The hiking analogy is like this: writing is a hard, long trek up a mountain. It's beautiful, but sometimes you wonder if you'll ever get to the end. And a lot of us are trapped in the Forest of Lost Minds, where we begin to wonder why we started this journey in the first place. But there is a way out and a point at which everything is clear; you can see how far you've come, how not ready you were before, how close you are to getting "there" - Lookout Point.
That's the short version. Read Natalie's post for a better explanation. I added some things too:
On a related note, does anybody know anything about oil pastels? This is my first time using them, and the effect was only slightly better than if I'd used crayons. I like the mountains, but that's about it. Any tips?
This is great! Love it:)
ReplyDeleteAbout oil pastels, its best to use them liberally. Like, almost to the point of painting. Also best if they are nice and warm and gooey so they smear a lot. You want to have a heavy textured paper or a canvas to hold the weight too.
Otherwise, yes, they look like crayons.
I have some oil pastels, but I never got a feel for them. They aren't like crayons, that's for sure! I think you can use them in many varied ways, including using solvent of some kind and painting with them (sort of like paint sticks) but when I used them I just smeared them with a lot of pressure onto teh paper, thus making a sticky/greasy color matt on the paper. Then I'd blend the colors with a fingertip.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, I never got that good with them.
Thanks for the pastel tips, Natalie and wyrdd. I never realized it was such a high maintenance medium :-) I'll have to play with them some more.
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