The photo above is from the Hans Christian Andersen movie starring Danny Kaye as Hans. The quote is his, too. The gifted comedian and actor was an insightful man. How right he was to urge us to do all we can with what we have. 

He used a canvas and the idea of our being artists to get his point across. For me, the quote can also be looked at as writers who must spread the word paintings they create wherever possible. Never write just a little. Write every day--words of advice writers hear from successful writers--write with the joy of spreading your words where many can read them. 

Writers do paint with words rather than brushes. Aren't we lucky? Our method is not nearly as messy. We don't need to wear a smock to cover our clothes as we tap away at our keyboards. We don't have to deal with wet paint and turpentine to clean brushes. Yet, we can paint a wonderful picture with the words that come from our hearts. 

I know I am not alone in being overwhelmed at some natural scenery and wishing I could capture the place and the moment on canvas. Art is not my gift but I can write about what I witnessed. A short essay came from a moment in time many years ago which expands on this topic. Note the quote at the end. You can read it below. 

 Word Painting

By Nancy Julien Kopp

    

Out of breath and heart pounding, I make it to the top of the hill. Tallgrass prairie spreads before me, wildflowers springing up between the sharp blades of grass, dotting the hillsides with bits of bold color. Not a cloud mars the intensity of a clear azure sky.  The strong breeze ruffles my hair, and I take a deep breath, pleasure encasing my very soul. Soon, the sun will turn to flame and begin a slow descent before the darkness of night covers the rolling hills like a vast blanket.

    

Oh, to be an artist and capture the scene God has placed before me. But a paintbrush and canvas are useless for a person like me. I can see the spectacular display, but never would I be able to duplicate it with an artist’s tools. I earned C’s in art classes all through my school years, and only for effort, not as the successful result of any assigned project.

    

I sigh, survey the living prairie once more, and bend to pluck a wildflower. I twirl the blossom between thumb and forefinger, then head to my car. The dust on the gravel road swirls behind me as I drive, and thoughts dance through my mind.

   

Maybe there is a way to capture what I’ve seen here today. Since I’m a writer, I paint my canvas with words in every story or article I create. That flower lying on the seat next to me—soft as the down on a baby’s head, purple as royal robes, and delicate as lace. All of these phrases describe the pretty little blossom. I bring it close and sniff to catch its sweet scent. I think of more phrases to capture this beauty for others. The artist’s canvas hangs on a wall or rests on an easel for all to see, but my words can live on, too.

    

The artist may dip his brush into paint and splash it across canvas to portray the sky, while I paint my sky with words—words that articulate, emote, surge the senses, highlight emotions. Can the artist capture the movement of the tallgrass prairie with a swish of his brush? A gifted painter can do so, but I can, too. I sift through phrases in my mind until I find the ones I want. Gentle breezes cause only a slight stir in the stiff blades of grass, but a strong Kansas wind can bring wave upon wave as it surges swiftly across the prairie. My words flow as easily as the artist’s brush. I paint my words with passion and excitement. The picture emerges from the depths of my heart. It is the gift God has given me, a gift He allows me to share with others who read my work.

    

Danny Kaye, actor and comedian, said, “Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”  I, too, am an artist. Just imagine what I can paint with words.

One Way To Plan A Book

"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ”

 
-Agatha Christie

The quote above has been popping up over and over recently. It's one I've seen many times over the years but why is it getting so much attention now? She was born 123 years ago, so this is not a special anniversary year. But think of it--a woman born so very long ago is still quoted and her books are still read, still being made into movies for TV (Masterpiece Theater on PBS). 

She was an insightful person as well as being witty. One of her quotes that I like better and better, the older I get says An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her. 

But let's talk about the quote on planning a book. Doing the dishes in Ms Christie's day and doing them present day are two totally different tasks. At least in most homes. Now, we clear the table, scrape the plates and load them in the dishwasher in exactly the same pattern each time. Plates in one area, flatware in a basket of some sort, glasses and cups on the top tier. A task that needs no thinking on our part, just as it was in her day. Soapy water in the sink, a dishcloth and rinse water. A mindless task. A household chore like this leaves our mind completely free. 

And that is key here. Our hands may be busy but our mind can begin planning a novel or book. With a very practiced writer like Agatha Christie, I wouldn't doubt that she was able to plot an entire book with the washing of the dinner dishes. For others, it might mean figuring out the beginning of a novel, or depending where you are with the writing, even the concluding sections. 

I have two places where I am able to give my total thought attention to something I hope to write in the near future. The first is when I'm out walking by myself. I most often walk on a lovely trail that is lined on both sides with the backyards of homes. Bushes, trees, flower beds and birdsong--that's what I see and hear as foot hits ground over and over. I have developed ideas for many stories or essays while taking a walk. The other place that works for me is at the ironing board. It is definitely a task that takes no thought, it's as rote a practice as can be. But something about it is satisfying to me and I have often said that I do some of my best thinking at the ironing board. The problem is that we don't have to iron as many things as we once did, so that means less time standing there sliding an iron back and forth to get the wrinkles out--and planning what I want to write next.

Planning your writing projects while doing a no-thought task is fine as long as you do one important thing. When the job is finished, hie thee immediately to a place where you can jot down some notes. It doesn't matter how detailed they are. If you have nothing but keywords to jog your memory, that's fine. If you don't write it down somewhere or somehow, you risk losing some good ideas. You might remember part of what you mentally planned but perhaps not all of it. So for Heaven's sake, write it down. Same thing goes for those fabulous thoughts you have in the middle of the night. Write it down or it's going to be gone by morning.