Bloggy Blog Blogs

Got my set to the side I read often, but need some more, preferable writing based. Oh the writing. Someone please motivate me. I really want to extend the research creative element I wrote for masters to full length, there is loads of room for it, and all that stops me is discipline. Not my forte generally speaking though I do get things done eventually... Well, that and a baby. So blogs about motivation, writing, that kinda stuff. Writing about writing. Maybe if I read that others actually work I might consider doing it too. Maybe. If not, it will be a great new way to procrastinate :D

Greenday - 21st Century Breakdown

Today is a day I have been waiting for for 5 long years!!! The new Greenday album, 21st Century Breakdown has been released. Was a big act to follow - American Idiot was awesome - and huge.
Reckon they have done it though. I am only on my second listening but there is heaps to explore on it, and I loooooove that they have done it similar to American Idiot and its story of St Jimmy, this one is about Gloria and Christian and similarly to the formula of AI it has "acts" as well (Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, Horseshoes and Handgrenades); and has loads of rock, and some fantastic slower stuff too.

Initial favourites for me (aside from Know Your Enemy which I have listened to death the past few weeks!) are 21st century breakdown, peacemaker, 21 guns, East Jesus Nowhere, American Eulogy and See the Light.

I can't wait for F to get home and listen, and there is a special on Channel V at 4pm we want to watch, lol. He is Greenday mad, yesterday on the way home from school he said he wanted a birthday party at home again. "We'll see" was my response whilst thinking no freakin WAY too much work, did that last year! Then he said "I want it to be a Greenday party mum!!" Well now ya talking son, you bet your arse we can do that, rofl. Coolest 6th birthday party EVER. Alissa suggested invites written on cd's, guitar cake, backstage passes on lanyards for all the kids... Cool no!?

I am so worried their concert will be 18+ only, they are rumoured to be touring Dec-Feb ish, and Finn is desperate to go, as am I! Mind you, I did tell him if it was for grown ups only, I would take him and we would sit outside and listen. Obviously, we are not wanting moshpit tix but back in the stands rocking out with my 6yo who would no doubt have his blue mohawk as he often does... cool. Actually the other day as well as wanting to grow a mohawk that he colors bluw with blue gel, I caught him coloring his fingernails in with black texta. I have a 5 year old emo kid. Seriously. teehee. He saw these things on the Greenday DVD (Bible with a bullet) and emulates it all, wnts to BE Billie Joe Armstrong! He plays games with toys where he sets up these toy soldiers as BJA, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt and holds a concert. Cutest thing ever.

So rock on people, very happy house here today, loving new GD!

Encouraged, inspired, excited.

I am still not telling you my secret. Its a good one though, mortifying, but sort of funny. Very naughty!!

But I did want to share that I got some writing back this week from uni, my young adult unit. The feedback was really good, some excellent suggestions, most of my trouble, my lecturer felt, came from being cramped by the word limit. She said to keep at my writing because my " sense of voice and emotional intensity/anxiety are top notch."

I sent her an email thanking her for the feedback and saying I am going to have a go at extending it into novel length as she suggested, and that I appreciated her critique. I said that I have no idea if I have any talent as such, but that I love writing, so I will do it anyway! She replied with the following:

Hey, for what it's worth, I do think you do have talent as a writer. I'm kind of nervous about putting forth that kind of subjective commentary as part of the assessment comments because they're based on taste rather than the kind of literary criteria I try to focus through when I mark. And to be honest, my taste is a long way from what publishers seem to publish. so much YA is frankly terrible in my view and so I do also feel worried that I'd be off the track in commenting on the quality of your work. but in this format, I'm happy to say I really like it. gawd, put your stuff against (in the fantasy stuff) Eragon, and you're streets ahead - especially in terms of originality. All the writers I know who have made it just suffer through the slog and the humiliation of lots of rejections, lots of rewriting and lots of horrible moments of writers block until they finally crack something that is published. So try to stay emotionally strong and, as you suggest, stay focused on the pleasure you get from the process without over investing in the outcome - recipe for sanity in my humble opinion. keep in touch if you need anything along the way.


In all honesty, its left me gobsmacked and frankly, I think she must have mixed me up with another student! Its inspired me though, I do believe in myself, just have to keep plugging away.

Minus the creativity gene

Written: October 20, 2006

Why is it that somehow, I seemed to have missed out on the creativity gene? I swear I have tried so many different things to see where it may lie, but I think its a sad fact that I just don't have it.

I can't play an instrument, I can't draw a stick figure, I can't sculpt, I can't write, when I sing I sound like someone has run over my foot in their car... and so on...

This might be okay if I was not interested in the arts, but I am! I love music, especially stuff with substance. I love reading, and I think writing is a brilliant art form, I love photography, painting, pottery, mosaic... So it is frustrating that I am not good at any of these things. I think artists in all areas are the most talented, gifted people.

I hope that my son will develop and inherit what skipped over me, because I think it must be an amazing feeling to be able to create something from within, and have it be enjoyed by and have it inspire even strangers. Or to express how you think and feel in such a beautiful way.

Of course, being bad at these things, does not mean I can't do them and enjoy myself, it just means I can't inflict them on the world - be grateful!