Jamie Angevine
Writer & Creative Soul
Welcome, Creative Souls!!!
The 500 Measures of November
I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo in my own way this year. Instead of writing 50,000 words in November, I was going to compose 500 measures of new music.
I started writing music when I was about 9 years old, and have written on and off (mostly off) for years. Usually, I wait until inspiration hits to send me to the piano. This time, I decided to set myself a different new challenge.
Every day in November, I wrote something new. It ranged from as few as 9 measures to as many as 42. Half were in a minor key and half were in a major one. There were 12 songs in 3/4 time and 18 in 4/4 time.
Some of the music was not my favorite and some I will revisit and develop further. No matter what, though, this was the first time I've written music every day. I'm so happy that I accomplished my goal.
The Real Me Chronicles
I used to hate my smile. I thought it looked weird and unnatural, and I longed for one that looked open and pretty like my friends had. As a result, I usually smiled without showing my teeth. (I still lean in that direction, as you can see.)
I’ve always said, “I don’t like getting my picture taken.” “I don’t like to post pictures of myself.” Why? I’m afraid to put the Real Me out there with my face front and center.
What if she’s criticized, judged, and found to be lacking? (Haven’t we learned anything from school yard bullies and internet trolls? People can be really mean!)
It’s about much more than just a photo, though. It’s also about sharing my creative endeavors, my fears and insecurities, my pie-in-the-sky dreams.
When I see other people step up and show me who they really are it’s such a powerful feeling. Being vulnerable and showing others our squishy marshmallow inside is how we truly connect.
So, my journey begins to show up as the Real Me. There will be the good, the no-so-good, the frightened, and the sometimes-pretty-brave moments that I will share. And always the weird. Because, hey, it’s Me.
#therealmechronicles
You can follow my journey
I Won NaNoWriMo 2020!!!
This is the second time I participated in National Novel Writing Month, and the first time I completed it.
The Goal: Write 50K words of a brand new novel during the month of November.
Endgame: No matter how messy or incoherent your novel feels, you "win" when you cross that word count finish line.
How I Felt: Excited, then miserable, then hopeful. Then simply determined to finish.
What I Learned: I can do it! This is a challenging time, and there were reasons galore of why I could stop. But I made the choice to continue and I'm so happy that I did!
I'm so honored that I was asked to be part of the 3rd Finding Sparks Virtual Retreat!
Learn about the unexpected ways in which you may be defining your story right now. Then find out how to change that narrative on the path of self-discovery.
Your History Doesn’t Determine Your Story.
You do.