Tracy Ruckman

This morning, I woke up and didn’t come to my computer immediately, so before I knew it, the day had slipped by without me writing a blog post. Late afternoon, I found I missed the writing, but so much has happened (mentally, emotionally, physically) in the past 72 hours, I discovered the creativity was missing. So I decided to just freewrite some random thoughts (and questions) of the day as my challenge. If you’re struggling to write, I challenge you to try a freewrite – they always help me.  I thought once I was done with all my chemo treatments, I’d be done with doc visits for awhile. But June has been full of them, and this week, four of the five days are all doc visits, two of which weren’t scheduled until the last minute (including a Friday appointment that was scheduled today). I’ll give another health update next week, but there’s nothing to worry about. One appointment is Tim’s eye checkup, the others are mine. Morning writing is so much easier, even though waking up earl...

Have you ever lost focus? Ever chased a rabbit trail, only to come back to your starting point so you can start again? That was my summer this year. I chased art.  Now, as September approaches, I find myself back where I started, re-energized and refocused, ready to dig in once more.  I have revamped this website with more focus on books and writing. I'm still creating and selling art (and greeting cards are coming soon!)  My focus is once again on writing, screenwriting, and publishing. Summer vacation - or after-midlife crisis - is over. Two of my own books, and an anthology with one of my stories included will release this fall. Screenplays are in motion, too, after quarter-finaling in a contest this summer. So how did I refocus? First, I prayed and told God I needed help, because I was floundering. I told Him I thought I needed a coach. Two weeks after that prayer, author Lori Roeleveld announced some group workshops she was offering online, and I knew He'd answered m...

Good Morning on this Cyber Monday! Did you survive Thanksgiving and Black Friday and all the college football rivalries? Today, my photo and pattern stories are rather random but fun. The first isn't yet a pattern, although eventually, one of the throw-away photos from this same photo shoot might just become one. We have a Japanese maple tree in our front yard. I love that tree. Every year, I watch it as the seasons change, noting the different colors of its leaves and how it changes so gracefully, yet - just like life - sometimes at lightning speed. A couple of years ago, I took a photo that I eventually turned into a paint-like print. That year, the leaves were large. Available on  Zazzle (also available as a jigsaw puzzle ) This year, however, the leaves were tiny. I wanted a different kind of image, but never could get a good one. The wind took away leaves one by one, until there were only a few left. Most of those were already shriveling up, but I looked at...