Scribes & Archers

A couple of months ago I did the Project Inspire Tag, which was a wonderful opportunity to share about the people who have inspired me (and hopefully inspired you readers, as well). Well this is the Project Inspire Award, which is a related tag that has rules to tag people who have inspired you rather than leaving the questions open for anyone to take, and last week Chelsea R.H. of An Ordinary Pen tagged me. Thank you so much, Chelsea! ^-^

The Rules:

1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Include the award graphic and button graphic (below) in your post. You can optionally use the button graphic to put on your site’s sidebar, making the image a link to your award post.
3. Answer the ten questions. If you mentioned people in your answers, be sure to link to their blogs if they have one.
4. Tag three other inspiring bloggers for the award. You won’t be giving them a new set of questions for this award, they just answer the same ones you did. 🙂 And this is not a writer specific award, so you can just tag any creative being out there!

Questions:

1. How and where do you find the most inspiration to create?

Usually outside. This is where my sense of wonder is most awakened, which leads to wanting to write/draw/otherwise create something. Music can also be super inspiring.

2. What’s your favourite inspirational Bible verse or quote?

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something.”

3. What methods do you use to get motivated to create?

Listening to music, looking at my Pinterest boards, going outside (if I think about it), or just sitting down and doing it.

4. Who has been influential and encouraging to you on your creative journey (whether they knew it or not)?

My parents, my oldest sister, my best friend, the Phoenix Fiction Writers, Kara Swanson, my writing group leader, one of the other girls in my writing group… Do you want me to keep going? ‘Cause there are a lot, apparently. XD

5. What book or author has really inspired you?

Terry Brooks’ Landover and Shannara books first inspired me to write fantasy (my early writing was heavily copied off of his work), but recently I’ve been inspired by Hannah Heath and Maris McKay, among others.

6. What are three big things you’ve learned about the creative life over the years?

1. Giving up is okay. Not dropping projects willy-nilly because you found something new and “better” and the old thing has gotten a little difficult; but thinking through a project, deciding this isn’t the time for it or it isn’t the quality it should be for the next step, thinking and praying over it, and consciously choosing to set it aside, either temporarily or permanently.
2. Purpose and commitment are what are going to drive you to complete a story. You’ll need to know why you’re writing this story, and you’ll need to commit to seeing it through (at least to the next stage, or until such a time as it becomes clear that it’s time to let it go). It’s not inspiration or fun that drives a story beyond the first chapter: it’s determination.
3. Involving God in the writing process is HUGE. Praying throughout the writing process makes a huge difference in how motivated you are, or at the very least how disciplined.

7. What would you tell your past self, or other young creators out there?

Your writing won’t be perfect, and that’s okay. It’s not supposed to be. Especially with first drafts, the important part is that it’s written and it has a purpose (whether that purpose is something deep and philosophical or just brightening someone’s day). Once it’s written, it can be edited and polished and all the holes can be filled and the kinks worked out. You can’t do anything with something that hasn’t been written yet.

8. What are some little things in life that inspire you?

Song lyrics, historical facts (especially the variety that can be used in worldbuilding), random bits of conversation, working alongside someone else.

9. What are your favorite ways to express your creativity (a.k.a. your hobbies)?

Primarily singing and drawing (especially fashion design). And writing, of course, but that’s not a hobby at this point.

10. How do you want people to be affected by what you create?

I want people to be encouraged and emboldened and to feel understood. I want to give people hope and courage that they can overcome their struggles, with God’s help, and to communicate that I understand there is no magic fix and it will take time and effort and pain but that it’s worth doing anyway.

Nominees:

Leila at Wildflowers and Cosmic Tea

Hannah Heath at Hannah Heath, Writer

Mrs. Jones at The Joneses