Art and Science: Santiago Betancur

"Two different points of view (art and science) are converging."

Despite already envisioning myself as more of a "liberal arts" student, when we studied vision in the 6th grade, I was fascinated. It was one of the few times I came home wanting to explain something I learned to my mother. I remember her patiently listening to my 11-year-old scientific explanation.

When I hit junior high, I was faced with some not-so-great science teachers. My 7th grade teacher made us stare into microscopes during class and draw what we saw.  I liked the drawing part but didn't learn much about what I was drawing. My 8th grade teacher had such distracting facial tics that I couldn't pay attention to what she was saying (not her fault, of course).  I don't even remember 9th grade science teacher.  Then finally, for 10th grade, there was a teacher all the kids loved; I was looking forward to her class.

Come that September, her husband had a heart attack; she took a sabbatical.  In her place, we had a substitute who knew nothing about science.  By the time I was eligible to take chemistry and physics, I had ruled out science as an interest.  Instead, I took courses in creative writing, library science, and got a credit serving as student aid for one of the English teachers.  By my senior year, I was so bored that I graduated early.  I couldn't take it anymore!

Through a twist of fate, I stumbled upon my 6th grade fascination with science again in college.  Four years later, I graduated with a degree in Biology.  Sometimes, I'm still surprised that I have a science degree.  But then I remind myself why.

A lot of folks view science and creativity as mutually exclusive.  I saw them as one and the same.  Sitting in my college biology classes, I found a new kind of creativity--that which can be found in nature.  My degree program was focused on human biology so I took courses such as genetics, molecular biology and genetics, physiology, cell biology, histology, and medical microbiology.  The intricate, fascinating machinations of human biology stimulated me both intellectually and creatively.  The creativity in nature never ceased to amaze me. 

My guest today, artist Santiago Betancur, focuses his work on the fascinating interweave between science and creativity.  He deeply appreciates art in nature, and seeks to express it on multiple levels within his work. His fascinating art seeks to lesson the divide between the worlds of science and art, and has been praised on both planes. Given that I share his belief that it is within nature that we find the highest levels of creativity, his work both captivates and inspires me.

"Using a mixture of acrylic paint and pure water, Betancur worked on life-size figure paintings that can only be described as a synthesis between Da Vinci's anatomical sketches, Goya's Black Paintings, and of course, the undefined substance of Betancur himself."  Anna Visnitskaya, Krasa Fine Art

Santiago is one of the gifted owners of Area 23 Gallery in Miami.   Watch this video to see Santiago at work.

Can you describe what makes you feel successful as an artist?

My life has shown me an unavoidable way to express what I feel through art, especially in the hardest moments and during crisis. I have felt the most amazing success when I see the reaction of the public interacting with my paintings. This is because I perceive that the people can't avoid feeling a deep psychological impact, which shows effective communication that is sometimes almost vertiginous.

I see that I’m going deeper and deeper in to the human experience, never stopping.

What are your current goals?
 
My goal is to generate new concepts for how humanity views itself in many fields. It may sound pretentious, but my process has shown me how complex, mysterious and fascinating we are, and I aim to explore that. Doing so provides me with a special and beautiful feeling of humility each time I capture in my art the miracle of life and all that it implies.

During the last two years I've been showing my paintings in Miami. The last eight months this has been in my own gallery in the Wynwood Arts District. The gallery is a collaboration with a few other artists. Our goal is to partner on focusing on new and better levels of technique and expression, and obviously, additional exposure for our work.

With regard to your current creative focus, was there an "ah-ha" moment you can tell us about? 
 My painting ah-ha is happening now. It’s based on my close relationship with the science world.

In the last few weeks, my paintings have been praised by doctors and scientist who recognize, feel, and see (in my anatomy work) concepts and knowledge concerning their fields of study. Two different points of view (art and science) are converging. This means a lot to me because bringing these aspects together is one of my primary goals.

For you, is art more about creation or expression? It could be both, but does one dominate with regard to your need/urge/desire to be an artist and why?

Maybe we are created to express. Perhaps our ability to create is to echo or provide a resonance of our connection with the different aspects of nature; a tribute to life, to its beauty, or to God. Sometimes these tributes of expression are made possible with a sense of sacrifice common to the "tormented artists." The paradox is that this blessing comes from suffering, which enables us to understand a certain level of beauty.

Many artist focus on one particular subject or style.  How important is this for career development?  Have you ever grown tired of painting the same types of  things, and if so, can you tell us about it?

Actually, I try to focus on the same things; my obsessions are permanent. But I'm always trying to use different techniques because art asks for experimentation. If you follow that call, the results are usually enriched. You won't be let down.

Life is filled with aberrations. Do you attempt to capture those in your work as you focus on the beauty of humanity?

Rather than the aberrations, the feeling I try to capture in my art is the greatness of the human being and the miracle of life. I do this even when the darker face of my work is present. It enhances the sense of mystery and the disturbing power of art. This may enable the spectator to reflect on his aberrations while also recognizing the beauty in life.

During difficult or challenging times in your life, does writing sooth or inspire you? Is it therapeutic in any way?

I set a dialogue between doctor and patient within me. I'm both simultaneously, as a painter and a subject. That is like going to the space in my mind where I can find both my diseases and then my cures. Have you ever had to deal with people in your life failing to understand your creative personality, interests, or drive?

Each moment of your life can give you the creative satisfaction of finding the subtlest things that show you that you are headed the right way.

Have you developed a specific creative process that enables you to meet your artistic goals? If so, can you tell us about it.

Identifying methods is fundamentally what we need to do. As I paint, I know that I need to keep a special image related to specific feelings that want to get out in my imagination, prefigured, then I exploit. Vibrate till burst, like the cicadas.

What do you believe places an artist apart from his or her peers? So many are highly talented, but what makes one stand out as truly gifted?

It is not relevant considering that a true artist competes only with himself.

With regard to gifts, increasing them is the responsibility for each talented person. In my case, you could say that I'm doing that through my connection with the world of science and the knowledge that explains to us the functions of the universal shapes. I find here my natural field, because I'm always appreciating the beauty plus the intelligence with the same emotion.

What is your primary motto or mantra in life? Why is this important to you?

Now I'm trying to be aware that we are only neurons achieving the best information that we can get from the Universe. We are his feedback; this concept led to the title of my series of self portraits, which is "Worshiper."

 

New Art: Summer Tribe

Summer Tribe

12" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas, Mixed Media

Hand me a stick and I'll dance it through,

Like summer again, gold glints tangling in my aging hair,

Fetch me some light, that sparkle, a dream,

Take away warnings, your rules, my limits,

Instead bring hope, splash it, soak me, 

In sunlight, let glistening rain stroke my calloused feet,

Tell me it's not too late.

Detail Pics: 

  

To see more of my art, go here. 

Choosing Battles: John Gilstrap

" ... I have family and acquaintances who ostentatiously never read my books ..."

My latest novel, Dust, is dedicated to my mother. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that she has refused to finish reading the manuscript after having read just 26 pages.  Although she holds the opinion that those pages are beautifully written, and that the story is a page turner, it's just "too hard" for her to continue.  She can't seem to digest the truth in it, and the thought-provoking questions it poses about  religion, death, parenting of adult children, prejudice, and love.

She begged me not to publish it, to set it aside, to essentially bury it.  This is a form of censorship.

 The best literature is not only entertaining, it's also a window into the realities of life, which can make some folks uncomfortable. Although unofficial, I can  now count Dust among the following books, all of which have been victims of censorship:

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain)
As I Lay Dying (Faulkner)
Catch 22 (Heller)
Catcher in the Rye (Salinger)
Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury)
From Here to Eternity (Joyce)
Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck)
Dust (Przekop) ???

Each of these novels caused some level of discomfort simply by incorporating truth, whether it was a word, scenario, or thought-provoking question.  I dream that my writing may some day reach the level of these great literary works. Burying what I believe to be my best effort yet isn't going to get me there.  I just wish my mother could muster the strength and love to digest it.    

My guest today, New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap says he also has relatives who haven't read his novels.  Is it just me, or is this downright bizarre?  If one of my relatives wrote a book, especially one that made it to the hallowed New York Times list, I'd be the first to read it. 

Perhaps these folks are simply not into reading.  My mother's a reader; she loves fiction. In her case, my novel is "painful" because it hits too close to home. In addition, it's "appalling" because she doesn't believe it fully supports her religious views.  Interestingly, when I set out the write the novel, I vowed that, once and for all, I was not going to let my mother's unyielding opinions influence my craft. I was not going to censor myself.  

John, a habitual observer of people, funnels this keen ability into numerous aspects of his life, and straight into his thrilling fiction.  One of the cool aspects of writing fiction is that all those motivations we as writers recognize or imagine come to life. Day to day, we don't often know if we're right about why someone said this or that, why they took a certain action, or chose not to.  In fiction, we can mold all those tiny or gigantic motivations into something cohesive.  When we get it right, truth glues it all together.

Great literature can expand who we are, as well as our ability to understand humanity.  As I move forward, my mother seems to be shrinking.  I wish I could somehow pull her along, but I'm feeling defeated. John says there's no shame in declaring defeat. He suggests that people should choose their battles.

I choose to push forward with my writing; I believe it's a battle I can win.  As for pleasing my mother, I'm trying to quit.

What's your writing story? How long did it take to establish yourself as an author? Was the journey on a straight or twisted path? Are you surprised by your success?

My path is as twisted and meandering as any career could be. I started out in college wanting to be a journalist, but after a couple of years at a trade journal--that was the best I could do with a History degree--I realized it wasn't for me. It wasn't until I followed an entirely different path--safety engineering and 15 years in the fire and rescue service--that I finally found my way back to writing.

As for establishing myself as a writer, I'm not entirely sure that I've done that yet, even after seven published books and an eighth and ninth scheduled for the next two years.

I think that any artist who doesn't confess to some level of surprise to any commercial success is being disingenuous. This is a very capricious business. Like any other business, though, luck resides at the intersection of talent and hard work.

With regard to your current creative focus, was there an "ah-ha" moment you can tell us about?

My current focus is in creating my new series character, Jonathan Grave, a freelance hostage rescue specialist. The ah-ha moment, such as it was, came while researching my nonfiction book Six Minutes to Freedom, which introduced me to the world of covert operators. I met many fine people who do unspeakably heroic things while rarely getting credit outside of their closed community. Dealing with them, and with the operations they perform on foreign soil, I got the idea of creating a character who would show the same dedication to hostage rescue outside of the military environment. I'm thrilled to report that the two Jonathan Grave novels, No Mercy and Hostage Zero, are both doing very well.

For you, is writing more about creation or expression? It could be both, but does one dominate with regard to your need/urge/desire to be a writer and why?

I think writing is defined by equal parts of both. I can create merely by thinking. We all do that every time we have a dream or play a what-if game in our heads. It's the expression of those thoughts that allows a writer (or any artist, for that matter) to share the experience with others. My need to write is fueled by my desire to entertain people by introducing them to the vivid figments of my imagination.

I don't believe in writer's block. I view the situation like priming a pump. If you just keep pumping, the water will eventually start to run. Do you ever run out of things to say, or do you experience an endless river? What are your thoughts on this?

I don't think I believe in writer's block either. That said, creativity frequently stops flowing for me, albeit temporarily. Usually, it has something to do with losing my way in a story. The only way to get through those rough times, though, is to sit down and muscle my way through.

Do you believe some of the various attributes related to being highly creative have caused you aberrations in life, helped you deal with life's aberrations, or both?

Creativity has posed far more solutions for me than problems. As a habitual observer of people my whole life, I feel that I understand motivations and reactions better than most, and that ability (whether its actual or merely imagined) has always given me confidence in my interactions with people. It's a skill that served me equally well in the fire service, the corporate world, and in the creative communities that I inhabit in the real world, and the ones that I create in my head.

During difficult or challenging times in your life, does writing sooth or inspire you? Is it therapeutic in any way?

To tell the absolute truth, I've never used writing as therapy--at least not directly. I don't keep a journal, and never have. In troubling times, I find writing to be a burden that can pull me away from what seem like more important matters. For me, the act of writing, when it's going well delivers the rush that I would imagine a concert pianist while practicing alone. It brings a great sense of satisfaction to know that your skills are improving all the time, and as days turn into years, you begin to take solace in the fact that maybe--just maybe--you're beginning to understand what you're doing.

Have you ever had to deal with people in your life failing to understand your creative personality, interests, or drive? If so, can you tell us about it and how you've dealt with it?

Artistic success easily destabilizes fragile relationships--even more so if the success is both critical and financial. I think that most people on the sidelines of such success believe that artists who "make it"--however you want to define that--do so more because of luck than talent, and there's a tendency to discount the years of work and perseverance that allowed the luck to occur. I've lost track of the people who have told me over the years that they would write a book, too, if only they had the time. As if it's that easy.

In my own life, I have family and acquaintances who ostentatiously never read my books, or who go out of their way to say something dismissive or cutting in the presence of others. I think it's a defense mechanism, akin to dismissing a friend's weight loss, or diminishing a terrific grade point average by making fun of the course load or the school at which it was earned.

As for how to cope, I smile as appropriate and then take them off the guest list for my very cool book launch parties.

Successful writers often focus on the same genre. Have you ever grown tired of working on similar types of projects, and if so, how have you dealt with that?

This is actually a tough question because I write thrillers, and that is hardly a confining genre. That said, at this point in life, the only stories I want to tell are exciting ones. I like imagining people in jeopardy and and pretending that they have to fight their way to safety. Thus, I haven't had anything negative to deal with there.

Have you developed a specific creative process that enables you to meet your writing goals? If so, can you tell us about it, and also share any thoughts you may have on the role discipline and organization play in reaching creative goals?

As a professional writer--defined for the purpose of this question as one who has signed a contract to deliver two books in two years--writing goals are met exclusively through discipline, professionalism and perseverance. If I waited for my characters to speak to me, or any of the other BS motivations I hear at conferences, I would never get a single word onto the page. The trick is to write as often as you can, and to never miss a deadline. In my own case, I know that for every book, I will be a much slower writer for the first hundred pages than I will be for the last three hundred. It's just the way my process works, and I plan accordingly.

What is your primary motto or mantra in life? Why is this important to you?

I tell writers groups all the time that no one can thrust defeat on another party; that defeat can only be declared by the one who has given up. I don't believe in failure, and I don't believe in most forms of victim hood. If I don't succeed, it's because I screwed something up, and it's my job to fix whatever I broke and then try again. There's no shame in declaring defeat--I stopped attempting home repair projects years ago when I realized that I didn't want to do the work that would teach me the skills--but we should call it what it really is: quitting. People need to pick their battles accordingly.

That's a long mantra, I suppose, but it's important to me because it makes my world make sense. It gives me the confidence and the courage to keep hammering away at a business where success is judged largely by how well you perform this time. That's how we judge all professionals.

New Art: My Unconquerable Soul

My Unconquerable Soul

12" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

Detail Pic:

Writing and Basketball: Christine Baker

" ... without creativity in sport, there would be no sport."

I was a cheerleader.  My daughter is a basketball player.  When she's at her best, jumping for a rebound or flying across the court for a steal, I get an amazing glimpse into what makes her tick.

I see her potential, not just as an athlete, but also as a woman.  She's only 5' 7", but she wear size 13/14 shoes and can palm the ball.  We don't know how tall she'll grow, or how far she'll go in basketball. After all, she just turned eleven.

What we do know is that basketball is the activity she loves the most.  The game inspires her to do her best.  It pulls her outside in 15 degree weather to practice shooting, snow on her hair and eyebrows.  It makes her proud to be tall for her age.  It gives her confidence and tests her focus.  It provides her with a positive outlet for her highly energetic disposition. It teaches her head strong personality to be part of a team.

It's a good thing.  She may soon give up her love for Justin Bieber, but we hope she won't give up her star-reaching, 11-year-old's dreams to play for our local high school team, in college, and then in the WNBA.

My guest today, Christine Baker, knows how my daughter feels about basketball, and why.  She's interview numerous players at all levels to find out why they play. Christine grew up enveloped in a deep love for basketball.  She also adored writing.  In her book, Why She Plays: The World of Women’s Basketball (University of Nebraska Press 2008), she masterfully brings these two diverse loves together.  

When I read Christine's descriptions of how basketball defined her life, I immediately felt at home. They also described how writing has defined mine.  I've never considered myself highly competitive.  There's only one person I constantly compete with, and that is myself.  We've played an ongoing game of one on one for years.  In reading Why She Plays, I realized that what I share with Christine is heart.  We're champions because we refuse to give up.  We constantly challenge ourselves to improve.  We work hard at what we love because we hate to lose, especially  when we know we have what it takes to win.

In her book, Christine says, "You can't measure heart.  There will never be a test to effectively gauge it.  Mediocre teams have beaten superior ones on heart alone. Human beings since the beginning of time have erupted from difficult circumstances to attain glorious achievements because of the desire in their hearts that only they know was present all along, because talent only gets you so far."

My daughter may not get her athleticism from me, but perhaps I've given her heart.  As each year passes, we see her vision, stamina, focus, and self-motivation increase exponentially. Christine's book taught her the concept of  basketball IQ, and now she wants that, too.

I can't say to either of my daughters, "Never give up on your dreams," if I give up on mine.  How can I doubt that my children will accomplish extraordinary goals when I sit around dreaming of a Pulitzer and millions of readers?  I may never achieve that level of  accomplishment, but as my dad always said, "If you don't shot for the stars, you'll never get off the ground."  I've always figured that someone has to reach that star; why not me?

Christine's book and her answers below remind us what winning and losing is all about, and how the ups and downs remain part of the human experience for a profound reason.  When we experience a phenomenal basketball player flying through the air for a perfect shot or a talented ballet dancer soaring across the stage; when we read an unforgettable novel or hear a song that melts into our soul; when we see great works of art; we see the human heart in its greatest form.  We see the same struggle, the losses, the wins, the hard work, and the never say die attitude that carries humanity forward in the hearts of soldiers who fight for love of country, parents who  sacrifice for their children, and individuals who survive horrific experiences.

Playing AAU 12 basketball as a 10-year-old

I see all that human potential in my daughter's 11-year-old tall, lanky body soaring across the court as if in slow motion. She grabs the ball in her unusually large hands, lands hard on the court with her giant feet.

Turn and face.

Triple threat position.

Does she shoot?  Does she pass?  Does she dribble?  What will she do and where will she go?  Only time will tell.  All I know for sure is that she has my heart.
  
What's your writing story? How long did it take to establish yourself as a writer? Was the journey on a straight or twisted path? Are you surprised by your success?

I’m not sure one ever really establishes oneself as a writer. The short answer is: I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was a little girl. But my career path initially went the direction of public relations and marketing. In 2005, I decided to quit my job as director of publications and advertising at Ramapo College in order to pursue the idea of writing a book about women’s basketball. So I’d say it was at that point that I really made a conscious career choice to focus on writing. Of course now five years later, I’m back to doing marketing and PR, but on my own terms and I have found a way to incorporate my writing projects with my consulting and PR work. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve found a great balance.

You asked if I am surprised by my success. It might sound a bit arrogant to say no. But the truth is, I have always been the type of person to go after something and not stop until I get it. If I do something, I do it 110%. It was no different with my writing. I work at it constantly as a craft and know that if I believe in my abilities, good things will happen.

With regard to your book, Why She Plays, was there an "ah-ha" moment you can tell us about?

Yes. I interviewed many people for the book but it wasn’t until my final interview with Becky Hammon (WNBA all-star and point guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars) where I really found the title and the framework for the book. Without realizing it, I always asked my interview subjects why they played the game of basketball. I didn’t see the connections until all of the interviews were done. It’s a good thing I had that “ah-ha” moment because I was beginning to panic that I had no idea how to put the book together!

Aberration Nation currently focuses on creativity, but it's also about how life's aberrations (whether physical, emotional, or situational) can become the kernel of our strength. In Why She Plays, you write about how an intense love and connection to basketball shaped your life, and about having to leave playing behind. Can you share your thoughts on what losing basketball games and losing the game of basketball have taught you about life?

What people don’t often realize is that participating in team sports is an intensely personal experience. I am a highly competitive person. I don’t like losing a game of checkers or a game of basketball. Losing basketball games taught me the value of hard work. I realized that I hated losing so much that I would work harder than anyone else to avoid it. That in itself is a powerful life lesson that I’ve used every day of my life – whether it be in my writing, in my professional life, or even in my personal life.

When I graduated from college and focused only on my career, I felt the pain of losing the team aspect of the sport- the team camaraderie, the two hours every day where I could burn 1,500 calories and ignore the rest of the world, disappeared. I missed that terribly. I went from being a leader on a team to not having a team to lead. It was difficult for me to find balance in my life, and it took me quite a few years to realize how much I missed the game and how much I wanted it to be a part of my life again.

Losses in life, no matter how small or large, test the spirit. It hurts to lose. It's not surprising that so many people stop trying after a loss. After a great loss, many of us tend to wallow over our imperfections and situations as if nothing could possibly be worse. We feel sorry for ourselves, guilty that we didn't somehow do more, and as if we can't win next time. We forget that there is always someone out there who has it worse than us. How were you able to avoid letting those emotions sabotage your happiness and success?

Sometimes we lose because someone else is better than us on a given day. There is no shame in trying your best but coming up short. There is, however, shame in not giving 100%. My goal every single morning is to wake up and give 100%, no matter what the tasks ahead of me may be. I know for a fact that I am harder on myself than anyone else could possibly be. Sometimes I have to remind myself to lighten up, to enjoy life and live in the present. It’s easy to dwell on the negative. It’s harder to remain optimistic even through difficult circumstances. I’ve learned that if I focus on the negative, I bring more negativity to me and if I focus on the positive, I manifest more positive outcomes.

In Why She Plays, you mentioned that great basketball players often have creativity on the court. Can you explain what that means? How critical do you think creativity is for athletes?

In the game of basketball, there is a framework to the game- rules, court dimensions, team positions, etc. There are plays that the team works on every day in practice. But to be successful in basketball, one cannot be a robot. A player must learn how to work within the framework to create. Athletes are so unbelievably creative with their bodies in motion, that when done well, does look like art. Look at Michael Jordan dunking a basketball in slow motion and tell me that is not creativity in its highest form. So to answer your question, without creativity in sport, there would be no sport.

For you, is writing more about creation or expression? It could be both, but does one dominate with regard to your need/urge/desire to be a writer and why?

Hmm. That’s a great question. I feel like this is a left-brained or right-brained question. Writing for me is a combination. I treasure the process of creating something new. And, I have always felt that writing offers me a vehicle to express myself in ways that I might not be able to otherwise. For me, it depends on what I am working on. If it’s a poem, I would say expression. If it’s the script I am currently writing based on the life of Emily Dickinson, I would say creation.

As describe in Why She Plays, the act of playing basketball offers various levels and types of therapy for top athletes and for those who love it. It's an outlet. In general, is writing therapeutic for you? How was writing Why She Plays therapeutic?

Writing is very often NOT therapeutic. LOL. Sometimes I wonder if I have rocks in my head for sitting at a computer 10-12 hours per day. Only sometimes when I really hit my stride does writing feel therapeutic for me. That said, writing Why She Plays was cathartic for me on three levels:

1. It brought me back to the game of basketball and forced me to articulate how much the game meant and still means to me.

2. It was the first time I was published, so it was self-affirming.

3. I made a huge career change to write that book, and took a big risk. I had a great deal on the line.

When it was published, it was extraordinarily therapeutic because it meant someone else believed in me and my abilities to write as much as I did.

Have you ever had to deal with people in your life failing to understand your creative personality, interests, or drive whether that translated to basketball or your writing? If so, can you tell us about it and how you've dealt with it?

Absolutely! I wear many different hats. I find that it’s difficult for people to see me as a whole person. It’s much easier for people I work with to see me as only able to write and pitch a press release, or develop a media plan. It’s often frustrating to me that we tend to pigeon-hole one another. “Oh, she’s good at marketing, but wait, she writes poetry and teaches too?”

Aside from that, some people have not been able to handle the level of intensity I bring to life. I’m learning that I only want to be around people who possess that kind of positive energy, and similar values.

Was there ever a time when you just felt like giving up? On yourself as an athlete? On writing? If so, how were you able to cross that bridge?

Never. I can honestly say that “giving up” on something is just not in my vocabulary. I’m not built to give up on anything, so it’s never been a bridge that I’ve had to worry about crossing. I believe that everything will work out the way it should. If I work hard and do things for the right reasons, I will always find success and opportunity.

When I was a senior in college, I was burned out and tired of playing basketball, but it wasn’t about giving up. It was about wanting to ensure I was good at something else in addition to basketball.

If you could tell the world one thing about overcoming the loss of a dream, what would that be?

It’s okay to change a dream and it’s okay to dream as we get older. Dreams aren’t just for children. I said in the book that dreams give us hope when hope is a tall order. The world is a better place for having dreamers among the doers.

New Art: It's so Beautiful but I Just Can't Eat It

It's so Beautiful but I Just Can't Eat It

18" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas

When cracked open, the thing we find most beautiful often fails us. Our enjoyment comes from simply staring at it, sucking in its shear perfection. In those exquisite moments, we can imagine all that we hunger for. Cutting, slicing, dissecting, or exposing what's inside ruins the dream by replacing beauty with reality. 

Detail Pics:

My Writing Life: How to Get the Darn Novel Written

One of my pet peeves, close to nails across a chalkboard, is people who give writing advice when they haven't accomplished a heck of a lot in their own writing careers.  Given my specific writing goals, I've always felt that the best bet is to seek advice from novelists who are critically acclaimed and/or who have books flying off the shelves.

With that said, I love books about writers and writing!  When I made the commitment to write a novel twenty years ago, I read every book on writing that I could find. And I learned a lot! If you take the time to look, it's likely that all the advice you need is already out there, either in a bookstore or on the Web. 

So why have I decided to give writing advice? 

It was a practical decision.  I'm starting to get quite a few emails from people asking for my advice.  I'd love to help them. In fact, I enjoy talking about writing more than almost any other topic.  However, my time is limited. My solution is to publish my advice here.  The next time I get an email, I can simply send the link to this post (and perhaps others I'll write on the topic).

Easy. A win-win scenario. A time saver.

Before you read my advice, feel free to go here and here to learn more about my writing career and credentials. If you don't care to know what I have to say on the topic for the reasons noted above, that's fine. No big deal.

My goal is not to tell you how to write the next bestseller or critically acclaimed novel.  The focus of this post is to share how I manage to get a novel written.  There's a big difference.  Whether your novel turns our great, boring, thrilling, or downright horrible is up to you.  There are tons of books out there that discuss the elements of fiction, grammar, etc.  The gap I've noticed is the lack of a process perspective on how to get the book written.

Have I mentioned that I've spent twenty years as a process and quality expert in the corporate world? 

Apparently, many novelists follow a formula to bang out novels.  I'm not quite sure if these so-called formulas are focused on plot (e.g., boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back), or if it somehow has to do with the writing process.  Likely, it's a mix.  I don't like the idea of a formula in terms of plotting, character, etc., but I've realized that I must have a process that enables me to get the novel written.

Let's face it.  There are a million acceptable ways to write a novel.  The most common I've heard are:

"I just sit down and start writing.  It all just comes to me."

"I start with a character first, then everything just seems to evolves."

"I start with a 'problem idea' like a naked girl is discovered in the basement of the world's largest bank, and then it evolves from there." 

Not this writer.

Since I love lists, and believe they're invaluable tools for time management, goal setting, and organizing ideas, I'm going to share a list on how I write a novel.  Depending on the response, I'll consider addressing these points in more detail in subsequent posts. As a starting point, I'm going to focus on a high level list. 

This is how I do it. 

Phase 1 - Identify Themes and Do Research

1)First, decide what general themes/topics you want to write about.  What is bothering you?  What is interesting to you?  What scares you?  What do you want to know more about, whether on an emotional or intellectual level?  Don't just choose one.  Choose four or five.  It doesn't matter if they're closely related.  In fact, it's better if they're completely unrelated. 

Examples of some of the themes I've focused on in my fiction are:

• narcolepsy
• art
• the mother/daughter relationship
• teen suicide
• unplanned pregnancy
• religion
• mental illness

2) Once you've selected four or five high-level themes, put a lot of thought into each one, breaking it down into what interests you more specifically. 

For example, here are three complex themes I've written about, which resulted from this type of fine tuning:

• The struggle between an individual's deep longing for art and to create art, and the strong cultural push to subscribe to the more practical ideals and goals driven by corporate success. (Centerpieces)
• The observation that narcolepsy is so often made fun of by the entertainment industry when, in reality, it's not funny at all. What must it feel like to navigate through life while dealing with this often debilitating affliction that everyone thinks is so funny? (Aberrations)
• Even with the Bible and other inspired books in hand, how can anyone be arrogant enough to claim that they understand the secrets of the Universe--to the point of losing all their most precious relationships?  (Dust)

3) Once you've identified anywhere from three to five complex themes that seem as if they have absolutely nothing to do with each other, spend at least three months researching.  Read all the books you can find on the topics, talk to people, etc.  While doing this, write down every idea that comes to mind in terms of characters, plots, etc.  This is where creativity comes in.  Either you have it or you don't.

Planning and research can take three months to ten years; however, if you set a time limit for yourself and focus, focus, focus, you can get it done.  No one can tell you how to maintain focus.  If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way.  If not, maybe you should learn to how to use a loom, or watch TV instead of trying write a novel.  Whatever you choose to do with your time is up to you. 

Phase 2: Determine the Structure and Pace

If you've made it through the themes and research phase, you're ready to tackle structure and pace.

5) Decide how your novel will be structured.  Start with the premise that a novel should have approximately 70,000 words.  Since a novel should be well-paced, decide how to best section off those words.  The easiest and least creative way, in my opinion, is to divide 70,000 by the number of chapters you'd like to have.  For example, say you think 15 chapters sounds good. 70,000 divided by 15 = 4,667.  This means that each chapter should have approximately 4,667 words. 

A more creative way to structure a book would be to think of an interesting way to name the chapters.  For example, say you're going to write a novel tentatively titled, THE ALPHABET KILLER.  A good idea would be to name your chapters things like: A is for Anger; B is for Bad Guy; C is for Contusion, etc.  Then you're going to need 26 chapters.  Divide 70,000 by 26.  You will need approximately 2,692 words per chapter.

Let's use THE ALPHABET KILLER as our example going forward.

6) Decide who will narrate the novel.  Will it be one person or several?  Will the novel be written in first person or third?  This decision needs to support the overall goal of the novel.  In other words, for our example, THE ALPHABET KILLER, it will make a huge difference whether it's narrated by the killer, the detective, or his various victims. Again, this is where creativity comes in.  For our example, let's say that the novel will be narrated in first person by three characters.  Let's say their names are Ellen, Jim, and Cooper.

7) Once you've determined your overall structure, you should consider pace.  Now, many writers say that they just start typing away, never knowing what will happen next.  That's great for them, but I can't do that.  I need to know, at least at a high level, what the heck is going to happen to these people, and how that is going to reflect my themes.  Otherwise, I feel unsure, not only about the pace, but also about how I'm going to maintain my structure.

To address this, refer back to your research notes.  Get a fresh piece of paper and and write the numbers 1 to 26, leaving space in between.  You can also use 26 note cards or set up an Excel file.  I usually do it on paper although I did use note cards for Centerpieces.  I chose to use note cards for that particular novel because I had multiple narrators.  I chose a different color note card for each narrator.  We could also do this for our example.  Ellen will be pink, Jim will be green, and Cooper will be blue.  Assuming each will be equally represented in the narration, we then need 8.6 chapters for each to narrate.  With this in mind, we'll settle on 9 for Ellen, 9 for Jim, and 8 for Cooper.  That gives us 26 chapters. 

Lay all the pink, blue, and green cards out on the floor.  Decide how you would like to structure them (i.e., put them in an order).  This is up to you.  You may choose to do all the pink, then all the green, then all the blue, or you may want to do an every other one sort of thing. 

This is where creativity blends with planning.  Some folks reading this may think it sounds overly complex, while others may think it makes a heck of a lot of sense.  This works for me.  I view it as a complex, self contained puzzle that I get to create. (I'd love for my novels to be described as complex, self-contained puzzles.  At the end of the novel, I'd like the reader to see the picture I've created.)

If you happen to have only one narrator, or if your book is going to be written in third person, you can still create a structure around characters, or you can focus on settings.  It can be anything.  But creating such a structure will help your novel maintain a good pace.  It also begins to help create both a mental and structural framework within which you will work to complete the novel. 

Phase 3: Create the Plot

8) Once you've laid out a structure, spend a significant amount of time overlaying it with the high level plot you came up with during Phase 1.  For example: In THE ALPHABET KILLER, you may have a high level plot that goes something like this:

- Elementary school teachers are turning up dead with letters of the alphabet taped to their naked backs.
- The local school board wants to cover it up for some reason.
- A secretary (Ellen) has overheard everything and is determined to get the truth out.
- Her husband (Jim) of 20 years loves her, but thinks she's crazy. He talks her into talking to a shrink (Cooper).
- Ellen and Cooper end up solving the crime. 
- They almost run away together in the process, but Ellen realizes that she can't live without Jim.

(By the way, perhaps the themes are the status of the educational system in our country, marriage, and the lack of power that hourly workers have in the workplace.)

So you've got to figure out how to lay this plot out over 26 chapters, with three narrators.  Go at it!  This is the fun part.  For each chapter, determine the setting(s), character(s) present, and the events that will occur.  As you go through this process, create a more detailed plot.  In our example, we have 26 chapters, which seems like a lot.  In this case, I'd choose to keep each chapter to one major scene.  If we had a structure that gave us 15 chapters, thus more words per chapter, I might choose to have at least two, perhaps three scenes per chapter.  Hopefully, you get the picture.

Keep in mind that the level of detail in your outline can be as little or as much as you want it to be. 

For example, it could be:

Chapter A is for Anger: At the school board office, Ellen witnesses an intense argument between the superintendent and two school board members.  On her way home from work, she hears on the radio that a teacher has been killed.  The school district in which it occurred,and other such details are not shared.

On the other hand, you could write an entire page, including lots of details.  It's up to you.    It's important to remember that your plot should enable you to address those great themes you came up with. 

Once you've created your more detailed outline, you're ready to write!

Phase 4: Write the Novel

9) Depending on how much time you have to write, set up a flexible schedule for yourself.   Each writer's schedule will be different so this is something that you'll need to figure out.   Forget about the 70,000 words now!  Only focus on a chapter at a time.  For our example, that's 26 separate 2,692 sections.  You now know what is supposed to happen in each section, where it will happen, and who will be there. 

Here are a few scenarios to consider:

If you plan to write one chapter a week, you'll finish your draft in 26 weeks.  That's 6.5 months!

Of maybe you don't have that much time so you'll plan to write one chapter every two weeks.  If so, you'll have your draft in a little over a year.

Now if you do have lots of time (and you can find time everywhere; you just have to assess your priorities), you might want to write two chapters per week.  You could bang that sucker out in about four months! 

The key is that you've done such great planning ahead of time, that you shouldn't have to sit around staring at a blank page.  You're ready to go!

The critical pieces to remember now are:

- Stick to your schedule!  If something comes up, look at the schedule and do some rearranging.  Even if you get set back a bit, keep going! 

- DO NOT GIVE UP!  Those characters need you!  If you drop the ball, the alphabet killer will never get caught, and Ellen will never find peace.

- Stay focused on your plot and themes.  Sure, you can change details, add complexity, change your mind about things, etc. along the way, but don't start thinking about another book or other characters that don't belong in the world of the alphabet killer.

10) Once you're finished your draft, there's still work to do.  Go through the novel as many times as it takes to check for all the no brainer things (typos, redundant words and ideas, misspelled words, etc.).  Also, beef it up!  This is where you can take your novel from okay to fantastic.  Study the word choices.  Flesh out the characters.  Take your dialogue to a new level.  Do all the things that are discussed in all those great books about how to write great novels. 

This lesson was simply on how to get the dang novel written. 

Lastly, remember that all this math and planning should never be viewed as a deterrent to creativity.  It should be viewed as a framework in which to let your creativity run wild, like a small child running in the yard.  We can't just let kids run all over the place; they'd never survive ... just like many fantastic ideas never evolve into a finished manuscript.

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I'd love to hear your questions or feedback on this!  Also, tell me what other writing topics you'd like me to blog about.