The Boomer Muse
At Art Words interviews the Boomer Muse
Photo quote de jour
Communing with Oscar in Paris.
AAW Member Spotlight:
Layla Morgan Wilde, AKA the Boomer Muse
M: What were your childhood inspirations and do you still look up to any of them?
L: My earliest inspirations relate to nature: Making sand castles on a beach, snow angels in winter, watching clouds, smelling flowers or listening to birdsong. What inspired me then, inspires me now.
M: What is your creative process when writing or photographing?
L: They feed off each other but are separate and yet elliptical. A photograph of a reflection in window may spark dialogue for a short story. A narrative arc in a novel may spark a desire to find and capture its essence in a photograph. I never leave home without a camera and stay open to unexpected opportunities in hidden nooks and in all directions. Since I've always been hyper-vigilant and aware of my surroundings, I can walk into any room for a few seconds and later draw a detailed floor plan of it. Photography is instantaneous but writing requires incubation. For fiction, I take along time to develop characters. They live in my head until their whispers shout, "Write this down already!"
M: What do you draw courage and strength from in life, how do you best motivate and encourage others?
L: My inner strength is directly connected to my spirituality. I motivate by being authentic and seeing the best in everyone.
M: If you could take “the ultimate photo”, what – to you – would that be?
L: Our dear green and blue planet from outer space.
M: What is the most influential thing you’ve written?
L: That's subjective, so not a clue. It's my intention to inspire and amuse, which I do, or so I'm told.
M: If you could have a free ticket to anywhere, where would you go, what draws you to that place and what would you bring back with you?
L: India, the southwest province of Kerala where my guru Amma has an ashram. Hopefully I'd bring back some new insights, photographs and local artwork.
The Reading List...
This month Layla shares some of her favourite blogs to read. (If you’d like to compile next month’s reading list or would like to feature in the AAW Update please email me!)
M: What are your top 5 favourite blogs to visit? What keeps you coming back to them?
L: Only five? I'm a blog junkie! Off the top off my head...
The Conscious Cat:
For an equal mix of education and humour.
Lost at E Minor:
For a dizzying array of creativity.
EyePreferParis.com:
Because I can live vicariously in Paris through fellow New Yorker.
Julie Demboski's Astrology:
For her expertise
Aphorism of the Day:
For being one of my biggest fans and providing a daily dose of wit.
Communing with Oscar in Paris.
There was a time when writers toiled in blissful isolation, but sadly those days are long over. Thanks a lot social networking gods! Now, it's a balancing act deciding when social media is helping or whoring. Writers need to be equal parts writer and self-promoter and jump through circus hoops of Trump proportions to get anywhere. P.T. Barnum once said, "Without promotion something terrible happens.... Nothing!" Missy Ricco, an artist/blogger from Australia interviewed me recently at At Art Words
So, without further adieu...the interview. Don't worry, my ego is in check. But if Vanity Fair ever asks me to do their Proust questionnaire, look out! A girl can dream can't she?
This month we:
- Meet Layla Morgan Wilde as she shares her thoughts on motivation, inspiration and some of her favourite blogs
- Give you an opportunity to get involved in promoting the community
- Look for more ways to network via the AAW Social Media sites...
AAW Member Spotlight:
Layla Morgan Wilde, AKA the Boomer Muse
M: What were your childhood inspirations and do you still look up to any of them?
L: My earliest inspirations relate to nature: Making sand castles on a beach, snow angels in winter, watching clouds, smelling flowers or listening to birdsong. What inspired me then, inspires me now.
M: What is your creative process when writing or photographing?
L: They feed off each other but are separate and yet elliptical. A photograph of a reflection in window may spark dialogue for a short story. A narrative arc in a novel may spark a desire to find and capture its essence in a photograph. I never leave home without a camera and stay open to unexpected opportunities in hidden nooks and in all directions. Since I've always been hyper-vigilant and aware of my surroundings, I can walk into any room for a few seconds and later draw a detailed floor plan of it. Photography is instantaneous but writing requires incubation. For fiction, I take along time to develop characters. They live in my head until their whispers shout, "Write this down already!"
M: What do you draw courage and strength from in life, how do you best motivate and encourage others?
L: My inner strength is directly connected to my spirituality. I motivate by being authentic and seeing the best in everyone.
M: If you could take “the ultimate photo”, what – to you – would that be?
L: Our dear green and blue planet from outer space.
M: What is the most influential thing you’ve written?
L: That's subjective, so not a clue. It's my intention to inspire and amuse, which I do, or so I'm told.
M: If you could have a free ticket to anywhere, where would you go, what draws you to that place and what would you bring back with you?
L: India, the southwest province of Kerala where my guru Amma has an ashram. Hopefully I'd bring back some new insights, photographs and local artwork.
The Reading List...
This month Layla shares some of her favourite blogs to read. (If you’d like to compile next month’s reading list or would like to feature in the AAW Update please email me!)
M: What are your top 5 favourite blogs to visit? What keeps you coming back to them?
L: Only five? I'm a blog junkie! Off the top off my head...
The Conscious Cat:
For an equal mix of education and humour.
Lost at E Minor:
For a dizzying array of creativity.
EyePreferParis.com:
Because I can live vicariously in Paris through fellow New Yorker.
Julie Demboski's Astrology:
For her expertise
Aphorism of the Day:
For being one of my biggest fans and providing a daily dose of wit.
Winners Don't Always Keep Score
Photo quote de jour
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose but winners takes losses and built on them for future success. It helps having a new perspective. This looks like a friendly volley ball game on a beach. But wait, isn't that the New York skyline? Palm trees. Sand. Where exactly are we? It's my favorite new find, a mere 800 yards from lower Manhattan is Governors Island. That billion dollar view makes everyone a winner.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose but winners takes losses and built on them for future success. It helps having a new perspective. This looks like a friendly volley ball game on a beach. But wait, isn't that the New York skyline? Palm trees. Sand. Where exactly are we? It's my favorite new find, a mere 800 yards from lower Manhattan is Governors Island. That billion dollar view makes everyone a winner.
The Boomer Muse Blog Turns Two!
No quote de jour today, just THANK-YOU! In lieu of comments today, please pass this on by e-mail, Twitter, Digg, Facebook etc. If you click on the "If you like this, please share" button, it will open up other choices. If you're not already a friend, go ahead, friend me.
Today is the second anniversary of the Boomer Muse blog. We've grown leaps and bounds and I couldn't have done it without you. Before this begins to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, let me just say, a blog without readers is cake without icing. You my dear reader makes my day, every day. And because we're now two... here's another...
Today is the second anniversary of the Boomer Muse blog. We've grown leaps and bounds and I couldn't have done it without you. Before this begins to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, let me just say, a blog without readers is cake without icing. You my dear reader makes my day, every day. And because we're now two... here's another...
Mandala Mondays -- Coming Full Circle
"What goes around come around."
On the eve of the Boomer Muse blog second anniversary, I'm filled with mixed emotions best described by these images. My mandala conveys the passage of time and gestation. My life, like everyone's is unpredictable, and I find comfort in the regularity of moon phases. After two years, it's time for me to reevaluate what 's working or not at this blog. As much as I love creating mandala drawings, this category is too time consuming, and sadly will retire it to an occasional feature. Time, that eternal bugaboo snaps at my heels and I question whether or not to continue this blog at all. Don't rush to retrieve your smelling salts just yet; I'm just thinking out loud.
The assorted day trips taken last week fueled enough inspiration, photos and stories for two more years of blog entries. Or not. More trips are planned this week to squeeze out the last pleasure drops of summer. My photo archives are groaning under the weight of (do I dare say some amazing photos?) and I've enjoyed enough magical and serendipitous encounters to fuel enough characters for a Dickens novel.
This was taken yesterday at Coney Island. The carnival rides are all circular when you think about it. They are perfect metaphors for the mixed bag of life's ups and downs, fears and excitement.
The circular mass of post-it notes from visitors on Governors island (taken last Thursday), speaks of communication and connection. I cherish the opportunity to connect with all of you here. I try to respond to every comment, but as this blog readership continues to grow, eventually I won't be able to and may disable comments all together. As always, ALL your thoughts, suggestions and comments are welcome. In many ways, I feel this blog is coming full circle. What the next round will bring is a question mark I leave unanswered for now. Yeah, I know I'm the one with the crystal ball and it's my job to guide and inspire but I can't tell you everything. If you really do want to me to peer into your future, the link to my coaching site is in the sidebar.
On the eve of the Boomer Muse blog second anniversary, I'm filled with mixed emotions best described by these images. My mandala conveys the passage of time and gestation. My life, like everyone's is unpredictable, and I find comfort in the regularity of moon phases. After two years, it's time for me to reevaluate what 's working or not at this blog. As much as I love creating mandala drawings, this category is too time consuming, and sadly will retire it to an occasional feature. Time, that eternal bugaboo snaps at my heels and I question whether or not to continue this blog at all. Don't rush to retrieve your smelling salts just yet; I'm just thinking out loud.
The assorted day trips taken last week fueled enough inspiration, photos and stories for two more years of blog entries. Or not. More trips are planned this week to squeeze out the last pleasure drops of summer. My photo archives are groaning under the weight of (do I dare say some amazing photos?) and I've enjoyed enough magical and serendipitous encounters to fuel enough characters for a Dickens novel.
This was taken yesterday at Coney Island. The carnival rides are all circular when you think about it. They are perfect metaphors for the mixed bag of life's ups and downs, fears and excitement.
The circular mass of post-it notes from visitors on Governors island (taken last Thursday), speaks of communication and connection. I cherish the opportunity to connect with all of you here. I try to respond to every comment, but as this blog readership continues to grow, eventually I won't be able to and may disable comments all together. As always, ALL your thoughts, suggestions and comments are welcome. In many ways, I feel this blog is coming full circle. What the next round will bring is a question mark I leave unanswered for now. Yeah, I know I'm the one with the crystal ball and it's my job to guide and inspire but I can't tell you everything. If you really do want to me to peer into your future, the link to my coaching site is in the sidebar.
What I'm Reading This Week - August 29, 2010- Genius?
Quote de jour
From the August 23rd issue of New York Magazine: Sam Anderson reviews Freedom, the new novel from Jonathan Franzen: "Some of Freedom's sentences are so well-written you want to pluck then out, stab them with little corn holders, and eat them:"Like a cold spring at the bottom of a warmer lake, old Swedish-gened depression was seeping up inside him."
He's everywhere: the cover of Time magazine, almost every magazine I've picked up lately has an article about him and his new novel Freedom. If I hear the word genius one more time I'll scream but I did order his book anyway. Oh, and you don't need to be psychic to predict his book with hit the New York Times best seller list next week.
Fall fashion already? Yes and it's good for a change. Classic camel coats, feminine menswear, some lower-heeled shoes, yummy cabled sweaters and leggings. For once I'm ready to let go of flip flops and bundle up.
Books this week:
A novel titled One Day by David Nicholls about two characters who meet once a year on the same date for twenty years.
A new bio on Jack London. How could I resist? More later. In the interest of squeezing out the last of drops of summer fun, I'm enroute to hubby's childhood borough of Brooklyn.
From the August 23rd issue of New York Magazine: Sam Anderson reviews Freedom, the new novel from Jonathan Franzen: "Some of Freedom's sentences are so well-written you want to pluck then out, stab them with little corn holders, and eat them:"Like a cold spring at the bottom of a warmer lake, old Swedish-gened depression was seeping up inside him."
He's everywhere: the cover of Time magazine, almost every magazine I've picked up lately has an article about him and his new novel Freedom. If I hear the word genius one more time I'll scream but I did order his book anyway. Oh, and you don't need to be psychic to predict his book with hit the New York Times best seller list next week.
Fall fashion already? Yes and it's good for a change. Classic camel coats, feminine menswear, some lower-heeled shoes, yummy cabled sweaters and leggings. For once I'm ready to let go of flip flops and bundle up.
Books this week:
A novel titled One Day by David Nicholls about two characters who meet once a year on the same date for twenty years.
A new bio on Jack London. How could I resist? More later. In the interest of squeezing out the last of drops of summer fun, I'm enroute to hubby's childhood borough of Brooklyn.
Cat Saturday - Adventures of the indoor and outdoor cats.
Photo quote de jour
While I'm off on another adventure today, please enjoy this abbreviated version of Cat Saturday.
News & Mews
It's official: my wild boy Domino is having a long distance romance with a pretty kitty named Splitters. Read all about it at Margs Animals
Closer to home, this week Merlin, ruler of my home and garden ventured further afield. We take walks every day roaming around two acres. Merlin leads and I follow. Years ago, there was a foolish incident when I tried to leash train him. Stupid Hoomans, is all I'll say. These days, Merlin gallantly looks over his shoulder regularly to see if I'm still on his trail while he makes his scent rounds. He likes going down our very long driveway but never ventures near the busy street, until this week. Loud shouts and hand-clapping and he turned on his heel. Fortunately his sprinting days are over but we won't let that happen again.
Meanwhile Domino, who for the past five years has refused to take residence indoors, made progress this week. He gradually ventured to all four corners of the ground floor, for the first time, staying for a record ten minutes. I wish I'd had a camera nearby to record his face watching the television: equal parts shock, fear and curiosity. The plan is to allow him access daily to acclimate him to the new environment. The question is: will fear win out or curiosity?
While I'm off on another adventure today, please enjoy this abbreviated version of Cat Saturday.
News & Mews
It's official: my wild boy Domino is having a long distance romance with a pretty kitty named Splitters. Read all about it at Margs Animals
Closer to home, this week Merlin, ruler of my home and garden ventured further afield. We take walks every day roaming around two acres. Merlin leads and I follow. Years ago, there was a foolish incident when I tried to leash train him. Stupid Hoomans, is all I'll say. These days, Merlin gallantly looks over his shoulder regularly to see if I'm still on his trail while he makes his scent rounds. He likes going down our very long driveway but never ventures near the busy street, until this week. Loud shouts and hand-clapping and he turned on his heel. Fortunately his sprinting days are over but we won't let that happen again.
Meanwhile Domino, who for the past five years has refused to take residence indoors, made progress this week. He gradually ventured to all four corners of the ground floor, for the first time, staying for a record ten minutes. I wish I'd had a camera nearby to record his face watching the television: equal parts shock, fear and curiosity. The plan is to allow him access daily to acclimate him to the new environment. The question is: will fear win out or curiosity?
Problem Solving 101
Photo quote de jour
I'm off on a little island adventure and wish everyone a happy and reflective weekend!
I'm off on a little island adventure and wish everyone a happy and reflective weekend!
If Gardeners Ruled the World, There Would Be No Environmental Disasters
Photo quote de jour
This morning, as I strolled in the garden, I noticed the first signs of summer's end: dried leaves, pokeweed berries, autumn mums budding. Things grow naturally here, organically, in the true sense of the word, and I thought if gardeners ruled the world, would we have a B.P. oil spill or any number of environmental disasters? I thought not. How could be mistreat something we love and hold sacred? Loving our planet is the most natural thing in the world, but our relationship with nature is a reflection of ourselves. Do we love and honor ourselves enough to take care of our backyard and beyond?
This morning, as I strolled in the garden, I noticed the first signs of summer's end: dried leaves, pokeweed berries, autumn mums budding. Things grow naturally here, organically, in the true sense of the word, and I thought if gardeners ruled the world, would we have a B.P. oil spill or any number of environmental disasters? I thought not. How could be mistreat something we love and hold sacred? Loving our planet is the most natural thing in the world, but our relationship with nature is a reflection of ourselves. Do we love and honor ourselves enough to take care of our backyard and beyond?
