Starting over again

Dear World,

I don't believe I've hit a rut in my writing process. But, I've realized that I'm completely starting over a screenplay that I've rewritten a million times. The writing process is such a weird thing. It's as if to go forwards you have to take five steps backwards. It feels right though, for the script. I often am wondering if this is how writers really do it. They think they have this great idea, think it's polished and realize they have to start over because much is wrong with it. I know I feel like this. But it's sort of a liberating feeling to start over. I know the story I want to write and there will be some of the same pieces in it. But in essence the scenes will be new. There will be a more clearer theme and purpose to this script.

A professor once told me about the creative process. It starts off in the land of I have an idea, floats towards a period of distinct confusion and challenges, then there is this middle ground of potential, and after that there is usually a break through of the real idea. And then there is where the idea is flowing and nothing can stop you from creating it. For some reason I always have thought that this process was very quick. That I'd get to the top part of this diagram quick. That's it's easy to get to this heaven in so many words. It's taken me two years to get to this point. I still might have to go through this process again in this draft of the script. And once again, I feel as though the title I have for it will change. As if changing the title signifies a different period this story is going.

"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally." Zelda Fitzgerald

I think Zelda has picked my mood for the night. This next draft is going to be solid. And I'm not afraid to work with a bunch of dirt to make it beautiful again.

Love,

The working writer

ponyo: and my reaction to it.

Dear World,

This has been my pondering so far. Love is quite. Love is loud. It's an oxymoron that can't be solved in one hundred years. Ever. It's a sweet lullaby when a baby is sleeping. It's a fire engine when voices need to be heard. Love falls under too many categories. Ponyo has made me think these things. Because the director. writer. tells a simple story about how a little girl and boy have to love each other in order to save the world. It's a bit far fetched, but it puts love out in the most extremest way possible. Another aspect that was brought to my attention was that the animation was so pure and simple. It was as if a water colored painting came to life. I love that the animation is purposely easy to understand. I wish I was a little girl seeing this for the first time. I think it'd go above and beyond any disney princess movie.

Have a good night all.

love,

The writer

A Meaning of Home

Dear World,

Hello there. How are you? It feels like a long time since I've said hi to you all. I've begun to really discover the meaning of home, and what makes a house a home. I know this might sound cliche but, a house it where you call a place of security. A place where you'll be accepted and happy at the same time. It doesn't matter if it's in a classroom, a little corner on a bed that's not yours or a place of your own. Home is just an idea. We all live places. Whether we like them or not is another story. So, world I challenge you. Go to the place you love the most and enjoy it's atmosphere. The feeling you get from it will create beautiful images in your head. I leave you with this, I like it alot.

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest" Thomas Moore an Irish Poet

Ciao lovely people,

The writer

Go on an Adventure

Dear World,

I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. So for the next five weeks I'm taking a really challenging class in half the time it usually takes. None the less it's a film class. I believe I'll be busy and I can get it done. But there is still apart of me some hesitation, because it's the unknown. The unknown is challenging, but it's the adventure. Last night I found out a film I made didn't really win anything. I realized that I can be happy on my own. And don't really need anything to try to cheer me up. Do you ever take out your anger or sadness out on someone else when you don't mean to? I've never done that until the other night. And it was stupid to do so. It doesn't accomplish anything, except waste time. Now as August approaches I'm getting really excited for September. Even though it's good to enjoy summer, it's nice to go back to familiarity. The sense of family, not being alone factor. That summer in Savannah has brought. Granted I've made many new and amazing friends, gotten experiences for down the road, but I still would've preferred to have my friends home. The life all SCAD students love: Family and acceptance filled with creativity and adventure. So, world I challenge you to take a new step in the direction of happiness and embrace your next new moment vividly without hesitation. I leave you with this:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure."

-Helen Keller

Enjoy your night.

Love,

The musings of a writer

Desire

Dear World,
I write to you as the clouds start to gray and the wind barely rustling. This summer has been incredibly creative and full of ideas. I feel as though I'm just a collector. Never staying too long on an idea. Maybe it's meant to be a gathering so I can pick out the best stuff for later. I won't know til I get there. But, what has recently happened was how info has been passed to me. The use of info given at the last minute possible. I don't understand it really. It's as if certain information only was told with huge hesitation. Now, this information was valuable and needed, but somehow I feel betrayed. I wish I could figure out why it needed to happen. To be in that mindset? Hmm. Desire is a strong emotion. Be careful what you do with it. I leave you with this: "A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs" - Mark Twain
Good bye now.

Love,
The writer

Movies. and life as I know it

Dear World,

I find myself ever more pleased that what I can endure for art. Being an extra in a movie is a hard job. Although some parts are super easy, it's a long enduring day and at the end you could say "I was needed in some way. Even if it was a small one" Today I got to be in the new Miley Cyrus movie called "The Last Song". I mean I was getting paid to be a beach goer and stand and cheer in the stands. What's so difficult about that? 1) The heat 2)Filming over the sun with no shade.

But I loved every minute of it. To the crazy lady that needed to follow us, to being swept up in a sand storm on the beach and then getting poured rain on almost directly afterward. I loved for the first time in my life I could care less that I was actually in the movie. I wanted to be behind the scenes so much more. I could live that circus of a life. It's so fullfilling to me. Weird in itself, it's a really structured time schedule with so much creative freedom. I love the filming world and today just confirmed what I've been learning in school and what I've seen through films. The world of filming is magical and really it's just ordinary people doing EXTRAORDINARY things. And I'm not talking about the talent. I'm talking about the PA who rounds everyone up, to the 1AD placing people and wanting to create atmosphere. I felt like a film nerd because of all the beautiful equipment in the trucks and on set. I want to shoot films on those cameras one day. And so I leave you with this :

"Film is one of the three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music"

-Frank Copula

Good night and good luck faithful artists,

Love,

The writer

The Ocean is a Wide open valley

Dear World, 

I've had the pleasure to sit through hours of documentaries and films about the ocean and planet we live in this week. It's been fascinating. I've been volunteering at the Blue Ocean Film Festival. I do hope it returns next year. The art gallery I've been assigned to is called the Brian Skerry Photography exhibit.

http://www.brianskerry.com/portfolio.html

Go to this website to check out the photos. They are fantastic. I've always loved the ocean and it's wonders when I was little.

It's in this week that my love for it has really come out. Seeing all the animals, being exposed to so many people who are passionate about

filmmaking and taking photographs of the wild life. I think real life is almost more exciting then making up stories.

That real life is just a little story that people document. It's a growing concern among these filmmakers that the ocean

is in trouble with temperatures rising. It's not just a silly pop culture thing. It' really happening and its fascinating

to see proof of it in these films. I've learned so much about the ocean in just two days, and have remembered from

paying attention in school to understand what's going on. What I love is seeing people who are so focused to get

their message out to the general public. Sylvia Earle is an amazing woman. And I can't wait to meet her in the next few days

She's one of the most well known Oceanographers of our time. What's so awesome is that she's pushed boundaries,

authored books and has taken hours of footage underwater. I respect her greatly. She's being honored with a lifetime

achievement award at Blue this week and I couldn't be happier for her.

So I leave you with this quote tonight world. Enjoy.

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." 
—Louisa May Alcott

Goodnight, love, 

The writer