writers

Out on a Lim*

CNBC.com

The sequel to the “Crazy Rich Asians” film has been delayed because of a pay dispute. Adele Lim, a female Asian writer, was offered 1/8 the pay as her male (white) co-writer. This is an enormous disparity and even more egregious when you consider what she brings to the table (which he cannot): an Asian perspective to an Asian film.

Here are some of her words on the matter:

“Being evaluated that way can’t help but make you feel that is how they view my contributions,” Lim said. She also feels women and people of color are used as “soy sauce.” In other words, they’re only there to add a cultural flavor to the project.

 

To Market

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It’s on Amazon.

People ask me why I don’t market it more and try to maximize sales. At this point, I’m not trying to make profits or “become known.” I’m honing my craft and still learning a lot about art and writing.

My goal right now is to make meaningful work in my own voice and to do better with each project.

I’ve adopted Seth Godin’s philosophy (and James Altucher’s ideology) of “choosing myself” and that’s why I’ve chosen self-publishing.

For Poetry Lovers Everywhere

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Photo by Oliver Hihn

If you’re a writer and/or a lover of poetry, you’re likely to be familiar with Poets.org.  They offer “Poem-A-Day.”  According to their website:

“Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 200 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year.”

Today’s poem is a particularly good one, from Ira Sadoff:

Old Selves

Ira Sadoff, 1945

Ok, I no longer want them,
the many selves I had to manage

that once exhausted friends. I believed

in angels then, thought I might be
an angel—that was me, flying off

on a tangent, just so we could land
on one of my many balconies

so we could look down on everyone.

 

This reminds me of my youth: the self-centeredness, naivete, and drama. He captures it all in just a few words.

Check out poets.org. They feature the works of poets from past and present. I’ve replaced the daily news with a poem each day and it does the soul wonders!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He(art)

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Photo by Randy Tarampi

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

Vincent Van Gogh

The voice might then say, “See? This is terrible!” But great work only comes from practice.
Stop procrastinating.
Creativity is the answer to all the “bad” in the world, because art is a culmination of love over time. It is optimism defeating pessimism.

3 Unchangeable Things

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Photo by Nathan Anderson

“A sober friend of mine from Texas said once that the three things I cannot change are the past, the truth and you.”

Anne Lamott, Help. Thanks. Wow.

 

Why play the past over and over in your head? It’s over.

Why argue with reality? It’s the truth. You can’t argue with actuality.

And people. They are who they are. They have their own stories. You have yours. Do not be concerned with their stories, their opinions, or even them. 

If you accept these three certainties, you’ll be happy.

You want to be happy, don’t you?

A Must-Read for All Artists

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Rainer Maria Rilke 1900

“If your everyday life seems poor to you, do not accuse it; accuse yourself, tell yourself you are not poet enough to summon up its riches; since for the creator there is no poverty and no poor or unimportant place.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

I recommend reading  Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. This book is a collection of letters 27-year-old Rilke wrote to a 19-year-old cadet who was seeking guidance and feedback on his poetry.

His book will ground you and connect you to the true beauty of creating art…of being an artist. He reminds us that the beauty is in expressing our true selves through our craft, not in expecting fame or money.

Rilke died at 51, a successful novelist and poet.