Poetry of Love?

As Canadian wildfire smoke turned skies orange way down here in the Outer Lands Archipelago, I wrote love poems…

TikTok video of Stolen Moment, one of the first poems
in the poetry collection Hold Me Tight.

Why A Poem?

At our wedding, our best man advised us to follow the KISS principle: keep it simple stupid — the shortest speech in the history of weddings. Now that we’ve had a lot of time to think about it, that was darn good advice for a twenty-something guy to give.

And now, what could be simpler than a poem?

And did you know, poetry is alive and well? So I thought I’d give it the old college girl try.

Immediately yes! I loved it. I’m a pen and paper note taker, a list writer, a scrapper, a note hoarder. My entire career thus far has been about making stuff up, fitting it into impossibly small spaces, and broadcasting it.

More Love

You’ve probably heard some version of the Cherokee legend in which an elder uses a story of two wolves to explain to a child how to choose a course of action. One wolf is FEAR and the other LOVE, the one we feed is the one that will survive.

In that vein, I started a new project early in the summer of 2023 — a series of love poems — to be dedicated to my husband of more than three decades. I carried around a notebook almost everywhere I went. When I got an idea, I jotted it down. When time allowed, I worked poems out like word puzzles.

I kept the poems short to make them easier to read and share.

Before long, there were a dozen poems. I started setting them up as a collection of love poems in a 6x9” book format using Canva. I created a black and white photo collage illustration for each poem. Each poem got its own two-page spread.

As I finished poems, I added them to the book. By Labor Day weekend, I had 36 poems. That was a good place to stop, I decided. When you’re the decider, you can decide anything!

With the world burning, I wanted to give love more oxygen in my life.

I played around with the title, subtitle, description, and cover design. I researched key words and categories. I added the dedication to Cary and a copyright page, the inside title pages and the acknowledgements — and a couple of About pages.

Cover reveal

So here is the final cover:

Can you spot the typographical error?… I’ve decided to keep it there lol, at least for now. And also to give my inner perfectionist a chance to relax.

Going Wide, Going Global

I purchased a bundle of ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers) from Bowker and published the book as a paperback on Amazon, as a hard cover on Ingram Spark (which offers it to independent bookstores, libraries, and other retailers), and as an ebook on Draft2Digital.

The book is now available on a wide range of platforms all around the world. That’s cause for a celebration right there! No?

Draft2Digital offers a nice thing called a Universal Book Link on its sister platform Books2Read. Using one link, you can direct readers to get the book in all of its formats wherever they get books around the world. I’m slowly building those links… Here is the UBL for my book of love poems, Hold Me Tight.

Time & Money

This little poetry collection took six months to conceive and bring to this point. It’s been a labor of love! The main investment was my time and focus, which I borrowed from my loved ones a day at a time.

How Print on Demand Works

Print-on-demand publishing is free for authors who can create, edit and produce their own books and upload them. Only when someone orders the book is it printed/produced. The author sets the book’s price and receives royalties from any sales. There is no up front print cost.

Sharing Poetry

I’ve definitely been dragging my feet about sharing the book, even though I feel pretty good about its contents. As the lion in The Wizard of Oz said, “C-c-courage!”

Final Thoughts for Today

Though published, the book is still a work in progress.

I’ve barely touched the promo work that would have to be done for readers and the book to find each other.

I’ve learned so much, and there’s still a lot to learn.

Writing a love poem can lead to the permanent existence of a book of love poems for posterity, what’s left of it.

~ Nan

P.S. I made 4You a FREE pdf sampler of the poems in the book. Click here!

Nan’s “Triple M” Marbles Motivation Method

If you’re ever feeling lost or ungrounded, unproductive or stuck, burnt out or unmotivated, here’s what you can do:

Find your marbles*

*It doesn’t have to be marbles, it can be any collection of small things

How I found my marbles

I found the old marbles collection in a storage closet.

They’re just as pretty as ever!

Let’s use them to take action.

Put the marbles near your workspace.

Find a nice receptacle; I had this nice glass bowl that makes a nice clinking sound when I drop a marble into it.

Put the marbles and the receptacle in a central but personal location.

Here’s the formula: one thing equals one marble. Big thing equals big marble?

For example, in doing my morning routine, I pick out a marble and put it in the glass bowl for each small task.

Why???

To work on my bad morning habit. Over the years, I’ve tended to dive head first into my projects without taking care of life and limb first. Water, coffee, healthy food, washing, brushing, dressing, admin, and prepping for the day.

Yes, it can take this level of self help at times to make progress!

Having a solid morning routine moves me from getting out of bed to getting things done even on the days when I friggin don’t want to, on the days when I only have 40%, on the sunny days, on the rainy days. By the time I get through the routine, in my mind I’m ready to work.

The idea is to build small good habits and discontinue bad ones.

Sometimes I reward myself with a marble if I do NOT do something, e.g., if I’m trying to END a bad habit. This one can be a little tricky. It requires you to notice what isn’t there…

Tackling the to-do list.

Throughout the day, each task done gets a marble. Positive reinforcement works. You may be surprised to find what a little thing like a marble can do for you.

Before you know it, the bowl fills up!

What progress looks like?

What?? No marbles? What else might work

Use what you’ve got. Coins? Blocks? Hardware? Buttons? Friggin pasta? Things that build something? Things that clink when they drop? It doesn’t have to be a gazillion of them, either, just a few of something works. You can use a small bowl.

Here’s a 20-second mobile (vertical) video I posted on social media about my simple marbles formula. (Swanky jazz music added on each platform.)

Using this method has helped me work through countless projects, be on my game around the house, and take care of things generally.

It has also helped quiet my inner critic and be nicer to my inner child, who does well when she’s doing well. If that makes sense.

Heck, sometimes I walk by and pick out a marble and drop it in the bowl just because I need a little pick me up, dammit. I’ll think of something I did (or didn’t do) that deserves a marble.

Morning Sunshine: Blueberry Pancakes

Morning Sunshine video: Nan makes blueberry pancakes

I don’t always make breakfast, but when I do, I seem to want to make a video about it and set it to music haha!

This morning, it was blueberry pancakes.

How I made the video

While I was standing around, I took some quick pix and vids.

I sat down at the dining room table with my Motorola smartphone and logged into Canva to made a 20-sec mobile video (vertical short format for social media). I picked a cool mobile video template, uploaded a few of my own images and very short video segments, cropped and trimmed things up, and once happy with it, downloaded it to my phone.

One video segment of me having a bite of pancake took several takes, and even then I had to run it through an Instagram filter and download that. I was wearing no makeup and was basically still in my PJs…

I downloaded the video from Canva to my phone and then uploaded it to multiple platforms. In each platform, I added the same music: The Devil Went Down To Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band. (Can you guess why I used that song?) I found the right fiddle section of the song and adjusted the soundtrack accordingly.

I added in some hashtags by the seat of my pants, such as #morningroutine #blueberrytiktok but hashtags is definitely an area I could spend more time on researching for optimal discovery.

What am I trying to accomplish with this video?

I don’t know! Somebody please tell me haha!

No seriously, I’m trying to learn to make videos quickly and easily so that I can do it on the fly. In general, videos are great for SEO (search engine optimization) and engagement. Making pancakes tells a little story, and storytelling is great.

Put something out there and see what happens, that’s good feedback.

Specifically with this video, the idea is (1) to give viewers some inspiration for making a yummy quick breakfast with just a couple of ingredients, (2) to show my natural habitat so that people can get to know me, and (3) to put another video out there to see what works.

So how’s the video doing?

It varies by platform. It got immediate attention on TikTok. It’s also on YouTube and Instagram.

Sometimes it takes a while for a video’s views to shape up, but sometimes it takes off right away — or dies a quick but painful death lol. It’s good to see what works and what doesn’t.

So far, the people are liking blueberry pancakes, bagels with opera, poetry, how to start a fire, how to make a seasonal wreath, daylight savings time, St. Patrick’s Day parade, plein air painting, and promotional videos for my books.

“plein air” painting 101

How to prepare and what to expect

Here’s a carousel of images from a recent plein air painting session to give you a quick idea of how it goes (SWIPE)…

Plein Air Painting Tips:

• Look for plein air painting events near you.

• A great group leader orients the whole group, helps get each painter set up, monitors progress, does his/her own painting, and conducts a “crit session” in which artists give and get comments on the work created.

• Take the opportunity to meet other artists, introduce yourself, and enjoy interactions. You might even want to set up close enough to shoot the breeze with some people.

• Pack and test materials in advance being thoughtful about what you’ll need. Maybe make a list. Place everything in one place by the door.

• What you’ll need: at the very least a pad of paper, a writing instrument, a snack and an open mind. A step up from basic is a small portable set of colors be it markers, pencils, crayons, pastels or paints — with heavier paper. From there, you can get into the bigger paint sets, easels, canvas boards or canvases, etc.

• When you get to the location, find a view that speaks to you most. Begin to notice its features, contours, colors and proportions.

• Take some time to set up, look around, enjoy the moment, the anticipation, the mild but pleasing pressure to produce something.

• Do a sketch or two on paper.

• Follow your normal drawing or painting process.

• Remember, plein air painting is all about spontaneity, imperfection and discovery.

• Keep in mind time constraints.

• You can work on it more later.

• Listen for and consider comments of other artists, you may pick up some great tips for how to get better as a painter.

• Always be kind and constructive in your own comments.

• Bring a snack and beverage(s).

• Think about rest room vicinity.

  That is all, really. Have fun!

Press Release: Writer Invited to Earth Day Farmers Market To Sign New Climate Book

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, April 10, 2023

From: Great Peconic Communications, Inc.

Writer Invited to Earth Day Farmers Market To Sign New Climate Book

Grow Your Personal Climate Score with "100 Heroic Challenges for Saving the Planet (And Money Too)"

Long Island, New York -- "I'm starting to think we might actually have to save the planet in real life," says year round Long Island resident Nan Swett. Her new book, 100 HEROIC CHALLENGES FOR SAVING THE PLANET (And Money Too), is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves and others to take climate action, form better environmental habits, and join the race for net zero.

What's My “Personal Climate Score?”

"I asked myself, 'Self, what can I do as one person do to fight climate change?' Boy, there's a lot more I can do," said Swett. "I'm not going to lie. If I were to give myself a climate score from 1 to 100 based on the challenges in my book, there would be room for improvement for sure."

Visiting the Farmers Market on Earth Day Checks Off Multiple Climate Challenge Boxes

The public is invited to celebrate Earth Day (Challenge #31) by stopping by the Riverhead Farmers Market at the East End Food Hub in Riverhead, NY on April 22nd from 9am to 2pm. Swett will sign copies of her new book and demonstrate how to turn garments into planet billboards using fabric pens (Challenge #1). Check off more climate challenges by buying local, supporting green businesses, sharing your love of the planet with friends and family, and more.

"I'm grateful to the East End Food Hub for the good work it's doing and for inviting me to participate in this special Earth Day farmers market," said Swett.

Every Day Is Earth Day

100 Heroic Challenges for Saving the Planet (And Money Too) by NG Swett is available on Amazon.com in paperback (LINK > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSJLT9QG). The compact workbook-style paperback makes a great Earth Day gift or favor, and it's full of activities for every day, family homes, the office, a group or team of friends, schools, environmental organizations, school break, summer activities, and communities. It's portable, interactive, easy to understand, and culled from leading global environmental organizations and contemporary cultural sources.

About Nan Swett

Nan Swett is a prize winning story writer, the author of a forthcoming novel, and a multi-media marketing and public relations specialist. She lives year round on eastern Long Island with her husband, "The Incredible Mr. C." They have two grown children.