Linzé Brandon's Blog, page 4

Cheating the Muse - Letter J

Hey there, creative friend!

If you have visited my blog a time or two, you will know how much I am in favour of journaling. The benefits outweigh any negatives, etc. etc. But today, I am not going to talk about journaling, as I usually do.

Nope, today I am enthusiastic about art journaling and junk journaling. These are not about words but paint, paper, glue, metal, wood, fabrics, thread, string, plastic, ribbons, lace, practically everything except words.

I have made a few, making at least one mor...

Cheating the Muse - Letter I

Hey there, creative friend!

You might have heard the expression that the muse needs to find you working. Professionals get stuck in, while amateurs wait for inspiration to strike.

Inspiration does happen, often at the most inconvenient time or place. However, professionals just getting the job done have much more merit than you might think.

You can also seek inspiration to help if you need it. Today, I am sharing inspiration for writers. And no, this is not me, but people who do this for a living a...

Cheating the Muse - Letter H

Hey creative friend!

Have you ever asked for help? Or have someone ask you to help them? Of course, you have. Everyone does because we cannot do everything we want to get done. The same applies to our creative endeavours.

Three weeks ago I had a problem. The book I am currently busy with is getting long, and I was stuck between three options for the ending. I liked all three options, so it was nearly impossible to choose. I asked a friend. She is a fantastic writer, editor and the perfect person t...

Cheating the Muse - Letter G

Hey there, creative!

Today, we are getting practical. And it has worked for me many times in the past. It is my go-to for #the100dayproject when things are not working out, and I don't have the time or the energy to do a "project". So, I go small.

In some instances, small is time. Five minutes tops. Other times, it is literally a paragraph in the manuscript I am writing.

Or the tiniest sketchbook I have, where drawing anything bigger than half a credit card is physically impossible. Yup, I have rea...

Cheating the Muse - Letter F

Hey there, creative friend!

Today, I want to talk about Fear. That thing is a creative killer. It manifests itself in various forms. No matter what form it takes, it just feels like you are banging your head against the same wall over and over, and still, nothing changes.

It starts with that voice inside our heads that tells us all kinds of lies. Lies that we believe, despite the evidence that it is lying.

Lies like: you are not good enough. Or you will never amount to anything. Or you don't have t...

The 100 day project Week 6 (Day 36 to Day 42)

Hey there creative friend!

With the A-to-Z blog challenge underway, I suddenly found myself in trouble: I forgot the date! Ouch. The A-to-Z blog posts are featuring every day of the week, and Saturdays, whereas this summary of my 100 day challenge projects, are posted on Sundays.

There is not a blog conflict, but my brain has clearly needed a reboot to make sure time for both challenges are put on my daily schedule. Now they have, so here is to smooth sailing during April. I hope! 😉

Until next week...

Cheating the Muse - Letter E

Exciting times, isn't it? Lots of creative things to do, a workload that could drive anyone to drink, and unlimited time to do everything. Sorry, I was being sarcastic for a moment, but I think you get the idea.

Doing anything creative is fun. Often relaxing. Most of the time, it's incredibly satisfying. And yet, it is not always easy.

Sometimes, it is downright difficult. And might even feel impossible. And yet, the urge to draw, paint, sculpt, write or collage is an inherent part of all of us.

I ...

Cheating the Muse - Letter D

 

Downtime. Today, I want to talk about doing nothing. Or almost nothing.

I am exhausted as I sit here writing this post. It's been a long day. I had to have my car serviced, which meant braving the traffic during peak time.

Then, I had challenges with the tests I had planned. Not problems, but the preparation time took much longer, so I couldn't do everything I had planned.

Of course, I am not letting the project slip past the planned date because I have some extra time built in. With years of expe...

Cheating the Muse - Letter C

Hey there, fellow creative!

I mentioned a list yesterday. Like many (or maybe most) people, I use lists in several forms to plan. Whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. I don't have many monthlies, but daily and weekly? Absolutely!

Since my effort last year to do #the100dayproject was such a dismal disaster, I got bored and stopped after day 10. I decided to take a different approach: I would commit to time, not a specific project.

Today, April 3, is day 40 of the 100 day challenge, and I have ye...

Cheating the Muse - Letter B

Today, I want to talk about creative challenges. Since 23 February 2025, I have done something creative every day for the #100dayproject. I tried to have a theme last year, and do it 100 times. Yeah, that didn't go so well because I was bored to tears by day 10.

So why mention the 100 day project, or even the A-to-Z blog challenge of which this post is a part?

The answer is simple: I don't like to fail. Don't get me wrong, neither my writing nor my art is perfect. My fabulous editor, Vanessa Wrigh...