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Pondering Writer’s Block
“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”
—E.L. Doctorow
Writer’s block can be an obstacle to creativity. Just ask Fran Lebowitz. On second thought, judging by Martin Scorcese’s seven-episode documentary, Pretend It’s a City, she has made an art of what she calls ‘writer’s blockade’. Not the person to ask, but then again, perhaps the ideal person.
Robert Sapolsky, My Favourite Neurobiologist – Stanford University
I recommend any and all of his videos on psychology, endocrinology, biology, neurology, primatology, etc. He’s a mere two years older than me. What have I done with my life?
Breathing into Creativity Workshops
Three members of our Digital Literacy/ Storytelling group were among the participants in the two-part Zoom writing workshop “Breathing into Creativity” hosted by the Atwater Library on the consecutive Thursdays, Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 2020 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Organized and facilitated by Elise Moser in conjunction with AWE (the Atwater Writers Exhibition project), and offered free through the generous support of the Canadian Cultural Action Fund of Canadian Heritage, the two workshops were led by poet, artist, and educator har leen, coordinator of the South Asian Youth (SAY) collective of the South Asian Women’s Community Centre (SAWCC).
Understanding the Middle Passage (often called the Mid-life Crisis)
This is an older video interview that I return to again and again. It remains relevant. I recommend starting one minute in (1:00) to avoid the chaotic music and aerobic dancers of the 1980’s which can distract from the discussion that follows.
The Ups and Down of Learning to be Digitally Literate
I had an interesting and challenging few days this week trying to transfer a large audio file to someone else through Wetransfer. I’m not really familiar with this file-sharing program, but since the audio file was very large, I was told that this was the best and quickest method to use. Apparently, this should have been straightforward process, but it turned into a preoccupation and at least one sleepless night. Wetransfer couldn’t complete the process despite many attempts.
I Could Drink a Case of You – A Joni Mitchell Grocery List by Leanne Shapton
https://wepresent.wetransfer.com/story/literally-leanne-shapton/
I discovered this story while trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to transfer a very large audio file using WeTransfer. The story popped up, and I had to read it because I love Joni Mitchell. It’s a lovingly illustrated story, by Leanne Shapton, which incorporates some of Joni Mitchell’s food-related song lyrics and Leanne’s personal menu. Leanne doesn’t like to cook, preferring restaurant meals, but she had little choice but to resign herself to preparing meals for her daughter and herself during the Pandemic since restaurants were and continue to be off-limits.
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