52 Postcards for 2015

One of my goals for 2015 is to send a letter or postcard every week. Last year I sent lots of mail, most of it wedding related, and I miss putting stamps on envelopes and writing to my friends and family, so this little project will make sure I get it done. 

So far I have sent a few birthday cards, but there doesnt really have to be an occasion to send mail, right? I also hope to practice writing some actual letters. And now that I know how to make an envelope liner, I should do that more often as well. 

Would you like to receive mail from me? Just comment on this post with your address (unless you know I already have it) and you will get something pretty in your mailbox some time this year! Writing back is no requirement, but it would make me happy.

PS. If you prefer vintage letters (in Spanish) you can get yours from Etsy seller Blue Grizzle Paper.

A year of crayons and water-colors

YWAM Norway publishes the mission magazine "Mot Målet" five times a year. I am one of the contributers, and in this issue you can read my article "Eit år med fargestiftar tell", about Jan Willem, a Dutch illustrator who kept a drawing diary for a year.

There are many other great articles too, and good photos if you can´t read Norwegian. This is the first issue available online, and you can also get a free subscription to your mailbox by signing up here. 

The Case for Christianity

I have almost finished reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Though the book is based on a series of radio talks from 1942-44, I am astonished by its relevance in 2013. As a basic introduction to Christian faith, it covers topics that are the same for our age, like faith, hope, relationships, charity, and the nature of God.

This article in Relevant Magazine asks who will be the next great writer, the theologian for our generation. I agree that we need authors who can express principles of our belief and place them in the context of our culture, and at the same time we can cherish the work of the good old ones. In other words: read this book. And if you can write, then write!

PS. Illustration by Baylee Hart.  She has lots more great art and hand lettering on her site. None for sale yet, but you can enjoy looking at it still.

Words that make you think

Today I am thankful that I can read and write. Pretty basic, but during this writer's seminar I have been thinking of what I want to write about. Yes, I enjoy looking at pictures of pretty dresses and interesting interiors, but I can scroll through hundreds of them and not have anything to really take away with me. Some writers are different though, they are authors that make me read, pause, re-read and ponder the words on the page. Words that make me think, urge me to look at my own thoughts and actions with a critical eye, and hopefully spur me into action. I want to write like that too. Not to say I will stop posting about cooking or music, and maybe this idea isn't for my blog at all. 

Ann Voskamp is one of those that make me think, her blog is based on her life with her family on a farm. This is her goal for her writing, in her own words: "I keep writing it out here everyday, the words I am seeking to live — about this wondrously messy, everyday-holy life…. about slowing to see the sacred in the chaos, about finding the beauty and quiet." I can highly recommend her writing, if you want words that make you think. 



Picture source, found via Pennyweight

A beginners introduction to the life and art of Edvard Munch

"Solen" by Edvard Munch

I think I could write some sort of literary piece on Edvard Munch. In 2006 I took a university class on mr. Munch, and considering the amount of literature I read and the papers I wrote, I think I could compile at least a short article of sorts on this man´s life. If you are interested in art, you might be disappointed by this misleading title, the rest of you are probably fine with not spending your evening reading about this remarkable man, as this paragraph is all I will write on this subject.

Currently I am sitting outside the dining hall at Restenäs, one of the YWAM centers in Sweden. I am here  to attend a writer´s seminar by Janice Rogers. She is the sister of Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM (perhaps you remember when I met him, in this very place about 1,5 years ago?), and has co-written several of his books.

Part of our homework tonight was to think of our Writers Platform: what are topics we could write about? It can be something that interests you, you could be educated for it, or perhaps you are terrible at this subject and would be the best one to explain it to others who struggle as well. Well, I could write about Edvard Munch. What about you?