INSPIRATIONS FOUND EVERYWHERE

   

by Martha Slavin

We all have good stories to tell. Some of us are natural raconteurs who delight people with their spoken tales. My Uncle Kermit was one of those who could get a whole room laughing at the antics in his stories. Some of us write down our stories. I returned to writing when our son was born and I wanted to document family history. I asked my numerous Heimdahl relatives to write one memory down. The collection became a wonderful document about generations of Heimdahls. For the other sides of our family, I collected photos and ephemera to put into photo albums.

I then listed events in my life to try to pick out memorable stories. I reached deep into my memories back to one moment when I was standing in my crib and my dad walked into the room to soothe me. While thinking about my past, I also realized some of the influences that led me to life-long interests or led me to try ideas and let them go. I've kept sketchbooks to remind me of places I've been and people I've met.

Last week I asked you to reflect on events that inspired you. I received some wonderful responses to that question.

Here are a few:

"In my house it was reading that influenced my future - even though I started as a drama major - English was a perfect fit for me. My parents both read and my mother was always discussing what she read with her friends - even if they didn't have a Book Club. Once when I had the measles and wasn't supposed to read, she read to me. I was a Louisa May Alcott fan and had read most of them, so she started on one I hadn't read, "Old Fashioned Girl." After about 15 minutes she threw it across the bed, and said, "This is tripe!" It was too goody two shoes for her and the cynic and literary critic in me was born."  M.P.

by Martha Slavin

"We were a comic book family too. Not for drawing, but for inspiration. My favorite strip was "Archie and Veronica." I learned a great lesson for my life from Jughead Jones of that series. It went like this...your brain is full of information in little boxes. If you want to stuff more information in your brain, you need to remove some of the boxes that are cluttering up your brain... I guess I never figured out how to do that and I got stuck when I ran into Physics in high school. I had no more room for science boxes so I had to toss any idea of becoming a doctor. You can learn a lot from comic books!"  Gary R.

Mary cutting paper

"Since I was really young, I have always had an interest in crafts and using my hands to make things.  We have a picture of me at about age 3.5 to 4 years, sitting on the floor cutting up paper.  I would often take excess fabric and try to make outfits for my dolls.  I loved Cracker Jack prizes when I had to put something together.  Hand work of any kind, knitting, sewing, or crocheting always intrigued me. If I expressed an interest of sorts, I was encouraged to stop and visit my Grandma after school to help me with a braided rag rug or a crochet stitch.   My sister Bonnie was definitely my mentor for quilting and we spent many happy hours together trading skills. I feel this interest was something I was born with, a part of my gene makeup.  To this day I love getting lost in projects in my Sewing/Craft room, it’s so good for the soul."

Mary M.

by Martha Slavin

"My mother was a teacher, so I guess I modeled myself after her. I "played school" with my dolls and, occasionally, with my grandfather who lived with us. I was always pretend-teaching the grade that I was actually in at the time...and my students were never unruly! So, I became an elementary school teacher, as did many women at the time, and enjoyed it for the three years before Jill came along. Then, after many years of school volunteering, working with Brownies and Girl Scouts, working on high school committees, I headed back to teaching...this time to junior high...what a different experience. When Jill was in college and Libby on her way there, I developed a wanderlust, wanting to visit the world that I had taught about but never visited. I made a total U-turn, took two years of classes at CSM and went on to become a travel agent. I worked for American Express Ethan Allen Travel in San Mateo and even had an airline computer in my home office. And then, we really started traveling!"  Marcia S.

Two Sisters by Martha Slavin

"Ah, Katy Keene! I had a full page drawing featured in the comic book one time and a small dress design, too, at another time. Loved the Katy Keene comics and wanted to become a fashion designer. Didn't happen, but I always enjoyed designing fashion. Calligraphy was a favorite of my art classes in college." Linda D.

Writer friends have recently published books and essays worth reading. Getting a book published is a major achievement for a writer, harder now than ever. Most of the major publishers look only at established writers. There are smaller publishers who will produce a book, but then leave the details of selling the book up to the author. Self-publishing a book is an option, but it can leave out an important step, the advice of a good editor. We all need good editors, don't we? Take a look. Good Reads!

Terri Hinte, former publicist for Fantasy Records, wrote about a trip to Brazil in Brazilian Christmas. 

Donna Kaulkin contributes to "Vistas and Byways," an online publication from Olli at SF State. One of her good stories can be found on her website:  https://donnatellsstories.com/the-dance-of-love/

Cousin Carrie Classon's book, Loon Point, brings together a cast of characters marooned at a resort during a Minnesota blizzard. Carrie also writes a weekly column called Postscript: 

https://www.carrieclasson.com/info-about-carrie

 

Leah Fisher has been interviewed on KTVU about her book, Marriage Sabbatical, a year-long exploration of the world by herself and the discoveries she made about strengthening her marital relationship along the way. https://www.mymarriagesabbatical.com/articles?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=699cb15542246330f26c6fa0&ss_email_id=699cbbf5b175e24d380f9c27&ss_campaign_name=My+KTVU+Interview+is+Published&ss_campaign_sent_date=2026-02-23T20%3A44%3A00Z

Ellen Newman continues to write interesting travel articles on her blog, Hidden inSite:  https://hidden-insite.com

Constance Anderson has several wonderful children's books. https://candersonart.comThis is her latest:

All the books can be found at https://bookshop.org

FOUNDATIONS

Value Study of old buildings

 Where does inspiration come from? Sitting in a class last weekend with Kristen Doty, a calligrapher and artist, I listened to her tell a story of a Japanese language book that she discovered in her dad's bookshelves. He had brought the book home from Japan after WWII. She was captivated by the kanji characters and went on to study Japanese. The book also became her gateway into calligraphy. She now teaches classes at workshops all over the country and in Europe.

Other members of the class explained how they became interested in calligraphy or other art pursuits. Several of them mentioned the Speedball Textbook, A Comprehensive Guide to Pen and Brush Lettering. That small book taught many lettering artists how to create beautiful lettering. The Speedball book was part of my family's collection too, along with a box of Speedball pen nibs. I spent hours trying  each pen nib to practice different lettering styles I loved in the book.

24th Edition of the Speedball Textbook

I did the same with the two books of anatomy that I found in one of the drawers of my mother's desk. One was a fold-out book with each section showing a different part of the human body's structure: skin, muscles, nervous system, and organs. This thin booklet was my first exposure not only to the body's systems, but to a way of producing a book different than the normal binding. The other book showed drawings and photographs of the muscles, veins and nervous system, and also the human body at various stages through the decades. I was fascinated by how the body changed from infancy with its big head to old age and its enlarged features such as noses and ears.

Contour drawing of feet

My family also collected autumn leaves and insects from our backyard. Studying the wings of the insects and tracing the leaves' veins taught me to focus on details of other objects as well. Mostly, though, I loved sitting in my dad's studio watching him work at one of his two drafting tables. He also set up a table for us to come and draw while he was working. My mom didn't have time to create a full-time studio in our home, but she had an easel in the den. She asked all of us daughters to pose for her. Posing for what seemed like hours gave me a chance to watch her start with charcoal sketches. She would  then mix oil paints and applied them to the canvas until she had a finished portrait.

We were a comic book family and had a stack of books that my day collected of his favorite comic strip artists such as Milton Caniff who drew Terry and the Pirates, Dale Messick's Brenda Starr (my first exposure to a working woman in storybook form), and his own series, Minne Sue and Little Haha. He was drawn to comic strip artwork that used the same dynamic style that graphic novel artists use today, with a deep knowledge of anatomy, bold outlines, and actions portrayed on paper.

Watching both my parents draw encouraged me to do the same. It was part of our family's education along with reading, writing, and arithmetic. With this influence, I began to draw fashion designs, and while still in elementary school, I sent some to Bill Woggins for publication in one of his Katie Keene comic books. Woggins encouraged his readers to send in designs, and he gave credit to them all, whether the designs appeared in his strip or not. He would list designers with their addresses and asked them to become pen pals. Clever marketing at that time where security wasn't such an issue as it is today.

List of fashion designers for Katie Keene comic book. My name is highlighted

Listening to Kristen Doty talk about what influenced her, reminded me of my own. I think of the families of doctors, construction workers, and entrepreneurs who can start out with a foundation in their professions because of their family background. All of us have had something that inspired us. What sparked your interest in your own life-long path?

Early drawings with a poem:
Count your garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall,
Count your days by the golden hours, don't remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows,
Count your life by smiles, not tears,
And with joy on every birthday, 
Count your age by friends, not years.
(Dixie Willson, possible author)

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Check out Kristen Doty, artist and calligrapher, at

https://kristendoty.com

Read about Ralph Heimdahl and his work on Bugs Bunny here:

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/ralph-heimdahl-a-collection-for-the-ages/

Check out this Milton Caniff collection:

https://cloverpress.us/products/terry-and-the-pirates-the-master-collection-vol-10?srsltid=AfmBOorPGsijApesVvhcbLVHu9bwXk73XXZMLJc_FA2RBedla7a_iABe 

FLOURISHING DIVERSITY

Window View -- January 2026

"Celebrate diversity. It's the one true thing we have in common." Winston Churchill

Outside of our windows, one bird has been singing away. It's spring and time for nesting. I finally spotted him with his striped head. I think it might be a black-throated grey warbler. I am not a bird watcher with binoculars and lists in hand, wide-brimmed hat, and camouflage...not yet...but I do like to watch birds as they fly overhead or swoop into a nearby bush. Sometimes, one will sit on the bare tree branches outside our windows. Bill and I wondered how a small bird could find a mate in the middle of a city. This latest bird has been elusive until I saw two birds fly onto the branches. One was singing as loud as he could while the other ducked into the bushes below us. Today could be his lucky day.

The small bird's song helped me notice the change in seasons here in the City. Our condo is located near the Giants ballpark in a former industrial area of the City. We don't have the neighborhood feel of some sections of town such as Noe Valley or DuBose with their rows of well-kept Victorians and parks nearby. Instead, we live in a skyscraper and our view out our front windows is of a cascade of buildings leading to the Salesforce Tower with its changing lightscape at the top. At night, the view is dazzling with lights. 

Sometimes, I write a paragraph and get stuck. Today, I got out of my chair, had a light lunch, and took a walk. I strolled down the dock next to the yacht club's berths. Pigeons fluttered around waiting for a crumb to drop. Most of the time, even on weekends, the sailboats are tied up, and the halyards clang in the wind. Our weather has been unusually warm, reaching in the 70s. Today, there were a few empty slips and sailboats angling out into the Bay. Karl the Fog had been a no-show until the night just as the Super Bowl started. Salesforce Tower disappeared in the mist even though the TV showed a beautiful sunset on the Bay (taken another day, we could only assume.)

Pigeons flock around Fish sculpture on the Embarcadero

The Embarcadero was quiet as I walked towards one of new Fish sculptures that is part of the Art Loop of sculptures that line the waterfront. There were a few runners and a couple or two, but the Super Bowl crowds had dispersed. I remembered that a few weeks ago San Francisco had been flooded with Men in Suits for a convention, the suits an unusual sight these days with all the tech bros who prefer hoodies and tight pants. Unlike the young women in the neighborhood, they haven't changed to roomier pants.

A week after that convention, a memorial march came down Market Street in honor of Bob Weir, one of the Grateful Dead founders. The group's followers invaded the City with their long skirts, tie-dyed t-shirts, and head scarfs.

As I passed the docks and the Spinnaker Sailing School, I looked at Frankie's Java Hut with its garlands of Super Bowl flags surrounding the patio, leftovers from the weekend's celebrations. On Saturday before the Super Bowl at Embarcadero Plaza, Bill and I joined hordes of people walking in Patriots or Seahawks gear, including T-shirts, hats, jackets, and special shoes. We stood out with our normal black, city attire as even fans from other teams, not playing in the big game, came dressed in their team's gear.  

Everyone looked for a connection to the game. They stopped at the scent-immersion experience at the Old Spice trailers, had their photos taken at the large Heart at the cable car turn-around, or went all the way to Moscone Center for the full-on Super Bowl celebration.

San Francisco, a port city, has always had a long history of diverse populations, who have received both positive and negative reactions at their arrival in the City. Usually, diversity equates with ethnicity or language differences, but clothing and cultural interests are other diverse populations too. Last weekend on the Plaza I found a super example of diversity in San Francisco.

"Together, we are America." Bad Bunny

BIRDS' NESTS AND VALENTINE'S DAY

 

Watercolor flowers inside heart-shaped cookie cutter

Valentine's Day began in Ancient Rome as a celebration of Valentine, a martyr. Quite a dark start for a day we think of as a time to honor our loved ones. By the Middle Ages though, Chaucer and Shakespeare helped to turn Valentine's Day around. They believed that February 14 was the day that male birds began to chirp to attract females, built nests, and showed off grand displays of feathers. With these writers' influence, the day became a way to celebrate love instead of martyrdom.

Hearts are a design that people frequently use. A heart may be in place of a dot of an i or as sunglasses or as a pattern on a shirt. We use heart stickers and stamp hearts on envelopes. At this time of year, hearts are everywhere, including  the small cookie cutter shaped as a heart at the top of this post. I have used hearts in stitchery designs too.

I enjoy participating in art challenges when I can. A friend recently showed me the results of an embroidery challenge she did over a year's time. She made a small embroidery piece each week and the results were stunning. Her book made me think of the challenge I had teaching embroidery to middle school kids, which I did for a sewing and stitchery class that I had created. For an example for my students, I made a quilt with six different heart designs, using embroidery stitches, ribbon weaving, needlepoint, and quilting. Looking at my friend's book brough back the memory of working on the quilt and successfully teaching my students some of the techniques.

Valentine's Day in the 21st century is so commercialized and super-hyped that it is hard to find its meaning in all the detritus found in stores during the Winter holidays. Instead, I take the time to make a card by hand, which gives me the chance to reflect on the days spent with that special person.

Here is a simple card structure to make an accordion card:

Accordion Hearts before decorations

Here are some suggestions from my blog in previous years. Click on the link above for Project Directions for more information.

Quilted hanging with stitched heart details

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"Many people are not lazy.

Many people are simply tired.

Many people simply are not okay."

Jonathan Jackson, at the National Prayer Breakfast