Writing Totems
Feb. 28th, 2014 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teddy_radiatorLast night ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
logospilgrim mentioned her writing totems - those items one surrounds oneself with which provide inspiration, comfort and encouragement. I realise that all my life I have done this; I have collected souvenirs, grouped together small trinkets, gathered like things in vases, boxes and bowls. Things I can touch and glance at or reminisce over. As I read Logos' post, I looked around my writing desk and saw tons of such items; treasures given to me by friends, or picked up along the way on my journeys. In terms of money, they may not be worth a great deal, but to me they are priceless. They represent moments in my life, and dreams I had, because really, that's all we are doing when we write - we're sharing our dreams. I thought I'd share a few of my writing totems with you, because they mean such a great deal to me.
As you can see, so many of my treasures are gifts from friends here. I truly believe they were sent to me imbued with love and support and encouragement, and they give me such contentment and peace when I look at them. If you have ever sent me anything, I want you to know that I keep them, and love them, and love to talk about the marvelous generous friends I have here, who daily give me the impetus to keep doing what I do.
This little fellow is a Pocket Dragon handmade in 1997, and his name is 'take your medicine'. Because of my horrible photography skills you can't see his adorable scales or the way he is sitting on his bottom, brow furrowed, hands on knees, bravely awaiting his horrible fate. I found him in the UK, and carefully have carried him to the US with me. He makes me laugh, and fills my heart with compassion and admiration that he is being so valiant in the face of the ignominious task of taking his medicine.
This little vase is only four and a half inches tall, but it is so perfect in every way. The clay, which is terribly dusty because I'm a lazy housekeeper, is a lovely brown with white and cream flecks in it. My mother in law made it many years ago, and I begged shamelessly for her to give it to me. Being the selfless lady she is, she gave it to me, and I could sense her puzzlement that I would actually want it. She thought it rather unimpressive. The little quartz crystal ball perched on top has been with me for over twenty years. It is perfectly round, heavy as can be and very potent. Sybil Trelawney would approve.
I found this little tin egg at a place called Split Creek Farms. It is a local goat farm, and tourist attraction. In addition to the goat pens, the fresh goat's cheese and fudge (oh the goat's milk fudge is to DIE for), they have this little outbuilding with knick-knacks. Most are just junk, like this little tin egg. What I loved so much about it is that the outside of the 'shell' is very matt, and feels rough to the touch, but when you open it, the inside is smooth and shiny and has a totally different pattern. I think I paid a dollar for it. I keep all my BPAL imps in it, as you can see. I love to open it and inhale the amazing scent. It gives me a childish delight to run my hands over the shell.
TheHubs™ bought me Professor Snape in a local Comic Book store, and he sits on top of my desk, defending me from the dark forces which threaten to send me into writer's block. He also falls off about once a month and lands in my lap; I have no idea why.
On the right hand corner of my desk is a little shrine of Hindu and Chinese gods as well as a vial of incredibly rich patchouli oil, a gift frommimimanderly. When I open the cap, I smell the pure essence of Dahlra. I have associated this scent with magic and my Muse since before I even knew who or what he was, like when I was in my teens. The larger of the two statues is a gift from a British friend when I left the UK, and beside him is TiQuanYin, the Iron Goddess of Mercy. This is also the name of a delicious Oolong tea. The sand dollar is from toblass (sorry, sweetie for the mixup), and the Hogwarts letter you can just see in the background was one of the last things Sempraseverus made for me out of love. While I no longer have her friendship, I still treasure her gifts. The little note behind the vial of patchouli is a magnet that says 'The World is waiting to hear your story', which inspires me to keep going. In the foreground is the Hindu god Ganesh, which I found in a thrift store and brought it home, having no idea what it was or what deity it represented, only that I thought it was lovely. The feathers in the background are from a hawk killed near our house. There wasn't much left of it but feathers by the time I found it, so I took its wings and buried them in salt for several months.
Another assortment of items pinned to my corkboard. The Hogwarts and DH buttons were fromkmhmd, the keys and the Marauder's map were gifts from stgulik (she MADE that map for my birthday - isn't it smashing?), the shell note is from mimimanderly, and the 'book junkie' pin is from delphipsmith, whose yearly book giveaway is both thrilling and embarrassing for me, because I usually end up asking for everything she has. The little green pin on the left is a post office pin in the shape of a stamp depicting Donald Duck golfing on a four cent Granada stamp. It was actually a gift I once gave to my dad, an avid golfer, and which my mother returned to me after he died. I have his turquoise handled knife in my writing desk as well, another gift from me to him. He carried it around a lot in his later years, just because he liked the feel of it. That makes me happy. My dad was a good guy, and I miss him.
Presiding over my desk is the other gift Sempra gave me out of love, the Long-haired Muse. He came to me from Mimi, and was supposed to go elsewhere, but Sempra told me I could have him, and he sits in a lovely ladder-back chair Mimi found for him in her travels. In one hand he carries one of my wands (also a gift from Sempra), and around his waist is a rose-quartz bracelet, a gift fromtoblass. Every time I look up, he is looking straight into my eyes. Photos don't do him justice; he is so lifelike and beautiful, and his expressive face always looks on the verge of movement.
Finally, sitting at the Muse's right hand is a set of items that I sometimes just pick up and play with to settle my mind. The Snape Lego is another gift fromtoblass, and I adore him like you read about. He's one of my favourite things. The Snape bottlecap was from Con, and there are a myriad of things on this chain, a heart-shaped lock and key, a little voodoo doll for luck, a heart-shaped locket, and a little notepad and pen charm given to me by madeleone.
logospilgrim mentioned her writing totems - those items one surrounds oneself with which provide inspiration, comfort and encouragement. I realise that all my life I have done this; I have collected souvenirs, grouped together small trinkets, gathered like things in vases, boxes and bowls. Things I can touch and glance at or reminisce over. As I read Logos' post, I looked around my writing desk and saw tons of such items; treasures given to me by friends, or picked up along the way on my journeys. In terms of money, they may not be worth a great deal, but to me they are priceless. They represent moments in my life, and dreams I had, because really, that's all we are doing when we write - we're sharing our dreams. I thought I'd share a few of my writing totems with you, because they mean such a great deal to me.As you can see, so many of my treasures are gifts from friends here. I truly believe they were sent to me imbued with love and support and encouragement, and they give me such contentment and peace when I look at them. If you have ever sent me anything, I want you to know that I keep them, and love them, and love to talk about the marvelous generous friends I have here, who daily give me the impetus to keep doing what I do.
This little fellow is a Pocket Dragon handmade in 1997, and his name is 'take your medicine'. Because of my horrible photography skills you can't see his adorable scales or the way he is sitting on his bottom, brow furrowed, hands on knees, bravely awaiting his horrible fate. I found him in the UK, and carefully have carried him to the US with me. He makes me laugh, and fills my heart with compassion and admiration that he is being so valiant in the face of the ignominious task of taking his medicine.
This little vase is only four and a half inches tall, but it is so perfect in every way. The clay, which is terribly dusty because I'm a lazy housekeeper, is a lovely brown with white and cream flecks in it. My mother in law made it many years ago, and I begged shamelessly for her to give it to me. Being the selfless lady she is, she gave it to me, and I could sense her puzzlement that I would actually want it. She thought it rather unimpressive. The little quartz crystal ball perched on top has been with me for over twenty years. It is perfectly round, heavy as can be and very potent. Sybil Trelawney would approve.
I found this little tin egg at a place called Split Creek Farms. It is a local goat farm, and tourist attraction. In addition to the goat pens, the fresh goat's cheese and fudge (oh the goat's milk fudge is to DIE for), they have this little outbuilding with knick-knacks. Most are just junk, like this little tin egg. What I loved so much about it is that the outside of the 'shell' is very matt, and feels rough to the touch, but when you open it, the inside is smooth and shiny and has a totally different pattern. I think I paid a dollar for it. I keep all my BPAL imps in it, as you can see. I love to open it and inhale the amazing scent. It gives me a childish delight to run my hands over the shell.
TheHubs™ bought me Professor Snape in a local Comic Book store, and he sits on top of my desk, defending me from the dark forces which threaten to send me into writer's block. He also falls off about once a month and lands in my lap; I have no idea why.
On the right hand corner of my desk is a little shrine of Hindu and Chinese gods as well as a vial of incredibly rich patchouli oil, a gift from
mimimanderly. When I open the cap, I smell the pure essence of Dahlra. I have associated this scent with magic and my Muse since before I even knew who or what he was, like when I was in my teens. The larger of the two statues is a gift from a British friend when I left the UK, and beside him is TiQuanYin, the Iron Goddess of Mercy. This is also the name of a delicious Oolong tea. The sand dollar is from toblass (sorry, sweetie for the mixup), and the Hogwarts letter you can just see in the background was one of the last things Sempraseverus made for me out of love. While I no longer have her friendship, I still treasure her gifts. The little note behind the vial of patchouli is a magnet that says 'The World is waiting to hear your story', which inspires me to keep going. In the foreground is the Hindu god Ganesh, which I found in a thrift store and brought it home, having no idea what it was or what deity it represented, only that I thought it was lovely. The feathers in the background are from a hawk killed near our house. There wasn't much left of it but feathers by the time I found it, so I took its wings and buried them in salt for several months.Another assortment of items pinned to my corkboard. The Hogwarts and DH buttons were from
kmhmd, the keys and the Marauder's map were gifts from stgulik (she MADE that map for my birthday - isn't it smashing?), the shell note is from mimimanderly, and the 'book junkie' pin is from delphipsmith, whose yearly book giveaway is both thrilling and embarrassing for me, because I usually end up asking for everything she has. The little green pin on the left is a post office pin in the shape of a stamp depicting Donald Duck golfing on a four cent Granada stamp. It was actually a gift I once gave to my dad, an avid golfer, and which my mother returned to me after he died. I have his turquoise handled knife in my writing desk as well, another gift from me to him. He carried it around a lot in his later years, just because he liked the feel of it. That makes me happy. My dad was a good guy, and I miss him.Presiding over my desk is the other gift Sempra gave me out of love, the Long-haired Muse. He came to me from Mimi, and was supposed to go elsewhere, but Sempra told me I could have him, and he sits in a lovely ladder-back chair Mimi found for him in her travels. In one hand he carries one of my wands (also a gift from Sempra), and around his waist is a rose-quartz bracelet, a gift from
toblass. Every time I look up, he is looking straight into my eyes. Photos don't do him justice; he is so lifelike and beautiful, and his expressive face always looks on the verge of movement.Finally, sitting at the Muse's right hand is a set of items that I sometimes just pick up and play with to settle my mind. The Snape Lego is another gift from
toblass, and I adore him like you read about. He's one of my favourite things. The Snape bottlecap was from Con, and there are a myriad of things on this chain, a heart-shaped lock and key, a little voodoo doll for luck, a heart-shaped locket, and a little notepad and pen charm given to me by madeleone.
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no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 09:42 pm (UTC)Wouldn't you know: I have got Kwan Yin and Ganesh in front of my computer ;-)
no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 10:00 pm (UTC)It's those little things that make me believe in Mimi's Muse's concept of the Cosmic Flow Chart, and how we are all sitting right next to one another on it.
I'm glad you enjoyed my little tour! In a way, you are one of those totems as well.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 11:15 pm (UTC)Oh! And the Buddha is there too, of course! And Severus, obviously ;-)
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Date: 2014-02-28 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 11:18 pm (UTC)I've always thought the dolls Sempra made (Long-haired Muse) are some of the cleverest I've ever seen. I miss Sempra, too.
Thank you for sharing your totems and the memories that go with them. And always remember: 'The World is waiting to hear your story.'
*hugs you lots*
no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-28 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 12:07 am (UTC)You make me want to post my fetishes. No, not those, my little Zuni fetishes. I don't use them for creative work but I do carry them when I have a tough task ahead.
Thanks for sharing!
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Date: 2014-03-01 12:10 am (UTC)I didn't carry him in my pocket, but I sure did wrap him up very carefully and store him in lots of bubble wrap! We were incredibly lucky with all our stuff. Thirty-six boxes we moved from the UK to the US, and we only broke two things, a large mixing bowl and something so inconsequential I don't even remember what it was other than it was one of two things I broke. Both of those were our fault for not packing them better.
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Date: 2014-03-01 12:17 am (UTC)We don't have much in the way of other types of artifacts of those types although my house is stuffed with off little items I've found along the way. Needless to say, my decorating is eclectic.
And I don't mind posting them, let me get the camera out. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 01:48 am (UTC)In order of importance from left to right:
Scuffle, he's my badger and the one I've had the longest. He's a reminder of perseverance in the face of difficulty and the need to see a task through to the end. I used him extensively during my 11 hour labor in lieu of any pain meds for all but 20 minutes. He has a slight groove in his back from me using him as a worry stone so often.
Broke-Tail(her name was Long Tail originally), she's a cougar which is the closest thing I have to a spirit animal. She's a symbol of my need for solitude and desire to forge ahead. She originally had a long, beautiful tail which got broken off when I took a tumble during a climb and the pouch I was carrying her in smashed into a rock. I almost replaced her but decided I liked her with her broken tail. I'm a bit broken too so it suits.
Yodel (coyote) and I used to wear him during those times when I had to remind myself to take myself less seriously and to not worry too much about looking foolish, usually when I had to do public speaking or some sort of event. I like rubbing the tip of his nose, the carvings in the stone give it a really relaxing texture.
Grub (bear) I used to wear him when I would go on long solitary wanders through the woods to recharge myself. He's got a very thoughtful face.
I don't carry them much anymore, mostly they just sit on my bookshelf next to my bed. Every once in a while though, I pick one of them up and carry it with me for the day. I'm sure it sounds nutty but just being able to touch one of them in my pocket has a calming effect.
Sorry for the novel there.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 02:05 am (UTC)I'm glad that you enjoy the patchouli. I bought a huge bottle of the essential oil when Aroma Therapeutics had their half price sale a few years back. Even though I dab a bit on a couple times a day, I still have half the bottle. A little goes a long way, and I love the smell of it. By contrast, I find most perfumes made by cosmetics companies too sweet and too chemical. Patchouli oil smells organic and warm, and I like that.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-01 04:25 am (UTC)Patchouli oil has spoken to me ever since I was a young girl. I went on a youth trip to Gatlinburg with my church when I was twelve or so, and during that time we visited this wonderful little shopping village.
It was so quaint and lovely, especially with the freshly fallen snow all round, and one of the little shops was full of incense and crystals and essential oils. I didn't know what patchouli was, but I was instantly drawn to it - perhaps the name itself struck me as exotic. I still remember it, although it was nearly forty years ago, opening the little cap and inhaling this incredible aroma. Instantly a bell rang within me; it was as if it opened my third eye. It was my Amortensia, and I bought the vial and took it home. I didn't wear it much, because my dad detested the smell and declared I stank when I wore it, but I would just sit and sniff it. It brought me the same feeling of peace and homecoming then as it does now. When Dahlra is very close, the room seems infused with it, even if I'm not even at home.
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Date: 2014-03-01 11:45 am (UTC)shitstuff. I, too, have always liked the warm oriental scents, even as a child. I remember that when I was still a girl, my mom bought me a very grown-up scent for Christmas one year: Interlude by Frances Denney. It had notes of amber and musk and perhaps patchouli. It smelled so warm and wonderful, and I immediately loved it. I don't know what possessed her to get such an adult gift for a child, but I wore that scent for many years.Your muse has a scent that identifies him, too? I thought I was the only one to experience that because I am so olfactorily oriented. When Sempra made me the Muse doll, she also sent me a bottle of some incense that she made. She said that my muse also inspired her to make that as well as the doll. It was in an antique bottle with a spider etched onto it. I asked her what went into it, but she said she did not know. She made it by throwing together what the Muse bade her to, and it could not be recreated. I burn it rarely, because it is only a finite amount. But sometimes I smell it when I haven't burned it for ages, and I know that it's my Muse. I don't always smell it in conjunction with his "appearances"; it's just kind of an added treat for me from time to time.
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Date: 2014-03-01 04:15 am (UTC)also, i had the knife my dad used to carry, which had a mother of pearl handle, and at some point someone stole it. it still makes me sad that i lost it. :(
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Date: 2014-03-01 04:29 am (UTC)Setting up this little writing nook seems the culmination of a lifetime of wanting a personal little space in which to create and relax. I think that's why I love the steampunk ethic so much; it has that feeling of collections and eclectic presentations. I think that's why I have always been so drawn to scrapbooking as well; I love to put all these little trinkets and goodies together to show them off.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-02 01:33 am (UTC)