May

3

Being Practically Creative

May 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-essay-] by Nancy S.M. Waldman I have a close friend who has compared herself unfavorably to me in terms of creativity ever since we were girls. According to her, I’m creative and she isn’t. But I never bought it. She’s a elementary school teacher and I’ve seen the way she tackles a challenging situation in [...]

Mar

20

That Magical Moment

March 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-essay, inspiration-] by Nancy S.M. Waldman My favorite part of being inspired isn’t the sudden flush of excitement about a new project, a distinctly different direction, or a fresh idea. What I love most comes along after that initial inspiration. It’s later, when all the pieces begin to fall into place and fit together in [...]

Feb

10

Collecting Dust

February 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-practically mperfect, collecting-] by Nancy S.M. Waldman You might think this essay will be about how to keep one’s collections free of dust. It’s not. While I could easily and truthfully admit to hating to dust my various collections (and everything else), what I have to confess goes much deeper. I’m the one who’s been [...]

Feb

5

Mind the Zwischenraum

February 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-essay-] by Nancy S.M. Waldman This German word – zwischenraum – comes back to me from the past. I first heard it over 25 years ago soon after the funeral of my father. Grief is one of those painful but natural and necessary pauses in our lives. The kind of “time-out” that our minds tend [...]