DIY
Pet Care, Earthworm Habitats, Memorization Tips, and Art Projects
Happy one-month anniversary to The DIY Diaries
The best free advice comes from those with practical experience of their topic(s). I appreciate how the authors who have sent work to The DIY Diaries have thoughtfully combined stories about their own completed projects with ideas that show the reader how to take on similar projects for themselves.
I also appreciate the variety of topics that writers have been sharing in their work here. It inspires me to think about the different things that I might also do myself with some research and practice.
This past week I received work from three writers who are new to The DIY Diaries and two who have published here before. Thank you to everyone who sent work! I think as you scroll on you’ll agree that there’s a nice and varied selection of stories to read.
This post marks the end of our first month on Medium, and I hope to continue sharing work through this publication for many months to come.
Mona S Gable published her first-ever Medium story in our publication, which I take as a great compliment. This story will resonate with any of us who have faced challenges in caring for our animal friends during the pandemic as Mona explains her resourcefulness in learning to do important IV treatments for her dog at home.
On a very different topic, Amanda Jean describes her step-by-step process of making a special gift for some friends who were grieving. She used the tools on two different websites to create an artistic print on canvas that turned out really well and was affordable, too. Amanda is a newer writer to Medium, so be sure to check out her page as she shares about parenting, self-development, and more.
I’m a regular and enthusiastic reader of the posts of artist and author J.R. Spiers, so it’s a special treat that he and his chickens have shared a post with us with a DIY activity for kids (of all ages) who want to learn more about earthworms. If you aren’t yet reading Mr. Spiers, please do because you’ll learn a lot about art and life — and his backyard chickens. He also edits Love Looks Like This, where writers share the work of other Medium writers they admire.
Another of my favorite artists and writers, Ali, shared a story this week of how the process of painting a beautiful and colorful kingfisher helped her to learn more about the workings of watercolor paint. I’ve been enjoying the series of posts Ali has shared here as they give us a window into how we can mindfully grow as new artists through study, practice, reflection, and more practice.
By the way, did you know that April is National Poetry Month? I feel like every month is poetry month, but it’s nice to see the special recognition and publicity for the art of poetry. MW Mercer is a poet who not only writes poems but performs spoken word and Slam poetry, and he has put together a truly useful article for anyone who wants to learn more about how to memorize poems or any other texts. He presents a three-step process with lots of examples from his own experience. As someone who has also memorized poems, I can strongly recommend his ideas.
I’ve been writing poetry every day to celebrate National Poetry Writing Month, and I’m sharing the poems I write on Medium. I decided to include one of my poems in The DIY Diaries because it turned out to be a poem about how my mom has become a plant expert through her research in books and online, and by growing more and more indoor and outdoor plants over the last few years. Maybe the DIY poem can become a new genre…
Thanks for reading this, and please remember that you’re invited to send work to The DIY Diaries anytime. Just let me know in the comments if you’d like to be added as a writer. I’m happy to see the publication grow to explore the DIY theme in new and different ways, looking at a variety of topics.
Please do consider sharing your stories of making, creating, doing, learning, and reflecting. I’d love to read them, and I know others would, too. Please also consider following The DIY Diaries if you haven’t yet.
Thanks again!
