Creativity

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 2-8, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Jelani Cobb: justice for Ahmaud Arbery. The New Yorker

Vanessa Romo, Becky Sullivan, and Joe Hernandez report on the conviction of the officer responsible for Daunte Wright’s death. (Dec. 23, 2021) NPR

Brett Forester and Fraser Needham report that Canada and First Nations report details of $40 billion draft deals to settle child welfare claims. It’s the biggest settlement in Canadian history. This is what the Feds were doing when they appealed to the HRC last year. You’d think they’d just come out and say they were aiming to provide a bigger payout, no? APTN News

Ryan Patrick Jones: Ontario’s new pandemic strategy risks “out of control” transmission, epidemiologists warn. CBC

Sharon Guynup: can covid-19 change your personality? Here’s what the brain research shows. National Geographic

Gavin Francis says, “We need to respect the process of healing.” A GP comments on the overlooked process of recovery. The Guardian

Joe Palca: a Texas team comes up with a covid-19 vaccine that could be a global game-changer. NPR

Jodi McIsaac relates her fumbling attempt to reconnect with the child she gave away. The Globe and Mail

Your brain once had a superpower. Could you get it back? SciShow

Cal Newport says that it’s time to embrace slow productivity. We need fewer things to work on, starting now. The New Yorker

S. Mitra Kalita lists three New Year’s resolutions for employers right now. Charter Works

Lauren Grush reports that NASA successfully deploys complex sunshield on James Webb Space Telescope. The Verge

Sidney Perkowitz introduces eight women astronomers you should know. JSTOR Daily

Jonathan O’Callaghan: graphene loophole could provide “clean and limitless” energy in the future. ILFS

We’re drowning in plastic pollution. Can we actually fix it? Be Smart

Nicola Davis reports that dogs may be able to tell difference between speech patterns. The Guardian

Carol Mithers: the veterinarian brings his healing presence to pets of the unhoused. The Smithsonian Magazine

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 26, 2021-Jan 1, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

We’re a bit short on the thoughty this week. What there is, is interesting, though. Get your mental corn popping. At least a little.

Maryn McKenna: covid will become endemic. The world must decide what that means. Wired

Nishita Jha: welcome to the jungle. On the Smithsonian’s #metoo moment. Buzzfeed

The real reason we’re all so busy (and what to do about it). Dorie Clark | TEDxBoston

The European Space Agency is opening a 50-year-old Christmas present from the moon. Phys.org

Louise Lerner: to find the very highest energy ghost particles in the universe, a new detector will soar over Antarctica. SciTech Daily

The most anticipated space missions of 2022. SciShow Space

Ayesha Rascoe: it’s not science fiction. Scientists have really made robots that reproduce. NPR

Becky Ferreira reports that cavers reach the bottom of an ancient “well of hell” for the first time. Vice

Andrew Curry reveals the immense mystery older than Stonehenge. BBC

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 19-25, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s New Year’s Eve eve! Get your mental corn popping for the last time in 2021.

Joshua Adams: Martin Luther King Jr. did not dream about banning critical race theory. Color Lines

Alexander Quon: Ottawa announces $700K in funding to support Cowessess First Nation’s efforts at former residential school site. CBC

Aliyah Chavez: solstice is a time to reflect and replenish. While solstice was last Tuesday, I think the whole holiday season shares this theme. Indian Country Today

Britt Julious wonders, who are Christmas movies for? On diversity and gender equity in romantic holiday movies. Harper’s Bazaar

Do CIS boys just wanna have fun, too? Gender policing. Khadija Mbowe

Kim Fahner shares her experience with breakthrough covid on Morning North. And here’s the print version. She’s not brave and strong because she shared her story. She shared her story because she’s brave and strong. CBC

Monica Kidd reveals that the fear of losing freedom common thread behind vaccine hesitancy, according to cross-cultural survey. Healthy Debate

Krissy Holmes and Ramraajh Sharvendiran cover barriers to physician recruitment and employment in Newfoundland. CBC

Why do we dream? It’s okay to be smart

Guy Kawasaki interviews Catherine Price: author, speaker, and creator. The Remarkable People podcast

Christin Bohnke: the disappearance of Japan’s third gender. JSTOR Daily

Diana talks to Katie Mack about our expanding universe. Physics Girl

Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the James Webb Space Telescope. Star Talk

Watch the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (Christmas Day!). NASA Space Flight

Thanks for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

I should be posting my December update and 2021 year in review post on the weekend.

Until then be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 12-18, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to gear up for the busy holiday weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Nicquel Terry Ellis and Eva McKend: Black parents say movements to ban critical race theory is ruining their children’s education. CNN

Nylah Burton explains what we lose when we focus on whiteness in interracial relationships. Refinery 29

Gary Younge: what covid taught us about racism—and what we need to do now. The Guardian

Princess Weekes and Yhara Zayd celebrate Gabrielle Union (Gab the GOAT) and offer an F-U to colorism and tokenism. Melina Pendulum

Clara Pasieka: Popular N.W.T. tourist attraction becomes on-the-land healing camp. CBC

Dan Ninham: Boozhoo! Ojibwe-speaking puppets hit the airwaves. Indian Country Today

Dorothy Stewart interviews legendary Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin: much more profound than hope. CBC

Sarah N. Lynch reports that abuse survivors reach $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics. Reuters

Sudbury’s Laurentian University to get provincial bailout as members of board of governors resign. CBC

Three types of identity crisis (and how to deal with them). Like Stories of Old

Matthew Blackman: does law exist to provide moral order? JSTOR Daily

Diana explains what Schrödinger’s cat really means. Physics Girl

Sierra Garcia reports on the process of destroying “forever chemicals” for good. JSTOR Daily

Elisa Shoenberger says, go ahead, call your dog your “fur baby.” Science supports you. Slate

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Merry Christmas, all!

And until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Dec 12-18, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

You’ve made it through Monday. Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Richelle Lyn is discovering the art of book coaching. Then, Gabriela Pereira interviews Sacha Black about crafting your side characters. Amanda Polick reveals three ways the holidays can revive your book. Then Kerry Chaput delves into HERstory, the woman’s side of history. Melanie Moyer recommends five sci-fi books about humans creating artificial intelligence. DIY MFA

Princess Weekes explains why we keep retelling Persephone’s story. Melina Pendulum

K.M. Weiland examines the two halves of the climactic moment. Helping Writers Become Authors

Christina Delay wants you to use awe to spark creativity. Then, Lucy V. Hay explains how to write a compelling antihero. Writers Helping Writers

What are foil characters? Reedsy

Jenny Hansen shares the dreams and confessions of a disorganized writer. Then, Lynette M. Burrows offers 35 tips to a healthier writer you in 2022. Lori Freeland returns with to comma, or not to comma (part 2). Writers in the Storm

Joanna Penn interviews Lisa Cron about Story or Die. The Creative Penn

Elizabeth S. Craig: common mistakes that pull readers out of stories.

Emily Zarka reveals the origins of Krampus, the yuletide monster. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Jim Dempsey sees the future in stories. Then, Barbara Linn Probst takes a closer look at trusting the reader. Porter Anderson gets provocative about chaos, coherence, and the dream of a narrative. Writer Unboxed

Kimberly Fernando provides seven steps for tackling a revise and resubmit (R&R). Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle presents six archetypes for sidekicks. Then, Oren Ashkenazi explains how Martha Wells fell into some toxic tropes: building the Raksura.  Mythcreants

The good girl trope—why women can’t win. The Take

Angie Hodapp discusses reactive goals vs. proactive goals. Pub Rants

Nina Munteanu: the Witch’s Hat and other fungi tales.

Rebecca Nicholson interviews Carrie-Anne Moss: “There was a scene in the first Matrix with me in stilettos. I could barely stand straight.” The Guardian

Inverse interviews Shohreh Aghdashloo about Chrisjen Avasarala and the final season of The Expanse.

Minyvonne Burke and Michelle Garcia: acclaimed author and activist bell hooks dies at 69. NBC News

Cassie Da Costa hails the second coming of Octavia E. Butler. Vanity Fair

Vincent Schilling announces that Reservation Dogs [loved it!] nominated for a Golden Globe. Indian Country Today

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

Happy solstice and cool yule, to those (like me) who celebrate!

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 5-11, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Now this is more like it! Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend!

Elsa Keslassy announces that Josephine Baker becomes the first Black woman to enter France’s pantheon. Variety

Becky Sullivan: trial begins for ex-officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright. NPR

Khadija Mbowe explains youth liberation and why Gen Z will save us.

Ashley Belanger: the financial abuse shown in Netflix’s Maid is a growing problem offscreen. Teen Vogue

Reina Sultan reveals what it’s like when a climate disaster permanently alters your life. Vice

Rachel Aiello reports that conversion therapy will be illegal in Canada. CTV News

Jason Warick: residential school timelines, unmarked graves, part of new web resource for survivors. CBC

Shanti Escalante-de Mattei reports that the Nez Perce tribe paid $600,000 for their own artifacts. Now, they’ve been repaid. Art News

Lisa Respers France: Rebel Wilson got “pushback” from her team over weight loss. And do click through on that related Pop Life vid. CNN

Kim Fahner documents her experience with a breakthrough case: a covid diary. So, so important. You can still get covid, even if you’re double-vaccinated. The vaccine simply gives you a better chance of not going to the hospital or dying of the virus. Getting covid can still change your world, though. Please get vaccinated, get your booster when you can, and make sure your eligible children get vaccinated. More important than ever as cases rise again. The Republic of Poetry

Jacqueline Rose reveals how the pandemic has changed our psychic landscape: life after death. The Guardian

Collin Binkley and Hannah Fingerhut: poll reveals pandemic hit Gen-Z hardest. Associated Press

Anna Bruk assures you that other people don’t think you’re a mess. Scientific American

Jue Liang: Buddhist nuns and women scholars are gaining new leadership roles in a tradition that began with the ordination of Buddha’s foster mother. The Conversation

Erik White reports that the Ontario legislature to vote on issuing warrant for Laurentian University documents. CBC

Christopher Plain: DARPA-funded researchers accidentally create the world’s first warp bubble. Engage 🙂 The Debrief

NASA announces 2021 class of astronaut candidates.

Elizabeth Howell reports that NASA celebrates the life and career of Star Trek star, Nichelle Nichols. Space.com

Cody Delistraty: what if we’ve been misunderstanding monsters? JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Dec 5-11, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Now I’m back to full-week curation, tipsday is back to its regular size 🙂 Enjoy!

Greer Macallister offers a gift guide for the writer in your life. Then, new contributor Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai considers climbing many mountains. Kathleen McCleary: stories will save you. Then, Kathryn Craft reveals the hidden—but crucial—mad skill. David Corbett: for the sheer joy of it. Desmond Hall drops some writing wisdom: respect for your craft, captain happen, and excavating perspective. Writer Unboxed

Ellen Brock provides her advice for the methodological pantser. In case you need a reminder, Ellen presented her four types of writers about a year ago …

Penny Sansevieri lists ten keys to successful publishing. Then, Colleen M. Story wants you to channel your inner James Bond to boost writing success. Piper Bayard gives you ten steps to get from NaNoWriMo to publication. Writers in the Storm

Jill Bearup says, size does matter …

K.M. Weiland reveals the two halves of the third plot point. (Links to the entire series at the bottom of the post.) Helping Writers Become Authors

Heather Campbell explains how to overcome perfectionism and achieve your writing goals. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin advises when—and whether—to hire a developmental editor. Then, Barbara Linn Probst considers a book launch: baby, art, or product? Jane herself makes a bold statement: yes, social media can sell books, but not if publishers sit on their hands. Jane Friedman

How to self-edit your manuscript. Reedsy

Chuck Wendig delves into the latest publishing controversy: does social media sell books? A vital inquisition! Terribleminds

And Dan Blank offers his reasoned perspective: does social media sell books? We Grow Media

Angela Ackerman explains how symbolism adds depth to a story. Lisa Poisso: when are you ready for professional editing? Writers Helping Writers

The Dragon Lady trope. Regaining her power. The Take

Lauren J. Sharkey is finding the joy of writing. Then, Adam W. Burgess says that if you want to write your best, find your writing community. Angela Yeh shares five ways to change the world with your creativity. DIY MFA

Roz Morris explains how to cope with a hefty report from a developmental editor. Nail Your Novel

Chris Winkle tells you how to keep readers happy with your novel series. Then, Oren Ashkenazi wonders which show is the most engaging, Voltron, The Dragon Prince, or She-ra? Mythcreants

Xiran Jay Zhao does a Chinese cultural breakdown of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Kristen Lamb explains how to harness the true power of dialogue: talk is cheap.

Sophie Gilbert reveals what the sexual violence of Game of Thrones begot. The Atlantic

Blair Braverman: I moved to a remote cabin to write, and I hate it. Outside

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 1-4, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

The thoughty was slow in coming last week. Admittedly, I didn’t resume curation until December 1st, so it makes sense that this post is half the size of usual.

Bidisha: Tudor, English, and Black—and not a slave in sight. From Oct 29, 2017. The Guardian

Mike Householder and Ryan Kryska: student kills 3, wounds 8 at Michigan school. Associated Press

New research suggests social issues are down to neurotypicals more than autistics. Critical Neurodiversity

Imagining inscape: The Human Soul (1913). The Public Domain Review

What is nothing? It’s okay to be smart

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Oct 24-30, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

And … this will be the last thought Thursday until December 9th! Get your mental corn popping 🙂

The media and the missing; ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ explained | Khadija Mbowe

Tanya Talaga reveals that Canada has not truly released all residential school records. The Globe and Mail

Martha Troian: a Cree family’s canoe is returned, after sitting in a University of Saskatchewan storage room for years. Maclean’s

Haley Ott reports that UK women are being drugged by needles in nightclubs. It’s the evolution of the roofie, folks. CBS News

Mari Yamaguchi: Japan’s Princess Mako relinquishes royal status to marry commoner. Associated Press

Public Health Sudbury and District issues covid-19 order as region becomes a hot spot. And we were doing so well … CBC

Sarah Larson reveals Brené Brown’s empire of emotion. The New Yorker

Dopamine isn’t just a happy chemical. SciShow Psych

William Deresiewicz: human history gets a rewrite. The Atlantic

GM to install 4,000 electric car charging stations across Canada. CBC

Ben Turner: scientists capture images of bizarre “electron ice” for the first time. Space.com

Tariq Malik reports that the Sun fires off major solar flare from Earth-facing sunspot. Space.com

An alternative to dark matter? SciShow Space

Jackie Wattles reveals that the alarm that went off on SpaceX’s all-tourist spaceflight was … the toilet. Toilet humour in SPACE #FTW! CNN

Olivia Box explains why the belowground ecosystem matters. JSTOR Daily

Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree, heads up The Mother Tree Project.

Kelli Bender reports on very good doggo Bear, who saved koalas during the Australian wildfires, and was honoured with an award. People

Mary Jo DiLonardo announces that dozens of bison released on Sioux tribal lands in South Dakota. Treehugger

Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris and Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley: one stolen whale, the web of life, and our collective healing. Grist

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

I’ll pop in on the weekend for my first mini-update.

Until then, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Oct 17-23, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

We’re almost at the end of October! Will you NaNoWriMo this year? I’m still not sure. If I do, I’ll be a rebel and will probably set a goal considerably lower than 50k words. We’ll see.

Jesse Washington: history is made as reparations start to flow in Evanston, Illinois. The Undefeated

Olivia Sanchez and Meredith Kolodner explain why white students are 250% more likely to graduate than Black students at public universities. The Hechinger Report

Lizzo and the art of flaunting. Khadija Mbowe

Heidi Atter: Inuk woman creates language book to showcase fading Inuktitut dialect. CBC

John Reinan announces that the Mille Lacs Band launches Ojibwe language books. Star Tribune

Namrata Verghese explains Orientalism: a stereotyped, colonialist vision of Asian cultures. Teen Vogue

Hilary Whiteman reports that Australia’s offering money to help victims leave violent partners. CNN

Tanya Melendez reveals how TV lied about abortion. Vox

Sharon Pruitt-Young: covid 19 memes helped us cope with life in a pandemic, new study finds. NPR

Eleanor Cummins considers the self-help no one needs right now. The Atlantic

Monica Kidd reveals that Canada doesn’t know how bad its doctor shortage is, let alone how to fix it. The National Post

How to summon spirits. JSTOR Daily

Glaciers are disappearing as fast as you can ski down them. Climate Games | Physics Girl

Jonathan Watts: 99.9% of scientists agree climate emergency caused by humans. The Guardian

Justin Rowlatt and Tom Gerken uncover a document that reveals nations lobbying to change the “Red Alert” climate report ahead of COP26. BBC

Sand dunes shouldn’t exist. Here’s why they do. It’s okay to be smart

Michael Greshko: NASA’s Lucy mission blasts off to solve the mysteries of the solar system. National Geographic

Tom Metcalfe reports that signs of Vikings in North America found in tree rings and radioactive carbon. NBC News

David Graeber and David Wengrow unfreeze the ice age and reveal the truth about humanity’s deep past. The Guardian

How ancient whales may have changed the deep ocean. PBS Eons

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Just to let you know, I probably won’t have a next chapter update for October if I decide to NaNo this year. Also, after the first week, weekly curation will be suspended for the rest of November. I’ll do weekly NaNo updates, as I have in past years, and do a double next chapter update for October and November in December.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!