Chapter 1: My Creative Outlets

While writing on Medium has been a fulfilling endeavor for the past two years, it’s just one of my many interests. Throughout August, I took a break from writing to focus on other passions.

As illustrated in the image below, I enjoy honing my photography skills right from my backyard. Living in the Arizona desert means I am constantly surrounded by a dynamic landscape that offers countless opportunities to capture nature's splendor.

In case you missed it, here's my piece on the breathtaking views from my home office:

Check Out My Home Office in the High Desert

The beauty and harshness of the desert serve as a metaphor for life itself.

In early August, I had the pleasure of attending a delightful rock, mineral, and gemstone show.

These events are a treasure trove for me, as I seek out exquisite materials for my other passion: jewelry design. The shows feature a variety of gemstones, including amethyst, peridot, different types of jasper, opals, rubies, and emeralds. Turquoise, in particular, is a favorite in this region.

Here are some of my jewelry creations.

I sell my original jewelry pieces at private gatherings and home events, with my next significant showcase planned for a community arts-and-crafts fair in October. The preparation for these events is time-consuming, so I dedicated much of August to finalizing my designs.

In addition to gemstones, I love working with Swarovski Austrian crystals, which are regarded as some of the finest in the world. However, sourcing the colors I need has become increasingly challenging since the company has discontinued many shades and limited its distributors.

My inspiration stems from my artistic upbringing; my family was always engaged in painting and crafting, which surrounded me with vibrant colors. I strive to create unique designs that are entirely my own, never replicating what I see around me. I believe that all beautiful ideas have their roots in a spiritual realm.

Creating jewelry also allows me to share personalized gifts with my friends.

You could say I've reinvented myself. The concept of designing jewelry emerged after spending years in a different career. I began crafting simple glass bead designs after taking a few classes, and whenever I need to learn a new technique, I turn to online resources or YouTube tutorials.

My Additional Writing Ventures

Long before my journey on Medium, I worked as a professional writer in corporate and academic settings. This naturally led to my authorship of two self-published books available on Amazon Kindle, which you can explore on my website:

[LindaAnnBird.com](http://lindaannbird.com)

But there’s more to my August than just writing and crafting.

As the saying goes, "Take time to smell the flowers." For me, this means devoting time daily to care for my lively collection of four chihuahuas, five parakeets, and a myriad of doves, quail, and bunnies that mostly inhabit my outdoor space.

Every year, we welcome a new batch of baby quail in our backyard, and I make it my mission to protect them from predators like roadrunners. Here’s a snapshot of this year’s flock.

In summary, I plan to resume writing on Medium starting in September, aiming to expand my posts and grow my audience.

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Chapter 2: Staying Motivated in Creativity

In this video titled "How to Write When You're Not Writing," the speaker shares techniques to stay engaged with writing even when inspiration seems elusive.

The second video, "How To Write When You Don't Feel Like It," offers practical tips for overcoming writer's block and reigniting your creative spark.