stories – Journey to Imagination

Tag: stories

Writer, Blogger, & Educator Elizabeth Daghfal—Nothing Beats a Great Story, Part 2

Posted on June 22, 2020June 30, 2020 by Laura

Give Elizabeth Daghfal an idea, and she’ll run with it. But get out of the way so you don’t get blown over in the wake. It only takes a suggestion---an image, a song, a place---for the idea to grow into a full-blown play script, a musical production, an article, or...Read More

Writer, Blogger, & Educator Elizabeth Daghfal—Nothing Beats a Great Story

Posted on June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by Laura

My friend and fellow writer Elizabeth Daghfal and her seventeen-year-old daughter Lydia participated in a three-day 60-mile walk to fight breast cancer. Throughout the miles, Elizabeth pointed at various sights and said, “That could make a great storyline for a mystery novel,” or “That’s a great idea for a children’s...Read More

Looking back on Muses & Memories

Posted on October 23, 2019October 24, 2019 by Laura

Have you ever noticed that when you go on a vacation and people ask you how it was, they really only want to know that you had a good time? Their eyes glaze over if you talk incessantly or show them too many pictures. They don’t really care to hear...Read More

People Watching #8

Posted on May 13, 2019May 20, 2019 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. After that, we speculated about the dynamics of two girls and a guy at the dinner table. Then we viewed the bicyclist in a race and...Read More

Welcome back to my blog! Time to resume our Journey To Imagination after taking a break. I hope the past few weeks offered plenty of highlights, holiday fun, and creative outlets. Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 1: The Wizard of Chittenango & the Magic of Oz

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by Laura

Recognize any of these phrases? • “Some people without brains do any awful lot of talking.” • “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” • “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” • “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” • “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” •...Read More

People Watching #4

Posted on September 17, 2018September 13, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. After that, we speculated about the dynamics of two girls and a guy at the dinner table. I loved reading your comments---the ideas evoked by those...Read More

Artist Rita Trickel: Beyond Here There Be Dragons

Posted on September 10, 2018August 27, 2018 by Laura

Ahoy mateys! Ever see an old sea map where dragons marked dangerous or uncharted waters? Pictures of dragons, sea monsters, or mythological creatures warned sailors to stay away. No telling what’s beyond. Shiver me timbers! If sailors got too close to these areas, trouble abounded. Danger was at hand. All...Read More

Story Worlds: Places I’ve Been, Part 2

Posted on September 6, 2018October 23, 2021 by Laura

What settings have inspired you? What stories do you associate with them? Which stories will you never forget? Earlier, I shared how authors thrust us into their story worlds, by mixing words together in such a way that we’re living and breathing alongside the characters. I’ve discussed where story ideas come...Read More

Elmer Sparks, Part 1: Spreading Happiness through Photography

Posted on August 27, 2018August 23, 2018 by Laura

Only one photographer ever got my husband to smile for a portrait. Just one. And a genuine smile, not a fake smile-through-your-teeth “can we get this over with?” kind of smile. That man is Elmer Sparks. That was the year he took portraits of every family in our church for...Read More

People Watching #3

Posted on August 23, 2018August 20, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Last time we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. Today’s picture is a different flavor altogether. Aside from knowing that a picture is worth 1000 words, a picture evokes 1000 stories. If I showed...Read More

Lisa Doyle–Beauty in the world, Part 1: Leaving people better than you find them

Posted on July 30, 2018June 21, 2018 by Laura

Lisa Doyle embraces a mantra she’s had since age twelve. She found this quote on a decoupaged piece of cardboard in 1983: ******* “One day I would like to teach a few people many and beautiful things that will help them teach a few people.” --unknown, A Teacher’s Prayer ******...Read More

Barney Fife says Aunt Bee’s Pickles Taste Like Kerosene . . . A Celebration of Mayberry’s Mirth & Music, Part 1

Posted on July 16, 2018June 28, 2018 by Laura

How big of an Andy Griffith Show fan are you? Take this quiz and find out. Can you identify who says each of the following, to whom, or the context? NOTE: Whether you’re a fan or not, or if you don’t want to take the quiz, read on to see...Read More

People Watching, #2

Posted on June 25, 2018June 18, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? Last time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. [caption id="attachment_745" align="aligncenter" width="456"] Via State Library of New South Wales[/caption] Aside from knowing that a picture is worth 1000 words, a picture evokes 1000 stories. If I showed a picture to a dozen students...Read More

Revision: When is it good enough? Finished or abandoned?

Posted on June 14, 2018May 22, 2019 by Laura

How do you know when you’re done revising a poem, essay, or novel? Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” He obviously wasn’t completely satisfied with the final product. French poet Paul Valery concurred by saying, “A poem is never finished, only abandoned.” Such is the case...Read More

Barbara Britton: Perfume Pics, Coloring Pencils, and Records: An Author’s Unconventional Tool Box

Posted on June 11, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Have you wondered what it would be like living in Biblical Old Testament times? So has author Barbara Britton. In fact, she digs into O.T. history to create story worlds from 1000s of years ago. Her wanderings start with map-making and music. Last year I read the first book from...Read More

The Compulsion to Tell A Story: The Dog Ate My Glasses

Posted on June 7, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

My husband Tim tells the story of when he was in 4th grade playing baseball with the neighbors. He had brand new glasses and was afraid of breaking them. He set them in a “safe place” in the grass nearby. A dog was snooping around. After he got up to...Read More

Risk-taking & Art, Part 3: The Hot Air Balloon Quilt

Posted on June 4, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

How do you handle Art that doesn’t measure up? Recently I attended a play that was well done but the backdrop was nothing but a poorly drawn tree standing in a poorly painted field. It filled the entire stage. It did nothing for the production. Fortunately, the actors were good...Read More

A Different Kind of People Watching, Master Painting #1

Posted on May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 by Laura

Are you a people watcher? Are you entertained by the family dynamics of people in museums, restaurants, and airports? Do you sit in public places and make predictions about the passers-by, or develop their life histories? What occupations and hobbies they have? What personality types they exhibit? A variation of...Read More