Planting Seeds, Literally

Spring is here, with its longer hours of daylight, increased sunshine, moose munching on our neighbor's trees, songbirds, muddy roads, parking lots being swept, green grass poking through the last remaining vestiges of snow...

I planted basil seeds two weeks ago and they are sprouting, delicate green stems pushing up through the soil and filling my heart with such delight. Today, I planted more seeds, including cilantro, more basil and a variety of flowers.  

Never before has a pull towards a garden called to me. Not before now that is!

Another Reason to Nurture Your Creativity...

50th Anniversary of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

 A painting at the Pratt Museum...in honor of this tragedy.

Ode to Spring's Lengthening Daylight

And as the sun rises, I lean in to the light
Gently, firmly, grounded 
Reaching ever upward to the heavens 
Palms in prayer
A song of thanks in my heart

Happy Vernal Equinox - Welcome Spring!

World Poetry Day - One of My Favorite Poems

Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Alaska, Naturally!

 Is it just me or does this piece of ice look like the state of Alaska?

Writing Deadlines - Managing 101

Chocolate, followed by a spring walk on our beach...

Calm, Quiet, Crazy

Saw this posted on Facebook and love it.

Juggling numerous work and personal deadlines, I experience this triage of chaos throughout the day...

Oh Those Creative New Yorkers

I am delighted to include work in my art exhibit by three of my New York City friends, including:

Betsy's mini mantra buttons and Janese's children's book

 and Nancy's metrocard earrings:

Anual Write-A-Thon Fundraiser

While I'm thrilled to be writing two to three weekly features for a local newspaper, I am eager to create time for my personal writing which has taken the proverbial back seat.

As such, I'm pursuing activities that move me in this direction, including writing groups, classes and workshops. Every year for the past four years, I've participated in an write-a-thon that provides me with a great opportunity to focus on a specific piece of writing. It also allows me to interact and network with other writers while in a fun, lively and supportive atmosphere. 

The event takes place in Anchorage, but last year, I participated remotely, writing from The Tea Lounge in Brooklyn. This year, I'll be writing in Anchorage or remotely from Nome.

If you'd like to read about what I'm currently working on and what my goals are, you can visit my fundraising page. Here, you can also support my writing endeavors by making a donation to 49 Writers, the Anchorage nonprofit writing group that hosts this event and provides valuable resources that I tap in to all year long!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christinawhiting/49-writers-2014-write-a-thon

First Friday Art Opening

A success and so much fun!

Falling through the Rabbit Hole - My Art Exhibit Opens

My exhibit opens today here in Alaska. These are images taken during my time living in New York City between 2012 and 2013.

Oh boy, oh boy.

Here's a preview...

For over twenty years, I dreamed of living in The Big Apple / The City that Never Sleeps / The Greatest City on Earth / The Cesspool of Humanity… In 2012, this dream came true. Intending to spend ninety-nine days in the city because I thought Ninety-Nine Days in New York City sounded like a catchy title for the book I planned to write about my experiences.  I ended up staying for just over nine months, falling in love with the city and the people who call it home.

Falling through the Rabbit Hole is my photographic discovery of New York City. Like Alice in Wonderland, I dropped through the rabbit hole, and everything was new, interesting and amazing. While I didn’t meet any giant rabbits or wicked witches along the way, I did encounter large rats, feisty cockroaches, obnoxious clowns and a feast of delicious knishes.

I also met an unending parade of kind, quirky, create and passionate New Yorkers. There are so many stereotypes about New Yorkers, including that they are as a whole, selfish, abrasive and rude, but I found the opposite to be true. In fact, I witnessed incredible acts of generosity, patience and kindness, so much so that this became the norm of what I expected from New Yorkers, and I was rarely disappointed.

I wandered the streets, rode the mass transit, walked the entire length of the city not once, not twice, but three times, indulged in theater, dance, live music, museums and Broadway musicals, tantalized my pallet, explored wild, natural areas (yes, these do exist within the city), got lost in bookstores, coffee shops and bakeries and bumped in to a dynamic cast of characters who inspired me personally, as well as my writing and my photography.

Falling through the Rabbit Hole is dedicated to Taz Tally, my partner in life, creativity and adventure. Taz is unwavering in his support and enthusiasm of my explorations, both the ones that take me far from home and those that take me even farther. Thank you Taz.

10% of sales from Falling through the Rabbit Hole will be donated to a family in Queens who continues to recover and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.