There might be some of you out there wondering, where did Sabrina go? Why isn’t she sharing as many photographs of art that she’s creating? Or promoting the latest Paint and Sip event. Where’s the art? Bring back the art!

I’ll tell you… because NaNoWriMo is coming!

Friends and family who know me really well, expect me to pretty much drop off the face of the planet on November first. Why? Because for the past decade I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month, a month long challenge to try and write 50,000 words (or more) in just 30 Days. The point of the challenge is to get people who’ve been thinking for years that they’d like to write a novel to actually sit down and attempt to write one.

Now, at this point some of you might be thinking… Aren’t you an artist? What’s this with the writing?

First and foremost, I AM an artist and writing is just another form of art but instead of creating imagery using line and paint and paper, I use language and words. To me, writing and art are two sides of the same coin. I’ve always been an avid reader and I always liked the idea of maybe writing a novel. In 2008, I stopped thinking about writing a novel and actually wrote one. Being my first ever attempt, the final result wasn’t very good and still needs a lot of editing and work, and you won’t find it in any bookstore or library anytime soon, but after my first NaNoWriMo, I fell in love with creative writing.

Every year since I’ve participated in the challenge with varying degrees of success, all though I’ve yet to put The End to any other writing project after the first but that’s okay. The point is that I keep writing, and I keep challenging myself to sit down and try to organize the random jumble of thoughts and ideas into a cohesive thread that will someday become a book that you could go out and purchase and read for yourselves.

So, why have I gone dark when it’s not November yet? It wasn’t my intention but this week I’ve gotten sucked deep into preparations for my novel project next month. As of yet, I don’t have a writing method or style to boast of, but one of the way I do like to prepare for NaNo is to work out some of the character development and backstory to a novel as a way of getting my head into the world I’m about to create. This past week that world grabbed my attention and inspiration in a big way and it’s actually been a challenge to not jump into the story before the event begins. (Not that it really matters when I start because it not an official contest where you win prizes and can be disqualified, but I tend to be pretty set in following the spirit of the challenge.)

What does this whole writing challenge mean for the art?

Well, hopefully it doesn’t change a thing when it comes to art creation and work. I intend on going into the studio every day and working on the projects I have going and maybe even starting some new projects. Art and writing come from the same place in my brain and imagination, but some projects can take over and demand a lot of time and attention. So, during the month of November, my intention is to continue creating art but I’m giving myself room to prioritize the writing should the words demand my undivided attention. I will still be hosting Paint and Sip events, I will still post works in progress, and people are still free to stop by the studio and visit with me when they find themselves on Main Street.

I’ll leave you with one last note… if any of you have ever, in the back of your mind, thought there was a story you wanted to write but never took the time to attempt, this is your time! It sound intimidating, I know, but the only thing you need to do in order to write a novel is to sit down and write.