Comments on: Do My Words Paint Pictures People Can Relate To? Can Connect With? http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/ Exploring possibilities, asking questions, discovering life day by day. Sat, 27 Aug 2011 05:36:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Robert Shumake http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-9840 Robert Shumake Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:19:53 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-9840 Hey, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!.....I"ll be checking in on a regularly now....Keep up the good work! :) -<a href="http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/pdf/2006/03/13/press_release_12009.pdf" rel="nofollow">Robert Shumake</a> Hey, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…..I”ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work! :)

-Robert Shumake

]]> By: Over Coffee… Let’s Talk » Blog Archive » Do We Really Get What We See? http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-3535 Over Coffee… Let’s Talk » Blog Archive » Do We Really Get What We See? Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:23:46 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-3535 [...] true not just for artists who paint stories with brushes or pens, or for writers who tell those stories with their [...] [...] true not just for artists who paint stories with brushes or pens, or for writers who tell those stories with their [...]

]]> By: Over Coffee… Let’s Talk » Blog Archive » How Do You Play (Work) Life? http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-3043 Over Coffee… Let’s Talk » Blog Archive » How Do You Play (Work) Life? Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:39:48 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-3043 [...] learning to see what’s important to look at, and allow the rest to support, as in any effective endeavor — professional or [...] [...] learning to see what’s important to look at, and allow the rest to support, as in any effective endeavor — professional or [...]

]]> By: Barb Hartsook http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2895 Barb Hartsook Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:50:33 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2895 Ahh -- Terro. I have that book of Zinsser's. After reading your comment last night, I dug it out and took it to bed with me. Not smart. Not relaxing the mind a bit. Hahaha! It was originally published in 1976, but what he wrote is as true today as then -- except for the timing and medium. Back then he said we had about 30 seconds to hook a reader -- now the reader knows at first glance, and if she reads at all, we have about 3 seconds for her to decide if it's worth her precious time. She can read the whole thing in 30 seconds! Or not. Simplicity -- it's a word that does comfort me. I have signs to myself in several places: Pare down! Thank you so much. Glad you liked the cookies. Think I'll head over to Plum Duff. :) Ahh — Terro. I have that book of Zinsser’s. After reading your comment last night, I dug it out and took it to bed with me. Not smart. Not relaxing the mind a bit. Hahaha!

It was originally published in 1976, but what he wrote is as true today as then — except for the timing and medium. Back then he said we had about 30 seconds to hook a reader — now the reader knows at first glance, and if she reads at all, we have about 3 seconds for her to decide if it’s worth her precious time. She can read the whole thing in 30 seconds! Or not.

Simplicity — it’s a word that does comfort me. I have signs to myself in several places: Pare down!

Thank you so much. Glad you liked the cookies. Think I’ll head over to Plum Duff. :)

]]> By: Terro http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2894 Terro Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:53:03 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2894 William Zinsser offers some of the best advice around on writing, and he lists "the four basic premises of writing" as "clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.” I'm thinking this applies to drawing and painting as well, as do Zinsser's opening two sentences in his well-known essay "Simplicity" (http://tinyurl.com/bcskjo): "Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon." Zinsser points out that "The writer must therefore constantly ask himself: What am I trying to say?" I suspect the artist must also ask this question. But I do think the writer has an advantage because it is a lot easy to strike out unnecessary words on a page than unnecessary lines on a canvas. PS: Good cookies and good fortunes for everyone, I trust! <abbr><em>Terro’s last blog post..<a href="http://theplumduff.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-didnt-happen-in-news-of-day.html" rel="nofollow">This Didn't Happen According to the News</a></abbr></em> William Zinsser offers some of the best advice around on writing, and he lists “the four basic premises of writing” as “clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.” I’m thinking this applies to drawing and painting as well, as do Zinsser’s opening two sentences in his well-known essay “Simplicity”
(http://tinyurl.com/bcskjo): “Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon.”

Zinsser points out that “The writer must therefore constantly ask himself: What am I trying to say?” I suspect the artist must also ask this question. But I do think the writer has an advantage because it is a lot easy to strike out unnecessary words on a page than unnecessary lines on a canvas.

PS: Good cookies and good fortunes for everyone, I trust!

Terro’s last blog post..This Didn’t Happen According to the News

]]> By: Barb Hartsook http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2892 Barb Hartsook Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:44:01 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2892 Excellent points, Bean. I suppose that comes with time and practice. Something discernible after enough feedback from readers. I do know -- from friends, family members, and social media acquaintances -- that my posts are read by some who do not want to leave comments. I get some emails from subscribers -- which is good for feedback too. Reading a lot of blogs helps me learn the process more specifically as well. What are the bloggers I admire doing? What kind of public feedback are they getting? Thanks so much for coming by, Bean. :) Excellent points, Bean. I suppose that comes with time and practice. Something discernible after enough feedback from readers.

I do know — from friends, family members, and social media acquaintances — that my posts are read by some who do not want to leave comments. I get some emails from subscribers — which is good for feedback too.

Reading a lot of blogs helps me learn the process more specifically as well. What are the bloggers I admire doing? What kind of public feedback are they getting?

Thanks so much for coming by, Bean. :)

]]> By: Barb Hartsook http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2891 Barb Hartsook Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:35:51 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2891 Thanks Anita! For your comments, for all your help keeping things working on my blog, and for your friendship. :) Thanks Anita! For your comments, for all your help keeping things working on my blog, and for your friendship. :)

]]> By: Sliloh http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2890 Sliloh Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:22:05 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2890 Great post Barb. I hadn't thought about using less detail purposely. Which is why I'm no master artist ;) I love this portrait and as for the comments you leave, for me at least, they are always uplifting. Anita p.s. CommentLuv looks like it's working! yay :D <abbr><em>Sliloh’s last blog post..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SlilohsRambles/~3/3aewTPCYPvw/" rel="nofollow">My Personal Rainbow</a></abbr></em> Great post Barb. I hadn’t thought about using less detail purposely. Which is why I’m no master artist ;)

I love this portrait and as for the comments you leave, for me at least, they are always uplifting.

Anita

p.s. CommentLuv looks like it’s working! yay :D

Sliloh’s last blog post..My Personal Rainbow

]]> By: Bean http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2889 Bean Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:12:24 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2889 Karol really points out an important concept. When we blog, we are really letting loose our thoughts and words and have little control over where they land. We can't pick up on all those handy little visual clues when not only can we not see our audience we don't even know who they are. A blogger has to trust their instincts about when their post is "done". It is a balance to know when a concept needs a specific analysis and when it needs to just be simply planted. <abbr><em>Bean’s last blog post..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BloggingClassesLvsOnline/~3/5f-buP0qcKY/" rel="nofollow">Online Blogging Classes start soon!</a></abbr></em> Karol really points out an important concept. When we blog, we are really letting loose our thoughts and words and have little control over where they land. We can’t pick up on all those handy little visual clues when not only can we not see our audience we don’t even know who they are.
A blogger has to trust their instincts about when their post is “done”. It is a balance to know when a concept needs a specific analysis and when it needs to just be simply planted.

Bean’s last blog post..Online Blogging Classes start soon!

]]> By: Barb Hartsook http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/2009/03/do-my-words-paint-pictures-people-can-relate-to-can-connect-with/comment-page-1/#comment-2887 Barb Hartsook Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:01:34 +0000 http://paintedgenerations.com/blog/?p=518#comment-2887 Haha! We can only hope they're not yawning! One way I determine if I've overdone it is to do it and leave it. Come back later -- the paintings I set up so I can walk in cold. Whatever is wrong announces itself. And my writing either flows or stops me and I go Huh? Then I know I've not tied things together, or have taken a different path from what I intended. Or just said more than is necessary to the point. (A lot like painting.) Thanks for coming by -- hope you got some of Valerie's cookies. :) Haha! We can only hope they’re not yawning!

One way I determine if I’ve overdone it is to do it and leave it. Come back later — the paintings I set up so I can walk in cold. Whatever is wrong announces itself.

And my writing either flows or stops me and I go Huh? Then I know I’ve not tied things together, or have taken a different path from what I intended. Or just said more than is necessary to the point. (A lot like painting.) Thanks for coming by — hope you got some of Valerie’s cookies. :)

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