Building A Platform - huh?

I know most people are wondering what in the world is Vicki up to these days.   There's always something going on and things are always interesting.  But I'm in the process of learning and doing some new things and one is to finally sit down and write a book.  I've talked about it, joked about it, but never actually decided to do anything about writing, well because I'm busy doing some other stuff.  So here I am finally attempting to do the things I've talked about for so long, and finding out that there is a whole LOT more to the process than I ever dreamed!   It's not quite as simple as deciding to sit down and write a book! Actually more than one book, but that is really beside the point.  Why write one thing when you have a lot of ideas?!?! Over the next few posts, I want to take time to share what I'm working on but I don't want to throw it all out there at once.  I'm going to post some of the images I've worked on lately, and ask that you my friends and readers (hi mom!) to please follow me on Twitter, on pinterest ,and on Facebook.  (just click the word and the link should take you there)  Also if you'll go ahead and sign up on the blog, I'll send out emails from time to time sending you special content that won't be on the blog.  It may be a short story, it may be a devotional thought, or a new image.  It won't be so often you'll feel like you are being spammed, and you can always opt out at any time.

Early on in this process I have learned that platform building is hugely important.  Today's publishing world cares how many people you have access to, and can reach.  No one really cares what you have to say, if people out there aren't already following you, interacting with you and responding to you.  To this end, one board at a time, one connection here and there is what I am working on.   I'm thankful for social media connections, but I am even more thankful that there are apps now that help you schedule ahead your day, or even your week so that you don't have to spend ridiculous amounts of time on social media.  That was a huge issue for me before I discovered that in just a few short minutes a day, I could get things ready for the day ahead and get them posted automatically.  So while it may appear that all I do is sit on Facebook and Twitter, I promise I don't :)

At the end of the day, I'm just a girl asking you to follow me and see what I'm doing and where this path takes me.  I don't truly know why this is the time and place for this, but I am going to Carpe Diem and all.  I'm ready and now I need you!  I need an organic group of folks who know me and still like me to support my writings and "creatings" and will help me get to the next level and God willing get published one day.

I'd love for you to be on my team!

The Story Teller

Fascinating!  as I am working on my novel I am intrigued by the process.  As a voracious reader for my entire life, I am fascinated by being on the flip side of the coin.  The idea of creating something that I would like to read - so many fun parts to doing this! There are parts of the story that I am writing, while already knowing in advance how the story is going to end.  I know the plot, and I know the characters and how each will play their role through the story.  As I am working to write a scenario that will end up being unfinished as far as a particular relationship goes, I know it has to be unfinished because I know the end of the story.

As I sit back and think through the implications of this, I had the most impressive thought strike me that that is exactly what is going on in our own stories of our life.  We don’t see the end. We aren’t infinite.  The only point of view for our story is the moments that we are in right now and when things don’t turn out the way we expect them too we feel failure, pain, disappointment and even discouragement.

NEWSFLASH! But here’s the thing we don’t KNOW the end of our story.  We have no idea how the Divine Storyteller is currently weaving the story of our lives, and we don’t understand the plot twists.  We can’t understand because we haven’t seen the ending yet.  BUT HE HAS! And, even better, we are promised that He works all things for our good and for His glory.  Forgive me for having a moment here my friends, but I feel as if God has just given me a bit of insight into some of the things He’s working in my own story right now.

Many times I don’t understand the discouragement, the disappointment or the doubts - but I don’t know the ending.  Even better, I don’t have to know the ending, I just need to trust my StoryTeller and have faith that He is writing my story perfectly.

Life Lessons in Perseverance

One of the life lessons I think is so important to our youth and to many young adults today has to be perseverance. I had almost decided against actually defining the word for y'all, but I like it too much so here it is - "perseverance - steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success".  I think almost any challenge in our lives can be managed through perseverance. Yet it’s not a natural quality. We are not naturally born with the gift of perseverance.  It’s not even really encouraged in our society anymore. But in spite of this, the old adage attributed to Andrew Carnegie "anything worth having is worth working for" is true. If it was easy everyone would do it.  More and more though, I find that people aren’t willing to put in the extra effort when things get tough. Perseverance is not gained by walking down an easy road. Only when we come across some kind of adversity or obstacle can we really learn how to persevere. This lesson is never learned beforehand either, it’s always learned in the middle of the "doing". Sometimes in this regard, I think we play too much to our kids natural strengths and allow them to do those things that are easy for them because of natural ability. But there will still come a time when they discover that this thing they want to do will require work. And when that day comes, things start to get difficult and then they want to quit.

As you might imagine this happens in the music studio a lot. Students come for singing lessons because they love to sing to the radio, at church or just in general. What they don’t count on is the amount of work it takes to really work and develop their instrument - their voice.

• It takes work to breathe correctly, to enunciate words, and to communicate the words with attention to phrasing.
• It takes work to color their phrases with dynamic contrast and accents on the right words.
• It takes work to count out beats and plan their breathing for their entrances and exits.
• It takes work to learn a song in a genre they are unfamiliar with or dislike.

So naturally a little while into voice lessons, their gets to be a lag. They need persistence to push themselves to excel and to get to the next level.

This lesson was very apparent with even my own child. When she first started to play the piano, she did really well, just like most other students seem to do. Of course, the inevitable plateau occurs and she began to feel like she wasn’t good at the piano because she had to work at it. Where does this idea come from? Is our society so programmed to believe that unless it comes easily, we aren’t any good and shouldn’t work at it? Needless to see I could see she needed lessons in perseverance. She also needed a new teacher - but that’s another whole blog post of its own!

This isn’t just a problem with our children though, it’s even something we adults encounter frequently. Not too long ago, as I was working on finishing my very first book proposal, I looked at my husband and said “This is hard work!” His instant reply “Well if it was easy, I guess everybody would be doing it!” And it’s true - the things that we really want most in life, whatever they may be, will require effort, and desire, and a whole lot of perseverance. But the desire accomplished is SWEET to the soul - even Proverbs validates this. The things we appreciate the most, are the things we have worked the hardest for.

Persevere.

Don’t give up.

Don’t quit.

Stay the Course.

Enjoy the sweet taste of victory!