_Benjamin Franklin described insanity as 'doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.'

I'm doing things a little differently this year :-) how about you?
I work the 80/20 rule. Keep the best 20% throw out the lowest performing 80% and try something new in it's place. It frees up a heap of new possibilities and keeps you moving forward and live-loving life.

Richard Koch says in his book "The 80/20 Principle," there are two ways to be happier:

• Identify the times when you are happiest and expand them as much as possible.
• Identify the times when you are least happy and reduce them as much as possible.

What will you stop doing?
What will you expand on?
What will you start?

_Have a Happy New Year of reading and writing and everything else you desire.

I have begin to pitch my novel to publishers. So you can guess what my New Year goal is.

Dreaming Billabong

Author Kathryn Shell

Children begin and then try to stop an escalating culture of payback in this compelling story of treachery and love during European settlement of Australia.

Young adults will relate to Jarrah and Emily being torn by the demands of adults. Most readers who enter this journey though the life of the cattle king, Alan Fife, will see a little of their own struggles for identity and acceptance within this historical crime fiction that is told mainly though the lives of the children. Seniors will relive the 1950s period of Australian history.

            In 1877 free settlers arrive to the semi arid inland of Fife Springs north-west of the Great Dividing Range.  At first they coexisted with the Woggan-Wandong people. Then the children, Alan and Charlotte, witness the development of intolerance and see these emerge as bitter altercations that sow the seeds for the white Australia policy.

            In 1945, Jarrah, and his two cousins of mixed Scottish and Woggan-Wandong heritage have their childhood wrenched from them by the danger and cruelty of the stolen generation phase of Australia’s history. They each emerge triumphant by drawing on their strengths and instincts to survive.

            During this post World War Two period, the second rush of Australian settlement takes place. Migration from Europe and the catch cry of ‘populate or perish’ have a tumultuous effect on the quiet peaceful inland Australian country town of Fife Springs.

            Two children Emily and her brother Harry have had their childhood traumatised by the crime of, and resulting loss of a parent. They are thrust into an environment with hidden dangers.  Payback continues and the children, one urged on by the ghost of a massacre the others aided by the dreaming spirits and nature, struggle with a culture of revenge that has harmed their family for generations.

            Woggan-Wandong means The meeting of the Spirit Ghosts.

_I plan to do some painting in January. I am considering illustrating a children's book version of my novel or doing a comic illustration of a serious, non-fiction work.

I was very quiet in my blogging over the past week as I worked hard to complete the last edit of my Australian novel.  The work is complete save for minor changes following the proof readings.

I already have a rough draft for the sequel and part of the first chapter has been written.

Today I returned to one of two non-fiction books I had already begun writing. I am withholding the title for now.
The second non-fiction Book I plan to write concerns travelling Australia and earning your living as you go.
The third book will concern earning your living as a free lance creative person, author and artist.

I plan to write at least one non-fiction work per year though I may well work on all three of these non-fiction works simultaneously while taking a short break from writing and editing my novel although I only plan to complete one non-fiction work per year and I will be publishing extracts from these self help books, as free exerts, within my blogs.

I may even publish some of my non fiction works for free or at least, at cost price as these works  - my non fiction come from my love of writing. 

Have a Happy Creative Christmas and may you too enjoy a happy creative new year.

_ I am planning an art work that will feature a beautiful picture of a lady in an 18th century dress leaning back against a tree. I love costumes figurative landscape paintings. Above is my work of figures of a woman and two children outside a Victorian style homestead in Ballarat, Victoria.

Below is another vintage costume figurative painting of mine, again from Ballarat. This is Blythewood Grange.


Today's Yummy and healthy,  Pre Paint Out BREAKFAST is Breakfast smoothie

• 99Cal Banana, 1 medium (180g with skin)
• 25 Peaches, canned in natural juice, drained, 0.25 cup(s)
• 125 Low-fat milk, 1% fat, 1 cup(s)
• 81 Low-fat yoghurt, any flavour, 100 g
• 70 Linseed, sunflower seed and almond mixture (LSA), 1 tablespoon(s)
• Preparation Place all ingredients into a blender together with 3-4 ice cubes if you would like, and process until smooth (around 30 seconds).

Stephen King's formula for learning to write well is: "Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can't expect to become a good writer." He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: "If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.

I think sometimes people see art as an elitist thing even to the point of expecting non artists who work at other professions to subsidies the arts.  I see no need for this.  No one subsidies the golfer who isn't entertaining enough to be paid to play, to play his round pf golf or give the fisherman money towards his gear to go fishing. In reality the artist can paint commercial art on the side to subsidies the fine art if it does not support them yet just as the author can write advertising until the novel sells.

Yes even being able to support yourself with your creativity is a talent.