LAURA PETRISIN AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR
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Blog - Perspectives

Chi Walking?

10/20/2022

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I like walking. I definitely derive positive effects from it. I’m mentally brighter and more upbeat. I have more energy too. I’ve developed a kind of slow jog as I listen to the music playlist on my phone. I usually start out with a song of moderate speed like Hold On For Me, by Marc Cohn or Back In the High Life Again by Steve Winwood. Then I accelerate to Castle On the Hill, by Ed Sheehan, Centerfield, by John Fogarty and Brown Eyed Girl, by Van Morrison.

Anyway, last fall I was jogging the paths at the recreation center in Cullowhee. A lot of people walk there. I’m going by this elderly lady and she says, “Are you chi walking?” I took my earbuds out and said, “Excuse me?” She repeated the question. I answered, “No, I never heard of it.” She smiled and said, “Oh, well I really admire the way you run.”

Uh, it’s not really running, it’s jogging - slow jogging. But thanks for the compliment! Chi walking? I googled it.

Chi walking emphasizes body alignment and mindfulness while strengthening the core muscles of the body. Some people actually use a metronome to keep a consistent cadence to their steps.

I don’t know if I’m Chi walking/running or not. Probably not. I don’t ever think about my core and I just jog to the beat of the music. But I do get into a rhythm and, with the sun on my face, it seems like I can go on forever.
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Launching A Children's Book

10/11/2022

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​A lot has happened in the past year. First of all, I moved from New York to North Carolina. Secondly, I’ve been working hard editing and finishing illustrations on a children’s chapter book that I’m just about ready to launch. The title of the book is “Acorn and Button.” 

Acorn and Button has long been in the making. For the past three years, I’ve been honing my craft. I spent a year at Storyteller Academy taking online courses and attending zoom meetings where I received feedback for my stories. I learned a lot. I also joined a critique group and became a member of various groups such as SCBWI and 12x12. I found out that there is an over abundance of children’s book information out there and that reading it all can be exhausting. Literally exhausting.

I decided to self publish my book. There are various reasons for my decision and maybe that will be the topic of a future post. For now, let’s just say I’m pretty pumped about Acorn and Button getting published. I wrote and illustrated the book. I’ve had it edited and hired a designer at booklocker to lay out the pages. She did a fantastic job!

Anyway, whether you traditionally publish or self publish, there’s a lot of work for the author in terms of marketing. I’m rolling up my sleeves. Keep an eye out for future blogs and stroll over to the Acorn and Button page if you want to join my email list and be the first to know when Acorn and Button is available.
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Clouds and Moving

9/27/2021

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I’m finding out that rain storms are not uncommon in the mountains of Cullowhee, N.C. They usually come in the afternoon and last an hour or so. On my third day here, I took a walk after the rain had stopped. That’s when I looked up and noticed a little cloud nested between the mountains. Somehow, it gave me a deep feeling of comfort and reassurance.

The past few weeks of moving from New York to North Carolina have been an intense time of stress. The physical exertion of packing and unpacking the Uhaul was taxing. My husband and I quickly realized we were not in our 20’s any more. Top that with the endless list of things to do like changing our mailing address, calling the gas company, calling the electric company, closing bank accounts, transferring medical records, and on and on. We were both physically and mentally exhausted.

After a twelve hour drive, we finally arrived at our destination, pretty much spent. The apartment seemed way too small for all our stuff. The carpet guy was still laying carpet in our bedrooms and we had to wait for him to finish as we sat in the middle of a vast number of cardboard boxes. He didn’t finish until late evening and we barely put up our bed before falling into it, semi- conscious.

And our transition didn’t end with the arrival in Cullowhee. We had rented an apartment as a home base from which we could search the area for a place to live permanently. We had struck out into the unknown and didn’t know exactly where we would end up.

So, when I looked up at the sky and saw that cloud nestled between the mountains, my throat tightened and my eyes filled. For a moment, I felt exactly like that little cloud safely nestled in my Father’s arms. It spoke volumes to my heart.

The way ahead is still unknown with unforeseen twists and bumps, I’m sure. But somehow, the future will work out and things will fall into place. In the meantime, I’ll rest in the arms of a God I can trust.
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So You Want To Be A Writer

2/25/2021

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You want to be a writer. You’re bright eyed and bubbly and you say to yourself, “I can do this. I know I can." So, you start out on the journey. You take a writing course. You join a critique group. You buy a daily journal to write down your thought and ideas. You begin.

And then you slowly start to realize that the journey is not as easy as you thought it was going to be.

Writing is subjective. People reading your work are subjective too. The road to success is not a straight one. You have to make your way through a maze of different perspectives and opinions. You have to consider criticisms that are helpful and weed out ones that are not so helpful. In fact, some can be downright counter-productive. You learn how to tell the difference. A strong dose of humility and developing a thick skin go a long way.

It dawns on you that writing is not for the faint of heart. It points out your weaknesses. It challenges your sense of self worth. It frustrates you when you revise your story for the umpteenth time and it’s still not working. And, it terrifies you when you stare at a blank page and wonder when, if ever, that creativity will start flowing again.

Here are some things I’ve discovered about the writing journey:
  1. The amount of territory to be explored is overwhelming.
  2. Unless you’re a freak of nature and find writing easy, you proceed step by torturous step.
  3. Comparing yourself to anybody else is the kiss of death.
  4. You can over-rewrite to the point of losing your voice.
  5. If your joy in writing is missing, you’re probably listening to too many other voices in your head.
  6. The journey never ends.

​The great take away is that you come to understand things that go beyond basics and techniques, although those are important. You begin to understand life principles and things about yourself. It’s one thing to “go for it.” It’s another thing to keep going for it.

That’s what separates the wannabe writers from real writers. You have to keep going for it.



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A Writer's Perspective and Point Of View

2/22/2021

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I’m taking a mini course through Storyteller Academy. The course is on perspective and point of view, by Dashka Slater.

The course is basically about writing from different perspectives and gives examples of first, second and third person. If you write a sentence in three different POV’s, they will look something like this:
First Person - Unfortunately, I’m poor and I’m buying my prom dress at a thrift store.
Second person - If you’re poor, you’re probably buying your prom dress at a thrift store.
Third person - Poor Monica is buying her prom dress at a thrift store.

For an exercise, we take a sample of our own writing and rewrite the piece using all three voices. Which one feels more natural? Which one was difficult or uncomfortable?

I like Dashka’s style of teaching. She keeps it simple with clear directions. I ended up doing an exercise I’ve never done before and learned from it. Even though I wrote my story in 3rd person, I rewrote it in 1st Person and realized I liked it better from that perspective.

I think I might be attracted to a first person perspective in general. I loved Dashka’s book, Escargot, which gives a snail’s first-hand account on why he should be a favorite pet. First of all, Escargot is French and anything with a French accent is funny in my book. I don’t know why, but there it is.

Another book I loved was I’m My Own Dog, by David Ezra Stein and, of course, Diary Of A Worm, by Doreen Cronin.
In my rather inexperienced opinion, writing in third person feels a little stiff and removed from the reader. Second person is somewhat encumbering, at least for me. Having to include a stranger (the reader) into the entire story can be tricky and tiresome.
But first person allows me to to keep my train of thought and story moving while confiding in my reader. I’m closer to the reader than third person, but not annoyingly too close like second person.

Of course, this is only my opinion at this moment in time and subject to change.  ​
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If You’re Missing Someone At Christmas...

12/22/2020

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I’m making Christmas cookies in the kitchen and suddenly a song comes on the radio and I’m crying into my cookie dough. It was Alan Jackson’s, Let There Be Christmas.

Last year I was visiting my son, Ben, his wife, Sarah and my granddaughter, Violet, in California. One day we drove to the Safari Park. Christmas lights blinked all over the grounds and Let There Be Christmas played over loud speakers. It was pretty magical.

This year, Ben is deployed on a ship in the Middle East, thousands of miles away. He was supposed to be home in time for Christmas, but his deployment got extended. Covid 19 prevents me from traveling to see Sarah and my sweet Violet this year.

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​I won’t deny that emotions rose as I listened to that Alan Jackson song. Funny how a song, a picture, or a smell, can spark a memory that hits us hard before we know it.

It’s okay to miss people, especially during the holidays. It’s okay to shed tears. Tears come from a tender place. God says He stores them in a bottle. I believe that. I believe they mean something to Him and that He knows, and understands, and cares.

And then there’s missing people we won’t see again in this lifetime. Both my parents are gone. My mom first and then my dad. The cardinal was always my mom’s favorite bird. Cardinals mate for life. When I see one, I know the other is not far behind. They make me think of both my parents.

The other day I walked through the woods in back of my house. Stopping to watch the stream, I caught a flash of red in my peripheral vision. Yep, a cardinal in all its crimson glory, flying to a nearby branch.

I said aloud, “What are you doing here, Dad? Checking up on me?”

I miss him still. My mom too. But I think about a scripture that says - “Don’t grieve like those who have no hope.”

It doesn’t say don’t grieve. Grieving and death are part of life. But don’t grieve without hope. What’s the hope? That I will see them again.

If you’re fortunate enough to be with loved ones this holiday, don’t take it for granted. Squeeze them tight with great, big, bear hugs. Drag them under the mistletoe even if they protest. Savor the time together.

 Celebrate those who are with you. Hold in your heart those who aren’t. ​Merry Christmas, everybody.

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Christmas Connectiom

12/4/2020

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I posted a picture on Facebook last night. It’s a picture is of my daughter’s Christmas tree that I helped her to decorate. Standing out is one pink decoration in a sea of blue, green and silver. It’s a Christmas ball that I painted for her last year.
One of my critique partners, Bonnie, commented on it.

“How lovely... it feels like a valentine to the tree, or a heart pulse of your connection. ❤️”

A heart pulse of your connection... I love that.

My daughter and I have been through a trying time this past year, causing a strain in our relationship. Healing called for a letting go of expectations and hurt, while taking a firm hold of forgiveness.

Relationships can be as fragile as glass and sometimes they crack. It takes patience, commitment and most of all, love, to mend them.

Humans are imperfect - every one of us. But perfection is pretty overrated and it’s not a hill I’m willing to die on. That brings me to some basic questions. Will I love you with all your imperfections, inconsistencies and mistakes? And will you love me with the same?

People are complicated but love is simple. It bears all things, believes all things, hope all things and endures all things. Here’s the kicker: it never fails.

So yeah, the intuition my friend had about the pink Christmas ball was pretty accurate. It stands out, a heart pulse of a deep connection that remains.

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Darkness And Light

11/17/2020

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This painting Is being donated to the 611 Network. This is an organization that rescues women and children who are victims of sex trafficking. I am part of their artist collective. Our art is auctioned off and the money is directly donated to the rescue. The next auction is coming up soon. Here is a link to stay informed - Auction. 

The inspiration for this painting comes from John 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Things happen in life. Wars are fought. Loved ones lost. People get terminal illnesses. Relationships get damaged. Abuse occurs. Tragedies tear at the illusion that we are in control. In reality, we are imperfect beings living in an imperfect world.

People suffer traumas of all kinds and magnitudes. Brokenness cries, “Is there no balm of Gilead?”

The cry seems to be met with silence. There are no easy answers.

Yet, when our world cracks and the ground shifts beneath our feet... when nothing looks the same, and the way ahead is dark with monsters lying in wait...

We must remember there is light. Though hidden at times, it still shines.

And when we cannot find the light... the light can find us.

The lyrics to Leonard Cohen's song, Anthem, are both poignant and profound. There is something remarkably courageous and vulnerable about facing tragedy yet still holding onto hope... however small or fragile.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

In the worst scenarios, light still shines through the crack and can find us.


​Below are pictures of the painting stages and materials I used. My materials were an 18x24" canvas and oil paints. The colors I used were:
Burnt Sienna
Chrome Yellow
Lemon Yellow
Prussian Blue
Coral
Titanium White
Ivory Black
​Payne's gray​
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​I painted the canvas with an under layer of coral. I knew the finished painting would be quite dark so I wanted a vibrant under layer to keep things from getting too dull looking.

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​Much of the sky is done with a layer of prussian blue. I continue to paint the light with lemon yellow, titanium white, chrome yellow and coral. I am still blocking in shapes.

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​

​The man walking is sketched in. He is deep in thought, head down, not seeing the light ahead.

The sky Is developed more, using payne's gray, ivory black and titanium white.  

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​There is more definition to the sky. The man is painted in. I added some burnt sienna and a door to suggest a building.  

Thank you for taking the time to view this post! Please remember the children and if you have a heart to give the link is 611network.org 
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Listen To Your Heart

1/10/2020

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You know the saying - Listen to your heart? I think that’s good advice. I mean, listen to the part of your heart that is vulnerable, open to wonder. What is my heart saying? When did I hear from it last? The heart is not like the mind — all analytical and reasoning. The heart, I believe, is more intuitive. It’s not demanding and can be easily overlooked. It is, in fact, often overlooked. It gets buried in responsibilities, expectations, and various to-do lists. Sometimes, it gets so buried that it needs to be arrested by something tender, or startled by something beautiful, something majestic in scope. Then, the heart takes a deep breath and says, “Why, here I am. Where have I been all this time?”
The heart tells us so many things if we listen. What does your heart say about a night sky filled with shooting stars or a wide prairie sea of waving grass? How about a jagged, jutting outline of mountain rock, tinged pink with the color of a setting sun?

What does your heart say about your spouse and your history together, the adventures and heartaches while walking the same road, day after day?

What about your children, fresh and innocent, ready to be surprised by anything and everything? Or, that grandparent so frail now, but still carrying remnants of things learned from a life lived long.

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And what does my heart tell me about my first grandchild, Violet Hope? My heart has a wealth of things to tell me about this one year-old, precious gift from God. When visiting my son and daughter-in-law this past Christmas, we all went to the San Diego Safari Park to see colored lights synchronized to Christmas music. There was a castle there with a moat in front and two pelicans swimming back and forth like crazy looking sentinels.

The night was dark as white, blue and purple lights flashed across the castle to Alan Jackson’s song, ‘Let It Be Christmas.’ I stood on a wooden bridge and held my sweet Violet as she watched the lights, smiling and clapping her hands. And just like that, from out of nowhere, my heart started to swell with a song that had no words. No words were needed. It was just love. Pure love. Tears came to my eyes as I thought of the many things I’m learning, unbidden and unasked, from this little life.

There are many treasures the heart can reveal if we take the time to listen. 
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Contemplatives and the Abbey Of Genesee

5/30/2019

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​I scheduled a retreat to stay at the Abbey of Genesee this past weekend. This abbey is in Piffard, NY and was founded by Trappist monks. Their livelihood mostly comes from baking bread which is appropriately known as “monk’s bread.” Beside the rectory, there are three houses on the rather enormous property.
​ I decided to stay in the Bethlehem House. There are single bedrooms in the Bethlehem House and everyone is required to be silent, which means, of course, there is no talking. That’s not a hardship for me as I’m not a big fan of small talk. When I arrived, the cook (a lovely, older woman) showed me around the house. There is a chapel which is open 24/7 and a reading room with lots of books. People are allowed to bring books back to their rooms to read if they wish to. There is also a dining room and meals are served twice a day. There is a counter with cereal, monk’s bread to make toast, and fruit. There is also milk, water and juice in the fridge. Breakfast is a “help yourself whenever you want” deal. That means if you crave a bowl of cereal at midnight, go for it. 
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Like most monasteries, there is a daily schedule of prayers at the rectory known as the Liturgy Of the Hours. The Liturgy Of the Hours is the official set of prayers "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer". It consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns, readings and prayers.
The hours are:
3:30 am Vigils
6:30 am Lauds
12:00 pm Sext
5:30 pm Vespers
7:30 pm Compline
The visitor is free to go to all the prayer hours, some of the prayer hours, or none at all. I have gone to a few at Mount Savior Monastery in Elmira, NY. They are short and sweet. I have to say, I love hearing the brothers chant scripture.

​Saturday morning I got up early, said hello to the chickens and billy goats on the property, and then hiked along the Greenway which follows the Genesee River. The Greenway is a half mile from Bethlehem house, if that. It’s a well kept, easy trail with some pretty views. I got back to my room around 10:30 and decided to visit the Abbey gift shop and stay for the noon prayer in the chapel. I bought some Monk coffee roasted by the brothers and some Monk biscotti baked by the brothers. I also picked up a book about Thomas Merton, called In the School Of Prophets. 
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The chapel was beautiful. There is something about Monastery chapels - a sense of mystery, a reverence, something ancient and good. Modern churches that I’ve been to (both Protestant and Catholic), don’t come near it. There seems to be little focus on contemplation and silence in most western churches. 

​The mystery is what draws me to the monastery. It provides a place to come apart from all the activity and noise of everyday life. It gives the opportunity to think and to be at a deeper level. There is something to being still, listening and inviting God’s presence. 

I brought to the abbey one of my favorite books - The Artist’s Rule, by Christine Valters Painter. Painter writes about a path that is traveled by both monk and artist. It is one of contemplation and creativity. "The way of the monk and the path of the artist are teachers of slowness, of savoring, of seeing the world below the surfaces."

Contemplation takes practice. "We have to practice being present to the moment, because our tendency - and the world conspires in this - is to be distracted."

Often a scripture or a prayer is is given as a focus for contemplation. Painter gives Jeremiah 6:16:

Thus says the Lord:
stand at the crossroads and look,
and ask for the ancient paths:
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.

​I'm asking.

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