Other posts about marks:
Making your Mark - essay about self-promotion
Marks have Meaning - art tutorial
All such Graphic Reminders are the playful fault of Nancy S.M. Waldman
© 2007 all rights reserved
This photo speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
Maybe I chose it because it’s Monday morning, the sun isn’t shining so brightly today and I’m feeling at a lower ebb than I have for a while. It’s so pleasing to be able to write a tide-y blog entry everyday, but some days the ideas don’t flow as well as others.
The thing I love about this image (in addition to maher berro’s great title) is the sense of urgency. That water is coming, coming soon, and nothing can stop it. And, it’s going to alter everything.
“Time and tide wait for no man.” (Alexander Pope)
I think it’s a sign. I have to start working on that novel again. Okay everyone, go, now, today, before the tide washes this moment away. Write (or draw or sculpt) in the sand! If you don’t have a beach nearby (or it’s too darned cold) you can use a journal or computer or mashed potatoes (if you’re into sculpting).
thanks, maher berro, for a lighthearted look at the ephemeral nature of nature, creativity and our lives. ‘bye till tomorrow~
*waves***waves***waves*
Originally published in the original Practically Creative blog, February 2006
This beautiful macro taken at a beach, by tejana, reminds me of the impermanence of … everything.
Sand is one of the most malleable of substances. It’s constantly altered by the tides, the wind, even the small beings living within it. Whether a large wave, a sprinkle of raindrops, or a human foot, each causes a rearrangement and a new design.
Our lives, our creative efforts are no different.
If I had finished my novel last December, for example, instead of waiting until now to do it, the words I chose would have been different. I’m subtly rearranged from the person I was when I put the writing aside. Therefore, what comes out of me now, will be altered from what it would have been then. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is something to acknowledge. It might be a (well-needed 
) reason not to put things off if we can help it.
Each new day, we need to attempt to put our mark on something in order to capture what and who we are on that particular day - the way tejana so beautifully preserved the sand’s essence in this spot on this day.
Thank you, tejana ~~~
Here are some links to articles about paying attention to the marks we make:
- doodles by Maureen Shaughnessy
- marks have meaning, about self-promotion
- marks have meaning, an art tutorial
- mark my words, a graphic reminder
Procrastination articles:
- Suze Corte - Mind Space
- a PCQ-QCP - The Imaginary Deadline
- a Practically Mperfect article - Collecting Dust
The other side of NOT finishing things:
- Karen Hatzigeorgiou - You, Me and Leonardo da Vinci
Originally published in the original Practically Creative blog, February 2006
