Something I made for someone: a co-worker was on his dying bed. I made a colouring card that said ‘I paused to think about you today’ … and stopped at different times to colour and whisper a prayer for him.
The morning I decided to take a photo and send to his phone was the morning he passed on. I don’t think he ever saw that card. But I made it just for him. I hope he had peace. That was what I was praying for him.
I didn’t make the arrangement because I know nothing about flowers. But I did buy my wife an arrangement from a florist of daisies for our 5 year anniversary in October. They made it with input from me. Daisies are the flower for the 5th year of marriage. On the subject of your post: I have been mulling writing a memoir and wondering how I could avoid offending family members. So your comments help. Maybe I’ll just write a creative nonfiction book under a pseudonym.
My first actual writing something for someone was in 2008 - 2010 when I had chickens and was selling eggs. The breeds were on the heirloom side, not typical commercial egg-layers, and I'd write a bit about the breeds and point out which eggs came from which breed of hen, including the hen's name, if I knew that level of detail. I'd also tell stories about a hen's romance with her beau and include a photo of them snuggling side-by-side when they went to roost at night. That sort of thing, but just enough to fit on one page that I'd fold and set atop the eggs in the carton. My customers loved the stories, and that was what prompted me to self-publish my first book, The Chicken And The Egg. I don't advertise, and unadvertised books tend to not sell. With the wisdom and maturity gained over the past decade and a half, I see that the book needs an update from a more mature hand (and brain). The point was, the original egg carton enclosures were a big hit, and customer enthusiasm pushed me on to greater efforts.
More recently, I wrote for specific individuals. Or designed and had printed for one. My mother wrote her autobiography, finished in 2011. My brother designed a paperback cover, and I had a few copies printed locally for her. Done, sighs of relief all around. She was proud of herself; otherwise no big deal. A decade later, I reformatted the book with large type, designed a new hardcopy cover that looked (if not examined too closely) like embossed leather with a photo of her in the center, and used Lulu to print a color hardcopy for my mother. Normally rather aloof, she was effusive in her thanks, telling me it brought tears to her eyes. A success story!
A couple months ago for a granddaughter's birthday, I used Shutterfly to print a picture book of pig photographs (cute or interesting stock photos and illustrations), because she loves pigs and has a collection of pig figurines. She wasn't home when I went to deliver it, so I left it with her dad. Never heard a peep from her, not so much as a "got it, thanks" or even a "got it, hate it". Finally, when prompted with a text message weeks later, she offered a lukewarm "like it" but still not even a "thank you".
Moral of the story? Sure, it's a good idea to write or make something for someone. But, even with a target someone, you can't always count on getting the anticipated or hoped-for results. Some will surprise you in a good way; others may disappoint. Still, some thing for some one puts you ahead of the something for everyone game. You should always have a target audience in your creative endeavors, even if it's an audience of one.
Thanks for writing, Jeff. You have deep and interesting thoughts. Time mulling over and pondering them is well spent.
Aww lovely messages for artists here. Thank you.
Something I made for someone: a co-worker was on his dying bed. I made a colouring card that said ‘I paused to think about you today’ … and stopped at different times to colour and whisper a prayer for him.
The morning I decided to take a photo and send to his phone was the morning he passed on. I don’t think he ever saw that card. But I made it just for him. I hope he had peace. That was what I was praying for him.
I didn’t make the arrangement because I know nothing about flowers. But I did buy my wife an arrangement from a florist of daisies for our 5 year anniversary in October. They made it with input from me. Daisies are the flower for the 5th year of marriage. On the subject of your post: I have been mulling writing a memoir and wondering how I could avoid offending family members. So your comments help. Maybe I’ll just write a creative nonfiction book under a pseudonym.
My first actual writing something for someone was in 2008 - 2010 when I had chickens and was selling eggs. The breeds were on the heirloom side, not typical commercial egg-layers, and I'd write a bit about the breeds and point out which eggs came from which breed of hen, including the hen's name, if I knew that level of detail. I'd also tell stories about a hen's romance with her beau and include a photo of them snuggling side-by-side when they went to roost at night. That sort of thing, but just enough to fit on one page that I'd fold and set atop the eggs in the carton. My customers loved the stories, and that was what prompted me to self-publish my first book, The Chicken And The Egg. I don't advertise, and unadvertised books tend to not sell. With the wisdom and maturity gained over the past decade and a half, I see that the book needs an update from a more mature hand (and brain). The point was, the original egg carton enclosures were a big hit, and customer enthusiasm pushed me on to greater efforts.
More recently, I wrote for specific individuals. Or designed and had printed for one. My mother wrote her autobiography, finished in 2011. My brother designed a paperback cover, and I had a few copies printed locally for her. Done, sighs of relief all around. She was proud of herself; otherwise no big deal. A decade later, I reformatted the book with large type, designed a new hardcopy cover that looked (if not examined too closely) like embossed leather with a photo of her in the center, and used Lulu to print a color hardcopy for my mother. Normally rather aloof, she was effusive in her thanks, telling me it brought tears to her eyes. A success story!
A couple months ago for a granddaughter's birthday, I used Shutterfly to print a picture book of pig photographs (cute or interesting stock photos and illustrations), because she loves pigs and has a collection of pig figurines. She wasn't home when I went to deliver it, so I left it with her dad. Never heard a peep from her, not so much as a "got it, thanks" or even a "got it, hate it". Finally, when prompted with a text message weeks later, she offered a lukewarm "like it" but still not even a "thank you".
Moral of the story? Sure, it's a good idea to write or make something for someone. But, even with a target someone, you can't always count on getting the anticipated or hoped-for results. Some will surprise you in a good way; others may disappoint. Still, some thing for some one puts you ahead of the something for everyone game. You should always have a target audience in your creative endeavors, even if it's an audience of one.
Thanks for writing, Jeff. You have deep and interesting thoughts. Time mulling over and pondering them is well spent.
~Paula