Quote of the Day: We are adventuring in the charterless seas of imagination. – Anne Morow Lindbergh

To me, blogging is being part of a globe of writers and artists and readers.  It is taking me to places I never imagined I could go.
 
 
 
 
(photo from google images)
 
I met with my writer’s group on Monday night.  We call ourselves The Motley Crew because we started meeting in the tiny Minnesota town of Motley.  Of the 10 or so members of The Crew, only two of us blog. (The other one is FranticMommy) The question, Why should we blog? came up.  A few of us have been to writer’s conferences where the powers that be (editors, agents, etc.) tell us to have a web presence.  I was resistent to the online networking world, too.  However, I launched my blog in November, see intro blog, and have not looked back.  Blogging is good.  It’s all about connections, inspiration, and energy.  I get all of that and more when I am in the blogging world.
 
My best writer connection started off-line with my writer-mama-pal, Roxane.  Read about our connection when she interviewed me on her blog at Peace Garden Mama.  She was the main force in sending me off into the wide world of writing.
 
And, it is an amazing world.  I never knew I’d get so many great ideas from reading blogs, and writing them.  Art inspires Art.  Words stimulate more words.  The more I read, the more excited I get about writing.  The more I write, the more I want to write.
 
Before I had a blog, I thought, How can I write a blog and find time to read all those other blogs and comment here and there and everywhere?  I’m not even getting my own fiction written, not to mention cleaning the bathrooms, and hauling the kids around to their stuff.
 
Huh, it’s like exercise.  The more you do it, the more energy you have to do all the other things that require your energy.  It’s revving you up, like a rechargeable battery.
 
Here are some of the stimulating connections that I’ve made:
 
Whole Latte Life and Journaling Woman are there with me nearly every morning as I enjoy my morning mug of joe.  Their blogs are short and entertaining and stimulate blog posts and journaling ideas and creative juices.
 
I do daily mediations at Inkwell Inspirations.  I find such comfort there.

Jody Hedlund is a contemporary Christian writer who just signed her first contract with Bethany house. It’s so fun to read about her journey.
I’m also linked to an agent, Rachelle Gardner, who lets us see into the world of agents and publishing.

The Character Therapist offers the kind of character advice I should be paying big bucks for.  Pull up your couch and read a while.  She gets you thinking about the deep, inner workings of your characters.
 
Shannon at Book Dreaming keeps the dream alive.
 
Jen at Woolgatherings has such style.  I imagine her quite famous some day soon.
 
My friend, JeMA, who lives very near me has started a blog on her art, with short descriptions of what it means to her, her inspiration, and bits of her life.  It’s beautiful.  Gives your mind visual stimulation.
 
All of my followers and the ones that I follow, pretty much the same list, offer something unique.  I can’t mention them all here.  It would get too long.  Still, every once in a while, I click on someone new from another blog and find a new friend.  You could too.
 
I follow a few mystery writer blogs because I have a secret longing to write mysteries.  I know this because I can’t stay away from them (the mysteries AND the bloggers).
Mystery Writing is Murder has given me great tips on characters, especially the antagonist, and plot, even though I’m writing historical fiction.  She linked me to Confessions of a Mystery Novelist. She was featured on Mystery Writing is Murder to promote her latest release B-Very-Flat which I now need to read!
 
Which brings up one “problem.”  Reading blogs links you to more great blogs by writers who have interesting books, therefore, giving you more things to read.  You decide if that’s good or bad.
 
In the end, your time belongs to you.  What you do with it is your choice.  Some days, other things dominate.  I’m home today with a sick kid.  Last week, I was in the ER with another kid who had a sprained ankle.  My brother, who is not even 50 yet, just had major surgery.  Life is full of distractions.  Even our best friends who want us to succeed, need us and pull us out of our writing.  Or, do they?  For me, being with people, caring for them, loving them, feeling their love, hearing/reading their stories stimulates my creativity and I find that I do have the energy required to write AND clean the bathrooms. 
 
Journaling Prompt:  What type of writing and/or art do you find stimulating and irresistible?