Writers 4 Rent: AN ARTISTIC STATE OF BEING

Writers 4 Rent: AN ARTISTIC STATE OF BEING

AN ARTISTIC STATE OF BEING

”Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” Pablo Picasso

Brenda Leitow doesn’t climb mountains or go deep sea diving. She doesn’t live in a penthouse or a basement. She isn’t an elevator operator or an astronaut or a coal miner. Brenda Leitow is, however, a full time artist, with all the highs, the lows, the ups and the downs that might entail. Leitow’s talent lies in taking something as mundane as a box of pasta, an empty picture frame, or objects others discard, to create harmony, beauty and order while living a life that has, at times, felt overwhelmingly unbalanced and chaotic through no fault of her own.

Though she describes herself as a “typical, self-centered artist,” she also admits that her main goal is to bring her art to others, making it matter and mean as much to them as it does to her. Some of her art may seem mysterious, but she won’t make you guess where she took a photograph, how she arranged it, what it represents, how long it took her or even how she felt and what she was thinking at the time. She writes narratives for most of her works. When she doesn’t write a story, people will often ask, “where is the story?”

In spite of her artistic successes, she has long struggled with what it means to be an artist. “In the mid-west, in Grand Rapids, MI, being an artist is like being oh, I don't know, a hooker or something. It's just something one does not be. An artist has no work ethic. An artist has no morals. An artist is lazy. It's wrong and bad to be an artist. Dirty word. At least that's how it felt to me.” All that changed in the past year, however, when Leitow decided she just didn’t have time to worry about the opinions of others. “I am who I am and who I am is an artist and I don’t care who approves or disapproves.”

Leitow, the sixth of seven children, and the youngest daughter in her family, has never been one to seek approval in traditional ways. “I wanted to be a brain surgeon. I had dolls when I was little, but the only thing they were good for was operating on.” As a teen, she would raid her mother’s kitchen cupboards for food that looked interesting, not to snack on, but to create a piece of art. Though painfully shy, she could be fearless and stubborn when she wanted (or didn’t want) something. There is a photo of her toddler self, standing by a stump at a restaurant. Headed home from camping, her family had stopped to eat, a “rare treat” for a family of nine. Leitow had decided that she preferred to stay. The familiar parental line, “We’ll just have to leave you behind,” strikes fear into the hearts of most children. Leitow, however, just smiled and waved good-bye to her family. She still isn’t sure how they persuaded her to get in the car to go home, but she distinctly remembers screaming and crying and being dragged out of the car to go to school in third grade. She loathed school, but eventually went to college to earn two degrees – in liberal arts and biology.

Leitow’s fondest childhood memories are of simplicity – nature walks, living in a town so small it was often necessary to back up when you met another car on the roads, and camping with her family in the north woods of Michigan and. “After raking leaves all day, we’d be tired, but we were all together, not running around; just sitting quietly with our parents, sipping hot chocolate on a cold November evening. That was solace. Safe and warm.”

Those memories and subsequent love of nature, Leitow believes, provide much of the inspiration for her art. Discovering, requesting, collecting, examining, touching, arranging, rearranging (and rearranging again) her assorted pieces of nature, allows Leitow to forget herself for a time and “just be.” Though some of her pieces may look simple, it always takes her days and often weeks, to create an intricate design that an unexpected breeze might sweep away in seconds. That simplicity can be complicated is apparent in most of Leitow’s works.

The quest to make her artistic ideas a reality on an almost daily basis is also Leitow’s way of “keeping her balance.” “When I'm creating, collage, photograph, writing my little narratives that go with my photos, I can just be. Be. Not be me. Not be a daughter. Not be a photographer or artist even. I don't need air. I don't need sound. I don't need anything. I don't NEED to be. I just ‘be.’ There is no other word for it. It's mine. My word. My state. Be.”

That suspended state of being is important because it allows Leitow to step outside of her rigid daily schedule. She uses several alarm clocks and phone call reminders so that she will remember when to eat, sleep and take her medications at the same times every day, every few hours, every day, each week, month after month and year after year. She does this not only for herself, but also out of concern for the people in her life. “This illness is never so much about what it does to me as an artist, as what it does to those around me when I do not adhere to the program.”

Brenda Leitow is not bipolar. But Brenda Leitow has bipolar disorder. Her disorder may dictate her schedule, but she does not allow the disorder to dictate her life. “…I would like to help educate people about this illness and help them understand that it IS an illness, not ‘willful acts of disobedience and wanton acts of cruelty’ or however that goes. It’s not that.”

It is estimated that bipolar disorder affects more than 5 million Americans - one out of every 45 adults. Though a correlation between creativity and bipolar has not yet been scientifically established, it is often observed and noted by those in the mental health community. Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, and Abraham Lincoln may have all had bipolar disorder. Leitow agreed that her manic phases often seemed to magnify creativity and boost productivity. But, she admits, when the quantity of work increased, the quality declined.

About to turn 50, Leitow said it has taken her a long time to come to terms with her illness and the limitations it places on her. She used to be a habitual reader and is still an avid book collector, but cannot concentrate long enough to read more than a page or two at a time now. She does volunteer work when she can, but her strict health regimen prevents her from working a regular full-time job. She has had to learn to overcome her attraction to what may feel like an incredible high so she can avoid the inevitable crash. Her daily mantra has evolved, keeping misery at bay; "Here's what I can do TODAY.”

Once her camera battery is charged and her meds and meals are out of the way, Leitow can focus on her photography, editing her photographs, and, at the end of the day, putting her florist’s leftovers and or her cupboards’ contents into artistic order. The designs she creates with these objects, however, are never the intended work of art, Leitow said. The photographs of the arrangements are always the intention and the end piece of work. She expects that her creations will not be perfect on the first try. It may be lopsided, or top-heavy, or the camera angle may cause it to look distorted. Her inability to create perfection quickly, however, never bothers her or keeps her from continuing the work until it is, to her, “just right.”

Life, she said, is quiet and fulfilling these days. When she isn’t working, a rare occurrence, her sense of stability can be restored by concentrating on the simple, important things – remembering to laugh at her mistakes, holding Lily (the cat who thinks she’s a dog), wrapping up in a warm afghan her sister made, watching a good movie and, of course, avoiding housework.

Her advice to other artists is simple as well, “Never quit. Listen to your breathing, not your thoughts. If you have quit, your instincts will tell you when it's time to start again. While you wait, just BE.”

Her three favorite works are:

Painting in Texture
“This was my first venture into "still life" collage. The intended final work of art is always the photograph. To me, for some reason, the things always feel like they are living and breathing. I feel especially so about this one. I guess because they evolve so much as they change and grow. I suppose they are like children in the way that we can mold and set examples for them but they always are going to be what they are going to be. Photographs, well, I have a LOT more control about that final piece.”

I Heart You
“This image comes from a macro photo of a ruffled petunia. I often find little gifts when I do that. I did not see the heart in this photo until I pulled it up on the computer to edit it. One of those really wonderful surprises I get when I take the time to look more closely at a frame. One of the reasons I spend so much time editing. That's a good 4-6 hours each day too. Boy is my house dirty!”

Moody Leaf
“This last shot is very, very different from the others. It's the first shot I published that gave a clue to the dark side of Brenda. As you can see the whole shot is very dark and does not show well at all. but what you do see, I hope, is the subtle light illuminating the edge along the leaf and the bright light emanating from the water droplet at the leafs' tip. I struggled for a long time over whether or not to publish this, but finally decided I was ready.”

You can read more about these works by visiting Leitow’s ImageKind or Fine Art gallery or clicking on the links.

"Saving" the World - One Photo at a Time

Photo by Amanda Hutchins

Jean Blann Hutchins would never describe herself as an artist. As a child, Hutchins did, however, aspire to saving the world. She planned to start her ambitious campaign by running an orphanage for children and animals. As she got older, she became more realistic, studying psychology and earning a Master degree as a social worker. Ironically, while Hutchins found the lack of creativity within a government run mental health agency frustrating and far too limiting, she had considered herself “very uncreative,” until she discovered a passion for photography a few years ago.

“My mom always amazed me with being able to create beautifully with every type of art and craft. I hate arts and crafts,” Hutchins confessed in a recent interview. “Taking photos, talking to other people about how to showcase them best and playing with them in Photoshop has taught me that I am creative, which I never believed before.”

A blonde, native southern Californian, Hutchins says that she’s too introverted to be labeled a true “California Girl,” but admits her temperament perfectly matches the temperate weather, and she’d never want to live anywhere temperatures dipped below 64 degrees. Much like the weather, Hutchins was always calm and easygoing. “Most of my life I was pretty unemotional and sort of glided through without examining feelings. I think I always considered it a sort of strength to not feel or show feeling too much.”

Although Hutchins thinks that her stoicism has made her more empathetic and diplomatic, she recently felt a need to work toward changing the way she deals with her emotions. Whether it was the aperture setting of her camera’s shutter or her exposure to the on-line artistic community, or both, Hutchins has been successful reconnecting to herself through her photography. Self-examination and feeling more deeply can be uncomfortable and “not always fun,” she says. The pure act of taking photographs and playing with them, however, is nothing but fun. “It's the act of getting lost in the playing that's so cool because, as an adult, we just don't make excuses to do that enough.”

She makes no excuses for her new-found artistic passion, though and feels that there will always be so much more to learn she will never tire of it. “Besides the peace and excitement I feel in taking photos and playing with them in editing, the best part of my new ‘artistic experience’ has been the people I've met. I've been amazed, humbled and grateful for very special people I've met from all over the world who have been so encouraging and have turned into great friends!

Friendship hasn’t always come easily to a shy Hutchins, but it lasts. Her best friend, Hai-Ping Hwang-Twigg, says, “I have known Jean since we were in 1st grade where we were in the same class and I said hi to her at the drinking fountain in the classroom and she did not speak at all and turned around and walked away.” Hutchins, who acknowledges a poor memory, does not recall this event at all and says, “I don’t remember such a thing, but figure if it happened, she probably just scared the crap out of me.” They both agree they are total opposites, Jean being the “quiet, thoughtful thinker,” according to Hwang-Twigg and Hai Ping being a “total drama queen, saying anything to anyone and not giving it a second thought,” according to Hutchins. Opposites or not, they both agree that the common language of their friendship has always been the ability to laugh at themselves and one another.

Hutchins has become less shy over the years, especially since her children were born. “I learned that you have to jump in and take charge sometimes when nothing’s getting done, whether you want to or not.” Her daughter, Amanda, is now 16 and her son Kyle is 12. They not only make sure she gets things done, they, too, laugh together on a regular basis.

“Two things that are very important to me in dealing with the world and that I wish I saw other people enjoy more are humor and acceptance. If we can't laugh at life's oddities, what a dull existence!”

Life with children and a camera are anything but dull. She and her daughter still giggle regularly about a little side-trip Hutchins took during last summer’s family vacation. Hutchins was just as excited about her new DSLR camera as she was about being on vacation. “We were walking near the Spokane River, and I fell on my butt and slid a little on an embankment and my daughter found it hilarious and always says it was the best memory of the trip.” Every time she brings it up, Hutchins laughs and reminds Amanda, “but I saved the camera,” which was fortunate since it gave Hutchins her new profile picture (courtesy of Amanda Hutchins), not to mention 1100 new photos to play with from this year’s family vacation in New York City.

With so many photographs to choose from, Hutchins had a hard time selecting just three of her favorites, especially since she dislikes the number three, because, she says, “I'm a square, not a triangle; hoping to evolve into a cube some day. Wouldn't that be nice - to be three-dimensional?” Her current favorites are:

We’re All Blue: “I like how this turned out with color and depth. I tend to be drawn to flowers and do a lot of macro shots, then get tired of seeing only flowers, and try to shoot other things and end up back at flowers.”

Dragonfly Silhouette: “I love silhouettes and loved my recent afternoon chasing dragonflies in a park all by myself - just got lost in the experience.” In Japan, dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness, and for some Native American tribes, they represent swiftness and activity. It isn’t easy to capture a photograph of a dragonfly, but perhaps Hutchins’s success can be attributed to some new-found self-awareness: “I feel like I quietly tend to move in my own direction. I really don't want to move with the crowd. Not that I'm a rebel and want to move against them, [I] just want to wander around in whatever way feels right to me at the moment.”

Close-up and Personal: “This one I like because of how it turned out through Photoshop with contrasting and sharpening and whatever else I did to it. (I really should keep track of these things somehow.)”

Because Hutchins still attributes the term, “aspiring artist” to herself, she was reluctant to give advice to others. She did, however offer this belief, “I believe in good. I have faith in the power of beauty and nature and the energy will, and passion that people put into the world.”

The power of creating should never be underestimated. Photography has “saved” Jean Hutchins in some ways. Maybe she’ll have time for the world when the memory card is full.

See more of Jean's work at:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/photojeanic

http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfile.aspx?MID=f89b2edd-7a0a-4a6b-87cc-851483c8fc1e

http://jean-hutchins.artistwebsites.com/

You’ve probably heard it before – “It’s the little things that make us happy – the little things that really matter.” Rodgers and Hammerstein liked, “'raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.” Oprah didn’t seem to have any favorite things last year, but in 2008, she liked gratitude boxes, swap parties and hot chocolate cones. There are millions of favorite things lists, blogs, websites, stores and surveys. If you’re having trouble thinking of your own favorite things, Google “favorite things” and you’ll get 242,000,000 ideas in .14 seconds. Your favorite things might be quite different from Oprah’s, Google’s, Rodgers’ or Hammerstein’s, but I bet your favorite things – the things that make you happiest – aren’t “things” at all. If you’re perpetually searching for happiness, start with the littlest thing - make a simple “favorite things” list of your own.

These are some of my favorite things – what’re yours?

Seeing my daughter smile (the real one – not the “would you stop with the camera” smile) and hearing her laugh because it always makes me laugh even when I have no idea what’s so funny.

Seventy pounds of yellow lab grand-puppy sleeping in my lap. (It’s almost the only time I see her being good).

When three year olds ask me to color with them.

Hugs.

A rainy day, a bag of popcorn, and nothing to do but watch a good movie.

Babies – holding them when they’re happy and giving them back to their moms when they’re not.

Making someone laugh and laughing at myself.

Clean white sheets dried on the clothesline.

Email from people I know that doesn’t have “FW” in the subject line and real mail that isn’t a bill.

Watching my brother’s kids get along (probably because he and I never did).

Opening a new bar of soap.

Cold pizza for breakfast.

Hot chocolate, warm coffee and cold margaritas on hot days.

Bonfires, electric blankets, wool socks, and too big sweatshirts.

Finding money I forgot I had (and I wish it happened more often).

When my jeans start to feel too loose.

The smell of my own pillow.

When strangers smile at me for no reason (as long as they’re not too strange).

Looking through old photo albums with my grandmother (who remembers everything).

Old songs and new books.

Really listening, without needing to figure out what I’m going to say.

Dinner guests (and, no, not just because I won’t have to eat leftovers).

Organizing anything (closets, cupboards, other people’s medicine chests, parties, desk drawers, refrigerators, glove compartments, store counters, library shelves, people).

Long walks in new places.

Falling asleep on the couch every Sunday during the race (it’s the one time I never feel guilty about it).

Restful nights and good hair days.

People who listen.

Christmas cactus that bloom in October.

Honey crisp apples.

Riding (boats, bikes, planes, trains, cars).

Rocking chairs.

Taking pictures and then playing with them until they turn into something completely different and mostly unexpected.

Inventing life stories for people I don’t know.

Getting a compliment (even if I don’t believe it).

Shoes.

Christmas trees and lights that aren’t tangled.

The smell of baking bread, or cookies, or turkey, or anything that I’m not in charge of cooking.

Summer thunderstorms & winter blizzards when I don’t have to go anywhere.

Falling asleep in the sun while floating in the pool.

A book you can’t put down.

Finding clothes I love that come in every color (so I won’t have to shop as often).

Playing dominoes (even when I lose).

Finishing something I started (especially if I thought it would never get done).

Catching the biggest bullhead (but only if I don’t have to take it off the hook. That’s a catfish for some of you.)

Friends who let you bitch and friends who tell you the truth (even if you don’t want to hear it)

Front porches.

Three day weekends.

Peppermint ice cream.

Asking questions.

Writing lists.

Please share your own favorite things list. I'd love to know. See #49

Living the Dream

Richard Rizzo

If you’re like most people, last night’s dreams have dissipated before your morning coffee has cooled. Richard Rizzo is not like most people. His dreams remain vivid long after the coffee pot is empty and, from six hours to four days later, have been transferred from his memory to his computer’s, visually accessible to anyone with an internet connection. From the whimsical to the mysterious to the majestic, Rizzo’s art speaks for him, which is lucky, because, also unlike most of the rest of us, Rizzo doesn’t like to talk about himself if he can avoid it.

Born in NY, raised in Connecticut, and now living in Florida, Rizzo is the youngest of four children and is fiercely loyal to and protective of his family. Trips to New York City’s art exhibits and museums with his oldest sister were not only among his first experiences with art, they were also some of his favorite childhood memories. His favorite photographer has always been Ansel Adams, but DaVinci wins in his art and design category while Alexander Calder is his favorite sculptor.

For as long as he can remember, Rizzo wanted to be an artist and feels fortunate to have worked in the field of art and design most of his life, fulfilling his childhood dream. Self-employed for the past 20+ years, he worked in some capacity within the artistic community; from assistant to commercial photographers and film developer, set designer and back drop painter, to faux finisher, which eventually led to his own mural business. He was only 17 when hired to paint his first mural and counts that as one of his proudest accomplishments.

Self-taught, with little formal training other than a few photography classes, Rizzo says, “Designing, which plays a large role in my images, was developed throughout the years by self studying cinema, photography, ad designs, interior design and just about anything else you can think of.”

He was introduced to Adobe Photo Shop long before it became popular as a photo editing program and, if forced to choose only one artistic program, would choose it first today, with Corel Paintshop Pro Photo coming in a close second. Although it wasn’t until 2003 that Rizzo began using Photo Shop in earnest, he feels his first introduction to the program was at least partially responsible for his progression from photography and painting to his affinity for creating digital two and three dimensional works of art.

When asked, he generously shares the creative process and the frustration for his work, “Just Dessert.” “The key to any realistic 3D image lies in the lighting much like photography; only with 3D there seems to be fewer choices for making it look realistic. [In Just Dessert], the fruit and tree are models, the table is a basic shape with a texture, the water is made from within the program. I used PS to for post effects and tweaking.” He is willing and eager to try any digital art program available and the “technical side of my brain,” he says, helps him master the programs.

Describing himself as “friendly, but private” he most often prefers his own world to the one that the rest of us inhabit. “I get on FaceBook because it’s a great way for me to be social without being too social,” he says, laughing. His current companions and roommates are low maintenance best friends. Scout is a two year old Beagle who likes to shred his toys before he buries them, and Kody is an Akita mix who doubles as an alarm clock, waking Rizzo promptly at 4 a.m. every morning. Rizzo calls both of them “rescue” dogs, but it’s unclear whether he’s referring to the dogs or to himself. The tranquility of the small town he lives in fits his personality perfectly, yet he travels extensively looking for the next “beautifulest” place where he can exercise his photography skills. He still shoots with film at times, using his Pentax K1000, an “expensive, yet tough workhorse,” but has a Nikon Coolpix 8800 digital that he would eventually like to upgrade.

His current favorite place for taking photographs was Glacier National Park in Montana, bordering Canada. He poetically (and rather wistfully) describes it, “The majestic mountains and wilderness that covers the area left me in awe as I traveled the road around the park, the abundance of wildlife seem to be everywhere I went, the twisting roads and tunnels carved through the rock during the early 20th century was an amazing feat of early engineering. Meadows and streams were apparent surrounding the wall of glaciers while the piercing suns god rays blessed it for all eyes to see. My time there was very short but I could have easily spent weeks there photographing the area and still not have seen it all; to me it was heaven on earth.”

Although unique in many ways, Rizzo does share the important qualities and concerns of artists and people in general. He dislikes self promotion, crowded places and people who don’t use their signals. He admits to using art as therapy and worries about “dry spells” when his imagination and mood won’t cooperate with his desire to create. And he is his own harshest critic, yet has a hard time choosing his favorite works because, as he confesses, they are all “a piece of me, somehow.” He was, after much hesitation, able to choose three of his current favorites, and explain what each meant to him. All three may be seen by clicking the title links or at Fine Art America’s website: http://www.faa.com/, searching “Richard Rizzo.”

Richard Rizzo Favorites:
“Strange Afternoon simply because it is totally different from anything I have done to date. Obscured Relations is one that I did while in an abstract mood. And for my third I would pick Driving Wheels, which shows the greased gears of a steam locomotive. I was always fascinated with trains. One of my favorite memories is my dad taking me down to the Railroad depot in my hometown and watching the trains go by for hours at a time.”

Rizzo says he has no idea where his art will take him or where he’ll end up and doesn’t like to plan too far ahead. “I’m just along for the ride,” he smiles. Oh, and if you think to ask, he would choose the red pill.

Links:
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/obscured-relations-richard-rizzo.html
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/strange-afternoon-richard-rizzo.html
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/driving-wheels-richard-rizzo.html

Scott Hovind Art

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)

If you’ve ever longed to hop a freight train, cried at the sight of an old rocking chair, or had an inexplicable urge to pet a tiger, then you’ve probably encountered the work of photographer, Scott Hovind. Taking his first picture of a truck sailing through the air when he was 18, he was fascinated by the illusion of clarity in the photograph that the truck was standing still and the whole world was speeding by. Ironically, that illusion could have been a metaphor for his life up to that point. “My family could be a Jerry Springer episode,” he jokes. Photographic amazement aside, it was more than ten years before he picked up a camera again. At eighteen, he had decided it was time to grow up. Making a living with a camera was the last thing on his mind. A typical teenage boy, he was more interested in driving trucks, joining the military and girls, not necessarily in that order. Not so typically, he was also interested in avoiding binge drinking, ending up in prison or dead and finding a place where he felt at home.

Joining the Army National Guard at 18, Hovind’s step brother, a Guardsman himself, gave him some sage advice to get through basic training: “Don’t ever let them know your name. The drill instructors will take the first few names they learn and those will be the only names they use for the whole cycle. So don’t ever stand in the front but never hide in the back either. Don’t ask a lot of stupid questions unless you absolutely can’t figure it out for yourself. Don’t be the fastest, don’t be the slowest, don’t be the strongest, don’t be the weakest, don’t raise your hand to answer questions. If nobody else knows the answer, then neither do you and, last, but not least, for God’s sake, never volunteer for anything.” Hovind followed these rules to perfection and, as a reward for his basic training success, he and his fellow soldiers were to take a three day test of their skills, followed by 20 mile hike back to the barracks, carrying a 50 lb backpack and an M-16. Hovind watched other guys drop out and get driven back to the barracks one by one, but he refused to drop out even after twisting his ankle multiple times and feeling a “pop,” determined not to give up and ride back to the barracks. He needed to prove to himself that he had the heart to finish this task. The very last task, of course, would prove more difficult. Hovind knew that he would not be allowed to graduate if he was injured, but would need to repeat the grueling eight weeks of basic training a second time. That wasn’t, he told himself, an option. To pass the final PT test, he ran two miles in 13 minutes with what he would later find out was a broken foot. He not only graduated, he marched in the ceremony and was asked by one of his drill instructors to be an usher at the ceremony. The instructor didn’t even know his name – rule number one – mission accomplished.

Once Hovind finished his basic training, he held a series of physically demanding jobs, most of which he enjoyed and which utilized the skills he’d learned, continued his service in the Guard, met friends on the weekends, met a girl, married the girl and had a son. He laughs when he recalls the big event or series of events. “I was getting ready to leave work one morning when Kristi (his wife) called saying that she was in labor. I raced home and got a speeding ticket. And it was false labor. One week later, I was leaving work and Kristi called saying she was in labor. So I raced home and got yet another speeding ticket. False labor again. Now it’s a race to see if she can give birth before I lose my driver’s license.” The birth itself was a major event that started on April Fools’ Day and ended at 12:15 on April 2. His son, Kenny, is a teenager now and learning to play the guitar. “He’ll ask me to sing with him and thinks it’s cool when I sing Metallica ballads.” Kenny was in the photograph featured in Hovind’s ImageKind gallery and he was also in one of the shots that he recently sold.

Currently, Hovind is single and “not looking,” working full time as a yard switcher and pursuing his passion for photography every other spare minute. He regularly skips sleep to work on the promotion end of his business – his least favorite and the most time consuming part of his photography business. But the only difference, he believes, between a good artist and a great artist is “attitude.” “A great artist is confident in his work and is always willing to teach, share and allow others to enjoy their art. They don’t create art seeing dollar signs or expecting to get rich.”

He believes that not only his sense of humor, but his creative streak, comes from his dad or his “Pops,” as he affectionately calls the man whose most recent creations include wooden bowls from wood he grows on his own property. He tries to visit his “Pops” at least once a year. Among their traditions are visits to Walter the giant bass who “lives in his pond and likes to eat frogs and dog food, but not fish because fish are friends,” and about 25 apple trees around the property. “We always make a round to all of them every year because they are all so different. Some are as sour as lemons. No sweetness at all. Some are all sweet. No tartness at all. Some are pears in disguise.” His pleasure in this variety, the appeal of the natural world and love of tradition is also reflected in many of his works, all of which were taken in Michigan. “A camera in my hand makes me tune everything out, and it’s just me and my camera and nature or whatever else I might be shooting at the moment. Nothing else exists. Not the people around me, not the bills at home. It’s a sense of adventure, an exploratory mood. Every shot is a scavenger hunt.”

While photography is his passion, it’s also his sanity break. “I have yet to get overwhelmed by the creative process of taking a good photograph. I’m frustrated easily by people not by photography. I get frustrated with cooking, baking, singing, and computers but never with photography or storytelling. With writing, once I get past the first sentence, the rest comes pouring out. With photography, I don’t know. I’m just at peace I guess, nothing to get frustrated with.”

He describes himself as determined and helpful and admits he has high expectations, not only of himself but of others, disliking bullies and “when people make excuses and don’t keep their promises.” He has promised himself to continue learning – about photography, American history and historical places – anything interesting and all in the pursuit of the next great shot that might “make the whole world stand still.”

Among Hovind’s favorite works, which reveal the essence of his passion for combining photography, tradition and history are: Old West, Missing Grandpa, and Day School Gems and may be seen at his Fine Art America Website

July 21 is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day

Are you in the doghouse?

Did something dumb? Mean? Thoughtless?

Do you truly want to be forgiven?
Do you want to kiss and make up?
Does Fido want his house back?

Writers 4 Rent wants to help you write your apology letter.

Call us today and sleep flea-free tonight. (413) 281-0946

www.writers4rent.com

In honor of Independence Day, all apology letters will be $17.76.

June - Effective Communications Month

June is also the traditional month for weddings. Maybe you're still looking for that special someone? If you are, Writers 4 Rent would like to help. We love a good love story, especially the ones with happy endings.

We believe there’s a special someone for everyone and we want to help you find yours.

Lose the ineffective writing style
Find your soul mate

Not sure who you really are? Writers 4 Rent will take the time to help you discover the real you and write (or improve) your personal introduction for the on-line forum you use to meet people.

Please visit our “Contact” page for our telephone number and email address. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!.

Don’t forget – We accept Berkshares, and, for the month of June, we’re discounting your writing project by 10% - that’s a 20% total savings!

More days to remember in June:

Pen Pal Day June 1
Writer to Your Father Day 8
Family History Day 14
Father’s Day June 21

No Fooling

Writers 4 Rent April Special:

There are plenty of things to celebrate in April – Easter, Passover, Patriot’s Day, Secretaries’ Day, and Husband Appreciation Day (yes, really; it’s April 19th this year) and Writers 4 Rent would like to help you celebrate them all in honor of Get to Know Your Customer Day April 17th.

Send us an email answering a short, fun questionnaire here or at our blog and get a $20 gift certificate toward your next writing project. You can use it yourself or give it as a gift. There are no wrong answers, but we might make you think.

All answers are confidential. We promise not to blackmail you, or laugh at you (with you, yes, but never at you) and we never, ever sell any information to anyone even when they beg, threaten and/or whine.

Questionnaire:

Describe yourself with one word (okay, two)

How old are you?
How old do you feel?

What is your favorite color combination?
What is your favorite expression?

Describe the most perfect day you ever had.
Describe your favorite person.

What vegetable do you hate the most? Why?
If you could be any vegetable, which one would it be? Why?

How old were you when you stopped believing in the tooth fairy?

What is the best April Fool’s Day joke you ever played on anyone?

What is the best April Fool’s Day joke you ever had played on you?
Are you still speaking to that fool?

When is the last time you got a letter? (Yes, we mean in the mail)

Do you save your letters?

When is the last time you wrote a letter?

What type of letter do you have the most trouble writing?

Please include your name and address so that we can send your gift certificate to you. We promise not to send you any more mail, ever, unless you ask us to.
Please note: To be fair to everyone, all answers must be complete in order to qualify for your $20 gift certificate.

Our email address:
nofooling@writers4rent.com

Need a laugh?

Visit:
Deflocked - Funny, not fluffy....

March Special

Writers 4 Rent is Honoring National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week, March 1-7.

Because we at Writers 4 Rent believe that you can never say thank you too much, in too many ways to too many people on too many days, we are thanking our customers with a thank you letter special in the month of March. Who do you need to thank this month?

Who’s always there to listen? Who do you usually take for granted? Your best friend? Your neediest friend? Your “always there when you need her” neighbor?

Who’s done you special favors, and is always there to help, expecting nothing in return? Your spouse? One of your in-laws? A parent or grandparent? Your favorite cousin?

Who makes you look good at work? Your co-workers, your boss, your secretary?

Who makes your life run more smoothly? Your hairdresser, doctor, lawyer, special teacher, librarian babysitter, minister, mechanic or delivery person?

Who’s watching out for your interests? Who’s done something especially noteworthy or selfless? Thank your president, your state rep, your mayor or someone in the military.

Who has the most thankless job? The newspaper editor, a favorite author, the waitress who remembers the way you like your coffee, the store owner who always remembers to smile or the guys who pick up your trash every week.

Who’s gone out of their way to do something nice for you lately? Return the favor and surprise them with a heartfelt letter of thanks.

For the month of March, Writers 4 Rent will help you write your special, heartfelt thank you letter for $17, including one edit or two thank you letters for $25 and, if you’re especially grateful (or have been procrastinating forever) three thank you letters for $30.

Thank you letter (Example #2)

March 15, 2006

Dear Class of 2005 –

The daily trudge to the mailbox was always just another chore to be avoided for as long as possible. So when we recently opened an envelope with a $500 Home Depot gift card, we were shocked. Truthfully, we laughed at first, thinking it was some kind of creative sales pitch.

We’ve finally recovered from our surprise, and we wanted you to know that your hard work and unexpected generosity were very much appreciated. We’ll be able to put your thoughtful gift to good use.

We lost quite a few things in the flood, but we found something so much more important – good neighbors, generous friends and a truly warped sense of humor. These things all made clean up easy and relatively painless.

We wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and if it’s true that what “goes around comes around,” you will all be blessed with success and happiness. Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Linda & Tim Galok

Thank you letter (Example #1)

The Salvation Army

446 West Housatonic Street

Pittsfield, MA 01201

Dear Ms. Crawford:

Because it seems to have become the rule, rather than the exception, to expect rudeness when dealing with employees of most businesses these days, I wanted to bring to your attention what felt like an extraordinary experience with your staff recently.

When I called your store to make sure you had room to accept donations after a tag sale last weekend, the woman who answered the telephone was pleasant and helpful. When I had further questions, she was happy to answer them.

When we arrived, a young man, whose name was, I believe, Kyle, was at the door to greet us. He went out of his way to help us unload the truck, volunteered to obtain the signature on our receipt, and thanked us several times for our donation. He was not only helpful, but courteous and friendly, as well. In other words, he was an exemplary employee, and we wanted to commend you all and let you know that it was very much appreciated.

Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Linda & Tim Galok