Sunshine Blogger Award nomination (III)

I am LATE. Capital L Late with this. So with much gratitude (and a bit of apology), I would like to give a shoutout to Joni Caggiano of Rum and Robots for the Sunshine Blogger Award nomination. Thank you! I started following Joni late last summer (or was it early autumn?) and it’s hard to narrow down to a few words what you will find on her blog. She is an extraordinarily gifted author, for one. Her prose and her poems alike are crafted with care and touch on many subjects.  I won’t go into all of it since many of them are her stories to tell. She is also a good photographer, a good singer, and all around nice person. It is a privilege to know her through WordPress and to get to read her stuff. 

Thank you again.

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post.
• Answer the 11 questions
• Nominate 11 new blogs.
• Ask the nominees 11 new questions.

 

Joni’s Questions

What was your initial motivation for starting your blog?

My initial motivation was just to write. I liked writing but hardly ever had time for it. I planned on the Unnecessary Blog being unnecessary: no set times, no set styles, just a whole lot of unnecessary content to flex the ol’ writing muscles.

After blogging for some time, did your initial motivation change, and if so, how?

I’d say yes, the motivation did change. During this last summer, I tried to make a habit of posting at least once a day.

The very first poem I posted to WordPress was previously on Blogger and had a religious slant to it (though it was still a personal story.) Outside of blogging, I write sermons, devotions, and papers on the regular. Posting about the grace of God on a platform called “Unnecessary” seemed wrong to me. At the same time, a lot of the secular content I post on here focuses on contradictory things anyway so I have posted some religious content.

I am currently thinking about another way to go about doing that, either by using my real name to post those particular articles and poems or possibly making an offshoot of the site where the name does not seem so out of place.

 If you were the leader of your own country, what would be the first thing you would change?

The first thing I would change is the leader of the country.

What historical figure do you admire the most and why?

I’m going to take an answer from another historical figure to answer the question.

⁶ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 

Romans 5:6-11 (NKJV)

When you need a break from your art form, what do you like to do most?

I’m not a particularly picky person when it comes to doing other things but when I’m doing those other things, I’m typically taking in what’s going on around me so that I can potentially put it to words later.

I do realize how pathetic that might sound, lol

Where would you like to retire if it could be anywhere in the world?

I hate to think about it, to be honest. Maybe I’m weird but I have always enjoyed working. If I have to retire from one job I hope I can find another job part time. Where? I don’t know. I’ve done country, small town, and city living. They all have their pluses and negatives.

Who am I kidding? Texas has it all 😁

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Can you practice your art form when there are distractions, or are you able to tune them out?

Sometimes I thrive on distractions. Sometimes I make the distractions. I guess it depends what I’m working on.

Who do you go to when you want an honest opinion about your work?

Again, it depends what I’m working on. If I’m writing a sermon or paper, my peers are an obvious go to. If I’m writing fiction of any sort, be it a story or poem, C. E. will always give me an honest opinion. Other than those specific few, the good bloggers of WordPress will hopefully keep me in check and tell me if something is garbage or not.

What are your habits when you are working on a piece of art? Do you like to snack, drink coffee or alcohol, listen to music, etc.?

I’m drinking some French pressed coffee and listening to Patty Loveless as I write this particular post. I’ll occasionally have some whiskey or a beer while writing and I’ll listen to just about any type of music (except for a majority of modern country music.) Older country music (40’s and 50’s mostly), Tchaikovsky (usually other works not entitled “the Nutcracker” or “1812 Overture”), and Muse (go figure) are usually involved in any fiction story I write.

Who has influenced you the most in your predominant art form?

I sound like a broken record at this point but . . . It depends 🤪 If we’re talking about poetry, the influence is all around. It’s everyone. It’s all the bloggers on this site. My favorite poetry is cowboy poetry and I couldn’t mimic that style if I tried (also, I have never worked on a ranch in my life.) It’s everyday interactions that influence my writings the most.

How do you balance work, family, and blogging?

Now we’re full circle with the questions and answers. The good thing about an unnecessary blog is that it is unnecessary to upkeep (and I have had days where I haven’t written anything or got around to reading all the posts from writers I follow.) I am often a poor steward of my time though so sometimes I should set it aside and don’t. Family is always a top priority (blood or not) and as previously mentioned, I like my job. If I successfully keep the balance, then blogging is just a hobby (though don’t let that answer fool you; I appreciate each and every one of you. If you ever need anything just let me know, be it on the Contact page or elsewhere.)

 

My Questions

1. If you could live in a fictional world (from a book, movie, etc), which one would you choose?

2. You get to co-author a book with anyone, living or dead. Who is it?

3. Would you say your writing reflects who you are completely or does it offer only glimpses of who you are?

4. What is the best environment to write in?

5. What is your preferred way of listening to music (live? digitally? records? 8 tracks?) Any particular reason why?

6. Do dated references (for example, reading about an 8 track player in 2020) make, break, add, or detract from a story?

7.  Truth or dare?

8. Where is the best place to be?

9. Do you consider blogging to be a necessary part of your life or day-to-day activities?

10. Are you organized or disorganized when it comes to your living or work space and your time?

11. When you write on WordPress, are you writing what you want to write or what you think will be beneficial for others to read? Is there an overlap?

 

My nominations:

Speaking of overlap . . .

Any previous nominations I have made for the Sunshine Blogger Award or for any other award for that matter: congrats! You are still nominated. One of the bloggers I was going to add has since deleted their blog. I’m sure they know who they are and if you’re reading this, I hope all is well with you.

I’ve had the chance to read some stuff from some new faces as well. I have greatly enjoyed the content they share on here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too. They are:

George Ellington @ Gaelic Dreams

Helen Qin @ Confessions of a Doctor to be

SeekSolaceinWords @ Unapologetic

Anupriya @ Anupriya Indites

Brother’s Campfire

S. Marcel @ louiethebrave

 

I have made a few glaring omissions in the past as well 😐 A few of the writers I couldn’t fit into previous posts include:

Anastasia @ living in verses

Matt @ Jesusluvsall

Betul Erbasi @ To Write or not to Write and What to Write

A Mermaid’s Pen

 

I’m sure I’ve still missed a few. Feel free to call me out on it. I have the memory of a goldfish so you’ll have to forgive me. Or not. My apologies either way.

 

Once more, a big thank you to Joni for the nomination. Everyone should check out her blog, the previous nominees, and the nominees I listed above. They are all worth checking out.

Have an excellent day and God bless! –the real C. D.