Monday, August 30, 2010

The Creativity of Speedboats and Water by Leona Beasley


Weeks ago my friend I call “little bird” took me out on the Boston Bay in a speedboat. Ooh-wee! What wonders, what excitement, fear and creativity bubbled inside me!

I’ve been away from my blog for eleven months. I have plenty of excuses, none of which I’ll trouble you with here. While I wasn’t writing on the blog I was finishing up what I hope is the final draft of my novel, 11 Light City, settling in our new home after the move across country to the Hudson River Valley, and I’ve added columnist to my ever-growing list of jobs.

Columnist is at least in the right category of jobs; it’s better than taxi driver or baker. I don’t have an aptitude for taxi driver or baker I never worked either and don’t plan to.

What I am good at is playing with words, creating ideas. And while I’m good at it this doesn’t mean it comes easily for me. I happen to type slowly while thinking fast, this drive me to madness sometimes.

I have more ideas than I can actually act on. Unlike being on the water in a speedboat, life moves slowly here on land. Every word must be thought about again, and again to make art. Aaaah! But making art is the point.

For now making art doesn’t make me tons of money. So I’m exploring additional work beyond my column. I’ve even contemplating teaching. Don’t laugh I’m good at it. Most folks think if you’re good at something you should do it. I don’t necessarily think this is true.

But perhaps its easier and sometimes easy is what is needed.

On the boat in the Boston Bay Mike LaRhette aka “little bird” drove with precision not just speed. And while I’ve been on plenty of boats this boat was like a roadster on the water. We were one with the boat, one with the water.

The water operated like and alternate landform—solid not liquid. A landform on another planet, it was so cool to breeze on top the water like a speed racer on land.

Creativity does not come speedily. It takes time to foster, to grow, to develop.
Often I’m at odds with time with writing and reading deadlines. But when I engage the water either on a boat or looking off at its vistas time isn’t on my mind. The view and the experience are what matters.