New art!

New are is now available at my site!

Michelle Earl Art

Marked Published

https://sixelementals.wordpress.com/about/ is where the story is published.  I have set up a table for discussion on the main page.

New art up!

5 new digital art pieces are up o fine art America! Enjoy!

Future Plans

Hello everyone.

I hope that everything is well with you.

I have lots to tell you so let’s tuck right in. There are a lot of projects going on and part of getting them out to you is learning about balnce and sustainability.

Since January 1 of this year, I have come back to my roots with regards to the name Hearts Alive, and my motto “Art from the Heart made alive by Him! I began to wonder what art from the heart really means to me. Is it

• Just creating what I want to make me happy
• creating worship art
• Focussed art on subjects just on a whim
• Art that I care about that means something
• Focussed art that centers on subjects I care about or am praying about which means something.

I realized that the art I was doing was the second through fourth statement. I was creating art, but it was for everybody else. It was becomming a job. Yes it was fantasy based, and it was worship based, so that’s what I am working on now, especially in the art part of my life. So, that lead to what’s up-and-comming. There is so much that I want to do that it may not be on a schedule, but I will try to do my best.

Part of finding balance means finding out when to do my creative projects. These days are not set in stone because I may have something outside the home to do or am not feeling well. Here is what my current schedule looks like. Days of the week dictate what I do.

Monday – Traditional Art day. A day where I work on traditional art and post the progress to instagram.

Tuesday – Day off – A day off where I work on whatever I want. Every Tuesday morning I attend a knitting group called the Crossroads Knitters at my church. Every second week I attend a jam where my husband George plays bass.

This is George playing bass.

Wednesday – Social Media Day – Anything internet related. Whether it’s writing what I want to post, posting, recording a video, putting up a digital image on my site, this will be the day.

Thursday – Digital Art Day – This is the day I will work on my digital art and post the progress on instagram.

Friday – Barbie Diy Day – This is another part of my life where I have come back to my roots. I am collecting Barbie and unique fashion dolls again. I call them my coping family. If you are interested, stay tuned for the start of a blog I will call The coping Family. It will be on mental health and how I deal with anxiety. For now, I put up some pictures on Instagram when I make or buy something or want you to meet the family.

Saturday – writing day – The day where I work on my bigger writing projects, some of which have been litterally been going for years. They are:

• Death by Ashes – The first of the Turvi Series – Draft 3
• The Last of the Wildfires – Book 2 of the Turvi Series Draft 1
• The Starman Draft 1
• Tales of the Storm Warrior – Draft 1
• Associated Turvi Short Stories

The second thing regarding balance and sustainability is the upkeep of blogs and channels I already have and the adding on of some new ones. Most of you of course know this one, and a few others I have including

• The King’s Poetry
• Writing with the Earth
• The Food Tunnel
• Boosounds

The Hearts Alive blog, The King’s Poetry and writing with the Earth will be continuing. The food Tunnel will be shutting down and merging with Writing with the Earth. Boosounds will be completely shutting down by the end of the month.

Three blogs will be comming in and they will be story blogs. I haven’t set up the sites and won’t until the next draft. Then you can be a beta reader if you wish. They are:

• Turvi – This blog will house short stories as well as the main stories from that world such as Death by Ashes and the Last of the Wildfires.
• The Starman – A Fantasy Sci-Fi story
• Tales of the Storm Warrior – A fantasy book done with poetry

I will also be rebooting 2 channels, one with youtube and the other as a podcast in a way which will be sustainable to me as well. They are:

• Hearts Alive! – This is my minecraft and art youtube channel where I will play the game, make digital art and do some reviews
• Electronic Scribble – Will be a podcast where, for those who like to hear a human voice can hear the latest Hearts Alive post along with the latest King’s Poetry poem in one place.

So in conclusion, balance for me means working on what I can when I can. Sometimes you may just get an announcement whereas sometimes you may get a full-on post like this. I hope to have something for you to look at every wednesday, so stay tuned!

So, until next time, wherever you go, may your journeys be safe. Take care and God bless. Bye for now!

I’m Back….

Hi everyone,

It’s me, Michelle again, and I’m back.  I have been working on Sword of Earth, and I have a couple of poems that will go up soon. I am thrilled that I am back in the loop, so to speak, and it’s good to be blogging again, even if it is only a few sentences.

What has been going on?  Well, for the past few months, I have been going to school.  Not school in the traditional sense, but Youtube School.  I have been taking some art courses through channels like Art A La Carte, and How2Draw, and they have helped me to broaden my art.  If you are on Facebook, you will see what I mean.  I have my drawings on Heart’s Alive! News and Art Gallery.

I have also been getting involved in some local groups.  One is a writing , and the other is an art group.  They are just “sit in” groups where we just write or “doodle”, and I have enjoyed them a lot.

I am also part of a committee who plans the Pure Speculation Festival, and we will be having that soon.  I have placed the link above.  The festival is a local science fiction and fantasy festival focusing on writing, art, cosplay, gaming and more.  It promises to be a fun time.

Well, I’ll leave it at that.  Hope you have a wonderful day.  Until next time, may your journeys be safe, take care, and God bless.  Bye for now.  🙂

Talk is Cheap

Hello everybody.  I’m finally back, and like I have said before, hopefully for good.  Things are on the upward swing here, and having spent a couple of years trying to figure out what to do with my blogs since I have undergone a bit of app overload, not to mention overload with blogging, podcasting, and writing as well.  Well, I figured out one thing – like the title says, talk is cheap.  I am not going to mention any deadlines, or when I hopefully am going to have something out; it will just happen, and you will know when it does.  I am going to make small deadlines, but they are going to be for me, and me alone.  I have found out that it is the best way for me to work.  As a writer or artist, or no matter what you do, I’d reccommend this action.  Do whatever works for you.  Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do.  You have to find your way with God’s help.  

Ok.  Now for the news.  For the past few years, I have been prayerfully reading and Illustrating Leah Pauls‘ book, The Tale of the Runaway Toenail, and this Saturday, we will be taking it to Pagemaster Publications Service, a local publication service to see what they can do for us.  I am looking forward to this appointment. Once this project is done, I will be concentrating on another childrens’ book.  

Secondly, I have completed chapters nine and ten of Sword of Earth.  I am also beginning to write short stories that tell of each character’s history.  This will also help with the world building for future edits.  

Thirdly, I am still writing for the King’s Poetry blog, and doing a podcast.  Again, I am not going to put myself on a public schedule; talk is worth a penny or less.

Fourthly, I am starting another blog and podcast.  Yes, another blog.  I know I got overwhelmed by it all last time, but I tried to put myself on too strict of a routine.  That got into the “I should do this…”, and it got to be an obligatory thing, rather than something I enjoyed.  That was the thing that kept me away from everything.  Anyway, the Blog is going to be called VIBE Visually Impaired Blogged Ezine.  there I will talk about anything relating to accessibility, especially for the visually impaired.  I will rate gadgets, apps, give hints on how things might be done in the kitchen, how to be thrifty, and more.  I know it’s a lot, but this has been brewing in my head for many years, and now it’s time for it to get out.  

I will still occasionally work on my other blogs such as The Kent Chronicles as well, but what has been mentioned here is enough.  of course things will change as time goes by.  Hopefully this will all turn from pennies to dollars someday with the Lord’s help but if not, that’s ok too.  🙂 Well, until next time, may your Journeys be safe, take care, and God blessl.  Bye for now.

Acknowledging your Characters

Hi everyone,

Since there isn’t much to talk about in regards to news, I’ll get right to something that I finally accepted into my writing psyche.

I used to think of my characters, minor and otherwise, as people who passed through and told me their stories. In reality, they are people who come, tell me their story, and live with me. Some choose to leave, while, others set up shop. I know that sounds weird, but if you think about it, you are their creator, and why wouldn’t they affect you? I knew at the beginning of Sword of Earth that each character was a part of my personality, and I disrespected my main character.

How? I didn’t think I needed to research her world, except for what I needed for the story. In reality, I needed to write notes or something. I wouldn’t though. I did a little bit. I tried to draw what they looked like, but it didn’t work. It took me three years, and almost loosing my art and writing to realize this. I finally wrote Maidenhood Sign in response to this. I have finally acknowledged that a sixth character, my antagonist needed to be acknowledged. Her name is Kamisha Shotke, and she is my dark side. Writing her story, which will be a series of short stories will be a challenge, as I strive to focus on God. In doing this, I have finally been able to pick up a pencil and draw again and begin to write. I am beginning to feel whole again.

So what’s going on now? Well, I am going to start writing more of the Elementals’ history and looking into their world. Maidenhood Sign has been sent to Podcastle For their Artimis Rising event in February. I should know by Christmas Day at the latest if it has been accepted. If this story isn’t accepted, I will start a part of my website dedicated to the Elementals’ stories.

So, my advice to you is respect your characters, no matter how minor they are. Even if you have a servant with only a bit part in your novel, you can respect them by writing a blurb about them, describing them, their uniform, or their history. Anything that will help you. You never know, they may assert themselves in another way.

So, my advice to you is to make sure you know your characters, even a little; they are your friends, even the bad ones. They won’t hurt you. Until next time, may your journeys be safe; take care, and God bless.

PS. Feel free to comment on my posts. I would enjoy talking with you about my writing, or my art. I would also like to know if you want me to write about more topics. If so, what are they?

I don’t know what to say…

I have to admit it, it has been a tough year. I have not been doing much writing; what just went up onto the King’s Poetry is a poem I wrote a long time ago. In the summer, I did go to the Heart of the City and participated in a pop up art show and sale, but writing has been a bit of a chore. I don’t know why. I have been making myself write a little each day when I can, but ultimately, I haven’t got much done. I usually don’t do blogging or any kind of work on Sunday, but since I haven’t been writing so much, I decided to go for it.

Ok. Let’s leave that behind. What have I got done on Sword of Earth? Well, I finished chapter 9. I just have to edit it and get it off to my beta readers. I am almost through chapter ten. Four more chapters to go. Yay! Draft three is going to be different though. I am going to take what people have said and rewrite in the first person so I can get into my character’s head. I find that’s the best way. Then in draft 4, (yes, I know there will be a draft 4,) I will be reverting back to the close first person. I think that way, I will be able to describe more, and have more detail in the book.

I’m not going to say what my plans are, because, I have found, writing on here is like talking for me, and talk is cheap. If I think it’s really going to happen, you’ll hear about it. I think that’s part of my problem. I have been saying what I will do, and then life, or my self esteem gets in the way and I have bitten off more than I can chew.

Well, until next time, take care, and God bless.

A New Beginning

Well, I can hardly believe that 2013 is almost over!  A new year is beginning in a few days, and this site is beginning with a new image.  Why change this from Heart’s Alive?  Hearts Alive is the title of my whole ministry, from my writing to my art, and that includes music.  All my art comes from my heart, but it is nothing if not made alive by our Lord and Savior.

Hearts Alive! will continue on where Michelle Earl’s Writing left off – a news of what’s going on in my life.  I intended for this blog to be just a writing life blog, but I finally realized that they are all connected; they are all worship art.  That means obedience to where the Holy Spirit leads.  So, I ask that you please bear with me during the next few weeks as I continue to figure out how this site will morph into its new one.  I will bring out some polls for you, and I ask that you participate.  It would help me out a lot.

News

As of yesterday, I have edited Maidenhood Sign, a short story I had submitted earlier in the year.  I have submitted the new version to Tesseract18, a science fiction and fantasy anthology.  With the Lord’s help, maybe it will get in there. If not, well, there’s always more magazines and anthologies out there.

I pray your Christmas went well, and that your New Year will be blessed.  May your journeys be safe; take care, and God bless.

It’s that time of year again…

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s winter again, not to mention the end of the year.  Where has the time gone?  I look back on the year, and I realize that much has been completed.  I have begun a new phase of my art career, which most likely will help not only my writing career take off, but my art.  I have goals for in the new year, and hopefully they will lead to my first publication.  It will be of The King’s Poetry, of course, but of course, it all depends on the Lord.  Looking  back on this year, i realize I have spread myself too thin, but I also know that this most likely will be a year of balance, or of pulling back.  I think it will be a year of balance, because I have been holding back on a lot of items.

The reason for this is that I have put so many expectations on what I feel has to be done.  I need to set up a schedule and stick to it.  The podcast might have to be monthly.  I don’t like the idea, but we’ll see.  Only time will tell.

So, I have had a poetry reading since I have last blogged here, and I will be a part of a Christmas show next week.  I am working on three pieces of artwork, two of which are complete.  I haven’t decided what the title of the series will be, but I’ll explain what’s going on in each.  The first is the three wise men traveling towards a large white star.  The middle one is pointing to the star and saying, “Look!  We’re almost there!”  The second is a picture of a Victorian Christmas outing.  there is a horse pulling a sleigh along with a mother and child.  They have on their Christmas gifts – the man has a scarf, the child his / her snowsuit, and the mother her new bonnet.  There is one gift at her feet for the outing.  All are in Christmas colors.  The title of the painting is called “Christmas Outing”.  The third is of a big family – There’s a big tree with a racetrack around it.  Each is doing his or her own thing, but there’s someone, one of the children, setting up the nativity. There is another playing with a horse and stable set.  It’s called “Lonely Christmas Morning”, although it does tie in all the paintings.  Maybe I’ll call it “What’s the best Christmas?”

I’m also illustrating for a Children’s Book.  It’s called “The Tale of the Runaway Toenail” by Leah Pauls.  I have two illustrations so far.

As for my writing, I am starting to get back into writing more than just poetry.  I have been doing a lot of exercises, and I am ready to redo Maidenhood Sign, although I think it will just need some adding to.  I thought at one time it would take a lot of work and that I would have to rewrite it, but it’s not so.  I’m excited and I have a deadline to submit it to an anthology.  I pray I get it done in time.

I’m thinking of changing up this blog a little, so stay tuned in!  It may be the same url, but the title will be different.  Until next time, may your journeys be safe.  Take care, and God bless.