Early Morning Light

The cottonwood tree down by the pond has shed most of its leaves. But still in the

Early Morning Light

it’s beautiful to me.  I made these images through my windows just after sunrise the other day.

I’ve begun writing haikus as a way to practice what photographer Brook Shaden calls, Idea Fluency. The idea is that by regularly practicing generating new ideas you develop more idea fluency and the capability to implement that in your creative practice.

Here’s how she suggested that one can build idea fluency:

1. Create an imagination practice. Daydream. Have a daily writing practice.
2. Create an action plan. Create something EVERY SINGLE DAY. Perhaps write a haiku every day.
3. Create accountability — find a partner.
4. Create honestly. Go to the place you WANT to go, not where you think others want you to go.

As someone who has often said, “I’m just not creative in the way that I would like to be,” the idea that one can grow idea fluency intrigues me. So I’ve decide that one of the things I will practice is writing a haiku each day.

Here are two haikus that I wrote this week.

Here I am again

Poised between hope and despair

Who will you vote for?

Trees are almost bare

My heart stutters a little

Can I find beauty?

May you walk in beauty.