December 30th, 2016
On January 1st 2016, I set off on a journey, to write one post per day for one year. I started off strong, keeping to my schedule. I had an ambitious vision of posts on various topics assigned to every day of the week. I soon realized that trying to write on the weekends when my children were home, my mother was visiting and my husband was off work, only created stress. I was not enjoying my quality time with them because all I could think of was that I had promised to write very day and I should do it.
I soon revised my plan so that I only wrote during weekdays. On the weekends I spent quality time with my friends and family. This worked much better. I still enjoyed writing but my topics became more predictable. I couldn't organize a tour of a cheese producing facility or farm in time for the blog so I focused on concepts, books, articles, experiences. I also journal every day and, at times, I had to remember that this blog was public. I needed to ask myself what I wanted to share with strangers and what I should keep to myself.
I had no idea how many people would read my posts. After a year of writing, I have maybe ten people who read my blog. I have heard the advice of professional bloggers to add photos, provide tips, have risky topics and get lots of advertising on your blog. I just wanted to write. It is therapeutic for me to write. I read a lot and like to share what I have learned. This helps me consolidate the information and I feel like someone who needs to see this might learn from reading my post.
A by-product of this blog is that I feel more like a writer than I did one year ago. It has helped me shape my identity as a writer. I plan to continue writing but not on a daily basis. I have another blog devoted to art therapy. I have neglected that blog this past year. I will alternate between writing on this blog and the art therapy one, writing monthly. I do have followers on my other blog and people post comments so it is more active than this one. I am glad I did this little experiment.
2017 is a big year for me. I want to finish writing, The Mommy Monologues and do more public speaking. I'd like to write, The Daddy Diaries as a follow-up to the first book. Writing this type of book is so fulfilling for me. I meet interesting people, hear heroic, fascinating stories about how strong, resourceful and resilient we are and I get to share them with a broader audience which becomes therapeutic for them and for the people whose stories are in the book. I learn a great deal from these interviews and so I gain from the experience as well.
I'd like to thank the ten individuals who have read my posts consistently. It motivated me to keep going, knowing that someone would read what I wrote. I hope some of the topics were useful to you.
I will tune in regularly with more posts. Until then, have a happy, healthy, peaceful, prosperous new year!!!!
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Friday, 30 December 2016
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
The Story of Poobum and Pompom
May 18th, 2016
I was minding my own business when a Fed Ex truck pulled up to my home. As I made my way to the front door, he deposited two boxes and left. I scanned the boxes, expecting them to be filled with products for my husband's work. To my surprise, they were addressed to me. I recognized the label-Burnstown Publishing. These were my books. I was shocked!
I wrote some children's books on my iPad years ago. Meredith Luce, a local illustrator, agreed to illustrate my first book, Have You Hugged Your Alien? two years ago. It was well received and it became part of my series of workshops for elementary schools. Meredith illustrated the second book, The Story of Poobum and Pompom last fall. We had hoped to hit the markets at Christmas but two things happened: 1) The book wasn't printed until January and, 2) when it did get printed, it was all mixed up. Meredith and I were bummed.
I set out to find a publisher and went through a variety of quotes. When I spoke to Tim Gordon at Burnstown Publishing, I felt like I was at the right place. There were many parallels between what he was trying to accomplish and my hopes for my books. It has been a long road but I have my book, I can hold it in my hands and read it to my children. Now all I have to do is set a date for my book launch. I am hoping it will be at the public library in Kemptville before the end of the school year.
The Story of Poobum and Pompom is about sibling rivalry. Poobum the dog has this fantastic life then his parents decide to adopt a kitten. The book documents their relationship from rivalry to friendship. My inspiration for this book came from my own experience with my two lovely daughters. My eldest, Molly, had a great life filled with lots of love and attention. When my youngest, Stella, was born, it was a huge adjustment. My eldest felt betrayed. She was very angry and tried to harm her sister on a daily basis.
She went from despising her sister to tolerating her over the first year. Then, as Stella grew and became more interactive, Molly started doing things to make her laugh like her "boom chicka boom" song. When Stella started eating solids, Molly enjoyed feeding her and, she was present when Stella took her first steps. It wasn't until Stella was approximately 2 1/2 years old that Molly decided they would be friends. Molly would hold her hand or hug her. By then, Stella had learned to keep her distance so she wasn't sure what to make of this newfound affection. However, slowly, they grew to like each other, become play mates and seek each other out.
They had their own world and, eventually, we were no longer invited to join in. I was so happy when I first heard them giggling and signing together. It was all going to work out. As a parent, you want your children to get along. When they don't, it's very painful. You worry about the future. You wonder if you did anything wrong. Your children are fighting, hurting each other's feelings and you are stuck in the middle.
Once they became friends and were enjoying their time together, I could relax. They each had their own room but they chose to sleep in the same bed for years because they could talk and giggle after bed time. Once they were both in school, they had lots of inside jokes and, even though I wish I could still be in the loop, I am glad that they love each other and look out for one another.
The book is meant to start a dialogue between a parent and child about the difficult transition from only child to older brother or sister. I want children to know their feelings are normal and they are still loved. I'd like to reassure parents that this is a transition, that it will be ok. I am proud of this book and I hope lots of families read it together.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
I was minding my own business when a Fed Ex truck pulled up to my home. As I made my way to the front door, he deposited two boxes and left. I scanned the boxes, expecting them to be filled with products for my husband's work. To my surprise, they were addressed to me. I recognized the label-Burnstown Publishing. These were my books. I was shocked!
I wrote some children's books on my iPad years ago. Meredith Luce, a local illustrator, agreed to illustrate my first book, Have You Hugged Your Alien? two years ago. It was well received and it became part of my series of workshops for elementary schools. Meredith illustrated the second book, The Story of Poobum and Pompom last fall. We had hoped to hit the markets at Christmas but two things happened: 1) The book wasn't printed until January and, 2) when it did get printed, it was all mixed up. Meredith and I were bummed.
I set out to find a publisher and went through a variety of quotes. When I spoke to Tim Gordon at Burnstown Publishing, I felt like I was at the right place. There were many parallels between what he was trying to accomplish and my hopes for my books. It has been a long road but I have my book, I can hold it in my hands and read it to my children. Now all I have to do is set a date for my book launch. I am hoping it will be at the public library in Kemptville before the end of the school year.
The Story of Poobum and Pompom is about sibling rivalry. Poobum the dog has this fantastic life then his parents decide to adopt a kitten. The book documents their relationship from rivalry to friendship. My inspiration for this book came from my own experience with my two lovely daughters. My eldest, Molly, had a great life filled with lots of love and attention. When my youngest, Stella, was born, it was a huge adjustment. My eldest felt betrayed. She was very angry and tried to harm her sister on a daily basis.
She went from despising her sister to tolerating her over the first year. Then, as Stella grew and became more interactive, Molly started doing things to make her laugh like her "boom chicka boom" song. When Stella started eating solids, Molly enjoyed feeding her and, she was present when Stella took her first steps. It wasn't until Stella was approximately 2 1/2 years old that Molly decided they would be friends. Molly would hold her hand or hug her. By then, Stella had learned to keep her distance so she wasn't sure what to make of this newfound affection. However, slowly, they grew to like each other, become play mates and seek each other out.
They had their own world and, eventually, we were no longer invited to join in. I was so happy when I first heard them giggling and signing together. It was all going to work out. As a parent, you want your children to get along. When they don't, it's very painful. You worry about the future. You wonder if you did anything wrong. Your children are fighting, hurting each other's feelings and you are stuck in the middle.
Once they became friends and were enjoying their time together, I could relax. They each had their own room but they chose to sleep in the same bed for years because they could talk and giggle after bed time. Once they were both in school, they had lots of inside jokes and, even though I wish I could still be in the loop, I am glad that they love each other and look out for one another.
The book is meant to start a dialogue between a parent and child about the difficult transition from only child to older brother or sister. I want children to know their feelings are normal and they are still loved. I'd like to reassure parents that this is a transition, that it will be ok. I am proud of this book and I hope lots of families read it together.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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