a natural drift

When I first started fly fishing, a guide I was with on the river told me that I needed my dry fly to have “a natural drift” as it floated on the water’s surface.  The fly could not drag across the water or look unnatural in any way.  The fly’s actions and presence had to fool the fish into thinking it was the real deal.  The phrase stuck in my head — for both fly fishing and then for writing.

I thought of all the meanings of the word “drift” —

• be carried slowly by a current of air or water (verb)
• be blown into heaps by the wind (verb)
• a continuous slow movement from one place to another (noun)
• the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone’s remarks (noun)

All of the definitions apply in my life and here, in this blog.

I suppose that a blog of too general of a nature runs contrary to all that is written about effective blog management.  It seems that blogs should be specific, have clear purposes, be well-defined.  I, for sure, see the value in those blogs with a singleness of purpose (and I maintain one related specifically to fly fishing for Angler’s Covey).  But I also know myself — and my interests and thoughts are carried by currents around me, are in motion from one place to another.

A Natural Drift will, if I can build on this metaphor of rivers and flow, have two main tributaries:  creativity and conservation.  Many of the blog posts will focus on artistic expression and the creative process — whether in visual arts, theater, photography, film, or writing.  My curiosity leads me to wonder about, research, and explore the process that artists use to develop their craft. I will also share my awe in experiencing the end results of those efforts.

And I am also in awe of our natural world around us, Creation in the bigger sense.  I grew up and came of age exploring the mountains of the Pikes Peak region and throughout Colorado.  This blog’s other tributary will advocate for the conservation and preservation of our public lands and our natural resources.  It will express my love for and awe of the natural world — how nature rejuvenates our soul, challenges our physical body, and connects our spirit to something greater than ourselves.

At the confluence of these rivers will be education and information.  As an educator for over thirty years — from classroom teacher to literacy and language content specialist at the district and state level — I value teaching and learning.  Hopefully, A Natural Drift will serve to inform, educate, and stimulate readers to be involved in the arts community in our region and in conservation efforts across our state and country.

No doubt there will be certain topics that surface and recur in this blog — topics that are the small streams and rivulets that feed those tributaries: entries from road trips and “slow movement” around Colorado, commentaries on issues I find important in my life today (free speech and the First Amendment, memory and truth, funding for the arts and art education, protecting our public lands), writing (in general) and the teaching of writing (in particular).

My hope is that as I delve into these topics and themes and share my navigations, I can create dialogue or, at the very least, stimulate thinking from those who may come across this blog, and I hope that you may be carried along on this natural drift.

My other hope is that I can support the artists and outdoor recreation industry around the Pikes Peak region in their efforts to create a rich community and environment.  If you have a need for a writer, researcher, or copy editor in print and/or social media, please contact me at vincent.puzick@gmail.com.  I can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, too.

This entry was posted on October 14, 2017 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.