tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post5309914423121955080..comments2024-03-15T09:26:02.796-05:00Comments on PROJECT MAYHEM: Finding Your Childlike Wonder by Donna GalantiProject Mayhemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05154342399869089664noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-53434442573273574342015-02-28T14:29:09.073-06:002015-02-28T14:29:09.073-06:00So inspiring, Donna! I love your list to recapture...So inspiring, Donna! I love your list to recapture wonder. Seems like good advice for life let alone writing. :) Marissa Burthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13079821721448782710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-28084152912019983802015-02-27T10:25:55.882-06:002015-02-27T10:25:55.882-06:00Kate, it's sometimes so hard to keep our wonde...Kate, it's sometimes so hard to keep our wonder and joy in writing. I remember the first book I wrote. And how I wrote it from 4:30-6:30am Monday-Friday and in 7 months had a book. I didn't know any writers then. I hadn't taken one class on how to write a book. I just wrote in my own space and world for ME. Each day I never knew what would happen on the page! Near the end I slowed down so my characters wouldn't leave me. Each day I couldn't wait to get up to that space again and create. I yearn for those days now and keep trying to find ways to get back to that simple joy again. It is a challenge! And I love to hear other ideas by other folks on how to keep that joy - and wonder. :)DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-57753496671681836512015-02-27T10:24:03.166-06:002015-02-27T10:24:03.166-06:00Joanna, how wonderful! I used to call to Aslan too...Joanna, how wonderful! I used to call to Aslan too...and hide in closets to find a door to another world. Thanks for the nice note!<br /><br />DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-54121611540773438322015-02-27T07:35:05.674-06:002015-02-27T07:35:05.674-06:00Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on how im...Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on how important wonder and joy are to the creative process. Creating anything and doing it well is hard work. This is a good reminder to maintain joy no matter what the circumstances. Also, I love the idea of finding a quiet and private place to read and act out a work in progress. Can't think of a better way to think through a piece of writing from the reader's perspective. Looking forward to reading your next blog!Kate Brandeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17169608944670534936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-60264824360069207232015-02-27T07:32:43.413-06:002015-02-27T07:32:43.413-06:00Wonderful post, Donna! This resonates so deeply wi...Wonderful post, Donna! This resonates so deeply with me. And I love that Aslan was your childhood hero! I remember standing in my front yard and trying to call to him the way Jill and Eustace do in The Silver Chair. I must've been about 6. Welcome to the Mayhem. It's good to have you with us.Joanna Roddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15872747084305014996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-34689581768279398122015-02-26T14:06:20.064-06:002015-02-26T14:06:20.064-06:00Kathryn, I can see you standing there on the heart...Kathryn, I can see you standing there on the hearth commanding quite the audience! I would be captivated and forget I was cold to begin with...now I'm off to find my child-like wonder in nailing down this synopsis for a new book. Line by line drudgery...oops, I mean, magic :) DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-89147811362359360622015-02-26T14:02:04.675-06:002015-02-26T14:02:04.675-06:00Connecting with child-like wonder while addressing...Connecting with child-like wonder while addressing the stress-filled demands of adulthood—sounds like the key to a successful and joy-filled life, Donna! Some great takeaways here. #7 reminds me of a time up at the lake when we couldn't get the fancy new fireplace to work so, to access the greater hive mind, I stood on the hearth and read the direction to my family aloud, "with dramatic flair"...Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-19699180057697911622015-02-26T13:53:19.350-06:002015-02-26T13:53:19.350-06:00Dianne, thanks for zapping us with your wonder to ...Dianne, thanks for zapping us with your wonder to do figure this out! :) DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-15961726048306203282015-02-26T13:48:25.546-06:002015-02-26T13:48:25.546-06:00I am currently wrestling Blogger over the comment ...I am currently wrestling Blogger over the comment settings, by the way ...<br /><br />I have Word Verification turned off, but I'm still getting it. %$^%$^%<br /><br />There goes my child-like wonder ...Dianne K. Salernihttp://diannesalerni.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-17654459109723878382015-02-26T12:22:13.067-06:002015-02-26T12:22:13.067-06:00Donna....your smile is a child-at-heart on display...Donna....your smile is a child-at-heart on display! Great post, and thanks for sharing your stories!Lisa Tomarellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15387353577959237975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-89388581192775407892015-02-26T11:17:42.214-06:002015-02-26T11:17:42.214-06:00Dianne, that whole oxygen dialogue is soooo funny!...Dianne, that whole oxygen dialogue is soooo funny! Love that idea of never letting the joke grow old indeed. The Lehigh Tunnel is a great drive through - especially approaching it at dusk through the mountains. :)DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-31024984950759639012015-02-26T10:35:47.072-06:002015-02-26T10:35:47.072-06:00Every time our family drives through the Lehigh Tu...Every time our family drives through the Lehigh Tunnel on our way to or from the Poconos, my younger daughter tries to see if she can hold her breath all the way through. Meanwhile, my older daughter breathes deeply and exclaims, "Boy, am I enjoying my oxygen! Oxygen is great, right, Dad? Don't you love your oxygen, Mom?" until we all bust out laughing, including the one who can't hold her breath anymore.<br /><br />THAT is the joy of childhood. And they're almost 15 and 18 years old. The joke never grows old -- for any of us. THAT is what we need to hold on to when we write. Great post, Donna!Dianne K. Salernihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16459839567235304842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-75268873240948216352015-02-25T13:59:46.276-06:002015-02-25T13:59:46.276-06:00Clee, absolutely! Plus looking up at the sky gives...Clee, absolutely! Plus looking up at the sky gives you a whole different perspective (just watch out for falling too hard)DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-30976562449455699672015-02-25T13:59:01.125-06:002015-02-25T13:59:01.125-06:00Edward, that line always reminds me of the movie I...Edward, that line always reminds me of the movie It's A Wonderful Life where the crotchety man on the porch huffs off after Jimmy Stewart jabbers on and on with his gal! <br /><br />I don't think I would be as much fun going back to be young with the grownup knowledge I now carry...I would definitely not take as many risks, having learned since that I am not, after all, invincible! I am the lady at the concert now telling everyone to "please sit down and be quiet" so I can hear the music...I guess I want peace and quiet to enjoy the little things now :) And I'm OK with that. DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-67963911403100017382015-02-25T13:01:01.615-06:002015-02-25T13:01:01.615-06:00Wish I remembered what it was like to be amazed by...Wish I remembered what it was like to be amazed by the little things. That is definitely something I'd like to get back. They say, youth is wasted on the young.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11506800473776288703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-84911481070256140502015-02-25T12:43:01.922-06:002015-02-25T12:43:01.922-06:00Nothing like falling in the snow and creating thos...Nothing like falling in the snow and creating those angels to make you feel like a kid again.cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-18924560903996071042015-02-25T12:24:03.076-06:002015-02-25T12:24:03.076-06:00Sorry about the happy meter!Sorry about the happy meter!Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-50922153615620596892015-02-25T12:21:57.056-06:002015-02-25T12:21:57.056-06:00Ughh...I think my happy-meter fell a bit with that...Ughh...I think my happy-meter fell a bit with that word "taxes" - the doom of being a grown up you can never get rid of. ha ha. But glad to give you some joy today, Michael. I love being silly with my son and finding childlike wonder in that - and I revel in boy-humor (much more so than my husband)...I probably should have been born a boy! DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-21196772631640083902015-02-25T12:19:20.693-06:002015-02-25T12:19:20.693-06:00Just beautiful.Just beautiful.Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-18660793972430584152015-02-25T12:04:41.923-06:002015-02-25T12:04:41.923-06:00What a joy-filled post! I am always very childlike...What a joy-filled post! I am always very childlike (or so my kids keep telling me)--probably why I love reading and writing books for children! That's not to say that the adult world doesn't impinge from time to time (doing taxes, anyone?). Thanks for the list on how to keep/regain that sense of wonder!Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-86894005225324702932015-02-25T08:21:36.492-06:002015-02-25T08:21:36.492-06:00Paul, using mindfulness is a great way to do this ...Paul, using mindfulness is a great way to do this too because it's a non-judgemental way of connecting our child self to our adult self. When we have precious time to write and get in the state of being we need - focusing on our thoughts (and accepting them) and just "being in the moment" can fill our bucket up with what we need to write. Thanks for the note about that! DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-16856691392934403142015-02-25T08:18:43.700-06:002015-02-25T08:18:43.700-06:00Glad to give you a boost there, Kenda! Yes, that i...Glad to give you a boost there, Kenda! Yes, that is the wonder about having little ones around as we get older - it reminds us of how we used to view the world, and can once again.DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-22613960929184670652015-02-25T07:48:15.825-06:002015-02-25T07:48:15.825-06:00Nice post, Donna. It sounds like you got into a re...Nice post, Donna. It sounds like you got into a really great head-space during your retreat!! I sometimes use mindfulness as a way to rekindle the connection between my adult-self and child-self, whether during actual writing or in everyday life activities, especially when I'm trying to fit writing into and between and among my job and other commitments.Paul Grecihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11340974339238587138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-75455208179719645632015-02-25T06:56:59.161-06:002015-02-25T06:56:59.161-06:00Great post--a good one to read first this morning!...Great post--a good one to read first this morning! I often see the wonder of things new through the eyes of the little ones in our family. It's such fun :-) Thanks for the lift...Kenda Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.com