I’ve hit upon a new plan for writing, a jumpstart for my creativity that I stumbled across last year, much too late to participate. And then, here we are, next year. It’s called the A to Z Challenge, a brilliant idea from Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out. Thanks, Arlee, for being a bright note of inspiration!
So this first word, aspire, was both an easy choice, and a difficult one. Easy for me to go with the first definition, to aspire to something, to seek, to attain, perhaps to accomplish.
I want that. I want to accomplish great things. I have a few books roiling around in my head that I need to get down on paper. I’d like to travel, not with an overnight bag to an endless string of cities as I’ve been doing lately, but to one place where I can stay long enough to discover where the locals drink coffee. And I want a miracle or two, though that’s probably more of a hope than an aspiration.
Which leads to the next interpretation, which properly comes from the word origins rather than a definition. To aspire is to breathe. Oh, how I need to breathe. I find myself holding my breath all the time. Like I’m suspending time by not breathing, but that’s not fooling anybody, least of all time. I need to breathe in — and out — and back in again. I need to pay closer attention around me. I need to be present in the present.
I suppose it all begins with a great big cleansing breath. Join me, won’t you, for the next several weeks, as I weave and wend my way through the alphabet, aspiring to be a little creative and, perhaps, a little more alive as I discover what’s on my mind, one letter at a time.
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I’ll be illustrating these posts with details from a lithograph I owned many years ago, The Alphabet Suite, by Erté.
Oh I love the idea of discovering whats on your “mind one letter at a time” a great start to the A to Z challenge … wonderful words x
Thanks! Flannery O’Connor said she needs to write to discover what’s on her mind. I wonder what’s on mine 🙂
Wow, what a terrific series!
And the following is so insightful Maria, “To aspire is to breathe. Oh, how I need to breathe. I find myself holding my breath all the time. Like I’m suspending time by not breathing, but that’s not fooling anybody, least of all time.”
I’ll be pondering that one for awhile. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Now go get B-Z, too!
And I may just hop on this A-Z bandwagon, too. I’ve asked for a challenge; maybe this is it?
Rock it Lisa…follow the links to the challenge. Even if you don’t formally enter it, I think it will be a fun exercise! Don’t forget to tag me so I can link to you!
And we’re off…I love that you are using an illustration for each post…you inspire me to aspire to the same. Look forward to checking back!
Maria, I can certainly identify with your feeling of holding your breath. I crave success in writing so much I feel breathless while I search for the best way to proceed. Then there are small wins like receiving an e-mail from a writing contest that I not only won the first prize, but will have my entry posted on their website by the end of this week. That frees the held breath and propels me forward.
it is exciting to see what happens huh!!
Great start! Love starting with hope! I aspire to do great things with the A to Z as well!