As readers know I live month to month and have concerns about finally building a settled life in my new city.
As anyone familiar with my writing knows I specialize not just in essays, but in poetry, short and micro-short (100-200 words) stories and humor, as well as investigative-type stories, commentary, inspirations, reviews and more.
Was I born to write?
I don't pretend to know, I only know I've always been a creative writer, from my school days writing my earliest little story about a childhood friend, & doing school projects, and book reports, then creative Star Trek stuff in my teens, & 20's.
I've been growing as a creative writer since 1998 when, after a decade, I found my first new way of creative expression, through my cat, Nikita, online.
From cats, cooking, cycling and genealogy, to humor, inspiration, news, politics and more I have shared my writing on 5 blogs, 2 still active.
“It takes a heap of sense to write good nonsense” - Mark Twain
One of my favorite writers is Mark Twain, and not just because of Tom & Huck. I had read some of his short stories and quotes, in my youth and later, becoming inspired in my own creativity, but when I read a biography and learned he was a devoted lover of cats, having 11 in the household at one point (Photo 1 and Photo 2)....
Just as cats are a part of his writing, he rode and wrote about bicycles, too. :-D
A year or so ago I purchased the Everyman's Library volume MARK TWAIN: The Complete Short Stories because I wanted to explore more of his writing than I'd ever been able to before.
In his intro to the book Adrian Gopnik wrote of how the likes of James Thurber, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin share something with the "Father of American Literature" and one of America's greatest humorists.
As a fan of them all I am more and more understanding the truth of this observation the more of his work I read.
My mad creativity has many inspirations and, from Richard Armour and Groucho to Twain and Weird Al, the list is varied.
Gopnik wrote: "the shorter Twain provides a reader's baptism in two kinds of courage - Twain's stories give you some of the bravery you need to write from your own talk and experience, and some of the courage it takes to say just what you think about all that you see."
That's me and my "writing cats", too.
Now, as 2014 heads into Fall, I am hopeful of finding new ways to put my creativity to use, and reach a new audience via not just more writing, but local open mics and self-publishing and other ideas.
Did you know that Houston parks have "Free Speech Areas"? Me neither.
Was I born to be a writer?
Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write From the Heart, says there is a part of writing that's divine, connecting us with a greater authority than ourselves.
God? The universe? The individual muse?
Whatever it is we are all born with THAT he says.
The promise, he believes, of this, is that we can learn to tap into our creative potential at any point in our lives, trusting that the WORD lives in us.
I am realizing that, ever since 1998, I have been on an ongoing, ever evolving, journey, what one of my longest online friends, an editor, calls the "transition of Kiril in the paper world to the e-Kiril or i-Kiril of the Internet".
If I, at age 54, dare to claim this prize, then I can build my creative dreams.
"From the moment Houston was founded, the limits of what’s possible here were forever defined.
The first domed stadium, the first word heard from the moon, the first artificial heart transplant (the first promotion of cat blogging to a mass, national & international, audience - Kiril) – all were achieved from that spirit of endless possibilities.
Today, that spirit is alive and well, and there’s no limit to what Houston has to offer for those who want the American dream and are willing to work hard for it." -- The Greater Houston Partnership's "City With No Limits Campaign".
"Houston is where I decided to make my life. The partnership is right; there are no limits if you keep your eye on the ball. Houston is amazing. The same city that elects an openly gay, socially liberal woman as mayor, and a city council that looks like the cast from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (the road company) is home to a Tea Party ultra conservative who just may be our state's next lieutenant governor...and potholes so deep you can practically see China. Or the Indian Ocean, for you geography majors...I can't think of a better place to live."
Ken Hoffman, columnist for the Houston Chronicle (June 6, 2014) -
("Here's a Better Way to Sell Houston...Show Normal Houstonians")
It was the better job market, much cheaper rent ($400 cheaper, believe it or not) and cost of living that helped me choose to move here...plus it wasn't California, and is a haven for creative individuals of all sorts, from Beyonce to Laurence Simon, pet bloggers to humorists, poets and writers of all sorts, artists to singers and filmmakers.
It promised to be a place where I could start fresh, after 2 difficult years, personally, creatively, and jobwise.
September marks 2 years since my arrival and 1 year since I got my job as a cashier at Walmart (also 1 yr. since the birth of my cat Miss Sneakers!); life has not been easy during those years, especially medically, as this blog has chronicled.
My chance of paying my rent on time for September is dismal, as my recent promotion to FT and a raise won't take effect until later in the month and I might not get my $100 check from Purina/HEB, for my recent blog post, until then either. I will be well short of what I need and late fees will just make things worse (I could be evicted by the 8th if rent & late fees are not paid, though my lease talks of a $75 1st day late + $15 a day after for up to 15 days).
As much as I'd like to relocate to a cheaper apartment ($200 cheaper if possible), closer to work, I can't even afford to do more than begin a search before giving 2 months notice).
Beyond that there is the need to add $ to my bus card and making sure I get cat food and litter....We were just told at work that there has been a dress code change to where we can have a 2nd outfit option, if we choose (white polo and black pants, even cargo pants, and the return of the vest, it appears), effective in Sept..
Hell, I still can't even get a much needed new pair of shoes so the new outfits will have to wait.
The streets and sidewalks of Houston have potholes, the transit system is an outdated mess trying to re-invent itself for a new century and the bike trail system is a creative work in progress...in other words, there is a long way to go to compete with what I left behind in SoCal.
There are no hills and mountains and, visiting the beach (when I can finally manage it) means riding my bike for miles from the nearest bus stop... and that's just if I want to visit the Kemah Boardwalk! Reaching Galveston is a whole 'nother matter. My visit to the San Jacinto Monument and it's tiny patch of beach doesn't count.
Despite not having been able to explore Houston and Harris County like I'd hoped, attend my new church (2nd Baptist - Woodway) on a regular basis due to work schedules, since joining last Fall,, or develope a social life, among other things...I am growing to like the place, warts and all.
The pet shelter and rescue community is an active one, even if I appear to be the only cat blogger in town (a friend holds down the fort in Spring, though!) and bicyclists are everywhere, even if far too many of them don't have a clue about safe cycling and think Critical Mass is cool.
The writing community, from bloggers and journalists, to novelists, poets and writers of all sorts, has a long, distinguished, history here; The Creative Writing program at the University of Houston has long been one of the best in the nation, Houston finally has a Poet Laureate and an active, varied, poetic community with a festival, slams and open mics (if I can ever find them and find time to attend!), as well as workshops, magazines, new & used bookstores (with readings events) and publishers, led by InPrint Houston.
Houston Poetry Fest & First Friday Reading Series and Open Mic
InPrint House & An Open Book Blog (Houston)
Houston YA/MG - Group for Young Adult/Middle Grade Writers.
Public Poetry (Houston)
Write About Now Poetry - "The only WEEKLY Poetry Slam in HTOWN." - Facebook Page - Twitter
University of Houston - Creative Writing Program
Writespace Houston - A new grassroots literary arts organization founded by writers, for writers.
Rice School of Literacy & Culture - Creative Writing Camp for Children
My personal situation may continue to be difficult (rent issues, new pair of shoes desperately needed, new bike needed or old one repaired, even as I struggle to keep my bus card filled) but, creatively, I have continued to grow, slowly, since my arrival, as this city inspires my writing in new ways.
Has anyone in town took notice of the new voice (voices if you count my feline alter-egos)? Not entirely sure, but there have been signs that some have, from my getting an essay in the Houston Chronicle and annoying a local gadfly in the process, to meeting Houston's most famous (former) pet blogger, meeting Houston's first Poet Laureate, corresponding with various locals via email, and gaining a tiny local twitter following.
Looking for an Intro to my creativity?
Whispering Sweet Nothings: A Poem (about Houston!)
A Street in Laredo: A Ballad of the 8th Texian Tuxedo (and a 4 part story about a cat named Houston Hairy)
I have no real idea how many locals are aware of my blogs as few comments have been left, emails received, or tweets, my visitors are miniscule in number, and I have little idea how many posts have been shared locally or by who, but I am determined to keep calm and carry on, moving slowly forward personally and creatively in new ways.
The "City With No Limits" site has an interesting way of going about making its case:
It talks about how Houston offers limitless choices for neighborhoods, entertainment, dining, culture, sports, education, business and more, as well as how Houston is the most ethnically diverse major metro in the nation, with more than 100 languages spoken here.
Here, it claims, you can rise as far as your creativity and work ethic will take you.
In it's discussion of housing options and costs and neighborhoods it asks readers to take a quiz to find their "ideal neighborhood". Limiting the choice of answers to just one was disappointing.
Depending on how I choose to answer the quiz offers up descriptions of 15 cities and neighborhoods in the Houston Metro area, from Bellaire to The Woodlands; Not exactly a complete, representative list from what I have gathered in my short time here.
There are some nifty ads of 10 people who either grew up here, or moved here, and share what they love about Houston, but while I find some agreement I only see a collection of people whose upper income and careers are not representative of all segments of the city.
The good news is that they use Instagram to allow the rest of Houston to toss in their 2 cents, with a #HoustonNoLimits sharefest:
"There’s not just one version of Houston. There are 6.3 million versions – because there are 6.3 million Houstonians! With no limit to what you can achieve here, Houston is different for everyone."
Now THIS is more like it! Varied, fun, fascinating, informative, beautiful images that are all over the map.
I don't have a cell phone so share 16 representative photos of mine, taken since I moved here, in this post.
The collection of "Culture & Entertainment" sections is a basic intro to what one can experience here in the way of retaurants, entertainment, arts & culture, sports and the outdoors, barely scratching the surface.
For one thing the large and varied, creative writing community is not even mentioned.
One major disappointment is that, in its effort to brag about how pet friendly Houston is the site links only to a recent, brief, Opportunity Houston essay focusing on dogs only.
If you are going to plug what Houston has to offer its "four-legged citizens" and their humans, ignoring felinity assembled is an insult.
Overall, this new campaign is an informative introduction...and that's all it is, a limited introduction to the city and county, one that should encourage the reader to do his or her own research and exploring.
Houston, you have a hard working, creative, curious new resident in your midst.
How many people will read this essay, that has taken me almost a month of thought to finish to my satisfaction, I have no clue, but...
I intend to, somehow, move beyond my current personal and financial difficulties, establish myself more securely (and cheaply, if possible) in my new city, and find ways to reach out, connect, learn and continue exploring.
UPDATE - Sept. 2 = I Get E-Mails: A "City With No Limits" Follow-Up
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