This is so timely. I love this, Cynthia! I recently started doing a deep dive into my maternal ancestry, learning about Judaism in history and culture, and exploring and inventing female ancestors in my line from my mom and grandmother, all the way back to the Biblical Sarah. This is just for me and I have no plan to make it into something publishable. But plans change sometimes as we know!
I've been following the trail of bibliographies and footnotes, mentions of books and websites in podcasts, and reading some different news sites that are Jewish focused. I'm also using The Land of the Dead and Invisible Ink, both by Brian McDonald, and Filth and Grammar by Shelly Bond to learn more about structure in writing and in making comics. And I'm digging into Ancestry.com and some Jewish genealogy/ancestry groups on Facebook.
My work I'm creating is in Procreate and each ancestor gets a digital notebook that I fill with art, writing, resources for further research. And I'm drawing tarot cards each month to help me choose an ancestor to explore or invent. Beyond that, let 'er rip! I'm excited to see where this takes me.
This is my personal curriculum for at least the rest of 2024.
What's interesting to me in my own process, is that I always have an exploration project and a creation project. So this is my exploration project now. Last year I was exploring what it would be like to become a crone and this year my creation project is a graphic novel called Croneville Carnival. I kind of think about it as having a research/play (yes those are synonyms for me!) and a production/work project. I write and draw in both parts but with different intentions and approaches.
This sounds incredibly cool. What I love about it is obviously your enthusiasm. But also it brings so many parts of you together - your respect for your ancestry, your curiosity about the world, your commitment to women's power and creativity, your writer, your artist and your sacred self.
It's also cool to hear about your exploration project and your creation project. Great way to make room for all parts of you. I get it about research/play (I have that with travel research!).
It makes me happy to see how much you know and respect your artist!
For better or worse, I'm done with travel for the time being. I really enjoyed sleeping in my bed every night of a year during COVID, and now my mom lives in NC with my sister so I go to visit her a couple of times a year and that uses up all of my travel. But it's all good. Have you ever seen the book "When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put" by Vivian Swift? It's her journal of watercolor and hand lettering. Wonderful book.
I thought it would be impossible to write for 15 minutes asking my artist what it wants. But it went quickly and I felt liberated getting it all down. Looking forward to rereading the list tomorrow.
This is so timely. I love this, Cynthia! I recently started doing a deep dive into my maternal ancestry, learning about Judaism in history and culture, and exploring and inventing female ancestors in my line from my mom and grandmother, all the way back to the Biblical Sarah. This is just for me and I have no plan to make it into something publishable. But plans change sometimes as we know!
I've been following the trail of bibliographies and footnotes, mentions of books and websites in podcasts, and reading some different news sites that are Jewish focused. I'm also using The Land of the Dead and Invisible Ink, both by Brian McDonald, and Filth and Grammar by Shelly Bond to learn more about structure in writing and in making comics. And I'm digging into Ancestry.com and some Jewish genealogy/ancestry groups on Facebook.
My work I'm creating is in Procreate and each ancestor gets a digital notebook that I fill with art, writing, resources for further research. And I'm drawing tarot cards each month to help me choose an ancestor to explore or invent. Beyond that, let 'er rip! I'm excited to see where this takes me.
This is my personal curriculum for at least the rest of 2024.
What's interesting to me in my own process, is that I always have an exploration project and a creation project. So this is my exploration project now. Last year I was exploring what it would be like to become a crone and this year my creation project is a graphic novel called Croneville Carnival. I kind of think about it as having a research/play (yes those are synonyms for me!) and a production/work project. I write and draw in both parts but with different intentions and approaches.
Donna!
This sounds incredibly cool. What I love about it is obviously your enthusiasm. But also it brings so many parts of you together - your respect for your ancestry, your curiosity about the world, your commitment to women's power and creativity, your writer, your artist and your sacred self.
It's also cool to hear about your exploration project and your creation project. Great way to make room for all parts of you. I get it about research/play (I have that with travel research!).
It makes me happy to see how much you know and respect your artist!
For better or worse, I'm done with travel for the time being. I really enjoyed sleeping in my bed every night of a year during COVID, and now my mom lives in NC with my sister so I go to visit her a couple of times a year and that uses up all of my travel. But it's all good. Have you ever seen the book "When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put" by Vivian Swift? It's her journal of watercolor and hand lettering. Wonderful book.
I have that book and love it, Donna!
Enjoyed your illustration. I started writing some things down. Will review it.
Thank you! Have fun exploring your artist's desires!
Hardly anything in my list that was a task to be done. Some were things I know I cannot do, short of winning the lottery!
Ha! I am sure we all have some things like that.
Love your illustration 💛🔥
Thank you Tonja!
I thought it would be impossible to write for 15 minutes asking my artist what it wants. But it went quickly and I felt liberated getting it all down. Looking forward to rereading the list tomorrow.
I love that you felt liberated, Pamela! It's amazing what we can learn when we slow down to listen.
This kind of reflective writing is less about 'writing' and more about connecting and listening. I am glad it was fruitful for you!