Owl Light
Where Inspiration & Inquiry Converge
  • Home
  • Literary Journal
  • Owl Light Sponsorship
  • Digital Owl
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Home
  • Literary Journal
  • Owl Light Sponsorship
  • Digital Owl
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Home
  • /
  • Editorial
  • /
  • Human Interest

Creative Flow and Terra Firma

Admittedly, I have recently settled into a sunup…sundown life pattern; coffee and a walk with the pups in the morning, an entertaining show in the evening—often mystery or crime shows as of late (and a decadent dive into I Love Dick for off-beat creative inspiration)—with a ton of busy packed in between (and a possible evening walk to shake things up a bit). We all live on, in, and within circles, and it is easy to slip into doldrums even when doing what we love. I like the excitement of doing new things but am, at heart, an introvert who values quiet alone time and the security of being (physically and literally) on solid ground. My son defines extrovert and introvert thus: an extrovert gets energy from just being around people; while an introvert uses (loses) energy in social interactions (I am paraphrasing here). So, as an introvert who loves exciting new adventures, I often find myself in unintentionally self-imposed quandaries as exciting new adventures often include greater people interactions. The list of ways I fill my days (when the myriad responsibilities of Canadice Press briefly wane) are often independent pursuits: beekeeping, silverwork/rock grinding, permaculture/landscaping, wind instruments, and (last, but not least) writing/illustration. I suspect I have left something out (including that daily time with our canine kind: Winnie and Aesc – the Small Town Hound). I am also settling into a new volunteer role—with the Massasauga Search and Rescue Team (MSART); a role that meshes nicely with my past life of teaching and responding to crisis situations in juvenile lock-ups. As romantic as search and rescue (SAR) work sounds, the reality is that the excitement to be had in the mystery of searching for (and locating) a lost individual—the mystery that makes such work interesting—collides with the fact that many searches end as recoveries. Given my many interests and commitments, I am an object in a constant state of motion. I enjoy everything I have on my proverbial plate but inevitably forgo some of the most delectable tidbits in favor of those that take up the most time and energy. One of the most time-consuming, albeit enjoyable, commitments is Owl Light News. I love the creative aspects of editing and providing a platform for writers (with the Owl Light as well as with Owl Light Literary, our long-planned and anxiously awaited first literary journal that has just been released) and page layout. There are also worthy intersections between Canadice Press and other aspects of my (our) lives. This issue’s feature article is a prime example (a connection our Owl writers and regular readers will immediately grasp). The leader of the 4-H workshop gave me an opportunity a while back to spend some time using one of his Slöjd knives. I loved the feel of the handle in my hands and there was something about holding it that brought the small piece of wood I was whittling away at alive. I was, thus, gifted a Slöjd blade, absent the handle (with the understanding being that to make it my own I would need to create a handle that fit my hand). I have (months later) started building a handle but my metal worker spirit has already necessitated the creation, first, of a metal collar fitted to the blade end of the handle and a pommel. My limited experience working wood offers an additional mental stream to be forded. The biggest challenge in any art is achieving a creative flow, and the more directions one is pulled (or allows oneself to be pulled in) the more challenging it is to set aside the time needed to find the place and space to create. Each of our creative pursuits become a part of us and add another layer of richness, and responsibility. Computer-related work inhibits flow (save when I am writing and am sucked into the story). Todd and I are looking forward to some much-needed no-machine time this month (see “From the Newsroom” note page left). We will be making tracks to some less-traversed terra firma to whittle away the time (if I can get that Slöjd handle done). This machine-free reboot will offer time to re-find and redefine the flow and explore exciting new directions for Canadice Press (while brewing a cup of espresso in the owllight—that magical time between day and night when one has to look closely to see beyond the myth and mystery of the mesmerizing shadows).

D.E. Bentley
Editor Owl Light News

Posted on September 5, 2021 by owllightnews.com. This entry was posted in Editorial, Human Interest and tagged #editorial. Bookmark the permalink.
Side Street Sounds
50th Ontario County Dairy Princess Crowned

    Recent Posts

    • Visual Studies Workshop Announces Project Space Residency Open Application Period
    • West End Gallery showcasing Brian S. Keeler, Treacy Ziegler
    • Hard
    • Eye-Magine – Future Youth Art Exhibit
    • “These Wilds” Announcement

    Recent Comments

    • Darlene on Let’s Talk About Beep!
    • Darlene Bentley on Hello! from a new Guest Editor, and Finding Joy in Hardship.
    • owllightnews.com on The Farm
    • Douglas Morgan on The Farm
    • owllightnews.com on Energizing and Engaging Fun at GEVA

    Archives

    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017

    Categories

    • #2021
    • Agriculture
    • Animals
    • Antiques
    • Art
    • Astronomy
    • automobiles
    • Beekeeping
    • Birthday
    • Boating
    • books
    • Botany
    • Broome County
    • Buffalo
    • Canadice
    • Canandaigua
    • Cartoon
    • Children
    • Civics
    • Collecting
    • Comic Strip
    • Community Information
    • concert
    • Covid-19
    • Creative non-fiction
    • Dansville
    • Death
    • Democracy
    • Dogs
    • Editorial
    • Education
    • Environmental
    • Essay
    • Family Fun
    • Fantasy
    • Fiction
    • film
    • Finger Lakes
    • Food and Beverage
    • gallery
    • Gardening
    • Gender Rights
    • Great Lakes
    • Health
    • History
    • Holiday
    • Honeoye
    • Human Interest
    • Human Rights
    • In Memoriam
    • Innovation
    • Interview
    • Leisurely Pursuits
    • Literary Arts
    • Little Lakes
    • Live Theatre
    • Livingston County
    • media
    • Monroe County
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Naples, NY
    • Nature
    • Night Sky
    • No. 1
    • NYS
    • Obituary
    • online
    • Ontario County
    • Opinion
    • Outdoor Sports
    • OWL Light
    • Owl Light News
    • Owl Light Newsstand locations
    • Owl Light Sponsor
    • Owl Sponsor
    • OwlLight Blogpost
    • OwlLightNewsArchive
    • Performing Arts
    • Photography
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Press Release
    • Recipe
    • Reviews
    • Richmond, NY
    • Rochester
    • Satire
    • Science
    • Scifi
    • Seniors
    • Shop Local
    • Social Justice
    • sports
    • STEM
    • Steuben County
    • Sustainability
    • Theatre
    • Tioga County
    • Tompkins County
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized
    • Veterans
    • Weather
    • Women's Rights
    • Wood working
    • writing
    • Wyoming County
    • Yates County
    • Young Adult
    • youth
    • Zoom

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
Powered by