Of the 1-inch picture frame
A friend asked me a few days ago why each of my posts is titled “Of….”
My hero Anne Lamott has a tiny, 1-inch picture frame hanging above the desk where she sits to smithy her words. Big picture, shmig picture. All she sets out to do each day is write what her mind sees in one small, unthreatening 1”x 1” square of story.
My other hero, who is also a writer named Anne, gave me my own tiny frame last year. It makes me smile.
I’m a writer. And writing is terrifying. The teeny-tiny picture frame is a visual CHILL OUT, GIRLFREN, and so is this “Of…” business, really. It’s a safety net for wild-eyed hyperventilating perfectionist me. All I do, all I really do is snip a wee bit (1 squared inch to be exact) from the fabric of my story, shape it a little, and drift it off into the river. And maybe you then discover it, moored in the bulrushes, and rescue it into your own story.
I like this idea. Do you?
PS. Newsblip from the home front: the mouse is still flouncing about my kitchen by night. Cheeky little bastard.
I enjoyed your photo and your post :) Thanks for sharing your inspiration.
Thank you for your kind words, Sheila. (:
nice post
Thank you, Arul.
Love this :) Anne Lamott is my favorite as well, but I didn’t know ‘of’ this picture frame concept ‘of’ which you speak. I like it.
It’s in Bird by Bird – her book with thoughts on writing and life. I love it. (:
I haven’t read that yet. I read Hard Laughter…twas amazing. Next is Operating Instructions.
i like this idea too. very much in fact.