I have been feeling uninspired about writing my blog lately. Usually, I have words pouring out of me, demanding to get put down on the page or the screen.
Writer’s block has rarely presented a problem, either for this blog or for the novels always in progress. Yet, here I sit, feeling a lack of inspiration, a dearth of words, a paucity of ideas, about which to write.
February is the Difficult Month
Why now? Well, many of us find February a difficult month. The glitz and get-togethers of the holiday season have passed on by. Winter weather often stops us from going outside. The snow piles up, then melts, then drifts again in a dispiriting cycle. We had another foot of snow yesterday.
Normally, I’m up and out of the house, doing different things and gaining inspiration from what I see or experience. I work on my garden or the church’s memorial garden and go for walks at the Assabet Valley Wildlife Center. I lead tours in Boston,
My husband and I take in a show at an art museum, drive to restaurants that we like, do some shopping, or go to an event of some kind. Once upon a time, we went to the movies but have pretty much stopped that, too. Theaters offer so little to attract us even on an inclement Sunday afternoon when social distancing is not a problem.
Wandering for Inspiration
Someone got inspired by snow and ice
Sometimes, if the weather is nice, we’ll go to Boston so I can take pictures of the places I want to write about. I’ve been known to just go in and wander around the city, getting inspiration from the places I see.
We had been making strides in this direction at the end of the year, but Omicron caused us to stop and stay close to home. I wander less when there’s snow or rain on top of ice, which makes the footing very treacherous. Also, I experience less wanderlust when the temperature is 5° with a wind-chill factor that dips below zero.
On My “Things to Do” List
Having said that, there are places I want to go and I have a list of things I want to do. Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has just opened their new galleries displaying a vastly expanded collection of Netherlandish Art.
Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
The gifts of the Van Otterloo and Weatherbie Collections, have given the MFA high-quality examples in every category of Dutch painting. Having seen much of the Van Otterloo collection when it was on exhibit at Salem’s Peabody-Essex Museum, I know this is going to be good.
Also, the MFA has restructured their ancient Egyptian galleries. Given the size and weight of some pieces, that must have been a real project. I want to see how it turned out.
Art: Hidden in Plain Sight
Not all of Boston’s noteworthy art resides in the confines of a museum, however, I have a list of eight amazing works of art, both sacred and secular, that are hiding in plain sight around the city. I just have to get to them so I can see for myself, take some pictures, and form my own opinions.
Mural with a panorama of 19th-century Boston
Plus, there are more. I know there are more. Would the weather please improve? Please? I like to visit the places and things I write about to ensure that I get the right information and have first-hand impressions. On the few occasions I have broken this rule, I vowed not to do it again. But Omicron and the winter are testing my resolve.
I have, at times, been tempted to break another rule: “No Politics.” So much is going on right now that the network news media ignore or gives lip service to that I want to write about it. But no. With today’s divided country and volatile social media, I would regret it later on.
Looking for Inspiration
So, here I sit, uninspired by my life, depressed by the winter, shut-in by the weather, and looking for a spark. The snow drifts down and puts me to sleep. I haven’t written about astronomical stuff or a TV watchlist for a while but even those ideas don’t start the usual flow of words. What to do?
