I hope you enjoy the trip as much as I did! One special note: I used my iPhone in a jazz club to surreptitiously record the music you’ll hear during the New Orleans pictures =)

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Lovingly referred to as: NaNoWriMo

Fifty thousand words in thirty days.

On your marks. Get set. Write!

]]> http://monbonvoyage.com/2009/11/01/captains-log-day-17011/feed/ 0 http://monbonvoyage.com/2009/03/02/captain%e2%80%99s-log-day-16767/ http://monbonvoyage.com/2009/03/02/captain%e2%80%99s-log-day-16767/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:30:34 +0000 ECSchneider http://ecschneider.com/?p=109

Fleur du Crayon

I was rummaging through some old boxes yesterday in search of the many writing journals I have squirreled away, unused, over the years. I found a couple, but I also found a surprise.

Tucked neatly into a corner was a box containing pencils, sketch pads, and “teach yourself to draw” books of various flavors. I often wish that I could draw, but I’m quick to admit that I can’t. Or can I?

I thumbed through the sketch book and found, among the many practice exercises that I was obviously following from a book, the two drawings that you see in this post. They’re not show-stoppers. They won’t win prizes. But what they said to me was pointed: “Stop telling yourself that you can’t draw!”

I realized that what I’ve really been saying is that I haven’t taken the time necessary to study and practice my drawing skills. Drawing doesn’t come easily to me. It’s work, and the end results are not always worth the effort. But the truth is I can draw. At least a little. The fact that my skills have not improved is solely due to laziness on my part and the “you can’t draw” mantra that I’ve been playing in my head.

Dessin de Paysage

Do you have a similar discouraging mantra of any kind? Something saying that you “can’t” do x or “can’t” do y? If so, might I suggest that you reevaluate? We really can do anything into which we’re willing to put effort. I’ll never again say that I can’t draw. And I’ll be on the lookout for similar thought processes so that I can set a new course wherever necessary.

Fair Winds!

I’m anxiously awaiting two pens. One is an Esterbrook #32 dip pen and the other is my Pelikan M200 that has spent a week or two at the Dannzeman Fountain Pen Finishing School where it has been coerced (ground) into writing like a gentleman.

Water boils faster when subjected to microwaves. I wonder if that could improve the speed of my mail carrier…

Priority Mail? Oxymoron.

Having too many options hinders the decision making process. There’s even a term for it: Consumer Vertigo

The same vertigo can be experienced when searching for a suitable WordPress theme, but it’s magnified a hundred fold. I admit that there is a greater need for variety in the world of websites than in the realm of toothpastes, but still – at some point we’re faced with so many alternatives that we feel overwhelmed.

If you’re looking for a WordPress theme, here’s my little piece of advice: Pick one. Any one. It doesn’t matter which. As is the case with toothpaste, it is not a life altering or permanent decision. If you ultimately decide that the theme you selected is not to your liking, it’s a very simple matter to change.

Same with the toothpaste. It’s not nearly as important a decision as the sheer number of tubes would lead you to believe. Pick one. Any one. If you like it, stick with it. If not, pick a package of a different color next time around.

Fair Winds!