What Inspires You to Write?

The Fragrant Muse blog was born in April of 2009 with no particular purpose other than to put my many thoughts and interests into writing.

Initially, blogging was like falling in love.  I jumped out of bed in the morning anxious to create and share stories of the world around me.  My writing came easily, was spontaneous and fluid.  My mind was full of post ideas.   I began making friends, following blogs, having followers and a new creative community began to form around me.  I was enamoured with the whole blogging experience.

In the past few months, this glow has faded a bit.  Recently, when a friend remarked, "Your blog is getting boring", I was taken aback, but also felt the truth in her words.  I haven't felt inspired to write.

Upon reflection, the shift occurred when I began putting restrictions on my posts and blog content after reading gobs of material on "how to build a better blog."  I bought books, magazines and read loads of web material on how to be a better blogger.  I subscribed to CopyBlogger and ProBlogger to learn what makes a blog readable and interesting.

One message I found over and over was "keep your blog uncluttered and tightly focused on one subject."  Since my primary personal and professional passion is essential oils, I decided to keep my blog limited to aromatherapy-related posts. 

I began to de-clutter my blog by eliminating such topics as The Bean (my grandson), art journaling, massage, Sassy the pug, my fairy garden, miniatures, my family and random day-in-the-life-of-Liz stuff.  And you know what?  I miss writing about these things that color my world so vibrantly!   I've considered a second blog for all my non-aromatherapy interests - and I may someday - but for now, the idea of maintaining two blogs feels daunting.

So I'm going to go back to writing about all my interests and pull from my creative right brain.  I'm going to post on everything that interests me and inspires me; everything that makes The Fragrant Muse who she is.  Certainly, essential oils will still be my main focus, because that is also the case in my life; however, I'll also include a generous sprinkling of other shiny bits of my life.

I'll save my rational left brain for paying the bills and doing my taxes.

 Photo 

Because the truth of the matter is this:   My world and all that fills it is multi-faceted with many interests and I love sharing my life and all that colors it.  If I lose followers or folks find The Fragrant Muse too random then this is what I have to say:

Climbing the Emma Tree

Emma Tree Blog
In the 18 months I've been traversing the blogging world, one unexpected delight has been meeting and making friends with talented writers, artists and the most fascinating creative people.  D. Smith Kaich Jones of Emma Tree: Tales of Art and Anxiety is one of those folks.  Debi writes of experiences of daily life and describes them in such a rich and exquisite way that you can't help but connect and get what she says as well as feel understood, yourself.  I stop there for a visit when I need to refill my inspirational cup.

This is her poetic description of living in East Texas

"It is not Paris. 

It is not Morocco. 

It is not even Oregon or New Mexico. 

It is here, it is Texas, and even then, it is not West Texas,

it is Northeast Texas,

a church on every corner and a taqueria on every block,

feeding your soul and feeding your belly."

Debi's writing talents have earned her three articles in an Authentic Living series for Somerset Magazine and a place in the the Autumn issue of Artful Blogging: Visually Inspiring Online Journals.  Both magazines are published by Stampington & Co: Arts and Co, your one stop shop for creativity. 

I have many favorite posts by Debi, but below are three I wanted to share:
Night Spring where she writes about her beloved cat Maggie, that we all fell in love with
Empty House, Full Heart After Maggie's passing (still makes me cry)
Sign Day  All women should read this one!

Make your own Search Story!

Pulling the Plug

"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV." -- The Kaiser Family Foundation

"You watch television to turn your brain off and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on." -- Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer

Pulling the Plug
On September 2nd we cancelled our cable service and are now a no-television household.  The set is still there if we want to watch a DVD or video, but the actual connection to the outside world via TV is gone. 

I'll admit, the first couple of days were weird and we did miss it.  Although my husband and I aren't compulsive tv watchers, we've had a long-standing ritual of sitting down around 7 p.m. and letting the busy day melt away by watching a show or two...or three or four depending on our level of fatigue.  Ever notice how it sucks you in when you're especially tired (read: vulnerable)?   James and I began to observe how we were numbing ourselves with tv and the ease with which we slipped into mindlessly watching one show after another, even when we weren't particularly interested.  

What about "good" TV like the Discovery Channel or PBS?
 TurnOffYourTV.com has this to say: 
"All TV is passive, sedentary and non-experiential. Most viewers tend to watch show after show--not individual programs. Instead of watching a documentary about birds, go out (with binoculars if you have them) and see how many real birds you can identify in your neighborhood."   The purpose of National TV-Turnoff Week is to leave behind judgments about the quality of television and focus instead on creating, discovering, building, participating and doing."

So, what is different for us now?
Well, the immediate difference is that we read more.  A lot more.  We have more conversations in the evening, go to bed earlier and rest better.   My husband would frequently fall asleep in front of the tv after a long day.  Now he goes to bed, which is where one should be when they're worn out, isn't it?    We are beginning to work on creative projects.   I spent one evening just sorting my jewelry then made an earring holder out of an old frame with a window screen glued to the back and hung my earrings on the screen.  This might sound deadly boring, but was so satisfying and I can now locate earrings easily.  If I'd watched another re-run of Bones or CSI, my earrings would still be all over the place.   After years of wanting to try mindmapping, I got on mindmeister.com one evening and created five different mindmaps: my website, my youtube channel, my finances, my weightloss goals and personal life goals. 

Oh, and one very unexpected benefit.  I eat less!

Computer TV
In the interest of full disclosure, I have watched the current episodes of Modern Family and The Office on hulu.com.  And you know what? It wasn't nearly as satisfying as I thought it would be.   I imagine even that, too, will end eventually.

What we've lost in mind-numbing "entertainment", we've gained in freedom over our brains and our time plus a whole lot more quiet.

What about you?
Could you live without your connection to the television?  

SOME SCARY FACTS ABOUT TV

• Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
• Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5
• Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
• Percentage of children ages 6-17 who have TV's in their bedrooms: 50
• Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
• Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
• Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
• Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66

Connecting with Mother Moon

Tonight is a Full Moon.  Just how in-tune with the energy of the Moon are you?

In the video below, Flora Peterson challenges us to go outside and connect with the Moon for 29 consecutive days.   Although her video was posted in 2009, this powerful exercise can be done anytime. 

Flora, aka CharmingPixieFlora, is a tiny powerhouse bursting with positive energy.  Her website bio lists her as a Teacher, Intuitive Consultant, Certified Life Coach and New Age Practitioner and she has an information-packed YouTube Channel called Flora's Family Footsteps.   Today also happens to be her birthday!

So tonight I'll anoint myself with the oils of Mabon (the Autumn Equinox) which are Benzoin, Myrrh and Sage, and for the next month I'll step outside to face Mother Moon and focus on embracing her energies.

Who knows, I may even howl.

Happy Birthday Flora!

How to Create Your Own Video Channel on YouTube

If you haven't created your own video channel on YouTube, what are you waiting for?  It's free, easy and a great way to showcase your products, services and bring attention to your business.   You could even create a channel just for family and friends to watch if you want nothing more than to show the folks back home your new baby.

My Channel
I created a channel for The Fragrant Muse last week with the goal of offering video tutorials, commentaries, product reviews and whatever else Musie and I dream up to boost your relationship with essential oils and encourage personal creativity.    The name of my channel is "Discover Your Fragrant Muse".  

As will happen when people get their hands on a video camera, you'll find no shortage of ridiculousness, obnoxiousness, amateur attempts at fame and just plain crap on YouTube, but there are also a good many videos that are educational and entertaining.  Why shouldn't yours be included?

What Video Camera to Use?

My challenge has been choosing a camera that gives good quality images, good audio, and still allows me to pay my son's college tuition.    I did find some good advice here.    Because I'm  excited to begin and somewhat overwhelmed with all the choices and options, I bought a Flip Mino HD (2nd generation).   Although the Flip wasn't my first choice after watching this review by Jon Paula,  I bought one anyway because it felt safe.   Jon named better starting video cameras in his Camera Buying Guide video.  I know that as my understanding of video technology matures, so will my equipment.  Or not.  Who knows, maybe I'll end up liking the Flip.

Signing Up
You can find very good step-by-step instructions for signing up for your channel on this EHow page.   If you look on the right sidebar of this page, you'll see other helpful ehow posts on being a Channel owner.

Note!
When you create your account, that will be the name of your channel.  If I had opened my account under Liz Fulcher I would now have "Liz Fulcher's Channel".  Instead, my account is under The Fragrant Muse so my channel is "The Fragrant Muse's Channel".   You might not want "PrettyBoy123" as your channel name.

Getting a Banner
To get your own header, you must first be a YouTube Partner.  This happens after you've produced a certain number of videos and have many subscribers.   It's a goal to work toward.

For now, just get your face out there...and let me know when that happens so I can stop by and subscribe.  And don't forget to subscribe to my channel!

The Fragrant Muse Gets a New Look. Finally!

My naked blog has finally gotten dressed.   Indeed, embellished with a beautiful party dress fit for all manner of fragrant musings and creative mutterings.  I love it!

The new banner was created by the very talented Stacy of the blog Pandora's Compass: Living Life with the Lid Off with minimal instruction from me.  

Stacy chose my Jasmine Muse SoulCollage© Card from my collection on Flickr then allowed her own creative instincts to flow and designed a header that she felt matched my energy and my blog message:  inspire your imagination (creativity) and enchant your senses (essential oils).

It is perfect.  Thank you Stacy!

The Chesterfield Ad

This Chesterfield advertisement has hung on the wall of every home I've lived in.  It's been woven into the fabric of my domestic life like a favorite cushion or set of dishes that's always been there. 

The poster is more than just a cool vintage collectible and has a unique significance for me.  The handsome model is my father.  This particular ad appeared on page 66 of Life Magazine on June 29, 1942 when he was just 25.  He posed for other Chesterfield ads that year which appeared in Popular Mechanics, Colliers and Good Housekeeping as well as billboards alongside the road.

Today is my father's birthday and he would have been 93.

Interviews by Julochka of Moments of Perfect Clarity

Julochka of the magnificent blog Moments of Perfect Clarity has been interviewing other bloggers -  specifically her readers - for the past month.   She sent her interviewees a list of questions then posted their responses on her blog.   Today's interview is with yours truly.

In looking over her collection of  interviews, I see a beautiful blogging patchwork, and I can't help but marvel how the blogosphere affords us the opportunity to know amazing and fascinating people that would otherwise be lost to us.  

What I found surprisingly (and utterly delightful) was the unexpected nature of her questions.  Instead of covering topics on my fragrant life, she asked things like "where do you go to unwind?" and "what do you miss about Italy?".

If you want to read more, go here.

Falling into Place

A deceivingly simple, yet profound message.  You'll want sound for this.