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Deep Interests

July 21, 2020 By Laura Davis 4 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

“Don’t write what you know—what you know may bore you, and thus bore your readers. Write about what interests you—and interests you deeply—and your readers will catch fire at your words.”

–Valerie Sherwood

Make a list of things that passionately interest you. Choose one thing from your list and tell us about it.

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Comments

  1. Catherine says

    July 21, 2020 at 11:26 am

    Shells.
    Seashells in particular.
    Mollusks that build them.
    Snails that live underwater.
    Slimy boneless beings that build architecture that has beguiled man for centuries.
    Finding them.
    Studying them.
    Creating art and jewelry with them.
    It’s fair to say collecting shells has become my gentle madness.
    I stumbled upon my first seashell at five years old. I’ve been bending down to pick them up for decades now.
    The thrill, the squeal, the overwhelming joy of finding seashells still consumes me.
    A rare or favorite find leaves a glow inside me for days and then again every time I open the many drawers that fill my shell room.
    YES!
    I have an entire room full of seashells. Not to mention a curio cabinet filled in the living room and shells scattered throughout my garden in both the front and backyard. A lifetime of collecting.
    Greens , pinks and purple.
    Blues ,oranges and even reds. Every color you could imagine. Then combinations of colors mixed with whites or black.
    Swirls and spirals and spikes!
    Coils, ridges and frills!!!!!
    Sea snails weave a fibonacci sequence with complete percision. Over and over it duplicates its beauty with perfection; and every member of its family does the same.
    Every Pacific scallop builds like every other Pacific scallop.
    Likewise every Kellet’s welk builds like every other Kellets welk.
    There are thousands of different seashells in the oceans. There are over 85,000 species and if you get into fossil shells……well then we’re talking another 100,000 species!
    😳!
    A seashell is the home every little seasnail builds to keep it safe throughout its life journey.
    Simple calcium carbonate and a tiny amount of protein. Some mollusks build a shell so thick and so strong that they are very hard to break. Others build is so extremely fragile that you can see right through them and they can crumble just sitting in your hand.
    These wonderful little abandoned seashells find their way into all of our hearts as I am almost sure that every one of you reading this today has a special little shell with memories of a moment in time that was dear to you and has tucked itself into your soul.

    💦🐚🐚🐚

    Reply
  2. S. Singal says

    July 22, 2020 at 5:53 am

    For some reason, sharks have always spiked my interest. Going down in one of those shark cages and even more so, having a shark come up and say hello to me feels like it could be a pretty scary rush.

    And I’m really not one of those adrenaline junkies either, but for some reason knowing that I could face death by this crazy creature sounds exciting. Of course, if the cage is properly aligned and the cage handler knows what he or she is doing you’re perfectly safe, but there’s no guarantees.

    This being said, I’ll probably never do this precisely because I can’t trust the cages. Hmmm, it seems that now I’m starting to change my mind. Would I be irresponsible if I did do this? I guess this may all just be big talk.

    Hmmm, to be continued?

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    July 22, 2020 at 7:04 am

    S.Singal:
    Certainly you can change your mind!
    That’s why pencils have erasers- not because
    of the erroneous thinking one made a mistake, but
    more simply because one changed their mind!
    ~Karen

    Reply
  4. Karen says

    July 22, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Ohhh! What an inviting question! I’ve many likes,
    and three interests blur together as one.
    I thoroughly enjoy writing and have been writing
    from a very early age. I absolutely, positively adore
    animals of all kinds and the vast canvas of nature.
    Several years ago I accidentally discovered photography .
    I take care of animals for other people ( anything from
    equine to various fish in a tank) and all these animals
    are in some form a backdrop of my photography. I marvel
    at the gaiety and expression I’ve been able to witness and their keen sense of tuition. Often, animals are an inspiration
    that allows greater clarity to my personal life. Nature provides the same prompts. I have an ability to share space with a variety of wild animals which always leaves me feeling a deep sense of gratitude and honor to connect with animals in such a deep way. It speaks of trust which would seem so counter intuitive of wildlife. And I think to myself, if this wild creature can trust, the deeper meaning is my trust in self and others can be restored. So animals, photography and the ephinanies of life through the lens of life and lenses of my camera all become one.

    Reply

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You can also read about Laura’s travels to:

Peru 2017

In which Laura and Karyn and 18 writers explore Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Serbia 2017

In which Laura leads a workshop at the Incest Trauma Center.

Greece 2016

In which Laura explores the wonders of Crete and Santorini with a wide-eyed group of Write, Travel, Transform adventurers.

Vietnam 2015/16

In which Laura, who grew up during the Vietnam War, goes to Southeast Asia and finds out what Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are really like today.

Commonweal 2015

A journey toward healing loss and grief in a magnificent Northern California setting.

Scotland 2015

In which Laura returns to Scotland with a new group for another jaunt through the wonders of the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland 2013

In which Laura attends the Edinburgh theatre festival and leads 14 writers to a magical retreat in the highlands of Northern Scotland.

Bali 2013

In which Laura visits Australia, and spends three weeks diving, exploring, and teaching in three regions of Bali.

Florida 2014

A journey into old age in America in which Laura brings her 86-year-old mother to Florida so she can see her last surviving sister one final time.

Mexico 2014

In which Laura attends the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and explores the artistic towns around Patzcuaro.

About Laura Davis

In the course of my career as a communicator, I have also worked as a columnist, talk show host, radio reporter, radio producer, blogger, editor, and speaker. Words have always been at the core of my work and my self-expression. Read More . . .

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Julie Sheehan

For many years I put off my dream of writing and traveling. I told myself the kids were too little, my husband could never survive without me, that I couldn't possibly be so selfish. I couldn't imagine realistically stepping out of all of my responsibilities and roles. Then I started attending Laura’s summer retreat at Commonweal in northern California and that became an annual gift to myself for the next three years.

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My children were 6 and 9 when I began allowing myself the luxurious pleasure of taking 10 days to two weeks each year to travel abroad with Laura, to spend time with like minded, soul searching people who share a passion for living and writing, to have all my meals prepared for me, to have the space and freedom to stretch out of my cage and check in with who I am, what I want, and how best to get there.

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