What Treasures Lie Buried Just Beneath the Surface?

by Douglas Clark

I was reading an article about Mayan ruins in Guatemala where archaeologists are exploring the intricacies and wonders that lie within the pyramid walls. In these ruins a frieze was found carved in great detail. Apparently about 1400 years ago, Mayan artisans carved out their beliefs and cultural identity in the rock used to build their temples. If you know anything about Mayan civilization, their culture and identity died out almost a thousand years ago. Fascination took over as I read the article. Imagining those archaeologists uncovering the amazing artwork, which sat covered in jungle growth, unknown, untouched and undisturbed for centuries, amazed me. Think about it. The skill and dedication that went into crafting such wonderful work went unappreciated for so long. Empires rose and fell, cultures flourished and died, the lives of countless people marched on, and still not a soul knew of the amazing work, just out of sight. But it sat there and waited, just beneath the jungle foliage.

It makes me wonder what’s just underneath the veneer of our lives, that mask that hides our true selves from the world and ourselves as well. What do we have to offer, that is just under the surface, but of which we’re totally unaware? One of my longest held fears, for lack of a better term, is that I won’t live up to my own potential. It’s a curious thing to think about how much you might accomplish compared to how much you have accomplished. Every once in a while, I sit back and remember the dreams I dreamed of in the yesteryears of my life. In some ways, I am totally and woefully off track and behind schedule. We all know my book isn’t published yet. I haven’t been around the world (thanks to the Navy I’ve made it half way), and a whole host of other things not yet achieved. But, I managed to accomplish much in the last decade or so. In just the last year I actually Finished my novel, which is light years ahead of where I was just two years ago. I set out to write that story, and wrote it I did. Which brings me back to potential; I always knew I could do it; the trouble was actually Doing it. It may very well be that my novel could sit undiscovered for years, centuries in fact like our Mayan friends’ stellar work. But does that really matter?

What are we here for? Fame, adoration, validation from others? Okay, maybe that would be cool for a while, but how meaningful would adoring fans and platitudes be if we truly didn’t have our heart in what we were doing? To me fame without substance is a hollow endeavor. What do you think?

Thanks for reading.

Questions and Comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Pencils Down!

by Douglas Clark

I have the answers to Friday's Weekend Fun #4 quiz.


So here we go:

#1. Picasso: Blue Nude

#2. Rembrandt: The Blinding of Samson

#3. Jackson Pollack: Mural 

I chose these completely at random, but partly because I like all of them in one way or another. To be honest, the Rembrandt is my favorite. When he wanted to, his detail cast between dark and light is phenomenal. What do you think?

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome. 

DouglasHClark.com

Weekend Fun #4

Okay, let's play a little game. Here are three paintings. Can you guess the name of the painting and the artist? 

I'll post the answers on Monday. Good luck. 

Thanks for reading. 
Questions and Comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Can You Feel the Inspiration?

How often have you heard a song playing on the radio, watched a favorite movie, or been part of a conversation where the subject matter was so familiar, so woven into your memory that it transported you to a positive, pleasant, and comforting place in your mind? Do you find solace there? Do you feel waves of nostalgia and happiness wash over you? I do.

I'll give you a couple of examples to illustrate my point. While in college, my roommates and I (who are still good friends) would watch Braveheart and Independence Day repeatedly. I'd say almost everyday, one or the other movie was always on whenever any of us walked into our dorm room. It got to the point where we could all recite the dialogue ad nauseam. 

Obviously one of the most famous scenes in the movie Braveheart:

ID4- one of my favorite lines in the movie. 

Another example is the song Take On Me, by A-ha. Okay I'm aging myself here but this one is a classic. As MTV began to emerge as a musical powerhouse (long before they abandoned videos for trashy reality TV), I'd watch with amazement and thoroughly enjoyed A-ha's video blend of live action and animation (I also had a school boy crush on the girl in the video). 
A-ha's video, Take On Me:

My last example is Rob Dougan's Clubbed to Death, the Kurayamino Variation

While I was writing my novel, everyday before I put pen to paper, I would listen to the entire seven minutes of this musical masterpiece. It got to the point where anytime I heard even a snippet of this tune, I was ready to write (almost Pavlovian you might say). 

All of these examples or triggers you might call them, elicit an emotional response of positivity that allows me to tap into my creative side. Now I deliberately focus on the positive here because I believe you gain more by positive motivation rather than negative. I'll admit negativity is powerful and it can elicit tremendous feelings that can be utilized for creative purposes. I would warn you, though, that negativity has a tendency to distract and divert more than it does to motivate. 

Now you might have a knee jerk reaction of "I don't have anything like those triggers to draw upon". Perhaps, but if you gave it enough thought I believe you could find a wealth of positive triggers to use. Remember, it doesn't have to be a song or a movie, it could be a poem, a painting, a play, perhaps a joke or limerick  or even a dance or gesture. In fact there is quite a bit of research to show the sense of smell is the strongest sense in recalling past emotions.

So why do I bring all this up? Well one of the first lessons I learned studying to be a writer is 'write what you know.' I believe everyone's life contains volumes of stories - adventures just waiting to find expression. Friends and classmates would ask me 'where do you get your story ideas?' To me the answer is simple: my life, my experiences and my emotions, it's what I know. And it's a great place to start. Your life experiences are a great resource to find motivation and inspiration for future endeavors, because you experienced them. Who better to tell us about them than you? You see, it doesn't have to be through a written story, it can be through a painting, a sculpture, interactions, a hobby. Building new experiences upon positive older ones can and many times does create a positive loop you can use to improve your perspective, disposition, and outlook. 

As a writer I hope when someone reads my work they'll have the same positive reaction I do to my triggers. You might work in a different medium, but if you can reach your audience in a similar manner, well, to me that's an incredibly moving inspiration story. 

Thanks for reading. 
Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Extending the Short Story

As you might remember from last week's Fun assignment, I said to double your short story word count. In my case, I had to go from 38 to 76 words. Here's what I did:

A dank mist hung in the air as I ran my hands along the cold stone walls. Unlatching the metal gate, I exited through a secret door. The secluded passage gave way to a clearing as gleaming sunlight burst into my eyes. Cascading colors of emerald, ruby, sapphire, and amber flooded my sight as I drank in the vision of a lush and fertile garden. Warmth drenched me as the chill of dank air evaporated away.

The evolution of this narrative shows that even though individual words can change the basics remain the same. I added words and also changed or eliminated others that didn't help advance the descriptive narrative. Changing parts that don't work or just sound wrong are part of the writing process. It may be painful at times, but rewarding and fulfilling other times. Don't be afraid to try. 

I'll be continuing on with this short story and we'll see where it leads. If you're feeling brave, I'd love to read what you've come up with. 

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Weekend Fun #3

If you remember last week's assignment, I said to write a short story with a word count matching your age. Now for this week, take that short story and expand it by doubling the word count. Avoid passive verbs and superfluous words. Don't worry, we'll be piecing together a good story over time. 

Next Monday I'll post up what I've come up with. Hopefully I'll be able to read some of your work as well. 

Thanks for reading.
Questions and Comments are welcome. 

DouglasHClark.com

The Engine visits the Court House!

Hello Readers. As you know, Thursday is my usual day for posting our Inspirational story for the week. However, this week I've been called to perform my civic duty and serve on a jury. 

What fun!

I've been pulled in multiple directions due to this unexpected turn of events. However, I want you to know that I will be posting a Friday Weekend Fun assignment later today. Also, Next week I will have another Inspirational post on Thursday. Sorry for the disruption. Sometimes life decides to throw you a curve ball. 

Thanks for reading.

Questions and Comments are always welcome.