Tranquil #Inktober #Inktober2018

Oct 2, 2018 | Uncategorized

I had an epiphany this past weekend: Inktober has given me a taste of what novice writers must feel when trying NaNoWriMo for the first or second time.

The amazing artwork some people scribble in a matter of minutes is intimidating. I caught myself giving advice to young artists:

“Stay AWAY from those ‘meh, this artwork only took me, like, 10 minutes and I was half asleep’ would-be da Vincis. Jeez. I get it. I’ve written sonnets in 10 minutes flat and amazed people struggling to write a limerick. I know I could write a BETTER sonnet with more effort. I demur.

It’s not intentional; we don’t say these things to each other to discourage and make them give up. We tend to be overly dismissive of our own talents, and it’s an evil thing to admit to when others are in awe and complimenting us. We all need to learn to accept compliments more graciously and not try to make dismissive little excuses for what we do well.”

This one took me about 20 minutes (hah! Kidding…) and another ten to clean up the photo’s background in an app called back Background Eraser and another called SaveAsJpeg (to turn the transparent background white), so that I could crop the image as a square without weird shadows and bits of living room carpet swatch.

The inspiration came from a few minutes of writing with a colleague in Facebook about fending off zombie henchmen with a bottle of 151 and a Bic lighter. I was drinking coffee at the time, but thinking this past week might take a little more booze than your average zombie killer. How much would it take to DROWN a zombie horde? Somehow, I went from there to collapsing in a martini spa. Tranquil, or just tired?

Holly Jahangiri

Holly Jahangiri is the author of Trockle, illustrated by Jordan Vinyard; A Puppy, Not a Guppy, illustrated by Ryan Shaw; and the newest release: A New Leaf for Lyle, illustrated by Carrie Salazar. She draws inspiration from her family, from her own childhood adventures (some of which only happened in her overactive imagination), and from readers both young and young-at-heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, J.J., whose love and encouragement make writing books twice the fun.

14 Comments

  1. BellyBytes

    Very impressive Holly. Sometimes you can do things in a jiffy and sometimes you can’t. What matters is whether or not you are happy with the result. Perhaps I too should join Inktober since in any case I land up posting every day !

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Exactly! There’s nothing to lose (maybe a mote of pride), and the only way to get better at a thing is through practice. As you said, it’ll also have you posting daily. 😊 With or without words.

      Reply
  2. BellyBytes

    Very impressive Holly. Sometimes you can do things in a jiffy and sometimes you can’t. What matters is whether or not you are happy with the result. Perhaps I too should join Inktober since in any case I land up posting every day !

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Exactly! There’s nothing to lose (maybe a mote of pride), and the only way to get better at a thing is through practice. As you said, it’ll also have you posting daily. 😊 With or without words.

      Reply
  3. pm laberge

    Some people are artists. Some write poetry. Some write Prose. Some sing. Some dance. Some write songs.

    We all have our talents. We all have strengths and weaknesses.

    We must all use what we have. Or, in some cases, what we have left.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      And some of us are still young enough, and curious enough, to try new things and develop other skills and talents. Mostly, I think, we need to remember to get out of our own way.

      Reply
  4. pm laberge

    Some people are artists. Some write poetry. Some write Prose. Some sing. Some dance. Some write songs.

    We all have our talents. We all have strengths and weaknesses.

    We must all use what we have. Or, in some cases, what we have left.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      And some of us are still young enough, and curious enough, to try new things and develop other skills and talents. Mostly, I think, we need to remember to get out of our own way.

      Reply
  5. Mitchell Allen

    When Writers Draw

    Your compositions highlight your sense of whimsy. This one, in particular, reminds me of James Thurber.

    I just love how your mind works!

    Cheers,

    Mitch

    Reply
  6. Mitchell Allen

    When Writers Draw

    Your compositions highlight your sense of whimsy. This one, in particular, reminds me of James Thurber.

    I just love how your mind works!

    Cheers,

    Mitch

    Reply
  7. Mary J

    Ha! Martini girl is awesome. As I dislike martinis (except for the chocolate variety), I think the odor of pine trees in a glass is enough to fend off the zombies.

    Accepting a compliment should never be difficult, but always a happy, smiling thank you.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Notice she was actually drinking coffee? LOL Dreaming of drowning in a martini, but that’s all in her imagination.

      Reply
  8. Mary J

    Ha! Martini girl is awesome. As I dislike martinis (except for the chocolate variety), I think the odor of pine trees in a glass is enough to fend off the zombies.

    Accepting a compliment should never be difficult, but always a happy, smiling thank you.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri

      Notice she was actually drinking coffee? LOL Dreaming of drowning in a martini, but that’s all in her imagination.

      Reply

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