Picture Book Prompt #4 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Home in the Woods," Thomas Cole, 1847

Picture Book Prompt #3 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Cows, Yellow-Red-Green," Franz Marc, 1912

Picture Book Prompt #2 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Abbey Among Oak Trees," Caspar David Friedrich, 1809

Picture Book Prompt #1 - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

Inspired by Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I'm posting a classic work of art as a picture book writing prompt every day in November. Focus on the picture as a whole or just one aspect of the work. Free write. Ask questions. Think about character, setting and plot: Who, Where, When, What, Why. Think about tone, mood and emotional impact. How would you have titled this painting? Have fun!

"Procession of Monstrous Creatures," Wendell Dietterlin the Younger, 1615

PiBoIdMo - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind
of children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

For all you aspiring picture book authors out there, don't forget that November is Picture Book Idea Month (also known as PiBoIdMo)! Kidlit blogger Tara Lazar, "tired of novelists having all the fun in November with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)," created PiBoIdMo in 2008 for herself, and the following year hosted it on her blog, Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). Last year more than 750 writers logged in as official participants.

The PiBoIdMo challenge is to create 30 picture book ideas in 30 days. As Tara explains on her blog, "You don't have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don't need potential best-seller ideas. You might think of a clever title. Or a name for a character. Or just a silly thing like 'purple polka-dot pony.' The object is to heighten your picture-book-idea-generating senses."

Nature and Nurture - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the mind and heart
of children's author
Barbara Jean Hicks

I've been thinking this morning about how we become storytellers, artists, musicians, poets. Is it nature or nurture? Are we born with gifts for art, or are we born as a clean slate but lucky enough to have had someone--or several someones--introduce us to art and encourage our artistic expression?

The answer, it seems to me, has to be both. I believe that everyone is born with the capacity for artistic expression. We can't help but notice how free a child with a box of crayons is, how unique and expressive the work he produces in his play. As we grow, we find different tools to express our inner creativity--a pencil, a paintbrush, a keyboard, a rolling pin, a garden hoe, a sewing machine, a hammer and saw.

The Poetry of Research - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the life and mind
of children's book author
Barbara Jean Hicks

For readers and writers, research can be endlessly seductive. I rediscovered this recently when I finished reading my friend Gwen Dandridge's children's novel The Stone Lions, set in the Alhambra in 14th century  Spain.

The research Gwen did for this intriguing story set me off on a path of my own. After a Saturday night in the local coffeeshop with my laptop, here's the poem that describes my latest seduction (complete with links!):

The ONE Thing: Unlocking Your Possibilities

from the files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

The last two weeks I've written posts about the first two sections of Jay Papasan and Gary Keller's new book, The ONE Thing: The Surpisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Although this book is not about writing, it is about getting results, and I've applied it to my writing life because that's the area in which I'm interested in getting great results. I hope you're able to apply some of these principles to your writing life as well!

This final post in this series comes from the last section of the book, "Extraordinary Results: Unlocking the Possibilities Within You."

Three things the authors encourage in this section are to Live with Purpose, Live by Priority, and Live for Productivity. Our purpose sets our priority; our priority determines the actions we take and the results we produce. Here are a few gems from the text:

The ONE Thing: Asking the Right Question

from the files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

Last week I wrote a post about the first section of Jay Papasan and Gary Keller's new book, The ONE Thing: The Surpisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, a section dedicated to the lies society tells us about what it takes to be successful--at writing or at whatever is most important to us.

This week I'm writing about the middle section of the book, "The Truth," which the authors describe as "the simple path to productivity."

(I'm pleased to report, by the way, that the two writing practices I started as a result of reading this book are still going strong--18 days in! According to Keller and Papasan, I am more than halfway to making these practices habit. The one I've been particularly enjoying is writing a poem on my iPad and sending it to myself via email. Sometimes they are pure dreck, but I think I might have a few diamonds in the rough. It will be interesting at the end of the month to read back through them and see what I want to take out and polish.)

Waiting for Inspiration

from the Writing Files
of Children's Author and Educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

Birthdays are always good days for new beginnings -- especially Big-O birthdays! So last week, on the occasion of my latest Big-O, I started what I hope will become a lasting habit. It takes 21 days of doing something regularly, the latest research says, for an activity to develop into a habit. I'm five days in and committed: I'm writing a poem every night before I go to sleep. Moreover, I'm writing it in email, from my iPad right in bed, and sending it to myself at a second email address, where I read it first thing in the morning.

I don't expect these late-night poems to be works of art. I DO expect that some will be pure dreck! But it may just be that I find a few gems in the mix, and certainly lots of raw material for other writing.

The idea is to be spontaneous--to write about whatever comes to mind: things I've done that day, things I've seen; people encountered, emotions felt, thoughts pondered. But sometimes, already I've discovered, nothing comes. One night I started at 10:30, thinking I'd lay my head down by eleven. I made a dozen false starts. Delete, delete, delete. Again and again. Finally, getting close to one in the morning, I decided to write about the Muse who stood me up. It flowed. The next day I realized I'd met with a muse after all--just not the one I'd expected.

Is this experience familiar to any other writers out there--Waiting for Inspiration?

Fact, Fiction and Facebook

from the inquiring mind
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

The 2013 Summer Double Issue of Time magazine is all about happiness, or more specifically the pursuit of happiness--or more specifically yet, as the lead article is titled, "The Happiness of Pursuit."

Author Jeffrey Kluger has some interesting things to say about happiness: among other things, that Americans are hard wired for it as the descendants of immigrants--peoples from all over the world who believed there was something better than the life they were living where they were living it and chose to pursue a dream. That, in fact, the pursuit is the thing, more important in the achievement of happiness than the reaching of a goal intended to make one happy.

Good stuff for a writer of fiction or narrative nonfiction. A story arc is all about the pursuit of a dream and the change that pursuit brings about in a character.

But I was especially intrigued by the answers Americans gave to two questions about social media asked in a "happiness poll" conducted by the magazine: 1) Do you believe that people make themselves look happier, more attractive and more successful than they really are in their social media profiles? 2) Do you believe your social media profile reflects what you are really like?

Edie Pagliasotti - SCBWI Member Tip of the Day

If you live in Los Angeles you have probably met the vivacious Edie Pagliasotti.

SCBWI Regional Advisor of the L.A. region for many years, Edie has helped shape the chapter into the organization of generous spirit that it is.  Edie has always been willing to share, help and guide new authors or illustrators who joined.  Here she gives the Member Tip of the Day.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned from My Cats: 4" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON THREE: SCRATCH WHERE IT ITCHES
(Or: What Do You Do when an Idea Won't Leave You Alone?)

Cats scratch in public. No matter where it itches. Not very couth, but there you are.

I don’t recommend that writers follow this example literally. But metaphorically, I think it’s a good idea to scratch where it itches.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 3" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON TWO: MAKE DARING LEAPS
(Or: Are you a Planner or a Seat-of-the-Pantser?)

Cats are powerful jumpers—some more than others. Making the leap from the floor to the bed was as daring as my cat Patches got. The new pillow-top mattress, a scant two inches thicker than the old one, made her nightly leap a major challenge.

Miguel, on the other hand, was born to leap. With the right motivation—a Great Dane with a basso profundo bark, for instance—Miguel could sail over an eight-foot fence without touching it.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 2" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON ONE: BE CURIOUS
(Or: What's So Wrong About Eavesdropping?)

Cats are endlessly curious, sniffing about, exploring every nook and cranny that presents itself. My cat Miguel loved to reconnoiter the basement of our old house in Seattle and forever had cobwebs in his whiskers. Patches, lacking a basement in our Southern California condo, discovered the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, which she opened with her dainty little paws before disappearing inside. (The liquour cabinet seemed to be her favorite.)

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 1" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

“Books. Cats. Life is good.”

I can’t bear to part with the faded old book bag that bears that quote. Doesn’t it say it all? My family didn’t have much when I was growing up; nine of us lived in a two-bedroom, one-bath house. But we had each other, we had books, and we had cats. I didn't even think about asking for more.

I’ve never gone book-less, but I’ve been cat-less. In fact, I'm cat-less now. College dorm life, apartments with no-pet policies, and housemates who didn’t like cats or had cat allergies all conspired against me. (Fortunately, I do have friends with cats!)

For ten years of my adult life, though, I shared a home with a partner who was both a book lover and a cat lover. In those ten years, our library reached over a thousand books, and we adopted two remarkable (at least to me!) rescue cats. Each of them lived with us for about five years.

Happy Mother's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the social media files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

When holidays roll around, I usually share a poem that relates to it. Sunday is Mother's Day. Before I started looking for a piece for today's blog post, I read something written by my colleague and Facebook friend, children's author and illustrator Nina Laden, and it moved me so much that I decided I wanted to share it instead of a poem. I hope it moves you as it did me.

Nina lives in the great Pacific Northwest, which I am soon to call my permanent home. She is the author/illustrator of 15 picture books, including such great titles as The Night I Followed the Dog, Private I. Guana, When Pigasso Met Mootisse, Peek-A-Who?, Roberto the Insect Architect, An Ant's Day Off, and her most recent, Button Nose.

Nina's mother died when Nina was only 24. One of the things she left her daughter was a library of books, complete with handwritten notes. Recently Nina came across a letter her mom had written her and stuffed in a book of Walt Whitman's poetry. It's a wonderful love letter from a mom to her daughter, and Nina has kindly given me permission to share it. I hope you'll visit Nina's blog and read the entire post. It's lovely! And it's no wonder that Nina is a writer and artist.

Why I Love Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It's still National Poetry Month and I'm still thinking about poetry!

I grew up in a family that loved music and poetry. My dad went to school in an era when poetry was memorized, and I remember him quoting poems when I was a child that he had learned as a child. One favorite memory from my childhood is the image of my father knocking on my door to wake me in the morning, poking his head in the doorway and quoting Omar Khayyam:

AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight…

Three Writers on Creativity & Spirituality

from the bookshelves of guest columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

 A friend sent me a link last week to an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, the award-winning writer whose memoir Eat, Pray, Love tells the story of a woman losing and then finding herself during a journey that was both physical and spiritual. Her words reminded me of Julia Cameron's book on creative recovery, The Artist's Way, which led me to an article on beliefnet.com by Tibetan Buddhist Chantmaster Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within. Today, for your contemplation, I offer quotes from these three writers on the interconnectedness of creativity and spirituality:

"Write What You Know" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of Guest Columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

You've heard it a thousand times: "Write what you know."

  But what does that mean, really? Does it mean you have to know a subject inside out before you have anything worthwhile to say about it? Does it mean you can't use settings you haven't traveled to? Does it mean your characters all have to be clones of yourself?

I say no, no, and no again. Our writing--and our lives--would be awfully dull if we wrote only about what we already know.

Writers are curious creatures. What interests you? What intrigues you? What do you NOT know and wish you did? That's what you'll want to write about. It gives us an excuse--as if we needed one--to research. To enter a different time in history, a different place, a different set of circumstances, a different world from our own. To enter the mind of a different sort of person from ourself and experience the world in a whole new way. To be wildly creative!

There is a way in which we must write what we know, however, if our writing is to be effective. And how is that, you ask? In what way must we write what we know?

Creative Resources and Creative Journeys - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I'm fascinated by the process of creativity. The TV shows I most enjoy are the ones that document the creative process in action, whether in fashion design, cooking, interior design, dance or music. I believe that creativity is a spiritual endeavor, something that arises from and engages the spirit or soul, and I find the creative journeys of others inspiring to my own.

A couple of years ago, I researched master's programs that I thought might deepen my creative experience. I didn't ultimately choose to pursue a degree, but I found an almost irresistible Recommended Reading List at one institution of higher learning that offers an M.A. in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology.

I realized that even without pursuing a degree, I could still read the recommended texts on my own--but I discovered it wasn't as easily done as considered! I needed accountability. What if I read these resources NOT on my own, but with a group of like-minded writers, musicians, designers and other artists I could discuss them with?

Of Holidays and Great Men (& Women) - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

Despite the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 (an act which retailers surely embraced with enthusiasm), today, February 22, is the birthday of George Washington. By almost any account of U.S. history, Washington was a Great Man.

The mid 19th century spawned two opposing views of history. Thomas Carlyle espoused the Great Man Theory, the idea that history can be largely explained by "great men"--persons of great charisma, intelligence or political skill who used their powers in ways that changed life, for either good or ill, for the human race. Herbert Spencer countered that such "great men" (no mention of women in either argument!) were simply the products of the societies into which they were born, men who appeared at the right moment to promote changes that were already underway in a larger social context.

Of Storytelling and Storyteller Dolls - Barbara Jean Hicks

It's been a very emotional week. Yesterday a new owner closed on my mom and dad's house, a one-story house my dad had built for my mom fourteen years ago when she could no longer easily climb stairs, a house that has been my home for the last year and a half since my dad passed away and my mom has been in assisted living. A house that holds many stories, even though its bones are relatively young.

Except for the large furniture, I did most of the moving myself, taking many trips back and forth between Mom's house and the house I'm moving into. Many precious objects--precious because imbued with emotion and memories--have passed through my hands in the last few weeks. One of those is a doll, a sitting ceramic figurine, mouth open, with seven tiny figures sitting in its lap and draped across its shoulders--a Puebo Storyteller Doll.