Winter Pause © Photo by Leah Ranada And then it is winter and things turn cold and grey. The bustle continues as I wrap my head around another year coming to pass. It's easy to fall into the the trap of judging oneself to be unproductive despite being so busy. But I steer myself toward… Continue reading Writing Desk
Tag: creative writing
Writing Desk
Tea Time in the Woods © Photo by Leah Ranada We ventured into the Teapot Hill in BC's Fraser Valley recently, and I was awed by the simple yet playful idea of adorning the woods with teapots and teacups. I've read about the place before we drove over, but there still was the feeling of… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Docked © Photo by Leah Ranada It was one of those early summer days that feel like early autumn. We see the sailboats (or powerboats? yachts? I am not of the lot that can properly tell the difference) bobbing by the seawall. There's the familiar curiosity: What is it like being in one. Owning one?… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Nature Walks © Photo by Leah Ranada I'm fortunate to live in a city with countless lush nature parks. We take many walks, my husband and I. Short ones though, a way of breaking up the daily grind. We talk about our crafts, happy and horrific things we read. We run into people we know,… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Steeped © Photo by Leah Ranada I am in editing mode these days. The draft for my second novel was shelved for a while , and now I am drinking in my own words, plucking some out, adding some in. Straining and stirring until I get the blend just right. Never perfect, because perfection is… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Surrender © Photo by Leah Ranada I can't be the only one who scoffed when that article about the impact of ChatGPT on critical thinking skills came out. It joins the ranks of those filler headlines, like the ones revealing the surprising link between sugar intake and weight gain or the inverse correlation between children's… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Nourishment © Photo by Leah Ranada Creativity is hard without nourishment, whether of the body or the mind. Maybe I've known this for a long time, or everyone does, on some level. But we go out into the world, pulled into currents of various stimulations and stresses, experiences and emotions. They get to be too… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Throttle © Photo by Leah Ranada Flowers are way past first bloom, summer in full swing. I can almost see the faint outlines of autumn. I have this tendency to hurry. I try not to think so much about the things I have set out to accomplish this year and still haven't. There's some self-awareness,… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Patchwork © Photo by Leah Ranada I am in awe of those who could put random things together to create beauty and order. I like pillowcases to match the sheets, my outfit to consist of complementary hues, my food to have a certain taste. For the longest time, I have considered myself open-minded, adventurous, but… Continue reading Writing Desk
Writing Desk
Old Corridor © Photo by Leah Ranada Elopement (Microfiction, 99 words) In the end, we settle for an old hotel, thinking its carved columns and stained-glass windows mean the proprietor cares. There’s no one at the front desk, so we go around back, almost slipping on the pathway mottled with bird waste. The neon sign… Continue reading Writing Desk
Leah Ranada 