So, you want to grow wild sunflowers? 3 pieces of advice by J Vincent




August and the living is easy.  Easy that is if you’re not a teacher getting ready for school to begin or parents and students preparing for the same.  Can you tell I once was a teacher?  And a teacher long before air-conditioning was prevalent in schools. Heat and sunflowers come to mind when I think of August.  I’ve always loved sunflowers and have various items from trips and other instances above my sewing desk.  I especially love the sunflower doily plate made especially for me by the Elk Falls Pottery  using a sunflower doily which I designed the pattern and crocheted.  I don’t have a clay impression art work by Inga Bow (only her wheat art and a gorgeous woman and child with wildflowers--do check out her sample gallery) I do recall her saying during a tour years ago of her studio in Abilene how difficult it was getting to find wild sunflowers for pressing into clay.
1.      You want to grow wild sunflowers.  First pick seeds from the roadside or where ever you are lucky enough to find them.
2.     Use a rake (not the leaf variety) and score the ground where you wish to plant them.  Scatter the seeds and then use the hoe to cover them
3.     Water occasionally--wild sunflowers are accustomed to dry conditions.  After they bloom pick more seeds or let them reseed themselves.
These steps will allow you to enjoy sunflowers for years to come. 

The same steps may be followed to “grow” your writing.
1.     Pick one tale from the story ideas that present themselves from wherever and whatever
2.     Use research and outlining--whatever tools you are most comfortable with to develop the tale
3.     “Water” frequently --while used to “drought” in writing we are not like sunflowers--with encouragement and interchanges with other writers --WARA being a prime example.
Follow these steps and sprinkle in persistent BICHOK and the stories will “bloom” for you!

As I sat on my deck this morning eating breakfast I studied the sunflowers blooming on the berm just beyond our property.  Nature planted them and they are marvelously presenting the most gorgeous vista with help from no one.  Writers aren’t the same.  We need all the encouragement we can get.  With that in mind I ask for some caring from you.  Later this month I am undergoing some very serious back surgery in the hope of getting rid of constant pain and being able to once again walk without aids of any sort.  In the meantime may your writing bloom just like the sunflowers I see from my deck.

2 comments:

Z. Minor said...

Great words of wisdom and I love the pictures - why didn't I think of doing that???
Have a great writing month and look forward to your next post.

Joan Vincent said...

Afraid I won't be doing much writing--surgery next week. Glad you enjoyed the photos.