Hope

Art by Sara General 

Life is busy and full. There is so much I am grateful for. Last week I had a brief opportunity to see something awesome in my community. It was a sing organized by Grade 7 & 8's from the local schools and schools from other Haudenosaunee communities. The cooking and serving for the event was being done by a local adult immersion language program. I was only there for a few minutes but it was such a powerful reminder that there are many things happening in our community that are wonderful and that we don't always see because we are working on projects of our own and sometimes don't have the chance to connect. These young people were great and had a lot of support from their teachers and elders. They were able to introduce songs in the language and sing the songs. It was super cool and very inspiring. 

I mention it here because I know there are positive things happening in our community, and even if I don't see them with my own eyes - it doesn't mean they aren't happening. So if you are out there doing work because you love our community, love our ways, love our languages, love our people, (or you know - our world!) I just want to say nya:weh. You are awesome and your efforts fill me with hope. 

I also mention it because I carried some of that happiness into a new art piece (which is this week's blog picture) and I wanted to share that with you.

Art by Sara General

Looking at it makes me think that I might turn some of these little paintings into a series of prints and possibly a calendar. Or something. Here are some of the pieces I'm thinking of including. More to come on that in the future!

Nya:weh and happy creating!

S. 

Maintaining a Writing Routine After a Maternity Leave

Illustrated by Sara General

So it happened. I returned to work last week after being on maternity leave for a year. My work is exciting to me in that it’s an area I’m quite passionate about—Indigenous education and Indigenous language revitalization. And while I’m excited, I’m also trying to figure out how all of the pieces fit together. How do I keep writing, making art and contributing to my community in the best way that I can? How do I continue to make progress with my language learning and honestly have time to send good energy back out into the world? This is really important to me. Especially because I think the world needs good energy right about now. Needs to be reminded that peace is important and that it is possible for us all to have enough. Anyways, here are some of the things that are working for me at the moment—bearing in mind that none of this is really advice, just me sharing how things are going :). 

1. Make a schedule. Whatever schedule works for you.

Right now, my schedule includes waking up early to write from 6-7 a.m. Then get ready with the rest of my little family and be out the door by 8:10 a.m. We are fortunate that the daycare and our place of work are within five minutes of each other so we don't have to leave at a super early time. I have a nice day working on projects that are important to me and hopefully, will be good for our community as well. Then we pick up the girls and are usually home, have exercised and eaten by 5:30, which leaves us a few hours before the girls have their baths and go to sleep. My big goal next week is to be in bed every night by 10. We’ll see how that goes. (UPDATE: It's not going well, lol).  

2. Plan evening activities the whole family can do 

This past week, I did the majority of my art work in the evening, painting sketches as a way of relaxing and disconnecting from the office. My oldest daughter likes to paint as well, so it gives us time we can spend together doing something fun and creative. This is good, but also challenging in its own way. It feels like to fit everything in—we're having to use every bit of time that we have. I'm okay with this approach for now, though I have to admit, I was exhausted by the weekend and felt super grateful that it was a short one, work-wise. 

3. Protect your creative time by making it a priority

I used to be something of a workaholic, but that changed when I became a mother. Now I know to take time and make sure that I’m living well. I’m grateful—beyond grateful that things can be that way. I also know that I have to keep doing creative things. 

Now that I’ve had a few days to reflect on the first week and how it went, I can think more carefully about how to make sure I don’t lose track of my writing. That I continue to work at finishing stories, bit by bit. Writing and creating is the thing that fuels all the other things that I do and doing it makes me a much happier person to be around. So it has to be a part of the daily routine. 

4. Write the project you're most passionate about (even if it wasn't the one that was next on your production schedule!)

This past week, I wasn’t sure exactly which project to start writing. I have at least two completely brand new projects that I want to tackle this year and that are written into my production schedule. I also have four books at various stages of completion—some more complete than others. I surprised myself by taking a lot of joy working on a book that hadn’t even been on my radar. to work on and that I actually wrote more than a year and a half ago. But i chose to work on it because something about it was really rejuvenating for me and as I go through it, I’m reminded of why I like it so much. It's also making me really enjoy the process of revising and editing. The book is about Indigenous women, language, empowerment, artwork and funnily enough—it’s a romance. I can't wait to share it with you! Now of course, I agree that production schedules are important, but wow. This little deviation from mine was exactly what I needed. 

In the meantime, I've added some of the new paintings I did to my Art page. Have a peek!

I hope you like them & that your own creative endeavours are going well!

Til next time,

S. 

Tools That Helped Me Write My Research Proposal

Last week was hectic. I finished writing a first draft of my research proposal and while there is still more to do (extra reading, revisions, line by line edits of my references), I’m happy with what I have. I’ve learned A LOT. Academic writing is a very different kind of writing than my creative writing. Even so, I can see some similarities in the creation and editing processes. They also both have unique structures that you need to follow to best convey the research story/creative story that you're telling. 

I’m fortunate to have a helpful and experienced supervisor who has provided valuable guidance and support around how these documents are written. It’s certainly helped to clarify the process. It’s also helped that there are other students they've supervised whose work I’ve been able to read and learn from as well. But there are other tools that have been really important for me specifically that I wanted to mention here, for those of my family and friends that are going to be writing their own dissertations in the future. 

The first one is Mendeley. Mendeley is citation management software and wow; I know there are other software programs that you can use—but I can hardly believe I made it through a year and a half of my program without Mendeley. It’s amazing. It allows you to save your references, PDFs of relevant articles, make notes, highlight, and export bibliographies (although you still need to go through it to make sure the bibliography is formatted correctly). It’s incredible. It also has an iOS app and since I work primarily between my Macbook, my iPad and my phone, this was a big part of what motivated me to choose it over other citation management software. I wish I’d had it sooner. Seriously. Students starting your doctoral programs (or master’s programs)—do yourself a favour and choose your citation management software early if you haven't already. I'm also very grateful to my school for creating this table comparing a few other services. It was what helped me decide on Mendeley: https://www.lib.uwo.ca/services/comparingcitationmanagementservices.html

The other tool I’ve found to be invaluable once again, is Scrivener. I used to have folders upon folders of notes for various classes or papers. I still have multiple physical notebooks I use for school. Scrivener allows you to keep all those notes/notebooks in one file. While I actually did my research proposal in Word because Mendeley has a Word plug-in (but not a Scrivener one), I still did a lot of my drafting in and imported my Word files into Scrivener. (And then backed those up onto other storage devices and emailed them to myself. I don’t know how many back-ups you realistically need, but I’m erring on the side of caution because quite honestly, it’s a ton of work to have to repeat if the worst case scenario were to happen). 

And last but not least, something that has helped me so much and which I am so grateful for is other researchers. I’ve chosen to conduct my study using Indigenous research methodology and Indigenous research methods. In some ways, this can still be difficult because other research methods, though grounded in Western ways of thinking, are better known. But my research is interested in exploring how organizations in my community can work together to revitalize Indigenous languages. There were certainly other methods I could have used to explore my research question but this one was the best fit by far and thanks to other researchers building bridges and blazing trails, it is a viable option for me. Here are a few books that helped me work through and gather confidence to choose this research method.

A few weeks ago, I told my husband that I felt like all the reading I was doing was changing how I thought about things. I had a deeper appreciation of the nature and process of collaboration. I had a deeper desire to speak our languages. I was thinking about things more intently. And while this learning is awesome—it’s also been happening amidst a backdrop of stress. Our daughters have had colds. We’ve had colds. The laundry has piled up. It has seemed at times like I was going to be in perpetual catch-up mode from last year when we were trying to move and get settled in our new house. It’s hard at times to remind me that THIS. IS. THE. POINT. The living of the journey. Not the perfect abstract or the perfect research proposal. Not the perfectly kept house or the perfect day. It's how to find the good in every day, the good in right now. I want to be alive and healthy and aware and happy in all of the things that I do. Art is one of the things that continues to bring those reminders home and I have to admit—I’m not entirely sure why. But I accept it and I’m grateful of it. So the picture featured at the top of this blog is the little piece I worked on after all the intensity of the research proposal. After almost two weeks of not making any new art, I just wanted to work on and finish a little project. I filmed the making of this piece and put it up on my Youtube channel. I also did a little time lapse video of it that you can see here. It's called, “The Ivory Tower”. 

Happy creating everyone!

S. 

Write Your Story. Start Today - Part Two

Richard Wagamese has passed away. He was a wonderful and talented Indigenous writer whose books were the recipients of many awards. He was also one of those few authors whose books both my parents and I really liked. I remember reading A Quality of Light as a teenager and just being completely blown away. To this day, it is one of my favourite books. I never met Richard—I only knew him from Facebook and Twitter, but he was always kind in his posts, open about his struggles and his dedication to writing and to helping other writers. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. 

After a week where I did little else but read article after article for my dissertation, his passing reminded me of how wonderful art is and how important it is to take the time to make it. To hone your skills and share what you love and are passionate about with others. 

In December of last year, I met a lady from my community who was trying to find a printer for a book she had written. It was a memoir. I shared the name of my printer with her and asked her about her work. My baby was coming down with a cold though, so I became distracted and had to leave the event early. I found out later that the lady had passed away at the start of the year. It made me feel so sad. Sad that her book didn’t become a book, even though I know that she was loved and appreciated and will be remembered fondly by many. Still, I've continued to think about her and her story. And to think about other people I know who have creative inclinations and are gearing up to write or to paint or make something. Thinking about what I can do to encourage them or to be more helpful when people are looking for help. I have some plans in mind. Some things I am going to try. This post is one small way of sending a big burst of encouragement to you all. To write your story. To make your art. To start today. And to those of you who have already started—to encourage you to keep going.  

As you may have noticed from my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages—I’ve been doing a lot of art lately. I’ve also been reading and writing and practicing the piano a lot more. I’ve been doing all of these things because there are projects I want to do in each of these mediums. This has come as something of a surprise to me. I've always known I wanted to be a writer and a storyteller, but I didn’t know I wanted to be an illustrator or to tell stories through music. I probably should have known. There were all kinds of signs. (I used to have art shows in our living room when I was a little girl, displaying my work for my parents to come and purchase. My most expensively priced piece was $1. And guess where I displayed them? My old upright piano).

Anyways—it’s wonderful that these things have come back to me as an adult and I am so thankful I’m in a space to pursue these dreams. I’m also grateful they’re the kinds of pursuits I can include my daughters in. My toddler loves to paint and is already playing very cool little songs on the piano that she sings along to. My baby has also taken a special liking to toy instruments. They both love books.

So I’m happy to be able to share my art here. To share about my learning process and the steps I’m taking toward becoming an illustrator, similar to the way I’ve shared my writing journey over the last few years. Especially because I know there is so much learning to come—I’m definitely one of those people who embraces the notion that learning is a lifelong process. Case in point—I’ve learned more about writing in the last five years than in the fifteen preceding them and it seems like the things there are to learn next only multiply. But best of all—it’s fun. The things I’ve learned, I’ve learned by writing. By editing. By re-writing. By reading. I’ve learned by finishing one story and starting the next. By focussing on the work.

I’m trying to take some of these same principles and apply it to my art. To learn by creating things often and regularly. To take online classes (I’ll blog more about those in the future). To play with filters to learn what colour palettes I like and to give me ideas about what I can try next time. All in all, it has been awesome to be able to share the work I’ve finished with my family and friends. Indeed, every single piece of art I’ve made this year has taught me something different. But the biggest thing they’ve taught me is how important it is to just create. To practice. To try new things. To finish what I start.

Hearing about Richard’s passing was a reminder that we never know how long we have and that it's so important to make the most of each moment. To make the art that only we can make. So in honour of that, I thought I would share a few pieces I’ve worked on lately. There's even more on my Art page. 

Happy creating everyone! And if you haven’t started yet—then consider this your personal message to get going! The world is waiting for your art. So am I :). 

S. 

Lights in the Dark

Last week I had my first ever author visit to the wonderful Braemar House School, where my niece attends. I presented to the Junior and Intermediate classes (grades 5-8) on my experiences being a writer, a creator of books and an aspiring language learner. I also read aloud from one of my books. It was awesome to share about how writing has helped me connect with, learn and share about my culture and our history as Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. It was also nice to realize that I'm really and truly living my dream of being a writer. To be able to look back and see that what I’m doing now—telling stories and starting to make comics—is something I’ve been working toward for thirty years. So yeah. It was an awesome experience and I’m grateful to have had it.  

And of course, the students themselves were nothing short of amazing. I’m always so impressed with young people, the questions they ask and their incredible capacity for compassion, understanding and imagination. They are lights in the dark. Being around young people is also an important reminder that the land and water is something we borrow from future generations and that we should be mindful of how the decisions we make today can impact their well-being now and for years to come. 

It made me realize that I want young people, including my daughters, nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephew, to have hope for the future. And that means doing my part now. To help find, share and create knowledge that empowers us to have compassionate discussions, to be who we are meant to be, and to hold a respectful place in our hearts for those around us. How to do this, especially right now, is a question I’ve thought a lot about over the last few weeks. 

I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve found it challenging to read the news on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve tried to bring balance to my use of social media and establish some boundaries because as much as I enjoy the break from reading so many dismal reports, I also think it’s important to be informed. So for example, I will be looking to subscribe to one or two newspapers in the very near future, to help bring more balance to my life and help feel more prepared to interact with the world for the months ahead. Right now I feel like I’m reading everything, all of the time, which is great because there are so many important perspectives, but not so great in that it also really crowds out my own sense of self—especially when there are so many terrible things happening. I want to be a force for good and to be able to encourage others. To do that, I need to have some light to share. 

So at this time, creating is so important and making time to be creative is vital. Writing, painting, playing piano. These are things I can do to transform my space and because I’m connected to the world, it will spread :). 

In the meantime, I’ll keep doing my best to be supportive and compassionate, learn our languages, learn more about our culture with my daughters and share what I can with others so I can help build positive relationships and a sense of community for us all. 

I’m also focussing on my dissertation research. Right now, this means a lot of reading and thinking and revisiting aspects of research paradigms such as ontology and epistemology. I’ve started working on a series of paintings that can help me capture those ideas in a visual way and will hopefully reinforce my learning. It’s a way of staying active with my art practice and also moving forward with the work. 

This is the first painting I'll share. It’s a picture I drew while listening to a presentation about Indigenous research methods. The speaker talked about how the land is a teacher and that it teaches us things even if we don't recognize it right away. It was a really beautiful teaching that resonated and reinforced others I've heard from elders and speakers before. 

I hope you like it! Until next time!

Happy creating!

Sara