Motivations and Distractions
I have a lot of hobbies beyond my writing. My family and friends joke about it. And I sometimes feel as though I might have too many myself. But I have a curious and adventurous spirit. And I can't help myself!
As but a sample of the gear I've acquired for exploring the outdoors I have kayaks for nearly every member of my family, two canoes, a stand-up paddleboard, a full set of SCUBA equipment, snowshoes, and hiking and camping gear sufficient to fit out a small summer camp! (And that is by no means a complete list!) In previous posts I've talked about the fact that my writing is heavily inspired by nature. Even a walk on the trail behind my house refuels my imagination. Watching a goshawk streak after its prey into a stand of pines. Finding a set of tracks that seem too big to have been made by a dog. Was it a bear? A bobcat? Or just admiring what the changes in season reveal. Moss covered streambeds. Mottled bark and hollow trees. Exotic mushrooms sprouting up after a rain. And the anticipation of the first green shoots of spring. So much to inspire!
As far as working with my hands is concerned, I have been a home brewer and mead maker since 1994. I love to cook and to experiment with different foods and spices. I enjoy making bread by hand. And I also like to create things of a more permanent nature. I took a welding course at a local vocational school and built my own coal forge. I have all sorts of woodworking tools and equipment which have served as strong inspiration for Breeden's magical talents! (Along with my father and maternal grandfather having been involved in the businesses of boat and ship building respectively!)
Then there are the ways that nature and crafting come together. I love to create hardscapes on my property that work with nature rather than ignoring it or working against it. My boys and I dug a firepit into a hilltop that evokes a sacred space that might have been made by druids in the iron age. I've placed stone steps in different spots throughout my woods that follow the natural contour of the landscape. And I built a minimalist tree deck that blends into the background and overlooks the wetlands adjacent to my house.
My next investment in the area of crafting is going to be a five-burner gas forge so I can try my hand at some of the more demanding forging that I have thus far avoided attempting with my coal-fired forge. (Can you say hand-crafted swords?) But I've made a promise to myself that I will not buy the forge until book three is published! Because while I do get a great deal of motivation from working with my hands and creating things that only ever existed before in my imagination, I also want to wrap up the trilogy and bring home the tale that started with Breeden hauling in those herring as the sun rose on that spring morning so long ago.
Okay. That's all for now. Until next time . . . Thank you for reading!