Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 16 Prompt Because it’s Friday, today I’d like you to relax with the rather silly form called Skeltonic, or tumbling, verse. In this form, there’s no specific number of syllables per line, but each line should be short, and should aim to have two or three stressed syllables. And the lines should rhyme. You just rhyme the same sound until you get tired of it, and then move on to another sound. Here’s a short example I came up with. Skeltonic verse is a fun way to get some words on the page without racking your brains for deep meaning. It’s a form that lends itself particularly well to poems for children, satirical verse, and just plain nonsense. Day 16 Poem Open Mic Nights I don’t want to start a fight On my nephews open mic night But when I stand on the stage I can’t help but feel the rage When the others flip through their phones Searching through their tomes And talk through another’s speech It truly makes me want to screech Respect the fucking mic Respect the fucking mic It the mantra of the night My fists start to get tight And I know its not right But when someone spills their guts on the floor Shut your mouth is what I implore Listening to the words I adore The dullards are such a bore Inspiration is our reluctant whore And your side conversations make me snore So disturb me not quote the poet nevermore Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 15 Prompt And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today’s prompt comes to us from Juan Martinez. It asks you to think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then to write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit. Day 15 Poem Share A Smoke When they asked for prayer requests I raised my 8 year old hand And loudly declared That I would like my mom To stop smoking There was a hush in the church And right on que She said that she wasn’t ready She defied god that day When I was threatened to get kicked out At the ripe old age of 16 Because I had decided that church Was not the way to spend Sunday mornings I looked for the loophole And there I sat behind the pastors kids Reading Also Spake Zarathustra While “attending” service When they asked me what I was reading I replied “The Death of god” And that day I defied my father And god And my mother smiled When she was hospitalized for the second to last time after she had lost the power to talk like a grown woman she motioned at me from her bed to take out the contents of my shirt pocket She knew what was there And we shared a silent nod I grabbed the nearest Unused wheelchair Not caring if it was meant for someone else Picked her frail body up And placed her gingerly on the seat Rolling her out The nurse started to protest Getting fresh air was all she heard And I rolled mom to my car Where I ad the aqua filters she used To place on the end of her smokes Thinking it would save her And there I was, pulling out a bowl Puffing away And now in my mancave The same age as she was When things went downhill fast All I can think about Is getting these words down Stepping on my deck Lighting up another stick Sticking my middle finger in the sky For the god that took her Who now is trying to take me My daughters on Saturday morning Watch me step out from time to time As I wait for them to say I’m praying for you to stop lighting up And trying to die Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 14 Prompt And last but not least, our (optional) prompt for the day. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that delves into the meaning of your first or last name. Looking for inspiration? Take a look at this poem by Mark Wunderlich, appropriately titled “Wunderlich.” Day 14 Poem Forthright We are the Sans Detour Those who speak plainly There is no nuance That is obtuse When our words are heard We are understood So let me speak gentle reader Without any obfuscation I came upon my name Through the one who will remain nameless What I have taken of him Is simply the family name, crest And I am learning to leave the rest The need to be direct And not mince my words Comes from the lineage That has been obscured Where others put on airs Or develop their character I prefer to go straight for the jugular Make my point And then leave you my friend Not to wonder at what I meant Not ponder a greater message You already have one hundred thousand channels And there is truly nothing on I reject the one who brought me into this world But the name survives The name that defines my identity The name that I hated in ignorance But with enlightenment now brings me hope Now I have a touchstone That can lad me like he That can be the example That can be the father A name, not a man So to you viewing these words Or heeding my voice Know that if I don’t try to color The poetry that has given me purpose It is not for lack of knowledge Rather, It is my lineage Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 13 Prompt Today’s prompt comes from the Instagram account of Sundress Publications, which posts a writing prompt every day, all year long. This one is short and sweet: write a poem in the form of a news article you wish would come out tomorrow. Day 13 Poem What Tomorrow Brings The morning mist had yet to dissipate Luckily the paper delivery person Had wrapped the Wednesday edition So that only the plastic bad was damp I bought it in for my wife to read Later in the day As I went to work in the basement I could hear her wake up And walk into the kitchen Where I had left the paper opened And ready to read A few minutes later and a few emails ignored I heard her quiet scream She opened the door to the basement And called down for me Disturbed from my work Disgruntled I relented and went up She held the paper out to me With her outstretched arms Telling me to read the headline Tomorrows news today I asked her what was the fuss It seemed to be a stunt, a bit odd For a local paper But then most of them still printed horoscopes She kept pointing at the article And would no say more So I began reading it with disdain As my work now was beginning to pile up The byline had my name Strange because I was not a reporter I was not employed by the local rag So I read further Supposedly I wrote in better grammar than usual That starting tomorrow Which would be Thursday I would be writing Fridays headlines I would not be guessing at the future Rather I would be the gate keeper I promised what I wrote would happen As I would be compiling the news Wednesday night My wife looked into my eyes Pleading for understanding I laughed at her prank And headed back to my den She grabbed my shoulder and turned me round And that’s when I confessed That the work I was doing Was not for the job But because I found a way To see two days ahead But on the day I wrote about I would forget the night before We both decided since the public now knew And tonight I would forget tomorrow That we would up our subscription to daily Just so I would know what happened yesterday Or that day Or tomorrow Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 12 Prompt Finally, our prompt (optional, as always). I’m calling this one “Past and Future.” This prompt challenges you to write a poem using at least one word/concept/idea from each of two specialty dictionaries: Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary and the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. A hat tip to Cathy Park Hong for a tweet that pointed me to the science fiction dictionary and to Hoa Nguyen for introducing me to the Classical Dictionary. Day 12 Poem The Dreams The visions kept coming There seemed to be no end He would finish a painting Only to see the flames change the colors Into something no one had witnessed He was alone Hurtling through space and time Never to be disturbed To focus just on the work He was unaware Of anyone else And there was no one to view The masterpieces as they flew Out from his hands And onto the canvas of his mind His entombment carried his name, Pausias As did the sleeper ship As he was only DNA fused with silicone chips There was no body to nourish He had attained what most artists crave The immortality to create Forever Without the constraints Without any limits But after how many millennia That he lost count He was ready to return home And share the work with those Who had been extinct Longer than most of humanity had been alive The number of his works completed And compiled Had risen to over eighty-seven thousand In less than half a second they could be retrieved But with none to share His life force faded The chips could not revive him From this self-imposed slumber He slipped to the other dream That artists have Escaping the bonds of the cruel world Into oblivion Where those he loved dwelt And it was there He shared his works That none would delete Or disremember Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 11 Prompt This is a twist on a prompt offered by Kay Gabriel during a meeting she facilitated at the Poetry Project last year. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a two-part poem, in the form of an exchange of letters. The first stanza (or part) should be in the form of a letter that you write either to yourself or to a famous fictional or historical person. The second part should be the letter you receive in response. These can be as short or long as you like, in the form of prose poems, or with line breaks – and of course, the subject matter of the letters is totally up to you. Happy writing! Day 11 Poem To Ken and Joe 1 When I heard your voices On Sunday nights in Chicago Laying alone in my bed Waiting for Monday morning And the start of the drudgery Before I would drift off to the dreams You constructed In the two hours My attention was never more focused On the little things you would add A thought here, a discarded phrase there What most people who did listen in would miss Was the crumbs that I feasted upon I wanted to recreate what you had done But soon I found that I was failing to sound like you And I am glad for that failure Because I sound like me Inspired by you To tell the world how I see them You both have passed on Just when this party down here was getting good So now we are left to tell our stories Without your voice And twisted reality 2 Tim Your voice is enough Your vision is enough It is souls like you That keep us from feeling the isolation From the creeping madness that chants No one will understand, Everyone will think you untalented You are truly insane talking to yourself We are glad you are finding your voice As we have found ours Since we are missing the party below Write your open letter to us Save the really juicy stuff For no one else alive to hear And save it for those who truly understand Those yet to be born and those freshly deceased PS can we send this to our good friends John and Leonard We have been playing euchre with them And are waiting for Tom to come So we can figure out who reads Your lines better Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 10 Prompt First, find a song with which you are familiar – it could be a favorite song of yours or one that just evokes memories of your past. Listen to the song and take notes as you do, without overthinking it or worrying about your notes making sense. Next, rifle through the objects in your junk drawer – or wherever you keep loose odds and ends that don’t have a place otherwise. (Mine contains picture-hanging wire, stamps, rubber bands, and two unfinished wooden spoons I started whittling four years ago after taking a spoon-making class). On a separate page from your song-notes page, write about the objects in the drawer, for as long as you care to. Now, bring your two pages of notes together and write a poem that weaves together your ideas and observations from both pages. Day 10 Poem Mancave Mansion Pulling the platter out of its sleeve My old friend begins his meditation I move the arm over and nirvana is soon promised There is no movement There is no sound Devastation on a Sunday mornings rest I being to weep Is there no justice in the world Is there nothing to spare me I look to the side And see the treasure chest Full of discarded dreams Sifting through the wires And connectors of dead technology I find the connection that promises resolution The power flows through these metallic veins The disc begins to turn Warm tones flow out of the horns The meditation begins Sounds from the outside recede And I am renewed for another week. Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 9 Prompt Our (optional) prompt for the day is to write a poem in the form of a “to-do list.” The fun of this prompt is to make it the “to-do list” of an unusual person or character. For example, what’s on the Tooth Fairy’s to-do list? Or on the to-do list of Genghis Khan? Of a housefly? Your list can be a mix of extremely boring things and wild things. For example, maybe Santa Claus needs to order his elves to make 7 million animatronic Baby Yoda dolls, to have his hat dry-cleaned to get off all the soot it picked up last December, and to get his head electrician to change out the sparkplugs on Rudolph’s nose. Day 9 Poem Dealer Day Planner The coffee percolates and sputters As it fills the carafe The promise of bitterness permeates the room As he opens his eyes The sun is about to rise But its still too dark to see much out his window Turning on the phone And awaiting the avalanche of messages To arrive in his inbox You’d think that if he took a straight job There would be a rule against Pilling on the work so early in the day But then wearing a starched shirt Designer ties And an alligator belt Has never been his style Eyes still recovering from the dream That he had to leave In order to get a jump On the ever frantic day Customers are always annoying With their need to feel like You owe them something Just because they have the cash to part with And you have the supplies they can’t live without Doesn’t mean you are their man servant He looks with bleary eyes Wiping the sand from last nights Ever present visitor And stares at the blank pages Of the nondescript calendar Figuring out the day of the week He then focuses on his memory And the entries are filled Only visible to him Never write down a name A number Or an amount The messages flood in Most marked as urgent Coming from those who don’t know How to handle their addictions And need to find another habit Dad has the most His most frantic and wealthiest customer But it isn’t his Dad He cut ties with his father years ago And Dad, well who knows if he actually has a father But that is the one he needs to reach out to first So he pours through the 23 messages since midnight And determines how much product to obtain The route to take And what to take for protection The rest of the messages he prioritizes Like an analyst receiving end of fourth quarter reports For a Fortune 500 global corporation In an hour he has his deliveries planned And notes location Time to transit And approximate drama level for each customer Breakfast consists of toast, coffee, eggs and cigarettes A quick look in the mirror to see if a shave is warranted Then he dons the uniform Of looking nondescript No flash No labels No color to attract attention Dark grey, blue and black all look the same Three different caps in the car between trips With no logos will ensure that no one will remember He is ghosting in public He is everyone and no one He reviews his customers requests And sorts out the product With a little extra if they want a small party Or a taste test That costs extra unless you are a gold card member The five transit cards loaded up just enough in the three different wallets and he sets out ready to deliver all day and most of the night Overtime will not be paid but then he won’t get docked for taking an extra lunch As he finishes with Dad Who has just turned narc The knife slices through the artery And he dashes through the nearest window That remained unlocked Out onto the street Today has gone bust As he ditches the stolen car For the nearest subway He noted on his way up to the apartment The competition didn’t catch him again But this is not a win So he heads to the brain trust To decide who else has turned Losing out on today’s scores Will not break the bank It’s called job hazards Acceptable losses And in less than a week Someone else will take the mantle of Dad Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation.

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 8 Prompt And last but not least, our (optional) prompt. I call this one “Return to Spoon River,” after Edgar Lee Masters’ eminently creepy 1915 book Spoon River Anthology. The book consists of well over 100 poetic monologues, each spoken by a person buried in the cemetery of the fictional town of Spoon River, Illinois. Today, I’d like to challenge you to read a few of the poems from Spoon River Anthology, and then write your own poem in the form of a monologue delivered by someone who is dead. Not a famous person, necessarily – perhaps a remembered acquaintance from your childhood, like the gentleman who ran the shoeshine stand, or one of your grandmother’s bingo buddies. As with Masters’ poems, the monologue doesn’t have to be a recounting of the person’s whole life, but could be a fictional remembering of some important moment, or statement of purpose or philosophy. Be as dramatic as you like – Masters’ certainly didn’t shy away from high emotion in writing his poems. Day 8 Poem Sans Detour We show clearly and strongly how we feel Sitting in this ship Amongst the others Praying for an adventure Far from the known Into the arms of Quebec The days are long And my minds drifts As we make our way Dreams about what is to come And stories from the crew Who have made this voyage Fill me with hope I scribble in my diary daily But most days have little to reveal To my progeny And I oft times wonder if They would even view my scratching My dreams show a multitude Who look similar to me and my ancestors Yet they don’t know my name They don’t know of Louis The beloved son of Julien and Jeanne The artist and scribe of the family Searching the world for more Adventures to add to the family tale Our immortality, I fear, dies with me Hence I left my family To carry on the name in the new world The tears of my mother And the fear Just under the surface Of my Papa’s face Are the last memories Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 7 Prompt And now, for our (optional) prompt! There are many different poetic forms. Some have specific line counts, syllable counts, stresses, rhymes, or a mix-and-match of the above. Of the poetic forms that are based on syllable counts, probably the most well-known – to English speakers, at least – is the Japanese form called the haiku. But there are many other syllable-based forms. Today, I’d like to challenge you to pick from two of them – the shadorma, and the Fib. The shadorma is a six-line, 26-syllable poem (or a stanza – you can write a poem that is made of multiple shadorma stanzas). The syllable count by line is 3/5/3/3/7/5. So, like the haiku, the lines are relatively short. Rather poetically, the origin of the shadorma is mysterious. I’ve seen multiple online sources call it Spanish – but “shadorma” isn’t a Spanish word (Spanish doesn’t have “sh” as a letter pairing), and neither is “xadorma,” or “jadorma,” which would approximate “shadorma” in sound. But even if this form is simply the brainchild of an internet trickster who gave it an imaginary backstory, that’s no reason why you shouldn’t try your hand at it. Every form was made up by someone, sometime. Our second syllabic form is much more forthright about its recent origins. Like the shadorma, the Fib is a six-line form. But now, the syllable count is based off the Fibonacci sequence of 1/1/2/3/5/8. You can link multiple Fibs together into a multi-stanza poem, or even start going backwards after your first six lines, with syllable counts of 8/5/3/2/1/1. Perhaps you remember the Fibonacci sequence from math or science class – or even from nature walks. Lots of things in the natural world hew to the sequence – like pinecones and flower petals. And now your poems can, too. Day 7 Poem Waiting 50 Minutes To Be Told What I Know, Wasting 35 Bucks On This I Sit Alone In the room Waiting on healthcare The doctor asks why are you here He has not looked At the chart Or my Past Sin I Start To speak At first fast Then with much anger He is not the problem I am I interrupt The days flow Listen To Me I Try To slow To match him To forgive the wait Why should I be the better man The disrespectful Wasted Time is Gone Now There Is Less time For me to Conquer the past sin Ensure my immortality Exchanging that for Being a Mortal No No! I Go And face Life alone You are not here now As my pen reaches out to you We are not one soul You, not me Will live On Alone Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 6 Prompt Finally, here’s our daily (optional) prompt. Our prompt yesterday asked you to take inspiration from another poem, and today’s continues in the same vein. This prompt, which comes from Holly Lyn Walrath, is pretty simple. As she explains it here: Go to a book you love. Find a short line that strikes you. Make that line the title of your poem. Write a poem inspired by the line. Then, after you’ve finished, change the title completely. I encourage you to read Walrath’s full post, which has some other ideas for generating new poems based on pre-existing text. I used the Tao Te Ching 72nd verse Hence the sage knows himself but does not display himself, loves himself but does not exalt himself. Day 6 Poem Hence the sage knows himself but does not display himself, loves himself but does not exalt himself/ Tao Te Ching verse 72 To know is to love If it takes a lifetime To look up from the page And receive the inspiration To describe what these eyes have seen Is that failure Follow a path How do you know that the path Will lead to a desired destination Will the footsteps imprinted in the freshly fallen snow Lead to home Or the jaws of the leopard Does the feeling of certainty Come with a written guarantee Reviewed by lawyers and philosophers Or is it just a chemical imbalance That caused visions from the afflicted And led nations to kneel A preference of quietude Acceptance that the ending is unknown Undetermined That the accepted good May just be the most insidious evil Cloaked in the mindless praises Of those who wished to be fooled Of those who must always be on the side of right Rather than common good If the utmost wish is to see the wonders of life Lift up the eyes from behind the page Put down the pen Forget waiting on inspiration Open the eyes and see The answers are simpler And visible Than what the stories of old have told Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 5 Prompt This prompt challenges you to find a poem, and then write a new poem that has the shape of the original, and in which every line starts with the first letter of the corresponding line in the original poem. If I used Roethke’s poem as my model, for example, the first line would start with “I,” the second line with “W,” and the third line with “A.” And I would try to make all my lines neither super-short nor overlong, but have about ten syllables. I would also have my poem take the form of four, seven-line stanzas. I have found this prompt particularly inspiring when I use a base poem that mixes long and short lines, or stanzas of different lengths. Any poem will do as a jumping-off point, but if you’re having trouble finding one, perhaps you might consider Mary Szybist’s “We Think We Do Not Have Medieval Eyes” or for something shorter, Natalie Shapero’s “Pennsylvania.” The Poem I used was found in Poetry Magazine Feb 2021 issue. It was by Stella Wong "The Hindenburg Mystery". I randomly chose one of the magazines I hadn't read yet them thumbed through the magazine three times and stopped on this poem. I left it up to the universe and the universe always provides what we need when we need it. Day 5 Poem The Father I Mean To Be My example provided me with a photo negative Because I used to think he didn’t know better And does this excuse his example Benefactor of his own abuses Any time I want to know what not to do Accessing the memories Instant recollection provides the answer Beatings and badgering for bad behavior Are not what I want to pass on Accepting my faults and my lack of knowledge Instituting controls on my anger Never punish while upset My offspring will have their own guideposts Positive exposures Will lead them to raise their own Healthier than I have raised them Beautiful memories is what I wish upon them From this battered soul Heaven truly is A smile on their lips that lasts past my lifetime Father, why have I had to remove you Parenting is not a contact sport Wishing for the perfect family Always leaves me shivering on the floor And the day I stopped trying to Appease you, appeal to you & started this journey alone, with my family That is when I broke the cycle Truly began loving my family In ways that maybe you wished you could It would have been great if you were a strong man to have shown the way Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 4 Prompt And last but not least, our daily optional prompt. Poetry often takes us to strange places – to feelings and actions that are hard to express except through the medium of a poem. To the “liminal,” in other words – a place or sensation that exists at or on both sides of a boundary or threshold, neither one thing or the other, but something betwixt and between. In honor of the always-becoming nature of poetry, I challenge you today to select a photograph from the perpetually disconcerting @SpaceLiminalBot, and write a poem inspired by one of these odd, in-transition spaces. Will you pick the empty mall food court? The vending machine near the back entrance to the high school gym? The swimming pool at what seems to be M.C. Escher’s alpine retreat? No matter what neglected or eerie space you choose, I hope its oddness tugs at the place in your mind and heart where poems are made. Here is the image I used Day 4 Poem Taking refuge under a pedestrian foot bridge Another trip around the country for this Sagittarius soul Another State I have never lived in is where the car stalled Of course in the middle of the night and miles from the nearest rest stop The amber hue of the highway lights blanketed the ground as the mists appeared My usual friends, a wallet, keys, and a cell phone snuggle close to my thighs No one would be awake if I tried to call home, no one would be able to drive out I start the long walk to find help from strangers who would rather be asleep Whistling old songs to keep the focus on the goal, get home That’s when the drizzle began My steps quickened, as the jacket that would have provided warmth was left in the abandoned vehicle The fog thickened so much my eyes almost missed the covering, but my body felt it momentarily Overhead was a thin walkway spanning the highway and provided a moment of relief So I climbed the embankment, making my way to the crux of where the footbridge met the earth The winds had decided not to arrive to drive the rain into my body And I stayed there for what seemed to be hours as I dared not take out the phone that would reveal it had been minutes I crouched there as a sentinel, keeping watch for others that could relieve my predicament But none came, the rain retreated back to dampness falling from the clouds until it was again mist Sleep was winning the battle, it had been hours since last I rested As I lay there, night denizens approached and retreated as they saw the area was not safe for them The night sky plodded toward the early morn As I rose and gained my bearings I crossed the foot bridge and saw lights ahead A short trot led me to a previously unmarked ( at least from my clouded memory) gas station I entered, soaked through and through Within hours I was back on my journey with yet another story for the children, another gray hair for my wife, another dance with destiny that bade me well, this time Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 3 Prompt And now for our prompt. This one is a bit involved, which is why I’m giving it to you on a Saturday. Today, I’d like to challenge you to make a “Personal Universal Deck,” and then to write a poem using it. The idea of the “Personal Universal Deck” originated with the poet and playwright Michael McClure, who gave the project of creating such decks to his students in a 1976 lecture at Naropa University. Basically, you will need 50 index cards or small pieces of paper, and on them, you will write 100 words (one on the front and one on the back of each card/paper) using the rules found here. Don’t agonize over your word choices. Making the deck should be fun and revealing, as you generate words that sound “good” to you. The fact that the words are mainly divided among the five senses should be helpful in selecting words that you like the sound of, and that have some meaning personal to you. For example, my deck contains “harbor,” “wool,” “murmur,” “obsidian,” and “needle.” Once you have your deck put together, shuffle it a few times. Now select a card or two, and use them as the basis for a new poem. I chose to use my tarot deck for todays prompt and got a very accurate reading for myself vs using the deck that the prompt suggested. Try it for yourself if you have a tarot deck, if not you can go online and get your own reading done if you choose, I would recommend however, getting it done by someone who knows how to use a deck. Day 3 Poem The Reading An upside-down tower tells of the crumbling I allowed to happen The knight charging forth knows my mind is as sharp as his sword A young man on his head reminds me to be still, be calm, be alone in my thoughts Clouds open up, and a hand descends with a staff, beating my self-indulgent thoughts of laziness Sipping my coffee, I see what I used to be, a student, and I realize that is what I enjoy being Another cloud opens, another hand descends, this time with a sword cutting my conflicts in twain The death that everyone fears seeing, is how I see myself as I clutch to decayed memories holding them close to my heart But you may see me as the sunshine, the one who knows the answers, the one who has it together My dreams dare me to become greater than I care to be And it all ends with the strength to become the quiet master that others seek That is the reading before me Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 2 Prompt In the world of well-known poems, maybe there’s no gem quite so hoary as Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about your own road not taken – about a choice of yours that has “made all the difference,” and what might have happened had you made a different choice. Day 2 Poem Almost Left You were sleeping off anther bad night of drinking As I was out on the hotel patio changing my flight plans We were to visit the justice of the peace in two days Your hangover brought the news that my flight was in a few hours I had packed up all my belongings to go back to Chicago We filled up the car with gas and started the long drive to the airport You turned on the radio and tuned in a random station I wanted to escape so I lit another cigarette The song spoke of love that we had but feared Your tears made you swerve many times almost ending us My anxiety went through the roof and to calm myself I listened to the words We sat in the parking lot, and then we walked towards the counter You begged for another chance, you swore off drinking so much I didn’t want to hear your excuses and I was loosing my nerve We agreed to have me come back when we were both better You turned to me and kissed me deeply, letting me feel you falter I seconded guessed myself and threw caution to the wind We drove back to the hotel, crying, sober and recovered And now, after years of surgeries and medical procedures When I feel that I am going down this path alone I realize I could truly be alone going through my hell Waiting for the ticking in my brain to go off Being in true isolation in the midst of a crowd I’d have given up, thrown in my lot with death But I can’t, because you have given me immortality You have given me my prominent job title Papa Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 1 Prompt Sometimes, writing poetry is a matter of getting outside of your own head, and learning to see the world in a new way. To an extent, you have to “derange” yourself – make the world strange, and see it as a stranger might. To help you do that, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem inspired by this animated version of “Seductive Fantasy” by Sun Ra and his Arkestra. If you don’t feel after watching it a little bit like the top of your head’s been taken off, and your thoughts given a good stir – well, maybe you are already living in a state of heightened poetic awareness! Happy writing, everyone! Day 1 Poem If Only A Day 1. Legs It’s the wind that lifts you to walk on your toes Sprinting is the speed needed to take you everywhere you go No longer trying to understand why your King binds your feet every night All you know is the stretching of your calves and ankles while you dream The aches that come in the morning Hoping that the braces are forgotten for a days repast One day, breaking free from the restraints And flying back to whence you have come 2. Arms Your wings are masked as the limbs of a girl Only you know their true composition Instinct demands their exercise So you flap them, trying to fulfill their purpose Why can’t people see what they really are Is still a mystery to you So you play ignorant as to why you flap Its just something you do When something important strikes you The mental computer appears just for you To mark these events so you can revisit them You are the author of your own future 3. Eyes When the world is too much When everything comes at you at the same time Your eyes roll back to protect yourself To see your memories To see your true home To see inside your own thoughts The quick shallow breaths coincide with your eyes The perfect shade of the sky on a cloudless day Sparkling when you see Papa Tearing up when no one understands your ways 4. Face Every time I blink or rest for an evening I see your smile straining to reach from one side to the other Your cheeks bulge out and are filled with breath Your eyes squint trying not to let too much in Its as if your whole face must participate With any utterance of emotion My definition of happiness no longer contains words Just images of the contours and lines and folds of your skin You, fully embracing whatever emotion strikes 5. Voice If I was deaf, I’d still understand you The force of your words passes through my apathetic soul When you read and your pitch raises a half octave Its because you want me to know the performance has started And when the words come that you don't know or don’t recall Stubbornly you push through and repeat them until they are mastered Creating songs out of air about love comes naturally for you As the wind is your mother And your breath is your father 6. Mind Since you were born I have tried to fill you with light, beauty, positivity and love Banishing my demons and the creatures that lurk behind these windows You seem to know of their existence And you try to reach through to calm me It is the touch that I fear most Not wanting you to be infected by their ravenous hunger With a word or a look or a fierce hug You attempt to strangle them and free my soul To escape the bonds that keep me chained to the ground Oh to be like you again and to warn of what it is to be me This is every day with you And one day you will drag me away To live inside your thoughts And know innocence again Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

The Benefits of Collaboration to your art In today's episode, we will talk about artistic collaboration. I highly recommend collaboration with not only those who share your artistic practice but those from outside your discipline. Now this episode concerns the benefits of collaboration and we will talk about that, but I also will be commenting on some articles I discovered while making this episode that deals with collaboration and how the best artists utilize this to enhance their practice and extend their network. Introduction Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien head instigator of Create Art Podcast where we help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I do this through commentary, conversations, projects, and interviews, and for 2021 I am doing webstreams for those who would like to watch versus just listening. My Experience with Artistic Collaboration Firstly, be discussing my academic theater experience with collaboration on both the good and opportunities for improvement. Likewise, I will also be mentioning my collaboration with Kyle Bondo of Gagglepod Studios and our podcast Podwrecked. This episode is being brought to you today from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library IdeaSpace Studio. Therefore, I have started a new collaboration with them to produce the "regular" episodes from their studio. Most importantly, if your library does not have a maker lab, get involved in helping them make a maker lab like the one we have here. Points to Consider For Collaborations Complimentary Skills Time Zone Difference Advantage Forgetting Competitiveness Agreement at Concept Stage Scrap Projects Don't Micromanage Remember Goals Don't rely on phone calls Share Work Constantly Ask questions Get It In Writing Do research Time is money Links on Artistic Collaboration CreativeBloq Society6 Blog Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. Most importantly, if you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

FILM MAKING AS ART Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator at Create Art Podcast where I bring my 20 years in art and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. In 2021 I am rebroadcasting my former podcast KDOI Podcast here so you can catch up on what we have been doing for the past 4 years. KDOI Podcast was my first serious attempt at podcasting after spending many years just creating content without regard to the final product. KDOI started in 2016 and had 3 seasons until I closed it down in 2019. I wanted to make sure that these gems didn't get relegated to my external hard drives, so here you go, there will be interviews, commentary, and projects that you can do for yourself. Enjoy these rebroadcasts and Create More Than You Consume. Film Making as Art Today's guest is my former co-worker and collaborator Kenneth Reed. He originally joined me on Kimo's Den of Iniquity when it was a sketched show during the second reboot period. We also were collaborators with Salsation's Word Up Poetry Slam. During this conversation on Film as Art, we discuss Beginnings of Ken's love of comedy Word Up Poetry Slam Screen writing program at Columbia College First attempts at film Advice for new film makers and artists Mentorship Results of his Satanic Seven Questionnaire Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

The benefits of Art Therapy and a possible career path Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien head instigator of Create Art Podcast where we help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I do this through commentary, conversations, projects and interviews and for 2021 I am doing webstreams for those who would like to watch versus just listen. Today's topic is about art therapy and how it can improve your art practice and your mental state. I will be detailing my experiences with art therapy as both a client and a witness. Since I am not a licensed therapist, I'll be presenting a few articles on the topic to demonstrate how art therapy can help. Lastly, I will go over what it takes to become an art therapist if that is a calling that you have in your life. You don't need a couch for today's episode, but get comfy and listen in as I talk about art therapy. Links to articles mentioned Al Woods Flux Magazine 5 Benefits of Art Therapy For Mental Health Sharon Walker The Guardian Finding Time For Creativity Will Give You Respite From Worry George Washington University Art Therapy Program Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

KDOI Rebroadcast of Ashly Hutchins Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator at Create Art Podcast where I bring my 20 years in art and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. In 2021 I am rebroadcasting my former podcast KDOI Podcast here so you can catch up on what we have been doing for the past 4 years. KDOI Podcast was my first serious attempt at podcasting after spending many years just creating content without regard to the final product. KDOI started in 2016 and had 3 seasons until I closed it down in 2019. I wanted to make sure that these gems didn't get relegated to my external hard drives, so here you go, there will be interviews, commentary, and projects that you can do for yourself. Enjoy these rebroadcasts and Create More Than You Consume. Tattooing as Art In this episode I talk with my former student and tattoo artist Ashly Hutchins. We discuss her entrance into the tattooing world and how it was vastly different from photography which she studied in college and I first met her. We dive into tattooing tools and a bit on internship and what she calls having a visual eye and how that helps her in her work. Ashly also answers the Satanic 7 questions that i created in season 1 of KDOI and receives a perfect 7 out of 7 correct. Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast Teepublic: Create Art Podcast Storefront

The Benefits of setting up goals for your art Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien head instigator of Create Art Podcast where we help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I do this through commentary, conversations, projects, and interviews, and for 2021 I am doing webstreams for those who would like to watch versus just listening. In this episode I talk about the benefits for setting up goals for your art and how I am doing this with the podcast. Some of the benefits are: More Productivity More Confidence Networking with others in and outside your discipline Using tools like FreedCamp to keep you organized Knowing what the next steps are Delivering on time more often Keeping to "soft" scheduling Links to articles mentioned Setting Goals for Artists by Carrie L Lewis How to set goals for aspiring artists by ArtDex Blog Setting Goals and Objectives as an Artist by Lorene Troyer How to have your vision board ready for 20201 by Lu Paulise Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

IMPROV AS ART KDOI Rebroadcast of Nelson Velazquez Interview Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator at Create Art Podcast where I bring my 20 years in art and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. In 2021 I am rebroadcasting my former podcast KDOI Podcast here so you can catch up on what we have been doing for the past 4 years. KDOI Podcast was my first serious attempt at podcasting after spending many years just creating content without regard to the final product. KDOI started in 2017 and had 3 seasons until I closed it down in late 2019. I wanted to make sure that these gems didn't get relegated to my external hard drives, so here you go, there will be interviews, commentary, and projects that you can do for yourself. Enjoy these rebroadcasts and Create More Than You Consume. Improv as Art Welcome to the past with KDOI Podcast rebroadcasts. This interview with Nelson Velazquez was the very first interview for KDOI Podcasting. We had a great time catching up and talking about projects that he was doing at the time back in 2017. This was a fun interview with Nelson and he really showed off his improv skills with me as we riffed off eachother the whole time. Enjoy this rebroadcast and connect with Nelson and his improv teams. Topics Discussed Our beginnings with Vet Art Project Salsation Salsa Sketch Los Improviaches - a mariachi improv troupe Nelson's musical history and travels In-depth answers to the infamous Satanic Seven questions where he scored an impressive 6 out of 7 questions correct His production company for all things Video, audio, and comedic InProductions LLC Links Salsation Los Improviachis The Tony Stanzas MakeShift Up ImProductions LLC Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Was 2020 a 5 Star rating? Let's make 2021 5 star worthy Welcome friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien head instigator of Create Art Podcast where we help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I have over 20 years in the arts and education and I use commentary, conversations, projects, and interviews to help you express what is inside you and overcome the inner critic that may be stifling your expression. Todays Topic This episode will review all we have accomplished in 2020. Some numbers to start off are 48 episodes, 9 interviews, 2 features on other podcasts, 2 conferences, and all the while focusing on helping you with your art. What has 2020 been for you, what have you accomplished, this episode is not to compare what I have done with what you have done, rather I want to show what is possible. Take time to review what you have accomplished and share that with me, I am very interested in supporting your work. Listen in and get inspired and let's see what 2021 will bring. Reach out to me via email at [email protected] Art Podcasts I binged this year Writers Drinking Coffee The Art Angle Coffee and Books Interview Episodes Audio Drama with Scott Murray Poetry and Podcasting with CJ Robinson On Giant's Shoulders talk about TS Elliot with Joel Ciaccio Discussion of Talent with Brandon Larson Overcoming Challenges with Tia Dye Creativity in a Pandemic with York Campbell Political and Protest Art with Christopher Sims IT to Poetry with Kyle Bondo Memoir as Art with Samuel Sobel-Moore Guest Links of Note Scott Murray Links : The Crimson Files Comic Book Noob scottmurrayonline.com Disney Plus Streamcast CJ Robinson Links The Poetry Novelist York Campbell Links Poetic Earthlings Podcast Tia Dye Sunshine tiasunshine.art Kyle Bondo Links Gagglepod Studios Kyle's Poetry Samuel Sobel-Moore Links Links to outside accomplishments Super Joe Pardo Show Causepods Indie Pod Con Virtual Summit Podfest Global Virtual Summit Co-Hosting Podwrecked Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email : [email protected] IG : @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Telling Our Story: Samuel Moore-Sobel interview on his recent memoir Can You See My Scars Thank you for joining us here at Create Art Podcast, I am Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator with over 20 years in the arts and education helping you to tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. Today we have Samuel Moore-Sobel talking with us about his newest memoir Can You See My Scars. To listen to other episodes make sure to subscribe to your podcast app of choice or click here to view all of our other episodes. Imagine if you will experiencing a traumatic event early in life and how that might affect you as you struggle through entering high school. Samuel recounts this event and the outcomes from suffering burns to his face and arms. This is a harrowing tale of not just overcoming but finding purpose in life. Samuel is an author, journalist and pubic speaker who describes in his book about his traumatic event and uses the art of memoir to show us all the power of resiliency and endurance. Topics Discussed The Power of words Most enlightening experience while writing the memoir Learning about himself after writing the memoir The best piece of advice One piece of advice for listeners before writing their memoir Sharing your story in person vs Zoon The effort required to promote a memoir One thing that would surprise readers How does Samuel Create More Than He Consumes? Overcoming self-doubt Scars as a form of art Copy of the book and important websites mentioned Can You See My Scars Blue Ridge Leader & Loudon Today Column Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email : [email protected] IG : @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL WRAP-UP 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] Lessons Learned "Pre-game" your project Know your time commitment Get others involved for accountability Understand the scale What does success look like When to end the project and when to pick it back up Utilize the proper tools Have someone Q.A. your project Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email : [email protected] IG : @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 30 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 30 Nov 2020 2675 daily count 50061 cumulative count It was about an hour since Myra and Cheryl had left. Carl was still feeling groggy but began to worry about the two of them. He checked his phone when he heard giggling from outside his front door. It was the girls and he started to get up and take off the blanket when they opened the door. Cheryl had her hands full and Myra was closing the door when they headed for the kitchen table. Carl got up and started to remove the items from the bags. “So we got everything we needed plus a few things for tomorrow when we go over to Nate’s,” said Cheryl. “I just got up a little while ago and had a good nap. I think tonight I will get a good nights sleep. Can’t wait to eat some gyros,” said Carl. “Well they didn’t have the lamb slices so we are using diced chicken, but other than that this will be an authentic gyro and Greek salad,” replied Cheryl as she placed the items in the fridge. The diner and snacks were put away Cheryl motioned Carl to sit back down on the couch. “We got it from here, you just sit back and relax, did you pick out a movie for us to watch. We are definitely in the mood for something funny,” said Cheryl. “I failed on that, but I did get a nap in. How about we watch the Minions movie. That always makes me laugh,” asked Carl? “I’ve never seen those movies but I have seen the commercials on TV. That sounds great. Can we eat at the coffee table and watch the movie,” asked Myra? “I don’t see why not. Lets just be extra careful and not get anything on the floor. How was shopping with Cheryl, asked Carl? “She was great. She let me climb in the cart and we went all over the store and I grabbed things as we passed by them. I got a new toothbrush and toothpaste and some shampoo so I wont have to smell like you,” said Myra. “How much do I owe you,” asked Carl? “I had a god day at work, really good tips today, so no worries. I got this today. No episodes, she was very lively and fun to take to the store. We just grabbed some necessities for the next week like cereal and lunches and tonights dinner and some toiletries. You are the one that has to prepare this stuff, but I think we have a great helper,” replied Cheryl. “Before you go to bed tonight, there is something we need to discuss that I just found out,” said Carl softly to Cheryl. “That’s fine, but let’s get the movie up and ready, this dinner shouldn’t take too long to get together,” replied Cheryl. Cheryl and Myra started making the dinner and Carl grabbed plates, silverware, and napkins on the coffee table. He also grabbed glasses and saw that Cheryl had purchased chocolate milk, so he filled up Myra’s glass with that and put water in his and Cheryl’s glasses. He looked through his DVD collection and saw that he did not have the movie they wanted, so he started up his streaming service and purchased the movie. He then created another account for Myra so that she could see whatever movies she wanted. He did put parental controls on it so she would not be able to buy movies or rent them without him putting in his code. The laughter from the kitchen between Cheryl and Myra was just what Carl needed at this time. With the knowledge of her father’s demise fresh in his mind, he wanted to take Nate’s advice and keep things light tonight. From the bits of the conversation that Cheryl and Myra were having, he did not hear anything about adoption or personal things that she would not know. Maybe the episode corrected her brain. There was no talk about the book that she had been reading and he did not see it among the things that Cheryl and Myra brought in, maybe it was still in Cheryl’s car. He did not want to bring it up and tempt fate, but he made a mental not to ask Cheryl about it after they had put Myra to bed. This was the noise in his house, now their house, that he craved. It took about forty-five minutes to get everything put together. Cheryl and Myra brought out the food to the coffee table and placed their napkins in their laps. Carl started up the movie and the adults stole glances as each other when they hear Myra softly murmur wow or neat.

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 29 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] 29 Nov 2020 1754 daily count 47386 cumulative count “How are you doing Carl,” asked Cheryl? “Well we had an interesting time at the pizza place. I think she had an episode like mine. It reminded me of mine and I almost had one myself. Since then she has pretty much reverted to where she was yesterday when we picked her up. Maybe the excitement of yesterday explains what she was saying this morning. It doesn’t explain the physical manifestations of what she was saying however,” replied Carl. “Maybe todays events go down in the diary. That seems pretty noteworthy,” replied Cheryl. “I don’t think so, remember, we only get 5 entries and the last one must detail how we gave the diary away. Plus I think that when we write that last entry, we have a limited amount of time before we pass away,” replied Carl. Myra sat at the kitchen table and devoured her milk and muffin with relish. Carl poured another cup of coffee and warmed it in the microwave as Cheryl made a face of disgust. “Warmed up coffee, really it is a good thing you have me in your life to get you out of that habit,” said Cheryl sarcastically. “Hey I don’t like to have any waste, I make a pot I drink a pot. Its very environmentally minded don’t you think,” asked Carl? “I think it is a crime against your tastebuds. Okay so what is the plan for today,” asked Cheryl. “Well Nate and Angela already stopped by with more toys and they took the clothes that don’t fit. Tomorrow we are going over to Nate’s house and talk while Myra has a great time playing with Nate’s kids. So really nothing planned for today other than dinner and maybe a movie since it is Friday night. Maybe we could start up a tradition with that, what kind of movie would you like Myra,” sked Carl? “My dad and I didn’t watch too much TV, usually some PBS specials or science shows,” replied Myra. “I have an idea, Myra and I will cook for our dinner and then Carl you pick a movie you think we may all like,” said Cheryl. “How are you in the kitchen Myra?” “I like helping, but I don’t have any recipes we usually had TV dinners or take out because my dad didn’t know how to cook anything,” replied Myra. “Well I know how to cook, and we know Carl can cook up some good things. What are you in the mood for Carl,” asked Cheryl? “Something easy that Myra can learn how to do right away, how about poutine,” replied Carl. “I don’t know how to make that, lets do some gyro’s and a Greek salad. How does that sound to you Myra, oh I forgot to ask, any food allergies that you know of,” asked Cheryl? “Just oranges, I can eat other kinda of fruit, but just not oranges,” said Myra. “I have the same allergy, when did you find out about yours,” asked Carl? “When I was about three or four, I had some orange juice for breakfast and then I couldn’t breathe,” replied Myra. “That is when I discovered my allergy, wow not many people have that allergy. Okay so Cheryl, no orange chicken ever from the Chinese place and no orange juice or orange cleaners. Otherwise you will have two people going into shock very quickly. I like the idea of gyro’s, but I don’t have the ingredients,” said Carl. “Myra and I can go to the store and grab them, would you like to get out of this stuffy apartment and run with me to the store,” asked Cheryl? “Sure, can I go Carl,” asked Myra? “Let me talk to Cheryl for a minute okay. Yes you can go, we just need to have a quick talk,” said Carl as he motioned Cheryl to the office. Myra finished off her milk and muffin and threw her trash away and then sat on the couch and opened up the book she had been reading for days. Carl and Cheryl went to the office and sat down. “So now she is calling me Carl again, I think that episode jolted her back into reality. Just watch her close at the store, she went to the bathroom at the buffet and passed out. I got so nervous that it almost caused me to have an episode, and that has never happened. I’ve never really been able to pinpoint why I get my episodes but this time I would say it was stress induced. Just do me a favor, if she needs to go to the bathroom go with her, obviously I can’t that would be weird, but just be with

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 27 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 27 Nov 2020 1796 daily word count 45632 cumulative count They sat at the kitchen table and ate their frozen yogurt quietly. Occasionally they looked at each other and smiled and then went back to the yogurt. Changed the channel after the song was over to cartoons. He put on the channel that played older cartoons and they moved to the coffee table while still eating their yogurt. It was an hour before anyone said anything. “So, what happened in the bathroom,” asked Carl? “Sometimes I just go in and out. I don’t know how to describe it, but when I come out, I have to check myself like my dad taught me too. I usually don’t remember what happened just before,” meekly replied Myra. “I understand. I have these episodes as well when I fizzle out of what is happening and then I come back to what is happening. I almost had one when I was worried about you at the pizza buffet,” said Carl. “Pizza buffet, when did we go there,” Myra asked? “Sweetie, we had lunch there, you wanted to go to the arcade and then we were going to go get yogurt. You went to the bathroom and you didn’t come out. I sent in the manager to get you and we found you in the stall. Do you remember anything before the yogurt shop,” asked Carl? Myra furrowed her brow and tried hard to remember. “No, I just remember getting in the car and then going to the yogurt shop. We did the pizza buffet before,” asked Myra? “Yes we did and we were having a good time. How often do these episodes happen for you,” asked Carl? “I’m not sure, my dad usually tracks them, about a couple a week,” said Myra. “Did you used to go to a doctor when you were with your dad,” asked Carl? “We did a long time ago, but my dad said it wasn’t helping so we stopped going. I think it was then that he began tracking these episodes. Am I going to have to go back to a doctor,” asked Myra? “I think that would be best. I go to a doctor and he helps me out with my episodes. How about on Monday we call up my doctor and see if we can get you in with him and see what is going on with your brain. Let’s see if he can help alright,” asked Carl. “What if they find something, what do we do then,” asked Myra? “Well lets just see what is going on in that brain of yours and then we can go from there. Do you want to head to the playground and hang out or watch more cartoons,” asked Carl? “I am feeling pretty good, can we go to the playground and have fun,” asked Myra? “You bet, lets put the yogurt in the fridge for dessert tonight and then let’s hit the playground,” replied Carl. Myra took the buckets and placed lids on them. She took them to the fridge and headed for the front door. Carl got up and met her. He felt a little awkward having someone else clean up, but it felt nice to have someone there to assist and someone he did not have to train. They left a note for Cheryl in case she came back before they did letting her know they were at the playground. Their first stop was the swings, Myra climbed on and Carl started to push her. There were no other kids or families in the playground so they had the place to themselves. Carl got on the swing next to Myra and pushed off from the ground. “So, what did you and Angela talk about this morning,” asked Carl? “What do you mean, I didn’t talk to her this morning,” replied Myra. “She came over with Uncle Nate, you two went into your bedroom and talked while Uncle Nick and I talked,” said Carl a bit astonished. “She didn’t come over this morning, who is Uncle Nate, I remember talking to him yesterday when we left the coffee shop and when he brought over some clothes yesterday,” replied Myra. “Do you remember anything from this morning, like eating cheese omelets with Cheryl and I,” asked Carl? “Oh I thought she was still asleep. No I don’t remember eating breakfast or anything before the yogurt shop. Did we do anything,” replied Myra. “How about yesterday, what do you remember from yesterday,” asked Carl? “Well I remember getting up in the hotel room with my dad and going to the coffee shop. Then he left for the bathroom and you and your brother took me back to your place. He talked to me for a while an

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 26 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 26 Nov 2020 1801 daily count 43836 cumulative count Carl stepped out of the bedroom and straight to the front door. “Did you say something Papa,” asked Myra? “Just talking to myself like I sometimes do,” replied Carl. They both climbed into his car and buckled in. Myra taking the passenger back seat so she could look at Carl. He turned on the radio, it was tuned to the local NPR station. The station was playing its jazz program and normally Carl would have listened, but the fear of hearing Grover Bechet drove him to put on a podcast that he was listening to. “Papa can we listen to the radio, I don’t like this podcast it’s too scary,” said Myra. He knew that some song by Grover was going to play, so he turned on the oldies channel. He thought to himself, that the oldies channel used to mean music from the 50’s and 60’s, but know it was music he had grown up with which made him feel that much older. Myra seemed pleased with his selection, at least she was not asking for jazz. He thought about the irony of that thought, his ex-wife was not aa fan of jazz and now he was avoiding it because of the curse. Traffic was fairly light as it was near lunch time. They pulled up to the buffet pizza place and saw that it had just opened about thirty minutes ago. They would be one of the first customers of the day so Carl knew that the food would at least be fresh. When they entered there was two booths occupied out of forty. Carl chose one where he could face the front entrance. “Can I play some arcade games when we get done eating,” asked Myra? “Oh most certainly, I used to be great at arcade games when I was a kid, maybe about your age. I would bug my folks all weekend long to take me to the mall arcade until they wilted and took me,” said Carl. The each went to the buffet line and carefully grabbed the first slices off the pizzas displayed. Myra looked up at Carl when they reached the dessert pizza, pleading with her eyes for permission. He nodded and took two pieces for himself to show he was a kid at heart. They both devoured their food, ignoring the blaring TV showing modern day cartoons. “If you are truly done, we can go to the arcade, but don’t tell me you are hungry in five minutes,” joked Carl. “I am done, just going to go to the bathroom, “replied Myra. With that she got up from the booth and went towards the bathroom. Carl got up and refilled their sodas and sat back down I the booth watching what passed for cartoons these days. A few more tables and booths filled up as he waited from Myra to come back from the bathroom. It had been ten minutes when he started panicking. He stood up from the booth to look around the restaurant. The busser came by to take their plates away and left the soda glasses. “Did you see the girl I came in with, she is nine years old, has brown hair to her shoulders, her name is Myra? She went to the bathroom about ten minutes ago and hasn’t come back,” said Carl excitedly. “I didn’t see you come in with a girl sir,” said the busser. Carl started sweating and getting dizzy. He sat down and the lights in the restaurant seemed to dim. “I can have one of the female staff look in the girls bathroom for you, what’s her name again?” “Myra, I would appreciate that, thank you. I am just going to sit here,” replied Carl. The lights were getting progressively dimmer and the noise from the TV was giving him a migraine. The busser went quickly to get his manager. A few minutes passed and the female manager came to the table. “Sir are you feeling okay, do we need to call an ambulance,” asked the manager? “I am okay, my girl, her name is Myra, she is nine years old. She went to the bathroom and hasn’t come back yet. I am just really worried about her. Can you check on her please,” Carl asked and was beginning to feel the familiar effect of one of his episodes. He could not look away from the TV he knew he would become unresponsive. The manager headed to the female bathroom and called out Myra’s name. When Carl did not hear Myra’s voice calling back, he felt the episode getting worse and soon he would slip away. This time it felt like it had in

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 25 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 25 Nov 2020 1842 daily count 42035 cumulative count “So, what is this book that Myra is talking about, she had a book yesterday and the other day at the coffee shop that she was reading, but I didn’t get a good look at it,” asked Carl? “Well I am writing a book for kids that discusses the adoption process in a way they can understand that is age appropriate. The problem is I haven’t published it yet and my goal was to give it to kids I worked with for free and sell it to the public at large,” replied Angela. “So the inscription I the book,” asked Carl? “Is my handwriting and it would be something I would write in a book, if I had published a book and handed it out to a child client. How did she get that,” asked Angela? “The same way she got the adoption papers with my signature on it. I know you and Nate are going to go over what I told him after you leave here. I am very freaked out about all of this. Have you ever encountered anything like this happening,” Carl asked? “Never in my time as a lawyer have I seen anything like this, I mean yeah I have seen kids trained on how to forge a signature, but if this girl has been coached, she has been very well coached. She totally believes what she is saying and well she is right about details that no one would know. Nate briefed me on what happened, but I’d like your take on this very quickly,” asked Angela. “Okay, it is not a short story at all, even though this whole thing started yesterday about this time. Before I tell you anything, am I in any danger that you can tell, is this girl going to knife me in my sleep,” asked Carl? “I doubt it, she really seems to have warmed up to you. In her mind she has had over a year to do that, in reality it has been a day. I have done overseen several custody cases and adoptions and I have never seen a child move so fast to an adopted parent. I don’t think you are in any danger, but I don’t know the motivation of Myra or her father,” said Angela. “I understand, so yesterday her dad left her at the coffee shop, we took her home. We read the instructions in the diary and that was about it yesterday. This morning at 5:30 she gets up and calls me Papa, that is when things started getting strange. Then she told me about the adoption and birth certificate which was not in the diary last night. She also told me about Nate’s kids which there is no way of her knowing about them and how you helped out with the adoption last year. She also talked about the book you gave her during the adoption process and here we are. Nate is going to get n investigator from your firm to look up Myra and try to find her father, but there is a problem, the diary is cursed and that curse has now spread to Cheryl and myself. I can’t let you guys read the information in it otherwise something bad will happen to me, Cheryl and possibly anyone who tries to find out more about the diary and its contents,” said Carl. “So we are really stuck in a catch-22, the information is there to help us but if we access it then something bad happens. I am not a superstitious person, but from what just transpired here I am beginning to be wary of that diary and what it entails. Nate told me a bit about your physical condition, how are you holding up,” asked Angela? “I am okay, sleep is always a problem with me but I am used to that. I am terminal with regards to my brain tumor and it will severely impact e at some point. I was divorced and am on good terms with my ex, but as far as someone taking care of me when the time comes, that would be Nate and now possibly Cheryl,” replied Carl. “Okay, how about your will, I haven’t seen it, but I am sure Nate has you air tight on that aspect,” asked Angela? “Yeah that is all good to go, but now I think I am going to need to amend it to include Myra and Cheryl. I’ve known Cheryl for a few years now and she is into this as deep as I am with regards to Myra so she may become a player in this soon. We haven’t really talked about it since all this happened yesterday,” replied Carl. “I am going to need some time with Cheryl and who has the adoption paperwork and birth certificate, I

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 24 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 24 Nov 2020 1652 daily count 40193 cumulative count “Okay so what is going on, this already sounds weird,” said Nate. Carl sat at the desk and Nate pulled up a chair. Carl lowered his head and unlocked the drawer that contained the diary. He put it between himself and Nate. “First off I can’t let you read the diary. It has some curse on it and well Cheryl and I promised each other we would follow the instructions,” said Carl. “A cursed diary, what year is this, come on you have got to be kidding me. That diary probably has the information we need in it and you are trying to tell me we can’t use it because of some curse,” said Nate. “I know it is weird and sounds hookey, but stay with me on this, that girl knows things about us and is convinced that I adopted her a year ago. I can’t even look into the diary otherwise something bad is going to happen to me, Cheryl and maybe you guys. So, first things first. She told me I adopted her a year ago, look at this,” said Carl as he took out the birth certificate and adoption papers and handed them to Nate. Nate looked both documents over and put them down after reading the adoption papers. “Before you ask that is my signature, but I did not sign that paper” “Okay, a signature can be forged,” said Nate. “If you know whose signature you are forging. Before yesterday I talked to her dad one time to tell him where the bathroom was at the coffee shop. I have never seen the guy before and he Cheryl is at the coffee shop and has not seen him since,” said Carl. “Maybe Myra can forge signatures,” said Nate. “Maybe she can pick locks because I found this this morning with my signature on it. I was up until 2 in the morning making the first entry into the diary and it wasn’t in there, then this morning she tells me about the adoption, and to remind me she tells me to grab the diary and get the paperwork, and there it is. I slept on the couch last night and Cheryl slept in my room. Now Myra was there at 5:30 when I woke up starting at me while I slept, I put her to bed, and I got another hour of sleep. Is that long enough to forge my signature and then pick a lock and place the documents in a diary, lock it back up and then tell me about it,” asked Carl? “That is extremely hard to imagine, she is only nine years old. Do you think this is a father daughter team trying to get money from you,” asked Nate? “Well I am not made of money that is for sure, I mean the divorce took a huge chunk out of my savings and this is not the most elegant of places, I mean it’s a three bedroom two bathroom apartment. You know my net worth and how much I make a year, if someone was going to get rich why wouldn’t they do this to you, I mean you are raking in over a million a year, I am just cracking one hundred grand,” said Carl. “Okay so it is not money, what about revenge, anyone want to make your life hell, maybe your ex,” asked Nate? “Well you handled my divorce, we were on very good terms and she is in the will so she will be taken care of when I do die. I doubt she would do anything to jeopardize that,” replied Carl. “Anyone else that you know of that has a beef with you, maybe one of her relatives,” asked Nate? “She was an only child, and her family sends me cards to this very day for the holidays,” said Carl. “Okay I am not an investigator but naturally we have one that works for the firm, we will get him involved with this. I must be suspicious of everyone, its kinda my nature to think the worst of everyone. What about Cheryl, she is relatively new in your life, could she be part of this,” asked Nate? “Don’t think so, I have known her for a few years now, she knows I am not rich, and I don’t think she is the type. Right now, I am freaked out because Myra is calling me Papa, you are the only one that knows that I like the sound of that. I did tell Cheryl after the fact, but other than the conversation we had no one knew that I wanted to be called papa. There are some other things that have happened that make me believe this curse thing though,” said Carl. “Okay what are they,” asked Nate? “Well one of the names of the signers of the boo

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 23 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 23 Nov 2020 1799 daily count 38541 cumulative count “How can that be your signature, you didn’t know her until yesterday. We followed the instructions. Wait what was that stuff about the musician, do you think that caused things to shift,” asked Cheryl? “I am not sure; I think we may play along until Nate gets here and we can sort this out. For now, we just eat breakfast, do not talk about the adoption or the birth certificate. You grab breakfast, get your stuff from your apartment and head to work. I’ll see what Nate has to say about all of this,” said Carl. They both walked back into the living room and saw Myra eating her omelets as if nothing had happened. They sat down with her and started to eat their breakfast silently. Carl refilled Cheryl’s coffee three times as she added nothing to her beverage. Myra was smiling as she looked at Carl and Cheryl silently eating. “I can’t wait to go to Uncle Nates house this weekend. I love playing in his backyard, it is so big and fun. Do you think Marvin and Shelly will be able to play, I know they have homework and practice on the weekends but I like playing with the big kids,” asked Myra? “How do you know,” Carl started to ask? “I am sure they will love playing with you as much as I do, now finish up your breakfast, I need to make a list of things you need before I leave for work. I’ll get them on my way back okay. Carl and Nate and Angela have a big day for you planned,” said Cheryl cutting off Carl. Myra finished her omelet and took her cup and plate to the sink and stood by Cheryl to wait for her to finish. Cheryl back away from the table and looked directly at Carl. “Okay so lets get you dressed for today, I think that purple dress will look great on you what do you think,” asked Cheryl? “Yes the purple dress, that would be the perfect outfit for you, I’ll get into my suit when I am done, thanks for reminding us,” replied Carl acknowledging that he had the same dream of Myra in a purple dress. “That is my favorite dress Cheryl, good idea. It’s the one I wore at the adoption ceremony, remember the judge said it looked great papa,” asked Myra? “Uhm yeah, lets get you all set up. I’ll do the dishes for everyone you gals go get ready,” replied Carl. He was fully into the game with Cheryl at this point, at least until he could talk with Nate. The women left to go into Myra’s “new” bedroom as Carl picked up the plates and began washing them in the sink. He was feeling very ill and confused. He had not mentioned Nates childrens names, yet Myra knew them and that they had weekend practice. A fear crept into his mind about being alone with Myra and what other things she would mention that she should not know. He dreaded the time between when Cheryl would leave and when Nate would arrive. Playing the game of forgetful father didn’t suit him because he wasn’t forgetful or was he? He began to doubt hat he knew was right and didn’t want to sink into the story that Myra was telling him to deeply as one of his symptoms of the tumor was he would eventually lose all grip on reality. It felt like when he woke up during an episode and could not move. Of course, he feared another episode would occur while waiting for Nate and this could lead to him not being allowed to care for Myra. As he was pondering all these scenarios a text came through on his phone. It buzzed four times indicating it was from Nate. He read the text that stated Nate and Angela were heading over and their ETA was about thirty minutes. This gave him some relief; he would not have to be alone for a long time with Myra. Cheryl and Myra came out of her “new” bedroom and both were smiling. Myra wore the purple dress in his dream and he started to smile. Cheryl went back to his bedroom and gathered her overnight bag and brough it to the front door. They all stood there admiring the dress and complimenting her on how it looked. “Okay time for you to get dressed Papa, make sure to wear the black suit, it looks really good and professional,” said Myra. “Give me a few minutes with Cheryl okay, and lets not get the dress dirty,” replied Carl. He took Cheryl’s h

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 22 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 22 Nov 2020 3392 daily count 36742 cumulative count Cheryl went back to writing in the diary and motioned Carl back into the living room. She kept up a good pace and drank more evening coffee. Occasionally she would get up and walk to the patio and look out the window to return to the kitchen table and make her entry. It was about midnight when she finished. “Okay I just got done with everything I can think to write. Do you want to crash out and wake up early in the morning and get this done,” asked Cheryl? “Naw, I won’t sleep until it is done. Might as well get this knocked out tonight so that way I can sleep,” replied Carl. “Okay I am bushed, I’ll just go to bed right now and I’ll be waiting for those cheese omelets. Do not stay up all night because I have that feeling that you plan to plow through this until the bitter end. We got a big day tomorrow and I need you to be awake, plus Myra is going to be up early I am sure, it can be weird sleeping in a house you don’t know,” said Cheryl. “If she gets up I’ll grab her so you can get this done.” “Sounds like a plan, I promise I’ll be crashed out on the couch in about an hour or so, I am used to writing for work quickly,” said Carl. Cheryl gave him a hug and went to the bedroom. In a short amount of time, Carl heard her light snoring after she had turned out the light. He kept the music from the TV going while he worked on his entry. Luckily, he had enough coffee in the pot for a few more cups and wrote the events of the day as thoroughly as he could. The details of every event that he could remember found its way onto the page and after he had finished three pages in an hour, he decided he was done for the evening. He began to wonder what Cheryl had written and wanted to take a peek at her recounting of the details to make sure he didn’t miss anything but decided that would only bring harm to everyone involved. If there were any missed details it was too late now as his eyes were very heavy. He closed the book and sighed heavily. Taking the book into the office he placed it in the top shelf of his desk and locked the shelf. He felt good about what he added as it was the best he could remember, and he would be able to return to it later if he wanted to clearly remember the day. He made his way back to the bathroom to change into his pajamas. Basically it was sweatpants and a t-shirt, he took the towel that Myra had used and placed it in the laundry basket as he changed. She had left the bathroom spotless and he was impressed. When he was nine years old he would have left a pool of water on the floor and toothpaste caked in the sink. Myra seemed to be an old soul to him, but then he remembered that girls mature faster than boys, or at least he was sure he read it somewhere. Once changed he went to the living room and made it to the couch. He got up and went to the kitchen to clean up the coffee maker and prep it for the morning. The digital clock read 2 in the morning and he let out a long slow yawn. He was pleased that he got everything done before ethe sun came up, that would have been a disaster for him in what they needed to accomplish for the day. He looked into the fridge and saw that he had enough eggs, butter and cheese for the omelets. After that he went to the couch and pulled the blankets on him. The music on the TV was still going and he thought about turning on the timer, but then remembered he promised Myra that he would let the music play all night. He could hear Cheryl softly snoring and he could hear Myra’s deep breathing. Everything was quiet in the house and the world as even the traffic from the nearby highway seemed to ebb to almost nothing. With everything in the apartment checked to his liking he laid back and let his eyes shut. Soon he was dreaming and snoring to himself. Car’s dreams were strange that early morning, he saw himself and Myra in a lawyers office dressed up in suit and she was in a purple dress talking in soft voices to a judge. The judge said something about adoption and Myra cheered and gave him a hug. His brother Nate was there shaking his hand and Cheryl was ther

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 20 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 20 Nov 2020 1744 daily count 33350 cumulative count Carl wrote down the names of the previous holders of the diary. Since according to the diary he was not allowed to research them, he thought that his brother may be able to do that and still stay within the bounds of the curse. He moved onto the next page that was written in the same hand. The instructions were as follows: ‘Once you have possessed the diary, you must write the first entry no later than the following day. This entry tells of the circumstances in that you received this book. Do not read other entries from the other holders of this diary. The curse will ruin you and those you hold dear. You will write a total of five entries, they can be of whatever length you wish. He first must tell of how you came across the book, as much detail as you can remember must be written down so that if there is a hope for breaking this curse, those in the future will have all the information they will need. Your next three entries will be about momentous events in your life. These can be weddings, deaths, war, plague, births, you have free reign over them. However, they cannot be just musings of a particular day so whose wisely. The last entry will be the circumstances on how you passed along the diary. All details and reasonings must be put in this entry. You must pass along the diary as you will not be able to withstand the fury of the souls of the previous holders of this dairy. Do no curse those who have come before you and do not curse the one who has passed along this diary to you. They are trying to spare their families and friends the wraith of the diary as one day you too will be forced with a choice, sacrifice yourself and all those you hold dear or pass along the curse to someone else. If you follow these instructions your life will be extinguished, however your family will be spared. You will not incur the wraith of those before you, your life will simply end quietly and peacefully. You will enter into the land of the dead, and God will have mercy upon your soul, however, your soul will only partially be in the afterlife, as it may be called upon to enact swift fury upon those who wish to break the instructions you have read. If any break these instructions all the previous souls are bound for eternity to condemn the living. If they fail and do not bring the living back into line, then all of the souls afflicted with this curse shall be damned in the most hellish afterlife imaginable by demons. Heed these words and your loved ones will be taken care of, deviate and you will know wraith greater than Legion. If you should die before you make your five entries your soul will be cast into the same place as the other souls if any attempt to break the curse. Make your five entries and pass over into the next life.’ Carl and Cheryl looked at each other with uncertainty on how to proceed. Carl sipped more coffee and Cheryl was visibly shook. “Well, it looks like we are both in this for the long haul. The longest haul possible. Do we read anymore,” asked Carl? “Yeah, this is truly crazy in a bad way, are we going to take this seriously? I mean, if we do then even death is no relief from the curse. Do you think that Myra’s dad believed in it,” asked Cheryl? “Well he left her off at the coffee shop. Maybe he violated the curse in some way and is trying to help her escape. First things first, she does not get to see this, second, lets tread lightly on this when we talk with Angela and Nate tomorrow. This is already a bad situation and if this diary is at all true then you and I are pretty screwed for a long time,” said Carl. “Lets just sign our names into it, maybe we will feel better after that and tomorrow we can write in it,” said Cheryl. “What time did he leave yesterday, wasn’t that like at 9:45 in the morning. We have until then to write the first entry,” said Carl. “So are you going to write in the diary tonight, I thin kit should be both of us since we are both signing our names into it. I mean you might miss some details and according to the instructions I think it would be best if we are as detai

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 19 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 19 Nov 2020 1697 daily count 31606 cumulative count After a few minutes Cheryl appeared from his bedroom in a fleece pajama set and sat down next to him at the kitchen table. The listened silently as Myra showered. Cheryl smiled at Carl drinking his coffee. “So, aren’t you going to join our pajama party or do you sleep in the buff,” asked Cheryl? “Yeah I should get ready for bed shouldn’t I? I am going through the diary tonight, care to join me or are you going to hit the sack early,” asked Carl? “I plan to stay up a bit since this is a new place. I think the only person getting much sleep tonight will be Myra. I’ll keep an ear out for her tonight if she needs anything,” replied Cheryl. Carl got up and went to his bedroom. He picked out some sweatpants and a t-shirt and changed into them. He grabbed one of the pillows off his bed and a blanket and took them to the couch in the living room. He turned on the music channel on the TV that played soft jazz and lowered the sound so that it conversations could be audible but not overpowered. He grabbed the diary and set that on the kitchen table. He went back to his office and grabbed a legal pad and pens and took them to the kitchen table. “Well, we got our work cut out for us tonight. I do snore, or so I have been old by my ex-wife and former girlfriends, so I’ll leave the music on tonight, plus music helps me sleep. I am usually up at five or six in the morning so I can make breakfast for everyone in the morning. How does cheese omelets strike you,” Carl asked? “Probably better than the ones we make at the shop. I have a midday shift tomorrow so I will probably blast out of here at eight to go back to my apartment and do you mind if I shower here in the morning,” asked Cheryl? “Yeah I have towels in the linen closet, enough for everyone right now. Should I plan on you moving in anytime soon? I can rearrange my office and make that into a bedroom,” asked Carl? “Slow down tiger, we haven’t gotten that far into this yet. Let’s sleep on it. I snore too so you may want to invest in noise cancelling ear plugs. We can see how this goes for awhile and where we want to end up. This is a nice apartment complex though and I think the grade school is nearby. We are going to need to get her enrolled very soon so she can catch up and we can keep her on track. First things first, lets dive into that diary tonight to see what we can find and move from there,” replied Cheryl. “I guess I am getting ahead of myself aren’t I? Okay tonight we dive into the diary and tomorrow we talk with Angela and get our next steps in order. I am just reacting to being suddenly thrust into this and I want to do things right by Myra. I don’t want to put pressure on you,” said Carl as he drank more coffee. “Well one issue is that you are hyped up on coffee. Switch over to water after noon and you won’t be so jumpy. Myra will be done with her shower soon, once she goes down for bed we can look at the diary,” said Cheryl. At that Myra turned off the shower and toweled off and got into her pajamas. Her hair reached her shoulders and was quick to dry off. Once dressed in her pajamas she went to the kitchen where Carl and Cheryl were and sat down. “I’m done with my shower and ready for bed, I didn’t know where to put the towel and I don’t have a toothbrush so or a hairbrush. Can we buy that tomorrow,” asked Myra? “I have a brush you can use tonight, no worries. I knew we were starting from zero and brought an extra one in my overnight bag. Here you go,” Cheryl went to Carl’s bedroom and came back to sit down behind Myra and began brushing her damp hair. Cheryl took her time with Myra’s hair and combed out all the tangles and snarls. It didn’t take long and Myra’s hair was fuller after the brushing. “Thanks, my dad never did that for me,” said Myra. “Well most guys don’t know that you should brush your hair after a shower, they have it so easy,” joked Cheryl. “Look at Carl’s hair, can’t even run a comb through that fuzz.” “Okay, we have a big day tomorrow, lets get you to bed. I am leaving the bathroom light on for you in case you need it in the mi

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 18 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 18 Nov 2020 1716 daily count 29909 cumulative count Cheryl slowly drank her coffee and thought about what Carl said. They both sat there in silence for a few minutes. “So, why do you think he left his daughter,” Cheryl asked? “I am hoping to find some clues in the diary he left. I’m going to at least go through the instructions tonight and see what that is all about and Nate is getting basic info from Myra right now so that way Angela his co worker can get going on the legal paperwork. But more importantly, what are you thinking about, how deep down this rabbit hole do you want to go. I can handle things from here on out, but just realize that I won’t be down at the shop as much because I have a new responsibility,” asked Carl? “We have a new responsibility. I got you involved, and I have no plans of dumping Myra off on anyone. We can figure out things later, but I want to be incredibly involved. I was thinking about what you said about repeating the mistake of the past with your previous marriage. We have all made mistakes in the past, you more than most because you are an old soul, but I have made mistakes as well and have had some bad relationships. We are both in this now with Myra and I intend to see it to the end, whatever that may be. As far as for what you and I have together, we have a friendship, and we can see where that goes in the future. I do not want to predict because yesterday I would never have predicted that the events of today would have happened,” said Cheryl. “Okay then, you can teach me how to make ‘evening’ coffee and we can both learn how to raise a nine-year-old girl. How difficult can that be,” joked Carl. They both looked at each other and laughed After a moment they clinked coffee mugs together and took a sip. The sun had done behind the apartment complex and dark was creeping in on them. Carl stood up and turned on the porch light. “Let’s keep it off for now, its so peaceful out here,” said Cheryl. Carl turned it off as requested and sat back down. Cheryl grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Then she simply held it in her hand as she looked off into the sky and drank her coffee. Carl was initially surprised and looked at her imploringly. When he saw that she was not going to say anything or return his look he too stared off into the sky. They were both looking at different things in the sky that night. Nate tapped on the window which gently startled Carl and Cheryl. He opened the sliding door to let them know he and Myra had finished. “Didn’t mean to startle you two out there but Myra has done a great job answering my questions and you can come back in now if you like,” said Nate, noticing Carl and Cheryl holding hands. The got up with their coffee and headed inside to the kitchen table where Myra was already sitting down. “Okay, so we all have had a difficult day today. We are going to have more difficult days ahead but also some good days. Carl, Cheryl, I had a great talk with Myra just now and she gave me a lot of information I can use to help us all out. So, Myra is an intelligent nine-year-old and very fashionable with her new clothes. She is an only child and knows her last name and knows the name of the town we are in right now. She was in fourth grade when this happened and was getting great grades, she loves reading and learning and her favorite subject is science. She wants to become a doctor one day and help people. She likes helping around the house and keeping things neat, so welcome Myra,” announced Nate. While he was talking Myra squirmed in her seat for a moment and then sat tall and proud. “Carl why don’t you go next and formally introduce yourself to Myra, “said Nate. Carl cleared his throat and looked at Myra. He took a sip of coffee and swallowed hard. “Well hi I am Carl. I live here, and I am a forty-two-year-old man. I love coffee, a lot of coffee and I work as a business analyst for the government. I enjoy reading and art galleries. I have been divorced for 3 years and I have no children. I am the youngest of two and well here I am right now. I would like to help you out and have you stay here with me.

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 17 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 17 Nov 2020 1867 daily count 28193 cumulative count Carl went to the sink and Nate sat down at the kitchen table. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat,” asked Carl? “No, I grabbed some food before I came over, when are you looking at the diary,” asked Nate? “Tonight, I promise, I know you and Angela need that information and I need it as well. This is really happening, I never knew how exciting it would be, but wow we had a good time at the park and watching cartoons and eating dinner,” said Carl. “Are you going to have Cheryl move in,” asked Nate? “We haven’t broached that topic, I haven’t even thought about asking her,” said Carl. “Just some friendly advice, she may want to get hitched and do the marriage thing. In terms of adopting Myra, that might be a good move, I don’t know your relationship with her but she is already bonding with Myra and you need to be clear about your intentions toward her and your medical condition,” said Nate. “Also, I am here to help you not Cheryl, it is a family thing because I know you, I don’t know Cheryl. I am sure she is a great person, but she is also considerably younger than you and not as established as you are. I do not want her coming back later and trying to take Myra away from you. These are things that you need to know about her intentions. Like I have said this is a full-time job on many levels. My loyalty is to you, Angela’s loyalty is to Myra, the missing piece is Cheryl. I’d like to have the two of you to meet with her early next week, maybe Monday or this weekend because Angela is prepping papers, by the way simple question, what is Myra’s last name,” asked Nate? “We haven’t asked her yet, I am not sure how much to poke about her father and what she has gone through, tonight I will get you some answers okay,” said Carl. “Listen, I can be the bad guy, I am a lawyer so I am usually the bad guy. Let me talk with her after she is done with Cheryl. I promise to be as gentle as I can, but we do need answers as we move forward,” said Nate. “Okay, that is fine, uhm do you need to speak with Myra alone or can we hover around,” asked Carl? “So, I am hearing the word we, I think hear an adoption and wedding bells in your future. Just be upfront with both about your condition, Myra’s father abandoned her, and Cheryl is not asking to be a single mother,” said Nate. “Myra is aware of my condition, mostly, she knows that I have an inoperable tumor in my brain and I sometimes space out, she is not aware that it is terminal. I will be open about that with her, as far as Myra is concerned, I will try to explain it to her as much as I can that is age appropriate,” replied Carl. “Age appropriate, I can tell you are going to binge on parenting books like crazy. I’ll bring some over this weekend for you, my little brother being a dad, to cute,” laughed Nate. “Excuse me I prefer the term Papa, its more intimate,” said Carl. “So, what do you want Myra to call you,” asked Nate? “I am going to let her decide, but I would prefer to be called Papa,” said Carl softly. “Okay Papa Carl it is, why don’t you make a pot of coffee, I feel like we will al be up for awhile tonight. Let me call Becca and tell her I will be late coming back,” said Nate. “How much does she know,” asked Carl? “Everything I do. That is the way I like to keep my household. You will figure out how you like things, but I prefer upfront and sometimes brutal honesty. It is not always easy, but I am not left wondering what people think,” said Nate. Carl started to put together a pot for Nate, Cheryl, and himself. He knew that it would not match what Cheryl could make, but this way he would not have to pay for it. Once the water started to warm up, he set to work on doing the dishes. Nate had stepped into the living room and sat on the couch to call his wife. Carl could not overhear what they were saying, but he could hear the warmth in Nate’s voice as he talked. He wanted aspects of what Nate had in terms of family, not the entire package as there had been rough spots, but the overall feeling of warmth sounded nice to him. Carl got the dishes done and in the d

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 16 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 16 Nov 2020 1621 daily count 26326 cumulative count Carl and Myra had been watching TV for an hour and had finished their sandwiches when they both began to become sleepy. Carl looked over at Myra who was struggling to keep her eyes open. “Do you want to take a break and sleep in your room right now and later on we can go to the park and play around there,” asked Carl? “No, I’d like to go to the park right now and see what is there if you don’t mind,” replied Myra. She was catching her second wind. “Lets clean up here and head on over to the park then. If you get tired just let me know and we can head back here. The park is in the complex here so it is not that long of a walk,” said Carl. They both picked up the wrapping that surrounded their sandwiches and took their glasses to the sink. Carl wrote a quick note and as they left he put it up on the door, ‘gone to the park be back soon’. They walked down the carpeted stairs and out the entrance door. Once outside Myra grabbed Carl’s hand and held it tightly. “I’m not going anywhere, and Nate is working on finding a way for you to stay here right now. You are not alone okay, lets go have some fun,” said Carl reassuringly. “I know, I just wanted to hold your hand. Thank you,” said Myra softly. Carl chocked back a few gallons of tears when she said that and led them to the park. Once they got there, a few smaller kids and their parents were playing in the park. Myra headed straight for the swings and sat down o the first available one. Carl began to push her as she swung higher and higher into the air. E could hear her giggling and wondered how long it had been since she had been to a park. He deduced it had been probably at least a month. He got higher he stopped pushing to avoid getting kicked in the face. It felt good for Carl to ear her laughter and to see her at ease after the ordeal she had been through today. They stayed in the park for a few hours and when the sun started to head down the other children and their parents began to head to their apartments. Carl was out of breath after they had played a game of tag. He sat down on one of the benches catch his breath. “Are you feeling okay,” asked Myra? “I just haven’t been out here and played around this much in a long time, I’ll be fine,” Carl replied. He could feel the familiar woozy feeling coming on but didn’t want to worry Myra. “Tell you what let’s head back to the apartment and we can get dinner ready and I can show you how to operate a turntable, how does that sound,” asked Carl? “Alright, but you don’t look to good. Is there something wrong,” asked Myra? “Naw, just haven’t had this much activity in awhile. It will go way soon, lets get back to the apartment okay,” said Carl. The feeling was getting worse and he didn’t want to scare Myra. She grabbed his hand again as they went back to the apartment and up the carpeted staircase. Once inside, Carl felt himself getting back to normal. His heartbeat slowed down and he didn’t feel nauseated or dizzy. He sat down at the kitchen table and began to breathe deeply. “Is it your heart,” Myra asked? “No, I just haven’t run around like that in some time. It gets better I promise. Okay so we have Cheryl coming over in a few minutes and my brother Nate will have some clothes and toys for you. Do you want to help me set the table or would you rather watch cartoons some more,” asked Carl? “I’d rather help set the table. Where are the dishes and silverware,” asked Myra. Carl kept a full set of dinnerware in the upper cabinets and as Myra was not tall enough yet to grab them, he pulled out four plates and showed her where the silverware was. She took the plates and the silverware and set the table. Carl went into the fridge and pulled out the containers of Mac and Cheese. He scooped the contents of the containers into one large container and put it in the microwave to cook. Myra found some napkins and glasses in the cabinets that she could reach and set them out. When the buzzer went off for the microwave, Carl left the container in to stay warm until Cheryl showed up. Looking at the clock it was about five

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 15 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 15 Nov 2020 1700 daily count 24705 cumulative count Cheryl went into the back kitchen area to make sandwiches for everyone. She made Carl’s favorite Reuben, for Nate she made a vegan wrap and for Myra she made a classic peanut butter and cheese and made an extra grilled cheese for later. Once she had all the sandwiched done she put them in a to go box and brought them out to the counter where Nate picked them up and Carl and Myra were getting ready to leave. “Thanks again Cheryl, I really appreciate the help, and could you stop by the apartment after work,” asked Carl? “I think Myra would like to see you again later this afternoon. I already have dinner made up, the Oh my god Mac and Cheese.” “Of course I’ll stop by, Myra you take good care of Carl okay,” replied Cheryl. “I will, see you after you are done with work,” said Myra. Nate, Carl, and Myra went to the parking lot. Nate had parked on the street about a block away. Once all three got to Carl’s car, there was an awkward silence. They all knew that there was no turning back from this point. Carl opened the back door for Myra and she got in on the passenger side so she would be able to see Carl while he drove. She put on her seatbelt and looked over at Carl. He smiled at her and closed the door. As he did that, Nate gave Carl a hug suddenly. “Alright little bro, I will meet you at your place. I am going to grab some toys and clothes for her and I will get on the phone to my new partner. I’ll let her know what you want to try and do and we will need to move quick to get this done. I just have a bad feeling that this guy is going to show back up and have one of those ah ha moments and want her back. I don’t want to think what that is going to do to you. Here are the sandwiches that Cheryl made, get that girl something to eat and make it an easy day for the both of you. We wil get this figured out,” Nate told Carl. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you man, thank you. I will pay whatever for the lawyer to get started on this right away, just tell me what I need to do,” replied Carl. “Shut it, basically it will be pro bono for Myra as she has no means of support. Angela, my partner will start by making herself in charge of Myra, like a guardian ad lightum and get the paperwork rolling either today or tomorrow and then name you in the court documents as the sole caregiver. It is not going to be easy, I just want you to know that this now is your full time job,” warned Nate. “I’ve never been more ready for that. Thank you. Should I make more mac and cheese for you or Angela,” asked Carl? “Not tonight, I will drop by and drop off the stuff for you guys. I’d say go to the park or something for a few hours and get to know each other, tomorrow I want you to go through that diary and find out what information you can. That might be our best piece of evidence,” said Nate. “Well I can’t go into it too much because there are some instructions in that book. You heard Myra, she’s not even allowed to touch the book,” said Carl. “Who is going to know, the guy who abandoned his daughter, ware going to get a bit dirty on this so that way you can help her out. Its not going to be easy and you may need a little unsavory to your own moral code when this whole thing goes down. Now get her inside and set up and get some lunch. I’ll see you in a few hours,” said Nate. Carl got into the drivers seat as Nate headed toward his car. He turned on the car and NPR was playing on the radio. He turned it down and looked back at Myra, relieved and smiling. “Okay so my brother Nate is heading to his house to grab you some clothes and some toys. He has a girl that is about twelve and he will be by my apartment later tonight. Cheryl will stop over for dinner. We are having my specialty Oh my god Mac and Cheese, is that okay by you,” asked Carl? “Wow that is one of my favorites. Do I need to call your brother uncle,” asked Myra? “Naw, you can call him Nate, he won’t mind. He may be my older brother, but that would sound weird to him since I am his only brother and I don’t have any kids. How are you holding up right now, would yo

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 13 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 13 Nov 2020 1920 daily count 23005 cumulative count “Okay Myra, I understand. We need to get a few things worked out here, do you know anything about this book that your dad left,” asked Carl? “That is a diary, he told me never to touch it. If he left it here then it must be for you because I can’t touch it,” Myra said. “Okay, just stay put. I need to talk with Cheryl and my brother Nate will be here in a few minutes. I am not going to leave your sight, I will be right there by the counter okay,” said Carl. “Okay, thank you for the chocolate milk, I drank it all when I saw you come from the bathroom like you told me to do, it was delicious,” said Myra. Carl headed over to the counter where Cheryl was making up a plate for Myra. He kept one eye on Myra and one eye on his path. “I have Nate coming here in a few minutes. I took ff the rest of the week. She is coming home with me,” said Carl as he got to the counter. “She and I talked a little bit, she is nine and was in school up until about a month ago. Her dad has taken her to a few coffee shops but she doesn’t know where they are or what their names are. She doesn’t know the name of her school but she does remember her teachers name. That gives us a start on getting her back home,” said Cheryl. “There is no mother in the picture or siblings according to the note, she has been through enough today and probably the last month. I am going to get custody of her somehow and brother is going to help me,” said Carl firmly. “There is a slight problem with that, birth certificate, school records, doctor records, you have none of that. Plus and I mean no disrespect, but how are you going to raise a child on your own in your condition, you told me the doctors didn’t give you long to live unless you went through the chemo treatments and even then you will be pretty messed up physically,” said Cheryl. “We cross those bridges when we need to, right now she needs a home, I have one, she needs a father, I can be one. I cannot do all this alone, so I am going to need your help. Remember you told me to go into the bathroom and confront the guy, well, this is the confrontation no one expected but we have. I’ll live to be one hundred if I have to but there is no way I am putting this girl through hell that her father started by abandoning her,” said Carl. “Okay, I am in. Let’s go sit down with her while you go through that diary, might be something in there we can use,” said Cheryl. “Can’t touch the diary, well at least according to the note I can only read the instructions, so I start there and see where it takes me. This was not how I expected my Thursday to pan out,” said Carl. “At leas you got some rest in yesterday, lets get that girl her milk and muffin,” said Cheryl. Cheryl brought out a glass of chocolate milk and the muffin on a plate. Myra slowly ate and drank the milk between bites. All three sat in silence for some time, the adults figuring out what their next move was and the girl enjoying her mid-morning meal. Nate came through the door in a rush looking all around for Carl and the girl. “Okay I am here, is she okay,” asked Nate? Carl stood up and pulled Nate to the side. “She is fine, no hysterics, just eating a muffin and drinking chocolate milk. I don’t want her to get agitated as she is doing fine for right now. She asked about her father and I said she would be staying with me for the time being. I think she understands that her father is not coming back for her. Here is the note I found and the diary. Do not open the diary please, I’ll do that later today. I am off work the rest of the week and I’ll get my spare bedroom set up for her today. Can we get some old clothes from your girls so we are not starting from zero,” said Carl softly but firmly to Nate. “You cannot take care of her Carl, in your condition, you would not pass muster in any custody hearing. I will take the girl home with me and we will figure out what to do next,” said Nate. “That’s not an option, didn’t you say you had a new hot shot lawyer in your firm that loves custody cases, well here is her first one. I have enough money and I l

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 12 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 12 Nov 2020 1749 daily count 21085 cumulative count Carl took a few deep breaths before reading the note. He wasn’t sure what it would contain, and his tears were making everything blurry. His heart began to race but a bit of calmness interrupted him when he thought ‘at least we can spare the child from having to identify the body’. Carl grabbed the book and note and went into the stall for privacy in case another patron came in. The writing looked like it was done quickly and was difficult to read because it was written in cursive. Who uses cursive these days thought Carl. Someone abandoning their child that’s who, came the thought back at him. The note read as follows “Carl, I can no longer care for my daughter Myra. We live far from here and she does not know our address. Once you read this note I will have already moved all my things from the rented room and moved on. My heart is devastated that I can no longer care for her as she should be cared for. There is no mother in the picture and no siblings. I will not come back for her as I do not know how much longer I will live. Please raise her as your own, I will not suddenly pop out of nowhere and try to take her back. I have left you with a book that is for you alone. Do not show it to Myra under any circumstances. There are instructions in the book and you will understand once you read the instructions. Under no circumstances leaf through the book. Once you read the instructions you will understand why. I know you think of me as a detestable person, and that is the exact reason why I am entrusting Myra’s care unto you. No matter what you or Myra thinks of me, I think of myself in much worse terms. It was not my intention to abandon my daughter as she is my world, however, circumstances have forced my hand and I can no longer care for her in the way she needs to be cared for. I know I cannot ask anything of you, but I am requesting that you do not turn her over to the state. You seem to be a resourceful person that can get things done. I don’t know if you really are, but it is my hope that you are. Please care for my daughter as your own. She is not aware of what is transpiring. She is a very alert and obedient child, I gave her a secret phrase that means she is to follow what you say. Tell her the giraffes are drinking tea with the flamingos. I am not sure how to make life easier on her, if you should tell her I died or committed suicide or I just ran off, I leave that to you as I know I will never see the two of you again. Its not that I don’t care what you tell her, its that I have come to terms with what I am doing right now. Again, don’t try to find me, by the time you have read this letter I have already made it past state lines and you and she will never find me. Take care of my daisy. Carl turned over the note in hopes that the father had written his name by accident or left some other clue as to who he was or where he was going. There was nothing, even the ink that the father used didn’t bleed onto the other side of the note. He looked at the book that the note referred to, it was hardbound, plain blue and had golden words in an old-style script that read diary. The edge of the papers in the book seemed ruffled and dog eared like he did with his books. He sat in the stall for some time knowing that he would have to face Cheryl, but more importantly Myra. Summoning his composure, he got up from the stall, placed the book and note on the sink and began to wash his face. The cool water brought him out of his fog from the recent events and the note. He called his boss as this obviously was not going to resolve itself quickly. “Hey Fred, this is Carl. I am going to have to take the rest of the week off, just not feeling good today, can you cover down for me at tomorrows meeting,” asked Carl with a mechanical voice that lacked any emotion? “Sure, not a problem, sorry you are not feeling well, going back to the doctor,” asked Fred? “Yeah, I think that would be best, calling him right after I get off the phone with you,” Carl replied almost whispering. “Okay get better and let me know what turns

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 11 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 11 Nov 2020 1439 daily count 19336 cumulative Carl went back to his book and coffee. Looking at his watch it was getting close to nine, he would need to leave no later than nine thirty to make it to work. Looking over at Cheryl, he saw she had a mini rush going on and the drink orders had lined up. The pattern had been thirty to forty minutes in the bathroom for the father so if the pattern held, he would be late for work at best by ten or fifteen minutes. Not the worst news in the world, but he hated being late. The twin responsibilities pulling on him were minor, he was not in danger of losing his job if he were to be late, and if he had to bolt on out of the shop early Cheryl would totally understand. He could feel his anxiety begin to creep up a few notches. The patrons at the counter were giving Cheryl a hard time with their drinks and she was visibly frustrated. Carl could not make out the commotion due to the music and din of conversations in the shop, but he could tell she was feeling the pressure of the upcoming confrontation. It had been ten minutes and Cheryl had finally finished with the group that was giving her a hard time. She came to Carl’s table and slumped down in the open chair. “I think I know how to make drinks, I mean I did win the barista of the year in this town for three years running right, and I know my way around an espresso machine, god I hate customers some days,” she said to Carl. “How are you doing over there young lady,” she asked the quiet girl. “I’m doing fine, just waiting for my dad,” said the girl timidly raising her head out of her book just for a few moments to answer the question and then back to her book. “What are you reading,” Cheryl asked. “Just a book my dad gave me, m not really supposed to talk to anyone. Can you leave me alone please,” said the girl still quiet and trying to look like she was engrossed in her book? Cheryl looked back over to Carl and said in a low voice, “it’s been fifteen minutes.” “And I am giving it another fifteen minutes and then I will head into the bathroom. Can you look after her while I do that,” Carl matched Cheryl’s volume? “Yeah, the lunch crowd does not start for a few hours and I am already caught up on my daily checklist. How are you holding up, how was yesterday,” she asked? “Had a great day, after I left here I went back to the park and ate the food and read another fifty or so pages and went home turned on a movie and fell asleep. Had a stuff neck this morning but it was good to take the day off and just sit in the park,” Carl replied. Cheryl was focused on the girl while Carl talked. She was trying to get a clue as to what was going on, looking at every movement the girl made, seeing how much of the cookie she ate or milk she drank. Girl was as unaware of the examination as was Carl and he was just a table widths away. “Do you need a refill on your milk or another cookie, its on the house,” Cheryl asked the girl. “No I am find thank you,” she replied. “I’ve got a really good chocolate chip muffin in the display counter and it’s got your name on it if you want it, plus I can get you a juice if you prefer,” asked Cheryl. “Uhm, I think my dad will be back anytime now, he doesn’t want me to drink sugary drinks like juice. I usually just drink milk or water,” replied the girl. “Well you are just about out of milk, do you want a chocolate milk, we won’t tell your dad,” asked Cheryl. “Really, uhm yes please,” said the girl even mor meekly. She peer from behind her book and looked toward the mens bathroom. “What if my dad comes back, he would be mad.” “Not a problem, I’ll take the chocolate milk off your table and put it on mine and we will make sure you have a full glass of regular milk on your table,” said Carl conspiring with Cheryl. “Tell ya what, Carl is going to head to the bathroom and I’ll grab that chocolate milk for you okay, drink it down fast,” said Cheryl. “Okay,” whispered the girl. A smile started to form on her face and her eyes sparkled for the first time in the four days that Cheryl had seen her. Carl took the cue and got up. His heart was pumping to be part

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 10 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 10 Nov 2020 1867 daily count 17897 cumulative count The day stayed peaceful and the park was quiet all morning. Carl had to stand up a few times as he was falling asleep on the picnic table bench. He had made good progress through the book and felt the relaxation that Cheryl and Nate had promised would happen if he took time for himself. It was nearing noon and he did feel a few pangs of hunger. The coffee was gone and all he had in the car was a few water bottles he kept in case of emergency. He walked back to the car and debated on if he wanted to leave for lunch or just bring back a water bottle and continue reading. That debate didn’t last long as he sat in the car and turned it on. He would grab some food at the coffee shop and check in on Cheryl’s progress. The drive wasn’t as quick as when he drove out to the park. The lunch rush was happening all over the town and cars were lined up at every food establishment. He made it to the coffee shop and had to park two clocks away. The line was out the door as it was yesterday, and he sat in his car debating on waiting out the crowd or just going home for lunch. Finished his water bottle, he decided to go ahead and brave the crowd. Standing in line alone, he was able to overhear conversations from the people in front of him but paid them no mind. He didn’t recognize many of those in line as he usually packed his lunch for work and ate it in the lunchroom or in his car. When he got up to the counter, Cheryl had a disapproving look on her face. He knew that she would scold him for coming in early and not taking the entire day to himself. Stephanie was taking his order. “I’ll have a pastrami with swiss, hold the sauerkraut, sweet potato fries and a red eye please,” said Carl. “Carl, two days in a row having lunch here, you are making this a habit. I am sure there are a few tables on the patio and I will run back there when your food is up. That will be nine fifty,” said Stephanie. “Well the service is great and the food is wonderful, I should have had lunch here every day. Now the barista, she needs to smile more,” joked Carl. “And someone needs to rest more,” said Cheryl overhearing his conversation. “I did, I went to the park and knocked out thirty pages of my book. A guy has got to eat to keep up his strength with all this relaxation stuff, I never knew it took so much out of a person,” laughed Carl. Cheryl quickly made the red eye with only a half shot of espresso and handed it to Carl as he walked by. She looked at him sternly, and then started to giggle as he looked at her sheepishly. “I’ll give you a holler when your food is up. I’ll have them make it to go so you can get back to the park and rest, and I mean it,” said Cheryl. “Yes ma’am, understood,” said Carl. He took his red eye to the patio and waited for his name to be called. He did enjoy the care that Cheryl did display to him, it wasn’t a romantic thing, at least not from his end. He just enjoyed having someone else besides family care about him. He thought about playing the exercise that he sowed Cheryl yesterday, but he left his notepad in the car. He sat at the table, alone in his thoughts, barely listening to the din of the other patrons’ discussions. He realized it had been a good day, even with the weirdness of the father and the child and the car in the park, he would tell Cheryl about that when he came back after her shift to help her with her assignment. The more he thought about it the more he thought he was just being paranoid, and he would appreciate her dismissing his encounter as coincidence. “Carl, your To Go order is ready,” yelled Cheryl. Carl instantly shook himself out of his thoughts and went to the counter picking up his lunch. Cheryl grabbed his coffee and refilled it for him. Once done she handed it back. “Now I don’t want to see you for a few hours, preferably until tomorrow, go get some rest,” she said forcefully. “You got it, a few hours. I promise to rest,” said Carl. He left the coffee shop and walked the two blocks to his car feeling good. He started to drive toward the last park and was at hoping it would still

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 9 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 9 Nov 2020 1559 daily count 16030 cumulative count Carl stared at the two as they left the shop. He saw them get into a car but he could not make out what the father was saying to his daughter. It didn’t appear that he was yelling at the girl, but the way he mouthed his words was very stern. When they pulled out into the street Carl got back to reading his book and drinking his coffee. After about thirty minutes, Cheryl approached Carl. “See what I mean, kinda weird, its not me,” she said with the same worry in her voice. “I didn’t get a great vibe off of them, he seems very dominant and naturally the girl is submissive. I am not sure if anything weird is going on there. He doesn’t seem like a druggie, but it is odd that they are coming in and essentially sitting around here mid-morning. I’ll drop in tomorrow like I said and try to spark up a conversation. They have been getting here at eight thirty right,” asked Carl? “Almost on the dot for the past few days. I appreciate you getting involved, I know it’s not your job and this is your relaxation place,” said Cheryl. “No worries, tell you what, when I was in college taking theater classes we did an exercise where we would sit in a café and make up stories of people who were in the café. It gave us tons of content for plays or background character studies. That might help you with your dialogue assignment,” said Carl. “Let’s give it a try, the shop is pretty slow right now. How do you know all this theater stuff though, your degree isn’t in the arts,” said Cheryl? “I took a ton of courses outside of my major, theater was one I loved in high school and it really got me out of my shell. Business analytics can get boring, so I needed to spice things up. Besides, theater had all the cool kids and I wanted desperately to have a reason to dress in all black and put on makeup occasionally,” said Carl. “Grab a pencil and paper and we can begin.” Cheryl went into the back room to grab the required objects. “Okay so lets start, what are their names,” asked Carl? “Oh I don’t know, I mean it could be anything,” said Cheryl. “Let’s start with the name that you wish were called when you were a kid.” “I wanted to be an Olivia,” answered Cheryl. “Done, the girls name is Olivia. What does she call her father,” asked Carl? “Dad, pops, I don’t know,” answered Cheryl. “What did you call your father,” asked Carl with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, I see what you are doing, you are making it personal. I called me dad Papa until I turned fifteen, then I called him his first name just to piss him off,” said Cheryl with a knowing look in her eye as she grasped the exercise. “So we have Olivia and Papa, what is their relationship like?” “Well it is a father daughter relationship.” “But is it, you are assuming he is the father. Don’t you think that might be too easy,” asked Carl? “Well who else would she call Papa, that is a pretty intimate name,” asked Cheryl? “Could he be her uncle or godfather because her father died when she was younger and this man has raised her for a few years,” asked Carl? “Wow, where do you get all of these ideas, wait, you do spend a lot of time in here writing don’t you. This isn’t relaxation for you its material for something,” Cheryl said. “Before you ask, no I don’t write stories about you because I know a lot about you through our talks. What you and I say to each other does not make it to the printed page. But yes, I love playing this game with close friends because it helps my writing. So, let’s start from what the reader doesn’t expect. We have a girl named Olivia and her godfather that has raised her since she was three years old and she is about nine now. What would they be talking about,” asked Carl? “He has something important to tell her, something earth shattering, but he doesn’t want to cause a scene, so he does it in public. That happens here all the time, people come in here to break up or propose or tell someone something very private, but they don’t want the person to freak because most people will hold back in public,” said Cheryl. “Hence why I brought my brother in here yesterday, he would

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 8 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 8 Nov 2020 2664 daily count 14471 cumulative count Nate checked the map app on his phone for his trip home. He saw the yellow and red starting to form as people were hitting the roads and going back home from work. He finished his tea and looked over at Carl. “I think I am going to head out and go home, the traffic is picking up and I’m sure I have missed a few emails while out here. I’ll drop you off and head back home,” said Nate. “Yeah, I am sure I missed some important emails from work myself. Its great to see you as always. I’ll just drop off our dishes at the station,” replied Carl. He collected their cups and dishes and bussed the table as they both walked toward the front of the coffee shop. “I think I’ll take a nap once I get home, for some reason I’m feeling tired from all the excitement. Doctors appointments are the worst on your day off,” said Carl as he got into Nates car. “You should take tomorrow off and do absolutely nothing. Work hard all the time, even here you do work by busing tables and tutoring the waitstaff. Take the day off and go for a walk in a park or just sleep in till noon,” said Nate as he put the car in reverse to get out of the parking lot. It took a few more minutes to get back to Carl’s apartment and Nate stopped next to Carl’s car so he could move it to his reserved spot. Neither brother said anything as Carl got out of the car and into his, they just nodded to each other and Nate took off for home as Carl parked his car. Carl entered his apartment and began to wash out the cup that Nate had been drinking tea from. The day was turning to evening slowly and he turned on his kitchen light to see better. Soon it would be time to make one of his signature dinners, Oh My God Mac and Cheese. Before Nate and his family went vegan and while he was still married, he would make this for family gatherings. The kids loved it because it was so cheesy, the adults loved it because they didn’t have to cook or clean up the dishes, Carl loved it because everyone had a smile while eating it. These days he still cooked great meals, he usually made them too big for one person to eat. Even when he was married he usually cooked for four people and kept the left overs in the fridge to be eaten the next day. Because he would be the only one eating it, he could experiment more and put the ingredients he liked in the dish. Lately he had been experimenting with goat and feta cheese with his recipe. He made the cheese sauce first while boiling up the noodles. Because he was using goat and feta to melt with the alfredo and cheddar the sauce was a few shades lighter than yellow. The smell was buttery and slightly pungent. It gave a nice kick when eating it with the bland macaroni elbows. The pasta of choice tonight was a mixture of elbows and shells because he only had about a quarter box of elbows. After Carl got the pasta started and the sauce was melting nicely, he went over to his grocery list and wrote pasta – elbows. He hadn’t learned yet how to make his own. He saw on the calendar next to the fridge that the pasta making class he was going to take was in a few weeks and he knew he couldn’t wait that long for pasta as many of his home made dishes used pasta in their recipe. When the pasta was all cooked he drained it in the sink and put it back into the pot. He added chopped up sun dried tomatoes, fried onions and the cheese sauce into the pot and mixed all the ingredients together. He wanted to plop down in front of the television and put on a movie and just eat the whole pot right there, but he decided to set out one table setting as he had done since his divorce and eat the meal at the table. Turning on the television and putting it on a music channel that featured jazz, he began to eat one bowl of the mac and cheese. It was not a classy meal like he used to make, but it was all he had strength for that day. Once he finished the bowl, he put I tin the sink and divided up the remaining mac and cheese into four Tupperware containers. He planned to drop one off for Cheryl and keep the rest for himself for lunches for the rest of the week. The

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 7 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 7 Nov 2020 1728 daily count 11807 cumulative count “Well it’s a long drive back, lets grab lunch and continue this conversation,” said Nate. “Coffee shop it is, and before you ask, they have vegan and vegetarian options for you. Are you planning on staying in town tonight or heading back after some grub,” Carl asked? “Are you inviting me to stay and watch over you tonight,” asked Nate? “Well, the luxurious accommodations here are not up to your standard I am sure, but I do have the two spare bedrooms, although one of them is set up for my office. You can crash here if you want,” said Carl. “Let’s grab lunch and see how I am feeling. So where is this coffee shop you are taking me to,” asked Nate? “Just a few minutes down the road, I did promise to help Cheryl with her dialogue for a class project she is doing today, do you want to lend a hand with that? Lord knows we can talk for hours about nothing important,” Carl asked? “So, who is this Cheryl, is something going on that I should be aware of in case she tries to get in on your estate,” asked Nate? “Not everyone is out for the little bit of money I have. She is a barista at the coffee shop and is taking classes in theater at the college. She is a good kid wants to be a lighting designer and I am just giving her a hand with the stuff that I know,” replied Carl. They both got into Nate’s car and drove off to the coffeeshop. It was a quiet and quick drive, however, they had to park a few blocks away as the lunch crowd had swarmed as Carl feared it would. “Wow this little place is hoping, must have some great food huh,” said Nate. “It’s the lunch crowd, they should clear out in about 20 minutes or so, do you want to go someplace else,” asked Carl? “No, this will be fine, you said they have vegan food, right? So, let’s eat healthy,” said Nate. The line to get in spilled out onto the sidewalk. Nate feared there might now be enough food when they ordered as had happened to him in the past with popular eateries. Neither brother talked while in line, they smiled at the other patrons, but didn’t engage in any conversation. Once they finally got to the counter to order Nate had memorized the menu and Carl was a regular, so his mind as made up before they even entered. “This will be for here, I’ll take the Rueben with sweet potato fries and a red eye and this guy is with me and he is paying,” said Carl to Cheryl’s coworker Stephanie. “I’ll grab the vegan wrap sandwich and sweet potato fries as well, and some green tea please,” ordered Nate. “Oh hey Carl, Cheryl is swamped, but we are winding down on the lunch rush, she wanted me to let her know when you came back, you look great, is this your father with you,” said Stephanie with a giggle? “This old man is my older brother Nate; he is the vegan in the family. He keeps the world in balance with all the chaos and destruction I bring into it. No worries on it being busy, we will be outside in the back at the tables. Just holler at me and I will grab the tray,” said Carl. “Did you tell her to say that” asked Nate? “Standing order here, any male that comes in with me is my dad, any female is my younger sister. E perks of being a good customer and big tipper, by the way, minimum tip I give is thirty percent. Cough it up big guy,” said Carl. Nate paid the bill with a forty percent tip. Carl always talked about the coffee shop as if he were a financial backer or a silent partner. It was everything that Carl described, comfortable, personable staff, lots of art and very lively. After being there for five minutes, Nate understood why Carl enjoyed the place, it felt like Carl was inviting him to his private island. They grabbed a small table on the back open-air patio. It felt very private and exclusive being so close to downtown. Nate made note of the location for future client meetings. It felt good to see his little brother be treated like royalty, and he knew it would never go to his head. “So how is the legal business, keeping criminals like me on the street,” asked Carl? “Business is always good, putting in seventy-hour weeks is tough, but I’ll be able to cut back to

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 6 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 6 Nov 2020 1545 daily total 10079 cumulative total He got to his door and scowled at the car taking his spot. He looked at it again, he knew he recognized the car, just not the owner. As he entered his apartment, the cologne of his brother greeted him before his brother said a word. “I knew I should have changed the locks,” said Carl to the man sitting on his couch and watching TV with hot tea in front of him. “Gotta check up on you to make sure you are still alive. Where have you been,” asked Carl’s older brother Nate? “Well since you broke into my house and defiled it by making a drink of moldy muddy leaves, you should know,” replied Carl. “I know where you weren’t, and that’s here. I was supposed to take you to your doctor appointment today,” said Nate. “I am forty-two, I have lived on my own before you did, and you are my older brother by four years. I have been handling all my doctors appointments for decades. I think I can handle this one,” replied Carl. “I thought we agreed I would take you so I would know what is going on with you in case I need to step in and take over,” replied Nate. “No you said you wanted to step in and take over when you felt the time called for it, I don’t remember telling you to come with me to any appointment. Don’t you have a wife that listens in on our calls and orders you around,” replied Carl? “She’s worried because you have no one here to look after you, plus I am your big brother and I’m kinda responsible for you. Remember the brain surgery a few years ack,” said Nate? Carl did remember and regretted the decision to have his older brother look after him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the help after the divorce and having the surgery. Carl resented the fact that Nate and his wife thought they should swoop in and take over. It was that attitude that Carl’s marriage and now was threatening his relationship with the last family member that he talked to on a semiregular basis. “Okay well you can call your wife and report in, your little brother slipped out before you could catch up with him and you made green tea in my house. You probably brough in vegan cookies and food to help “heal me” and I ate some and was instantly healed, promised to name the next cat I adopted after you and wished you well on your way back home. Is that what she wants to hear,” asked Carl? “She cares about you and I don’t want to see you go down that lonely path that you love sipping toward oblivion to. You are still working a full time job, keeping a full time schedule of events that don’t include anyone else and we don’t want to come over here one day and find that you died three weeks before. The smell from the rotted meat in your fridge would be wretched and then of course your corpse would probably be sitting on the easy chair with a cold cup of coffee and a half eaten steak diner with old reruns of M*A*S*H* blaring on the television,” teased Carl. “We really care about you and want you to take care of yourself. You are my only brother and I don’t want to lose you.” “Nate, I haven’t changed the will, the ex-wife gets her cut, you guys get your cut and the coffee shop gets their cut. All my bills except for the medical ones that keep popping up with all these visits are the only thing left. I appreciate all the legal advice for all these years that you have given to me, but everything is in order, I am not afraid of death and I won’t be ruled by trying to grasp onto a life I don’t want. Now if you forgive me I am a bit tired and would like to lie down before I go back to the shop this afternoon,” said Carl. “Wait, you are going back to the coffee shop but you won’t tell me what happened at the doctors office,” asked Nate? “It was the usual thing, the doctor doesn’t listen, the nursed don’t listen. I insult them, I flirt with them, no one listens, so I don’t listen to them. I play their little game because it still amuses me to do such right now, maybe a part of me is hoping to grasp onto something, but for the most part, the doc wants to start chemo treatment on me I the new year, I have an MRI coming up in a few weeks and then we hav

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 5 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 5 Nov 2020 1673 daily count 8534 cumulative count “Hmmm, well my ex-wife and I had a great time, and I had a great time when I went by myself the year before. Where did you end up staying,” Carl replied? “Oh, some flea bag hotel in Paris somewhere. They were very snotty towards us, we had to wait forever for our meals the first day or two and then I let the manager have it. After that our food came out quick, but it was always cold,” said the older man. “Hmm, well the custom there is that dinner lasts a long time so you can enjoy your food and the company you are with. We stayed in Montparnese, just a few blocks from the graveyard and the Metro and Montparnesse Tower. I remember when I landed both times it was market day and the next day it was art day on the street just down from our hotel. I went on a tour group of people your age or older and we all had a grand time. Out tour guide was an expat and knew all the places I wanted to visit and gave me a bunch more that I had not heard of. Just a magical time indeed. I’ve considered retiring there when the time comes,” said Carl. “Well I am sure you experienced the rude people there, they were all over the place. Do not see how anyone could be an expat and love living over there. They hate us you know, “the old man said. “Nope, can’t say I experienced that, the people I met were very friendly and were forgiving of my attempts at French. In fact, we had a bunch try their English on us and it was fun to help them out and they had a great time helping us out. Lots of laughter is what I remember. I just treated it like I was going over to someone’s house and played by their rules. It really worked out for us and we took thousands of pictures and made some excellent memories. Tell me you at least went to the I Love You wall with your wife,” asked Carl? “The I Love You wall, what the heck is that” asked the old man? “Oh wow, okay, here is the info on the tour company we used. I think you got ripped off, you need to give It another shot. Here is a picture of my ex-wife and I at the I Love You Wall,” Carl opened up the photo app on his phone and showed the older man. “So, its this wall in Mon Marte I believe the neighborhood was called, anyhow, it’s a wall with I Love You written on it in all of these languages from tourists that have visited. Very romantic and magical place, the whole city is like that really you should give these guys a call and book a trip as soon as you can,” Carl gushed. “Yeah, its probably out of my price range though and I don’t want to give them frogs anymore of my money,” the old man said. “Divorce is more expensive,” Carl muttered. “What’s that,” the old man asked? “Oh, well I was just saying divorce is more expensive, I’ve been divorced for a few years now. That was expensive, Paris, well that is a bargain for the memories I have,” Carl said wistfully. “Carl, we are ready for you,” said the phlebotomist over the din of the patients. “Coming, “replied Carl. “Talk with these folks, give it another shot. We only live once and the memories will last the rest of your life. Trust me you never know how short life can be.” Carl put his phone and book away and carefully made it through the crowd. He headed to the back room and was led to a chair. Instinctively he rolled up both sleeves and set his bag on the floo next to him. “Okay name and birthday please,” asked the nurse? “Carl Bayer, 6, 10, 78. I am a Gemini and like long walks on the beach,” joked Carl. “I didn’t know Gemini’s liked long walks on the beach. I’m a Leo so I like being in control. Which arm will we be using today,” asked the nurse? “You are the one with the sharp pointy objects, I’ll let you decide. Besides, you are a Leo so you will probably tell me which one anyway. No seriously though, the left arm is usually the best one,” answered Carl. “Sounds good to me. Looks like you have had a bunch of sticks so I’ll use that one. How are you feeling today,” asked the nurse? “Decided to take the day off and come see you,” joked Carl. “Aren’t you the charmer, I’ll make sure to use the no pain needle on you. Looks like we will be tak

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 4 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So far 4 Nov 2020 day count 1701 cumulative count 6862 “Well if you see an uptick in these episodes that tells me we need to move forward. Let us look at the latest MRI to see if this latest episode did any damage or shows an increase in size of the tumor greater than what we have been seeing. If you or those around you notice any slurring of speech or awkwardness in speech that could be a sign. Once we get the bloodwork back, we can see if this tumor is spreading into your bloodstream or impacting it in your brain. Again, I cannot stress enough that being more aggressive now buys you more time in the future,” replied the doctor. “Yes, but what about quality of life towards the end of this ride. My quality is good right now except for all these tests and appointments. You even said it is steadily growing at a slow pace. I am a frustrated little hen. Okay we just stay on standby until things get worse, “replied Carl. “I’ll have my nurse give you a call when the results come in and we can talk more after that. I just want you to be aware of the options and think more long term, “said the doctor. “I am thinking long term trust me, the tumor is in my brain not yours. So as usual I must talk with the nurse and get the MRI and bloodwork scheduled through her. Do I need to come in or can we do a phone consultation when we get the results, “asked Carl? “My nurse can set up a phone consultation with you, so you don’t have to take another day off f work. The MRI and bloodwork should come back within a few days of the tests. Just keep monitoring your symptoms and let us know what is happening. You have been very good about doing that and we appreciate it, think about the chemo though, I can have my nurse give you information on it and if you want we can schedule a time to go through the process in detail with the staff that performs those procedures,” replied the doctor. “Before I forget, are you involved with any support group, if not I can get my nurse to look that up for you and give you information?” “Yeah, I am not the support group type of guy. My knitting skills are fine the way they are,” joked Carl. “You do more than knitting in those groups. It might help, or maybe you could do some online groups. I just want to make sure you are not going through this alone. It is not a sign of weakness, think of it as a tune up and oil change with other people who are experiencing something similar to your experience. Wo knows, you might meet your next ex-wife in one of those groups,” said the doctor. “I’ll do the online stuff so that if I need to make a face or snort at what someone says I can do it in the comfort of my own home in my house coat. I am not sure I am ready to date someone who is as sick as I am though, I like the attention everyone gives to me,” replied Carl. “Alright that sounds reasonable, I can live with it if you can live with it,” replied the doctor. With that conversation ended, the doctor stood up and rolled his laptop desk out into the hall and pointed Carl to the nurses station. Carl made it to the desk as the nurse was on another call and motioned for him to wait. He leaned on the counter and waited patiently. While she was on the call he pulled out his phone and opened his calenda app to put down the next appointments he was sure to get. The intake nurse approached him from behind. “So all done with appointments for today,” she asked? “Yeah, gotta schedule another MRI and some bloodwork. He doc wants to get more aggressive with the tumor and do some chemo on me but I am not sold on the idea yet,” he replied. “Well good luck to you, hope the tests come back and give you some good news,” she replied. “Looks like I will be back here in a few weeks to talk it all over again, if it wasn’t for you I would not bother coming in here,” Carl flirted with the nurse. “Ten years younger and would be going out to that coffee shop you are always talking about,” she flirted back. The receptionist finished her call and the intake nurse went out into the waiting room to get the next patient. “Okay Carl, looks like the doctor wants another MRI and some more blood wor

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 3 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 3 Nov 2020 Day count 1644 Cumulative Count 5151 Carl sat in the sterile exam room. There were a few magazines on the wall magazine rack that he internally laughed at. Home and Garden, Urology Today and a few home improvement periodicals. Nothing really to spark his interest to pick any o the rags, so he went back to his dog-eared copy of The Paris Review. He decided to skip ahead and read the rest of the poetry, a few of the pieces spoke to him, not in a profound way, but enough to notice the subject matter. The time seemed to drag, and he looked at the posters on the wall of the various body parts and internal organs. He wondered how someone got into that type of work, medial diagraming seemed to be such a waste of talent, or just a way for someone to make an easy buck. How much competition was there in making these diagrams and how did they et the source material to inspire someone to draw these things up. They all seemed to have a wetness to them. In every doctor’s office he saw them and really wondered if other people looked at them and said to themselves, I wish my insides looked like that. He gazed briefly on the image of the brain. It was sectioned off so nicely and looked pink and juicy, extremely healthy. None of them showed the reduced electrical output from a deformity or what a tumor really looked like. The brain depicted probably came from someone who was disgustingly positive. That brain was not a picture of his own, not that he was a depressed, negative person, its just that with his current condition he could not imagine his brain looking so pristine. The pictures of his brain looked grainy, when the docs initially pointed out the tumor it was like looking at an old tv with a tone of static, or when he was a kid trying to look at porn from the cable channels. It did not register with him, and it was not because of his tumor that it did not register, his ex-wife could not make heads or tails of what they were looking at. Of course, neither of them were medical experts and neither devoted years of their lives looking at these obscure pictures. It was like trying to find Where’s Waldo, except you did not have a color picture to look at or you were colorblind. The knock at the door to the exam room was firm, a little too firm. It meant that the doctor was ready to see him now. It broke him out of his thoughts on medical artistic representations. “Come on it doc,” said Carl weakly. He heard his own voice, and it did not possess the usual robust energy behind it. Maybe it was because he was not on equal ground. The doctor had more information about him that he had on himself and that made him feel lesser of a person, maybe he was just weary from the number of doctor appointments like this he had experienced over the years. “Good morning Carl, I’m sorry to be a little late, had to finish up with another patient. How are you feeling today,” came the almost mechanical response from his brain doctor? Carl had told two other people how he was and they each told him they would tell the next person. This was one of the multitude of things he hated about the medical field. “Well like I told your receptionist and intake nurse, I am doing swimmingly, never felt better in my life,” was Carl’s curt reply. It was a stupid question in Carl’s mind because no matter how often he said things, it did not make him feel better. “Oh, because I was just looking over the notes from my nurse and it looks like you had another episode this morning. Are you feeling okay, any dizziness or nausea happening right now,” the doctor replied. After years in practice he was used to some of his patients in Carl’s position being snarky with him. “Nope, just had an episode that I put down on the tracker here,” said Carl. He began to pull out his notebook tracker and just left it unopened on his lap. “Well tell me what happened in your own words, it looks like in my notes its been pretty consistent over these past few months right,” replied the doc? “I had a rough night last night, couldn’t get to sleep to easily, got up this morning went to the coffee shop, sat down there to read