Dancing Naked

I Won!

Yes, I am a Liebster Award nominee! What does that mean? Well, it means that one of my fellow bloggers thought enough about me to nominate my blog for the Liebster Award.

So what is the Liebster Award and what is it doing on my blog? The Liebster Award concept is like a pay it forward kudos to small bloggers. As I was researching this award, I saw that there are several minimum follower numbers going around, but one thing stays the same. A fellow blogger has read my blog and thought enough of me as a writer and my blog to nominate me for this. I have to say that I was more than a little blown over by it. Here’s why.

I believe that I am a good writer. I mean my college instructors always say so and I receive a lot of praise for my writing. But, as it seems with most artists (yes, writers are very much artists), we are our own worst critics. I read so many other people and think, “Wow, they are really good!” And I fall into the trap of they-are-so-much-better-than-I-am mind.

There are times when I am almost too afraid to share what I have written. What if they don’t like it? What if it sounds stupid? What if – what if – what if!

This year I am changing all that, and this award is the impetus for that change. Receiving this from Tess Bartlett at Whisperings of the Mind, the one who nominated me, gave me the courage to say, “Hell, yeah! I’m a writer!” And since Tess was so kind to nominate me, other blogs have invited me to write as a guest blogger. My poetry written under a pen name is being published in February, with royalties, and I have received a writing gig for a lingerie company in Arizona – paid writing gig.

This blog, Dancing Naked, has taken a life of its own since I started it. I didn’t start out very committed to it and wrote sporadically. Last year, I started a five day a week blogging journey in which I played a random song from my music playlist and wrote my emotional response to the song. That journey was painful and ecstatic at the same time. I grew so much because I was forced to really take a look at the deep, dark emotions and fears that were buried inside.

And now, as 2015 has taken hold, my writing is changing – for the better, I think. I have changed the name somewhat to Dancing Naked from the Heart. That is what this blog is all about. Being open, raw, and vulnerable to share my innermost fears and thoughts with my readers, because somewhere in there, we have all felt the same. Somewhere and sometime, we all have wanted to become better, become our true selves, become what we know in our hearts we were meant to be.

As I look at what has happened since 2015 started, I am certain I am on the right path – maybe I should say the write path. I am so honored to be a Liebster Award nominee and to be able to share with my readers a little more of myself. I share what I feel deep inside with the intent that someone somewhere out there feels the same, and maybe, just maybe, I can make some small difference in someone’s life.

Oh, and to Tess! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my own personal growth!

For those bloggers I nominate, here are the rules. Remember, this is a pay it forward award that recognizes smaller blogs and lets the world know they exist. So, here is how the Liebster Award works:

1)  Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

2) Acknowledge and link back to the person who nominated you.

3) Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.

4) Share 11 random facts about yourself.

5) Give your nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post about the Liebster Award.

Here are my nominees! I do have a confession. There are a couple that are just over the minimum 200, but they are amazing bloggers and need to be shared. And there is one that is brand new, but he is such a good writer that he deserves to be noted. So here are my nominees. I hope you visit their blogs, read, enjoy, follow, and share! You won’t regret it! I nominate:

Z. Budapest https://zbudapest.wordpress.com/

Wolf Soul https://reflectionsofawolfsoul.wordpress.com/

May https://maydesertflower.wordpress.com/

Jyoti http://jcisnowjs.com/

Emma http://emmawrightsblog.com/

Nam Joti http://spiritualallegory.com/

Jeremy https://jeremymartinson.wordpress.com/

Linda https://ommons.wordpress.com/

K.L. https://secretlydeviant.wordpress.com/

Ruben http://torturedcyclone.blogspot.com

Shae https://shaevere.wordpress.com/

And here are the questions for my nominees –

1)         What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

2)         If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3)         Why do you write?

4)         What makes you sing and dance with joy?

5)         What color describes you best and why?

6)         What does love mean to you?

7)         What is your hidden talent?

8)         What is the one thing that few people know about you?

9)         What does family mean to you?

10)       What stops you from being your best?

11)       You were just given one million dollars. What is the first thing you would do?

Tess Bartlett asked these questions of me, and here are my answers:

1)         What did you want to be when you were a child?

My strongest desire when I was a little girl was to be a concert pianist first and an award winning writer and artist second.

2)         What makes your heart and soul sing?

My heart and soul sings when I create art and poetry. While I love blogging and writing stories, my passion and love are painting and poetry. What especially gives me joy is creating a piece of artwork and writing a poem that evokes the emotions within the painting. I am singing at the top of my lungs with that!

3)         What is your favorite topic to write/blog about?

My favorite topic to write about are personal thoughts and wisdom learned through experience in my own life and sharing how I overcame tremendous obstacles to arrive where I am today.

4)         If you could do one thing every day until the day you died what would it be?

There is only one thing that hit my mind, and that is write! Whether it is a short story, writing a novel, but most of all writing poetry, I must do this every day of my life.

5)         What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear in my life is not having love! I love with my whole heart, and to not feel that kind of love myself, frankly, terrifies me.

6)         How do you overcome fear?

Ah, overcoming fear! Well, the only way I know to overcome a fear is to write about it, and write and write and write. Write about every little deep, dark emotion and thought until it’s all written out of my mind.

7)         What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity? I truly believe that each and every moment of our lives are spent creating. Each thought in our mind creates our world outside of us. Being a creative, to me, is also about taking those fears, emotions, and feelings and turning them into art, music, words, or a combination of all three, of some sort of fashion, and sharing it with others.

8)         What does home mean to you?

Home is where I feel safe and protected. Home is a place, either physical or not, where my heart feels safe and cared for. I can be by myself or with someone else, but if I’m safe, cared for, and protected, I’m home.

9)         If you had to pick one word to describe how you intend to be in 2015 what would it be?

One word for my beingness in 2015? BE!

Yep, just BE. I spend so much time doing this and that, and I forget sometimes to just be. So, while I am creating in 2015, I will BE!

10)       If you could travel somewhere tomorrow where would it be, and why?

My dream has always been to travel to France and explore the countryside. I would love to stay in a country chateau and spend the time painting and writing and photographing. That would be heaven!

11)       What is your secret talent?

My secret talent? I love to sing. In fact, I sang a lot when I was younger and was considered very good. I have always wanted to have my own band and sing in coffee houses. Oh, I also play the piano, used to play the guitar, and play the Native American flute. So, playing music and singing – not too many know about that.

And last, 11 random facts about myself!

Fact #1 – I sang when I was a teenager with a traveling youth gospel group, Up With People. I even played the guitar and wrote music.

Fact #2 – I was considered a child prodigy at the age of 10 as a pianist and was offered an audition at Julliard. Mom and Dad said no. They just couldn’t see to move to New York if I was accepted.

Fact #3 – I once planned to run away from home to San Francisco when I was 14. My bags were packed and my plans made. Well, somewhat. At least to get to the bus station and buy my ticket.

Fact #4 – I love two flowers, roses – all kinds – and camellias! I love them both and if I could, I would have them all over my house, on every table.

Fact #5 – My dream home is a cottage by the ocean. It has to be on the West Coast high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. And I have to have a path so I can walk down to the ocean – not to swim, but to just sit and look and think and write!

Fact #6 – I sing like I mean it when I’m driving by myself in the car. Yep, I’m that crazy lady you see at stop lights rocking out to a great song. That is one time I have absolutely no inhibitions.

Fact #7 – I love being alone at home. I don’t like being alone so much as I like being able to do what I want and when I want without feeling like I’m neglecting anyone or anything.

Fact #8 – I have always wanted a nose job. Yep, I have a prominent nose, and even though I am not as self-conscious about it as when I was younger, I would have plastic surgery for a slightly smaller nose in a heartbeat.

Fact #9 – I want to have my own band and sing Stevie Nicks covers, and Bonnie Raitt covers, and blues and Nina Simone covers. Hell, I just wanna sing like I’m in my car!

Fact #10 – I love to photograph things and people and would love to spend time doing just that. There is nothing like getting that great shot of a sunset, a person caught in an intimate moment or in pensive thought, an animal being itself, a flower just opening – catching the emotion of something on camera is happiness.

Fact #11 – I am shy by nature, even though it doesn’t seem like it. When I meet someone new or I’m in a crowd of people I don’t know well, I tend to stay back and watch the interactions. I’m really good at reading people, and I tend to navigate to only one or two to which I resonate.

Final Thoughts –

I cannot wait to read what my nominees say about themselves. And I cannot wait to read comments from my readers as well.

To my readers? Thank you! Thank you for staying with me through the years of my journey here and my growth! Thank you for continuing to read what I have to say and liking it!

And most of all – always dance naked from your heart!