A Deliverable Dream: The stories I have written over the past year have been an exercise. It’s been an exercise for me to practice the craft of writing. I have a long way to go, but admittedly I have celebrated every minute. Invariably I would sit down to write, not really knowing what kind of story would flow from my sometimes fertile thoughts. But for some mysterious reason, my imagination would do the work for me.

I have been overwhelmed by the kind comments I have received. And I dearly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read the written stories. The paintings that I selected to go with them really did not necessarily match the stories. In fact, you could argue they did quite the opposite. Probably creating confusion. I suspect many people thought to themselves, “what the hell is he thinking? I don’t see anything in that story that matches the artwork.” And you know what, I couldn’t agree more with them. They were absolutely right. But in order to sell art, I have to show it somewhere.

Joining my art with the stories was a creative endeavor that turned out to be challenging and satisfying at the same time. I appreciated the people that put up with it. Some were more interested in the art, many became more interested in the stories. Either way, I have been very lucky to attract interest in the work I created.

Recently I decided that it was time for me to write a book. That effort will undoubtedly take away time that I can dedicate to story writing, and it may impact some of my painting efforts. But there is something compelling me deep inside to do this. The book already has a title. Well, at least a working title. The book is going to be about the challenges of being creative. There will be some short stories that will be nonfiction, and some will resonate with the reader because they will certainly recognize themselves in those stories.

I’m not sure how long it will take me to write this book. I do know that I’ve always felt that everyone is creative. I’m hoping this book will not be just another rehash of all the other thoughts and ideas that have been hurled at creativity. Maybe with a bit of divine guidance, I can create something valuable to the reader.

From time to time, I will make posts with fresh art and share what I have discovered in creating a book, literally on creativity.

Wish me luck; I’m certainly going to need it. For someone with my background and skills, this is going to be a formidable challenge. But I am charged up over the idea and am looking forward to it. Thank you for your indulgences over this last year or so. I pray that I won’t disappoint myself, and I especially pray that I won’t disappoint those that have the opportunity to read the book.

Rod Jones artist-writer

“Literature is filled with perfect sentences that show up in the writer’s thoughts, from a place that can never be recognized by common reflections.”

 

Rod Jones