What Is Double Dipping?
Both Lens Artists # 181 and Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this month have promoted double dipping. That is, they posted photos that linked to another photo challenge as well as their own. I list other challenges that inspire my post each week with WQW, but today I invite you to double dip intentionally.
Thank you so much to Donna Connolly of Retirement Reflections, KL Caley of New2Writing and Kirstin Troyer of Loving Life for sharing their time and talent. Thank you all for voting.
Featured Bloggers for …
Your friendships mean so much. Thank you all for joining in.
- CATH’S CAMERA
- HAMMAD RAIS
- LADY LEE MANILA
- LADYSIGHS
- LOVING LIFE
- LIFE AFTER 50 FOR WOMEN
- SECOND WIND LEISURE (SUNDAY STILLS & FRIDAY FITNESS)
IT’S EASY TO PLAY ALONG WITH #WQW
This weekly writing challenge runs from Wednesday through Tuesday. The only rule is to use a quote. If you want to participate, create a pingback to link your post. Not sure how to do that? See how to create pingbacks here. Be sure to link to the most recent post, not my page. I don’t see links to my page.
#WQW #4 – Topic: Word of the Year or Writer’s Choice
“The most popular choices for Word of the Year in 2021 were Balance, Focus, Brave, Growth, Simplify, and Gratitude.”
Christine Luken
Other Challenges Inspiring this Post
- WHAT’S ON YOUR BOOKSHELF? Debbie – Deb’s World, Donna –Retirement Reflections, Jo – And Anyways, Sue – Women Living Well After Fifty
- CMMC: Pick any topic in my photo
- ODD BALL
- 2022 Word of the Year Link Party
“Selecting a word for your year helps you focus on something important, which is why I do it.”
Christine Luken
5 STEPS TO FIND YOUR WORD FOR 2022
- Write a paragraph visualizing the new you by the end of the year.
- Highlight words that evoke positive emotions.
- Read about other people’s words, like Debbie’s 2021 Word-of the Year – BOLD.
- Read lists if you are stuck.
- Pick one word and write about how it relates to creating a new pattern for your life.
STEP 1-2: A PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE NEW ME
In the year 2022, I see myself becoming healthy and more active in a way that is doable for me. Maybe I will be able to hike longer distances, climb more difficult terrains, e-bike, and kayak. I hope so. Maybe I’ll look up yoga exercises on YouTube and do them in my living room. I’ve moved my computer to the counter where I can stand and an exercise ball at my desk in my office instead of a chair. So, I have options when I blog. I have a lap desk when I need to recline and when I want a chair, I sit at the table where I can talk to Vince. I fill my water glass three times to make sure I drink 64 oz of water a day.
Though it takes discipline, I see myself curating my time to spend more time developing skills, reading, writing, and traveling. With thanksgiving to God for giving me another year, I want to spend meaningful time appreciating my family and giving back to the Prescott and my blogging communities.
Step 5: My WORD for 2022: CURATOR
I read someone else’s post who chose the word curator, and it stuck a cord with me.
A Little Research about Curators
I was on the committee to find a new museum curator for the Tulare County Museum several years ago. The many responsibilities that a curator has impressed and stayed with me. A few years later I was part of the founding of the Woodlake Valley Cultural Museum but not one of the curators.
In my position as the county history consultant, I traveled around the country and visited many museums bringing back sometimes unwelcome ideas. LOL
Curators do more than organize the mess that is dumped on the doorstep of the museum, though I’m sure there is some of that. Here is a list from the Princeton Review on Careers explaining some of what a curator does.
- Acquire, store, and exhibit collections
- Select the theme and design of exhibits
- Develop or set up exhibit materials
- Design, organize, or conduct tours and workshops to educate the public
- Attend meetings and civic events to promote the institution
- Write grants and participate in fundraising to support and expand the museum.
A Sampling from the Wickenburg Cowboy Museum
Most museum curators hold at least a bachelor’s degree in art, history, or museum studies. Some hold PhDs if they work at a national museum.
Museums are not the only use of curators. Music curators get paid to listen to music and create playlists that people will enjoy – like the DJs of old.
“…It’s actually someone’s job to choose the songs you hear when you buy your morning coffee or listen to a playlist on your way to work? That’s right, it isn’t any old random mix of music! It’s been cleverly designed by music curators…”
Music Gateway
How Curating Might Benefit My Life in 2022
I never defined what I do as a blogger, but I’m a curator and you are too. At first blogging was an experiment to see if anyone would read the random thoughts and photos I published. Over the years I took classes on writing, photography and blogging and began to see a purpose for my blog. I was beginning to become a curator. It is easy to imagine much of my effort as curator will go into my blog this year.
Brief plans for curating my blog.
I want my blog to reflect the beauty I see in the world around me. It should be organized, educational, and have easy to locate posts. The 1400+ posts need to be brough up to date or discarded. My blog should include regular poetry, photos and regular participation in many challenges. My forty thousand + photos need to be stored and curated in one location and duplicated in the cloud, tagged with key words, and easy to find at the drop of a hat.
Developing Skills – Including Challenges
Blogging helps me tell my stories. While curating my photos, I finally broke down and took Geek Squad an external hard drive that didn’t work with my computer. I’ve been curating since I got it back a week ago.
On it I was elated to find my 2013 Indianapolis pictures. The second house is the last place we lived before moving to Portland. The street is where we lived before that. In 1958 when we moved into our new house, Broadmoor Plaza had no or new planted trees! It had been a corn field. My brother, Randy and I barely recognized it.
The final house belonged to my grandparents. Being a first grandchild, Grandma Golda and Grandpa Bud. I spent hundreds of happy hours there until I started school and had to stay home.
These photos support Cee’s CMMC Challenge. The captions on each picture tell how I think they relate.
Beyond Blogging into Life
A Life Curator
What about my life? Do I need a curator? To manage the decor at my house so friends see more than a cluttered collection of old stuff. To create a theme for my life. Attend meetings, trainings, and promote myself? What about my life? Do I need a curator? To cull activities that promote my well-being, more time with family. Like more exercise, fewer jigsaw puzzles, more books, less television? To organize the storage rooms filled with everyone's treasures and create artistic displays. What about my life? Do I need a curator? To make informed decisions about health care, medications, doctors, nutritious meals. To keep me mobile, energetic, active. To inform me, continue my learning, and stay dynamic. Wanted: one well-educated curator who loves art and history. Must have the ability to promote Needs to eliminate harmful influences, choose staff and personal relationships wisely. Needs to be open to new ideas, while finding purposes for old ones. Must be able to write. Yes, I need a curator to make wise and artistic choices. The exhibit of my life must be dynamic, educational, and well-traveled. Being my life-curator sounds like just the job for me. free verse ©Marsha Ingrao 2021
“Things start as hopes and end up as habits.”
— Lillian Hellman
To be a true word of the year, the power and influence of my chosen word should extend into my whole life. Curating to me is an active word. Rather than passively letting opportunities come my way, I actively seek out what I think will add meaning, safety, educational, and artistic value to my life. A curator is a manager and also an artist, creating exhibits for others to enjoy.
Managing and organizing is a task I do well, but I often use makeshift methods. This year I purchased containers that would keep items organized, which in the past I might have considered frivolous. The next step might be not to purchase so many items that have to be organized, or to toss things I don’t need or use. I tend to hold onto items because they are there. I want to be more of an artistic curator around my home (and my blogging home).
My sister-in law is an excellent curator of her refrigerator. She buys on a budget, cooks, bakes, freezes, stores, and keeps track of every meal. Her refrigerator looks nearly empty, yet she always has something nutritious to eat and something to offer anyone who stops by. I admire that. Instead of “What’s On Your Plate?” she could host, “What’s in Your Fridge or Closet, or Drawers?” You get the idea! I’ll go there another day!
The artistic part I’m going to have to continue to develop! More lessons, please, Cee! I’m also working on my cooking. What’s on my plate? Beautiful healthy salad.
This year I have been challenged by several bloggers to read more. I am getting in gear to participate in What’s On Your Bookshelf, mentioned above, on a regular basis. Challenges help me curate my blogging so that I post with intentionality to support not just myself but other bloggers. Many bloggers like my friend Terri from Second Wind Leisure and Natalie the Explorer’s Coffee Share are experts at curating their blogs to support many challenge hosts and those who respond to them as well.
I have started curating my reading with books written by participants of Story Chat, the Writing Event that I host each month. So far this year I have read Doug Jacquier’s new book, Raving and Wryting: Bite-sized low wit for our desperate times. Order information on Amazon world-wide.
Those are my thoughts on my word of the year.
Now it’s your turn.
Tell us about your word of the year or choose any topic this week. Thanks so much for stopping by and having fun with quotes.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
Your babbling is music to my ears. Please leave a comment!