Quiz: What is your superpower?

When you were a child did you pretend to be superhuman, or endowed with a special gift that amazed everyone? Maybe you still do.

Did you wish you had a superpower? Mine was that I would be a brave person who could save people in trouble, and that I could magically transport myself to other places. (That’s still not off the table.)

Here is a quiz for you to discover what is your superpower.

Mine is invisibility … which is no surprise to me! 🙂 I’ve often felt as if I’m invisible – not really, but so that no one notices me.

Have fun with this and let me know, What is YOUR superpower?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!

Quotes about change

In this post I am sharing a few quotes about change, since this is my year of change. 🙂 Perhaps they will speak to you or remind you of another quote that has been meaningful to you.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change. – Unknown

All you change is yourself, but sometimes that changes everything! – Gary W. Goldstein

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. – Jim Rohn

The above quotes are inspiring and encouraging. One thing I want to add is that what I’ve found in my own life is that my efforts to change myself usually end up as a source of discouragement and disappointment, which I think is what often happens to many people who make new year’s resolutions. However, if I let the Lord change me it becomes a reality. A heart change is a real change. It may seem as if I have changed myself when it is the Lord changing me. I like that.

Do you have any inspiring quotes to share about change?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

PS: Please remember to pass on the word about my 2nd giveaway of 2016 offered in my January 21 post; draw February 10. Watch my countdown calendar!

My Giveaway #2 of 2016! Your chance to win!

Are you one who still likes to write letters longhand? I know it’s a fading art. In fact, it’s becoming a fading skill.

Writing is healthy for the brain. You have to concentrate in a different way, both to think of your words and to manually form the letters to write them, so it exercises two skills at once. It’s good for you! The more you write longhand the better your writing becomes, unless you’re like me and hurry a bit too much so have to slow down to create a neat legible script.

I make my own envelopes – most of them from old calendars, a great way to recycle and reuse them. The plain white envelopes that you can buy are okay, good for formal mail; however, I enjoy sending out notes and sometimes bill payments in an envelope I’ve made. (Yes, I’m one who does not use online banking or online bill paying. I’m using the “old way” as long as I can.)

Even if you don’t write letters you may need to mail something now and again. This giveaway is another which will not suit everyone, but perhaps you know someone who would appreciate having this month’s giveaway. You can direct that person here or enter your own name to try to win for them.

So, what am I giving away? Twelve of my homemade envelopes to one of you!

As you can see, they’re mostly pictures of beautiful Atlantic Canada. These envelopes are standard letter size.

Here are close-ups for you —

To enter the draw, simply leave a comment telling me how you would use these envelopes.

Draw date for this giveaway is at 10 PM AST, that’s 9 PM Eastern, on Wednesday, February 10. This gives you lots of time to pass the word on to others, too.

I will use Random.org name picker to find out which of you is the winner. Watch here the next morning for the announcement.

Remember, you have until February 10 to get your name into the draw, but don’t put it off!

PS: I am prepared to mail these to anywhere.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

What’s going on at the movies? Star Wars Vll … Concussion …

This is an aside from my usual here. Please don’t hate me if you’re a Star Wars fan. I have been a fan too, and …

I ♥LOVE HARRISON FORD♥. As he has matured and improved over the years I love him more. He is such a great actor, and so easy to admire.

Having said all that – I was glad to learn he was doing another Star Wars movie; I was happy to sit in the theatre to see him … uh, the newest Star Wars movie, to experience what thrilling thing was going to happen on the big screen … but, well, to be honest, I came away annoyed and disappointed, and miffed, asking … what was all the hype about?

Yes, Harrison Ford was in it as Han Solo – older and still his usual great. In case you haven’t yet seen the movie I won’t say what I was disappointed in regarding his role. Also, I found this movie to be even more chopped up than the others before it. Fast and jumping from scene to scene, and a little stranger in a different way than I was ready for, perhaps.

All in all, I suppose it was a good movie. I don’t think it was worth the HUGE record-breaking amount of money it pulled in, though. The movie ended in such a way that it left room for another one to come after it with younger actors obviously willing to continue the saga.

In closing, never mind me. As you will recall, I have a little trouble with change .. and I’m working on that. 🙂

Oh yes! PS: What’s with Concussion starring Will Smith? I didn’t see the movie yet, just the previews/trailers and the Awards hype around it. Will Smith wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for his role as Dr. Omalu? Wow! I was sure he would … just from the little I’d seen of the movie. Yep. Hollywood doesn’t make sense.

Just my opinion. What’s yours?

Also, I haven’t read Concussion or any of the Star Wars books. Have you? If so, which is better, the movie(s) or the book(s)?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Baby steps toward CHANGE

2016, my year of change.

I’ve stated it publicly. I am determined to achieve it. I am committed to accepting it. (Thanks, Darlene, for that last point.)

For me, change means stepping beyond myself, my comfort zone, my place of safety. Even if that step is only a baby step, it is a step forward to my goal.

I am not saying I want to change everything about myself, or that I want to make drastic changes in my life. What I mean is I am working on my attitude and beliefs about my God-given abilities, talents, gifts, creativity. And fear – I am making baby steps away from the fear and toward the reality of who I am as a creative and what I am capable of doing.

“The key to change … is to let go of fear.” – Rosanne Cash

My goal, which I’m sure you all know by now, is to write children’s books for publication. The changes have begun for me to achieve this:

I have my own writing coach as of September 2015;
I’m ending my publishing of a newsletter I (very sadly) haven’t had the focus and leading to do anymore; after many years it’s hard to let go. I have the final issue to complete and loose ends to tidy up;
my publishing room will become my writing room, my creative space, which I’m excited to prepare;
I’ve continued with Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo each November, keeping the ideas coming. To take those ideas further, Friday I signed on for a year of *12×12, making that huge (for me) leap in commitment when I’m not sure how I’m going to manage the challenge. Having said that, I signed on because I need what is being offered through it in order to reach my goal. (I did 12×12 in 2012, Julie Hedlund’s first year offering 12×12; now it’s much advanced from those beginnings.)

The biggest change for me is my private outlook, my self-talk, what I believe about myself. Change in those will bring about the most change in me and how I approach my writing.

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Steve Maraboli

Yes, 2016 is my year of CHANGE, the follow-up to and continuation of POSITIVITY – my word in 2015.

I am determined. I will need reminders. And energy. And focus and refocus. (That’s not a negative already, I know how it’s been and I’m needing to not go there.)

My life as caregiver will continue as it has been, with the change being in me, in how I use my other time. There’s no progress in wishing things were different.

“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” – Thegoodvibe.co

This could be an exciting year, a challenging year, a surprising year.

2016.

My year of change.

* If YOU are interested in writing children’s books, it is not too late to sign up for 12×12. Just follow the link I provided above in my point #4.

Can you relate to the struggle of staying the course? What are your goals and determinations that you know will make a remarkable change for you? (Or put that in past tense, what were your goals … and how did you manage to meet them?)

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

A Picture Book for Newbery! (REJOICE!)

Today I am reblogging a post I thought would interest you. I’ve talked about Tara Lazar before, that PiBoIdMo was created by her, that she’s a picture book author. (I reviewed her book The Monstore on February 18, 2014.) She’s a smart cookie, this Tara Lazar.
Enjoy this informative article written by her.

Thanks for reading, and Creative Musings! 🙂

Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

If you’re seeking to understand the significance of yesterday’s Newbery Medal being awarded to a picture book, grab a cuppa and settle in.

laststop Photo courtesy of author Carter Higgins from AlltheWonders.

Five years ago, The New York Times published an article that caused consternation among picture book creators: “Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children.” In fact, the words within plunged a dagger directly into our hearts.

Parents have begun pressing their kindergartners and first graders to leave the picture book behind and move on to more text-heavy chapter books. Publishers cite pressures from parents who are mindful of increasingly rigorous standardized testing in schools.

It felt as though No Child Left Behind was leaving we authors and illustrators behind. A children’s bookseller was even quoted as saying that picture books sat languishing on their shelves, dying sad little deaths.

OUCH.

As a parent of young…

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Giveaway #1: We have a WINNER!

Thank you to all who entered my first giveaway contest for 2016. The “prize” is this pink 2016 paper pocket planner:

And the winner with this comment “Hi Lynn, I’m definitely a paper girl. I do use my phone, but I still prefer paper. I always have a pen in my purse, so writing an upcoming appointment in a planner is faster for me than entering it into my phone. I was going to buy my 2016 one this week, now that they’re on sale. Now I’ll wait until after the 13th! 🙂 ” is….

Heather Wright!

Congratulations, Heather! You are the winner of my first giveaway in 2016. Aren’t you glad you waited? Please check your email for my request for your mailing address so I can get this on its way to you.

For everyone who didn’t win, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TRYING. I will be posting another giveaway in February, so please be sure to come back.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂