Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of our ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh.
I am delighted to co-host IWSG this month with Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Tara Tyler, and Natalie Aguirre!
December’s optional question - As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?
Not all gifts are material, and the one for which I feel most
grateful is the gift of awareness.
It began when I started this blog and challenged myself to
write a post five days a week. That could have become boring, or at the very
least a struggle, so in trying to furnish myself with subject matter I spent a lot of time walking
with a camera, noticing things I’d never had time to appreciate before. Pretty soon I had images—storm clouds reflecting off a still harbor, herons and egrets stick-walking
through the marsh grass, lobster boats laboring in with their catch. After a while, it didn't matter if I took a photo. I learned that winter sunsets are stunning, but it's the subtle color that displays in the east just as the sun goes down that touches the soul. I drank in views of the city across the bay from a park I’d never walked before, visited secret
gardens and strolled a World War II munitions depot the state turned into
walking paths. I discovered a lighthouse on a spit of land where, if timed right, it's possible to watch the sunrise and turn around and to watch the moon set in the same minute. My walks took me through museums, graveyards, antique stores and old
homesteads. Each of these things delivered a sense of uniqueness and wonder as well as a profound
feeling of good fortune for the beauty and history that surrounds me.
The habit of noticing stays strong in me. Even now as I walk the same route most mornings, things are different than the day before. Beauty is ever changing,
ever evolving. How lucky am I that awareness arrived with a two-for-one bonus gift of ongoing appreciation.
As a writer, what has been your favorite gift?
Great shots! My wife is good at noticing things. Life is so busy - I look forward to retirement and time for me to notice more things.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today!
Lovely shots, and what a great gift! We often walk through life without noticing most of the beauty around us. I think we all need to slow down and really take in the wonders around us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that not all gifts are physical. I love your photos. I'm not always as observant as I could be. Thanks for co-hosting with me today.
ReplyDeleteWell my friend, you've topped the charts with this one. Yes, awareness is the very best gift. I love your photos and words as always.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! And thank you for the reminder to notice and to appreciate. :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! Yes, I love your point about noticing. It reminds me of what I learned in an art class that it's not about being able to create a picture in your head, but noticing the shades and different gradients of color in an object. And we do the same thing in writing, whether we're creating characters or describing a sunset.
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are gorgeous photos! I agree that slowing down and being aware is a wonderful gift. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great gift I hadn't considered--awareness. It's important to writers, from people watching to being aware of our surroundings. Love the reminder
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous photography - you have an eye as well as a good camera! You've amped your daily walks and prompted me to adopt the habit, now that my knee replacement recovery as progressed. Thanks for co-hosting today and for making me aware!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on cultivating that awareness. We often take so much for granted without noticing the uniqueness of the world around us. Thanks for the great post and for co-hosting today!
ReplyDeletehi,
ReplyDeletewhat you call noticing, I call it being in my right mind. Being totally aware of or conscious of of the atmosphere around me etc.
Have a Merry Christmas and a nice walk over into 2026.
Shalom shalom
Fantastic pictures! And I love that image of seeing the sun and the moon at the same time. Thanks for hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteLike your photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous post, Lisa, words and images! What a perfect gift! What you call awareness I call a sense of wonder. And I'm grateful to have it in spades. Thanks for co-hosting today. Have a Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteGreat memories and experiences are some of the best parts of life. Stuff can be nice, but it often doesn't last.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
Lee
Thanks for co-hosting this month. Your images are lovely. I wish I had a knack for photography, but I do adore going for walks and observing.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! It sounds like you've been to a lot of great places. I tend to enjoy experiences more than material things.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the photos in your post, Liza. Noticing things around us and in us. Actually paying attention to the world around us. Awareness, as you call it. Truly solid answer to this month's question. Thanks for cohosting!
ReplyDeleteI love that way of thinking about it. @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Noticing is important - it helps connect yourself to the world. And your photos are great. I notice wildlfie, far more than many people, I find. 'Did you see the xxx?" I'll ask, and they look at me blankly. And I have a bird survey to do tomorrow, if this rain passes through (fingers crossed).
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month.
Jemima @ jemimapett.com
Beautiful pictures, Liza! You can't go wrong with the gift of awareness ;-) Merry Christmas - and thank you for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly developed an eye for the wonderful world around you. Thank you sharing some of your photos with us. And thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeletehttps://la-vita.us/insecure-writers-support-group/
Beautiful answer and beautiful shots!
ReplyDeleteThank you for co-hosting!
Super job co-hosting. I love this post. Very close to my heart. I think I am very good at noticing and taking the time to truly look at stupid stuff. After a zillion years of marriage, I think it's something my husband counts on - I am going to point out the weirdest, oddest thing ... in the neighborhood or on a trip. Oh, we writers - we take notes - mentally, spiritually, or on paper.
ReplyDeleteCarry on! you keep doing the work!!
What a beautiful gift and stunning photos. A good reminder, as so many of us don't take in or just take for granted what's around us.
ReplyDeleteAwareness is an excellent answer!
ReplyDeleteDon't miss an opportunity to write why you like (or dislike) a book!
Have a wonderful holiday season. ⭐
J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge
Happy IWSG day and thank you for co-hosting. Your photos are absolutely wonderful in the sense of serenity they evoke. The gift of awareness is one of the most important things a writer can have. Do you take phone photos or do you use a camera?
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing your photos for years. You pick such great shots. Have a happy holiday.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely choice for your best gift as a writer. Your life has been enriched by choosing to be more aware. I loved the beautiful photos. Thank you for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experiences of opening your awareness to include the subtle things we often miss. I experienced a similar awakening when I started water color painting. It felt like a new world came into focus I hadn't seen before, the limitless shades of all the colors, blending, and adding a greater dimension of beauty.
ReplyDeleteI love this post so much! I had a similar experience when I first started blogging and getting active on Flickr (both at more or less the same time). Suddenly I was noticing all kinds of things I'd never paid attention to before. I was walking around in my garden in winter because I needed content, and I was discovering that Portland in January can be beautiful (if you don't get waterlogged looking at it).
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me of that experience. I may have to do one of those photo a day challenges to rebuild that wonderful habit.