Creative Meanderings – Page 36 – My ramblings and wanderings through life

Day 6: #whyshewrites

May 062019

Share your writing genre

I dare to say that if I have one, my genre is creative nonfiction.

Most of my published works, whether creatively or professionally, would likely be considered nonfiction.

Although a piece I’ve been working on for many years is fictional, it is loosely based on truth.

However, all of my other writing is the telling of experiences – either mine or others. The types of stories I like to read these days also fall into this genre.

In my younger days, I reveled in the fantasy worlds and escaped to fictional realities so far removed from my own. Yet, as I have defined myself and traversed the world 🌎 absorbing not only my own stories, but those whom I have met, it has become clearer that humans are tellers of stories.

The more stories I hear, the truer the sayings are that ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ or ‘sometimes you just can’t make sh@t up’.

So, while I continue to respect and consume those who can make fiction come alive, I am drawn to creatively writing the true stories of this crazy life. 😜

Day 5: #whyshewrites

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May 052019

Who is a woman writer who inspires you?

My favorite authors are generally male.

Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Patterson, Chaucer, Shakespeare, etc. are some of my favorites.

However, along similar lines I have loved female writers like Bronte, Alcott, Austen, Tartt, Atwood, Morrison, Rand, and more.

The female authors I prefer tend to be more contemporary or modern reads rather than the classics.

Still, to choose one author would be basically impossible let alone a female one.

I suppose that I could admit that I once wrote Danielle Steele an email expressing my youthful enjoyment of her novels with strong female characters and asking for advice on how to become a writer – which I never fully followed. :/

Recently, I wrote about Michelle Obama’s book that inspired me, which is a rare occurrence.

However, no one particular person comes to mind as I’ve read so many amazing writers male and female.

Mostly, I am inspired by the strength of those who can and are willing to share their stories whether fiction or non. 🙂

~T 😀

Day 4: #whyshewrites

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May 042019

Today’s prompt:

What’s your writing snack?

Interesting question and not sure I have a writing food. However, a good cup of coffee is a must for my writing sessions.

Something about the scent of coffee helps me focus my mind to write. Without it, I feel as if a writing session is incomplete. 😛

~T 😀

Day 3: #whyshewrites

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May 032019

Share a photo of your writing space

My writing space is almost always in a café – a Starbucks’ one at that.

Since most of my adult life has been spent away from my home country, I fell in love with the Starbucks’ experience early on when I felt homesick and craved the essence of America. Sitting in a Starbucks’ café would often satisfy that yearning just enough to keep me going.

One might suggest that lots of cafés can offer the same kind of experience, but I’m afraid I shall have to disagree. While I do enjoy the coffee (not so much the food), because I know I’ll always get decent coffee for a decent price, it is the space that brings me back every time. I can go to any location and know I can find a place to sit, work, and observe.

When I want to write, I like to be alone amongst many.

At a leadership training once, I found myself ‘profiled’ into a group of strong leaders who like to be behind the scenes. We were called the puppeteers because we could control the situation from above or behind.

This is true for me.

I like to sit and observe others. I write their stories in my head. Creating scenarios for people as they study, work, chat, read, or mutually stare at others feeds my creative monster that needs to write.

For some reason, Starbucks’ cafés attract a certain kind of person, so it is there that I feel the most comfortable.

Thus, it is in the midst of all the noises and passing of people that I often find my own world comes alive to write.

~T 😀

Day 2: #whyshewrites

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May 022019

While I’m in the flow….

Favorite motivational quote.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle

I do not know if this counts as a motivational quote, but it has been one of my favorite quotes since I was in college and fell in love with Aristotle’s teachings.

Although in college I really disliked my friends’ elitist attitude as I found it a way of puffing themselves up more than an expression of standards, I have perhaps come around to what they may have really meant.

I believe that anyone can be whatever version of greatness they want to be – according to their own definition of it. I also believe that everyone should strive to be better than who they currently are as there is always improvement to be made within ourselves. This is achieved through discipline and repeated behavior towards this betterment of the self.

For me, this quote has motivated me to do my best to maintain a high self-standard, which does often overflow to those with whom I surround myself – unfortunately for them? 😛

I do not apologize nor do I consider another option. As my father likes to say, “It’s hard to soar with eagles when you walk with turkeys.” This sounds a bit harsh, and I believe I have a bit more compassion and empathy for others than the quote might suggest. However, I do hold people to a very high standard.

Admittedly, I probably hide my elitist attitude (even from myself at times) as I’ve learned that it does not always serve me in relationships. In fact, I lost a friendship because of my lack of compassion and empathy since I had overestimated the understanding that I thought we had in how I view the world. While I am deeply saddened by the loss, I do not regret it in full.

In a recent conversation about this, it was suggested that perhaps I should be more flexible in my attitude knowing that my standards are impossible. However, I disagree. Instead, I consider it a challenge to continue to hold myself to excellence and encourage others around me to do the same.

My circle of friends is small, but it is not non-existent and I’m happy with it. There might be times when I’m lonely for my inflexibility, but I would much rather be lonely than constantly disappointed in myself or those whom I might call friends.

This way of thinking is also why I write. Through my written word, I can better explain my mind and view of the world. Time can be taken to process the words rather than the instant repelling of what I am saying.

For truly, who does not want to achieve and be excellent? To achieve and be, how else should it be done? As habit.

‘Nuff said.

~T 😀

#WhySheWrites

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May 012019

It seems suitable to kick off May and also restart my concerted effort to write regularly again with a challenge by #whyshewrites – as first noticed by a fellow writer @kamsinkaneko from #theslowpath.

I have been meaning to get myself back into the habit, but, well, excuses abound and one thing leads to another so that time passes without me sitting down to the computer and posting.

There are pages written in my journal, but it is not quite the same as processing it enough to post for general consumption.

In any case, here is first of the challenge:

Share the reason why you write.

When I first began writing, it was to remember what was happening in my life. Things were always changing, people were coming and going, but I could not keep it all straight in my eight-year-old mind. My memories were fleeting, which I somehow understood was not normal for my age.

Besides that, I did not have a lot of friends to reminisce with as they would get left behind whenever I had to move. So, writing became a kind of friend for me.

As time went on, I wrote for my sanity. I realized I was an introvert and people did not always understand me when I tried to verbally express myself. So, I took to writing.

In school, I found that my writing connected with people. Thus, it became the way my voice could be heard and a sharing of my personality.

Then, writing became a necessity. Without my journal, I would probably have jumped off the ship of life long ago. Even though no one will likely read all of my words, at least I get them out of my head in some form. It’s a way of processing and organizing my thoughts so that I can try to express the crazy in a way others might be able to comprehend. In this way, I can test out my random thoughts in a more ‘normal’ way.

These days, I write with the intention of building a discipline to eventually write the stories of my life experiences to share with the world. As I talk with more people, I have come to accept that my life has a uniqueness that might have some value in sharing with others.

Although my life is not yet structured in a way to write full-time (or maybe it’s another excuse?), I am trying to create the best structures and patterns (though it’s a constant struggle) to be able to reach my lifelong dream of writing the story of my life.

So, this is why I write.

~T 😀

#AYearInNails

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Mar 072019

As a teen I had no interest in being feminine. Doing so came with the fear that attention of the unwanted kind would be given to me. Previous examples as a child had proven it so.

Therefore, my feminine mother was probably frustrated with my tom-boyish ways.

However, as I got older and became comfortable with my body and sexuality, I also embraced more feminine activities like wearing make-up, getting massages, and having my nails done.

When I came to visit a few years ago, my BFF took me to meet an amazing nail artist to celebrate the cherry blossoms before our trip to Kyoto.

Upon returning to Japan to live, I have made regular visits to @yumi her to bring a bit of joy to my fingertips.

These are what I’ve had done so far:

This year is off to a great start as well as each month with a new design. I’ll try to update with new ones as I get them, but here are the first three months of design.

Being feminine isn’t so bad after all! 😛

~T 😀

Waking Up With Gratitude

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Feb 252019

This morning, I had the luxury of not having much on my schedule until the afternoon. Although I had initially thought to try a new hot yoga class at my gym, I was not committed to that plan. 🧘🏽‍♀️ So, when I looked at The Power by Rhonda Byrne book, I thought it was as good a time as any to read it.

Little did I know that my soul was thirsting for something like this. For three straight hours I read the book cover to cover. 🤓

Many years ago, I read The Secret at a time when new age spirituality was making an entrance to the mainstream. People were skeptically discussing the Law of Attraction and I was absolutely no exception, if you read the linked post about my thoughts on it. 🤔 However, the 2010 version of myself has changed greatly in the past eight years and I find myself regularly thinking how to ‘secret’ things to go my way.

Even stranger is that when I met my husband, he was also a big believer and fan of the book. 💑 He was/is more of a believer in the Law than anyone else I had ever met. So, when The Power entered our family this Christmas, it came around to me “by chance” through M. He said it was better than the first, but I still hesitated to read it for some reason.

Recently, I started reading The Dalai Lama’s My Spiritual Journey, which should have been a sign that I was in need of some spiritual refreshment. So, I had planned to read The Power once I finished this.

Then, this morning happened.

It was indeed better than the first and gave me quite a lot to think about. Here is a quote that stood out for me:

Life isn’t happening to you; life is responding to you. Life is your call. You are the creator of your life. You are the writer of your life story. You are the director of your life movie. You decide what your life will be – by what you give out.” p. 35

The whole premise of the book is that the power that we have to make everything that we dream of happen is within us and based on the love that we give out. This ‘love’ is a combination of agape (charitable love) 💙 and philia (brotherly love) 💕, not eros (sexual love). By focusing on what we love and loving others, we are creating positive karma and reflecting the positivity that is returned to us. 💞 When we don’t, the opposite happens.

Reading this fits into my 2019 goal of not enabling others to affect me negatively. 🙅🏽‍♀️ I’ve already struggled with this, but now I see that perhaps I was attracting it. So, with this in mind now, I feel better armed 💪🏽 to make this goal easier to reach and within my control rather than blaming other people for their affect on me. 😛

Another point that I need to incorporate more concertedly is waking up with gratitude. 🙏🏽 The truth is that most mornings I feel a sense of denial that I have to get up. It’s not particularly a negative thought nor it is it a positive one, but more of a neutral view of the choice and preferring to go back to sleep. 😜 However, if I were to practice a view of gratitude towards being able to wake up, being healthy, having a job I like, seeing a husband I love, etc., then perhaps my view towards the choice will be filled with love and light instead.

Accepting that having a good or bad day is based on my own creation and what I’m sending out into the world, I am definitely more motivated to focus on the positives. I mean who doesn’t want to have a great day every day?! 🤷🏽‍♀️

So, I still have some points that I am processing and will probably touch on in future posts here, but if nothing else, I am grateful for the time to be able to consume a book 📖 in one sitting. That in itself is a great day! 🥰

~T 😀

Aspiring Inspirations

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Feb 182019

I have always hated being asked Who inspires you and why? It’s always sounded like a cliché question and a kind of judgment since most people annoyingly say The Dalai Lama or Mother Theresa or some other icon of sycophants’.

Sound cynical enough for you? 🤷🏽‍♀️

In my reality and view of the world, I think independence and self-determination includes not looking to anyone else to motivate or ‘inspire’. I believe these should come from within us, then it’s more achievable.

I might pedantically accept the phrasing of Who do you aspire to be like? over the former.

What’s the difference? you might be questioning…. lemme ‘Tara ‘s’plain’.

It comes down to the source for action.

Aspiring to be like someone means that one must work within themselves to emulate another whom one looks up to. Being inspired by another is a passive act. The grammar alone proves that. Aspiring is active. But, you have to be inspired from an outside force to take action.

So… no one inspires me really.

That question will always vex me because I have never been extrinsically motivated to take actions in my life. However, if I ever were forced to choose someone, I believe I finally have a name that I might tentatively share, though the fear of falling into a cliché would likely stop me. 😛

Reading Michelle Obama’s book _Becoming_ is the reason I have a possible name. She came from a middle class family and acknowledges the opportunities that were not only placed before her, but also those she worked to make for herself. Through hard work and being a decent human being, she touched lives and has made a difference in the world.

The frequent saying that the best leaders are those who don’t want to be is one that I would absolutely apply to her. Though she makes it clear that politics was never her thing, once she moved into the spotlight, she shone bright and guidingly.

While not everyone liked the Obama administration, just like many do not like our current one, I always try to avoid making much of a political statement. I believe these kinds of conversations are only safest amongst the very nearest and dearest to keep the peace. I respect everyone’s point of view even if I strongly disagree, but this isn’t always the case for others.

So, I do not feel inspired by Michelle Obama because of the politics connected to her, but rather for her determination to be the best that she can be and to help others to do the same. She may have had a leg up compared to others like her, but still she worked hard along with her husband to become who they are today.

It is this fact that moves me as a humanist, who believes that every person has the opportunity to be anything even those in seemingly dire circumstances. Sometimes, it is easier for some than others, but we can all be more than we are if we want it to happen.

Therefore, while I liked the public persona that she presented before I read the book, I like her even more after reading her story. It’s a shame more people like her and her husband don’t get to share their stories as examples of inspiring human beings.

Thus, if I haven’t made it clear, I highly recommend this book. It’s put me on the path for aspiring to find inspiration in others. 😉

~T 😀

What Goes In

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Feb 112019

One of my goals this year is to read more. Though I do read a relatively good amount most years, it is usually done in a binge-style manner on holidays like a plant 🌱 soaking up water when it’s soil is dry.

So, to avoid this pattern and to shift what gets inputted into my mind, I’ve made a bit of a reading list based on recommendations from FB friends (thank you!!! 🙏) and my own Amazon wishlist that seems to only grow longer.

Also, in my aim to write more myself, I have learned that I need to expose myself to a variety of writing styles and methods to find what resonates with my own style.

In less than two months, I have covered these five books with Becoming being the one I just finished yesterday.

Many years ago, I listened to audiobooks especially as my dad liked them while on road trips and such. In those days, it was cassette tapes or DVD 📀 recordings. Now, it’s all on my phone 📲 coming from some ‘cloud’ above.

The digitalization of books may have been a lament to paper book 📚 lovers, but traveling and frequent moves has pushed me to appreciate digital ones. Of course, there is still something to the tactile experience of flipping pages and connecting physically to the book itself.

However, I’m finding that the joy of audiobooks is useful for long walks to the station, commutes and workouts. While I still love my podcasts, which is like a TV series vs a movie, I run out of episodes very quickly so then I can ‘read’ while waiting for new ones. Strangely, I prefer TV series to movies though….

Anyway, three of the five titles above were ‘read’ aurally rather than with my eyes. But, I have experienced them similarly.

Plus, my reading 📖 consumption has practically tripled! 😉

As for my thoughts on them, they were all enjoyed in different ways. So, I’ll only write a few sentences or two on them.

The Sakey book is part of a trilogy and I will definitely read the next one. It’s a bit like X-men without the extreme fantasy side of their ‘talents’.

James Patterson is always a good quick read on a cold or sick day. 🤪

I discovered Olsen from trolling someone else’s reading requests online as he’s a Pacific Northwest writer. It’s nice to read/hear the references to ‘home’ along with his engaging storytelling as a psychological thriller type author. This is the second of his I’ve read and won’t be the last.

Listening to Trevor Noah with his voice was amazing really as there is something about having the person tell his own story. I don’t follow him on The Daily Show as it’ll never be what Jon Stewart made it (sorry…), but I feel it was an inspiring story of his beginnings.

Having just finished Becoming, I am still processing it. Probably I’ll write a separate post on it soon as I can only express my feelings at the moment in one word – inspiring. And, I really have a hang up about this word…yet there it is.

So, by increasing what goes in my mind through reading, I am enjoying mundane activities each day more while maintaining my before-bed reading habit and fueling my own imagination.

Can’t wait for my next read….

~T 😀

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