Hello all,
Welcome to Women Writing! This week, in the sixth edition of the newsletter, I’m featuring the award-winning author and multi-talented artist Eleanor Albanese.
Award winning artist Eleanor Albanese has spent her life immersed in the arts, weaving story through fiction, non-fiction, playwriting, film-making, marionette theatre, and visual arts. Her recent novel, If Tenderness Be Gold, published by Latitude 46 Publishing, won First Place in the category of First Novel with the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She also recently received the Peoples Choice Award with Vox Popular Media Arts for her film, Cradle Moon. Eleanor is a strong leader and voice in the field of arts education and community-engaged arts, speaking and presenting at both national and international conferences. Over the years, Eleanor has designed and led a plethora of projects in tandem with researchers, health care providers, educators and community agencies.
“Over the years, I've become so enriched by hearing the stories of my grandmothers and aunts and elderly women who I've either worked with or come into contact with. There are so many gems in discovering the energy and wisdom in the everyday storytelling of women.“
On a writing routine …
Finding time to write is always a challenge, as I'm sure is the case for many writers. Mornings are my best time to write as my head is clear and it sets me on the right course for the remainder of the day. I often make tea and put it into a very large mason jar. Time flies when I write and I can easily write for two hours without noticing time. If I have to miss the morning, I do my best to find an hour in the afternoon, though it isn't always possible.
Each evening, I go through my day and recall small details. It may be something I heard or saw or a random encounter with a stranger. I'm not looking to report on what I did that day, but rather, what I noticed. I write out broken phrases that capture those moments. I then underline five or six words, and from those words, I create a poem. The words can change their meaning, or be combined with other words to form new meaning. Sometimes I add new words. Yet the end result always encapsulates the day.
On writing spaces …
I write mostly in my attic nook looking out onto my back yard. When I'm not home, as I do live part of the year with my daughter and young grandchildren, then I write on my bed with pillows propped up behind me, or in a coffee shop. I don't listen to music, but I do love to surround myself with meaningful objects. I often hang herbs or flowers from the walls or windows, turning every space into a cottagey vibe. I think I'm forever trying to create the ambiance of a rustic cabin the woods as I once had access to a writing cabin. Unfortunately, the roof caved in due to last year's heavy snowfall.
On writing communities …
I have many artist friends and we come together to talk about our creative projects. We rotate where we meet, mostly in each other's houses over tea and trays of cheese, fruit, and nuts. Our gatherings are informal but very helpful to me. I have tried to connect to Facebook writing groups but overall, I find that natural connections in the community are more meaningful to me. Shared ideas, shared friendships, shared food, even sometimes stitching or working collaboratively on a project feeds both my specific project at any given time, but also feeds my creative spirit.
On challenges …
Yes, I do face challenges making space and time for my writing as I have an aging mother who I'm attentive to as well as grandchildren who are single-parented. In recent years, my siblings have faced serious loss and illnesses. As a contract worker wearing many hats, finding time to write is both a challenge and a comfort. Most days, I follow my intuitive direction as to where I'm needed and where to best place my energy. I try not to focus too much on the details of when or how my work will get published, and focus instead on the creative process, as creativity has its own rewards. I find that if I do this, the energy I would have otherwise spent on worry and anxiety, is instead directed into a spirit of hopefulness and joy.
On the best writing advice …
I feel that questions (rather than directives) I've received along the way have been most helpful. In my current project, the writings shifts back and forth between the present day and the 1960s. I was asked by Liisa Kovala, "How do the journeys of the characters interconnect from one section to another?" This question encouraged me to find places to weave the themes between sections until the writing became more fluid and less rigid. In terms of the best piece of advice? I listened to an author's talk years ago, and the author said that the first draft is just an emotional spill of ideas and is really only a starting place. He also mentioned that first drafts are likely full of clichés. I took that advice to heart by not overly attaching myself to first drafts, and by giving myself time to evolve the work.
On the worst writing advice …
I actually love "bad" advice because it always leads me to some kind of breakthrough. Initially, of course, it feels awkward and at times annoying. But sometimes I need to hear something that doesn't ring true for me in order to come up with my own solutions. Recently someone encouraged me to write my memoir with that brush of "the wonderful freedom of the 60s". I then knew my memoir wasn't meant to be a nostalgic re-creation of the 60s, but rather a story of how that time period both hindered and helped a child struggling with mental health issues.
On advice from personal experiences …
I do think that we can learn so much by supporting each other and by reading other women writers. The advice I would give myself and others is to hone in on weak areas and seek out mentors and workshops to strengthen those areas. Also, to bridge the gap between oral storytelling and the written word. Over the years, I've become so enriched by hearing the stories of my grandmothers and aunts and elderly women who I've either worked with or come into contact with. There are so many gems in discovering the energy and wisdom in the everyday storytelling of women. The second thing I would like to see explored further is the many ways women are pulled in different directions regarding caregiving and their path as writers. I'd love to hear more conversations about this, as it may be something that many women contend with and struggle with. Together, we could find solutions as well as give each other encouragement.
Eleanor’s online spaces …
Instagram: eleanorsstories
Instagram: teaoffortunata
Website: eleanoralbanese
I believe the world needs more women’s stories. Are you ready to write yours?
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So interesting to see how many of the issues in interviews are the same and where they vary!