Menna Van Praag's Blog, page 25

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” ― Ella Fitzgerald

I believe in love and inspiration. I believe in passion and true desire. I believe that if a person follows the gentle urging of their heart then they’ll find success doing what they want to do. Now, it might take many years and it might not bring great riches, but then that isn’t the point. Wanting to be wealthy is quite a separate thing from wanting to do the thing you love. Babe Ruth said he’d have played baseball for food stamps, he simply loved doing it more than anything else. I feel the same way about writing. And, if that’s how you feel about whatever it is you really want to do, then you can’t go wrong.

Pic: gorgeous gondolas in Venice

“I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” ― Golda Meir

Today I’d woke ready to do the million & one things on my list: take O to the park, go shopping, write new novel, prepare writing workshops… But, before getting started, I took half an hour out to bake. It was lovely. Sometimes I get lost in everything I want to do (rather than just focusing on what I’m doing in the moment) & feel overwhelmed & stressed. But, I realise, I never need to be. I only have the time I have, I can only do what I can do. Sometimes things have to wait. It’s not the end of the world. And, if we stop for a moment in our busy days, we might find that there’s time to make chocolate cake, or kiss someone we love…

Pic: yet another gorgeous stationery shop in Venice – I lost count in the end!

“It is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.” ― Amelia Earhart

It takes courage to start something. Beginnings contain good intentions. We rarely begin something thinking, as we do, that we’ll give up when it gets difficult. The challenge is that we usually underestimate the energy & effort it’ll take to complete anything. However, we also underestimate the impact giving up will have on our self-esteem. When we fail to finish something we care about doing, it matters more than we might think. Every time we quit we’re dismissing our desires & breaking our word with ourselves, thus inflicting a double wound on our spirits. The trick is not to start things lightly, be it a novel or an exercise class, & not say “yes” before you realise what it will entail. You’ll feel a lot better if you only start a few things but always finish them. Knowing you can trust & rely on yourself is a great thing indeed.

Pic: more beautiful costumes at the Venice Carnival

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Wishing is essential. But it’s only the beginning. It’s the surge of desire, the flush in our hearts that lets us know what we want. However, once you know your wishes it’s time to take action. It’s time to plan & then execute your plan. If you wish to be a writer, you must, of course, write something! Then craft it beautifully. After that you need to contact agents & so on. If plan A doesn’t work, you move onto plan B. For my first novella this meant self-publishing until a publisher picked it up. So, once you know what you want, don’t waste any more energy in wishing, channel that energy into actions that will make those wishes come true.

Pic: beautiful & extremely expensive marbled paper boxes at Il Papiro

“A woman must have a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” ― Virginia Woolf

I used to write novels on my lap or at the kitchen table. Stephen King wrote Carrie in the laundry room of his trailer. I’m sure many writers write in much crazier conditions. But, I’ve found it an undeniable fact (especially after having my dear son) that to have a room of one’s own in which to write is a blessed thing indeed.

pic: Il Papiro – one of my favourite stationery shops in Venice

“Nature never repeats herself. The possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another.” ― Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I wanted to be a writer because of Daphne du Maurier. But reading Rebbeca, along with a good chunk of Shakespeare’s sonnets, was a blessing & a curse. I was inspired & intimidated in equal measure. I longed to immerse myself in the written word for the rest of my life, but how could I dare to pick up a pen with all the greatness that’d gone before me? For the next ten years, I couldn’t. I was nearly thirty before I began believing perhaps my own self-expression was valid, that I didn’t have to be a genius for my words to mean something. It’s taken me another five years to fully embrace my personal style & to love it, without apology or excuse. I recommend embracing your own beautiful, blissful, brilliant uniqueness right now!

Pic: one of my fav Carnival costumes, St Mark’s Square.

“There are years that ask & years that answer.” ― Zora Neale Hurston

Some days, some years, it can feel as if you’re getting nowhere. Naturally, this can be disheartening & many people give up while in this desert. If you’ve had no success for years you might think yourself a fool to carry on. But you can’t see the truth of your progress, you can’t see the oasis over the next sand dune. Successful people aren’t necessarily the most talented, they’re simply the ones who never give up. One day – dehydrated & sunburnt – they stumble upon their oasis. They drink, enjoying the fruits of their long labours, enjoying “the years that answer”. During the decade I wrote (before being published) I often questioned if I was good enough, if I was a fool to keep trying but I kept going until, one day, the oasis appeared.

Pic: writing new novel at Caffee Florian, St Mark’s Square, Venice.

“I was seven when Maureen O’Sullivan said, ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ & I said, ‘I’m going to be an actress.’ ― Vivien Leigh

I love this quote. Self-belief, tenacity, talent & courage all rolled into one. I admire someone having a dream so young & making it come true so spectacularly. Her levels of self-belief & tenacity are demonstrated in the story of how Leigh bagged one of her most famous roles as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. Every one wanted it & the producer “had no enthusiasm” for Leigh, deeming her “too British” to play the role. So she flew out to LA to convince him he was wrong. She wowed him so greatly, from the first moment he met her, that Selznick later wrote he never recovered Today, take inspiration from Vivien. Whatever it is you want, don’t give up. No matter the odds against you, don’t give up. Believe in yourself. Be courageous. And don’t give up!

Pic: I arrived in Venice today to research my new book & have fun at the Carnival!

“Never explain.” ― Dorothy Parker

When you’re starting out in your endeavours people will ask you what you’re up to. When you tell them the positive ones will nod and smile & wish you well. The negative ones will ask you more questions designed to get you second-guessing yourself. You’ll probably feel the need to explain/defend yourself. Don’t do it! Explaining yourself undermines your self-belief. To succeed at anything you need oodles of passion & truck-loads of self-belief. So, surround yourself with positive people who will cheerlead you on the way to fulfilling your dreams & watch out for the rest

Pic: this one requires a little explaining – me & the family after an amazing muddy zip line ride in Costa Rica! Artur had just washed his mud off

“Never complain.” ― Dorothy Parker

This is a fantastic mantra to remember while you’re engaged in following your dreams. Of course, it takes practice, not to complain but it’s very well worth it. Complaining can be tempting, but it’s important to remember that it’s poisonous. Your words will seep into your blood & bring you down. Instantly. So, when you sit down to write a chapter or call an agent you’ll find you don’t have the energy and enthusiasm you need. Complaining, however tempting, comes at a great cost. It undermines your passion & joy and, when it comes to fulfilling your dreams, you’ll need all the passion & joy you’ve got!

Pic: taken as I was out cycling this morning