Some Comments on Bird by Bird

A few comments on Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

“Writing is learning to pay attention and communicate what is going on”. p. 97

I thought it was interesting how Anne Lamott opened the second section of her book. In her introduction she focuses heavily on the writing itself-plot, character, setting, etc. But, in this second section she opens with this phrase that struck me as being simply about inspiration. Often artists need inspiration to begin a piece. ‘Learning to pay attention’ could mean a number of things including understanding and noticing the latest trends, finding inspiration in everyday life or seeking out that which we find inspires us.

“Train yourself to hear that small inner voice” p. 113

Anne’s book isn’t just about writing but also about life and I think that this phrase rings true to everything we do in life. I have always been one to trust my intuition. I once heard a phrase, oddly enough it was on the Oprah Winfrey show, that went “Doubt means don’t, in men and shoes”. I tend to remind myself of this phrase often and have tried to train myself to trust my instincts-in life and art. I often know when something does not suit the layout I’m working on. Or if something just doesn’t feel right. I also have a tendency to know when something is right. This was another tidbit of information that spoke to me from her book.

Index Cards p. 133

I LOVE her idea about the index cards! Anne provides us with some insight into her working brain as she reminds us that she carries around index cards to jot little ideas, sayings, and happenings on for future reference. I have found that this kind of gathering of information and jotting down of ideas works for me as well. I have a journal of sorts that’s nicknamed ‘scrap crap’. It serves as a catch-all for inspiration I have found over the years for ideas, sketches, color combination's, etc for scrapbooking. I’ve also recently found a site online called ‘pinterest’ which serves as an online platform where you can gather and organize your online inspirations. It’s fabulous as it provides links and let’s you ‘pin’ anything you may find on the internet that interests you.

Writing Groups p. 151

There’s nothing like being able to discuss your work with a group of like-minded individuals. In the scrapbooking world we call those ‘crops’ or weekend retreats. People get together to scrapbook and this is often where new ideas and new techniques are shared. There’s an awful lot of peer influence but there’s also a significant amount of help and assistance for struggling artists in these communities. Blogs, message boards and local stores are also ways in which we can share our work with one another, learn a new technique or seek a helpful ear.

Finding Your Voice p. 195

I have had a hard time finding my own personal style as I’m sure every writer/artist does. You want to be published and be the next big thing, but you don’t want your work to be a copycat of the latest and greatest. You don’t necessarily want to cave to the pressures of your industry either. You want to blaze a new trail and develop your own style. This is difficult. I have so many individuals that I admire and inspire me in the scrapbooking world, but they are already ‘famous’ in their own right. I’m still discovering and coming to grips with who I am as a scrapbooker and what I want my personal style to be. Oddly, I know what I am not-but I can't seem to nail down what I am. However, I’m hesitant to find out what I am as well. I don’t want to box myself into a definition because that limits my creativity. It’s odd-developing a personal style, because you want to follow the pack but do so with your own personal twist!

Anne Lamott’s book seems to have tidbits of wisdom for all artists from all walks of life. Her book is a metaphor for living life as well. I happened to very much enjoy her straight-forward style and would recommend it to others who enjoy any art medium be it writing, scrapbooking or otherwise.

Krista