Saturday, April 6, 2013

getting to the bottom of the deep blue sea

This weekend my home town is abuzz with the inaugural Newcastle Writers Festival  and this morning as I took in the spectacular view of Newcastle Beach from a nearby hotel, I had the incredible privilege of listening to five writers share their thoughts on the ocean and why it inspires them. Robert Drewe, Rebecca Oliver, James Bradley, Tim Baker and Gerry Bobsien had the room enthralled, which was not an easy task given the show being staged behind them by the Pacific Ocean and a pod of dolphins, and I came away feeling very inspired and very grateful. I immediately visited Rebecca Olive's blog and felt more inspired, more grateful and a tiny bit astounded by how things, words and people and ideas and inspiration, can come to you in unexpected ways. One post of Rebecca's rang particularly true for me, so much so that I think I should print it out and put it on my fridge (or my computer):

From 'The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do', over at McSweeney's
Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to Google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. A wicked temptress beckoning you to watch your children, and take showers. Well, it’s time to look procrastination in the eye and tell that seafaring wench, “Sorry not today, today I write.”