Victoria Ponders

I thought about titling this post, Fill ‘Er Up.

Whenever I read a volume which inspires and energizes, I have a quirk. I come up with my own pithy phrase (in my head, anyhow) to summarize the goodness within. Do you do that, too? Not a synopsis, mind you. Just the boiled down essence, the predominant take-away.

Fill ‘Er Up.

Dr. Yvette Prior’s latest anthology, This is How We Create: Stories about Bringing Ideas to Life sparked a sense of fullness, satisfaction; like a dose of restorative peace, thanks to each of the authors featured, across eight unique themes.

I take comfort in the words of talented creatives, sharing their unique experiences, their humanity. Here’s Yvette’s beautiful description:

This Is How We Create: Bringing Ideas to Life

This Is How We Create brings together 23 authors exploring how ideas, experiences, memories, questions, and imagination become something more. Across memoir, poetry, memoir-poetry, fiction, art, music, movement, and other forms of creative expression, these pages show that there is no single way to create.

Across five sections, Reflecting looks at the experiences, memories, relationships, and discoveries that shape our creative lives. Making takes us into the creative process through painting, sculpture, quilting, found objects, music, yoga, photography, blogging, and more. Poetry turns experience into words, imagery, rhythm, emotion, and reflection, while Fiction uses imagination to explore relationships, invention, human behavior, and possibility. The Closing section brings together chapter takeaways and the major themes that emerge across the collection.

These stories remind us that creativity does not require a particular talent, medium, personality, or set of circumstances. We create with what we have, build on what has come before, learn through the process, and sometimes discover something about ourselves along the way. Creativity can connect us to other people, preserve memories, help us see familiar things differently, and, for some, deepen a spiritual connection with God. Whether you write, paint, sew, sculpt, bake, sing, move, build, research, teach, photograph, imagine, or simply have an idea you want to explore, these authors invite you to notice the possibilities around you and bring an idea to life.

I’m honored to share a story about my mom, Sue’s, unfinished artwork in Chapter 1 – Art Interrupted. Sue was an enigmatic artist and finding some of her paintings, forever preserved as works-in-progress after her death, created a conundrum for me. What to do, what to do with canvas remnants, pieces of Sue left behind?

Writing about Sue’s artistry was cathartic in unexpected ways. I owe Yvette a much longer thank you for including me in This is How We Create. You see, in the afterglow of reading the book (in one glorious sitting) an epiphany arrived, aligning with input from my fellow bloggers and fabulous friends, Beth Kennedy and Edward Ortiz.

I slowed down to let the insights coalesce and the result was a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for my next project–writing about self-care, first-person style. The messages became clear:

Time is short.

Tell the stories you haven’t told.

Be brave, Vicki.

Shed the shackles of worthiness concerns.

And so…I’ve started a project I never expected to tackle, mostly out of fear. Participating in This is How We Create and reading the stories of 22 fellow authors, artists, poets opened a gateway of synergy and inspiration.

Yvette said it best:

Creativity is a process, not just a finished product.

Thank you for your support of me, my books, this blog, my writing for wellness efforts. I know you will embrace This is How We Create and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Hurry up, now. Join us in bringing ideas to life. I think you’ll come away feeling filled up, too. See below for more details from Yvette and links to purchase.

Vicki 💝

Explore Creativity in _This Is How We Create_ Anthology

from Dr. Yvette Prior

Links Around the World – This is How We Create:

•  Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  United States: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Poland: https://www.amazon.pl/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Belgium: https://www.amazon.com.be/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Sweden: https://www.amazon.se/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0HHLCR2MP
•  Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0HHLCR2MP

•  India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0HHLCR2MP

Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue and Slivers.

Check out this link to learn more about my book Surviving Sue – all about resilience and love. Check out this link to order Slivers…a ghost story with surprising twists. Click here for the interview with my publisher, Rick Kaempfer from Eckhartz Press.