My definition.
Seasons of Faith (Original)
Daffodils are daring.
It takes true moxie to plant
That hairy, fat-rat bulb
Hoping you’ll eventually get
Sunny ruffled splendor.
Fear not, but be believing.
Spring will come.
by Jenel Alan
Shore Things
“Of Periods of Seas —
Unvisited of Shores —
Themselves the Verge of Seas to be —
Eternity — is Those —”
Emily Dickinson
Sometimes when you’re not even sure you understand a stanza of poetry, you still understand the stanza of poetry
A New Chapter
My professional life sent me a delightful curve ball last May when I was offered a full-time teaching job in the Pacific Northwest. In throwing myself into that amazing job I let some things go – including this blog, but here’s the thing. I’ve been taking some great photos and I’m experiencing some phantom pains for my lost creative moments. So I’m going to try and at least post here once a week.
In addition I have some fun new writing projects I’m going to be trying out and I want a platform to be able to share those with anyone whose interested – so stay tuned for those.
In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the scenery that’s so captured me over the last few months.
Music to My Ears
“You took that? It’s really good.”
This is usually spoken with a lovely mixture of awe and surprise. I don’t think it will ever get old.
Aspirational Quote of the Moment
“What then sets certain photographers apart from others is not just the degree of skill, but also the level of inspiration to create imagery that transcends the average, while still being judged beautiful.”
– Michael Freeman, The Photographer’s Mind
Open Every Door
There’s a lot of pressure in the creative world to have a very specific platform, or subgenre, or specialty – that one thing that will make you different from everyone else and help you cut through the information and attention-seeking glut that is our modern world.
But in a small way I’ve decided to fight that. Because I like way too many things, and I think a creative life is about expanding my world, not restricting it.
I’m going to write young-adult fantasy novels, and literary flash fiction, and poetry and anything else I feel like doing. I’m going to try to take great photos, and do papercrafts, and occasionally be a good cook.
And I’m going to keep trying to share all of this stuff with anyone who might be interested.
So my literary quote for the week comes from one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson.
“Not knowing when the dawn will come
I open every door”
Debut
It’s a scary thing to start putting your work out in the world – and this website and not-so-secret identity is the new branching-off point of my creative universe. Let the fun begin!
Jenel Alan 