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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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. |
AuthorI thought I'd write a few thoughts on art, life and whatever else comes to mind. Archives
March 2023
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