Textures

“I have scars on my hands from touching certain people…Certain heads, certain colours and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me.”
― J.D. Salinger, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction

 

 

I've been in a strange head space the last few days. Feeling off my game, I guess. I worked for years managing a horse farm and in that line of work, it didn't matter how tired or distracted or worried I was, the job was physical and I could always muddle through.

Muddling when the work is mental becomes a tricky thing. Getting sloppy with my writing isn't an option. When this happens - and it does, every so often - I have to school my thoughts in a more productive direction. Usually, it helps to focus on something quiet and aesthetic and remove myself from all that "helpful" Internet babble out there. So this week, I'm all about getting back to basics.

I have a new camera - and by "I" I mean "we," because my mom ordered it through work, so it's technically shared. I love my current camera, but this new one does some nifty new things.

Black and white photography will always hold a special place in my heart. It turns any image timeless and without the distraction of color, it lets texture shine through. As a writer, the more I can create texture in a reader's mind, the more successful I've been in creating a vivid story experience. Because there's a difference between saying "claws," "horse," "sconce," "branch," "thorn," and seeing...

Horse

 

 

Sconce 

 

 

 

Branch

 

 

 

Thorn

 

 

 

I especially like this one because you can see the peeling paint on the arbor and the blurry barn in the background.

 

Keeping my feet firmly planted in this Georgia clay and steering clear of the publishing world crush makes me a happy, productive writer.