The Artistic Well

What is an Artist?  “An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts, and/or demonstrating an art.

To be artistic is to be open to all that is around you. To see things that others cannot and help them to see it through your eyes.

We recently read a brilliant post by Amy Sundberg which we will be leaving the link to and recommend you read her view-point of what it means to be an Artist.

For us, it’s been a way of life passed down from one generation to the next. We seem to have a plethora of artists on both sides of my family. And although the art has varied in degree’s, changed a bit in styles and ventured to new avenues, most all our family have had their hand in the artistic well in one form or another and drank from it freely.

We have/had writers, journalists, painters, seamstresses (quilting, crocheting), photographers, sketch artists and MUSICIANS; a slew of musicians. When my mother and father married they united two families of musicians giving us abundance. And not just musicians who play for the love of playing; more than five of them made a living out of it my father included.

ARTISTC EVOLUTION:

Of course new generations bring with them new ideas and passion for what their art would and could be. Coming from the Dirty South, the elders (my great grandparents: Kenny and Jackie) of our family had a deep love for Blue grass and country. So there was never a shortage of this.

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But then my grandparents (Poppa and Nana) who grew up in the 1950’s loved their era of music so we loved rockin’ around the clock as well.

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The younger family members were introduced to another style and with it my Uncles’ love for Southern Rock, then enters my mother’s preferred music, the Blues. Of course around the 1990’s, Mathair heard a musical group and fell in love with their sound and style and thus was born her love for Grunge. That one she never shook!!

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Then came the new generation: me with my preferred style of Classical.

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Should we go further, we’d find my sixteen year old brother….. Okay, so we stopped evolving and crept back up the ladder to the grunge rung. Shoot! I wanted to persuade him to listen to classical and win another for my team but it just wouldn’t take!!! Damn that Mathair!!!

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A family of stringed persuasion with a family of percussionists, we had musicians stacked to the ceiling. Nine guitarist, two drummers and now my brothers playing so make that 3.  One banjo player, one bassist, Grandpa played the mandolin and my Uncle played the harmonica. Ahem…I took piano for a year. Okay, back to the musicians. Our family used to get together every Sunday after church and eat a sinfully delicious meal of Soul Food then play together for three to four hours or what they would call their jam. I remember those Sundays and loved them so much that they still make me smile and fill my heart with a longing for the old days before we lost so many of our family members.  And those memories trigger my senses to the sounds of music, laughter and the smell and tastes of great food.

My great grandmother Jackie singing “Mule Skinner Blues” or “Crazy by Patsy Cline”; my Uncle Barry and Mama playing guitars while my dad played drums with my Poppa picking his leads while Uncle Robert thumped his bass. And the food, Good Lord! The smell of collard greens/ham hock simmering in the pot-liquor fills the air and makes my mouth water; the beautiful glazed ham baking in the oven; Nana making homemade macaroni and cheese. No box crap here, this is the South! And yes my friends, it’s not an urban legend or a great movie, fried green tomatoes with the best batter the South has to offer. (Sorry I can’t give away, it’s a family recipe!)  And what good Southern meal doesn’t come with cornbread and red-eyed gravy. I can feel my hips expanding as I think back.

After the pants were unbuttoned and we couldn’t eat another bite of food it was time to take a walk to the music room where a circle of guitars awaited their musicians and a drum set sat in the corner. Microphones scattered about, amps turned up.

Although we are Southern and kept with those Bluegrass roots and country, the younger family members went their own way so, our dinners were introduced to Uncle Barry’s passion: Lynard Skynard, 38 Special, ZZ Top, The Eagles just to name a few.

Then there was mama, who at that time (the eighties pre-grunge) just couldn’t get enough of the blues, loving and learning the greats such as: Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the names go on and on.

I’ll never forget the day mama started a playing a tune on her electric guitar and the smiles broke out on everyone’s face as they joined in. Right before they were done, my Poppa’s voice rose above the music. “That’s tasty little girl, what’s the name of it?” Mama nodded then broke into the lyrics of Cocaine by Eric Clapton. Poor Poppa’s smile fell and he looked shocked, but joined in and played the hell out of a song called Cocaine. (Hold while I laugh. As you all know my Poppa was a minister. Thank God he had a great sense of humor and believed in his children’s right to choose their own artistic avenues.) Once an artist, always an artist, yet how can art bloom unless it’s given the freedom to move? Never confine art!

Good food, good family, good music and art evolving and becoming something wholly different from its root but Art nevertheless. To say life couldn’t get any better, would be putting it mildly. Of course like any dream, it did come to an end. Five of those people from those memories are gone now, gone home to be with the Lord. But I can at least say, that I tasted from the artistic well and one day, will see them again, where we’ll meet for good food, good music and good family or as my poppa like to call it, a ho-down!!

I guess artistic souls will always be evolving and find their avenues of creation. Most of the Artists we’ve met have more than one passion: novelists who also write poetry, Journalists who paint; Photographers who also play guitar in a band on the weekend, Fiction Authors who quilt. So tell us…what are you our dear friends waiting to surprise us with? What other waters do you pull from the well? We’d love to hear what your artistic gifts are. We know your writers, but what else turns you on? What’s your other gift that you love to practice? Whether it keeps you busy, allows you to vent, maybe it’s passed down from your family or perhaps you went off on your own and created something new. Whatever your passion may be, we are Artists and the well runs deep!

AMY SUNDBERG’S BLOG:  THE PRACTICAL FREE SPIRIT:  http://practicalfreespirit.com/2012/02/21/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-artist/

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What do our Top Ten Books tell you about us?

We’ve recently been selected by our good friend & fellow blogger J.C. Wolfe of “The Wolfe’s Den” http://jaycwolfe.com/ to partake in a literary challenge, where the recipient chooses 10 books, their all-time favorites.
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Sounds easy enough… fun even right? But what a daunting task to select only ten. After all, these books to a writer/reader are sacred.
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In some cases, the stories can be the readers first love, first friendship, first scare. First time they were introduced to an idea that ended up being the basis for a strong belief. Ideas that shaped who they are & influence the way they write.
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When writers are asked what their favorite books are, do they approach that process differently than readers? And what does it tell you about them? Does it ever influence your opinion? Do we find people with similar interests? Or do we like to network with those who are different, adding variety to our friendship like our books. Perhaps you’re a choosey reader, “A one-genre only kinda gal/guy. Maybe you prefer Nonfiction over Fiction, keeping both feet in the real world rather than letting your heart be led astray by fantasy.

When Inion & I meet a new blogger/friend on line. We will always look at their book history. Their list of fav’s, must-reads or take a look at their reviews, as if it will reveal some secret about the person as to who they are. Pleasant introductions and a trail that leads directly to them while filling in the blanks. No different than dating, after all these books take up space in our mind, occupy our hearts & can cleanse & even darken our souls. They add to our personalities can make us change our way of thinking. Can be a long-lasting relationship or perhaps just a fling, here today gone tomorrow; but great while it lasted.
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When you think about it, a person’s book preference allows us an intimate look into their soul. Just a peek… but a peek never the less. There are so many reasons why a writer/reader needs more than ten books to hold as treasures and favorites. But when we’re forced to narrow them down, it allows us to reflect on the ones that truly made the difference in our lives & craft. These are but a few of the reasons we used on our checklist.

 Those magical places that are fantastical enough to allow us to escape but real enough to keep our feet on the ground.
 Those unique male protagonists that open our heart; catch our breath; make us feel young again. Our literary significant-other.
 Those female protagonists that we put on a pedestal. Amazing ladies from the in-between that stay with us & act as our conscience, reflections of our own souls, or our idols.
 The villains that flavor our naughty side. The characters we just love to hate. What would any story be without the antagonist? The evil mastermind who spends his/her entire existence ruthlessly plotting the takedown of our beloved MC’s. How many of us find our literary soul mate in the same place we find the villain? You good-girls love those bad-boys! And these my friends are the real-deal-bad-boys!!
 How ‘bout that perfect, best friend. Whether it’s the boy next door, an imaginary creature, the Kooky but wise old man or woman, the eccentric teacher, the loner teen whose completely misunderstood by everyone but the MC.
 The Plots that have us second guessing. Those twists & turns that we don’t see coming.
 Charming Romances popping up, surprising us at every corner & finding us in places & faces we didn’t expect. Spooky urban legends lived out in tales of horror. Unique curses that haunt families & unsuspecting victims. Romantic formulas tested & tried in the literary fires to come out clean on the other side.

What are some of the guidelines that make up YOUR check list in search for your top ten? How do you determine one book holds more importance than another?

Our List of Top (10) Books:
Inion’s (5) Picks:

• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice: This is probably my favorite book of all time and one I commit to read annually. Rooted in the Celtic culture and showcasing my all-time fave paranormal characters: witches, I first read this book at the ripe ole age of thirteen and have loved it ever since. It’s such an intricate novel, but the layers aren’t random and disconnected. They merge beautifully into one solid story. Everything about The Witching Hour intrigued me. From the seductive setting of New Orleans to the strong family aspect, but most of all that along with these powers came a heavy burden. With every action comes a reaction and it’s nice to see that worldly law abided by otherworldly creatures. It makes them seem all the more real/human to us, which also makes them much more relatable.
• C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:(Mutual I & M) It was the first time I’d seen fiction so interwoven with reality and that mash up has been a signature that Inion N. Mathair’s adopted as their own style since our conception. Not to mention, it opened my eyes to see that even the innocent (children) are susceptible to the world’s evils or rather the immorality of men. It showed that sometimes people underestimate the strength in children and the lengths at which they’re willing to go to protect themselves, those they love, and/or do what is right. It was also the first book Mathair ever gave me, (which I still have in my collection).
• The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice: (in my opinion) Is the greatest fictional character of all time, Lestat has always been a great inspiration for me. The perfect villain/hero with beautiful flaws (i.e. arrogant, broken, cynical, seductive, vain) horrifying characteristics and a soft vulnerability that’s captured millions of readers.
• The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont (artwork by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne): This was the first time that I realized that not all characters are safe and not all endings are happy. I also love an ensemble cast of characters that are vibrant and could very well be leads on their own. For those of you that haven’t read the brilliance known as The Dark Phoenix Saga, I suggest you take a peek at a story that is wonderfully balanced with suspense, drama and heart along with the brilliant illustrations to go along with them.
• The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien: I’d never delved into a world the way I did with this one. Middle Earth became like a second home to me while reading Tolkien’s works. A place where magic is completely viable and danger is ever present, lurking around every glen or mountain. While the entirety of the saga is heavily doused in the fantastical realm, its conflicts and obstacles are very much a reality. It also had these beautiful poignant moments of vulnerability and random bouts of humor that alleviated the tension that seemed constantly suspended within the story.
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Mathair’s (5) Picks:

 On The Banks of Plum Creek / 4th Book in the: Little House Series By Laura Ingalls Wilder I first read this book, when I was in the 6th Grade. From the time I started until I closed the book, I fell in love with the story of a close family whose journey thru this life was anything but simple or trivial. What I find amazing is the idea of something as simple and relatable as this that could be loved by so many. A perfect example of the rule: Writers write what you know. Little House Series proved a reader didn’t need paranormal creatures leaping off every page. Magical doors or holes to escape. Yet each & every page seemed to hold another adventure keeping my attention.
 Nancy Drew The Secret of the Old Clock By Carolyn Keene (pseudonym) Mildred Wirt Benson. It’s funny when I look back I remember it adorning my dresser, collecting dust, as it added to the décor of my room. I finally read it & asked my mother to buy me the next book in the series as I couldn’t wait for the bus. The first copy I had checked out from a traveling book bus that came to our rural town once every three months. I thought for sure I would hate it. I didn’t like child-like mysteries that we’re easy to solve & lacked in horror offering me no kind of a challenge. Yet this writer found ways to make PG thrills, completely bad ass & spun mysteries worthy of any detective worth their salt. I read the books like any die-hard fan, until I was too embarrassed to carry them to High School for fear of being made fun of. Don’t get me wrong, I still luv me some Stephen King every once in a while. But books should be like that. Diverse for every need & time in your life. The Nancy Drew series was the series that did just that. Filled a perfect gap in my life between important ages & changes.
 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Mutual) This classic piece of literature needs no sell as it is still beloved and read by millions at Christmas. I know we still read this at our home & never get tired of the story that has magically morphed into something other worldly. Charles Dickens was a man before his time. Writing tales that we’re not only entertaining. But which also challenged us as human beings & gave us morally grounded questions to ask ourselves. He set the bar for many & showed the penalty for neglecting others. Perfect holiday lesson for all of us to learn & be reminded of every year.
 Little Women By: Louisa May Alcott Oh how I could go on forever about this one. I was thirteen years old when my mother passed this book to me & told me to read about the March women. I gave that same copy to my daughter at the same age. Funny enough, neither of us ever had the luxury of a sister but the book doesn’t isolate it’s readers that way. It’s one of those tales that finds a way to speak to you, no matter your age, race, gender or siblings & is completely relatable as long as your capable of love. I’ve seen every movie, the play (a couple of times) & even had the privilege of watching a “Little House On The Prairie” Episode that was dedicated to the story. But I have yet to see anything on the big screen or the stage, that could match the brilliance found on those pages.
 The Haunting of Hill House By: Shirley Jackson This book, was the first book I ever had restrictions with. Cut me a little slack…..other than a few of Poe’s works, I had yet to be introduced to the Horror-King. The Haunting of Hill House was my daylight read as my house seemed to come alive at night & toy with me while I was trying to read. I should’ve known then that my overworked imagination was finding it’s footing in the world of writing. It seemed to me that the story was manifesting itself; intruding on my world. But you can better believe that I didn’t put it down until I finished it.
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And there they are! Inion N. Mathair’s top ten picks. A big thank you to J.C. Wolfe for giving us this challenge. For inspiring us to curl up with some classic favorites while adding a few new ones from her list, to our must-read!

And now, we would like to pass this challenge off to, three of our blogging- buds to continue the chain. We had a few ladies in mind but our female bloggers we feel as though we know pretty well. So, in order to make this a real challenge & get to know some of our other buds we thought we’d share this challenge with a few of our male friends and pick their brains & see what books they come up with. So the challenge goes to:

1st Mike Vogler / Past My Curfew Musings From A Night Owl http://pastmycurfew.com/
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2nd Phil Gayle / For Singles & Couples http://forsinglesandcouples.wordpress.com/about/
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3rd Coach Daddy / It’s All About Fatherhood, Futbol & Food http://coachdaddyblog.wordpress.com/
Congrats gentlemen we look forward to your Top 10!!
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Congrats Gentlemen!!

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The Sunshine Award

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Lo & behold an angel of light appeared in the form of an award from a feisty, blonde with a hearty-helping of sunshine to brighten our dreary, wintry days.

It would seem, Inion N. Mathair has been nominated for an award. The Sunshine Award. Coarse we should’ve known that it would be the bubbly, energetic & hysterical Texan, Beth Teliho (our Bethie) that would douse our dark-duo with some much needed sunshine. And what a perfect time to receive the rays, with the thermometer reading 2 degrees in the Smoky Mountains.

So first off, let us give thanks to Beth Teliho for always being such a great friend & wonderful blog sister whose always thinking of others. Thx Bethie!!! xoxo

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting this Beautiful & Brilliant, Southern firecracker, please take the time to head on over to her blog {Writer B Is Me} & read some of her posts & southern anecdotes that will have you laughing til ya cry!

Next, we’re going to fulfill the stipulations which we absolutely love by the way and answer seven (7) Unknown Facts about Inion N. Mathair, then give seven (7) Quirky Facts about us as a duo. Once we’re done with that, we’ll be passing this award onto eleven (11) others, spreading the sunshine, in some other chilly places across this great, big blogosphere & hopefully brightening another bloggers day as Bethie did ours!
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So, let’s get started…

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F:1) If you could go back in time ten years and tell yourself one thing what would it be?
I-A) Not to eat that second bowl of Butter Pecan Icecream. It all went downhill after that.
M-A) Not to sweat the little things.

F:2) What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
I-A) I thought I already answered that? lol
M-A) Only one?! Cookies-n-Cream

F:3) If you were to take me on a date, where would we go and why?
I-A) Well, first to a bookstore I haven't been too, maybe in Highlands or Asheville. Then, somewhere quiet with a breathtaking view (which our area has plenty of) & Read…read…read! When are stomachs begin to rumble, a quiet restaurant that has phenomenal vegetarian dishes & lastly a quaint coffee shop.
M-A) A Poetry Reading first. Then, a tasty Southern dinner, at a downhome, barbecue joint "Fat Buddies" would do! Lastly, if your starting off quiet & calm finish the night with a bang. A concert, perhaps Clapton, Pearl Jam, Harry Connick Jr., Foo Fighters.

F:4) Above all else, what are you afraid of?
I-A) Failing which in my book is anything other than the Best. I'm a perfectionist thanks to my competitive mother who has high expectations & whose driven me my entire life to be the best. I can't stand to be second at anything.
M-A) Too many things to count, which would make me a coward (lol). But, if I had to pin one thing. I guess I'd go with my biggest which seems to be snakes.

F:5) What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
I-A) Be the first of my family to leave the South. Although I love my Dear Dixieland, I'd Move to Washington & set down roots, then write, write, write some more!!
M-A) Oh the possibilities… Okay, I guess I'd throw on an evening gown, grab a mic & sing Whitney Houston songs for millions. Lord help us!!

F:6) What has been your favorite age and why?
I-A) I like the age I'm at right now. My career, relationships, achievements, goals, my health. My late twenties have been good. I feel as though I've come into my own & know myself better than I ever have. I'm really happy.
M-A) Much like Inion, 28. Although I can't put my finger on it, as it was a number of things, I loved my late twenties.

F:7) Coffee or tea?
I-A) Without a doubt, Coffee.
M-A) I'd have to agree with Inion. I love me some coffee whether it's first thing in the morning, late at night while we're working or on a cold winter night it always hits the spot.

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Seven quirky facts:

1. We can’t write unless the television’s on, much like teenagers can’t do homework without tunes blasting in their ears. Of course now that I think of it, mom throws her Nirvana DVD's on which would count as music. But we also have, horror fest's, our nods to the 80's Molly Ringwald as well as Director John Hughes. Tim Burtonthons & what would a writing room be without the 2 muses who grace our space. Mine: Emma Thompson… Moms: Meryl Streep.

2. We’re tomboys at heart. I am a comic book junkie and Sci-Fi geek and secretly wish I was Indiana Jones. Mathair has the mindset & mouth of a teenage boy. Those of you that read our novel The Perfect 7 should know this due to the fact that she and Kevin Yager are one in the same. She is also a hardcore horror fanatic with a heavy emphasis on serial killers and sociopaths.

3. Our characters NEVER leave us. Much like a schizophrenic, our MC’s are constantly kicking around our heads, telling us their stories, speaking to us randomly throughout the day, giving their input on a situation & often times demanding our full attention. It can be a bit jarring. Thank God there are two of us or we’d never get anything done.

4. We’re southern girls at heart. Born and bred Floridians 7 generations, the two of us have yet to venture beyond the Mason Dixon line and have a special place in our heart for the Dirty South. We love Southern food, Southern traditions, Southern people & have a nasty twang that gets much thicker when intoxicated or angry. And of course there's the hottie perk. Southern-fried-gentlemen too hot for words… (Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum, Chace Crawford, & of course Kentucky born but Florida Raised: Johnny Depp.

5. We’re addicted to soaps. Though Mathair and I swore we’d never fall prey to the inevitable cliffhangers of an episodic saga, it only took two words to change all that: True Blood. It started a chain reaction, or rather a domino effect, branching out to Game of Thrones, Shameless, Dracula, Vikings, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven, and so on and so forth. After the end of every season & last episode, I get a nasty look from Mathair, who informs me that it’s my fault she’s addicted.

6. We both suffered from night terrors as children. Mathair had a reoccurring dream about an old woman with a beehive hairdo, in a white nightgown named Meg, that haunted her childhood home and my bouts with Freddy Krueger are legendary in my family. Our dreams are so bad, we've even been known to walk, talk and fight off invisible boogeymen/women in our sleep.

7. Much like Kevin Yager, we’ve followed Mathair’s Celtic sixth sense or "gut" and have based many if not all of our business decisions on this instinct.

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Nominate eleven (11) Bloggers:

1.) Coleen Patrick http://coleenpatrick.com/
2.) Marcia Richards Blog http://marciaarichards.com/blog
3.) Lafemmeroar http://lafemmeroar.wordpress.com/
4.) The Regular Guy NYC (Phil) http://blog.theregularguynyc.com/
5.) Lizzie R Considerings http://www.summat2thinkon.blogspot.com/
6.) Aussa Lorens Hacker.Ninja.Hooker.Spy http://aussalorens.com/
7.) Phil Gayle For Singles & Couples http://forsinglesandcouples.wordpress.com/
8.) Menopausalmother http://www.menopausalmom.com/
9.) Mike Vogler Past My Curfew http://pastmycurfew.com/
10.) J. Cornell Michel/Jordon’s Brains http://jordansbrains.com/category/blog/
11.) Anita Noted in Nashville http://notedinnashville.com/

Thank you once again to our Sister from another Mister~Beth Teliho for giving us this incredible award! To those of you we’ve nominated, congrats!!

Now, on another note. We would like to mention something completely off the wall & separate from the post. Below, we will be leaving a link to the School: Enka Middle School Teacher: Beth Lane. She is trying to raise money for the North Carolina Writing Programs for youth. Please do not feel pressured in any way, as we are not asking for donations but simply leaving the link for those who feel they want more information; while trying to bring about awareness for programs such as this one, that work diligently with young, apsiring writers.

http://www.donorschoose.org/blane

Thanks,
Beth Lane

beth.lane@bcsemail.org
8th Grade Language Arts
Enka Middle School

***Disney will match any donations up to $100 per donor between now and January 10th if donors use the promo code DISNEY during checkout.