It’s a Herculean effort to stay in this chair, despite the deadline. The kids are home for the summer, for one. For another, the weather’s beautiful. And lastly, right outside my tree is a mulberry tree loaded with fruit, which means birds, birds, birds. Woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, robins, and lots of others I don’t know. And just now a tiny hummingbird hovered right in front of my window screen and chirped as if to say, “Whaddya doing in there, ya dumb human?” There’s been more birds in my yard this year than ever before, but I’m afraid the neighborhood dog ran off all the bluebirds, because I haven’t seen any since she killed all the fledglings.

So, yeah. It’s difficult to sit in here when all of nature is inviting me outside.

Isn’t that a beautiful, kreativ* logo? So my old friend DarcKnyt (old in Internet years) has passed this award on to me, and I must say I am honored. It always surprises me when someone likes this place. The question that came with this was hard to answer, since I’ve only recently started feeling creative after a long dry spell.

List six things that inspire your creativity.

1. Nature. When I commune with a tree or talk to a squirrel it fires me right up.
2. Spirituality. I love to ponder the human/spirit connection. It’s a theme that often shows up in my work. It’s probably why I write fantasy.
3. Conversation. This might spark my creativity more than anything. Even when I’m only conversing with myself, speaking ideas out loud seems to stimulate my brain.
4. Writing with pen and paper. I don’t know why I didn’t use this device before. If I’m stuck on the computer, writing on paper unsticks me.
5. Books. Reading other people’s work gets me to thinking about my own. If it’s a good book, I aspire to be as good. If it’s bad, I get a boost because mine is better.
6. My office. [updated link] That place, all mine, into which no negative energy may pass, calms me and makes me receptive to creative impulses.

Pass the award on to 7 more kreativ bloggers. Gosh, looking at my sidebar is looking at a blog graveyard. I really need to update that thing. I don’t have 7 people to pass the award to (some on my sidebar have already received it), but I do have a few who astound me with their creativity on a regular basis.

1. Marta, Writing in the Water
2. Raquita, WOBL in Training
3. D. Lynn Frazier, Writtenwyrdd
4. Ian T. Healy, Perpetual Writer’s Blog

If you’re not reading these folks you’re missing out. They embody creativity. (I just noticed all the ladies’ blogs start with the letter “W”. Heh.)

Link back to the person who gave you the award. Done did that up yonder.
Link to the people you are passing it on to and leave them a comment to let them know. I’m gonna go do that right now.

Thanks again, my buddy DarcKnyt.