Susan Lower's Blog, page 3
November 8, 2019
Making A Space For Your Creativity
It’s always neat to look to see what other people’s offices and studio’s look like. It gives one ideas and a new perspective into other creative processes and where that happens. Or at least for me, it does. Or maybe I’ve been watching too many shows on HGTV.
What does your creative space look like?
We all have different spaces and different forms of creativity. My writing space isn’t always a coffee shop or a quiet corner in the library. It’s my laptop on my lap in the car waiting for kids or sitting on bleachers for a sports event. But when I am home I like to have a place that’s just mine. It’s where I go that I know I won’t be disturbed, okay mostly not disturbed.
I can honestly say, I miss our last house. I had a small room with a door that I could go in and focus on writing and it was my space. In our new home, that space is the far corner of the ‘Lower Dungeon’ or downstairs family room.
Who knows in the future there might be a ‘she shed’ in the future for me. Until then, this is where I retreat to work on my stories.
My creative space has evolved several times to meet the needs of the season of my creativity. Like a blank canvas or an unwritten page you can see I’m still personalizing and updating my little corner I claim as my own. When I’m not writing or chasing after my family, I enjoy paper crafts and bookbinding.
The bookcase and desk came from Walmart.com while the pendant light came from Amazon.com as well as my ergonomic keyboard.
When you are creating a space for creativity it needs to work for you. Nor does it have to be fancy or top of the line in the latest trends. It should be a place of joy that you want to go to often.
To make a space that is yours, choose and put things in there that help inspire your creativity while giving you the tools and functionality you need to create.
I have wall hangings with words on my bookcase. I’m a lover of words and those positive quotes help spur my creativity. I have books, that I love to read and ones that I use for resources.
What kind of things inspire you?
I ‘ve been collecting old books to make a wall art above my desk and eventually I’ll replace the kitchen chair with a desk chair… or not. I also trade-off and sit on an exercise ball some days. And there are days when I like to stand while I create.
This is my old space on the other side of the room, I had to give it up for my kids doing homework and online education. When they aren’t using it, my husband uses this space for working. One half of the family room has become a ‘office’ space for our family in constant need of using a computer.
While back to back in the same room, these two different spaces in the house are used for similar purposes, only one belongs to me and the other is for the rest of the house. Needless to say, when you create a space to inspire your creativity it doesn’t need to look like either of the ones I’ve shown you.
Your creative space should be set up in a way that works for you. The things my space includes are things that inspire me, bring me joy, and help me to express my creativity.
Not everything to build your creative space needs to be brand new. That writing desk is a treasure I found at a yard sale years ago. It’s my favorite. And the countertop was given to me as is the shelf with paper on top. Creative and repurposing things can be fun and another way to make your creative space unique to you.
What does your creative space look like? CLICK TO TWEET
The post Making A Space For Your Creativity appeared first on Susan Lower.
November 1, 2019
Time Old Traditions
Make Time for Old Traditions
Did you know Fruitcake was initially a wedding cake? Yep,
that holiday dreaded sweet we think of now was once part of a different kind of
tradition.
What was once popular and valued hundreds of years ago, has
been either forgotten or considered ‘too old fashioned’ for today’s modern society.
While I don’t suggest going out and baking a fruitcake unless you like fruitcake or love baking and try to put your own twist on it, I do want to encourage you to find one old tradition in your family’s history and keep it alive.
Can you imagine the sight and scents of white roses and lavender
instead of gingerbread and evergreens? Colonial Virginians preserved their
roses for this very occasion. Christmas with roses? I’m in! Although I prefer
mine raspberry tipped, and the image of roses in these unpredictable seasons,
thanks to global warming has my mind spinning with the possibilities.
Do you invite people over for a party for holidays and
celebrations? Too busy with your day job and everyday life to stress about
getting it all coordinated this year? Well, friend. When in Roman, do what the Romans
do, right? In which, I refer to ‘Saturnalia,’ a Roman tradition where a child plans
the party. Give your pre-teen or teen a little extra responsibility this year and
promote them to party planner—with your final approval of course.
Craving a little Humble Pie, unlike the fruitcake, the
humble pie started as a stable at Christmas in the 1600s. It was filled with a
deer’s ‘humbles,’ you know heart, liver, brains, and other neglected organs,
which is where it got its name. Whereas nowadays, serving up a little humble
pie is much sweeter and has a much different meaning. I think I’ll pass on the
humble pie and stick with rose petals and fruitcake.
And let us not forget the giving of gifts. It’s a tradition linked to so many occasions and puts us back to the Roman’s ‘Saturnalia’ and another tradition that most writers and lovers of words can appreciate it. The Romans wrote poetry on their gift tags. It makes you think of love and Valentine’s traditions, which also include roses, sweet words, and possibly cake. Preferably chocolate.
TWEETABLE
What old or new traditions do you make time for?
The post Time Old Traditions appeared first on Susan Lower.
October 24, 2019
Preparing for the Fall Season
Goodbye daisy’s. Hello sunflowers!
Sunflowers are my favorite. If I could I’d plant an entire field of them behind my house. Maybe someday when I’ve got my own farm. I haven’t been able to convince my family the advantage of growing sunflowers and harvesting the seeds.
Usually this time of year, my family is finishing up with the corn crops and preparing for the onset of cold weather. It means making sure the grain bins are filled, the hayloft is full, and the last pickings of the garden have been canned.
It’s a time for gathering.
It also means raking up the leaves and putting out the autumn welcome signs.
It’s baking zucchini bread to freeze for a rainy day and pumpkin rolls for Sunday morning tea in the house my dad built. It’s hanging at the grange fair to catch up with extended family and high school classmates.
It’s swapping, sharing, and connecting our resources, time, and fellowship because this time of year calls for us to start slowing down and preparing for the long dark days ahead as the season changes.
We always have so much to do, I for one am always trying to get ahead for those moments when I can step back and just breath, admire and be appreciative of a time that can never be taken back.
TWEETABLE
How do you prepare for the season ahead? (Click to Tweet)
Share your thoughts below.
The post Preparing for the Fall Season appeared first on Susan Lower.
October 18, 2019
Book Inspired Halloween Treats For Young Readers
Halloween is a big deal in our house. It’s more than a pagan holiday, it’s a chance to dress up and pretend. (It’s Mr. Lower’s birthday so we like to party on that day, too.)
Plus, I love having trick or treaters come to the house. Last year, I had a unicorn come to the door. Unicorns are awesome. And boo me for being one of those moms who isn’t a big fan of sugared-up kids.
Candy is the bomb, but each year I’m always looking for cool other treats to give out to the kids in our neighborhood.
And where do I go for cool ideas? Pinterest, of course!
Check out these spooky ideas for bookmarks and book treats I found for all the little ghost, goblins, and mythical creatures that might be showing up at your door.
Book Treat Bags by Alyssabeth
Halloween Book Treat Boxes by Anniebwills
Halloween Corner Bookmarks by It’s Always Autumn
You can’t ever have enough bookmarks, so I’ll definitely be making up a stash of those and adding a bit of candy to our treat bags this year.
What kind of Halloween treats are you giving out this year? I love sharing ideas and I can’t wait to read your response.
TWEETABLE
You can’t ever have enough bookmarks. (Click here to share)
The post Book Inspired Halloween Treats For Young Readers appeared first on Susan Lower.
Book Inspired Treats For Young Readers
Halloween is a big deal in our house. It’s more than a pagan holiday, it’s a chance to dress up and pretend. (It’s Mr. Lower’s birthday so we like to party on that day, too.)
Plus, I love having trick or treaters come to the house. Last year, I had a unicorn come to the door. Unicorns are awesome. And boo me for being one of those moms who isn’t a big fan of sugared-up kids.
Candy is the bomb, but each year I’m always looking for cool other treats to give out to the kids in our neighborhood.
And where do I go for cool ideas? Pinterest, of course!
Check out these spooky ideas for bookmarks and book treats I found for all the little ghost, goblins, and mythical creatures that might be showing up at your door.
Book Treat Bags by Alyssabeth
Halloween Book Treat Boxes by Anniebwills
Halloween Corner Bookmarks by It’s Always Autumn
You can’t ever have enough bookmarks, so I’ll definitely be making up a stash of those and adding a bit of candy to our treat bags this year.
What kind of Halloween treats are you giving out this year? I love sharing ideas and I can’t wait to read your response.
TWEETABLE
You can’t ever have enough bookmarks. (Click here to share)
The post Book Inspired Treats For Young Readers appeared first on Susan Lower.
October 10, 2019
How I Find Time To Write
When something is important to you, time is something you always find. It shows where your heart and your motivations lie. For me, it’s writing and giving life to the stories that form from ideas and inspiration that I find around me. It’s entertaining and inspiring others, and putting that into words that build words and create characters that evoke happy ever afters.
Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hanging out with some of my fellow authors at a book event. The question came up on how I find time to write.
Well, let me tell you this. My parents always told me that if I wanted something I needed to find a way to achieve it on my own. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for instilling that value in me that I’m able to pass on to my children today.
I started writing when I was in high school. I wrote in college, but not until I was married and had my second child did I decide I would do anything with those stories I’d been holding onto all those years. Just call me a country girl with dreams of inspiring and entertaining others through the gift of stories.
But writing a good story takes time.
Maybe one day we’ll talk about savoring a good story and what goes into it, but today let’s talk about the time commitment and how to make time to write.
When my kids were little, I wrote in notebooks. No, not the digital kind. I carried around paper notebooks. They were great for letting kids draw and playing tic tac toe when you needed to keep them occupied in doctor office waiting rooms or for buses to arrive. I didn’t have a laptop until my kids got into elementary school.
My days back then centered around my kids. They still are. I would get up two hours before they woke. I’d send my husband off to work and I’d write until it was time to wake up the kids. I wrote at nap times and after they went to bed, I prepared for the next day so I could have my morning writing time.
I’m in the tween/teen stage now which you’d think gives me more time to write. Nope. Not this Momma. But what I do is MAKE time to write. My schedule isn’t always the same every day. I’ve had to step away from responsibilities outside of my household and take the backseat on things where I was once the leader.
It’s a matter of priorities. It’s a matter of taking care of yourself, your family, and not spreading yourself too thin. It’s hard to give up things you’ve been doing for a long time. I found a ton of support thanks to friends, family, and fellow authors.
I still get up early every day. I can’t help it, blame it on the farm girl in me. I start my morning with a bit of reading and a good cup of tea. I read inspirational and motivational works as well as books on writing and marketing. Currently, as I write this post, I’m reading Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind.
Most days, I spend two hours in the morning writing. And I get another two hours in the afternoon. Once I week I take my Surface Pro and head out of the house. I find a quiet spot in a local coffee shop. If life gets chaotic and I can’t get any writing done any other day. I have that one day I try hard to keep reserved for me to write. And another day a week, I spend taking care of all my errands and the business side of being a writer. I don’t write at all that day, and I don’t write on weekends. Weekends are family time. Our weekdays are so busy, I reserve the weekends to spend time together and rest.
Make time to nurture your creativity. (TWEET THIS)
Slow and steady, my friend. The key to finishing any project is to be consistent and don’t give up. One word, one chapter, one book at a time.
I know not all of you reading this are writers, but I’d love to know one thing you do to make time to be creative?
The post How I Find Time To Write appeared first on Susan Lower.
October 4, 2019
Stop and Listen to the Leaves Falling
Happy October!
My favorite time is fall. Usually, it’s the perfect temperature for enjoying the outdoors. I love the colors, bold and vibrant, but also this time of year reminds me that new seasons are beginning and the ones have passed. It’s like when you’ve ridden a bike or hiked to the top of a hill and the hard part is over. You made it. Take a moment to bask in the moment.
That’s this season.
We all have different seasons and different meanings for those seasons.
I used to think my life was busy before, but now I am color-coding my calendar and having to pencil in time to write. Yep, I have to set aside the time or it isn’t there. Welcome to responsibility and parenting. Welcome to busy. Welcome to life.
None of them are going anywhere anytime soon, and quite frankly I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I will say that once in a while you have to stop and watch the leaves fall.
When my kids were little, we collected them, made wreaths with them and piled them up and jumped in them.
Our current house doesn’t have leaves. We had to cut down our tree over the winter due to a
storm breaking the branches and making it lean toward our house. I love the outdoors, but I don’t want it inside my living room.
What I do want and what I think we all need sometimes is to step outside and breathe. Be still for just 15 minutes and admire the world around you. Listen. You don’t have to hear anything.
When you’re busy, the world is noisy.
Be still and know I am God. Psalm 46:10 comes to mind.
If you’re like me, you can’t be still for long. But when I am, it’s profound. Find your moment.
Watch the leaves fall.
Now it’s your turn. How do you find time to be still and listen? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
TWEETABLE
Stop and Listen to the Leaves Falling – @SusanLower (Click here to Tweet)
August 30, 2019
The Postage Stamp Bride is Free this Weekend
It’s a holiday, the kids don’t have school on Monday!
Yay! I love days off to enjoy time with family and friends.
Since the kids are back to school, I took this week to get back in the swing of things. I made new covers for two of the books in the Brides of Annie’s Creek Series. I hope you like them. I’m in love with The Thimble Bride Cover.
For a sweet western with western steampunk elements, it fits the main character perfect!
Callie Fox is the daughter of one of the mine investors. While her mother is out petitioning for women’s rights, Callie is home designing her wedding gown, but a tragic event could tear her hope and dreams to pieces. 
Samuel Sparks survived the tragic incident in the mines. While recovering the sweet voice of an angel has captured his heart, but when he realizes he isn’t the man he once was he flees town. Can Ester convince Samual to return, that love is more than the eyes can see? The Postage Stamp Bride is FREE this weekend. (Aug 30-Sept 1, 2019)
Grab your copy here.
June 11, 2019
Writing as Eliza Chambers
Dear friends,
They say as a writer we should write one genre and stick to it. There have been many a debate on writing more than one genre under the same name. As you all know I write both sweet romance and middle grade/ young adult fantasy.
Because of the big difference in the two genres and for marketing purposes, I’ll be writing my MG/ YA fantasy’s under the name Eliza Chambers.
Don’t panic, I’m still writing my sweet romances and suspense, but over the years I have put aside many of my fantasy adventures trying to stick with one genre and I’ve decided this year to start publishing them.
My first YA fantasy is currently available on Amazon. You can check it out here.
If you’d like to join my fantasy newsletter click here, and you’ll receive notifications of new releases. My current newsletter will only have my suspense and sweet romance, so feel free to sign up for both if you’d like.
Are your tweens and teens participating in the summer reading program? Make sure to share this new book with them.
Have a fantastic summer!
