Modern Days

At older times, you would be reading this by

 candle light, having coffee in a tin cup.

 And my fingers would be calloused after writing

 so much with a quill pen and ink!

Now, we can enjoy a blog with a tablet in

 a charming café, at the airport, in a waiting

 room,or wherever we want. I still prefer

 that books are of paper, but, surely,

 I have to applaud the numerous

 marvelous things progress

 brings us.

Comic Cards

     We all like to see funny images on the social networks, among other places. They make us laugh and relax. Sense of humor is essential in life, and I enjoy writing texts with a funny streak, and I let my comic side come through whenever I have the chance.

     With images of internet public domain, I create cards like this one below that I call “Comic Cards” as a hobby, just for fun. They are great for Twitter, facebook and give a relaxed touch to a blog. I’ve got ideas for them from images I see, or some phrase pops in my mind, and then, I look for an image that fits. They’re simple phrases that come from the daily life subjects, nothing too much elaborated and with a light sense of humor.

     What about starting to create your own Comic Cards too for your blog and pages?

Happy World Writers' Day!

     Besides the techniques and rules of his language that a writer learns to improve his gift, the most important thing is to write with feelings. Writing is a gift that walks hand in hand with imagination. Imagination is the main raw material of the writer.

     We can ask a writer to write about practically everything, even the most trivial things, and the words will flow naturally for him/her when composing his/her text.

Compost!

     

     Make a natural fertilizer (and thus also diminish the quantity of domestic garbage you discard) gathering eggshells, fruit and vegetables scraps, coffee grounds including filters, leaves and stalks you don’t use, etc. to bury into vases or in flower beds.

     A good idea is also to gather a group of people to make a compost like this one in a nearby square or park, below a mound of earth, so that the resulting organic fertilizer can be used in the already existing trees and plants, or when planting new ones. Coffee grounds are also a natural fungicide and they are useful to help to keep mosquitoes away, including those which transmit dengue.

The Art of Writing

     As the saying goes, no one is born knowing everything, but we do know at least one thing when we are born. Our gift.  Whichever it will be the point in our lives that we will be able to discover and develop it.

     I believe writing is a gift, a vocation, that we have since we are little, such as painting or singing. What happens with gifts is that we are able to develop them, improve them with time. But if one does not have a specific gift when he/she is born _ and everybody has one or more of them _ it can’t be created, fabricated. When we try to do that, the result sounds false, artificial, or, at most, sufferable.

       There is a difference between having a gift and the capacity to learn countless things. The human being has a huge capacity of learning, even things he doesn’t think he’s capable of. And, in certain areas, when one “learns” a specific thing and succeeds it is because he/she already had the gift for that without realizing it yet.

     Writing is a gift that usually manifests itself still in childhood, through the easiness in writing essays for school, diaries, in creating stories and texts in general. Writing is a gift that walks hand in hand with imagination. Imagination is the main raw material of the writer. We can ask a writer to write about practically everything, even the most trivial things, and the words will flow naturally for him/her when composing his/her text.

     So we can’t learn to be a writer? In this case, what are the “writers’ apprentices”?

    One can’t learn to be a writer because writing is an ability connected to the gift. We can’t teach a person to have imagination and inspiration he doesn’t have to express his thoughts and feelings through words. What we can learn is writing techniques, rules of the language, but, for them to bear fruit, they must be supported by an already existing gift. Which means that a person who has the writing gift can improve it with those techniques. This way, the writer apprentice is the one who is already born with the writing gift and aims to improve it. He/she learns with masters, not to imitate them, but to improve his/her own techniques and feel encouraged by them.

   

With the due humbleness, I think I have this writing gift. I’ve always had the ability to create texts. Since childhood, I’ve always loved books, and I wanted to be a journalist. Life took me through other paths, but I ended up studying Letters and becoming a translator, always dealing with literature, languages, books. These have always been recurrent themes in my life. Some say a translator, though always faithful to the original text, is a coauthor of a book. And, in fact, it is what happens. The translator has to transcribe the original text to his own language, faithfully, but in a way that is clear and natural to the reader. However, the inspiration and imagination to create and write belongs exclusively to the author.

    Besides the techniques and rules of his language that a writer learns to improve his gift, though the most important thing is to write with feelings, he also does a lot of research for his books, and travels when it’s possible. The more experience in life a writer has, the more emotional baggage he possesses, more material he will have to add to his gift.

    Though I think I have a gift to write, I’ve never written a fiction book, which is an old dream, but now I have an idea for a romantic story, and I’m starting to work on it. Anyway, I believe that, when writing, certain things flow more naturally and easily to us than others, or we prefer determined genres or styles to write. Up to now, I’ve only written articles, chronicles, phrases, and general texts, and I published my first book with my articles and chronicles in Portuguese. It’s a self-help book called “Meu Próprio Livro”, and I’m translating it to English to publish it in this language as well.

Sustainability

     We must preserve more and more the planet’s resources, take care of Nature, and respect it. It's fundamental to recycle whatever is possible, and to always keep sustainability in mind.
We hear everyday about what we can do to help, such as saving water and keeping it clean; recycling in general; taking measures against all kinds of pollution and discarding waste properly; encouraging and taking part in carpools; contributing with reforestation (from planting one single tree to reforestation itself, in a bigger scale); using alternative energy; and so on. It’s really up to us to do our part, the way we can.
     A good and simple thing everyone can do is also to stop using plastic bags and to substitute them as much as possible for the called “eco bags”, or returnable bags. In order for such a measure be really effective, the ideal thing would be the usage of biodegradable bags for waste, for most people use plastic bags in general to discard the garbage.
     If people take care of the planet the way it deserves, it will always be here _ beautiful, productive and wonderful, the way God created it. We have to take care of the planet properly, as if it were a garden, so things won’t be desolate like in that Elton John’s song, “Empty Garden”, composed as homage to John Lennon. This was a great man, a wonderful and wise man whose ideals, concepts and ideas exemplify, among other good things, what people should do to preserve planet Earth. No to mention uncountable other people engaged in that, activists and charitable people as Madre Teresa and her good deeds towards mankind. Because Mankind needs to be saved as well, in order for all of us to be able to save Earth. It’s inconceivable, for instance, that in such a fertile planet hunger may exist; it’s impossible that a human being won’t feel deep regret and sorrow when he/she sees another one starving.
     Earth is so beautiful, so plentiful, and so sacred that is up to each and every one of us to do whatever we can to make society a better place. We all hope that peoples and governments around the world get more and more conscious about the urgency of saving our planet for ourselves and future generations.

Reading as a Means of Social Contact

      Reading mustn’t be faced as a form of refuge in the sense of absolute escape from reality, as it happens in some cases. It’s naturally delightful to plunge into a universe of fantasy for some time, but it’s also essential for us to be aware of the real world and interact with it. Reading, which not only serves for entertainment but also for information, may be a way of encountering ourselves, but it also prepares us for encounters with other people, for a satisfying, healthful interaction with them.

     Through the several kinds of reading material available, we improve our knowledge, and we learn more and more things to share with others. Reading can be a pleasant retreat, where we go to when we want to entertain ourselves, but it mustn’t be a too much introspective thing, that could end up depriving us of other people’s company and making us withdraw from other activities.

     It’s very good and useful to read alone, but it’s also great when we read with others, especially when we read for children. To read for children is one of the most gratifying experiences in life, a mutual benefit, because we not only unveil a new world for them through the books, but we also enjoy moments of cheerful human contact, and strengthen bonds.

    You can create an amusing Book Club with friends and/or take part of the existing groups of this kind in the social networks. You will be able to exchange ideas about several subjects that you’ve been reading about, or to talk face to face with interesting people about a book that has captivated you. Reading is great to bring people together.

     The possibilities to expand and enrich your social contact through reading are comprehensive and you can’t miss the chance to reap the fruit it can bear.

Writing Tips

- First of all, read a lot _ books, magazines, newspapers, whichever you prefer. Besides entertaining, reading is a means of obtaining knowledge, expand vocabulary, observe and assimilate the correct use of the language.

- Never imitate anyone. Create your own style. While writing, your style will emerge and develop spontaneously.

- If imitation is not advisable, plagiarism is forbidden.

- There is a difference between imitating and feeling inspired by someone. Read your favorite authors and let their work serve as encouragement.

- When you write concentrate yourself more in the contents than in the form, expressing your feelings and ideas spontaneously. Make the necessary corrections after that, when you are reviewing your text.

- Make a constant effort to always improve the grammar rules, keep updated and review what you forgot. Any time you have doubts while writing, don’t hesitate to consult a reliable source for research, whether are grammar rules or dictionaries.

- Always take a note pad and a pen with you, or a tablet. Inspiration to write can appear when you least expect it.

- Use an adequate language for the kind of reader you want to reach _ children, adults, executives, etc.

- Avoid repeating words, especially in the same paragraph or in the closest paragraphs, but also throughout the text. Many times a word, such as “however”, end up becoming a bad habit without the writer realizing it and it appears everywhere, becoming tiresome.

- Equilibrate the use of “he” and “she”, alternating them with the characters’ names, and also substituting them by the object pronouns when possible. Always make clear to the reader who is talking or acting in the text.

- Use simple language, without too much elaborated words, so it flows naturally, and the reader won’t feel compelled to consult the dictionary, because he/she will end up interrupting the reading of the text permanently.

- Avoid too many footnotes. The reader will be tired of interrupting the text all the time.

- Talking about Grammar, keep in mind the importance of the correct punctuation. Remember how a single coma can alter the whole meaning of a sentence.

- Don’t use sentences that are too long. Be clear and direct, or else, the reader can feel discouraged by a sentence that seems to never end.

- Be clear and direct, doesn’t mean to be dry. Most readers like descriptions of characters and sceneries, which stimulate their imagination, or the use of case examples to illustrate texts. Just don’t exaggerate in the adjectives not to be tiresome or fussy.

- Avoid repeating descriptions through the text. If, for example, you’ve already mentioned that the main character has blue eyes in the beginning of the text, repeat this detail only once or twice until the end, in case the reader has forgotten it.

- If your style is more concise and less descriptive, respect it. There are readers who prefer to leave scenery and characters to their own imagination.

- In dialogues, avoid unnecessary information that will only make you repeat the name of a character when it’s already clear that he/she is the one speaking, such as: “Hello”,said Mary.

- Always review your texts.

Mother and Son

     One of these days, my son told me, in one of those moments of childish/juvenile impatience: “You’re the only person in the world”, he emphasized, “that is like that.”
    “How come?”, I asked him, surprised.
    “Like that”, he muttered in a critical tone. “Joyful, happy, cheerful, full of enthusiasm… I don’t know”.
    He could’ve called me “goofy”!
    I couldn’t help it and laughed, because it was really hilarious. But I thought to myself: “It’s so good that   I’m capable of transmitting to my son the image of the happy, jovial, care-free, optimistic person that I try hard to be, despite all my problems, fears, and worries.”
     Then I answered in the same mocking tone he has just used:
    “It’s great that among billions of people, you have by your side precisely the only person that is like that!”

Shining light and meaning of our lives.
 Overjoy is what he makes us feel.

  Never forget to show and say
                   how much you love yours.

Happy Mother's Day!

Selfie Fever

Hey, come back! I wanna just your camera to take a selfie.

     We are certainly on the selfie era. Almost everybody takes selfies intending to post them on the social networks. It’s been a long time that self-taken pictures exist, naturally, but the term selfie became more popular in 2012, and now we can say that we’re living in a selfie culture. When people post selfies just for fun, it’s a way of relaxing and sharing good times with friends. The problem is when they just seek approval and worry about how much Likes, or comments they get. The selfie can’t be an obsession, or, as with everything else, too much of them can become tiresome, and may mean a case of low self-esteem, or narcissism. Selfies are here to stay and to be enjoyed with common sense and sense of humor. Have you already posted your selfie today?

Happy World Book Day!

    On April 23rd, World Book Day, through the Blue Ink Letters Blog, where I write _ one thing I’ve been improving also through reading, among other things _ I congratulate this priceless companion, the book. The time we can dedicate to read a book is totally enjoyable. We can’t forget, though, that millions of people in the world don’t have access even to printed books much less to ebooks. We can never consider libraries or used books stores outdated. We have to divulge projects and initiatives such as itinerant libraries, book sales on bookstores and the books donation campaigns, also donating books when we can. Happy World Book Day!

Books are bests friends. They

guide us through a fascinating

world of wonder, learning,

hope, entertainment; a

world available to us all. tj*¬

Social Networks Without Stress

     If people use the social networks for business, things such as the number of followers and “likes” matter, but, in any circumstances, it’s advisable not to be clingy, annoying. I enjoy marketing and advertising, and I want to take courses in the area someday, but, in the meantime, I’m able to talk about it only as an enthusiastic amateur. As such, and as a common consumer, I’m sure at least of the things I like to see. Ads must captivate us somehow, they can’t be boring. As there are many advertising vehicles, in each one there’s a specific way to do so. Except for paid ads, that have a proper usage, our own “homemade” kind of advertisements have to be subtle on the social networks or, otherwise, we risk being considered inconvenient.

     When people want to divulge their work _ a book, for instance _ on the social networks, the more followers and likes they have, the better, but it’s important not being too exhaustive about it. If a person wants to divulge a blog, specially a non-profit blog (as all my six blogs are), he/she can’t be too insistent, or he/she will be labelled as “clingy”, and people won’t even began to read his/her posts. For example, if you take part on 6 different groups on facebook, it’s better not to post exactly the same thing on the 6 of them at the same time, because most of the members participate of almost all similar groups. And it’s not advisable to post things such as “Visit my blog on the link…” all the time; it’s more useful to be creative. To go with the simple link, we can post a quote, a beautiful image, a comic comment or image, an extract of an article, anything that’s interesting and not repetitive.

     Finally, when we use the social networks just for fun, to talk to friends and make new ones, to meet again people we’ve lost contact with through the years, to know new cultures and peoples, to like a fan page, to be well-informed about the world in general, among so many other things, I think we must make good use of them without worrying so much. It’s natural to get upset when absolutely no one likes our posts, when that’s the case, but I’ve got a feeling that most people are more anxious to post rather than stopping to read. Anyway, to me the most important thing is not the number of “likes” or followers we have, but to enjoy social networks without stress! tj*¬

Mr. Spock is just being unassuming.

Millions would have liked his facebook today.

The same applies for Captain Kirk and

“Bones” McCoy, of course.

P.S.: My humble homage to the brilliant Star Trek.

The Benefits of the Sense of Humor

     Sometimes we have a sense of humor that is difficult for certain people to understand, depending on the occasion and on the circumstances. I admire several humorists, of a variety of types and styles. The kind of sense of humor I like most, though, is the naïve and joyful one, the one that brings fun and make us laugh in an innocent way. Like the sense of humor of the brilliant Jerry Lewis, with whom in fact we can identify ourselves sometimes, at least with his characters, because who isn’t a little clumsy?

     With hundreds and hundreds of things to do and without time to pay the due attention to certain details that go by unnoticed, we can end up in comic and confusing situations! I guess everybody knows those humorists who, in order not to let a joke unspoken, end up talking without thinking first. Not to mention that the humor concept is relative. What may seem hilarious to one person is not for the other one and so on…

     The most important thing is to be able to extract joyful laughter from people because, as I use to say, I really think sense of humor is part of our “surviving kit”, that it’s essential to soften the tension and stress of the modern world. The joyful, honest and naïve sense of humor is the one that really comes from the soul and it certainly pleases everyone.

     Let your Jerry Lewis’ side emerge a little bit more each day too!

Dedicated to the Brilliant Master

Gifs in Blogs

     I love gifs, and they can be used for several things, but I think they give a special touch to a blog. They’re heavy files and strong images so we have to use them with moderation, naturally. But there’s nothing like a well placed gif in a corner of a blog, or to go with a post here and there. Images and words can complement themselves perfectly without outshining one another.

     This is one of the most beautiful gifs I’ve ever found in the internet:

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

"I guess I’ll write a book... VAMPirates!"

A Quote About... Quotes!

Mostly, quotes are the unintentional repetition

of ideas through different words, according to

their authors’ feelings _ that’s what

make them unique. tj*¬

Presentation

    Hello, I created the Blue Ink Letters Blog on March 4th, 2014 to write my texts and talk about daily life, people, interests, books, writing, sense of humor, nature, and the world in general.

   After I’ve chosen the name of the blog, I decided to read about the meaning of blue ink for people, and there’s no consensus. Some say the color of the ink we use to write have no specific meaning and others disagree, saying that the blue ink means honesty, tradition. Some point out that blue makes it easier to identify an original document, specially regarding to copies, because blue does not copy as good as black, and it looks artificial in colored printing.

    I love colors and, besides blue, I actually use as many as I can for handwriting or typing, depending on the occasion. But I think blue ink is symbolic, and that it’s the one that best represents handwriting, the one that has became more natural for us to use, before the black ink. That’s why I chose this name for the blog, Blue Ink Letters. It has a special meaning to me. It’s with blue ink mostly that we write our first alphabetic letters in texts, when we start using a pen. The name sounds nostalgic to me, reminding me the good old times of school and my first tentative texts. Blue ink does sound traditional, honest.

    I have another blog, Writers’ Apprentices (called Aprendizes de Escritores in Portuguese) _ http://tinajeronymotradutora.blogspot.com.br _, where I write my texts, comment about my translations, and miscellaneous things. It’s a bilingual blog, but, as it is very big and eclectic, with lots of pages, I’ve decided to create the Blue Ink Letters Blog to post only the things I write in English, so it will be easier for interested readers to locate them. But this is a blog that is different from that one.

    I love to be a Blogger and I do it all by myself, starting with the choice of the perfect template (and I recommend Deluxe), then creating the blog itself and maintaining it. It’s easy and enjoyable indeed. So, it’s really great to create this new blog now. Actually, this blog has a version in Portuguese called Letras de Tinta Azul (http://autora-tinajeronymo.blogspot.com.br), but it's not a copy of the Blue Ink Letters Blog. I'll write and post different things here and there.

    I appreciate and need technology naturally, and I’m aware of how things are easier nowadays with word processors, software in general and the internet. Though I still prefer to read printed books, I think ebooks are amazing because they’re practical, and we can have uncountable ones available without worrying anymore about space to keep them or weight to carry them around. I just think we have to conciliate things the best way, and to take care to never forget the importance of handwriting in a time everybody is typing, clicking, navigating…

     I hope this is a blog as pleasurable to visit as it is for me to post in it.

    Welcome!

    Wherever you are, feel at home here. tj*¬