Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Unlocking the Monster

Stories are small vignettes that start in the spaces of my mind and are brought to life with evocative words and images. Stories become my key to unlocking the soul and inner ideas, releasing words into the universe of thought. Writing journals (digital or non-digital) are sacred spaces where fears let go and thoughts rise. Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poetry Project has been an outlet for me to address storytelling in poetic ways. 

Day 27 of the challenge presented a unique way to introduce the monsters within that plague the soul. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Monster was the subject raised by Tabatha Yeatts. As a child, I was fearful of monsters but Shelley's creature seemed misunderstood and alone. Many times, humans feel the same. Chaos existing in the world estranges people. Kindness and empathy are lost in the mix. Loneliness leads to increased horror. The monster within finds shape. These thoughts sparked an idea to review the fictional Frankenstein monster in a different way. I first digitized a picture of an outstretched monster found on the Internet. He seemed bound by a world of chaos and internal strife. What I created is a brief glimpse into an unfinished tale.

Have you ever felt bottled up?
Perhaps, the answer is 
to seek peace in life's moments.
Make the ordinary extraordinary.
Just Be.
Settle in.
Search the soul.
Open your heart to gladness.
©CVarsalona, 2023, quick write

Today is the last day of Laura's project and tomorrow starts the first day of Two Writing Teachers' 16th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge of writing daily during the month. I am ready to search my soul and expand the stories within. Join me.



Thursday, February 23, 2023

Story Evolves

Stories evolve as rich products of the creative spirit. While traveling to Disney World with my family, a window setting without a storyboard caught my eye. Mannequins dressed in late 1920s clothing were looking out at the boardwalk and a water body. I stopped to photograph the female mannequin thinking she has a story to tell. I knew I could create a writing prompt with her photo that would make an interesting challenge for Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poem Project. 

Last weekend, I did some research and added photos of a painting beside the photo of a female mannequin (see the left corner below). The other two images were a painting by Edward Henry Potthast, the American shorescape and landscape artist (1857-1927), in the top right corner, and the piece of digital art I created of children at the shore in the bottom right corner. On February 21st, I added all three photos and a prompt to spark other poets' imaginations.

Prompt-Day 21
Ponder the following thoughts:
What if the past and present timelines begin to merge?
What do the images bring to mind? (beach, children, seaside, nature, a vacation, other)
🏖
I enjoyed creating the above prompt.  Because I was so busy reading other poets' poems, my offering was added late. My poems are below. I do appreciate constructive criticism. 

Summering in Style



I just realized that it is the end of the month, and the Poetry Sisters challenged writers to write an ekphrastic poem and use the tagline #PoetryPals. I offer the above poems.

🏖

Tabatha Yeatts is the host of Poetry Friday this week. She is also one of the writers who participate in Laura Shovan's daily February 2023 Poem Project. You can find more poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday community here at the Roundup on Tabatha's blog.
Collage Art Logo by Linda Mitchell

Monday, March 9, 2020

A Modern Day Fairytale_SOLSC 9

Furniture shopping can be daunting even if you know what you are looking for.  


Once upon a Saturday, there was a grown-up girl who needed a couch. She went for a ride with her family. Soon they came to the familiar store in its new location.

In the showroom, there were many options. The family was eager to sit on the couches so Goldilocks tried out different types. 

In the first room, Goldilocks sat down on the white couch.
"This couch is too soft," she exclaimed as she tried to daintily get up.

So, she tried the sectional in the second room. 
"The couch is too deep," she said.

So, she sat on the couch in the third room.
"Ahhh, this couch is just right," she said happily and then looked at the price tag.

After she sat in all the couches, she decided that she was feeling a little overwhelmed. So she walked into the kitchen section where she saw three different types of chairs.

Goldilocks sat in the first chair to rest her feet.
"This chair is too hard," she exclaimed.

So she sat in the second chair.
"This chair is not right either," she whined. But just as she settled down into the third chair to try it out, she went into sticker shock!

Goldilocks was very tired by this time, so she went back into the car with her family.

There is always another day to shop!

THE END

Each year since March 2015, I engage in Two Writing Teacher's Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. 
Slicing allows me to ponder life, literacy, and learning, capturing small moments poetically
through writing, photography, and digital art. 

Day 9 of 31 days of writing March Slice of Life 2020 Story Challenge

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Warming Winter Thoughts

Iridescent snow, light and airy, settled in on Saturday and then, said good-by with the morning sun. There was no snowman making, no shoveling, and little time to photograph nature's beauty. While the snow came as predicted, it silently departed during the night, leaving little to savor. To keep my thoughts of a whirlwind snowstorm fresh in my mind, I brought "outside in" with a winter scene by my fireplace.
I always decorate my home for each holiday or season. As vignettes are created, stories often emerge. Since Valentine's day is approaching I decided to focus on the beauty of a woodsy scene for my fireplace decor. Recalling a memory from the Northern Virginia nature trail, I recreated an encounter with a deer who stood quietly staring at the trees. Icy snow remnants crunched under his feet as he moved quickly away when I approached. Is he as cold as I? Am I frightened by him or he frightened by me?  
a story evolves
winter chill continues -
merging hearts needed
©CV, 2020

So, to add to my story, I added hearts around the house, many of which were handmade by mother.
winter peace fills my
house with reminders of love-
January warmth
©CV, 2020
💗
There's  always room for a story that can transport people to another place."
-J.K.Rowling
💗
It's Tuesday Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers. Will you join me there?

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Sunkissed Summer Gallery Unveiled

"Summertime and the livin' is easy."
-Porgy and Bess



Designed by Carol Varsalona
featuring a Community of Reflective Writers
*******************************************************************************

The last day of summer appeared without delay but my mind and spirit were still in summertime. I now reminisce about the consistent flow of sunkissed moments, each one making summer on Long Island a breathtaking experience. Summertime creates its own aura of positive vibes across the world and allows us to tell our stories through images and powerful wording. 



Pause for a moment now to recollect your summertime experiences before dipping your toes into Sunkissed Summer Gallery of artistic expressions. 

I invite you to Relax! Reflect! Recharge!
Engage Your Senses!

Within the spaces of this gallery, artistic designs and powerful voices from around the world blend together creating a collection of inspiring digital creations. Let's celebrate summer! Open your heart to receive each beautifully rendered image that recalls the summer of 2017.




Are you ready to stroll through the gallery's artistic expressions that flow like the roaring waves across the shore? Are you ready to feel summer touching your heart and mind? If so, let the story of summer 2017 unfold and bring you back to a relaxing time. 

Let's begin the tour. I open the doors of Sunkissed Summer Gallery for your viewing pleasure. 



There were ordinary summer days of carefree living


and out-of-the-ordinary moments-


life living moments to celebrate-


“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the field has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” -Eleanor Duse

day trips to enjoy with family-

Point Lookout, Long Island
Debbie Diller
Kid's Pool, Reston, Virginia


Families enjoy parades-photo of Clyesdales by Debbie Diller, Pennsylvania
and new adventures to take.

Julieanne Harmatz

Mrs. Sidhu, Haida Gwaii

Leslie Carothers

Ramona Behnke, Washington
Alaska Tracy, Alaska

Nature often stirs our senses when we are outdoors enjoying summer life.

Michelle Kogan




Terje Akke, Estonia
@Alaska Tracy, Alaska
Devin Hartnett McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, Maryland


Monet, In the Meadow, submitted by Tabatha Yeatts

Mireille Taub
Ramona Behnke, Washington

Mark Weston, Hiking in Colorado




@rilmcknight




Summer's lazy, dog days fill our lives with tranquility.





Margaret Simon, Louisiana


Time for a musical break.


Inspiration by Michelle Haseltine

Children are full of the spirit of noticing, wondering, and enjoying life in the summer.










Summer's vivid florals brighten landscapes.

Rose Pillay, Sunflower Stroll, British Columbia

"The earth laughs in flowers."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Fletcher

Sunflower Season by Devin Hartnett, Rocklands Farm, Maryland

" On the beach, you can live in bliss."
-Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys







Teresa Gross




The beach draws artists near to create ocean-inspired artwork.


There's a different type of sunbather in Florida



and a different type of singer in Louisiana.




Relax with the sounds of past decades. Listen to Chad and Jeremy sing their Summer Song live from 1964. It is the just right song for the last day of summer.

"A dark night, lightened up by thousands of glowing fireflies...
It's magical..."
-Ama H. Vanniarachhy



"Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August."
-Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty

Carol Varsalona, Chihuly Exhibit, New York Botanical Gardens



"Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment."
Elizabeth David, food writer (1913-1992)






"Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon." -C.S. Lewis


Pause once again to listen to summer music.


When nights darken early, summer sings its swan song but memories remain-vivid reminders of glorious sunsets.

©CV, 2017, Long Beach, NY
Margaret Simon, Louisiana



"Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light,
And she sits on a sapphire throne."
-Barry Cornwall




Then, like a nighttime dream, summer softly slips away and passes the baton to autumn




In late summer, teachers wait at the door to learning.

Back to School Thought
During your gallery walk, were you able to

It is time to reflect.
Did you

Were you inspired by this gallery to create your own poem or inspirational quote using one of your summer photographs? Are you encouraged to design a video, movie, or multimedia presentation of your Summer 2017 for your family? 

My short video created with Magistro is here. 
Photos of Lorrie Brady, Mary C. Howard, Carol Varsalona, Terje Akke, 
Dave Burgess, Char Shyrock,  Kumud Ajmani, and Rose Pillay.

🌻

Enjoy listening to a playlist of summer songs 
through the decades.


It is my sincerest hope that your gallery walk through Sunkissed Summer was a relaxing, entertaining, and memorable experience.



I would like to extend my gratitude to all the writers, poets, artists, and photographers who joined me on this summer journey.





You can visit the following global galleries that integrate the arts, technology, and poetry by clicking on the individual titles.

🌻
2014
2015
2016
2017
Springsations

🌻

Thank you for perusing Sunkissed Summer Gallery. As an act of kindness, please leave a comment on social media or in the comment section of this blog. That would be appreciated.
I invite you to return at the end of the fall season for a new gallery, Autumn Ablaze, that will showcase the brilliancy of nature. - Carol